Easter in Ramona

March 21, 2016 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

Our old neighbors are now living out in Ramona. They have so much land, so much space, perfect for an Easter egg hunt. So the girls got their baskets and we loaded up the truck.

Their house has quite the views, hawks soar above the citrus trees and squirrels dart across the path to their pool.

If you squint you can see some of our favorite wineries.

The kids had a lot of fun hunting eggs, well I should say Kaili had fun. Averi just wanted to chase the cat and explore.

There was quite a spread for lunch, homemade quiche to fried chicken sliders and delicious fresh squeezed OJ from their trees. I made this lemon cake. I was overly cautious to keep an eye on it but somehow I overcooked it by a few minutes, but I would still recommend the recipe. I am going to try another recipe this week to compare and because I need a another piece of lemon cake in my life.

Once we were able to drag the kids away from their playground we headed down the road to Kohill winery. We are new members and had a wine pickup but also, you can’t go to Ramona without hitting a winery, i am pretty sure it’s illegal.

The girls snacked because they don’t eat their actual meals and then they chased each other around the tasting room while we decided what wines to take home.

It was a good practice run for Easter, now we get to do it all over again next week but without getting in the car.

Food and Stuff

March 8, 2016March 8, 2016 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

I was lucky enough to have a post birthday lunch…delivered while the Avers was napping and K was at school… and it was so good.

Kung Pao Tofu, lamb with onions, pork and bean curd and of course dumplings ( not shown) because we did order from The Dumpling Inn. Don’t forget the sparkling cremant, the most important part.

The Trader Joes in Pacific Beach is the one I have been hitting up lately and that is because a few streets over is a park on the bay. Now every time I mention TJ’s Kaili brings up that park and so it’s a thing, a pretty good thing.

Averi is such a little ham and she loves her sister. What sissy has, sissy wants. If Kaili wants water, so does Aves, although Averi is more polite. She loves to say “thank you” and when she asks for “more” in sign language it’s so cute, it’s really hard not to hand her anything she wants.

unnamed I am seriously running out of food ideas for these kids. Kaili likes and dislikes food within minutes, it changes daily…I may go crazy. All that literature about having your kid cook with you and “they will eat it” is shit, not happening. Kaili will happily be my soux chef but when it comes to eating, she refuses food faster than a vegan at a buffet.

unnamed

Kaili loves art, coloring, chalk, painting and she is getting really good at her letters. She can spell words with letter dictation. I have no doubt she is beyond ready for Kindergarten. Can you believe it? I can’t.

Birth Day!

March 1, 2016December 30, 2025 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

The past four years we have been pretty good about going out, making time for lunches and winery days. Dragging Kaili around was like second nature. She just went with the flow, tucked into her back pack of goodies and for the most part kept herself entertained. Averi, on the other hand hasn’t been as complaisant to sit in a highchair or spend time twiddling with play-doh. She would rather manage the back of the kitchen or throw toys on the ground. Who the hells kid is this? I have found myself bowing out of a lot more things these days… just knowing how much of my time and patience will be spent managing Averi instead of actually enjoying myself, so we stay home. But for my birthday, I wanted to go out. Out, out…without kids. To the places that shun kids, the places I haven’t been to in years or ever. So we got a sitter and planned the afternoon checking into places that were just that, adults only.

It was a whopping good time. I even got the courage, ahem, thanks to my nudging husband, to introduce myself to one of my favorite chefs. If you watch Top Chef than he needs no introduction.

Richard Blais in a nutshell < Top chef runner up, Top Chef All-stars Winner. Guest judge on Top Chef, learned from some of the Master chefs aka Thomas Keller and now has two San Diego restaurants which is why I was able to capture this photo.> Happy birthday to me.

We also squeezed in a quick stop at the Waterfront Bar and Grill. The oldest tavern in San Diego and I am embarrassed to admit neither of us had ever been there..hangs head in shame.

I will leave it at this. I had a great time and I crossed a lot of places off of my to-do list but I did not feel hot the next day. Next year I want to go kayaking and eat at Nobu in Malibu. Shane says we should wait until 2017 to decide…whatever, that just gives me time to plan a roaring 40’s birthday eating seaside in Hawaii!

Meal Times

February 6, 2016December 30, 2025 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

I don’t know how I, one of the least pickiest eaters, has a child who doesn’t like anything. I might say that this is the most frustrating part of parenting to date. Each meal is a struggle, one week she likes something, the next she doesn’t. I know this is probably pretty normal but my gawd it’s driving me mad. I am about to let her eat dry cereal and taquitos three meals a day.

Meanwhile, Aves is still a pretty good eater and I hope it lasts.

The girls just love music. Averi gets into a semi trance while watching any sort of singing and Kaili likes all the hip songs on the radio. I hate to admit this but I just downloaded a Justin Bieber song because Kaili loves it..

Kaili’s class had a field trip to the new Children’s Museum downtown. I was worried about having to bring Averi along but it worked out pretty well. A lot of the museum was great for both kids but there were some parts that weren’t Averi accessible, I would have had a hard time rounding them up all by myself.

Days are starting to get easier. Averi is sleeping through the night, Kaili has been pretty good about staying quiet until 6:30. Aves will play by herself and watch some cartoons while I need to get whatever done, and then she naps from about 10 until noonish. That time I spend working out and reading in the sun or the bath. I am trying to take more of her nap time to zen out. I don’t know if it helps with my patience or not, I like to think it does.

18 Months Again

January 28, 2016December 30, 2025 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

Averi’s 18 month Dr. appointment happened a few weeks back. I was surprised to find out that she is really low in the percentages, barely in the one percentile for weight. I mean, the girl eats…a lot. I have been trying to be conscious about swapping out the “easy” empty calorie snacks for the more caloric ones but other than that, I am not going to worry about it. She looks good to me.

Shane took Kaili to see Frozen on Ice. I think she liked it, or maybe it was more she was mesmerized by the whole production.

Apparently the girl wanted to get some cotton candy because she said she liked it, although she never had it before. Turns out, she doesn’t like cotton candy. Strange child that one.

I was lucky enough to get away to see the Women’s US national team play that day. I’m not sure I have seen the women play before. Fun to be there but we whooped Ireland so the game was kind of a bore.

That night we had our babysitter come so we could get away with some friends. Our local winery had live comedy, headlining was a finalist on Last Comic Standing. We had a good time but we didn’t plan well. Everyone had gotten there pretty early, bringing food to graze on leading up to the show. When we showed up the place was pretty packed. The comedians were entertaining, the wine decent but pricey.

Halloween Eve

November 3, 2015 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

Friday, we took Kaili out of school so we could make our annual trip to Bates Nut Farm. Going the day before Halloween was a big WIN! There was hardly anyone there, meaning no lines for pony rides, plenty of room in the petting zoo and you could actually browse the store without being shoved by the person behind you.

The kids enjoyed themselves, you goat to believe it.

After the pumpkin patch we went to a restaurant on our to-do list and I was honestly miserable the entire time. Kaili was so good and so easy to take out to restaurants. But Averi, well she isn’t. There is whining, so much whining and she isn’t happy unless she is eating or walking around. It wasn’t a very “kid inviting” restaurant and I just felt horrible for her screeching while others tried to enjoy their lunch. Meanwhile, Kaili fell off her chair hitting the ground head first, causing gasps from everyone around us…she was fine. My blood pressure was not.

After lunch we hit a few new wineries nearby because after that lunch, we all needed a drink. The first winery, Deer Park Winery and Auto Museum was like walking into the past. Everything in the “museum” had a layer of dust on it. The wine bar was something out of the 70’s as was the decor. The wine though, the wine was atrocious. The whole experience was strange. Yes, Averi is eating off of old dirty carpet.

After that experience we hopped into another winery but I think we were all done and ready to head home. After baths, finally able to relax we enjoyed dinner outside while the men watched baseball and the girls played until dark.

Out and About

September 14, 2015September 15, 2015 ~ Girlmom ~ 2 Comments

There is a new restaurant down in Harbor Island. One I have been anticipating for months. Since Shane and I don’t get many chances to go out alone, we decided to try Coasterra with kids in tow. The view is AHmazing, I crave sitting outside along the water and their atmosphere definitely satisfied.

I can’t go into detail on the food, we had a few apps and a soup, all good but not AHmazing. Their menu was enticing but pricey, not worth dropping that much on a meal that I can’t enjoy in peace…know what i’m saying?

Kaili got to see San Diego from a higher point of view, she loved it…she also loved her first attempt at pool, she needs some practice.

We don’t get downtown much these days but since they let little kids in bars, I don’t see why we don’t go more often.

Eats and Greets

July 14, 2015July 15, 2015 ~ Girlmom ~ 3 Comments

I am saving up for my next life. I am going to hire a night nanny. She will come at 6:00pm and take care of all the tedious bed time hoopla {we will keep story time} wake up with the kids when they cry, fall out of bed or just plain don’t want to sleep and wake up with them at 5:30 in the morning. Then I will glide in, all bright eyed and bushy tailed and redeem my position.

We spent part of the day in Seaport village last week, I have been there so many times now I can’t keep track, we seriously live in the best place. Averi went on her first carousel ride and we had a very overpriced lunch but the view….

sisters first rodeo — Sisters first rodeo

Shane and I were lucky enough to get away for a 21 and over dinner while the folks were here. Averi had been being such a little PITA that I was nervous about leaving her…but she was just fine. We wanted to stay away from downtown due to Comic Con so it was the perfect excuse to try Brian Malarkey’s La Jolla eatery Herringbone. The vibe of this place is sound. I wish I lived walking distance, I would be a regular.

There is a booze bar and a raw bar and I want to get to know both. I ordered the Branzino and it was by far the best I have ever had. Don’t forget that the cheeks on fish are the best part, just slap that hand away when someone tries to be cheeky. It was paired with an artichoke salad and a minty pea puree that put London’s mushy peas to shame, sorry lads.

We also knocked out another restaurant on our to-do list…The OB noodle house. This is a place where you need a group of people and everyone is into sharing. So many great things on their menu. Everything I tried was good, Kaili liked the Pho and you have to try the garlic chili chicken wings…drool.

It was a fun visit with the in-laws as always. Averi is back in her room and her crib and it’s been glorious. Good sleep has her like….Chillen.

4th of July at the Lake

July 13, 2015July 13, 2015 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

We hit the road up to Lake Arrowhead, this time meeting Shane’s folks there. Coming from Walla Walla, they had a much longer drive than we did but Averi cried almost the entire 2 hours so I call it even.

After getting familiar with our new abode we walked down to the village for some lunch. The food there isn’t much to talk about, not bad, not great. We poked around for little bit and then headed to the store for dinner.

Saturday morning we packed up as much as we could carry and walked down to the beach club. The Lake is private and the only way to access it is to either rent a place within the area, have friends there or live there. Since this was our first time going into the lake we weren’t fully equipped. Next time we will be ready.

One of the neighbors told us about a little spot, a street away that everyone gathers at to watch the fireworks. It was perfect. Kaili got to stay up late to watch them and the hardest part was waiting until 9:00 pm. I wish I could say she slept in the next morning but I can’t. The sleeping arrangements were Kaili and Averi in one room. It worked well the last time we were there but this time Ave’s decided she was going to start her day at 5:30. I rushed in there every morning to fetch her before she woke up her sister, didn’t help much.

Sunday morning we took a boat ride around the lake. The guide gave us facts and history about the lake and the famous people whom live there. Some of the houses are drool worthy and Tom Selleck’s house is the only one with a lake garage for the boat.

After our lake tour and some lunch, Shane and I got away for a little wine tasting. It is 21 and over so we missed out last time. It’s amazing how nice even one hour alone can be.

We took the kids back to the house because I had an important date with the US Womens National Team. If you missed the first half of the World Cup, I am sorry. Wow what a game!