Sarkisian Summer BBQ

Every Summer Marty's parents love to escape the desert heat and spend a week in Oxnard. On their way they stop off the 118 and visit with us.

This year was exceptionally fun because Aunt Susie, Uncle Tommy, Blake and Ilana came to visit as well. We enjoyed cooling off in the pool and filling up on BBQ burgers in the backyard.
Ilana and Blake are awesome cousins! Even though they are many years older than Jayden and Zachary they adore playing with them and usually wind up in costume and putting on a performance.

Pajama Pancake Party

Saturday morning was scrumptious.

Fresh squeezed orange juice.
Hot blueberry pancakes topped with glistening butter and sticky syrup.
Scrambled eggs and jumbled-up childlike conversation.
Beautiful giggling grins.
Dress up.
Dancing and jumping for joy to Seeds Family Worship.Zoey joined us for our regular Saturday morning breakfast. Marty typically does the pancake flipping but he was MIA, so it was me and four beautiful children sharing a meal that I hope becomes a somewhat monthly tradition. We can call it Breakfast with Buds and invite any and all the neighborhood kids!

Ouch!

Oliver took a spill last night while building trains with his Dad and brother. We all tried to ignore the screaming for a bit (he can be dramatic), but then he came toddling to the kitchen crying "mama" and I saw his bloody eye.

A tiny freak-out moment.

A dose of Tylenol.

A quick trip to the Urgent Care down the street.

When the Dr. asked if there had been any bleeding from Oliver's ears, Marty realized that Ollie's condition was minor. Ear bleeding from an eye injury? That's craziness.

And from now on when the boys take a tumble, we will gauge the seriousness based on the "is he bleeding from his ears scale".
Yes = hospital.
No = lollipop/ popsicle/ sugary distraction.

Sleeping In

Most mornings my children arise before the dawn. I sit huddled in the office sipping coffee and enjoying a quiet moment with God and his Word (and Gmail and my fav blogs of course). Then I hear the small thud of feet marching downstairs and I know my day has officially begun. Today, however, the sun was able to shine and the hands on the clock ticked all the way to 7:00 a.m before the creatures stirred out of bed. A small miracle. The big miracle is that I slept in too! The reason for our exhaustion was a most delightful evening with friends. We dined alfresco while Jayden and Clara giggled and pranced tirelessly around the house; Zachary and Chloe followed in earnest pursuit. We have only a few opportunities each year to be with Ted, Katrina, and their girls because they live so far away. (Last year they moved from Holland to Annapolis so at least they are back in the States!) The countdown begins again until the next time we can gather for food and friendship.Clara's and Jayden's first playdate...December 2005

Katrina is responsible for bringing April and I together, insisting that we'd get on marvelously. I had known April casually because she taught French at Oaks Christian while Marty was the IT director there. But this inaugural walk with our firstborn babes in January 2006 set us on a course of friendship that has blessed me beyond words. Love these women!

Slip and Slide

Ollie got a slip-n-slide for his birthday. He LOVES to get wet and so does Zachary. Jayden dips her toes in the water and squeals. It was the perfect entertainment for a day with friends. Eventually the kids created a 'beach' by carrying sand and water back and forth from sandbox to slide. Fun in the sun for sure!!

San Diego Zoo

I am co-hosting an event with my best Beaut Amanda Ermanis next weekend (sorry to those of you who know not of the Beauts...but we're pretty famous amongst ourselves) and traveled to Encinitas so the two of us could review her amazingly creatively fabulous ideas and run errands in prep. Amanda has dubbed the event a "Baby Sprinkle" (I know! So. stinkin'. cute.) because it is a shower for the 2nd child of my other best Beaut Tracy Miller.

All of this is to say that the kids and I spent a couple of days down South and were treated by Papa and Mima to a day at the San Diego Zoo.
Me and my monkeys.
My mom had a hip replacement in April so the wheel chair was for her, but the kids and I managed to get pushed by Papa all day long. Aunt Kelly and baby Anna (soon to be a toddler) joined us there for lunch and a stroll through part of the park. Anna recently discovered her pointer finger and directed us through the park with a wave of her hand. At the Sea Lion show Aunt Kelly braved the splash zone with Jayden and Zach while the wimps hid in the shade in the nose bleed seats.First taste of cotton candy. Ollie was perplexed by the stickiness but kept reaching for more.

What a trooper.