Is it hot in here, or is it just me?

Along with the rest of the country, we have been experiencing record breaking heat here the last couple of weeks. 80 degrees may not seem hot to you, but for Monterey, it is sweltering (especially when no one here has air conditioning!) Casey has been happy, because for the first time, he was allowed to wear his swimming trunks to the beach. The water was freezing, but he didn't even seem to notice. Daddy even decided to join him in the water (I think they're all crazy).



My idea of fun, on the other hand, is to bury the innocent ones, and try to get seagulls to eat chips off of their heads. I know how to have a good time.



Later in the week, the kids decided it would be a great idea to have a birthday party for their stuffed animal friend....Baby George (these poor kids really need to start school). He turned one-year-old this week. We had oreo pie and busted the pinata. We invited the only other child in the neighborhood to join in the fun. Her parents may not let her come back.

Glutton For Punishment

Well, I took the kids to their weekly poety and art club again yesterday. I'm not sure why I did; I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. When I returned to hear the poems and see the paintings at the end, Casey whispered to me that he had a special poem, and he couldn't wait for me to hear it. We had spent the week at Carmel beach, Asilomar beach, rock climbing, memorizing scripture, practicing handwriting and math, etc., so I was sure that this week, he was going to share some of his weekly experiences, and make me look good in front of the teachers and other parents. Here's the poem:

"The Couch"
I feel the most comfortable on the couch.
I can watch TV on the couch.
I can sleep on the couch.
I can eat popcorn on the couch,
and I can read on my couch.
by Casey

Well, at least everyone knows he can read, even if it is after naps and popcorn breaks (neither of which he has taken part in on our new couch yet by the way)! Here are some pics of the kids at the poetry club....they may be the last ones you see because I might not take them back, hehe.

My Friend is Movies

After a fun-filled week of hiking, biking, a visit to the Museum of Natural History, practicing Spanish, and exploring various parks and beaches, I was feeling like a pretty good mom. That is.....until our weekly visit to the "Poetry and Art Club" put on by the city of Pacific Grove. Having to practically drag Casey to a poetry club should have been a warning sign. He got even with me. The assignment was to write a creative piece about your best friend. After an hour of creative time to write and draw, my dear, precious child proudly walked to the front of the room to read his poem to the class.

"My friend is movies.
I like to watch movies.
I am lazy and watch movies.
When I get home, I will watch more movies.
I will watch more than four movies.
I like movies of any kind.
I really like Walt Disney movies.
By: Casey"

I shouldn't complain.....the boy comes by it naturally. At least he drew a picture of a seal. Maybe he did learn something at the museum after all.



The next day, we visited the Asilomar State Beach, which is one of our new favorite places. You can investigate the seals, crabs, starfish, and other marine life on the rocky beach, then walk on the boardwalk over to the sandy beach area to wade and watch the surfers. We love this place.

Home Sweet Home

The Living Room

We were very busy all of last week and this weekend setting up our new home. Here are a couple of pics of rooms we have finished putting together.

Master Bedroom

Family Room

We really love our new home, though it has been a lot of work putting it all together. Our new address is: 9 Balfour Court, Seaside, CA 93955. Our new home phone number is 831-583-9359. Our new home email is: bowens10@sbcglobal.net, though we still receive email at our Yahoo account, too (kylacasey@yahoo.com) or brandon's work account (brandon.owens@us.army.mil).

After all that work, we went to the beach to unwind with a little Beach Football!

More to come later....