Spring Break 2019... and more

Has it really been more than a year since I last updated? I would like to blame it on life. 

Quite a bit has changed since March 2018. First off, we are no longer in our house. We've temporarily downgraded to a 1/1 apartment while our house is being rebuilt from the ground up! I'm hoping to move back by the holidays. Still crossing fingers... although we're a few phases behind schedule, I still believe in miracles. 

Our Spring Break just ended and we took a quickie one nighter trip to Monterey. Lucas went on a field trip to the aquarium and really wanted to go back again without rushing. 

Ready for our trip

Barely fitting in that clam shell

These three are barely fitting in that shell

Pier of Fisherman's Wharf

Cannery Row (PC: Lucas)

PC: Lucas

Clam chowder samples galore at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey

Not sure she understands the concept of binoculars

Sister sister

Out of all the kids, Evangeline has changed the most in every aspect. She's a big troublemaker, but she's a smart kid. She's a super picky eater and loves to follow in her siblings footsteps. Sometimes it's not the best ideas to copy them since they're up to no good as well.

 One of their favorite store - Claire's

Panda sisters

 Sharing snow cones

... and ice cream cones

When the trio are together and getting along, they're pretty cute. But on most occasions, the two older ones are fighting and Evangeline is just joining in the mix somehow. 

Lucas and matchy matchy sisters

Annual doctor's appointment - three healthy kids

Evangie loves posing for the camera too now

Little cheeseball

And then there's Lucas... the boy who can't wait to get his own room and get some peace and quiet away from all then noise (aka: his sisters).

Fresh fade for his "modeling" debut

 Thinks he's so cool with his fedora and shades

 Mom thinks she's pretty cool with her sun hat, too

And then there's the family pictures in April. There's Dad's birthday and Easter. This is our sixth year celebrating Dad's birthday at Benihana's. That glob of butter they put on everything took a toll on me when I got up the next morning. #gettingold

Kids are growing like weeds

 Evangie was so happy to sit on the Easter bunny

And that's pretty much April in a nutshell. We are four weeks away from summer. Hopefully there's also crazy quick progress with our house as well. 

Happy 7th Birthday, Lucas

Yesterday, little Lucas Shinn turned seven years old! He was super excited about turning seven; I think he thinks being seven makes him a big kid. Due to the busyness of taking care of two classrooms, prepping for the new school year, thinking about packing boxes to move out of our house, and just keeping the family in order, I didn't really have much time to spend on thinking about a birthday party. Luckily, I was able to pull it off without breaking the bank or spending too much time! Woo! 

 Yearly birthday sign picture

I downloaded a free sign I found off Pinterest and glued it to cardstock paper. One of my Targets had Pokemon birthday stuff on sale so I grabbed all that too so I didn't have to waste time making my own figures. We had Lucas's friends/cousins party at a taekwondo place, which meant I didn't have to do much besides pay money. 

 Quiet bunch of kids munching on pizza and chips

 Happy birthday boy and his crew

 Our abnormal family picture

I shall call this year "the year Lucas grew up". My perfect little boy was no more. Somehow, he managed to transform into a typical elementary aged boy right under my nose! He suddenly had selective hearing, he picks fights with his younger sister, he's messy, and is irresponsible. I expect a lot more gray hairs and baggy eyes this upcoming year. He annoys me more than he's ever had the past six years, but I still love the kid. When he wants to be good, he can be real good.

I've noticed that Lucas gives 100% to things he wants to do. He started tkd a few months back and is determined to move up belts as quickly as possible. Luckily for him, he's a fast learner. When he puts his mind to something, he can accomplish it really quickly. He's also one of the last kids in his grade to swim. I've enrolled him in swimming lessons twice a week and have seen great improvement with him on that as well. He's a very bright kid (and no, I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother/future second grade teacher). His current love are Beyblades, Pokemon, Legos, and electronics. When did my baby boy grow up?!

On his birthday, I asked what he wanted to do. At first, he wanted to go to summer camp. Yay, easier for me. But then I gave him a second option and he opted for option two. What was option two? Spend a day with Mom... but, you can choose to do whatever you want! So, we started off the morning at Target where he picked out some birthday toys. We went to the Apple store so he could play on the iPad a bit. We went to the candy store where he asked for a free sample. We had lunch at McDonald's because he wanted a cheeseburger. While his baby sister was napping, I picked up his bestie and the boys played video games and worked on Legos. Then we had a family dinner at Round Table's and ended the night with Baskin Robbins. That was my boy's dream day. It was also my anti-day. Come on... McDonald's and Round Table's on the same day?! I think I would rather starve! 

 Focused on that iPad

 Every kid's favorite: McD's

 Personalized pizza: olives, pineapples, and sausage

Perfect way to end the day: ice cream!

SLO Vacation

It's been a couple years since we went to the Central Coast. We were able to get away from the heat for a few days before being welcomed home to nearly 100 degree weather! 

First pit stop: Firestone

Lucas's super loose tooth fell out during dinner

Grandma with the kids

Second pit stop: Doc Burnstein's

Firestone's and Doc Burnstein's are two of our go-to places every time we're down here. We tend to come when school is still in session so downtown SLO is pretty slow and quiet.

Pismo Beach

On day two, we went to the beach and Pismo pier. At around 10 in the morning, the beach was pretty empty, hence the clean background. 

Lunch @ Wooly's (with the nice ocean view)

Sometimes it sucks being the third child

Windy family pic on the pier

 Resting (and taking a break from Evangie) at the hotel lobby

On day three, we took a one hour drive south to Solvang. There really wasn't much to do in this small, tourist-trap Danish town. There were these butter cookies we bought. I wish I tried one there because they WERE THE BEST BUTTER COOKIES IN THE WORLD! When we left Solvang, I said I wasn't going to come back. Boy was I wrong! Those cookies are worth it! 

Took a tour around the downtown area

 Three Shinns in a (Danish) shoe

Ate at a restaurant in Pismo on the way home

On the final day of our trip, we went to Avila Farms where we got to ride a tractor to the field, eat corn, feed animals, and I think that's it. 

 Waiting for the tractor to move

Avila Farms

 Big kids feeding the animals

... and that was our summer SLO trip!

From April to May

Things have been insane in the membrane lately. Not lately, since April. There was the signing of my contract again to teach, some major house stuff about to go down, kids ending school soon, husband's birthday, and whatever else that went down. Nobody told me that being a mom to three kids, two elementary aged, was going to be go-go-go all the time.

 Little Miss Trouble

 Mother's Day picture with three little rascals

Celebrating Dan's birthday 

 Celebrating Dad's birthday @ Benihana's (5 years and going...)

Their "dad smile"

 Last day of school

Big Lucas and Little Lucas

 Found this little gem off CL for my littlest rascal

 Speaking of rascal...

 Messing with her Big Sis's stuff

 Light sabers galore

 Girls' Day

 Evangie's first time at HH

First place we went once school's out

... and that was April and May in a nutshell!