Thanks for coming for a visit Amy, Noah and Layla

pre-dance class attire

I talked to Amy last night and she was on the fence about coming. Amy and family used to live here and then earlier this year they moved to tahatchapi and we are still sad about it. Anywho Amy was on the fence but hooray they came. But the morning started off with dance class, at the beginning of each month the parents are invited to sit in on the class. Dakota cracks me up as I apparently crack her up. Before class I took her to the bathroom and I was unaware that of the two bathrooms one is for "boys" and one is for "girls" (they look exactly the same no signs) so I went to take her to the boy bathroom and she quickly corrected me. Then midway through class dakota says teacher teacher, teacher gives this little talk about only asking questions during class that pertain to dancing or individual needs and then answers one little girls question and then she goes to dakota and dakota tells her that I tried to take her to the boys bathroom and she(dakota) starts cracking up, the teacher unfortunately was not as amused. I was though.

Once we were done with class we got home made some lunch and we headed to Marina Park to meet up with Amy, Noah and Layla as a side not jenn kai and dax came too.... hahahahah just kidding jenn I love how much we have been seeing you guys lately.

Amy also brought a friend all the way from tahatchapi, stacy with her two little ones quinn and kellen. We all ate lunch and then we were off to the ocean. It was a blast.

I haven't mentioned this on the blog but dakota is going to marry noah or so she says anytime his name is brought up and I am totally okay with it and I will tell you why. Noah is wonderful and his parents are pretty great too. The time that sealed the deal was one day at the park dakota and noah brought their bikes and they were riding around this path around the park. Dakota was still working on her bike skills and so she would get stuck in the grass or going up a slight hill. So she gets stuck in the grass and is calling for me and I start walking over when who should ride by ever so gallantly on his bike with a gentle hand gesture he says "I got it kwisten" and I was sold, it was the sweetest most gentlemanly thing I had ever seen and he is only three. Amy I am so happy you came down, thanks for making the trek. It is our turn next for sure. OXOXOXOOX

What a beautiful Morning

This was as we were leaving for our "track workout" this morning. So nice. Dawn I didn't mention this on your blog but there is something about the sky that changes in the fall that I just love.

Dakota didn't want to go in the jogger so she and I ran ahead. She ran the whole way to the track, I think it is a good 1/3 of a mile.

It looks much darker then it actually was.

The sun rays were just awesome.

Once we got there the girls (dakota and mia) got set up and Andi and I took turns doing our sprints. It really works out so nicely. The girls get a day off in the jogger and Andi and I get a break from pushing. We were doing a combo on stadiums and then track sprints, now when I say sprints keep in mind my fastest speed is a jog really, but lately we have just been doing spints I think we are going to start alternating doing one or the other everyother week. The girls cheer us on it is pretty darn cute.
After we got home Marie arrived and we were off to trader joes. Last time we were there dakota noticed a pregnant woman and of course had to ask/tell her she had a baby in her belly to which the woman responded that she had two... the look on dakota's face was priceless she was awestruck by the idea that there were two babies in there. Dakota and I proceeded to have a conversation about twins and all that. Well today guess who dakota spots across the store and then says loudly that is the lady with two babies in her belly. The woman was very kind and impressed that dakota remembered her, she has a daughter that is maybe a little younger than dakota so I am sure she sees that same curiosity and wonder everyday.
I made this yummy thing today caramel apple bars the have good flavor but a little too gooey. And by too gooey because really in my mind there is no such thing but the form is not so much a bar as it is hmmmmm meltyinyourhandy. I don't have any vanilla ice cream in the house as I should but they are still very good on their own with some milk. I saw a picture on here from here I wish mine looked like hers but ther do not. Something to work on

Cranberry Pasta Tea.

That is what dakota made for randy after dinner tonight. They were having some nice tea as I was cleaning the kitchen and when he asked what it was that was her answer, very interesting. Then he asked what she did today and she told him that she ran 10 miles (I was lazy today and didn't go sorry andi) but apparently she did and according to dakota's conversation with randy she was running "pretty fast" but at "half speed" her miles take about "1 minute". If only I were at here level.
I made an awesome dinner tonight that I have to share. My neighbor recently gave me a ton of different cooking magazines and so slowly I have been going through them and pulling recipes or just tagging them if there are several within. It has been great because I have been in such dinner doldrums and coming up with new yummy meals can be so difficult. I hate arriving at 430 with no dinner plans spins me right into a bad mood. I have found cuisine at home
to have some really great speedy meals. Tonight I made sun dried tomato crusted chicken and it was gooooood.

and then this yummy sauce.
Just a touch of butter, HA!
the picture doesn't do it justice my food photos are hit and miss.
Here is what I was thinking at dinner tonight, are you ready for the deep thought, I don't remember ever telling my mom that I didn't like something she cooked, that thought or those words were just not there. Dakota is an awesome eater and she will try anything for the most part but she doesn't hesitate to say that she doesn't like something and I don't know how I feel about that. Part of me thinks well that is fine we have a one bite rule so at least she is trying it. But the other part of me thinks no this is dinner this is what we are having it is not up for judgement. When I was a kid we ate what we were given and if we didn't like it well fine but you still ate it. I really don't know just thinking out loud as the title states! Hahahah.
Moving on we met up with our friends at the park today and it was so nice to see everyone and I think we are going to get back into the swing of things. We used to have a play group and we met once a week and we were really good about it but over this last summer new babies were born, and then sickness so it feels like ages but I think we are back on. Yay

A fun saturday!

So we went and got dakota around 12 on saturaday and we were off the randy's grandma's house in oak view. When we left ventura it was 66 degrees and when we got to their it was 86 degrees, ahhh the weather around here. Randy's grandma got remarried around the same time that he and I did so it was a visit with great grandma lois and great grandpa irvin.

We hung out had some lunch and then played in the front yard for a bit, it was then that dakota started fading fast.perfect sized cone!

When I say fading fast what I mean is firing on all cylinders. She just starts moving faster and talking faster and go go go go go go. We left shortly there after and we hit the road and she was out.
She took a long nap which was good because we went to see the wizard of oz outside at barranca vista park. It was really awesome.
I wish ventura would do things like this year round and I wish the movies were a little more kid friendly (the next two they are doing are john waters hairspray, I have never seen it, and edward scissorhands). And even with the wizard of oz, dakota and I left early because the witch was scarying dakota.
We met the Kish's there (Andi, Ed and Mia) laid out our blankets had a dinner picnic.
There were some local girls who sang some songs from wicked and then another short, nice live performance and then they started the movie. We had a good time.