Hot!

dakota last november!

So it is november in ventura and we played in the pool today.


When is this heat going to be gone. I mean it is great fun and all but really how about 60 degrees shoot 65. At least it is starting to cool down from the weekend, we have had the pool out since friday I believe. My friend Dawn in Nova Scotia is hopefully sending some cool weather and moisture. I will be waiting.
Really it was a great day we started the day with a walk down at the beach with Aubrei and Maya, Aubrei when we were just about done jumped in the ocean and I kick myself for not joining her but I was wearing my pants and the thought of them being wet and hanging on me stopped me, silly really, but it was great to see her just jump right in. Then we headed off to arroyo verde park to meet up with some friends for some nice play time. Which it was until dakota lost it. Sweet girl has started yelling at me when she is frustrated, at the top of her lungs yelling at me. So we promptly left because that just doesn't fly. But it gets me thinking about how much emotion she has going on inside to yell like that and how do I want to continue to handle it. Because first off it is just not okay, yelling at anyone when she is frustrated is not the way and not only is it not the right way but it is the wrong way. But she is in the moment of pure frustration and not sure how to deal with all that and at this point unsure what to do with it. Do you ever wonder if we moms of this generation over think things? HA! Anyway I want to try to help her find a better way of expressing all the emotion. Open to suggestions.... I do know that I have to be the example and I am not a yeller but I am far from perfect when I get upset so I think I will start there, what do I look like to her in the moments where I have lost patience???

On the drive home she was very sad and very sorry and told me she was sorry and that she loved me and then of course I feel bad for being upset with this beautiful, tender, sweet LITTLE girl who is still learning all the time.

The rest of our day was great as they all are really. really

This is what my sweet girl fell asleep with last night not a doll, nor a teddy bear, soft blanket no

a card! silly girl. thanks titi.

Sunday at the Folks

The day started off with apple pancakes ( I love her blog the chicken pot pie looks amazing) bacon and eggs. The apple pancakes need some work they didn't come out like the picture and were a little more doughy on the inside but still the flavor was good. Then dakota and i headed off to my parents house. We were just planning on staying for a couple hours but truthfully that never happens.
We get there and then it is lunch time and then why not have dakota nap there and before we know it hours have pasted and we have a great time. Secretly it is a nice break for me, mom and dakota are playing so i get to sit back and look at my mom's latest magazine or work on the puzzle (there is almost always one going) or just sit with my dad and watch football, very relaxing for me. But all the while dakota is totally engaged with gaggi.
That is not to say I am lazy, me no. I mean I get up and play a little too. really.
My dad has been excepted to a masters program at.... dad what is the school again?... anyway it is for their fine arts program in photography (correct me where I am wrong dad) anyway he has this great new camera and it is amazing to see the difference he let me use it and while dakota loves to make faces at the camera and run from the camera I caught her in a moment of singing happy birthday to me (not my birthday)
as she was bringing me some apple and cheese. I think she is just the most beautiful little lady and I just adore her.

And now that my dad has his fancy new camera I get his old (not old he just bought it maybe six months ago) camera to use for the time being, yay.
I am so proud of my dad for going back to school, especially doing photography. He has always taken these amazing photos and so it is wonderful to see him pursuing this passion. This is going to sound lame but sometimes at moments I feel old (relatively speaking) but then I see people doing new things at all ages and it reminds me that I am so so so far from old and that I still have tons of time to find my passions and go out and live them.
Thanks for having us over mom and dad we had a great time as always.

Mexico Food!

That is what dakota calls mexican food and that is what we had for our wednesday night meal at my parents and it has to be one of my favorites. So we are a funny family. I say this because I spotted another tomato horn worm and I have this weird attraction to them and apparently it is rubbing off.... here is me taking a photo of my dad taking a photo of the silly destructive interesting thing

and of course I had to get one too. Is this going to become an ongoing wednesday night thing? Well I wouldn't be surprised.

And if the tomato horn worm wasn't enough dakota found and slug that she had to befriend and wanted to take it inside but I informed her that would so not be okay with gaggi (did I mention that is what dakota calls my mom) so we took some pictures instead and now she can always remember her slimy friend.

the pumpkin is from last season believe it or not!

So we are not religious but we have gotten in the habit of holding hands at dinner and saying nice things, things we are thankful for and last night dakota said that she was thankful for the dessert she was going to have after dinner it was a hoot, she is so my daughter! She did manage to throw in that she loves her family too but it was an after thought to the dessert.
Earlier in the day Dakota started dance class up the street it was great to just walk up there. I don't have any pictures because they only let the parents stay the first week of each month. And while that bothers me to some degree, I want to be able to watch whenever I want to, I do realize that I am a distraction for her and since it is just literally a 5 minute run or a 10 minute walk I can come home and get some things done and that is nice to do. She liked the class and they are going to do a little holiday thing which I know dakota will dig.
Swimming on the other hand I have come to the conclusion that I lost my head last week and have not a clue where it was. Dakota as a human being is so much more important to me than anything else and I really wasn't putting her first and I hate it when I lose sight of what is important to me. So we went today and I told her that I wanted her to try to really move and keep moving but when I saw her getting cold I had her get out and that was it. I mean I tried to encourage her to move but quickly realized she was in a cold place and was done. So we have two more weeks and I am still going to take her but when she is done she is done and I am going to let her be that gauge.