Super Bloom!

We have had torrential rains in Nor Cal and it's been rainy throughout California this winter, leading to perfect conditions for a rare (about once per decade) but spectacular year for super (flower) blooms in the normally pretty arid desert regions of Southern California. The colorful fields of wildflowers can even be seen from space.


We drove about an hour east of Orange County on Monday to check out the blooming Golden poppies (Eschscholtzia californica, California's state flower) near Walker Canyon/Lake Elsinore.  While there was long stretch (a half-mile or so) of parked cars to pass to even start to walk on the trail, we hear it was far busier over the weekend with long lines to even exit the highway. It was lovely to see the orange poppies (also known as the Flame Flower or the Copa de Oro [cup of gold]) up close.

Cousins! Kingston, fresh back from a trip to Italy, was a trooper

"Poppy-napping," like in the Wizard of Oz!

We could NOT get Niall to crack a smile.

(the only snaps with a grin)

"Papi" and the poppies

 

This one hams it up for the camera

Attempts at a family portrait

 The boys wanted to hike for "just a little bit more" on the trails.

Where's Iver?

 

 

Enjoying a packed lunch before heading home

 The Super Bloom was truly super! Check it out if you're close!

Red-Gray Thursday

I was the first person dressed this morning, although I was not the first person awake (that would be Iver, stripping naked and running into our bathroom circa 5:30).

After showering, I put on a red cable-knit sweater and dark gray slacks.

Last night, I had set out Niall's day clothes, which (not intentionally matching) somehow included a red onesie and gray pants.

Iver, realizing that two of us four were already in red and gray, then wanted to change out of his previously chosen dress to wear similar attire, and tracked down a red shirt and gray knit pants to wear.

Then Kelvin, who got dressed last, decided to match us, too.

Here's our Thursday red-gray family portrait series!

 

Selfies

 "Serious one"

These are a few of their favorite things

Here are some pictures of the boys' favorite things.

Fro-yo on Iver's "dessert night" last weekend (Niall was mad he wasn't allowed to have any).

Niall loves climbing into the warm laundry basket...

... and onto things (thankfully, not out of the crib yet)

The banana brush (not loving getting stuck in things, though)

 

Iver adores matching us!

School!

Being naked!

Once lost, now found

The disappearance of the two young Carrico sisters (ages 5 and 8), who became lost on Friday in the woods near their house in southern Humboldt County, shook our rural community and even made the national news. Many people knew the parents and family of these girls, and all parents can imagine the terror that these parents felt at their children being lost in the local wilderness, which is known to harbor bears and mountain lions. We all prayed for their safe discovery/return.
 
Miracles do happen.  Thankfully, after a harrowing weekend with more cold and wet Humboldt weather, the girls were found in the woods 44 hours later, about a mile and half from where they were last seen, treated at a local medical center, and rejoined their family. Although cold and mildly dehydrated, they had relied on 4-H skills to drink water from huckleberry leaves, not roam too far, and stay as dry as they could.

Praise God! Hug your littles a bit tighter tonight.

Thursday by the numbers

How was your Thursday?  Ours went something like this:

4 a.m.:  4-year-old Iver gets up, uses the bathroom, gets dressed, and tell us that he's up for the day. Refuses to go back to sleep and seems in good spirits/rested. While he's always been an early riser (he usually makes it until somewhere between 5:15 - 5:45), this was an outlier of unclear etiology.
6 a.m.: Niall wakes up, a bit snotty but after 11 hours of sleep (his usual, bless him).
102.6 degrees Farenheit - the temperature Niall had early afternoon, prompting an early daycare pick-up
4 p.m.: Niall's 12-month "well child check" (even though he wasn't that well, but his fever had come down with tylenol, and we'd had the appointment for months)
17 lbs, 14.5 oz = Niall's 1-year weight
6 oz - his total weight gain in 3 months (not ideal)
5% - his weight percentile for one-year-olds per WHO
28.75 inches = 9% - his height/%
85% (47 cm) - his head circumference (our lollipop little guy)
10.5 g/dL - his hemoglobin (still mildly anemic, even on iron, and still meat-refusing)
4: the number of shots he got to protect him from Measles, varicella, HIB, pneumococcal disease, and hepatitis A

These numbers were a bit rough to digest.
Here's to better days and better numbers ahead!