1000 Miles and Still Going Strong

3 days into our Tour de ‘Merica and we’ve already crossed 1,000 miles on the odometer.
We brunched with some dear old friends in San Francisco yesterday.  Friends from Ukraine whom we haven’t seen in nearly 7 years.  Their sweet little 14-days-new baby Liam totally had Gigi wrapped around his little finger!

San Fran was a first for me and hopefully not the last.  Loved the colonial architecture and stunning contrasts and colors.

And, now I know where “bay windows” come from.

View from the legendary Lombard Street

Alcatraz

Ghiradelli’s – where it all begins!…. mmmmmm!!!

Home of clam chowder and sourdough bread

I think Id like to live here.

….or here!

crazy tourists.

…another crazy tourist.

Evie is keeping a journal on our trip of all the sights we see and people we meet.  When I reminded her that she forgot the Golden Gate bridge in her journal entry yesterday, she shrugged “Well……it wasn’t that famous mom….only a few people were there to see it”.
Ya know…no big deal.

We took the scenic route along the west coast up towards the northernmost tip of California.  The deep misty marine layer and jagged cliffs plummeting into a violent ocean closely resembled the dramatic scenery of the Scottish coastline and reminded C and I of our earliest memories together in the sprawling average of Great Britain.  Absolutely breathtaking!

The girls have been troopers clocking long days in the car.  We arrived at our hotel room after midnight last night. Getting our fill of fast-food.  Thankful we’re road-trippin’ in the US with good old-fashioned flushable toilets at rest stops.  Not missing the Thai squatty-potty’s!!

On US Soil

Commencing Smith’s Tour de ‘Merica!!

We made it safe and sound, but not without a little excitement….
Nothing induces a leg cramp quite like having the pilot get on the loudspeaker once you’ve boarded your plane for an 15 hour flight and announce that “due to weather delays, our departure has been delayed 5 hours, so sit back, relax and enjoy our services.”

Sit back?
Relax?
Is that even possible in airplane seats for someone who is not 6’2” ??

24 hours of travel later, we excitedly de-boarded on US soil and have been soaking up California sunshine, consuming mass quantities of homemade guacamole and hanging with cousins!  Once we got over the first brutal night of jet-lag (in which Izzy, Evie and Gigi went to bed at 10:00pm and woke up at midnight wide awake and ready to play), we are slowly getting into our groove.

And….we had 4 year-old’s party within 48 hours of landing.  Because birthdays, they happen all the time at our house!!  I have to confess, it felt a little unpatriotic to be decorating with pink on Memorial Day instead of red, white and blue.

Monday was a fun pool-party cookout with C’s extended family. So fun to see cousins picking up right where they left off 2 1/2 years ago.   A little basketball rivalry, some competitive pool and card games and lots and lots of food!

Gigi’s hearts desire for her birthday was a mermaid tail. So, there was a mermaid sighting at her party….cute cousins in iridescent flippers and fins….pretty dang cute!

Happy birthday to the bookend of our family.  You have so many people who love you and we are so glad God gave you to us 4 years ago!!!

That’s Show Biz

Its end of the year school production time.

Unbeknownst to me, apparently my kids have a flair for the theatrical.  (ahem….or are well polished drama queens/kings)  Its show biz time!

Tristan and Abi both took lead roles in the musical production of Teen Beach Movie the Musical last weekend and each of the girls made appearances with their class.

Can you spot the pretty blonde biker and the handsome Harley hunk?

The story was basically a new spin on an old theme.  A biker gang and beach bums in a territorial conflict….set to music.  Picture Romeo & Juliette or West Side Story…..only in bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirts and black leather.

Pretty fierce!  I wouldn’t tangle with him!

Where in the world is my sweet little girl among that row of chicks?

Abi and Tristan both rocked their roles and I was so proud of all their hard work with line memorization and long days with after school rehearsals.

Tristan surprised us with some stellar Swayze moves!!

And Abi was a show stopper

Then there’s the rest of the crew (mommy boast post here – sorry!)

Too bad this child of mine has such a terrible, debilitating case of stage fright, huh?  Poor shy thing!

I may not be the most objective opinion, but this little drummer kinda stole the show….or stole my heart at least!

Thats a wrap!!