This weekend Maureen, Doug, Ellie, Kate and Patrick came to visit for the weekend on their way home from a conference in Monterey. They are finally back in CA for easy visits like this and we love it! Francie loves nothing more than doting around after her big cousins. They had a sleepover in the playroom Saturday night and were so cute with their dolls asleep around them. Mark, Sarah and Clara came over for a Burgers BBQ and lots of playing in the creek (which dried up last week then miraculously started running again and ends right past our property line- no rain to speak of but we'll take it) I think Ellie summed up the weekend best "this is even better than a sleepover with your friends because it's with your COUSINS!"

Getting muddy and sandy in the creek (I was too busy chasing Maisie to get any good pics!)

bathtime after creektime complete with graffiti crayons

after dinner yogurt treats at Miyo! We had 9 huge cups piled on the scale

Cruzin' DTLA- my new Cruz!

The three big girls in the wagon

this was usually the scene- three one year olds piled in the wagon and the older girls taking turns double teaming the plasma car

We took a long walk downtown Sunday morning for breakfast at Rick's Cafe

then playtime at Shoup Park and the girls and I navigated our way up the creek to see if we could get from the park to our house. It was easy and a fun little adventure with some blackberry picking along the way. Kate climbed on this tree and ASKED me to take a picture of the three of them (I only hope my child will do that one day:) but it left her with a splintery bum! sorry kate!

we met the wagon pullers at the Nature Preserve and the kids found a fuzzy caterpillar to torture

Shoulder rides- Maisie's outfit is a rainbow of fruit flavors :)

and home for popsicles (6 minute version "Shirley Temple popsicles" on the zoku thingy) and squeezing in a little more playing before the cousins had to leave!