The First Day

So. The first day. Let's see...I pictured it like that:
I'd get up early, make pancakes and bacon ( their favorite ). Mark would be packing the delicious lunches, lovingly prepared. Then we'd wake them up. Still lovingly. You know "my sweet, it's time to wake up. Daaaarling...what would you like to wear today?". They would be less grumpy this way, see? Then we could send them out the door in the golden light of another glorious morning in Sacramento. They would be surrounded by butterflies. And I swear there might even be a unicorn. Or two.
And they would looove their teacher and so would I. And they would have a great time playing and enjoying being back with old friends. And when they came back, freshly baked chocolate chips muffins would be waiting for them. Oh, and the golden light would be lasting all day. And also if it's not too much, you know, since we are at it, temperatures under 86F (30C) would be nice.
I think, maybe I pushed it a bit with the temp. request or maybe the unicorns, but obviously the whole thing got jinxed. Because here is what really happened:

-Mark forgot to set the alarm clock. Miraculously, he wakes up at 7:22 ( we should have gotten up at 6:45). He stumbles out of bed all panicky and shakes me up rather rudely I might add. To continue the rude trend I get into the hall and shouts for the kids to wake-up and that they'd better move it too. Run into the kitchen and make the batter. Start cooking the pancakes. Forget the bacon. 2 pancakes burn while I'm pouring orange juice. A bit of swearing later, the kids are finally eating and luches are being made. The kids are dubious about their lunch, however after a bit of glaring theyput it in their lunchbox. They tried to get out of brushing their teeth since, you know, they are going to be late. No luck.
7:48: Mark and Miss A. make a run for it and cross the school grounds as the bell is ringing at 7:50.
My son drags his feet way behind looking like a zombie with his hair stuck up and glaring at anything in sight.

Mark comes back and while taking breakfast we make a list of stuff to do before the kids come back (We swore on the last day of school back in June, that for the first day of school we'd do something to enjoy yourselves) ( ahahahahaha ). There is no way everything is going to be done. We run errands until 2:25pm. Yes, that's when my kids get out of school. 2 gloomy kids came back that day. Apparently the whole day was spent in teaching them new rules. Stupid ones of course ( like: you can go only one way on the monkey bars). Ah and my old favorite: they don't want the kids to go to the bathroom during class time which is understandable. However. When you really need to go, you really need to go. Right? So, in my daughter's class they have to pay: they give 5 tickets that they have earned for good behavior or being helpul yadi yada...Now first of all it makes me cringe when they are rewarded for stuff that they should do anyway. But paying because you need to pee? With only 15 mns recess and only 3, yes 3, bathroom stalls, well obviously that is bound to happen.
Anyway.
Oh and I didn't have time to bake the muffins and the daytime temp. hasn't gone under 104F ( 40C) in weeks. Jinxed, I tell you. Or maybe voodoo.

First Day Of School

Yesterday was the first day of school. So, naturally we forgot to put the alarm on. Naturally.

Carmel The Mundane

After Carmel the wild, I'll present Carmel the tame and the shopper's paradise. From strolls where you can see what California looked like before the colonialisation to the shops and restaurants and beautiful ( extremly expensive) villas, there is something for everybody in beautiful Carmel.















My favorite spot though ( after a visit to the Cottage of Sweets of course), is right there:

Carmel and Big Sur

This protected coast of Nothern California is one of the most beautiful place on Earth I think. At any given time you can see dolphins, whales, seals, sea otters (my favorites!), pelicans, cormorans and seagulls. Did I mention the condors? There are a lot of tidepools with huge starfish and anemones, crabs and mmmmm weird looking sea life :).
It is a very rugged landscape and the ocean is dangerous, well, everywhere really, but be especially careful on the less popular beaches. In some cases it is not wise to climb the rocks. At my favorite beach in Big Sur you'd better know the tides well..if you are caught at high tide there is no way out.
It's also not exactly warm.
In fact Big Sur is downright chilly and very, very windy. All the time.
Carmel can be more forgiving with less wind and a bit more sun but the fog is still very present for a big part of the day. I know it doesn't sound so inviting but it is so beautiful and I've never been the type to sunbathe anyway ;)

The Beach

And in the first installement of my wonderful vacation, I present a Birthday Girl and happy children and dogs enjoying the freedom of mouvement that only sand and water can provide! I'll do another post with The Sights, hopefully tomorrow..For now I have to make a gazillion phone calls and e-mails, make sure that my kids, their friends and the dogs don't tear the house apart and that they all go to bed reasonnably early (Ha!) and then I'll just plop down with a glass of wine ;) ( I won't mention that my husband is deserting me for a meeting hehe...Man, I wish I could have meetings too sometimes ;)

Back!

Well, I've been back for a week really, but you know...First of all, I didn't want to come back so that already doesn't help. And, seriously, I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to Sacramento. Yes I swear! I had a headache the day we left, the next day it was gone. No headaches in sight the whole time I was in Carmel. And the day after we come back: headache again. So, see, allergy. I just have to manage to live by the sea and I'll be just fine :). The pics are loading as I'm typing but I don't have time to sort them all today ( all 500 of them ). That will be for tomorrow. Now I've got to bead and dig. In that order ;)