Stars Mama, Stars!

It has been a busy few weeks. And I dare say, Miss Stella is in love with the outdoors even more than she was before.

A few weekends ago (but sadly, it feels like months) we met some dear friends from San Diego at a campground about an hour away. We were rather nervous - it was supposed to be in the 90s during the day and the 90s with 2 dogs, 5 adults, and one toddler didn't sound great to me... but the weather gods looked down on us with pity and gave us a breeze, a fully shaded campsite - and the best part of all - a creek running through it. So Steve and I did something we have never done before on a camping weekend. We hung out at the campsite the whole dang day. Sitting/walking/wading in the creek keep the heat index from feeling like it really was 90, and of course, said toddler was happier than a pig in... well, happier than a toddler could be. I'm also happy to report that there were no real camping mishaps - maybe with the addition of other families we were saved from the camping curse we seem to invite.

Yes, that's a rubber chicken next to her - dog toys often end up as Stella toys at some point in the day.

Stella also helped contemplate the next repairs needed on Melanie and Apryl's bus:

And found a new friend in their dog... (about this she was pretty stoked as Scupper, although a very good boy, refuses to let Stella pet him)

Is that camping happiness or what? Actually, when we finally arrived in the driveway from the weekend away, Stella sat firmly in her car seat and wouldn't get out. Stella, we're home. "No, I don't want be home. More camping. More camping." Guess we made a convert.

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In other Germonski adventure news, we traveled up to Chico to visit Steve's extended family. Steve's mom is the oldest of 6 and 5 of the siblings converged on his aunt's house for a weekend of fun family stories, great cooking, and, the best part for Stella, lots of great aunties who wanted to snuggle, sing "Twinkle Twinkle," read books, and listen to 4-6 word sentence stories. Sadly, we forgot to take a single picture. Yes really. 

We did however drive to Chico in the dead of night so that Stella would sleep in the car and we wouldn't have to figure out how to entertain her for an 8 hour car ride. This involved lots of caffeine. To make Stella understand what we were doing, I explained to her that we were going to Auntie Gloria's when the moon popped up and the stars came out. "Baby stars too?" she asked, as we readied for bed, and Steve packed the car. Yes, sure, baby stars. We woke her up at 10pm and put her into the car, thinking that she would fall back to sleep. I wish I could capture the wonder on her face as we drove out of the driveway in the dark of night, the sparkle in her eyes as she marveled at the moon and all the stars (mama and baby ones) as we headed towards the freeway. She ended up staying up in the backseat for at least 45 minutes, just marveling at the night sky. To be that honest with emotion, to be that joyful at something that we tend to take for granted, to be so entranced with a late night getaway... I hope I can remember it and tell her about it when she is older.

That being said, since we returned home, she keeps asking about getting up in the middle of the night when the moon pops out and the baby stars come out. Oops.

Costumes... and a Grilling sort of Fourth

Don't remind me that we're both in theater and that it may run in the family, ok?

We have been doing, what I'd like to term, "Potty Training Lite" or "Potty Training Version 1.0" or as others might call it, "Mommy's version of Half-Assed Potty Training". Since it's easier for Stella to just wear the underwear and a shirt, she found some old baby legs that we had when she was an infant and has now since enjoyed wearing "leg warmers" all the time. With rain boots. And a fleece monkey hat. Because why not?

 Our friend Ali found this bargain thrift store find for her... and it finally fits. I like to call this shot "Waiting for Mr. Darcy."Because who wouldn't wait for him if he was played by Colin Firth?

Homemade smoothie Popsicles have also become a sort of costume...

And speaking of costumes, check out our TP owl family!

Fourth of July weekend for us was all about Steve and this "i found it on the street with a sign that said free" charcoal grill. We did stuffed mushrooms (shown here), salmon skewers, za'atar spiced chicken, and BBQ ribs. Along with carrots, green beans, zucchini, broccoli, grilled pizzas, and naan. All on the grill over the weekend. And let's not forget the orange creamsicle ice cream... and the malted milk with chocolate sliver ice cream. Yah, we went a little nuts. But it was practically a 4 day weekend for us, and since we had no where to go in particular, we cooked. It was a tasty stay-cation.

Stella had fun in the outfit that my aunt Melanie bought her last summer.

And, in the outfit of her own creation - she was so excited to go in the $10 Rite-Aid plastic pool that she put her swimming suit OVER HER CLOTHES, backwards.

Scupper was on hand to wait for rib pieces...

And possible ice cream that could have dropped on the ground.

(and check out the patio set that I got on craigslist for $30 - one layer of paint and we were good to go.)  After enjoying many dinner out there this weekend, Steve and I sat and laughed out loud that 1) we had a "patio set" and 2) we actually had a deck to put it on... It might not be ours but we are sure going to take advantage of it while we can this summer.

Now it's off to go camping this weekend. Let's hope we don't have any camping fails to tell about when we get back. It IS supposed to be 99 out there, so we'll see if we just end up submerged in a backwoods creek all weekend.