More April Fun

By MAGGIE WANG

Kevin was out of town on Friday, April 23, so we headed over to the Hindman house for some BBQ fun. David (wearing the hat) was an absolute sweetheart, tending to the girls while Matty bounced on the trampoline and pushed the girls in the swing. They had so much fun. In the car afterward, Maven kept asking, "Go back. Go back. Tomorrow?" and then she and Sedona both fell asleep in the car.

It is starting to warm up so I've started taking the girls to the beach.  It's so beautiful. We are so lucky!

Our household has a strange eating and sleeping schedule. Kevin and I often don't eat breakfast/lunch until around 2-3 p.m. We might eat an early dinner around 5 p.m., when we are feeding the girls, or we might have our dinner after the girls go to bed. I go to bed between 11 p.m.-1 a.m.; Kevin between 2-5 a.m., generally. It's a crazy household here!

On one of those kinds of days, we were having our first meal after we picked Sedona up from school at 3 p.m.: Rubio's, where fish tacos are super-cheap on Tuesdays. Sedona thoroughly enjoyed hers.

On Friday, April 30, we headed to the Lady of Guadalupe Carnival with Riley, Raychel and Charlotte ...

The girls enjoyed watching Charlotte get her hair painted like Raychel.

Emily gave her little girls cotton candy, so against my will I had to keep Sedona happy!

Kevin and Maggie: Gold-Medal Figure Skaters!

By KEVIN DING

What do you do on a Friday night in Oklahoma City while your wife is putting protective covering on the stairs back home for refrigerator delivery tomorrow? You try to brighten her day with a little fun ...

(Thanks to Khloe Kardashian for the idea.)

Girlies in the Big Bed

By MAGGIE WANG

Emily came over with Raychel and Charlotte since our hubbies were gone.  The girls bathed and then crawled in our bed to watch some night TV. Aren't they adorable?!

I love how the bed gulps them up!

Springfest Carnival in Redondo Beach

By MAGGIE WANG

Kevin was home Friday, so we enjoyed a nice family day with friends at the Springfest Carnival in Redondo Beach by A-Ma Ding's house. She joined us, along with Riley (of course!), Whitney, Tom and his family. Tom's sons, David and Matty, are older -- so they didn't seem to quite enjoy the girls' kiddie rides. While on one ride, David gave it a firm thumbs-down. Funny!

Coach Mike for Maven

BY MAGGIE WANG

Sedona was signed up for sports classes with Coach Derek when she was 2 years old, along with her friends. She didn't really get the concept real well, so we didn't stay for the whole session. With Maven being a little more outgoing, I decided to start her up. Here she is with Coach Mike.

I think she might still be on the young side, as she wants me close by during it. But we bought her a soccer ball after class and she seems to be enjoying that on her own.

Maven's Year 2 check-up

Maven is healthy and happy. She weights 28.2 lbs (< 75%) and is 33.2 inches (25-50%).

"Cheese!" (Even Though It's Video)

Maven's 2nd Birthday

By MAGGIE WANG

Oh, the credit for all the planning that went into this party goes to the amazing Auntie Anita. 

Beautiful cupcakes! Cookies on sticks! Blueberries and strawberries! Yum ...

Face painting courtesy of Aunt Susan (Anita's little sister)

Someone's hungry!

Happy 2nd Birthday, our amazing Maven!

Decorating bags!

Hanging with Aunt Lulu!

Getting excited!

We had a fun Easter Egg hunt. (For those who couldn't find eggs, there was at least the amazing view from Fort Lots of Fun, one of the higher spots in Hermosa.)

Nanny Linda with her "real" granddaughter, Rosalie. 

And look who was in town, Uncle Lester!

And the Ding-Chang family was able to join in the celebration. 

What a fabulous party!

Party favors were Becker's cookie decorating kits, plus Auntie Anita made Rice Krispies Cookie Monsters on sticks. Super yummy! I ate three myself.

Swim Class at Lucky Duck

By MAGGIE WANG

We have started the girls on swim lessons. Sedona tried it out about 8 months ago with Riley at South Bay Aquatics but didn't seem ready. It's a better time now, so here is our attempt to get Sedona and Maven ready for the summer.

I looked into a few options and concluded this was the most financially reasonable while catering to our children's personalities. To give you an idea, private lessons with Bonne Spivel in her backyard would cost $90 for half an hour for both kids. South Bay Aquatics (indoor pool) would cost us around $24 for 15 minutes each.  Lucky Duck Swim School is not much cheaper at $22 for 15 minutes each, but they have this great practice program that we suspected would be perfect for our shy Sedona and young Maven. 

The girls can get in the pool 15 minutes before their lessons and use another 15 minutes after their lessons to practice. For Sedona and Maven, who are somewhat water shy, this first 15 minutes is critical to get them even into the water. 

Maven was instantly okay putting her feet in the water but it took about 10 minutes to get her on the first step. Sedona sat in my lap and watched other kids finish their lessons for about 12 minutes before ever touching the water. (Her first lesson at South Bay Aquatics, she didn't even get into the water.) It's really great at Lucky Duck because Sedona and Maven can watch their instructor, Miss Alicia, give other people lessons and see how it works.

Sedona had such a great time that afterward, while Maven was having her lesson, Sedona was really practicing all the things she was taught: Tigger bounces in the water, walking with your hands on the side, blowing bubbles with her face in the water. 

I am so pleased with our decision, as the girls seem to love it. We are signed up for once a week until May and then will be hitting up the pool twice as week. 

I went to a really enjoyable and relaxing dinner with Anita after this lesson at Sashi's in Manhattan Beach.  She had just done a bar-method workout class and I was jealous because it seems like so much fun. She explained it was $20 each time, and I gasped ... but after telling her my daughters' swim lessons are $22 for 15 minutes each, Bar Method doesn't sound so expensive!  Ha! The things we do for our children ... but well, it's all worth it!