The Flight (According to Bennett)

So, Mommy says you would like to know how my big brother and I did on our travels from California to Virginia. Hmmm, let me think. Were we good? Was it a quick and painless trip? Did we seamlessly ease into the 3 hour time difference? Are you following my Mommy on instagram (Katedaffodils) and are already chuckling because you know I didn't sleep a wink?

 Here's what happened.

 Mommy managed to keep her travel anxiety under control and got us packed and to the airport in plenty of time. Our flight from Monterey to San Francisco was really easy. C looked out the window while I spent the 25 minutes trying to get my mommy's seat belt off. She was sure the rest of the trip would be a breeze.

 We thought 45 minutes would be plenty of time for a layover. But Mommy didn't factor in that I would pee my weight in my diaper during the first flight and that all the emergency entertainment items that she packed would be really heavy for trekking across the airport to our next gate. By the time she changed me, we were almost the last ones to board. Won't she ever learn to plan more time?

Luckily, the flight was pretty empty and we were able to move to the back of the plane and spread across two aisles. Let's stop and all laugh and shake our heads at Mommy for thinking that this was a good sign. 

So then, we headed up, up in the sky.

 And then we fell apart.

 Brother and I refused to eat our dinner. Our flight attendants were rude. I refused to fall asleep. Cullen refused to go sit with Aunt Kate. We had to pit stop in Denver, for an hour, and couldn't get off the plane, while a passenger who ended up having really bad gas got off for medical assistance. On the remaining 3 hours, we experienced turbulence that made my Mommy hold on to both of us too tightly. My brother started to get annoyingly cranky. I fell asleep, only to be woken up every few moments by people bumping into my Mommy. I ended up being that crying kid on the plane. We finally landed at 1am and I gave everyone my best don't-you-dare-look-or-talk-to-me-face, while my brother went skipping/jumping excited to see Uncle Mike and Pop. Then, the combination of sleep deprivation and excitement caused him to trip and face plant on the concrete. Meltdown ensued. No hugs for Pop or Uncle Mike from either of us.

 And, just because we love to give Mommy a solid challenge, we both melted down until 10pm tonight because of the time difference. Mommy says that she loves us, but that tomorrow, we are having a date with our Marme and she is going to lay by the pool.

Good thing we are cute, for real.

 But thanks for the well wishes anyways. We are clearly here and at my Marme's farm, where I spent my afternoon being a total ham (until I had my bedtime meltdown. You can't win 'em all, Mommy).

More from VA next week.

Today, We Fly

The boys and I (with the saintly help of my sister in law) are heading across country for the month.

Please pray that the boys don't spend 7 hours of flight times doing this

And please forgive me because I haven't gotten through my blog roll in a week, so if you haven't heard from me, I promise I will be catching up soon.

Also my inbox is full of emails awaiting responses, but here are some answers to questions I have not answered from some of you:

-I did get my hair cut, bye-bye 6 inches.

-The pink dress I was wearing was my SILs and from a boutique in VA

-We live in Monterey, CA

-I am incredibly lucky to have such a cool and gorgeous sister in law

-Yes, my kids are the cutest boys on the planet

And nn the perfect storm of events, Random.org selected #10 as my giveaway winner. #10 just so happened to be the hilarious Jenn who said:

Hmm. Summer essential. Besides an a/c unit? And yoga capris? (Obviously yoga PANTS are just too warm for this weather and SHORTS will not be happening anytime soon..) And I believe that wine is a given.
I'd say that sunglasses are my must-have summer item. I mean, you saw the sun blazing through our back door. It will burn your retinas out if you give it the chance.

Jenn, I am pretty sure winning nail polish and earrings was some sort of bloggy divine intervention. Send me your address and I will get your treats in the mail!

Lastly, I've jumped on the instagram bandwagon, so come join the picture conversation. My name is katedaffodils.

Ok, off to try and squeeze more things into my suitcase and google 'how not to loose my mind today.' Don't forget to join us on instagram to see how that plan is going!



Aunt Katie's Visit

My sister in law, Katie arrived from Virginia last week and we have had an awesome weekend showing her all that California has to offer.

She's here!

 And then all of this happened:

 



Happy Memorial Day

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.

 -Joseph Campbell

Friday Fancies: Memorial Day

Happy Friday, my friends! Do you have plans for the long weekend? My sister in law, Katie arrived from DC yesterday and will be here to hang out with us for a few days, then be a life saver and help the boys and I journey back to the East Coast next week. This is her first trip to CA, so we have so much to do with her; from hitting up the beach, shopping in Carmel and wine tasting in Carmel Valley, I'm going to need a cute and casual outfit for this weekend's activities.

1. I am SO in love with this Knee length dress, $58 from Etsy.

2. Classic Jack Rogers sandals would be a nice change up from my usual Rainbows.

3. A big bag like this Marc by Marc Jacobs marc jacobs tote, £165 for important things like diapers and wine glasses.

4. AK Anne Klein chain link necklace, $85

5. A little punch of color, Pieces flower earrings, $8.70

6. And this Butter London nail lacquer, $14.

Finally,as much as fun as it is to get a summer-ready outfit together, please do not forget the purpose of this holiday weekend.

Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, make sure you stop and remember those who died in order to protect our freedom and pray for those who are fighting endlessly to preserve it.

Happy Memorial Day and Thank You to all who serve!

*****

PS- My Summer Accessories Giveaway ends Monday. Have you entered yet? Click here!

Summer Vegetable Pasta

Since a few of your asked yesterday, here is the recipe for an incredibly simple week night supper.

Ingredients:
Array of summer veggies. I used 2 zucchini, 1 squash, 1 tomato, 1 onion, and half a head of broccoli straight from the Farmer's Market in Montery
Juice of 1 lemon
2 gloves garlic
1 tablespoon of capers
Red Pepper flakes to taste (we like thing hot, so I probably used 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Angel Hair pasta
Shredded Italian Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Boil water and add pasta, cook until al denta (9-12 minutes)
2. While pasta is cooking chop veggies into bite size pieces, except for the garlic, mince it.
3. Heat large skillet on med-high and coat with EVOO
4. Add garlic first, then zucchini, squash and onion.
5. Sautee veggies for a few minutes until cooked through, add broccoli.
6. Drain pasta, but reserve about a half a cup of the water and add to skillet veggies.
7. Stir in tomatoes, capers, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.
8. Add pasta to skillet and mix all together.
9. Spoon into a bowl and garnish with shredded cheese and salt and pepper to your taste.

Enjoy!

I don't have a lot of words today.

Actually, that is a lie. I have a lot of words, but they are mostly in an unnaturally high, clinched jaw voice and start somewhere around Whyisgoingtothegrocerystorewithyoutwosodifficult and end in the AlthoughIamexcited,ImightalsohaveananxietyattackovermytriptoVAnextweek region. And no one really wants to hear about that.

So instead, here are pictures from the rest of our weekend after the birthday party.

A walk around the lake while Kev was studying on Sunday.

 Trying to make dinner.
C not helping.
At least it was healthy food?

 Meanwhile, here was his partner in crime. Let's see if I can stick my spaghetti to the fish tank...
Pure trouble this little one is, pure trouble.

 There was a dance party.

 And dinner did eventually get made.

 I tried to capture the solar eclipse with my camera. I could see it perfectly through my lens, but the picture came out as an inverted reflection. Still pretty amazing though, yes?

 Not solar eclipse glasses, but 3-D glasses that he got for his birthday. Hey, Mommy, your face is dancing! You aren't supposed to think the beer goggles are fun, Cullen.

 Bennett's concentration face.

 And a little afternoon pool time.

Other Happenings Not Caught on Camera: 

Bathroom cleaning and laudry putting away-ing.

Waffles.

The Castroville Artichoke Festival.

Viewing of Limitless, the movie. Not great, not horrible. I was entertained.

Mass on Sunday: We are called to Love. Simple as that.

**********

PS: Have you entered my Reader Appreciation Giveaway yet??

A Little Giveaway

Hey, you know what?

You all are the best and I appreciate all your wonderful support and feedback on my little blog. So in honor of you, I have decide to host a little give-a-way to help jump start your summer style.

Pretty earrings

Bright polish (my SIL just bought me the same color, I love it!)

And a candle from The Shops at Target: Privet House Collection.

Entering is easy. Simply be a public follower of Daffodils on GFC and leave a comment letting me know what your summer essential is. Then sit back and wait until next Tuesday when I announce the winner.

Good Luck, and Thank You!! 

The Birthday Party

Friday afternoon, we got together with friends to celebrate Cullen's 3rd and Bennett's 1st Birthdays. Even though B won't turn one until June 5th, it worked out perfectly to have a joint party.

 My party-prep: goodie bags, the beginnings of Rosemary Lemon Drops, a glass of wine, balloons and my phone for texting bloggy BFFs Lauren and Jenn.

 This punch was so light and refreshing. It was drained by the end of the party. You can find the recipe in the latest issue of Better Homes & Gardens.

 We are very lucky that we have a brand new community center right up the street from our house. We rented out the multi-purpose room, which had plenty of space to mix and mingle, plus a fenced in playground attached to it. I attempted to get a picture of the boys in their coordinating seasucker before they made a mess of themselves.

 It was not successful.

My friend Apryl made these amazing cupcakes. Pinapple-Carrot, Smores and Cookie Dough. I have no words for how good they were.

 When do I get the cupcake? I heard that I get a cupcake today. Seriously. When?

 For the first hour, the kids ran around outside while the adults enjoyed some beverages and dinner inside (hamburgers and hotdogs, we kept it simple!)

 

Then it was time for Happy Birthday.

 Are you seeing this, Daddy? I can't get enough in my mouth at once.

All the ladies

 Most of the guys

 Bennett, clearly in to opening his gifts

 Cullen thanking Ms Apryl for the gifts and the cupcakes.

 My sweet family.

 The party was such a success and we were incredibly humbled by the love everyone showed to Cullen and Bennett. Our time in Monterey is becoming more special everyday and it is largely due to the wonderful people we have surrounding us.

Thank y'all so much for showering our boys with affection and celebrating their joyous little lives!