Cheryl and I joined with four other moms to create a co-op preschool, where we meet three days a week for two and a half hours. We each teach once every other week, and stay as a helper for a day in our off week. We're in our second week now, and Emily absolutely loves it! I taught for my first day last Friday, and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. All the moms are enjoying the extra free time too- one even got a pedicure :)
The orchard owner noticed Jason's height and pointed us toward the end with some good apples that were on the tops of the trees.
Emily insisted on carrying the bag of apples
Best buds Brady and Emily. They held hands on their own!
The Empire apples were my favorite, and we also picked some Jonathans and Granny Smiths.
The goods.
The pie shop was out of plain apple pie, so Jason settled for raspberry-apple with cinnamon ice cream.
I'm not big on pie, so I tried one of their cider doughnuts- yum!
And shared a bowl of ice cream with Emily, who chose a chocolate chip cookie for her treat.
Everyone ended up with something different and we closed the pie shop when they ran out after we left!
Jon was very bitter after learning that the Julian pies were actually made in El Cajon, and that's why the shop couldn't make more. He ended up with an apple fold-over tartlet.
All in all it was the perfect way to end our adventure!
The kiddos!
The kids loved the all-you-can-eat mac and cheese at Souplantation and soft serve in a mini-cone was a big hit!
Of course, hitting the beach is mandatory.
Aunt Kristin sent a huge bag of sand toys and that's all they wanted to play with!
The first thing Brady did was dump a shovel full of sand in grandma's tote bag. Second order of business: fling a shovel full of sand at Emily, covering her from head to toe.
Mallory is the smiliest baby this side of the Pacific!
Brady wanted to share the wealth with "Baby Mally"
It was a little breezy with the last of the June gloom (which I desperately miss inland!)
I taught them the art of sandcastle design using the Wet Sand Drip Method. Brady just wanted to "renovate" aka destroy.
In this video Emily is acting oh-so-nonchalant, then BLAM!Emily finds a shell.
A lifeguard boat came up and sprayed water on some kids swimming in the water.
Emily and Brady played tag on the lawn
Mallory is happiest when she's being held :) 
Mom and I shared a plate of my personal favorite Fair food: Australian Battered Potatoes with Ranch and Cheese sauce!
Emily found the perfect place for the mini-Australian flag
Infamous Fair Food this year included Fried S'mores, Fried Zucchini Weenie, Fried Frog Legs, Fried Hot Wings, Fried Twinkies, Fried Oreos, Fried Avacados, the cookie sandwich with cream cheese, strawberries and chicken (?!), and the lowest of the low: Krispy Kreme donut chicken sandwich with honey and raspberry sauce.
My favorite animals this year were the rabbits. Mom and I reminisced about all the rabbits we raised during my childhood- Sugar, Thumper, Peanut, Kritsnee (yeah, Melanie named that one), Pee-Wee, Peanut, Charcoal, and Sweetie. Am I forgetting anyone?? I think they are all buried in the backyard except for Sweetie, who met her demise after a muddy chase through the backyard with a wild animal on her heels (we came home from church to find the evidence, but Sweetie was MIA. Kristin was traumatized).
The baby goats came in a close second!
Brady freaked out when we passed the amatuer horse riders on the way in, but was fascinated on the way out.
How much do you love Emily's Converse? Jon calls them her clown shoes because they are a half size too big, but they are the only thing that can even remotely stand up to her toe-scuffing tendencies. 
She makes the cutest expressions while she's concentrating!
Kisses!
At the end of the day...
