Dancing Dudes

Big Bear Lake

The week of Labor Day we spent time up in Big Bear. I've got alot of pics, so this is going to be a little long. The whole Jarrett clan came up for the long weekend. It was so nice to get up to the mountains and breathe the fresh air and have some cool days and nights. The only down side was we had a one bedroom unit with a loft. The babies get the room for naps and such, which wouldn't be a problem, except that room was the only way into the livingroom and kitchen. I guess they wanted the living room to be the room with a lake view, which is great except we had to work everything around the kids nap schedule. If they were going down and someone wanted to go on the boat, they had to leave before the nap and not come back until the kids woke up. Not quite the greatest set-up, but we survived. Ha, Ha. I mean, we cant really complain. :) I will take a little inconvience for a week in the mountains and out on the lake. We really had a relaxing, great time.

"Opps. You mean that ball I just threw over for

the tenth time doesnt come back up?"

Hailey and Cousin Devin

How can you resist those baby blues?

Steve and Heidi brought up the family boat along with Steve's wakeboard. Brian and Steve braved the icy water to spend some time working on their wakeboarding skills. Sadly, I did not get any pictures of their jumps and tricks. I, on the other hand will not get anywhere near the cold, cold water. I have before and believe me, it takes your breath away. Not my kind of fun. I'm a big wimp when it comes to cold water.

Captain Connor helping Daddy drive the boat

My sister Amy and her husband Isaac came up to Big Bear on Saturday, just to spend the day fishing and hanging out with her friend Megan, Megans two daughters and Isaacs nephews. They stopped by to say hi and hang out a little. We took them along with the quads out for a ride. This was the first time all four babies were out on the boat. This picture is the only one with big sis Brittney because she had to go back down the hill for school.

Auntie Beth with Brooklyn

"Its MY turn to drive!" Brooklyn

Inner tubbing is not just for the water - Dylan, Hailey and Devin

Some cousin bonding time - Connor and Devin

Connor, Cousin Hunter, Dylan, Auntie Beth and Hailey

Brian, Steven and Hunter got to take the jeep out for some off-roading. Some pics of the beautiful views on the trail.

One of the kids favorite spots. The playground. The only down side is it is right next to the lake, with no fences or anything to keep them in. So inevitably, we ended up down by the lake and in the water.

Its great they still fit back to back in the baby swings.

Beginning to wander.

Brooklyn giving Daddy her most fearsome growling face for asking her to come back.

Ok, Ok, no more growly face.

"Ok. Dads got the camera, Moms got Connor. You run left. Ill run right. We can both make a break." Hailey and Dylan plotting the great escape.

Kiddos in the lake. Clothes and all.
Luckily our room was just a walk away.

After the long weekend, everyone left except our little family and Auntie Beth. We took the kiddos to the Moonridge Zoo. The only alpine zoo in California. They help injured or sick animals that would not make it in the wild any more. This was the first outing to a zoo and the children enjoyed seeing the animals. Alot of the animals were sleeping, since we went in the middle of a warm afternoon, but the ones that were awake the kids pointed at and laughed at their antics.

Behind us are the bunny slopes of one of the places we like to snowboard during the winter. They look so bare without the snow. Cant wait to get the four little ones up here someday!

Dylan loves to check out all the other quad blogs out there.

By Thursday, the kids and I were ready to head back home. (I think Brian would have liked a few more days) Its nice to get away, but also oh so nice to be home again.

Tub Racing

Four Little Monkeys Climbing on EVERYTHING!!!!

They were good climbers even before they could walk, but since then, its hard to keep up with the four little monkeys.

I made the mistake of letting them sit on the coffee table a few times. They were having such a blast. Dylan started spinning around and around and everyone else wanted a turn. Well I'm paying for it now. At least a few hundred times a day,(ok, thats a little bit exagerated) I hear myself telling one or the other, "Tables are for putting things on. We stand on the floor" while helping my little monkey down off the table.

"Just one more spin around the table, Please!" - Brooklyn

"What, were not supposed to be up here?" - Dylan and Connor
We had Brooklyns crib given to us by one of Brian's co-workers, so hers is different from the other three and has these wonderful drawers on the side for more storage, which also doubles as a climbing aparatus for little monkeys. So as soon as I found out Brooklyn had managed this amazing feat, I switched her to Connors crib and Connor to Brooklyns. Connor, being a little bit bigger than Brooklyn, had not yet accomplished the crib climb. But Connor was not to be outdone. Brian had to wake Connor up from his nap the other day and walked in to find Connor snuggled up with the lamp. He had climbed up enough to grab hold of the lamp and show us he had some skills too. (The lamp was promptly removed from grabbing distance)

One day we had finished breakfast and I was around the corner changing someones diaper. I walked back around the corner and found Connor had climbed up the highchair and was sitting on top of the counter helping himself to a banana. Since then the highchairs have been roped around the kitchen table to keep anyone else from getting any other ideas. Even so, when it it time to eat, all little monkeys love to climb their chairs. Ahh, toddler independence. And so, I stand close by to help if needed. Sometimes they still allow me to just put them in, other times I am told very forcefully, they will do it themselves, thank you very much. Hailey has even started grabbing the buckles to help snap them together.

Connor

Dylan
Brooklyn
"See, I can do it myself" - Dylan

Even though the swings aren't really used anymore, we still have a few around the house and the little monkeys like climbing in on their own and pushing the buttons if they can. Dylan did this first. He climbed right in, one foot on the back of the swing, one on the tray, and pushed the button for the swing. Pushed the buttons for some music, then sat right down to enjoy a good swing.

Brooklyn showing she can do it too.

Brooklyn, Connor and Hailey - "On, off, on, off..."