Perfect Cadence: Early LA Shenanigans

We had a lot of fun exploring the cheap/free activities of LA in August and September, so here's a blog post of all those activities, Buckle up, buttercup!

One of the many beach trips with this happy guy!

The kids started at a new school, and there was a little tour of the school for upcoming kindergartners, perfect for us! We got to meet Eli's new teacher and some of the new families. Eli's teacher came to each family one on one to get a name and what they preferred to be called. It turns out that there was another Eli H., so Eli is now Elijah at school! I was just so happy that school was in person. Los Angeles schools were shut down until spring, so we moved at the perfect time! The kids needed to wear masks (I still have the kids wear them), and to have a pass that certifies they do not have any symptoms. I thought it was silly as parents can say whatever to the questions, so it seemed unnecessary, but whatever!

Now, can I say how absolutely amazing this school is? The parental involvement, fantastic teachers, and a beautiful campus. This particular year there was no drop off, so all the parents had to stand in line until the school bell rang. I thought this was awful at first with four little kids in line for 20+ minutes, but it didn't turn out so bad as I got to meet the other parents and children and it felt more like a community. I had a preconceived notion of rich LA people. I was uneasy due to our background, but these are some of the nicest people! A lot of parents volunteer at the school for gardening parent, art parent, library parent, classroom parent. They schedule play dates. They are so friendly! I might have rose colored glasses on, but boy did I not expect that!

Also, the children's teachers were perfect for them. Joseph's teacher really liked Joseph and worked hard with him. There was also a student teacher that was so nice and absolutely loved him! In fact, she requested to student teach in the classroom the second semester partly because of Joseph. I had her babysit a few times and she is adored by all my kids. She's currently a Kinder teacher in another school district. We love you Miss Ally! Eli's Kinder teacher was very experienced, energetic, and very good at her job. She wrote weekly e-mails detailing all the lesson plans (which were pretty cool and extensive), and she also had a Star of the Week where she wrote a heart-felt blurb about that child. Here is Elijah's:

This week's Star of the Week is the silly Elijah! Elijah will try to make you laugh nonstop all day if he could! Whether it's with a goofy face or drawing a funny picture, he will make you crack up or at least put a smile on your face! He even makes himself laugh and his giggle is so infectious it makes everyone around him laugh too. Not only is Elijah the funny man in class, but he also is a fluent reader and mathematician! Some students come into kindergarten reading fluently, but their comprehension doesn't match their decoding ability-not Elijah! He really has a deep understanding of what is being read. He knows how to decode the words, but also really think about what is being read. If he doesn't understand a word or idea in a book, he will ask with a specific question on what he didn't understand. He also loves a good challenge! When we did counting collections, he begged for a ridiculously large amount of counters to count. When I didn't give him enough, he asked for more. I thought for sure, he would get tired and I'd modify the amount at some point, but nope-he completed the counting and put them in rows of 10 without prompting. Elijah, I love your creative mind and funny personality. When you found out you were Star of the Week, you were in such shock, that it made me tear up watching you realize that it was you! Congratulations Elijah! You may be 1 out of 4 kids in your house, but you sure don't blend in-keep shining brightly Elijah!

Here are their first day of school pics!

For Labor Day we went out to Point Dume in hopes that there would be Tide Pools. Well, we must not have gone to the correct beach, but we decided to stay regardless.

I remember while Sam explored with the boys, I listened to a memorial of a wonderful man that was in the ward I grew up in. He was a big part of the music in church and was incredibly talented. He was able to arrange anything for any instrument according to the musician's skill. He was also kind and funny. It was a beautiful memorial and I'm glad I was able to know Brother Rasmussen.

Sill our favorite beach activity.

My little hangout buddy.

Climbing the little cliffs.

For Labor Day we decided to park by the Hollywood Bowl and made a little hike to the Observatory. It was a hotter day, but I felt it was a good little trip. Sadly, since it was Monday, and not a weekend day the observatory was closed. We enjoyed the view regardless! We got to see the famous Hollywood sign too.

Nice panoramic view.

Such troopers!

One of my favorite pictures <3

If you look reeeaally close, there's the Hollywood sign!

Later that week my parents came to see us! It was a real treat as now my mom is my grandma's full caretaker and this was their last trip before picking her up in Utah. It was fun having them for a few days.

We visited the Redondo Pier for some lunch and sight seeing.

Cool park nearby said pier!

Elijah showing off his love of climbing.

Visiting the visitor center at the Los Angeles Temple.

Always fun to visit right after church! It is such a cool place to explore.

Last but not least, another beach trip! They usually all involve the same activities, but I had to show off Noah and his new sitting skills. Here his bond with Eli is already starting to form!