Family portraits

Every year for our anniversary we go down to the local portrait studio and have a family picture taken. Since the kids have gotten older we don't do a monthly picture of them anymore so this is also a good excuse to get recent shots of them as well. As it turns out this year, we have been so busy all summer that we didn't get around to having the pictures taken until over a month later. Early in August we got our sitting appointment and went down to experience our annual "Kids-can't-smile-simultaneously-and-mom's-pulling-her-hair-out-while-Daddy's-rolling-his-eyes-and-asking-are-we-done-yet" event. It went rather smoothly this year (relatively to the angry badger den that was two years ago) and the pictures were good enough to buy. Of course, my favorites are of the kids by themselves. They can't seem to take a bad picture at this age.The photographer had an elmo toy that my little man was all fired up about for his picture and can you tell my little girl wants to be a princess?

A day with the girlz

Daddy was great and watched the kiddos while I got to take a 4 hour train up north last Friday night to visit with a couple girlfriends. We played some games, scrapbooked, went to a farmers' market, went out to sushi, went line dancing, and all-in-all had a very fun time. Then I turned around and took the same train back Sunday. We got lots of things done and had a chance to relax among friends. Not bad for just over a day spent away. Now my batteries have been refreshed again. It's perfect timing too because we're trying to work on this potty training thing and it's taking a lot of energy :)

Another week gone by

It's amazing how the time is flying these days. We have been so busy this summer that it seems like I'm just barely blinking and now it's almost over. Last weekend was another fun one. Hubby & I joined several friends at the river for a 6 hour raft barge trip. Here's a couple highlights:
1) The theme was patriotism so we encouraged all such things accordingly
2) It was really nice to see some friends that we haven't seen in a while3) It was hot and several people got burned, but the cool water kept us happy
4) Probably the biggest highlight however, was feeding a herd of wild burros
Another memorable weekend in a very memorable summer. Thanks Nana & Grandpa for watching the kiddos so we could take some time together. We had a great time.

New Hogan Reservoir

We had a great time last weekend, about an hour east of Stockton. Both my siblings joined us with family/friends in tow. There's a reservoir there that apparently nobody else has gotten the memo about because it was beautiful and the water is warm and there were virtually no other boats (or people) on the water at all. We got to camp right by the lake too, which was pretty neat. Shhh - keep it a secret - it's too good to let the public catch wind of.

Decorating fun

Last week it was Nana & Grandpa's anniversary and since they were gone on vacation we thought we'd decorate the house for them to see when they got home. The kids had a fun time throwing white flower petals all over the floor, wrapping presents and adding tinsel to make things sparkle. Their favorite part I think was getting to test the jordan almonds for edibility.

35 Years?!?!

Congratulations Nana & Grandpa on your anniversary.
We hope you're having a fun time in Mexico.
Here's to 35 more!

License Plate

We were driving down the hill this morning on our way to run a couple errands and meet up with friends when I noticed that the car in front of us had personalized license plates which read:

"KAT LADI"

I am bummed that I didn't get a picture of it and all I could think was that I'm guessing she doesn't get hit on in rush hour traffic.

Monkeying Around

We had a fun time earlier this week visiting the animals in San Diego. We were there from lunch time until closing so we got to see the animals at their more active times, around dusk, which is neat. If any of you live in the area and are contemplating going, do it. The later summer hours are nice for beating the heat, the new elephant exhibit is very cool and there were really no crowds to speak of while we were there. Here's some highlights:

Shake it Baby!

We did an easy and fun craft today that I thought those of you with kids might like to try. All the supplies that you need are:
-empty, dry water bottle
-paper
-crayons
-tape
-glue
-rice or popcorn or beans or marbles (or any other pebbles)

1)Cut the paper into 4X11 (printer paper folded lengthwise)
2)Have your little darlings color the paper with crayons
3)Tape the paper around the outside of the water bottle
4)Fill the bottle with rice/popcorn/beans, etc.
5)Glue around the inside of the bottle cap and screw it on tightly to the bottle
6)Give it to your little one, turn on some music and watch your little one shake it!

Lake Isabella

We went up to Central Cali for the weekend to visit some friends and had a great time in the 107 degree weather. How you ask? Well, we had the river to play in on Saturday (where hubby limited out on trout) and the lake to play in on Sunday. What a great weekend and TOTALLY worth the drive. I wish all of these friends lived closer to us so we could do these kinds of weekends a little more often.

Our Day with the Stars

Since both of her sisters got to go to a theme park while they were here (Hurricane Harbor & Sea World), I figured it would only be fair to take my niece to one while she visits this summer too. She likes movies so we decided Universal Studios would be best. Last Thursday afternoon we took the metrolink up to Moorpark and stayed with family then got up early Friday morning and spent the better part of the day at the park. Her favorite part of the day was the fancy breakfast buffet we went to at the Hilton and her second favorite part was the Simpson's ride (which I have to admit, was pretty cool). We had a bit of a falling out after she trusted me and got onto the Jurassic Park ride and proceeded to be scared out of her wits until the ride was over though. Oh well, you take the good with the bad I guess. I knew better than to take her on the Mummy ride after that (not that I could have gotten her on it if I wanted to). Overall, a fun day with the stars in Hollywood.

A Night Under the Big Top

Ringling Bros & company came to Anaheim this week and we drove down to check them out. Nana & Grandpa joined and we all had a very fun time. Here's some quick highlights:

Hair's to you!

My niece is visiting for the summer and we have had quite a heat wave. Add to that, she gets loads of knots in her hair and whines like a wounded cat when I try to brush them out and all signs point to needing a haircut! She's got quite a challenge when it comes to hair because her Mom's hair is straight and Dad's side gave her curls, so she's got straight hair growing on top of the curls. What to do? We didn't want to lose length but needed the volume reduced. Layering seemed the obvious choice and the added benefit is that her natural curls (jealous) show up much better now. Here's the before & after shots:

It's Easy Bein' Green

I've been trying to get around to refinishing the toy room for quite some time now. I made some curtains, painted the trim and cabinets a couple weeks ago, refinished a kids' chair, and bought a full-sized chair and shelves to refinish. Today I finally got around to working on the shelves (after seeing the complete destruction that is the toy room right now). After sanding it for a bit with belt sander (insert Tim Taylor grunt here), I invited the kids to help me paint it. Of course, it didn't turn out nearly as neat as it could have if I did it myself, but every time I see an imperfection in the paint job, I will remember the fun time we had painting together.

Gettin' dirty

We had fun last weekend when we went camping with some friends at a local campground. Daddy made some carne asada, the kids played some impromptu t-ball, we went for hikes, spent most of Saturday on the lake, had a couple campfires, roasted s'mores (apparently two syllables for all of us non-grammar types) and in the meantime, got really REALLY dirty. It was a incentive to wash the bathtub Sunday after we got home, unpacked, and saw for ourselves how very dirty we really were. As everybody knows though, lots of dirt means lots of fun!
PS~Thanks -J- for the pics

My 30ish Sis

Happy birthday old lady! Your daughter made you a birthday stack of cookies since we didn't have cake on hand.

I'll leave you with some famous words to ponder on your 30-something birthday:

The woman who tells her age is either
too young to have anything to lose

or too old to have anything to gain.

Birthday #2 for my Big Guy

Last Friday was my little man's birthday so on Saturday we had a shin-dig for some close family & friends here at the house. He asked for a "car birthday" so of course, I tried my best to oblige. The day was beautiful and it's always nice to have a house full of people who want to celebrate.

A big family dinner

Since we had lots of family visiting for the weekend, we took a drive up to Sky Forest and had dinner outside on the deck at the local Mexican Food Restaurant. There's nothing like good weather, good food, and good company to make for a good evening.

The Terrific Twos

Happy Birthday my sweet little man.
~~I love you~

A day on the Lake

We're pretty lucky to live so close to the lake and be able to launch the boat pretty much any day we want to. We went out on the lake last week and took the kids swimming to get them comfortable in their life jackets. All in all, it was a success, except that hubby decided that our pup does not get to come on the boat anymore because we had a rough time keeping her in the boat. Go figure, our golden retriever/lab mix likes to swim - who'd have guessed?

Vegas Baby

We spent the week in Vegas, lounging around and in the pool to stay cool. I didn't gamble once and still had a wonderful time. There's a lot to be admired for having several days with nothing to do.

How to Drive in Peace

So you have a 4 hour drive to Vegas ahead of you? Want the kids to play quietly or better yet, sleep? Here's what you do: Take them to jumpzone first.The cost of $8 is SO worth the investment for some harmony during the drive. Plus, the kids think you're great and you can relax for a little while before your drive as they play. It's a win-win situation.

Waiting on the Parade

We went down to Crestline for the parade on the morning of the 4th and were waiting for the parade to start when my niece noticed a lady doing face painting. Having nothing better to do, I agreed to let both girls get their faces painted.

Happy Birthday Bro

Here's a bit of wisdom to celebrate your third decade
for one of my three favorite little brothers:
If you get thrown from a horse, you have to get up and get back on,
unless you landed on a cactus; then you have to roll around and scream in pain.

Happy Indepence Day!

Best Time of Year

I just LOVE the fourth of July. It might be my favorite holiday. Sunshine, swimsuits, lemonade, fireworks, patriotism...yep, it's my favorite. I hope you all have great plans to celebrate your weekend and freedom. Here's a few links to some songs to get you in the mood:

It's America - great song, plus it's sung by Rodney Atkins, bonus!

God Bless the USA - kind of a cheesy video, but still a great song

American Soldier "Freedom don't come free" - I love that line.

Go Blue!

We spent yesterday at the Dodgers game with my niece and some family. It was perfect because although the day was warm, we were sitting in the shade, right behind home plate. My sweet niece (and kids & hubby) dyed her hair blue for the occasion. She got to enjoy her first Dodger dog and had cotton candy & a snow cone then topped the afternoon off by joining the Junior Dodgers. We're having a great time with her this summer and feel so lucky to get to spend this time with her.

Puppets

It's amazing what kids will endure as long as you dangle some puppets in their faces. Last Thursday we went to the local library to watch a puppet show put on for the kids. It was about some kind of fish and how the ocean lost it's colors...very bizarre story line to say the least. Although my almost-2-year-old fell asleep half way through, the other two watch the entire show with rapt interest. I was happy to have some down time, even if it was in a dark library, surrounded by a hundred grade-schoolers.

How Long?

Has it only been four days that my darling little niece has been visiting? The kids have been so busy that I feel like it's been a whirl-wind of activity. From cooking to playdoh to playdates to playgrounds - She's already assimilated like she's one of our own. Plus,. when they play, there's one more kid to tattle when someone does something wrong...bonus!

Everyone's a critic

We took a trip down the hill today, which takes us about an hour each way. On the way down I endured several choice selections of children's music. All over town all afternoon the music bombarded my eardrums. Hey Diddle Diddle, The Ants Go Marching, Skip to my Lou, it wint on and on and on...and on....and on....Finally, on the way home, I decided it was Mommy's turn to choose the music. I informed the back seat occupants that they had their turn and now it was Mommy's turn. I turned on my mix of country music and my little 3-year-old started YELLING the ABC song at the top of her lungs. It was a not-so-subtle hint that she did NOT particularly favor Trace Atkins I guess...All I could think (bitterly) to myself was "harumph, like 'Polly Wolly Doodle' is such a crowd pleaser..."

Overestimation

Daddy had the good idea to buy an innertube for the kids to play on in the summer and ride in the snow on behind the ATV in the winter....however, I don't think he checked the measurements before ordering this one on Amazon. It's about twice the size he was looking for. The kids' loss is our friends' gain though as we will now be able to tow it behind the boat on the lakes and river...it'll be tested out soon folks - count on it!

Having a Ball

Thursday we went to the Dodgers/As baseball game. It was a tied series and the Dodgers won it to hold their commanding lead in the League. We got to use the tickets a friend gave us for Christmas and it was heroes appreciation day so parking was free too. All in all, since we brought our own healthy snacks, our whole night cost us the price of two hot dogs! The highlight of the night wasn't the win or the snacks though. We sat up against the fence of the As bullpen and just before the game began, the As pitcher gave our little guy the official MLB baseball he warmed up with! Daddy was a bit jealous, since he went to about 40 games as a kid without getting a single ball. When his little girl went to one of her first games she got on the jumbotron also, which Daddy never accomplished either. What can I say, the kids have karma and charm oozing out of their sweet little smiles.

7 years already?!?!

Where has all the time gone? I love you sweetheart - happy anniversary.

Fathers' Day

Happy Fathers' Day to all of you great dads out there. We are missing our favorite daddy while he's gone to Mexico with his dad. Glad to hear you are having a fun time and catching lots of fish Daddy - see you soon!

A Swingin' Good Time

Last week we were supposed to meet up with some other moms and kids from the area at a local park. Unfortunately, both kids were napping right when we were supposed to be there. So the park got delayed an hour or so and everyone was headed out as we were arriving. It didn't stop my two little rugrats from having a swingin' good time.

Living the Fairytale

We take full advantage of the local library. The kids love picking out their own books and it means that they never get tired of those books we have at home either. Our most recent rental is a big book of Fairytales. We've covered the Three Bears, Red Riding Hood, Gingerbread Man, Musicians of Bremen, Hare & Hedgehog, Henny Penny, Billygoats Gruff, Ugly Duckling, and a particular favorite - "Teeny Tiny"...my little man has only heard it once, but has taken to shouting "Give me my BONE!" in an almost turets'ish fashion. I wouldn't give up those wonderful bedtime moments for anything.

Pooch Park

Yesterday we took some time to play with our pooch down at the new dog park by the lake. We met up with some friends to let our pups run off a little steam (oh, and with the added bonus that the kids ran off steam too).

Lake Mojave

Hubby & I spent Thursday night to Sunday morning in Laughlin. The kids were with Nana and Grandpa so we had all day Friday and Saturday on the water, in the boat, by ourselves. Very peaceful and a great chance to recharge our batteries. There are some big, fast boats and crazy folks out there on the lake, but we took our bass boat out and found a cove of our own.

It could've been you

Here's my scenario:
I bought the new Ped Egg, based on a friend's recommendation. My husband was teasing that it was a cheese grater, but I bought it knowing that my friend (a female) would know much more about pedi care than my hubby. So the plan was that I would do a little pedi care on myself after we put the kids to bed last night. All went as planned. The kids were asleep. Hubby turned on the TV, and I took out some toenail polish remover, my pedi egg, my favorite foot rub lotion, and some fushia pink toenail polish (we're going to Laughlin this weekend and it matches my swimsuit). I used the remover and pedi egg (which I LOVE by the way) and then proceeded to rub on some lotion. By this point however, hubby was a bit put off by the smell of the remover and the fact that I wouldn't sit still for him to lay on my belly, which is his routine. So I decided to forego the polish until after my morning shower and laid back to have a little relaxing time with just the two of us, basking in my nice soft, smooth feet.... ... ... Did you catch it? Did you figure out where I went wrong? Well, if not, then it could have happened to you too.

DID YOU CATCH IT?.... I woke up at 5:30 AM to both kids already up so I brought them into bed with us for a little family cuddling. Daddy got up around 6:30 and left for work by 6:45. PUTTING TOGETHER THE PIECES YET? NO? Well here's a hint, although I was awake, I didn't roll out of bed at 7:00. That gave the kids 15 minutes of quiet play time in their room. The key word here being QUIET. Yep, never trust the quiet.

Here's what I SHOULD have done: finished polishing my nails. Why? Because then I would have felt guilty for spending so much time on myself and hidden the evidence. Instead, I left the polish on my dresser. Not a big deal for any normal woman, but this woman has a 3 and almost-2 year old. So what am I doing now? Fuming over the computer while the kids sleep upstairs....after having spent an hour and a half trying to clean fushia off of the nursery's hardwood floor, solid oak dresser, solid oak bunk bed, other dresser, solid oak nursery door, little girl's hands, feet, belly, and face, little boy's hands, feet & face.

I am out of tissue, polish remover, patience and I should have known better.

Let them Eat Cake

Last Saturday we took the kids to a friend's house for a birthday party. They had a great time playing with friends and getting loaded on Capri Suns and eating pinata candy till they were blue in the face. Of course, a highlight of the day was the unveiling of the birthday cake. My little ones love cake and birthday cake is especially fun because of the neat frosting and decorations. Of course, what good is cake if you don't wind up with some or all of it on your face?

Marchfield

Last Thursday the kids and I went down to Marchfield Air Museum to look at the planes with some mom friends and their kids. Several times we had driven by at 60+ miles an hour, on our way to the SD Zoo, but never had stopped to appreciate the aircraft up close. Both kids loved getting to sit in the pilot seats, play with the controls, and get right up next to the planes. My favorite part was the discussion the oldest and I had before going into the museum:
Me: "This is pretty neat, huh?"
Her: "Yeah"
Me: "Honey, do you know why these planes are here?"
Her: "Nuh uh"
Me: "Do you know what brave means?"
Her: "Yeah"
Me: "Well, there's these brave men, called soldiers who fly in planes like these and protect us so that we can do things that we like to do and not worry about being safe."
Her: "Oh"
Me: "Do you understand?"
Her: "Yeah"
Me: "Why are the planes here?"
Her: "So that solders can fly them to keep us safe"
Me: "That's right, and these planes are here to remind everyone of all the soldiers who have flown in them to keep us safe. We're pretty lucky to have soldiers to watch out for us, huh?"
Her: "Yep"

The conversation was so serious for her and very touching. She's such a neat kid. Oh yeah, the planes & helicopters were neat too...

What to Make

Looking for something to do with those left over peaches? Here's a great way to make a quick dessert. Chop up the peaches and toss with a few mini-marshmallows and a few chocolate chips. Roll out a pre-made pie crust and cut into quarters. Spoon on a little of the peach mixture onto each pie quarter then fold it over and seal with a fork. Prick a couple times to let steam vent and sprinkle each piece with cinnamon sugar. Cook the dessert at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes (until edges begin to brown). These are fast, easy and delicious. I just love finding good recipes in my monthly mags.

As a side note here, I'd use a cookie sheet with sides and line it with greased foil (or use a stone) because these do make a little bit of a mess when cooking.

A Fair Day

Since Daddy was gone last weekend, golfing with his college buddies, we went down to the street fair in the desert. We rode down there with Nana, Briguy and their service dog. Great-grandma & Great-grandpa Tanyon joined us when we got there. We spent about 2 hours walking from booth to booth looking at all of the neat things that people had for sale. We didn't buy much (it was more of a sightseeing tour) but my little princess did get a pink sparkly visor to shade her eyes. That's one of the nice things about being 3, you can wear pretty much anything that suits your fancy and everyone will still tell you how adorable you look. My little guy was entranced by a little piece of fur attached to a automated ball, thus looking like some kind of rodent that was "playing" with the ball. I just couldn't bring myself to buy what appeared to be a rat pelt with google-eyes glued to it - creepy.
We timed the visit just right because it was just beginning to get hot when we were done. We gave hugs and said goodbye to GGma/GGpa and headed home. On the way we stopped off at the park that is at a park and had lunch and let the kids run off any excess energy. Both kids did a great job of behaving themselves and we got some time spent out in the beautiful sunshine. All in all, a nice, relaxing way to spend our Saturday morning.

What to Make

Since it's summer I thought this might be of interest to you outdoor chefs. There are two meats that I've made on our grill recently that I really liked. First, it is SO SUPER SIMPLE to make delicious salmon on the grill. First, brush some oil on the filet then sprinkle on salt & pepper. Make a rub of 4pt brown sugar to 1 pt orange zest/rind. Put the salmon on greased foil on the grill then pat on the rub. Let it grill for about 15 minutes or so depending on the heat of your grill (until the fish is done and the brown sugar is all bubbly). That's it. Serve with vegis and it's a gourmet meal in no time flat.

The other good dinner I made was rib eye roast. I know, it always tastes better at the restaurant, but this one really was the best I've had. The kicker here is you need a rotisserie for your barbecue. What you need to do is make a marinade of olive oil, garlic, rosemary, marjoram & Montreal steak seasoning. Let the meat get happy in the marinade for at least 4 hours. Put that bad boy on the rotisserie over the grill and in about half an hour it will have self-basted and be amazing.