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!