BLAH! Sick...

OK... I know that there has been about a week since my last post, but Shayna & I have been sick at home since Monday!! Today, we finally ventured out long enough to get some much needed grooming supplies from WalMart. This picture was taken on Sunday... the last time we were outside! Shayna is walking her collection of doggies.



Here is what Shayna loves to do on sick days... She loves to take my brand spankin' new deodorant and cover her stinky animals with it, while I finish up my online banking!


Tonight we are going to attempt to leave the house, once again, and watch the Summer Finale, Movies in the Park.

30 Hour Vacation

My really good friend, Lisa, invited us to go with her and the twins up to Santa Barbara for the night. It was a short trip, but packed with fun! The trip started off great, as the 3 kiddos fell asleep in the car and then awoke about 5 minutes before we got to the hotel. We got to our room, threw the kids into their bathing suits and water wings and headed off to the pool, much to the delight of the vacationing childless people sun bathing. After about a half an hour later, people began sitting down poolside with full glasses of wine and plates of brie with crackers... that was our cue to get those little ones dried off and headed towards the lobby. We got some grapes and crackers for the kids and wine for the mommies. This place was awesome...

1) Two blocks walk to ocean and walking distance to downtown

2) Pool for the kids, and across the street from a park

3) FREE WINE and cheese starting at 4:00

4) FREE milk and cookies in the evening

5) FREE continental breakfast in the am
...did I mention the free WINE & cheese... We woke up the next morning at 7:30 am, which is by far, a world record for Shayna. I was really worried that Shayna would be up at her normal 5:30~6:00am... but she didn't. Yippppeee... We got the kids cleaned up from all of that sleep and headed downstairs for our continental breakfast. It was again, perfect! next, we drove over to the park where we spent about an hour playing and running around. The 8,000 square foot Kids Zone playground was a blast! Now it was time to head over to the Santa Barbara Zoo for some lunch and animal viewing.






We took the kids on a train ride, then headed over to check out some animals, including Giraffes, Lions, and Gorillas. The kids even got to feed the giraffes!











Here's Mason feeding one.

Here's Camille feeding one

Here's Shayna feeding one

Here's the handler touching its tongue!












Here's a video of Shayna feeding the giraffe... too funny...

It was a great trip, even though it was so short, it ended how it started...

Life's a Beach... Party!

Today was Mark's company summer picnic get-together. It was held at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach.
What an awesome day it was out there! Could not have planned it better! Shayna fell asleep on the way there... we scored a terrific parking spot... and the weather was gorgeous!




















Shayna was in the Luau party mood, which makes it an all-around fun day! Gotta love the messy beach hair look!

















Shayna played with us down at the beach and she even went bodysurfing with her dad. Sorry there aren't any pictures of that. I was playing Lifeguard while witnessing this feat. OK, well actually I looked like Baywatch's own Pamela Anderson, minus the boobs, oh yeah, and great body, oh yeah, and the long blonde hair. I was just a fat chick on the beach ready to jump in the water at a moments notice!






This place was so beautiful... I think that they should make a TV show here and call it, "Laguna Beach... Minus the Bratty Teens."

Busy Week

We have been crazy busy this week. Park, JCC, Grandma's house, and pool time. Here's a cute picture of Shayna and her buddy, Luke, as they perform their rendition of Old MacDonald...














Then Mason joined in... I don't know, but it looks like fun to me, too!










The next day we were off to visit Grandma. It was a last minute thing, so we really didn't plan anything too special. I guess it really doesn't matter when you're a Grandma...

Fun in the LBZ

Yesterday, Mark, Shayna, & myself took Long Beach's own Aqualink to The Pike, to meet up with our friend's, the Lindsays. It was great! Shayna loved the ride and I'll have to admit... I had fun, too!
We ate dinner at the famous California Pizza Kitchen.









Here is a cute one of Mark and Shayna prior to our departure.















We then decided that it would be fun for Camile and Mason to go on the boat, too. So, Lisa, and the kids joined us for the ride back to Alamitos Landing. A crew member commented to us that we had very well behaved children. It's always nice to hear that, because it doesn't happen often!

Let the Budding Artist Out!

I know that parents can sometimes be a little biased about their child's skills... but... I just loved these "pieces" so much, I framed them and put them up on our wall! Shayna was so happy to see her work framed! At least, that's what her agent told me...

Ditch Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific

Instead of dropping Shayna off at the babysitters and working out at the gym, I decided that today was Field Trip to the Aquarium Day. It was wonderful. We arrived at 9:30 am, before the crowds, and made our way towards the Sting Ray petting tanks. Yes, the remove the stinger... Shayna has no fear! If she could, she would jump right in and swim with them... clothes and all!












Here she is touching a shark that the nice volunteer picked up for her. She is so serious about handling and viewing the fish.

Here she is at another Sting Ray tank...

Here are more pictures from the day:

Dodgers... Dodgers... Dodgers...

My Aunt Jackie & Uncle Mark invited me to the Dodger game this past Saturday night. It was AWESOME! Too bad they lost.... but that wasn't the important part...
Here are some cool things that happened at the game:
1. THE International Space Station could be seen from our vantage point crossing the nighttime sky from southwest to northeast.

2. Saw Larry King









3. Saw Harrison Ford & Calista Flockhart












4. Caught a foul ball! Well, the story goes like this... Brian was paying more attention to a beach ball than the foul ball and got hit in the leg with the baseball. The baseball then went between his legs and landed on his glove, which was on his seat. I then grabbed it so nobody would take it! Wooo Hoooo! I gave the ball to Brian, of course! He's OK! It could've been a lot worse! Oh yeah, thanks to Tony Clark of the Arizona Diamondbacks! Nice foul ball!

Uh Oh!!! E N Z O!!!!

SPECIAL REPORT:

Shayna's bestest buddy, Enzo the frog, was unexpectedly sucked up by the vacuum cleaner yesterday, resulting in a severed arm. Sources close to Enzo, stated that the vacuum cleaner was going too fast down the hall where Enzo and his friends were carousing. Another source, who shall remain anonymous, stated that Enzo was replaced with "New" Enzo within the hour because Shayna would not stop crying!

Now back to the program:

Yesterday was my dad's 63rd birthday. Happy Birthday, dad! Shayna and I drove up to "The Valley" to have dinner with my parents, my Uncle Mark, Aunt Jackie, and cousin Brian. It was great! We had a really nice dinner and lots of laughs! Shayna helped her Grandpa blow out his candles and open presents. It doesn't get any better for grandparents!