Earthquake

The extent of the "damage" of today's earthquake that struck at 11:42AM just miles from our house. I watched the living room furniture rise and fall and it was very eery. Skoopi walked in circles, while Sandy laid on the floor with her ears flat on her head. I'm extremely proud of how calm I was, I moved to the doorway and just waited it out. It took a few minutes for me to realize the house had stopped shaking and it was my knees still shaking.

Several years ago pre-kids, we were awoken by some shaking at 4am. I dragged Mr. Man to the bathtub for safety, where we stood and listened to the radio for damage reports. Ten minutes later Mr. Man rubbed his bleary eyes as though he were waking up. He then said, "Uh.. why are we in the bathtub, it's not a tornado, just an earthquake" I'm not the most rational person in a crisis.

Pioneer Children had horses and so should we..

It was the annual Pioneer Day celebration, and Mr. Boy showing his true California style wore Flip Flops to complete his outfit. Mr. Boy performed... And took a turn getting wet...
While AK took on some strong men in the Arm Wrestling competition...
Then they both did some hard time. The highlight was riding horses. I have fallen in love with a neighborhood that is all zoned for horses. Wouldn't it be amazing to have horses? No Saturday bike rides for us... Saturday Horse Back RIDES!!

Mr. Boy told me in a whisper after his ride, "I'm asking Santa for a horse this year!"

Me too buddy.... and a POOL!!

Party Party Party

Last year we let the kiddos plan their own party, which was awesome. We had 14 varieties of paper goods. This year Mr. Boy wanted to plan his party again, so we told him to stick to one theme. He picked Dinosaurs and then got so into it he proceeded to plan his party themes for the next 15 years.

Mr. Boy wanted a dinosaur cake and cupcakes. He came up with the idea of a volcano and suggested using a sugar cone, which was sheer brillance. (I'm glad to see my genius is rubbing off on him)
We were the "Guides" for the party. Mr. Man was Mr. Party-man, he put on the hat without having to ask and ran the party. I just played with the kiddos. Mr. Man set up this game that the kids loved, essentially like sword fighting on a balance beam, it was a HUGE hit!
Mr. Boy lead a giant water gun fight.
The T-Rex pinata was requested by Mr. Boy. I loved his candy catching strategy.

I told the kids to "Old McDonald" instead of "Happy Birthday" due to some copyright complications. The kids cracked up and I am a comedic genius when my audience is ten 5 year olds. For the past few years, we do a giant party with the neighborhood, friends, cake and ice cream. No gifts. This year, Mr. Boy begged for a REAL party with only his friends, no parents, and "lotsa gifts". I relented, even though I hoped he would forget. He didn't and we practiced for seven days straight how to open gifts politely and gratefully. He did so great. I think this picture sums up the party, he's wet, covered in frosting, happy, and is dying to go play with her friends.Ah yes, good times in deed. Now time for AK's party!

Le Petit's Playdate

I know, I know, I post nonstop about my love for the Ya Ya's, but if you knew them or paused to think about the Ya Ya's in your life, you'd understand. I have many non-Ya Ya friends who I love dearly. There is something wonderfully comforting being with people who know you almost better than you know yourself. Today the Ya Ya's and Petit Ya Ya's sans Booboo & her bunch and one of Steph's petits got together. (We missed you dearly Booboo!!) Here is the Petit's. I think they had fun, but I'm not sure because we mostly sat around threw food and drinks their way while we chatted... I wish we did this daily and we lived in a large commune with a communal backyard....and we had loads of money for fabulous shoes...a pool.. housekeepers... and a handsome cabana boy...

Also, totally random but Cheez-it's seemed to be the snack of choice and we taste tested 3 different kinds. Reduced Fat Cheez-it's were a big thumbs down when compared to the others. I know that AK doesn't have a sister, but I pray she finds some Ya Ya's to help guide her through this world. The Ya Ya's are the sisters I never had. Even better, since I got to choose them, we don't get to choose our siblings.And Sandy the hairless wonder loved every minute as she watched over the wee ones. She reminds me of Nana from Peter Pan. She insisted on laying right by all the action. It is especially sweet to see her looks so peaceful. There is a sense of foreboding surrounding Sandy over the last two weeks as her body struggles to keep up with her exuberant spirit. I cannot describe how much my heart aches because of this dog. Good thoughts are appreciated.

Hello again, my friend...

My favorite Barbie-look-a-like friend, Bob is in town. I LOVE her, and she's known me since the dawn of time. She is a good friend and brought along her three boys to play with Mr. Boy on his new waterslide.... which has been a huge hit! I took a bunch of pictures of the kids playing, but they pretty much all look like this. And this... I could post a hundred more of those shots, so fun, but I'll spare you. Mr. Boy is in heaven with three "almost brothers" to play with. Then, because Bob is awesome she also brought along her little girl, who is AK's age. Once these guys warmed up to each other, they were best pals.
And Bob is such a good friend, she even indulged me in a little Rock Band. Everyone got into it, which is what I love about Rock Band, it's great for a group. I totally think we should hit the road with our band. Check me out as I rock the vocals on a fake mic. I think my previous rock band experience* really shows.
Bob Rocks! I miss having her close by. It was such a fun day, and if you all would send me a million dollars then I could buy Bob a house next door and she could move back here. Thanks in advance... and yes paypal is fine!

*In my wild college days I was in an almost fabulous band.... I had a stage name, wore skimpy outfits, and played the tambourine.

A little "Vacation"

I needed to get away... really really needed it... so I packed up the kids and went "home" to Santa Barbara. This is the place where I grew up. I can't explain my love for that city, but it is a place that I love passionately. I feel very much at home there, and it invigorates me to be there. I'm reminded of lyrics from a favorite local band that I loved during high school that says, "Show me your home, not the place where you live, but the place where you belong". That is what Santa Barbara is for me. We had a great time, and my only regret was that I didn't stay longer. I'm thinking we need to go back in a few weeks and rent a little cottage.

We hit the zoo, which is amazing. We fed these lucky giraffes who are fortunate enough to have an ocean view from their pen. You are only supposed to feed the Giraffes a single bar of food, however, my kids just kept reaching into the bucket and fed them handfuls... oops. We didn't get the instructions until it was too late. Also a moment of silence for the beloved crooked neck giraffe, Gemina.Mr. Boy was cracking me up that this was the spot he chose to have his lunch. We rode the train which is a bargain compared to our zoo. And Nana joined us. They have the best play area, with a hill that is meant for sliding and rolling down. We had lunch at Palazzio's my absolute favorite resturant on the planet. I dream about this pasta at night. We did some shoe shopping and wandered around a bit. The kids indulged in some ice cream. Mr. Boy found this wallet and just insisted that we needed to buy it for his birthday. He's got good taste, it was indeed very pretty, and very pricey. Also, note the necklace and bracelet he sported the entire trip! These steps were the subject of some photography I did in High School. It's also one of my favorite photo spots. Next time I'll plan a little photo shoot there with the kids. AK had a blast pushing Mr. Boy around for a bit. She thought it was fun to pretend to be grown up. Sunset at my favorite beach of all time. If I ever win the lottery, I'm moving within walking distance of this beach. (I'd have to win the powerball in order to afford a place on the water)There have been many walks on this beach in my lifetime with special people in my life or times where I have come to this beach looking for answers. And their have been many times where I have come to play and just enjoy life, just like the kids are doing now. This dog was a sweet rambunctious guy named Opus. He LOVED the kids. He wanted nothing more than to wrestle and play with the kids. I love the perfect pawprints in the sand. Speaking of dogs, Sandy (aka the hairless wonder) and Skoopi got to hang with Grandpa, my dad. (picture courtesy of Mr. Boy)My dad is totally hooked on wearing these Union Suits. It's all about one-piece living for him. Also, my Dad was obviously visited by AK while napping. Another highlight was that I got to slip away and have lunch with an old friend. It was exactly what I needed.
We were not a road-tripping kind of family growing up. However, I will say, I'm loving my tricked out SUV for a trip like this. Dogs are contained and gated, kids are entertained when they get grouchy thanks to hypnotizing power of Disney movies.
Also, this cracked me up, because it just seems like overkill. I couldn't fit the Nav in the pic. This is roadtripping-21st Century style.

Moved to the Projects... without packing a single box

Mr. Man & I learned this weekend that our home was now owned by the government as Indymac was taken over by the Feds...
We loved Indymac, refinanced several times with them and were preapproved for our new loan with them.. worst of all.. we referred a bunch of friends and family to Indymac. Oops... our deepest apologies.

Also.. Psst.. .On Vacation.. will post photos next!