Weekend in LA - Pt III

LeBrea Tar Pits

You've seen them in the movies and you've heard about it in books and on TV, but seeing it in person should not be missed. The LeBrea tar pits are incredible. Its surrounded by a beautiful park which we explored first. We walked around the lake and watched the gas bubbles coming up.

There is a museum that talks about all the research and displays of all the fossils they found in the tarpits. The number of animals is really amazing. To realize that they have been digging in the pits for decades is even more amazing. I think what struck me most was that the tarpits were not limited to just the few spots in the park. The area was much larger and most of the neighborhoods were built on top of them. A few remodels have actually uncovered new digging spots.

The animals were not limited to the saber-tooth tigers and the mammoths. The animals were from periods all through the centuries. Riley really enjoyed exploring the museu, even getting to play with the tar. In the center of the museum is a rainforest garden with a pond full of fish and turtles where we had our snack before getting into the car for the long ride home.

The drive home was really pretty. All the hills were covered in wildflowers and the California poppies. We saw them for miles. We've had a great family weekend but will be happy to be home.

Weekend in LA - Pt II

Disneyland

We met Uncle Frank and Tia Diane for breakfast at Paradise Pier. The food was not that great but the show and all the characters were great. This is probably the best character breakfast we've ever been to. We saw Minnie, Mickey, Pluto, Daisy, and Stitch (Cameron's favorite).

The restaurant was not that crowded and Mickey did two shows. Riley was all over the characters. He danced with Mickey during both shows and he greeted each of them with hugs and got each to give him an autograph.

It was a warm day but the park wasn't too crowded. We saw Chip and Dale at the start of Main St then headed towards the castle. We rode the merry-go-round and the tea cups and then it was time to get Cameron to where she had come all this way for....

and that is with the princesses. Although she really wanted to see Princess Tiana, by the time we got in she had gone. Instead we saw Snow White, Aurora, and Cinderella. Cameron was so excited to see each of them. She was a little shy but each princess spent a few minutes talking to her about how great it was to be a beautiful princess.

We had a good time and it was great the day with family. The kids were exhausted and took a quick nap before we celebrated with all the characters during the parade. When we got home, the kids asked if they could go back to Disneyland where Uncle Frank lives. :-)

Weekend in LA - Pt I

SANTA MONICA, CA

Mommy is in LA every week so Daddy decided to drive down with the kids and make a weekend out of it. While we waited for Mommy to finish her work, we headed down to the beach. We played in the park and hiked along the trail until we spotted the pier.

That looked like lots of fun, so we headed down there as fast as we could. There were so many great things on the pier. We played games, looked through the shops and ate at Bubba Gumps.

We drove the mini-boats over and over (and over...) again. There was live music and Cameron and Riley danced and danced.

Of course we also had to actually go to the beach. We walked along the boardwalk and out onto the sand. Cameron was not happy that she didn't have a bucket but they both had a good time anyway. When we were done it was time to pick up Mommy. We are now headed to Disneyland!!!

PJ Turns 6!!!

PJ is normally really afraid of his birthday cake, but this year his cake was a giant knuckle bone and he wanted it!

That was until he spotted Cameron's surprise box. She would not share her surprises with him, but they did give him his knuckle bone cake with peanutbutter frosting. Happy Birthday PJ!!

Easter Egg Hunt 2010

Each year we get ready for Easter by joining into the Rivermarkmoms Egg Hunt. This was a very exciting year because there were facepainters and lots of good treats. The Easter bunny was in a very good mood, but Riley did not like him at all.

We gathered our eggs as quickly as we could, but there was no candy!!! There were lots of fun toys and Cameron got a necklace that she wouldn't take off. As usual Hannah joined us for the party and filled her basket with lots of goodies too.

When we were happy with our goodies, the kids played on the playground for a long time. They went down the slide, up the slide, through the tubes, but the most fun, was the swing race. Daddy worked really hard to see how high he could get them to fly.

When we were done, we all met at Hobees for breakfast. As usual when we were done went hunting for pine cones and playing with Tim. Now we anxiously waiting for the real Easter bunny to fill our baskets and bring us lots of candy, toys, and books. Spring is fun!

Turtle is in Aspen

Turtle was spending too much time in Aspen so we went to get him ;-) The kids were really excited to surprise Turtle and so we joined his ski trip. It was Cameron and Riley's first time in Colorado and Mommy and Daddy's first time skiing there.

Cameron had planned to go skiing, but when she learned that she was going to have to wear all her ski gear, she opted for the day care instead. The hotel was right on the slopes and there was a piano in the lobby that Riley loved to play.

We explored downtown and played in the frozen park. The slide was tricky but the swings and rope net were fun. The most fun was the snow, but our favorite part of the trip (besides the powder slopes) was the food. We ate at the Stew pot everyday and Mommy is now looking a recipe for white chicken chili. Its delicious!

On our last day we went up the Gondola from downtown to explore the top of the mountain. It was really beautiful and we now understand why this is Turtle's favorite ski town.

Happy Hallow is open again!!!

Happy Hallow closed it doors in 2008 and it was supposed to open a year later, but it didn't. We anxiously waited for its opening day and alas its finally come. The park looked beautiful. The merry-go-round was restored and the animals are very cool. Cameron chose a horse and Riley chose a dinosaur.

While the park looks amazing, not all the parts are complete. The meadow still needs to be planted. Its typical that the mud and mess would be one of the biggest draws.

We visited the barn where we got to feed the animals including the really cute donkey. We went through the maze, rode the restored rides, played on the playground, strolled through the zoo, and finally took a ride on Danny the Dragon. The wait was worth it.

Pt Lobos hike and guided tour

There are some keen advantages to having your own private grandma docent. Today we headed down to Carmel to get our own private tour at Pt Lobos. We had a picnic and took a hike.

We were hoping to see some of the baby seals, but we only saw the mommies. Riley was very excited today. He found the biggest stick and tried to carry it during the hike.

We found lots of wild flowers and climbed the rocks. Cameron made it to the top all by herself.

The wind was blowing and it was chilly, but its was a beautiful day to enjoy the reserve. This is grandma's favorite place and its becoming ours too.

Working Together...Being Together...

Cameron and Riley do not get along all the time, but most of the time they are a good match.

Riley pays attention to everything Cameron does, and Cameron generously shares her experience and knowledge.

Riley will try anything and Cameron is very proud when he is successful. Mommy and Daddy are very lucky.

How is Riley doing in school?

Riley is also practicing his writing. He is not yet practicing letters instead he spend the days writing on whatever looks like it needs some color or artwork, like the large box in his classroom. It took hours to get all the marker off of him and it was the end of his shirt.

But some of his friends did not have this problem. Riley is a big helper in his classroom, and he helped his friends clean the markers from their hands. He especially likes to help Josie who is his special friend.

But he is not really much interested in the arts. He is also learning some math skills and taking on engineering challenges. He organizes all the tools (by size) and is especially enjoying building. With some help from the older children they built an obstacle course and had all the kids climbing through the caves.

But he would not be a typical 2010 toddler if he wasn't embracing technology. You can see that he enjoys taking pictures and anything electronic within his range will become a goal. I'll share some of his photos in future postings. Its hard to believe he will be two in a few months...

How is Cameron doing in school?

The Harvest Mouse class is filled with lots of learnings. Water play has gotten more sophisticated as the kids learned to measure and suspend tools from the ceiling. Cameron has to figure out how much water it will take to push items through the maze of pipes and tubes.

But that is not the only measuring happening in Harvest Mouse. The measuring tapes are getting lots of use measuring everything from books, to furniture, to kids, and distance the to the ceiling.

The most exciting is the practice of writing letters. Cameron is getting better and better at writing her letters. Her favorite letters are "C", "H", and of course "T" for Tim and Turtle.

Additionally her concentration has really improved and she is beginning to play games with her classmates. She still won't play with Mommy at home, but the her maturity is exciting to watch develop.