Sometimes you feel like a nut....: 2011

A birthday weekend to remember....

8:33 AM by Almen, Almond, or Almendra

Happy Birthday to my Jacob! Let's celebrate by over doing it! :0) We had a HUGE b-day party a few days before with friends, a slip n slide, and 110 degree monsoon weather! Jacob couldn't have been happier! We headed for southern California early the next morning, to keep the party going! A sleepover with cousin Brody kicked off the fun. We didn't make it down to the beach much when we lived there, so I make a point of going each time we make a return visit. The weather cleared up nicely and gave my boys a great dirty afternoon with their uncles!

Special request dinner for the birthday boy was to be at my old favorite, Ruby's diner. An oreo shake and a staff birthday serenade made the night super special!

Bedtime by Uncle Richie....

We made one last stop before heading out of town.....

I am pretty sure Jake would describe his '8th' birthday as the "Best Ever!" and I will assure you that he smiled a LOT, ate a LOT of sweets, received a LOT of gifts, and felt very loved!

It's going to be a rough re-entry but I can always show him the slide show from this past weekend, when everything went HIS way! ;0)

Our week in photos...and it's only Thursday.

8:15 AM by Almen, Almond, or Almendra

I think Jake's 'happy place' is the Kids Co-op. He is never happier than deep in the mud bog, or covered in water from squirt bottle fights! He gets to spend this week creating, imagining, laughing, and PLAYING! Oh, SO MUCH playing! The car ride home isn't long enough for him to tell me all the things he did that day! We have also had lunch with our friends, payed a visit to the Natural History Museum, attended the Beach themed story hour, and although rarely home, managed to show Charlie the ins and outs of dress-up play! Tomorrow is Jake's b-party....of course there will be MORE pictures! :0)


Friends @ Qdoba!


A Marine Biologist, i guess!


Digging for fossils


Katie and Jake always in dress up!


Katie, Jake, and their new friend Lincoln!


Willow and Jake


Waiting for story hour to start...

Getaway with the kids!

3:08 PM by Almen, Almond, or Almendra

Get us out of the HEAT! 2 moms and 4 kids headed to Big Bear, California! Yes, we were out numbered! BUT we had a plan! 70 degree highs and 'sleeping with the windows open' lows! Lots of hiking, biking, and fresh air ought to get them tired......so we thought! The first night the kids were up LATE, but thankfully each night after they went to bed earlier and earlier. Dinners were a breeze too, we rode bikes for an hour before and even the pickiest of our eaters couldn't help but lick the plate clean (well almost anyway). A fun vacation with our friends, the Danners, looking forward to doing it again soon!

Happy Fourth of July! (Belated i know..)

2:49 PM by Almen, Almond, or Almendra

We LOVE celebrating the 4th in Big Bear, cooler temps., nature walks, and awesome lakeside fireworks! BUT this year... we were given the chance to stay home....and we made the most of it! We participated in Summerlin's parade and marched with the Kids Co-op!

We made some new friends, and spent time with old ones.

We joined the millions who grilled, and grilled some delicious mahi mahi

and a variety of veggies from the farm! (you'll have to take our word for it....we ate the evidence!)

Happy Birthday Charlie!

2:30 PM by Almen, Almond, or Almendra

Charlie turned "2" on July 2nd!

Our little two year old is FAST! He is CLEVER, and QUICK! He is a two armed HUGGER, and a RASPBERRY blower. He wears hats, well maybe just ONE, and loves his RAIN BOOTS. He already wants to be a SOCCER player, and his brother's BEST FRIEND. His favorite foods include GRAPES, BANANAS, and CHEESE, but NOT Zucchini. He only eats TOMATOES from our garden, and if someone is opening a snack, YOU better SHARE! He doesn't sit thru a story but loves to read books. He is fond of the SOFT and CUDDLY, and startled by things that are LOUD. I am proud to be your mama and happy you are my #2, because HOLY MOLEY, if I had met you first........we might have stayed a family of 3! LOL Love you Char Char!


Daddy made you a yummy apple spice Soccer Ball cake!

Charlie's First Haircut

3:09 PM by Almen, Almond, or Almendra

Charlie Barley, Char Char, Chawee, lil' brother

Day Before.

An hour before.

During the cut, squirting Ms. Michelle

Transformation Complete!

You no longer have 'a party in the back'. Your welcome.

The shows must go on!

1:32 PM by Almen, Almond, or Almendra

I am a lover of LIVE performances. I do a lot to pass that love on to my boys. Jacob was a pirate captain for his drama performance and a cockroach for his end of year BugZ play. This love also involves being in the audience! We had tickets to see a community theater performance of 'Annie', on an outdoor stage with the gorgeous Red Rock Canyon as a backdrop. It was a 'warm and fuzzy' moment, seeing my sons singing along and dancing to the same songs I enjoyed as a kid. Charlie may have a very limited vocabulary but 'Tomorrow' was heard loud and clear!


Jacob and his bud Aurora

Next on our list was a visit to the circus! This is a first for all three of my boys! Something this BIG was meant to be shared and we included the grandparents. Barnum and Bailey Circus host a pre show event for the kids (grown-ups kids too!). From the animals outside to the arena floor, we were able to meet and greet all the performers and even try out some of the acts!

The two oldest elephants were 56 and 57! Wow!

Jake was excited to walk the tightrope!


A happy Snuggle with grandpa and some popcorn!

Fun to see it through his eyes and hear his 'oohs and ahhs'


The tightrope act


Tigers!

I was lucky enough to grow up seeing the circus every year. I loved the horses the best, and second were the elephants. This was a neat family night for us and something I know we will doing again soon!