Fun Filled Friday

Yesterday, the girls and I took the kids to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. One of the first things we saw upon arrival was a peacock. We were all so excited. It was near the front of the entrance, we thought we were so lucky to see it. Little did we know they were EVERYWHERE! Dana, who is NOT a bird fan surprised me by getting this close to one peacock.What a beautiful place. This is Queen Anne's Cottage. This was the welcome set for the guests' arrival on the old weekly series Fantasy Island. The gardens were beautiful. The waterfall was so calming and beautiful as well. The kids walked, ran, and saw some of really fun things. We saw lots of peacocks, water turtles, birds galore, geese ( OMG they poop everywhere!), cottontail rabbits, squirrels, and lizards. Basically they wore themselves out.
The twins, what can I say, they are the best behaved little guys EVER!

Best of all, I got to spend all day with my favorite people, my kids!

Whoo Hoo

We had a great time today. Here are some of the high lights of our visit to Disneyland. I had hoped to see more characters, but we couldn't find them. We did see Goofy, but he was on a mad run for the "Cast Only" door. We saw Chip & Dale, but lost them in the crowds. Cruella Deville was singing and hanging out by the fire station, looking for puppies, but Mackenzi was scared of her and wanted to leave, so no pictures with her either. She was totally okay with Mary and Burt, and Pluto as well.

This a successful little girl who made it all day with DRY pants!

M.I.CC.K.E.YYYYY.....M.O.U.S.E!

Today I have a fun day planned with Mackenzi. It has been hard on that little girl to get the concept of potty training. As incentive I bribed offered to take her to Disneyland when she went on the "big girl potty". Well, yesterday was the day! As luck would have it, I finished my job yesterday, so that freed up today for her reward! She gets to have a sleepover tonight

too! We're off to the happiest place on earth, searching for mermaids and princesses.

Wordless Wednesday

Tackle it Tuesday

I found this Sweet Blog. She inspired me to be productive today, on this Tuesday! Part of her post read like this:

Do you ever find yourself tackling the little things, the really unimportant things (maybe the FUN things?) first? I certainly do. So today, I committed to to tackle the things that I knew I needed to do before sitting down at the computer and doing the things that I wanted to do.

WOW!....OK I love to plant flowers, mow the lawn and fun things like that. So today I decided I would tackle the weeds before cutting the grass. This morning was looking like a beautiful spring day! Working in the yard is very therapeutic for me. I get time alone with just my thoughts. Today's thoughts were on how I'm thankful that I don't have snakes or mice in my yard. There are three things that I am really scared of , snakes, rodents, and grasshoppers! So, I was thinking about Dana's house and how we found a snake, a baby rattler last fall. If I lived there, WHAT WOULD I DO? How would I be able to work in the yard and such.

Thinking, thinking, thinking. My thoughts are all over the place. What flowers am I going to plant this year, Am I going to do the back yard today before I go to work. Things like that, and before you know it....The weeds were pulled and the grass mowed by 10:30! DONE! On to the back yard I go. I have to be to work today so I'm limited on time! I need to weed the back too....is there enough time? Lets just start and see how much I can get done....So I decide, start on the left of the yard and work myself around.

This is the spot I plant my sweet peas most of the time. When the flowers have faded, here, in this spot, and only here, is where the kids can dig and play in the dirt. Take notice of the tree. This is a Plumeria tree. The leaves have fallen and soon it will be full of new leaves and fragrant flowers. So, some of the leaves were dried up and stuck behind the pickett fence. so I started picking them out, and what did I find right up next to the warm wall? HOLY CRAP!! I don't have snakes in my yard!! After I composed myself, I poked it with my weeding tool only to find it was the FAKE snake. The kids got it when they went to the Santa Barbara Zoo last fall! Sure fooled me!

So this cut my weeding short for today. I thought I'd play it safe and just mow! There are signs of spring everywhere. This is a Pink Jasmine almost ready to bloom.

Here is one of the first roses of the season, right next to the Jasmine.

And this, my friends, is a very determined Gerber Daisy fighting for space among the weeds. That have yet to be pulled......maybe I'll Tackle that NEXT Tuesday.

My Little T-Ball Player

Last week, Jerry and I joined Dana and Kevin, Kelsea, and Popsie to watch Braeden at his first t-ball practice. It was a very blustery day. The wind was VERY chilly. The ball park is in a beautiful park, close to the mountains, and close to his house.Here's the little player. What a hit! Mom and Kelsea. This is Pops, do you think he is happy to have a grandson playing ball? I think the smile on his face says it all.

Super heros Kids

I have some sweet grand kids. I made them.....Braeden, Kelsea, and Kenzi a super cape, because they are Super Kids! Kelsea wore hers most of the day at the boy's birthday party. Braeden was just too busy playing with his friends to notice I had brought them. I just finished Kenzi's. This is what they look like.The girls both LOVE mermaids, so their capes have them on it. Braeden's cape is blue and all boy. I am anxious to have them all together with capes on, so I can take pictures of them.

What Could Be Better....

....Than to have such a sweet daughter!
I am so blessed to have the best kids ever! Dana just posted this picture on her blog. Our Fancy Photographer took this picture a few days before Christmas. I had not seen it, so this was a real surprise. I love you Dana!

Valentines Day

I saw this on one of the many blogs I pop in to read. I have been trying to back track and find the site so I could link it. SERIOUSLY, when you have been to SO many places, you can't find what your looking for, that's insane! Did you know there is a blog called Blog Stalkers Unite? So here is a picture of the hearts I made today. If anyone has seen the site I'm talking about, can you link it to me? At least that way I won't feel like I'm losing my mind....Thanks



Okay, I'm not crazy. I found the place I was looking for! Jump, or skip on over to see how to make these hearts!

I Love Rainbows

I have always loved searching for rainbows. After a storm, I love to go outside and look all around to see if I can spot a really good one. I have, on occasion, even seen a double. I have also been lucky enough to see the whole rainbow. Usually only a portion or half of one is visible. I love the vibrant colors they contain. As a kid, I remember being fascinated with a prism, or even a crystal from a chandelier. When the sun would shine through it and splash those beautiful colors on a wall.....mesmerizing!

During the time I had my daycare here, I painted lots of bright colors on the walls of the toy room. We had a family tree, a happy sun, a sleepy moon, cute caterpillars and butterflies, and a mail box. Would I leave out a rainbow? I think not, it takes up a whole wall in here.

I have since painted over some of the art, but several have become permanent fixtures on my walls, including the rainbow. I added a shelf to the wall and put my most precious possessions on the shelf....because we all know, these treasures, at the end of MY rainbow... are more precious than gold, and, a story yet to be told!

Wednesday is a Kid Day!

Today I was off of work and Laci needed me to watch the kids so she could go clean the beach house again. So early this morning I headed out to her house. The kids and I had a great day. They are all so much fun! Mackenzi was playing dress up and she had Barbi's princess crown on most of the day, even after she took off the dress. Jace was playing peek a boo around the leg of the table. Quinn was not happy when Hurley wouldn't let go of HER rope.Look at these little guys, they look like the perfect book ends!When I was done at Laci's I headed over to Dana's to pick her and the kids up. They were hitching a ride with me to my house. Dana was meeting Kevin to have their taxes done. On the way home I was nice enough to let Kitty try to drive the car. Braeden was so proud of his Kitty, he had a huge smile on his face. Kitty is one of the most active cats I know. He has led a very interesting life so far. I'm not bragging or anything, but I think he excels in most everything he tries!

Wordless Wednesday

Saturday's email?

Good morning to all. On this stormy morning, I hope you are having a very nice, warm, and cozy day so far. Today I got up and was doing my usual computer reading. I got an email from a friend that just blew me away. I am going to veer away from my usual posts about how beautiful, talented and all around special my kids and grand kids are. This man is awesome. What strength, courage, and faith he has. Talk about making lemonade out of lemons....he has spunk. Please click here to meet Nick!

Are you Crafty?

Are you one of those people that just love to give unique home made items as gifts? Do you like to try new ideas? I found this site and it has some adorable ideas for the DIY Mom! There are so many C.U.T.E. projects! Go check out Skip to my Lou

Flashback Friday

Sometime during the last days of Dana and Laci's pregnancies, I have taken belly shots of them so they can look back on those special moments. This picture is Laci about a month before she had the boys. It's really hard to believe that in 13 days they will celebrate their first birthday!
It's a good thing our winters are mild. This was taken January 16Th, 2008.

Golden Slumbers

Motor Home Camping, Swinging, and Singing!

So last night as I was posting about my day with Laci and the kids, I heard little feet running into my computer/toy room. Braeden and Kelsea talked their parents into stopping by before going home. They had spent the evening at their Pops and May May's house ( Kevin's parents). It was a little after 8 and it was time to go home. As Dana and Kevin were trying to leave, the kids asked if they could spend the night....would I turn them down? Only if I had to work the next day, which I didn't! So... it was camping in the motor home, again! Willy Wonka was to be the movie, again. This morning I took them for donuts on the way home, what a treat. I haven't had Winchell's in ages! I planned to spend the day with Dana and the kids. Jerry would ride out with Kevin after he got off of work,and we would have dinner with them. We had a nice day at the park. Braeden and Kelsea were having a great time until it got cold and was looking like rain, oh well...time to go home. Laci and the kids came by and we got the girls to sing Golden Slumber. The video will post in a new post. To see a video of Mackenzi singing Ariel's Part of Your World, go to Laci's blog. Kids are just the sweetest things when they are singing, and happy! We have a couple of singers in the family! The twins just might have the need to sing too, listen to them in the background. I am very thankful that my daughters and I have such a close relationship, and that they live close enough to enable me to spend time with them and the grandkids several times a week!