Halloween Weekend (Part 2)

We went to the LA Zoo with Trung's ex-girlfriend Angela and son Logan for their annual Boo at the Zoo event. The zoo was okay and the kids didn't seem all that interested, maybe because they didn't have any interactive programs or maybe because the girls just aren't into animals that much. Plus, we had to split up because Logan wanted to push his own stroller around the hilly zoo and was taking his time. This was our first time at this zoo, so we went on ahead to check everything out.

After the zoo, we went to a Brazilian BBQ place in Downtown Burbank. It was not bad; the girls loved their beef vegetable soup. Then we visited Angela's adorable home and the girls played with Logan's toys. It was nice to finally get to know Angela and Trung said it was not weird at all; I guess eight years and two kids later makes a difference! Next stop...trunk or treat at Emiko's church. The kids basically got candy from car trunk to car trunk instead of from door to door; an interesting concept. We watched a mini magic show and went in the maze a few times...a great end to a fun-filled Halloween!

Air brushed paintings in the arm because on the face was a bit to weird

Talkative gibbons...the highlight of our zoo visit



The LA Zoo


Lunchtime


Trunk or treat


This is how Sophie eats her candy


Lydia making a witch's hand; she finished the popcorn before we left the festival


My newest method of sliding


The girls loved the homemade maze

Halloween Weekend (Part 1)

Let the Halloween weekend festivities begin! We hit the local mall for their Spooktacular Events of trick-or-treat bag and cookie decorating, and a costume contest. I entered both girls, but decided just to let Sophie participate in the 0-3 year old contest so that we could go to the Fall Harvest Festival in Playa Vista. Sophie didn't win, but she was awfully cute! :)

My smiling flower fairy

Lots and lots of goodies at the Fall Festival...Lydia ate all the sprinkles and chocolate off of this apple

We really enjoy our little Playa Vista community; they host the best events! Complimentary food (donuts, churros, hot dogs, pizza), games, and prizes were just the beginning of this event.

Check out Sophie's flying pigtails

Two sisters going at it

Boo Bash

After a MOPS meeting in the morning and a quick stop at Costco, we met up Christine and Cindy at Manhattan Village Mall for their Boo Bash event. Stations for sing-alongs, arts and crafts, and magic shows were set up throughout the mall; it was so much fun!Getting involved in the sing-along

The girls first taste of a caramel filled chocolate

Blowing liquidized dry ice during the magic show

Face paintings of Tinkerbell and Hello Kitty

They come in threes

Our first play date with Lydia's friends Josie and Ava. Lydia was having a hard time being accepted into established "groups of friends" at school, so I was trying to encourage her to make friends with everyone. She really "loves" Ava though.

In the afternoon, we went to a sing-along and Concert Park across the street. Several 5-6 year old boys were there and were quite amused with the girls, especially Sophie. They kept chasing her and she'd yell "not funny" and run away. Too funny! Also, I happened to meant a fellow stay-at-home mom who lives in my apartment building and who's husband works for Yahoo; Trung's work is moving to the Yahoo building in December...small world!

Halloween Magic

The girls and I have been enjoying Halloween events, such as magic shows yesterday and today. Sophie's Mommy and Me class went trick or treating through the adult classrooms and then had a mini carnival. The kids are having so much and Halloween isn't even here yet...just wait until our jam-packed weekend!

Magician Tony was very entertaining; Lydia and I loved the show!


Faye the cowgirl and Sophie the flower fairy


Sophie's classmates


"Bobbing" for donuts; Sophie cheated and used her hands


Beanbag toss; there was a nice big pile of beanbags IN FRONT of the hole


We arrived late to the magic show today, so Lydia went to sit with Christine...


while Sophie sat with Emiko. I stood against the wall with a bunch of other moms.



Magician Jeff was pretty good too


Reading time

Shaved snow and pumpkin races

We ate dim-sum at 9:30 AM when the restaurant opened, which was a first for me. The food was very good, but I saved room for dessert...shaved snow, basically shaved milk instead of ice. Yum-oh! Then after watching the Steelers win (our first time to watch anything live since we moved and sold our TV), we drove back to our neck of the woods. Trung wanted to explore another town and I happened upon the great pumpkin races in Manhattan Beach as I was surfing the net. People from all over brought their themed pumpkin on wheels and raced them down a slope; it was certainly a hoot!

Audrey, my cousin's daughter, and I were fascinated with my shaved snow

Let the pumpkin racing begin!


Lydia learning how to throw a frisbee; way to go!


An Elmo pumpkin


Manhattan Beach, home of beach volleyball


Walking down the pier to the aquarium

Discovery Science Center

We went to visit Mike this weekend in Orange, CA and arrived at our usual time just before lunch and had our usual Vietnamese sandwiches and spring rolls. Then we went to the Discovery Science Center aka Discovery Cube and let the kids run loose to explore science.

The gigantic praying mantis in the bug exhibit

Sophie is our little monkey, she loves to climb

SOS

Trung beating a bunch of little kids in virtual volleyball

Sophie, a mighty duck

3....2...1...blast off!

The family being blown away in a tornado simulation

Mike, Lydia, and Sophie having fun with a full-sized pin point impression needle art frame


The end result


After nap time, we met the Hsueh family at Star BBQ, an all you can eat Korean BBQ restaurant. We ate a lot of food and took a long time, but had lots of fun! We kept the girls busy watching Tinkerbell on my cell phone.


The Ly's and the Hsueh's

Halloween Potluck

We attended our first Halloween party of the year in Malibu and had a good time and a great view of the Pacific Ocean. The kids were all dressed in their adorable costumes and some adults even got into the spirit and dressed up as well. I threw together an outfit and went as a teacher/librarian, though I discovered that I can't quite fit in the same clothes from five years ago. :/

The cake actually reads "Happy Hallomen", but no one even noticed!

The view of the Pacific Ocean from Falisha's house

My little flower fairy and poodle girl

Sophie, Elyse, Lydia, Emily, and Ava-Marie

A visit to Emiko's

One of the moms at MOPS, Emiko, said that she will pick Lydia up from school on Wednesdays and keep her until my Mommy and Me class is over...whoo-hoo! I think it should work out well since she lives less than ten minutes away from the school and already has another booster carseat in her minivan. We paid Emiko and Ethan a visit today to better acquaint Lydia with them. We had a fun time chatting and checking out the orchard out back, not to mention meeting the birds. Thanks for having us over, Emiko!

Brownie, the turkey, lending a helping hand (or beak) and eating the slug off the pepper

Emiko gave me some of these lemons to take home

The kids played really well together...here Ethan is giving Sophie a little boost

Sophie and Ethan

Country Bumpkins

A lazy morning brought us to Trader Joe's and Panera for lunch. Right outside the complex was the LA Carnival parade, so we watched for a little while in the comforts of our car. After an afternoon nap, we met the MOPS (Mom's of Preschoolers) members at a nearby pumpkin patch for some fun. After about an hour, it started to drizzle, so we had an early country-style dinner with Karen's family at Dinah's Cafe. An early dinner meant an early bedtime, so Trung and I got to settle down with a movie that ended at a decent hour.

Some of the elaborate costumes in the parade

Lydia welcomes you to Shawn's Pumpkin Patch

Lost in the pumpkins

Emily and Karen on the train

Little pumpkin

Sophie getting pulled out of whole in the bouncer from Lydia

Hay maze; the kids had a blast running around

Silly Sophie