Open House

I ran errands galore this morning (Target, Sprouts, Costco, and Santa Monica Seafood) and still managed to arrived ten minutes early to pick up Lydia.  When we got home, the girls had a snack and then we went to Marine Park for some park fun.  An old friend Ceci and her son Isiaiah met us for about an hour.  She had texted me over the weekend to invite us over for Iz's third birthday next weekend, but unfortunately our weekends are always busy, so we can't go.  Instead we were able to schedule this time to meet.  It was nice catching up with her and hearing about all the crazy changes that have been going on in her life and the boring ones in mine.  :p

After she left, the girls finished their dance class and we quickly went back to school for the annual Open House to see what the kids have been up to the past year.  We saw lots of drawings, crafts, and even a "plant".  Wow, the year has gone by fast!

Mini twirlers

Ballerina cuties

Can you get any closer?

Lydia wants to be a mommy when she grows up!  :)

Joia and Lydia

Lydia looking at Lydia (on the floor in the slideshow)

Farewell to Christie

 Today after school, I took the girls to Westfield Century City mall to pick up a Pandora charm as a farewell present for my friend Christie who is moving back to Ohio in three weeks.  I intended on going to Pandora first, but went the wrong way and ended up going to the kids zone so the girls could play on the gigantic play structure there.  We were the only ones there and they got the entire thing to themselves!  When they got their fill, we found Pandora and I purchased their last seashell charm (to remind Christie of California).  As the associate was wrapping the box, Sophie was hanging on to a display case with a bunch of loose rings on top.  The associate warned that the case could easily flip, so I reached out to grab Sophie's hand just as she was jumping.  I ended up scratching her little face (twice) with my nails.  Poor thing started gushing blood on the side of her nose.  :(  So I carried her back to the car and we were driving out when I realized that one of my dangle earrings was missing.  *sigh*  

We made it home and I made dinner for the girls as Lydia finished up her homework.  We were planning on meeting Trung at Sonoma Wine Garden early to eat oysters during Happy Hour, but apparently they were out of oysters!  Argh!  So, he just took the kids to SAMO the whale to play more and I were to Nordstroms to browse.  At 6:30 I met my lady friends at Sonoma for dinner.  We had a wonderful time chatting the night away.

 The netted leafy play structure

 Pet iguana

April, Christie, me, Julie, Amber, and Jess

Memorial Day at Disney

We took the girls to Disneyland today because after all, it has been at least a whole month since we've gone!  We do try to go every month before our annual passes expire in September, but it can get pretty busy and hard to find time to go.  We got a pretty good start in the morning and arrived just as California Adventure was opening.  As soon as we got through the gate, we headed to Midway Mania, the Toy Story 3 shooting ride, but everyone and their dog had the same idea.  I had never seen the line that long before!  Well, I figured that if everyone was there, then fewer people were on the other rides, so we went to the Ferris Wheel instead.  We made our way around the park and even tried a few new ones, like Goofy's Sky School and Soarin' Over California; rides that are too "big" for Sophie.  After going to the kids' favorite "Ursula's Cave", we drove to Garden Grove for some authentic Vietnamese food.  I really do still enjoy going to Disney and will be sad when our passes expire. 

On the airplane whizzing around

Lydia took a picture of me and Goofy after checking out his Sky School for the first time.  It was also our first time trying Fast Pass, which is a must!

The girls all decked out in their Disney attire.

On the rather boring Heimlich ride

Amused about catching me off guard and bumping into Sophie and I

The poor lady on the left was so scared of the netting

We were expecting to see a Daddy, not a backpack, come out of the slide

Synchronized sliding

New adventures at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail

Is it a frog, bear, or iguana?  I meant the statue.  :P

Feeling the animal spirits in the rocks

Rock climbing and representing the girls since they couldn't do it with their open-toed sandals.

Tire swinnnnnnnng!

Two girls in a log

 

 Our front row seats at the Disney Junior show

Bubbles bubbles everywhere

Sophie as Thumper, me as Flower, and Trung/Lydia as Bambi

otus salad at Brodard...crunchy and delicious.

Pico de Mayo

After church this morning, we walked with Tom and family to Pico for the first annual Pico de Mayo celebration.  It wasn't really anything to write home about, just a few artsy stands, two food stands, an inflatable slide, and musicians.  Luckily, Lydia and Isabelle really enjoyed the slide, and Sophie liked the music, so they kept themselves busy while the adults sat in the shade and talked.  After listening to The Jane Carrey Band (yup, Jim Carrey's daughter sings), we walked home, hopped into our car, and headed straight to dinner at Hokkaido Seafood Buffet.  The restaurant reminded me of Todai and was quite good.  I stuffed myself with crab legs, clams, oysters, and sashimi.  Yummy!  We shall be returning and with bigger appetites!

Checking out the hole made by engineers to see how bad the corrosion is in the copper of the Chain Reaction monument.

Daddy rescuing a scared Sophie

Feeling better and eating chips from a bag half her size.

I call it...my man with his palm trees

The princess and her knight in shining armor

Jane Carrey!

Sophie kept running around in circles

Teamwork getting boys off the inflatable slide

Camping alternative

 Early Friday morning, Snow, Tai, Sophie, and I sent out to Santa Barbara to find a walk-up camp site for two nights.  We had decided to go camping for the Memorial Day weekend too late, so all the reservation spots were taken.  We called the site when we were about ten miles out and come to find out, nothing, absolutely nothing was available for the weekend.  So, we had to turn around and go home, and tell her our disappointed kids that our plans had changed.  

Fortunately, we do live in Santa Monica where there is always something going on.  Saturday morning, Mike and Minji decided to come out to visit us since this would probably be their last opportunity before the baby comes.  We had lunch and walked along the Promenade where there was much action.  New singing and dancing acts drew crowds, and MAC had a huge set-up, launching their new cosmetics line.

When we got home, Lydia beat Mike and Minji at a game of Memory before we sent them off.  I can't believe the next we see them they will be parents!  How exciting!  For dinner, we met up with Snow and gang at a new Korean tofu place and had shaved snow for dessert.  Yet another fun day!

 MAC Cosmetic's "Hey, Sailor" Set-up

 Complete with make-overs and performances

 Who has the best memory?

 Mike, Minji, Sophie, and Lydia

Snow and I were in line waiting to order our shaved snow when I looked outside and noticed that all the kids were hanging on Trung.  Tai wanted to get in on the fun too.

Animals on the loose

Today started off strangely as the girls and I could hear helicopters on our way to school.  They stuck around and were practically hovering over our building.  When I got home, Trung and I googled that apparently a baby mountain lion was loose in downtown Santa Monica.  Crazy!  Good thing no one got hurt, but the poor thing was shot and killed soon after.

I carried on with my day, getting a much needed pedicure with girlfriends and a complimentary makeover at Sephora just before picking up Sophie from school.  After picking up Lydia, we dashed over to Joslyn Park to hang out with Snow and gang, and Elizabeth and Acadia for a little bit.  Liz & Acadia moved almost two months ago to Pasadena and we rarely get to see them anymore. Then off to the library to make pompom angry birds....too cute! 

Four helicopters hovering

The gang back together again

Sophie must have forgiven Tai for pinching her the day before

Making angry birds

Oh, so angry!

Game reenactment

Goofy girls

A Magical Sunday

 We started off the morning with our regular soccer practice.  The girls have attended three sessions and are really beginning to enjoy it.  Usually after practice, they run over to the play scape, but this time they practiced making and blocking goals.  After a quick lunch at home, we walked over to Magicopolis in Downtown Santa Monica for Wyatt and Alaina's joint birthday party.  Lydia and Sophie were bored at times during the show since they are still a bit young to understand magic, but everyone else had a good time.  Too bad the evening adult show and this show was the exact same one since Trung and I had already watched it a couple months back.

 

 Sophie getting some extra swing

 Pick a color, any color

 Who knew that Magicopolis would provide pizza and cake?!

 The one trick that still stumps Trung...floating.

 Family pic

Festival fun

 We started off this morning with breakfast with Trond and Guro's family at Coral Tree Cafe in Brentwood.  I dislike places where you have to pay to park in their parking lot even with validation, but at least the food was pretty good.  Afterwards, Trung dropped me off at 17th and Montana so I could check out the annual Montana Sidewalk Sale, where most of the stores bring out their clearance items.  I scored on several items and was very pleased with my purchases.  

When I got home, I whipped together some lunch and we were off to the SMASH school fair to support Kim and Tia.  We stayed briefly, only playing a couple of games and chatting with some people because we still needed to hit the Santa Monica Festival.  It wasn't as nice as I remembered it being though, probably because we got there an hour before it was supposed to end, but the girls ran into some friends and just enjoyed playing on the playground.

  

 Where's Sophie?

Fishing for yo-yo balloons

It's all in the wrist

Wheel...of...fortune!

Tire swing fun at Clover Park

Paddle surfing

 

 Steady...

Not bad for first-timers