blogs

everyones blog page is so pretty and mine is so ugly--- i just can't figure it out-- but w some focus and concentration i will one day 'get it' & then I'll have the prettiest blog on the block!

Swim Lessons

Today was Lexi's first day of swim lessons. She is taking lessons in the private backyard of a lady that is really qualified.

She did better than I thought she would. She was too scared to put her face in the water, but it is only her first day. I am very proud of her for not crying, talking to the teacher, and for swimming across the pool while the teacher held her belly and while Lexi held onto a floaty.

Hopefully tomorrow Lexi will be brave enough to put her face in the water.

Sunday Was NOT a FUN DAY

Sunday started out w us waking up at around 7:35am & having to be at church at 8:15am! Our church is 3 mns from our house so that was a plus. We quickly took baths- threw some clothes on the girls and we were out the door!

During service Rick & I felt like total dog poop. Rick had drank too much the night before- I on the other hand had a 3 day sinus headache along w a sore throat and a canker sore on the back of my tongue which made it hard to eat and swallow! When we were asked to stand during service- I couldn't- that is how bad I felt. I was trying so hard to listen to the 'Lord is My Shepherd' sermon but could not focus!

After our service was over- we headed over to the playroom to pick up the girls. Gia was happy until the ladies did not open the door fast enough for her to escape- so she then threw a small fit. Lexi stood up happy- kept pulling her dress away from her. As she turned around - I could see the back side of her dress was wet w brown stains! I almost died! As I dropped her off I told the ladies that this was her first time to wear panties at church to make sure she goes potty. They said 'okay'. Unfortunately- not everyone is as smart as me. When you think a kid needs to go potty- you don't ask them you must tell them that it is time to go potty. They are so busy they will say NO and then they might be too shy to ask. I took Lexi to the little potty room--the pottys are so cute because they are little for kids. When I placed her on the potty I almost threw up-- the smell of the potty plus the smell of her butt almost knocked me out! Luckily I had clean undies and a pull up BUT NO extra clothes. The ladies gave me a blanket that I could wrap her up in so we could get to the car w.o her being embarressed.

On my way out the door- Rick called and said that Ricky had put the wrong WalMart bag in the VBS box--so I had to rifle in the box- run to the truck and find the correct bag.

When we got home- I made a quick brunch (for Rick)-- my mouth hurt too bad to eat. Rick ate and said 'Going to bed'--- I was not too happy about this because I still had two girls that were awake and that were not expected to go to bed until 1pm or so. I was also mad because he felt sick due to excess alcohol- I felt bad due to illness!

We had a party that the girls were going to attend later in the afternoon. I was pretty excited about the party because it was a pool party and I had bought the girls some really cute floaties. I was hoping to get some headache relief and some 'lay down' time in before the party.

I popped a Benadryl & layed on Lexi's bed as the girls played- I had my eyes closed BUT my ears were open. I have learned that this is a huge NO NO!

I heard Lexi open the fridge and I heard the chairs scoot out so I popped out of bed and ran to the dining room. I opened up their yogurt and got them a spoon. I thought - great they are eating.

I layed back down. I then heard a lot of laughing and giggling. I thought- 'Great - they are getting along'. 10 minutes later Gia came to me and said 'Mommy I'm messy!' My eyes popped open and saw a 2yr old standing in front of me with purple and pink yogurt ALL over her body. It was in her hair, on her tummy, on her back, on her arms and legs. After a couple of 'non mommy words' I ran to the dining room and saw that my 4 yr old had painted herself and the table and the floor was splattered w Trix yogurt! Needless to say I was LIVID.

I had to throw them in the tub and wash them from head to toe! I left them in the tub to clean up the floor mess and when I came back they were playing w Barbies--I had to be the mean mommy and express to them that I meant business and that they were in the worse trouble they have ever been in. Mommy had to say 'No Barbies!!!!!'

After the tub- I sent Lexi to her dad to sleep and I tossed Gia in her crib for an early nap. I then layed on Lexi's bed and slept! I slept a much needed sleep.

When I woke up - I felt better but still felt like dog poo. The girls were still asleep- Rick was awake. Gia slept for at least 3 hours! Needless to say- we missed the party!

The good side to this day was that I did not have any kids to watch on Monday--only my own. So I took my girls to Peter Piper Pizza and then I snuggled w them in my bed (Gia ended up in her crib & Lexi & I fell asleep together).

Six Flags

A few weekends ago- Jenna and Jeremy invited us to go to Six Flags with them. I really wanted to get out of the house, spend time w Jenna and Jeremy, and watch the little girls have fun.

Even though we were pinching pennies- we went ahead and ventured out. We decided it would be smart to buy Season Passes- with the Season Pass you basically end up getting your money back and since both of my kids are 2- they get in for FREE.

The girls had so much fun on the KID rides- Lexi acted scared a few times- she is normally extremely brave but then again she was having some MAJOR stomach issues so she did not feel 100%. I was so proud of Gia. She ventured off and got on rides where she had to sit alone and she loved it.

Rick and I rode 2 rides! We did arrive to Six Flags around 3 or 4pm due to Lexi's tummy. The lines were not long AT ALL--the longest was around 30 mns. We first rode Splash Water Falls to cool off- that ride was not so bad. We encouraged Lexi to ride it. At the end of the ride she was mad because her hair turned curly when it got wet!

The second ride we rode was BATMAN. I thought I was going to die. I grew up being able to ride most all rides-- I was scared when I got on but at the end I was always happy and wanting to ride again. I think I am older now so my insides are not as strong as they used to be. Needless to say- BATMAN was the last ride I rode (minus the kid rides) that day.

May 23 1998

Rick and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary on May 23, 2009! We actually celebrated our 14 years together- it is important to add those 3 years!

It was a simple celebration. I chose a dive in Mckinney that had Karaoke. It was fun to 'people' watch. I will probably never go back because it really did not impress me. The Karaoke was not so good- which is normally good entertainment, but in this case a lot of the Karaoke was Rock.

All in all- Rick and I had a nice time spending time together w/o KIDS!

Graduation 2009

Friday, June 5, 2009-- Two boys graduated high school.

The graduation was held at Prestonwood Babtist Church in Plano. We thought we left early enough to make it on time-- little did we THINK that every Mckinney Boyd parent would be going down 121 to get there. So we sat in traffic for a while (in Mckinney!) & got to the event ON TIME! Luckily Jenna save an entire row for our family and friends. The event was not so bad- it was a little long, but luckily the kids were not so bad.

After the event we fought traffic- once again- just to go up the street to Maggiano's! I swear it took us 20 or so minutes. Rick was cursing and zipping around traffic and we were sweating-- I had my bare feet up against the A/C vent, BUT we made it!

When we arrived we had some family waiting and then the rest arrived about 15 mns later. The banquet hall was PACKED. We had around 30 guests arrive to support Ricky and Ryan! It was fabulous because ALL 3 families joined together. I surprised the boys with a montage I created for them and I showed the family a video the boys made while in high school. The entire event was fabulous. My only wish was that Gia was not so clingy and that she would learn to play w other kids and that we had snagged some more leftovers.

Oak Cliff

So-- my husband and kids and I went to an art/craft show that my sister was 'showing' at in Dallas. Before we arrived, my husband was crying HUNGER. If he does not get to eat- he starts to act like a 6 month old. He had already started to dig into the girls snacks.

Once we found where we needed to go- we stopped at a Rib place across the street- it was called 'Off the Bone'-- small place that served ribs, chicken and brisket. Looked good, was clean and only had outside seating-- UNFORTUNATELY they did not open for an hour. Since that place was closed we started driving straight which was into Oak Cliff. All I can say is --- we would have hit the jackpot if we were needing some liquor! There was a liquor store -not on every corner BUT about every 10 feet on each side of the road. If you needed gas- you were out of luck. If you needed a gallon of milk from 7-11- you were out of luck. If you needed Happy Meal- you were out of luck. If you needed a 40 ounce--- you were in the RIGHT PLACE.

Needless to say- after the craft show- which was nice (we actually found a lady that might know someone that can paint Lexi's mural in her room)-- we went across the street and ate at 'Off the Bone'!!!! Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

End of School

The end of the school year is nearing. I must order end of school year presents for teachers. I have so many to order. 2 groups of 2, 1 speech teacher, and the bus driver & the assistant bus driver! So many people that have an affect in Lexi's life that I must thank!

The great news is that I think Lexi is being invited back to Primrose next year! That makes me so happy because she has learned so much and has made friends.

The boys graduate on June4th! The ceremony is June5th! We shall see what their future brings!

Beans and BBQ

Our first Annual 'Beans & BBQ' event was a huge success! We had around 40 people turn out for this event and everyone had a great time. We ordered food from 'Rudys' and it was delicious and it was just enough to feed 40 people. We ordered food for 25! The Lime / Strawberry Margarita machine was also a huge success. It was funny because you could tell that whoever was drinking Strawberry was a bit more tipsy than those that drank lime.

Our last guest left at around 330am! These was an old school / family friend of Ricks. I am very thankful that we did not get any complaints from the neighbors- seeing how our houses are backed up to one another and most probably go to bed at 9pm. The smokers and most of the men hung out in the back- so it got loud- especially w Rick talking.

As I was trying to fall asleep w a huge headache I began to realize why I should not drink. After falling asleep w a wet rag on my head around 4am--the GIA alarm went off at 6AM!!!!!!!!!! She had apparently threw up, but after I threw a clean sheet over her old sheet (I know this is bad), turned on Cinderella, got her a sippy cup- she went back down until around 730am.

Rick was great! He woke up around 7AM and started cleaning!

Easter 2009

Easter was Great!!!!

Thankfully we all woke up at around 715am (well, not Gia- we had to wake her up and we had to drag the boys out of bed). We got ready-- the girls were so cute in their Easter dresses and cowboy boots. Around 805 we headed to church - thankfully it is across the street and around the corner! Luckily Lexi and Gia were able to stay in the same classroom/playroom. The Sunday school classrooms were closed. Lexi absolutely LOVED being in Gia's classroom- Gia still panicked at the fact that we LEFT her. Thankfully the teacher held her and walked around with her.

After service we went to an Irish Pub for breakfast--- I would have rather gone to Mimi's Cafe but I had a feeling that it would be crowded. The pub was a bit expensive, but they served a lot of food and they were not crowded so if the girls were bad- it was not so embarressing.

The Easter Bunny dropped off baskets and chocolate bunnies while we were at church! The basket had lots of chocolate, goldfish, new pj's, coloring books and some jellybeans!

Before dinner, Jenna and Jeremy hid eggs for the girls and then played outside with them. They had a lot of fun playing w chalk and playing hop scotch. For dinner we cooked a ham-- it was not so delicious. It was from the pig we had butchered and it ended up more like pork chops. The sides were awesome- mashed potatos, sweet potatos, and mac and cheese!

After dinner, I played outside w the girls and let them jump in puddles. Too much fun- for them!

All and all it was a great Easter.

Lexi Turns 4!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lexi turns 4 years old today!!!!!!! She has grown into such a BIG GIRL!!!! Her personality is one of a TRUE 4 yr olds! Cute, funny, sassy, and a bit BAD at times!

Lexi has turned into a smart little puppy. She knows how to spell her name and write her name (first name), she has now started to draw people, name letters and etc... Yesterday I gave her two sheets where she could trace her last name-- later she wrote on a separate piece of paper 'FACI'!!!! She came so close.

We celebrated her birthday party at Build a Bear. It was fantastic! I would definetely do it again. The kids were great- they picked out an animal and an outfit that fit their personality wonderfully.

Today we plan on going to Peter Piper's Pizza up the street w the family to have Lexi's 4th Birthday Dinner. Fun times :-)

Did you know

That when a pig is STRESSED OUT they will have an immediate heart attack or fake a heart attack? We saw this a couple of times in Houston--- I only saw fake heart attacks or panic attacks. This would normally happen as they were being led to Market.

Well- Ricky's pig almost won-- He was sent to the 'left' where only 13 or 14 pigs were sent out of 30 (if not more). Unfortunately he did not win but at least he got this close- this was the best he has ever done w his pig.

Rick and I did awesome w our lack of shopping in Houston. There were so many PRETTY things that were begging me to buy them--- a beautiful purse w lots of bling, a really cute shirt/ dress (way too expensive $40), and an awesome pair of boots that were not expensive at all. I handled myself well. Rick was also strong--- he did not have his mommy pack his suitcase so he accidentally left his boots, western shirts and hat. He struggled and wore his swish swish suit both days. We were suckered into buying the girls a long sucker and I bought one of my daycare kids a bday present (it was only $10).

Houston was nice-- I would like to go back next year or the year after- but this time go to the rodeo and maybe a concert. Lexi is ready-- but Gia needs a little more time.

So We Thought We Booked Our Hotel Where We Normally Book It

Around 930pm after trying to find a place that was not overly packed due to St Patty's Day to eat--- we pulled into the standard Scottish Inns and Suites only to find out that we were not booked for a room! For the first time-- Rick had gone through Hotels.com to book our room for Houston- we normally have the teacher book it so we can get a good room rate. This year was different- so we proceeded to do it ourselves. Come to find out- we booked it at Scottish Inns - which was 40 miles from where we needed to be! UG a LUG LUG.

We called hotels.com - found another hotel (a nicer hotel for not much more)- but we were stuck w paying for the first night at the hotel that was 40 miles away :-(

Once we got to our hotel- I was sort of thankful for the mistake--- It was much bigger- it had a full kitchen, a big bathroom and best of all- we could walk to the arena! How wonderful! We did not have to pay for parking and we did not have to fight for a parking spot!

It is the Little Things

The little things are the cutest to me--

Every morning Lexi gets loaded on the bus- Gia and I always wait on the porch until the bus drives away. It is so sweet because once she is loaded - we see her little white (very white) arm pop up and start to wave frantically! It is fun to wave back and blow kisses and to see Gia wave back and blow kisses.

It's Official

Lexi is having her 4 year old birthday party at Build a Bear!

We went to WALMART (love Wal Mart)-- and I spread out 6 invitation designs--from Mickey Mouse to Transformers to Hannah Montana! She chose Hannah!

I've ordered her cookie cake from the mall (since Build a Bear is at the mall also) and she is having a chocolate chip cookie cake w a cool bright pink guitar designed on it.

I plan on a small party w a minimum of 6-7 kids (my kids count- so at least 5 extra kids).

I hope it goes well and I hope the kids have fun!

Lexi is getting so smart-- she can play on the computer- she loves to surf You Tube for fun kid songs and such and she loves Barbie.com and Sprout.com. She can also write her name- her 'e' looks funny but I am impressed!

Love my Lexi.

Houston

Two more weeks until HOUSTON!!!! It will not be the most fun trip BUT it is a break away from home! I hope that the boys do well showing their pigs and I hope that the girls are good and I hope we eat some gooooooooooooooooooood BBQ meat :-)

2/26/09

Jenna turns 20! No longer is she a teenager!

I made her a scrapbook (in one day)-- showing a quick history of her first 20 years. I'm sure she will like it because she likes anything 'about her'!

We are also going to pay her phone bill for 1 month. This should make her happy. Maybe I'll make her some lemon bars-- or whatever may be in the pantry.

Yes, My Kids are Freakin' Cute

Easier to post the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbXVbkOvzh0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI3czlo32K8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQACtEqN0s

Valentines Day

This was a great Valentine's Day----

Cupid came and dropped off some treats for the girls. Lexi was excited-- it was a great distraction since she was whining about wanting to play play doh when she woke up.

Yesterday Lexi's school had the class Valentine party--- Lexi was not part of it because she does not stay the entire day. She did- however - get a Valentine bag of cards and candy. We did not write cards because no one told us that there would be a party and we did not have a list of names.

When the bus dropped Lexi off at home- Mr Charles (the bus driver) had a Valentine bag of M&M's for Lexi and one for Gia! (I love it when people include Gia) That was very very sweet and very thoughtful.

After the girls saw the treats that Cupid left- we treated it as a normal day--- we grocery shopped- which I hate doing w the girls (mainly I hate it w Gia), we rested, and I started to clean the house.

BTW- Rick and I got each other a 'Budget' :-)

Which Has Cheaper Groceries

Kroger or Walmart? I am having a hard time telling. We are normally Walmart shoppers, but I decided to go to Kroger. I noticed a few different items like chocolate milk in the gallon (we have to buy 3 a week!) was half the price at Kroger vs. Walmart- this was a HOORAY!!! I hate the idea of having to use a Reward Card- they are just setting you up to forget it. I do like that Kroger has Double Coupons-- I only had one was that was eligible today. I also like the fact that Kroger does not have much to distract you vs what you are there for. If I was not on a tight budget I would not mind this because it is fun to be distracted sometimes. I think I saved around 6.50 w coupons- that made me happy- seeing how I normally leave the coupons at home! I'll probably try Kroger again next weekend-- hopefully my list will be a little smaller than it was this week.

Cutting Back

In an effort to free ourselves of debt and pre pay off our upcoming Disney trip-- we have tightened our belts and watched our spending like we've never watched it before. We make grocery lists and do our best to stick with the list. I have also started to clip coupons again but the sad part is that I always forget to bring them. This week I am determined to remember-- (I stapled them to my list so hopefully I don't lose my list). I am also wanting to try to shop at Kroger-- looking forward to Double Coupon day IF I remember to bring them. Lexi is only wearing diapers at night or if she has a bad poopy day and we are on a long trip-- so that has cut down on the cost of diapers. I know that in the near future Rick and I will relapse for a weekend and spend-- due to not buying anything new-- but I am sure it won't be so bad. With tax season because so good to us- we hope to have our bills paid off by May! Glorious!

Cowboy Wedding and Random

We are going to Rick's sister's wedding at 4pm today--- It is a Cowboy Themed wedding --thank goodness-- casual and comfy!!!!!

I have lost 5 pounds since we got back from our vacation and I have trimmed off some of the baby fat that Gia gave me when she was born!!!! I've cut out sweet tea, rarely drink soda, do my best to avoid the sweets, and I eat more yogurt, bananas, cereal, juice, etc.... I still - however- insist on my weekly Aparicios delivery! YUM!!!!!!!!!!!

Ricky has his first BIG date tonight! He has been asked to go to MORP! Unfortunately we will probably miss the 'picture taking' ceremony since we will be at Rick's sister's wedding- BUT I'm sure his 'girl's' mom will give us copies.

Lexi has a cold-- that sucks-- she slept w us last night- that really sucked.

I am still looking for an infant to care for-- it seems like when you are not looking that everyone wants you to watch their child, BUT when you are looking- no one calls.

Is Tuesday a Rock Concert or an Inauguration

Just wondering....

And -when did Ch 8 turn into the HSN? They are taking air time to sell Obama coins?!?!!?

"We Are One"-- I don't get it. Why are we 'One' all of a sudden?

Obama will be the president Tuesday-- he won-- He made tons of promises-- as most presidental hopefuls do-- We will see what becomes of these promises.

The ONE thing that I can say that I like about Obama is he spirit to motivate others to volunteer.

We are getting a new president Tuesday- I wish that the media would treat it as that--NOT as a rock concert. Who cares which famous people will be singing and attending? Does it matter? Maybe this is there only way to get people to watch? --Not sure.

It will be interesting to see what Obama brings over the next 4 years. Will the media be honest if he fails or will they blame someone else for his failure-- it will be interesting. Will the media and public 'hate on' Obama if he fails- like they do Bush (which- by the way- Bush did not fail completely, but the media and others speak as if he did).

I am not a fan of Obama - not because he is a Democrat--but for many other reasons-- I will - however- be waking up on Tuesday with open eyes and an open mind. I wish that everyone could do that-- even if the president was a Republican, but for whatever reason- we are not 'one'.

December 23, 2009

On this date - after the last daycare child (assuming I am still doing that field of work) has left-- we will all pile into the car and head to Florida. We are currently planning our next trip and I am so happy that we are planning it and not just 'up and leaving'. So for the next 11 months we have to save, save, save and spend SMART!!!! I was so happy that on our last trip to Walmart - we only spend $110 on groceries!!!!! (It's all about making a list!)

We should be arriving on Christmas Eve and waking up Christmas morning at Walt Disney World. We do not know which hotel we will be staying at yet, but since the kids (bigger ones) will be paying for most of their portion then that will really help. I think right now we are looking at Wilderness Lodge.

Since we are waking up on Christmas morning in a hotel- we plan on bringing a small small tree and making sure to let Santa know where we will be staying.

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Almost Done

We are almost done w putting up our Christmas decorations. We have 2 more trees to tear down and a couple of plastic bins to take upstairs. Then once I can push my husband upstairs he will have to put ALL the plastic bins and the 3 trees in our Texas attics! Once all of that is complete- I can sweep, mop, and dust and feel soooooooooooooooooo good :-)

Tijuana

'Oh no you only need your driver's license to get back over the border', said everyone.

So we hoped on the bus that takes you over each border 'easily and safely'. We got where we needed to go-- TIJUANA.

Before we walked down the tunnel to get to the shopping areas-- I was very glad that I did not have to go to the bathroom because I had no quarters and it cost 50 cents.

When we got to the end of the tunnel- the streets were not too busy with tourists--so that made us (mainly Cowboy Rick) a target with the vendors. 'Hey Cowboy!!! I got some boots for you.'- 'Hey Cowboy, I got a leather belt I can sell you--come look- I make you a good deal!' It got to be a little annoying, but for the most part it did not bother me- it made me laugh because they would say some funny things & each vendor would begin to start saying the same thing. 'We have free parking.' (for the stroller)-- 'We have free babysitting' (as they tried to tell Rick he should go inside the Nude Bar). My favorite was the man that said 'Come into my shop and spend money on something you don't need.' Then they would always try and guess where we were from. Basically the vendors were nice, fun, and did not get upset when we said 'no thank you'.

For brunch-- the boys decided to eat at a Mexican buffet. I chose to eat the snacks in our backpack. The little girls- chose to eat sugar and a bite of bread. The service was great & I am not just saying great for us (I knew they knew they would get a better than normal tip from most Americans), but it was great for the table that only gave them a $1 tip. The food......... looked disgusting, but then again I do not have an open mind with food. The boys ate it like it was their last meal! Needless to say- the food was cheap and no one got the 'runs'.

After brunch- the tourists started to pack the place. It was not overly crowded but enough to take most of the attention off of us. I loved negotiating with the vendors & I never tried to talk them down too low because I knew this was how they fed their kids and family. I did not buy myself anything but I bought the girls a Mexican doll. It is similiar to the one I was given when I was little and visited Mexico. Rick bought a belt, bracelet and a pancho. I also bought a couple of little items for a friend or two.

Most of the shops down each street looked the same-- bright colors, jewelry, trinkets, toys etc.. The funniest shops (to me) were the Nude Bars on each street. I think I counted 4-5 and I only went down 3-4 streets. So basically if you walk down one street- you can cross over to the other street and choose which one you like best. I kept trying to tell Rick to go in one to see what it was all about and he refused for fear of getting robbed. As we were passing a Nude Bar- we noticed a couple of ladies getting out of a car. They were going to the Nude Bar to get ready for work. I will have to say that our Nude Bar girls look a jillion times better. These girls were scary! I am very interested in how much they bring home doing what they do.

As we walked we saw a handful of Mexican police. I have to say that they are pretty bad at their jobs- unprofessional- not really serious (except for one that I saw directing traffic- he was working hard). I saw two ladies laughing as they were passing their cell phone back and forth. I saw one policeman talking to a beautiful lady on a bench having a great time. I also saw a couple eating and looking at a vendor site. I am very glad that I did not have to go to them for anything.

After we were done shopping we headed back to the bus. We waited about 15 minutes past the time that the bus was suppose to arrive and then got on board. We were so happy. I was taking pictures and the BOOM we stopped. I noticed a really really really long line of people. These people were waiting to get back across the border. I thought 'Certainly the bus will zip right past these people and we will be off the bus in no time.' Long story short- we were on the bus for 3 hours- mostly sitting idle! Once we got off we waited in another line, but it was fast. Then we were lectured by the immigration officier- which he was actually really nice. He let us cross. We got on another quick bus to take us back to the car - we loaded up and headed back to Texas!

What can I say-- I did it and I do not see ANY reason to do it again. I would also not tell my worst enemy that 'before you leave California, you just HAVE to visit Tijuana!'-- Rick had a lady at a gas station tell him that.

San Diego Zoo and Sea World

While we were in California we bought a 'Vacation Pass'. This passbook included tickets for Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. We were able to do both in one day.

We first visited the zoo -- which I absolutely LOVED. I have only been to the Dallas and Fort Worth zoo-- the San Diego zoo was by far the best!!!!!!!!!!! I loved the beauty of it and the space and area they provided their animals. I also loved there idea of doing everything themselves as far as using recycled material (& I am normally not a recycler fanatic). The San Diego Zoo is a gorgeous zoo with lots of hills!!!!!

After our trip to the zoo we visited Sea World. I had never visited Sea World so I was pretty excited. Sea World also had a nice layout. It was very clean and had really nice exhibits. We could have pet and fed dolphins but the line was too long. Ryan and Rick bought some fish and fed the sea lions. WOW that was COOL!! They knew you had fish to feed them and they let you know that they wanted those fish NOW. They would BARK at you and try to be the loudest because they knew they were in competition with the other lions. The greatest part of this story --which I sadly have to say that I missed- was when Ryan bought some fish to feed the sea lions. He was very careless & had the fish opened up wide for ALL to see. All of a sudden a bird knocked him in the head and grabbed (in one gulp) all of the fish- leaving only the fish bucket!!!!! Hilarious!

We also went to Elmo's World and watched the 4D Sesame Street movie. Lexi finally accepted and realized what the 3D glasses were for. She loved it. As I sat with Gia I looked over and saw Lexi grabbing for Cookies and other objects that were jetting out of the screen.

Last- the all time best part of Sea World was of course- the Shamu show! Beautiful!!!! Lexi loved it and was in amazement as she watched the whales do tricks and stunts.

On our way out I surprised the girls w a stuffed dolphin and a whale. Lexi likes to call them her 'Whalfins'!

Welcome to Disneyland

We had never been to Disneyland, but only to Disneyworld! We have been to Disneyworld twice and loved it. I always thought that Disney California could not compare to Disney Florida- I was wrong.

We bought 3 day passes for Disneyland and Adventure Disney. Since we have 'little ones'-- I would have liked to have stayed at the hotel on the property and I would have liked to have stayed at least 1-2 more days.

The girls were a bit shy with the characters- They insisted on staying in their strollers (it was their protection zone). Since Disney Cali only has two parks we did not see as many characters and princesses as we would have seen in Florida-- but the girls saw enough.

As the days went on we started to 'figure things out'-- we should have utilized the Fast Past and the 'Parent Swap' more often. We took advantage of this on our last day (New Years Eve). It worked great. We also made sure to bring coats and blankets because it got really really cold at night.

Another difference from each park was the food. Cali's food was not so good, Florida's food was always yummy and awesome. We did reserve a dinner at Ariel's Grotto. We had the opportunity to have the princesses visit our table and stand next to Ariel. Tooooooo expensive but a one time opportunity.

Adventure Disney was awesome. They had a really nice 'set up' and design to that park.

The next time we visit- I am definetely going to insist on staying on the park grounds.

California Here We Come!!!!!!

So - we decided (my husband- really)--- to make a trip out to California & visit the sites. I was not too excited about the idea because it was last minute and I did not feel like spending money and adding to our bills, but I was told that I could stay home or go--so I opted to go!

We drove!!!! We always drive to all of our trips. It was quite a long trip-- no stopping- only to go potty and get gas! Lexi was awesome during the drive-- I let her snuggle in the back w me for a few hours until we started to hit icey roads in New Mexico and Arizona. Gia was pretty upset for parts of the ride there. I tried to snuggle in the back with her, but she was too wirey and got upset pretty easily. Rick drove and did a good job--- I slept during most of the night and the boys tried taking turns staying up with him.

As we arrived in California we were stopped by the Guards and asked if we were bringing in fruit-- Ummmmmmmmmm 'No'--little did they know we had a ton of oranges in our suitcases. J/K--- but it is not like they checked our bags. Of course they probably saw our car with the 'topper' and said 'Let's let that car pass!'

California was beautiful! Mountains and hills.

-- I was amazed at the houses on the mountains. After we arrived at our hotel- we unpacked and ordered room service- we had not eaten all day (except for breakfast). After we ate- Rick took a small nap - the boys crashed and I took the girls to look at the hotel.

After Rick woke up from his catnap- the girls, Rick and I headed out to buy a new double stroller and to look at the sites. After we pulled out of Babies R Us the girls passed out---so we had to look at the sites from our car- which was fine w me- it was cold!

I was amazed at how crowded California was. Did anyone have to work the next day- could all the people have been tourists? We drove down Rodeo and other nearby parts. Lights, lights and more lights. A small movie theatre on almost every corner and lots and lots of people. I loved it!

More to come............