Green Green Grass of Home

It's done, it's done, it's finally done. The grass is down, and setting its roots as I write. The misting system was installed last week, and we are patiently waiting some warmer weather to try it out. I'm willing to wait a little longer though. It won't be long now before we're all in the backyard enjoying some soft grass (not bermuda) between the toes with the smell of fresh bark, not stale doggie do-do. It all started on somewhat of a whim, but we all saw it through and we couldn't be happier with the results. Thank you to all the neighbors who helped along the way.

Mother's Day Kitty

Yes, I know I am waaaaay behind, and I have no excuses, so you won't hear any. Anyway, way back on Mother's Day, we saddled up the kids and decided to go for a walk in the new stroller. We had a couple stops in mind, one being the pet store for some more kitty chow. Part of the tradition of going to the pet store is to visit with the new kitties. Sheena immediately became attached to one cat in particular. After a short one-on-one visit, she was determined to leave with another kitty. One thing led to another and we officially now have 4 kitties. The shelter had given the name "Biscuit" to our newest addition, but that didn't quite fit with the other names. So, we have changed here name to "Bridget", as we felt this was pretty close to the last name she may or may not have gotten used to. Bridget has one distinguishing feature in that she doesn't have a tail. It had to be amputated when she was rescued. Ralph and Sophie have adjusted well, but our resident bully Simon is still putting up an aggressive front. Only time will tell if they become best of friends.

Mickey Ears, and Princess Tiaras

Disney has come and gone, but the memories will last forever. We first tried a trip with Spencer when he was only 1 year old, and I must say that I think he enjoyed it more this time around. The build up to the trip seemed to take forever, but when the day came the excitement was at its highest level. We decided to go a day early to get a jump on all the rides and fun. The first few rides didn't go quite as planned. Note to self, no more rides that involve tunnels. After that lesson we were onto bigger and better rides. Dumbo was hit, and so were the merry-go-rounds. Surprisingly, the adults rides seemed to be the biggest hit with the kids. Astro Blasters, and Star Tours were a couple of the favorites. After a long day, we stopped for a bite at the Rainforest Cafe, which once again, didn't go as planned. The thunder, lightning, and moving animals were a little much to handle. Nonetheless, it was a good first day.

We were all looking forward to the next morning though, as we had a reserved breakfast with Minnie and all her friends. The kids had a great time fooling around with all the characters, and we enjoyed the delicious food. Hands down, the best french toast I have ever tasted. After breakfast, we headed over to California Adventure Park, and straight to a Bugs Land. It was pretty empty, so we had the run of the place. Kids loved it, especially the oversized garden hose that sprayed everywhere. I forgot to mention it was a sweltering few days. Afterwards, we continued on to tour the rest of the park, hit up a few more rides, and at the last second decided to book lunch with Ariel, and the other princesses. Abigail was very excited to see Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, and Pocahontas, but was a little disappointed not to see Sleeping Beauty. We decided to stick around until the fireworks show and then headed back to the hotel.

We all took the next day off and rested for awhile. After lengthy days in the hot sun, we all were in need of some down time. We spent some of the time down by the pool where Spencer was fearless, and diving like certified expert. Abigail preferred splashing around in the shallow end and catching some rays. For dinner, we headed back to Downtown Disney and grabbed a bite to eat, and a few souvenirs.

On our last day, the temp hit an all time high, and we were ready to pack it in early, but we sucked it up, doused ourselves with water, and trudged along. We visited a few new rides such as the Pirates (which Spencer braved), Finding Nemo (definitely a favorite), and Winnie the Pooh's Neighborhood. It turned out to be a great day as we watched the parade, and at long last, saw Sleeping Beauty. She was on the final float, and put the last check on our list. The trip was officially over, and an overall success. Exhausting, but a success.

Backyard Rehab

To sum it up, I think I would of rather had a blank slate than the mess the former owners left behind. I pretty sure I have about 5 different species of grass growing back there, none of which are the intended kind. The dogs have left it pitted and smelling fresh as a baby's bottom after a number two. Needless to say, something had to be done. So "Project Backyard Rehab" was put into action. We started out with building a nice little garden in the dog run, and cleaned it up little to make the area somewhat serene. Then we took to removing all the ugly attempts at landscaping around the perimeter. After that, the rocks, the oh so many rocks were attacked. Our backs took a kicking from those rocks. At this point our backyard wasn't so sticky anymore, and the work was starting to pay off. The next task was to kill the lawn and kill it good. Something must have been wrong with my sprayer, as it should have been good for at least 3000 sqft, and I only got through a third of my 1000 sqft lawn. So off to the store to get some more. Fast forward to the present, and we now have a beautiful lush yellow lawn just waiting to get ripped up. Still waiting on that Home Depot truck to able to pick up the sod cutter. One small step at a time and before we know it, we'll be enjoying a nice, new, enjoyable backyard. I'll keep you updated on the progress as it happens.

Kids were loving the worms during the digging.

Soccer Saturday

Well it's official, we have entered the realm of organized sports. The world's most played sport... soccer. Spencer was very excited to start learning, although we was a little confused because he "already knows how to play soccer". Nonetheless, getting out of the house and to the park was a little difficult as Spencer concentration was on playing soccer, not getting dressed.

Abigail was ready to bring her chair and be his number one fan. Spencer would be playing with his best friend Andrew from across the street, so the dynamic duo has already begun. You could see the excitement in his eyes once practice began. He listened very well to Coach Mike's instructions, and in my eyes is a natural. The next Beckham has been found. After soccer is off to the park for some more playtime. Looks like Saturdays are gonna be booked from here on in. We're very proud of our little man, and his number one fan.

Wiggly Time

It's that time of year again, or at least this year they came back again. The Wiggles that is. Spencer and Abigail were quite excited to get their wiggle on. Abigail even showed true emotion when she wouldn't budge this morning until I asked her who we were going to see, at which point she nearly jumped straight up with her answer. Once at the concert, I realized that I did better than I thought with seat selection. We were just two rows up from the main floor, which actually worked better for the kid's height disadvantage. Murray Wiggle walked right in front of us at one point. Even I got a little starstruck. Once the show started, I don't think Spencer sat down the entire time. There were a few new songs, but it didn't deter him from trying his best to keep up. Abigail was a little tired, so she sat on our laps and enjoyed the view from there. There were many fun and funny moments throughout the show, but the best for us was watching the kid's reactions to the show. Well worth the cost of the overpriced arena soda alone.

P.S. No picture were taken, as our camera is MIA right now.

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend was a very busy, but very enjoyable weekend. It actually started early for Spencer and Abigail as their school had an egg hunt planned for them, and this was very exciting to them. The amazement didn't cease as they opened up consecutive eggs with the same candy in them. Saturday started with plans put in motion to begin the construction of the small garden. The kids were quite eager to "help" me in the process of breaking ground. However, they were quickly summoned over to the neighbors house for playtime, thus leaving me to finish the project alone. Abigail returned shortly after and helped place the big rocks in the wheelbarrow, but mostly just wanted to dig the dirt I had broken up. Spencer eventually followed and was determined to try and use every tool I was using. He's becoming quite the little helper and handyman. In the end we have the beginnings of a very cute little garden. Needless to say, my hands still took quite a pounding. Later that afternoon the Easter Bunny paid another visit for the kids in the neighborhood. It was very convenient of him to have organized such an event. All the kids were given there instructions and I had coached Spencer and Abigail in the art of running after the eggs, so everything was in place. Spencer took off early and quickly filled his basket, while Abigail was content in getting just enough to quit early and sneak some candy. Later they enjoyed some ice cream with all the toppings, and continued playing into the night. Afterwards, we realized that they had replaced their supper with candy and ice cream. Oh well, I guess that's allowed during Easter. Finally on Sunday we were invited, once again, to the neighbors for some brunch. IHOP doesn't have anything on what we enjoyed that morning. The food was excellent. The kids had fun digging in the dirt and chasing more Easter eggs that Mike was throwing off the fence. I think they thought it was the Easter Bunny again. After naps, we were asked to join the neighbors at their parents house for some pizza and swim time. Kudos to Andy for eating more pizza than the rest of us combined. The kids were very eager to get to swimming, and when the time came, Abigail bailed. Spencer on the other hand enjoyed himself in the heated spa, and learned to blow bubbles under the water for the first time thanks to his buddy Andrew. They love to play together, and are quite imaginative. All in all, it was a great weekend with the only downside being that time went too fast.