Pirate Shores

For some reason, Blogger won't load up my meduim size or larger photos and hopefully the small size will be okay. Here is a pic of Hector and Tyler after a good drenching at Pirate Shores. Hector wasn't the only adult who didn't expect to get totally soaked. I saw a woman dressed in jeans and blouse dripping and many people more wet than dry. It was fun to be kid again.

Here I was lucky to catch the kids coming down the slide together. This is the same slide that I found Joshua when he escaped from the toddler section. The minimum height is 36 inches in this area so he qualified. It is hard to predict how he'll behave to this kind of water play. Sometimes, Joshua will have nothing to do with the other water fountains in Legoland but he really had a wonderful time at Pirate Shores.

Joshua is doing his Junior Driving School and it looks like he's driving but he's just sitting while the other kids are going by. He did push the gas pedal but didn't steer so the employees were always rescuing him.

Blogger problems

I'm trying to post more pictures from Saturday's Legoland trip but Blogger seems to disagree with me right now. I've been reading about Blogger's issues from other people's pages and although these are big problems for others, it hasn't affected me. I do notice that loading pictures is problemsome but I can't expect too much since Blogger is a free service. So hopefully, I'll get those pictures loaded up later.

Ahoy, Mateys!

Yesterday was a very full day! Joshua woke up with a fever but he was is normal, chipper self so we kept giving him fluids throughout the day. Plus, relief from the heat! It was very overcast at home and later, in Carlsbad. Tyler and his team had a great baseball game; they are getting the hang of the basic rules of the game. I was planning to take Tyler to Legoland to check out their new Pirate Shores. Hector was going to stay home with Joshua but the humidity was around 90% in Torrance and only 79% in Carlsbad which changed his mind in going. Ugh, the traffic was awful and very slow...it took us 2 and 1/2 hours to get there (usually it only takes about 90 minutes).

We arrived at 4pm so we had 4 hours to play. We headed right over to Pirate Shores and naturally, it was packed. There are 2 water rides and 2 water play areas. The ride Splash Battle is a boat type ride with water cannons in the front and back. Two people face forward and two people face backwards and aim water along the ride at objects or people standing along the fence. What you don't know is that some of these people have water cannons too & have the convenience of hiding behind walls while we (in the boat ) do not. Ugh. We got really wet but it was fun. So it was on to the play areas. The Swabbies Deck is for toddlers while the Soak n Sail is for bigger kids. We started in the kiddie section where the kids changed into their swimwear. It is very hard to follow the kids closely risking getting wet too plus there were mobs of kids running around. We saw Tyler run one way then when we located him, we lost sight of Joshua. OMG. It was crazy....trying to find him. There was only one way in/out but we could not find him for about 5 minutes. Hector was on one side and I was on the other looking frantically. We looked in the big kid section briefly but didn't see him, circled around the toddler area again. Finally, I looked over at the slide area and saw Joshua slide down. Phew. Thank goodness.

Meanwhile, Hector is hanging with Tyler so I finish changing Joshua into his clothes. When we find them, Hector is drenched along with Tyler. Apparantly there is a lrage bucket that fills up with water and when it gets full, it tips over soaking anyone near it. Well, that is what happened to Hector! I didn't plan on us getting wet so he had drip dry the rest of the day. Next time I'll know that we need to bring a change of clothes too!

Best Sandwich Ever

For the last couple of weeks, I kept mentioning that I wanted a Godmother sandwich from Bay Cities Deli. The problem is that this deli is about 18 miles in Santa Monica which you have to drive on the most congested stretch of the 405 freeway and it is always crowded. The wait is up to 45 minutes during lunchtime but the last couple of times we were there, we noticed that they have a basket of sandwiches pre-made right by the door. It has my favorite sandwich (Godmother) just the way I like it and some turkey/provolone sandwich. The bread they use totally makes the sandwich special...the crusty bread with the soft center and a trio of Italian meats. Oh, so delicious. I'd go every week if I could but my schedule combined with the drive just doesn't allow for it.

Today, Hector calls me to tell me that he is waiting in line for a godmother sandwich but there are 30 people waiting. Yippee....but wait, what about the pre-made sandwiches? The basket was empty! Yikes. A few seconds, an employee fills up the basket again. Phew!! That saved him some serious time but he still had to drive home and then head back to work. And 45 minutes later, I had my precious Godmother in my greedy hands! Hector says I am like Joey from Friends who totally obsesses over his sandwiches. Uh, yeah, is that a problem? What a sweetie!! This guy really surprises me. Meeyai, honey!!

Here is my picture of the golden pavillion in Kyoto that I was considering entering it in the fair.

Compare mine to this entry at the fair. Nice, but I think mine is nicer.

And here are the stuffed animal prizes and beads that Kat and Tyler "won" at their games. Doesn't Tyler look thrilled?

A Fair Day

We finally made it to the fair yesterday. The weather was slightly cooler and still muggy. Tyler and I met up with Kat at Red Robin to have dinner then headed over to the fair. We looked at some cows, horses and llamas and ducked into an air-conditioned building to view Kat's photo of a flower. She had entered it and it was considered for judging but didn't win any prizes. Pretty cool to be in the running though which was her first photography entry. We browsed around the different categories ie. children, animals, landscapes and etc. Then I came across the golden pavillion in Kyoto photo that I had considered entering myself. I thought mine was better and you can see for yourself. The entered photo appears blurry because I tried to take a photo of it but compare the two pictures and tell me which one you like better.

Tyler had a great time playing the games. We tried tossing the pin pong balls into the floating cups, filling the moving water pitcher, and many more. We didn't win any prizes but they gave us a "pity" prize, a small Curious George monkey. I also got him some tickets and he spent lots of time in the fun house, house of glass and some other little fun house. Poor Tyler banged his head twice in the house of glass since he had the habit of leading with his head instead of with his hands. He had a great time though. We finished off that with some popcorn and more cruising the fair.

We also checked Kat's Tinkerbell collection which won first place!! Very cool!! It is always interesting to see people's collections. We saw a Pikachu collection, colbalt glass and Disney snow globes. We went to see the Parade of Products but the AC wasn't working so we left after a while. Tyler wanted to go to the kid's maze so we hung out there while he ran thru it several times. After that, we started walking out and Kat saw a booth called Hoodies for Hounds (?) which had apparel, collars and carriers for dogs. She spotted a shirt with Tinkerbell in crystals which would be perfect for her Pomeranian Cece. Too cute. I can't wait to see her in it.

I'm having problems with Blogger posting more photos so I'll do that later when things are working!!

Bunion update

I know all of you regular readers want to see what my foot looks like after bunion surgery. This was taken a few days ago and actually looks much better than this photo after slathering buckets of cream/lotion on it. My foot is still a little puffy and I can walk on it almost normally. Not too bad (the surgery was June 16th). Okay, you can move on down to further subjects.

My mom just called and she says she can dial my phone number with the 1-310 prefix. So this puts in her mind that I don't know what I'm talking about the area code overlay. She says the phone company told her she doesn't have to dial the extra numbers unless it is over 15 miles away. Okay, so I try calling her back the old way...ugh..an ear piercing tone! I try She-ra's phone number (she lives 5 miles from us). Same thing. So I dial the 11 digits to tell Mom that I have to call 1-310 like the news tells everyone...now she thinks she is very special because her phone can bypass the system on calls to my house. The above photo is my mom (center) with her sister Alice (left) and Mary (right) with Tyler. My aunts visited my mom for a week then moved on to my other Aunt Ruth in La Canada for another week followed by a week in Philadelphia with Aunt Sarah.

I got our travel documents around noon so we are ready to go. I do have to alert the agency that they have the wrong middle name for Joshua. For some reason, Morgan was given to Josh (middle name is Edward) and it can be confusing because Morgan is Tyler's and my middle name. Hector doesn't have one because he said they were too poor to afford one!! Ha ha ha.

Dialing frenzy

Remember those old rotary phones? The misdialed calls and the long wait for the number to complete the ttkk, ttkk sound bring back fond (now) memories. I recall my fingers slipping out of the holes just before my finger reached the correct position so I would have to redial the entire number. Arrgh.

On Wednesday, the phone company is putting an overlay on top of our 310 area code. So there will be a new 424 area code given to new phone numbers. Because of this, I will have to call 11 digits all the time. Even calling another 310 number requires me to dial 1-310-number...like my next door neighbor. Oh, the joy. You try explaining the situation to your 70 year old mother that she needs to reprogram her speed dial at her house and cell phone. Guess who will be doing that task for her tomorrow. Actually, the phone company has been trying to do this overlay for about 5 years now and I guess we finally ran out of numbers. Hector had the foresight to program all the phone numbers in our cell phones to this new format a couple of years ago. My problem will be adjusting to every day dialing to local numbers. I'm sure I will get to hear some recording of a woman telling me to check my dialing on a daily basis. I even told Tyler that he will have to enter 1-310 when he calls grandma from now on. He doesn't understand the concept of area codes but he will now.

Mom's Day

It was another scorcher today and after hemming & hawing, Kat & I decided to postpone our fair date. The morning had scattered thunderstorms and rain which cooled us off slightly then it really started to heat up once the clouds were gone. She-ra called to see if I interested in a movie. Air conditioning? You bet! We saw the Devil wears Prada which was really good. I read the book last month and of course, the movie was a bit different in spots but still very enjoyable.
I was home for a couple of hours when He-man and She-ra called asking us what we were doing for dinner. Hector was out of it all day and he didn't feel like going out. He agreed to watch the kids while I went out to dinner! Woo hoo, no kids to feed and tend to? My lucky day. Since Hector wasn't with us, we had dinner at Joe's Crab Shack because Hector hates the fishy smell & most seafood (but he'll eat sushi and shrimp). It was awesome...snow crab, potatoes & corn. Plus we shared dessert a huge chocolate cake and bananas foster. SO YUMMY.
I came back stuffed to my sweltering home. Ugh. I got the kids ready for bed so my honey & I could watch Shaun of the Dead. I usually don't like horror movies but this was more of a comedy with zombies. Not too gory or scary plus it had British actors. Brilliant! Now it's back to my normal week and Joshua's last week of summer school. we'll be spending lots of time at Disneyland and Legoland next month before we head off to Thailand.

Heatwave

After the ballgame, the temperature rose to a record breaking level in SoCal. I think Hector was somewhat relieved that he was called in to work again this afternoon to escape the heat. When I checked the kids playing upstairs, Joshua's hair was wet with sweat. I had to intervene and herd themselves outside to play in water. Of course, our wading pool has been out all year and filthy with dirt and leaves. I had to improvise...we emptied out some toy bins which are really general use plastic tubs and filled the with water. Add a couple of balls and a water gun and the boys were set to splash and play. It kept them busy for an hour which was great and fun.

That reminds me to buy swim diapers for Joshua...I put a pull-up on him and gradually as time went by it swelled up more and more up it was hanging down with the plumber's butt look. The kid looked confused why I was laughing and why he was having such a hard time walking with his pull-up hanging down. Ahh, it was cute.

Tomorrow, we're supposed to go to the Orange County fair with Kat but if the heat remains brutal, we're gonna have to come up with plan B. Poor Tyler has been looking forward to this day and maybe we'll just have to go later in the evening. We'll figure it out or I'll just take him if Kat is not up to it. I don't think this heatwave is going away anytime soon but it's good practice for Thailand.

Play Ball !!!

Tyler's baseball team had their 3rd game today and they have improved so much. All the little guys hit better and starting to field the ball too. Tyler had 2 base hits and was able to score twice! That was a real morale booster for him! This game he played third base which gave him lots of opportunities to talk to all the base runners. I had to keep reminding him to pay attention but he is such a social, chatty boy.

The above pic shows Tyler after he hit the ball and this is his second time at bat. I like how everyone is supposed to remain positive for both teams to make it fun for the kids. They don't keep score and everyone gets a chance to bat and play. I hope Tyler will enjoy playing but he can get so frustrated and whiny when things don't go his way. It helps that he has 3-4 kids he knows from school too. I've had to use videogame terms so he thinks baseball is a real life videogame. To make him hustle and throw the ball, I say, "Turbo-throw!" Hey, whatever works.

Here is Tyler running home and yes, he is number 13. The team's coach was out of town this weekend so Glenn's dad Roger took over the coaching duties. He did a great job getting the kids to do their best. Hector had to go into work this morning so he missed the game. At least, I have some pictures to show him later and maybe this will motivate Tyler into continuing playing to show Daddy how well he's doing. Positive reinforcement does wonders.

Grease Monkey

Our nephew Albert is back home for a couple weeks & his car is giving him grief. Last week, he thought the car needed brakes so Hector said to bring it over and they'll fix it. Well, it turned out that the brakes were fine but the driveshaft was junk. Hector did some calling and found a driveshaft for about $50. It took them several hours to complete the job but they got it done. I learned that for car jobs, I have to double the time estimated especially when Hector does the job. Not that he isn't good at it but usually he encounters some complication which adds time.

Albert mentions that he has a slow gas leak that the mechanic at some oil n lube place said it would be okay for now. Hector noticed that Albert needs tires so they make plans for Albert to come back. Yesterday, they start to look at the tires and Hector decides to find the gas leak. Of course, that takes a while..they pull out the backseat and finally locate the leak in the hose. I'm not sure what exactly happened but Hector's arms all the way up to his elbows were covered in grease. YUCK. But they found that leak which could have been very dangerous and now that car is safe. That car only needs to survive for another year or so and then it can go to the big garage in the sky.

Tv Picks

Ever since Tivo entered my life, TV is a new experience. The kids are hooked on PBS Kids Sprout and Hector loves Adult Swim on Cartoon Network and more cartoons so I don't get much "live TV" time. That's where Tivo comes in to save the day...that way I can watch my programs when I want (when the kiddies are in bed). My current summer programs are Project Runway and Venture Brothers on Adult Swim. Yes, one of the shows is animated but absolutely hilarious...kind of a more violent take on Johnny Quest but FUNNY. The first season is on DVD so there is time to catch up on the show. Then there is Project Runway that I love...the cattiness and fashion. I only wish Tim Gunn has more air time because he totally makes that show. Okay, enough said but give my shows a watch and maybe you'll agree too.

I am trying to take better pictures with my new camera. The problem is that I don't have any formal training in photography so I'm reading lots of books then trying to apply those techniques. I have a good friend who majored in photography and she agreed to critique my photos. She even took our engagement photo and she has used me as one of her models for her portfolio. It's funny too that when we were around 10 years old, my friend's mom took us up to the mountains to play in the snow (her mom is also a photographer) and we sledded down a hill several times for that perfect shot. Finally, we just propped the innertube on a ledge and pretended to slide down the hill and guess what? That shot was used for the cover of a small Christian magazine. We liked to joke that we were covergirls!

So my friend tells me the best times to take pictures are early morning or late afternoon to get the best lighting. So at Tyler's baseball practice, I saw lots of pine needles on the grass which we spent kicking around. I was not sure how he would like picking them up since he has that texture thing but he had no problems picking the needles up and flinging them as far as he could.

Supercuts

Here are some pics of Josh's new haircut. The edges on the side and back are a little raggedy but decent. No visible bald patches. I hope he gets used to the scissors soon near his head. I got him used to the spray bottle after a few months of showing how I wet Tyler's hair down in the morning. Even my mom approved of his haircut which was nice of her.

Covert ops

My little munchkin eagerly waits for his bus to arrive. Tomorrow, his preschool is having their summer fling with aquarium guests from the Aquarium of the Pacific. The other night, I cut Josh's hair when he was asleep. He seriously fights the scissors/clippers whenever he goes to get his haircut so I have resorted to cutting his hair while he sleeps. I manage to do this once before and it came out decent but it's growing out as you can see. This time I just cut the sides and back and left the top as is so it kinda flops down. He doesn't wake up although it is challenging to cut hair in dim lighting. I'll try taking some pictures of him today so you can see my 'handiwork'.

The heat wave has cooled slightly and this morning I had Tyler play with his slip n slide. I try to have him do other things besides video games all day! No more church camp but now I know he enjoyed it so we'll do it again next summer. Tyler also expressed interest in horses so maybe next year I'll put him in pony camp and learn about the hard work that goes with horse care.

My good friend that I've known since second grade called me yesterday. She called to catch up on our lives and it was so nice. She and her hubby are in the process of adoption which is very exciting. We talked about mother issues although hers is much more complicated and sad. It just made us appreciate what we have and how difficult situations make us stronger. She only lives 90 minutes away yet I should see her more often. Sure there is email but there is just something about talking on the phone that reconnects us again. I need to make an effort to visit her one day very soon while Hector babysits the kids. I say that a lot but I'm gonna do it!

Not for Ebay

Here is my autographed items by Chris Isaak that I got this week. The CD/DVD is from the OC fair and the T-shirt is from Pechanga. It looked like Chris Isaak is wearing a wedding band so I guess he is off the market but he certainly has a dreamy sound and look!

24 hour Turnaround

A quick update on my weekend. I went to Temecula with Kat for the weekend where we saw Chris Isaak at Pechanga (an Indian casino). It was super loads of fun but ultra hot!! The temperature reading from my car reached 110 degrees yesterday. We had the AC on full blast in my car with the ipod playing the tunes until we reached the motel. It was like walking into an oven...we rushed inside our room as fast as we could and turn the AC on! The motel had a indoor pool but we skipped it to stay cool in the room. I even took a short nap. We got ready and went to Pechanga to see Chris Isaak. Our seats were excellent since the showroom holds 1200 people. Again, he put on a great show and we bought T-shirts to have autographed. This time I was bold and asked Chris to draw a self portrait on my shirt. Of course, he was super sweet and drew it! On Kat's shirt he drew a heart with UOP (our alma mater) rules. That was really cool of him to do that....to end our evening, Kat and I shared some brownies & ice cream for dessert! Yum!

Wicked Game

Last night, Kat and I went to see Chris Isaak at the Orange County Fair. For those not familiar with his music, "Wicked Game" is his most recognizable song. He has a really unique sound with Roy Orbison influence. We first heard of Chris Isaak because Kat & I went to University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA and he was their local celebrity & alumnus. Kat & I lived in an on-campus apartment and it was a sweet set up. It had 3 bedrooms & 1 bathroom with a separate toilet about the size of a bathroom stall. It was so claustrophobic in there, we started covering all the walls with pictures of men/celebrities to have something to look at. I put up a 11 by 14 picture of Chris Isaak right at eye level in front (dreamy) so he has a special place in our hearts.

So last night's show was awesome like usual. Chris rocked the crowd and always has something fun and witty to say. Another great thing he does is meet and sign his merchandise after the show. It really means a lot to us regular people that he takes the time to do something a little extra for his fans. Last year, there were mobs of people waiting in line and he kept signing until they were all done. He signed a T-shirt with a signature and you'd think that would be it but he also drew his face on mine and drew a guitar on Kat's. This year he did shorten it up with just an autograph (this time I brought his best of cd/dvd). We are gonna see Chris Isaak again Saturday at Pechanga Casino so we're excited because this is a smaller venue so it'll be so cool. More later on my fun weekend....gambling and Chris Isaak! Yeah!

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One of my favorite pictures I took this year. It gives me a peaceful feeling. This picture is from our Maui trip in April. We were having our "happy hour" at Embassy Suites and this statue was outside on the patio with the mountains in the background.

Here are Tyler and Joshua earlier this year playing in their "fort". This is a rare moment for them to be still enough and both be looking at the camera. They are getting better at sharing things but some times can be difficult when they each want their way.

&*%#^*$!

Well, it was bound to happen...Hector was hit by a car while riding his bicycle last night. He is okay with a sore ankle & back and a scraped knee. Thank God. Some woman pulled out of a driveway without looking both ways and nailed Hector. Granted, it is not very smart to be riding your bike at night since you become virtually invisible to drivers. So I intend to get him a better light and maybe a reflector vest. I would be so pissed off if he died due to such a stupid and preventive thing. So today's lesson is LIVE & LEARN (with the emphasis on LIVE).

Howdy Partner

It's official now...Hector was made partner today. Yeah! We had a celebratory dinner at Koji with our married friends (He-man & She-ra). I had such a busy day and asked She-ra to help watch Joshua for a few hours. Tyler started his day camp at church which went well. I had a appointment for my 1st mammogram because I turned 40 & my MD recommended I get one. It wasn't too bad, a bit uncomfortable for a few seconds but the nurse was really friendly and get my mind off the fact my boobs were being mashed. I then returned home to She-ra and Joshua. We watched Project Runway (season 1) until Joshua had to go to preschool. I took She-ra to lunch at California Pizza Kitchen where we shared the bbq chicken salad and pear/gorgonzola pizza. Yum. We watched more Project Runway until it was time to pick up Tyler at day camp. Relaxed at home and waited for Joshua to come home. Then I totally forgot that I had a podiatrist appt at 5pm until 4:45pm but thankfully, She-ra was still at my house so I ran off. The good news is that my bandages are finally off and I can shower normally again. I still have some swelling but it feels so nice to have that nasty bandage off. You can't imagine what your skin looks like after it hasn't touched water for 4 weeks. It begins peeling and becomes dry and flaky. Totally disgusting. I've been rubbing lotion on my foot all afternoon but it'l be a while until the skin is back to normal.

So anyway, congratulations to Hector for his promotion to partner!

Reunion

Last night, we went to a Chinese dinner to celebrate my cousin Phyllis's wedding. There were about 30 people there, mostly relatives from both sides of the couple. It was really nice to see Phyllis who was a bridesmaid at our wedding almost 10 years ago and now she is in law school & married.

Another reunion of sorts took place...the wedding party of my Uncle Johnson & Aunt Sarah. Johnson's uncle married my uncle & aunt in New York 1969. The uncle's son, Alex (?) was ringbearer and I was the flower girl. My mom and Aunt Ruth were bridesmaids. So we had to take pictures of that wedding party 2006. Good times.

We were seated at the cousins' table so that was fun. A lot of catching up to do. It seems that the cousins are in a marrying trend right now. Alvin, Phyllis's older brother, recently got married, then Phyllis and in September, our other cousin David. We were discussing who was going and what not so we might go..still not sure. My mom wants to go so maybe I will go with her and Hector can stay home with the kids. He wouldn't care if he went or not so that could work. :)

Travellin Fools

I think we are getting close to sealing our trip to Phuket (Thailand) & Singapore. A few weeks ago I was looking into renting a cabin in our local mountains for a summer trip. Then I receive our Budget Travel magazine and I saw the special for Phuket (pronounced poo-ket) ...6 nights at a 5 star Hilton for $845 (includes airfare on Singapore airlines). I couldn't believe the price. We are going during the rainy season but hey, we can deal with that. The kids will be so happy on the plane with their own individual screens but it will be a verrrrry looooong flight. We will supplement with Gameboys and lots of snacks!

I always try to have a travel journal but that gets boring for me. I end up describing our meals/food and stuff like that. Maybe I should bring my laptop so I can type instead of writing. Hmm. I came across a great travel journal on the internet http://gardkarlsen.com/index.htm . I found Gard when I was doing research on Japan and it turned out that he & his wife visited Japan (Toyko & Kyoto) earlier that year. He does a great job describing his trip with lots of helpful tips and detail. They also have been to Thailand and Singapore so we're excited. Another great travel tool I use is http://www.tripadvisor.com/ where people give reviews on destinations and hotels. This is how I decided where to stay in Maui and choose a place in Singapore based on the reviews. Of course, some people have a poor experience but that can happen at the best places. I look for overall good reviews and so far, I've been happy with my choices.

The pictures I posted today are from our Maui trip in April. We stayed at The Embassy Suites in Kaanapali. The first is our view from our balcony which was pretty awesome. The second pic is of the huge bathroom which was as big as the boys' bedroom at home. I can dream of a bathroom like that at my house. And the last pic is the bedroom with 2 sliders that open up to the balcony. The reason I chose Embassy was because like the name says all the rooms are suites. It was a important detail that we had plenty of room since we were there a week. I would stay there again if we have the chance.

Say What?

Last night while laying in bed, Hector turns over to me, says he loves me & all I put up with. Awww! I was half asleep and not sure what brought on this declaration but it was sweet. He even told me that I can buy myself the Ritani ring I want for our 10 year anniversary. Cool. I'm still debating the ring part but it's a nice thought too. Of course, he wants a motorcycle so that would even us out!

It would be really wonderful to go away somewhere just the two of us for our anniversary (November) but it's hard to find someone we trust to watch the boys. My mom is getting up in years and she cannot handle them by herself for long. I might be able to have Hector's sister Becky help out but she has enough on her hands watching their mother. Even if we did get help, we'd worry about the kids!

Fourth of July

Happy July 4th!! We are keeping it low key today. Hector was overnight call and the OB/GYN department was busy. One woman wanted her baby on July 4th so her MD scheduled her c-section for midnight! Then, of course 3 more women came that ended up needing sections too.

Later today, we will grill some carne asada and hot dogs. We'll catch the Torrance fireworks show from our local park which won't be as crowded. Wilson park is having a big shindig with booths, food etc. with the fireworks at 9pm. Last year, we checked it out but it was way too crowded.

Thursday night is an official wedding celebration for my cousin Phyllis and her husband (?). I'll find out his name soon since I need to get them a gift. They are both in law school with limited free time and money so they had a simple civil ceremony. Her parents were upset that they didn't have a big church wedding with all the hoopla but hey, it's their wedding and they decide what they want to do. So instead, we're having a small family dinner then next year, they'll throw a bigger reception. I only mention this because the situation caused a big drama on our side of the family. It doesn't seem a big deal at all to me but hey, that's me. Not everyone wants a big wedding and I'm just happy she found her love.

Lazy Sunday

What a lazy day it was today! I slept in as much as I could with the kids running around. Last night we went to the drive-in movies with another couple and my friend Kat. We decided to see Nacho Libre with Over the Hedge (which we saw a few weeks ago). I really wanted to like Nacho but it really was bad. All the funny parts are shown in the commercials and didn't come off as funny in the movie. Jack Black was his usual weird self and it had the potential of being a good movie but it didn't work. Tyler managed to wait for Over The Hedge which he enjoyed again.

Our friends (the couple who remains Nameless) came over today and brought me dinner. Actually they said they made BBQ chicken and invited themselves over which worked out since Hector went to see his mother and I was about to wrangle up some dinner for the boys. Unfortunately, Nameless arrived in a bad mood. because He put the chicken in a shallow pan that spilled bbq sauce all over Her car and things. Oh, She was in a foul mood and proceeded to give Him grief. Boy, that was Very uncomfortable since we as parents try not to cuss although I tend to slip more than Hector. Nameless argued for a while then everything seemed okay and we all ate dinner. Every couple has their own way of fighting and I'm just glad that Hector and I don't fight like THAT.

The only good thing about their visit is that They brought Failure To Launch which was a cute movie. That made up for Nacho Libre (thumbs down) plus it's much easier to watch Matthew McConaughey! Hmmm.