Cabrillo Marine Aquarium

Last Friday we were looking for something fun to do that was easy on the wallet and visiting the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro fit the bill. Crystal, Malino, the kids and I ate a quick lunch and headed out across the two bridges to the aquarium. We got to see lots of fish, some small sharks, and various crustaceans. A highlight was the touching pool where we got to get our hands on some starfish, sea anemones, and sea urchins. We made a stop at the discovery building to try on some marine inspired costumes and do some puzzles. We even had some time to take our picture with some fish and shark cut outs. It was a nice afternoon and, even in spite of the commemorative magnet we bought, an inexpensive one too!

Art Galore

I have been doing some major crafting since school got out. Most of it is for my newest, yet-to-be-born niece, but some of it was me and the kids having fun. Check out what we have made so far! Here is a painting I did for my niece's room. I copied the flower off the quilt her nana is making for her room. I did it free hand and was scared to death but it turned out so great!! I also made this little sign and painted up a crate / shelf too. The kids and I also did a rock painting activity one day last week. They all turned out so cute. The amazing thing is that it took several coats of paint to get them done and they sat there so patiently while it dried each time. Then today I was over at my brother and sister-in-laws to do some painting in my niece Juliette's room. I did 35 flower stencils all over one wall of her room to brighten things up in there. That stenciling takes way longer than you might think and it took the whole day, but it looks so girly and fun that it was totally worth it.I don't know what we are going to do next, but I might need a few days to recover from today's adventure!

Safety Expo

Last weekend the city held a Safety Expo at one of the parks. There was every kinds of fire truck imaginable to check out, plus an ambulance and a police helicopter. One poor fireman had to open EVERY door on his hook and ladder truck so the kids could see what was behind each door. The kids even got to climb in the back of the ambulance and inside the helicopter. We got to meet a police horse, try on some riot gear, and even fingerprinted the kids. At one point, Konner fell down and scraped his knee. It was a good thing the firemen were there - they whipped out the huge first aid kit and patched him up. We even got a free lunch! A lady had extra tickets to the Neighborhood Watch lunch (11 of them!) so we, the Bures' and the Dapitan's all got to eat for free. We learned a lot, had fun, had full tummies and a couple of us even won a door prize! Nice!

Celebrating Summer

Since yesterday was the longest day of the year and the start of summer we did lots of things befitting of the season. The kids and I went to the movies for a dollar each (we even brought our own treats - shhh - so it was only a $4 occasion!). We did a little shopping to get our flags tees for the 4th. The kids all got their summer haircuts. We went to the park for a free t-ball "class." Then, what does one do with all of those daylight hours still available, why go get some ice cream, of course! A nice long day of fun!! Let's go summer!!

Kindergarten = Success

Kyler has had a wonderful Kindergarten year! He has grown so much as a person and a student. He has come a long way from the boy who hastily bit one of his classmates arm (he had some thinking before you act issues!) to one who writes very creative stories and LOVES math and "big" numbers. His teacher was so wonderful with him, worked with getting him to focus more, encouraged his creativity and challenged him to be so much better. His report card was full of 3's and 4's (at or above grade level standards) and almost all E's for his non-academic marks. I am so proud of him. He was one of about 8 kids in his class who successfully completed the computer program about math they do. He had perfect attendance and something I am very proud of him for, was awarded a Principal's Achievement Award for the year. What a kid!!Here he is standing up to be recognized for completing "Gi-Gi" computer program.Here is is being recognized for his perfect attendance.Kyler with his Principal's Achievement Award!Kyler on the last day of school - he almost looks like a first grader, huh?!

Happy Father's Day

I asked the kids what made their daddy the best daddy.
Kassidy said because he is so silly - yep, I agree.
Konner said because he opens presents really good and likes blue and green, the boy colors - I agree, I think, if I even understand what he is saying!
Kyler says because he does good stuff for the family - wow, that kid has some great insight.
Me, why do I think Jason is the best, because he is a fun dad, he has to be the "mom" sometimes (actually a lot of the times) and does it, he goes along with my schemes and parties, he works hard at his job and then works even harder when he gets home, and he loves each of us just how we need to be loved.
Happy Father's Day Jason!Happy Father's Day to Granddaddy and Grandpa too!! (Where do you think Jason learned how to be so great!)

Fun With Cousins

My cousin and his family were out visiting from Minnesota and we thought it a great opportunity to gather the extended family and go out and have some fun. One Saturday we went out to Irvine Park to ride the train, ride some ponies, go out on the water trikes, and pedal around the park in a bike surrey. There was also an Angels game to go to (Kyler was my photographer there - I couldn't go, tutoring, of course!) Then we gathered up all the great-grandkids that g-mama has right now (the two on the way obviously could not be here yet!) and take a great picture. Fun family times.

Memorial Day Potluck

(Note: I am WAY behind! The end of the school year has me swamped, but we are done - yay - so now I am catching up.)
Memorial Day is a nice day off for us, but should not be forgotten for it's true meaning. So before we ate at our traditional potluck, LB read to us some meaningful words and poems to commemorate the day. Then it was off to yummy food, games, sports, and a nap or two. I just love how we get to spend the day relaxing with our "family." (Thanks to Emily for all the great pics - I was too busy eating and playing to stop for picture time.)