Field Trips with the Boys

Javi's field trip to the Recycling Center. This was an interesting trip. We learned all about what to recycle and how it's processed. We also learned that California's #1 export is recycled material. Mostly goes overseas to make packaging for the products we buy, so it ends up coming back to us. I have definitely instilled in my kids the importance of recycling and living as green as possible.



Today, Ethan had a trip to Sea World. It was so much fun. We walked around with our friends Grayson and Allison and their mommies of course. We got to see the seal and sea otter show, the sharks, manatee, penguins and spent quite a while at Seasame Street's Bay of Play.

G5 Weekend Report

It was a busy weekend, but fun. Friday was a cake night. I was up until the wee hours finishing up the cake for Cora's birthday.

Saturday, we went to her party. It was so much fun. They had carnival games, a castle jump and of course yummy food.



Sunday was kind of a lazy day. I cleaned a bit, we took the kids to lunch at Island's Hamburger and then I went veggie shopping at Henry's and I cooked up a storm. It's nice to get some of those week night meals out of the way and in the fridge or freezer.

Cora's Kite Cake

This was made for my friend, Steve's daughter for her 9th bday.










Kite shaped cookies on a stick



Kid approved flavor. Except Javi who doesn't care for frosting.



Could knock it outta the park with my giant fondant roller. Anyone up for a game of dough ball?




Can't wait for the party!

-- Post From My iPhone

G5 weekend report & weather report

It has been unseasonably warm over the last few days. It feels more like the end of August. Yesterday, it was 100! We took the opportunity to visit the fam, hit the beach and go to the pool a couple times.







These were all taken at an Earth Day fest at the Cabrillo Beach Marine Museum. I love that place! I used to go there as a kid too. We had a good time. The kids love the beach. Ethan & Javi have asked me everyday if we can go to the beach. I think we have budding surfers. Which BTW...I signed Javi up for Surfers Who Heal, it's a day camp for kids with disabilities. They take them out to tandem surf & hopefully we'll confirm our date for this summer.






















Kaylee the life guard. This was our evening swim. It was still in the upper 80's around 7pm.



That's all for now. Hope you all had a great weekend!

-- Post From My iPhone

Emmie & Papa's Magical Backyard

We are visiting my family in LA this weekend. It's been a while since we have been for a visit.

As a little girl, I used to play in my grandparent's backyard. Today my children, the third generation play there. They pretend it's a jungle, forrest, farm and all kinds of magical places, just as I did as a kid.

It's a neat thing to witness when you can see life go full circle.








-- Post From My iPhone

Viola! Crepes for my Cherie

Today I made crepes for the first time. I was flipping through my anniversary present from Mark, my Professional Chef textbook and I decided, why not try to make crepes? I wanted to practice so I could make a special dessert for Mark.

Kaylee was my test subject. OMG, I have never seen her hog down something so quickly!! I sprinkled a little brown sugar on them and served her a side of whip cream for dip (my fav way to eat them).



After she was done with the first one. She was begging me for another. She was signing "more" and pointing to the kitchen.




I made her another one and again she quicky inhaled that one too. I think we found Kaylee's new favorite breakfast. Wait until she tried a stuffed crepe!




Ethan and Javi, my little mop tops, finally got their hair cut today. Unfortunately, I forgot my phone at home, so I couldn't snap any shots after. Javi kept telling me that he was in an old fashioned hair cut place, since it was a real barber shop and not a hair cut place. It was too cute. We grabbed doughnuts for them after, since Winnchel's was right next door to the barber. Both boys look devilishly handsome, of course!

Daddy got Ethan a new game for the iPhone to play. It's a motor cycle supercross game, which is right up his alley! Here Ethan is playing the game in his FOX supercross jammies. He is really getting good at spelling his name all by himself when he gets a high score ;) He's so proud! What a big boy! Someone please stop my children from growing up so fast!




-- Post From My iPhone

Bad Blogger/Good Blogger

Ok, besides the fact that the entire house has been sick at one time or another for the last month, I have been a bad blogger lately. There hasn't been a whole lot of exciting stuff going on, since we have barely left the house.

The other reason I have been bad is my newly discovered iPhone application, Kindle for iPhone!




I kind of vowed during lent that I would make more of an effort to read in my downtime, instead of watch TV. I now have cheap access to 1000's of books that can be delivered to my phone wirelessly in seconds. Muahahaha! The power!

I have pretty much stopped watching TV all together. In the last month, I have read about 12 books, including my ever faithful audiobooks I love so much while I do my chores.

Some people have been curious about the size of the screen. How can I read on such a small screen? It's actually easier than a book and I have it with me where ever I go, so I don't have to cart a book around.

What a typical page looks like. Text size is adjustable. I can make it larger or smaller, but the default is perfect. Yes, this is one of my kooky new age books. I've been facinated by that subject lately.


The controls appear with one tap of the screen and you turn the page by sliding your finger across the screen.





Now, reasons for me to be a good blogger...

Found this great application in the iPhone Application Store called BlogPress. Now I can manage and post easily from my phone. I can include multiple pics, tag and edit previous posts and save a new post as an offline draft. Best $2.99 I ever spent! Cheaper than a Starbucks and works much better and faster then using Blogger's slow web application I love so much! NOT!! I flat out have refused to post pics that are not embedded objects or processed thru email. It takes too long and stuff fails half the time.

Here's a screen shot








Seriously, is there anything these phones can't do? My laptop is starting to get dusty. If I can't do it from my phone these days, I basically can't do it. Kaylee is not big on me having laptop time.


-- Post From My iPhone

Ethan's First Girlfriend

My little boy is growing up so fast! It appears he already has his first girlfriend! LOL, so funny! His little friend Leah and he are completely smitten with each other! Ethan told me on the way home from school that he 'no longer loved me, that he loved Leah now'. She happened to be waiting for us at out house while I went to go pick Ethan up from school. She is the daughter of our helper and friend, Jamie. I guess I knew the day would come, when my young men would hold the affections of another woman in higher regard, but I guess I wasn't quite expecting it at the ripe old age of 4!!

They were holding hands, hugging and Leah even kissed him on the cheek. Ethan was quite embarassed by all the attention, plus the fact that Jamie and I were cracking up didn't help, I'm sure!

The Ladies Man, himself!






The pair dying eggs last week.





-- Post From My iPhone

Easter 2009 & g5 Weekend Update

We had a nice Easter weekend. We did the usual. Hid Easter eggs, colored Easter eggs, had a huge caloric meal and went to church.

Friday, since our helper Jamie was here with her kiddos, we decided to dye eggs and do a preliminary egg hunt. We gave Jamie's kids some goodies. It was a fun day, but we all missed Javi. Javi was visiting with his dad who was in town from the CHP academy.

My mom came in to town on Saturday and since we were sharing Javi this holiday weekend, we decided to do our Easter on Saturday. We did the big meal, ham au gratin potatoes and stuffing! Then I made a dutch apple pie for dessert, yum! We did the egg hunt and the Easter bunny came with the baskets. Loads of sugar for my little bunnies ;0)

Sunday, we met our friends the Pomiak family at church. Kaylee didn't quite make it through the mass, but did surprisingly well considering that we were there about 30 minutes before mass started and then made it through 45 minutes of the service. T hen we came home and had leftovers and watched a movie together. I had a mountain of dishes from the day before to catch up on and I tried to clean up a bit, since I have been down for the count with pneumonia most of the week. I crashed out around 7pm. I was feeling pretty run down from the busy weekend. I don't think my body was quite ready to get back to a regular routine, because I woke up this morning feeling sick all over again.

So, back to the doc for me, I think. I am guessing that it's viral pneumonia and that's why the antibiotics didn't work too well.

Here's all the pics from the weekend....



Hope you had a fab Easter weekend!!

Gone Purple for Maddie

As you may have heard through the grapevine of the internet about a very sad story about a little girl, Madeline Alice Spohr, just 17 months old passed away on April 7th.  Maddie was born premature and had many complications with her health as many babies born premature do.  This story really hit home for me.  Also having a daughter about Maddie's age with many health complications, therapies, hospital stays.  Like me and so many of us, Maddie's mom, Heather, is an avid blogger and twitterer.  

I did not personally know Heather, but I cannot even begin to imagine the emptiness they must feel loosing their beautiful daughter.  No one should have to suffer the loss of a child.

In honor of Madeline and a fellow mom blogger/twitterer, I ask you to donate what you can to the March of Dimes.  Please use the following link.

Four Out of Five g5's (update)

Sorry, nothing really too interesting to report over the weekend, except being sick.  Kaylee has an ear infection, Ethan, just a cold/cough and I may have pneumonia, but I won't know with out a chest film.  I have an order for one, but I'm on antibiotics and I promised the doc if I didn't feel better in a couple days that I would go get it done. 

Some spring break, eh?  Well, at least Javi has had fun and done stuff over the last few days.  He has been with his step mom, Brianne and his Nana over the last few days while we recoop.  I am so grateful for that.  The kids are out all week so I guess that's a good thing.  No running around, just lots of movies and laying around.  The weather has been so beautiful it would be nice to take a nap at the beach or something.  I just hope my little bunnies are well when the Easter bunny comes!

Four out of Five g5's...

Shanna, Mark, Ethan and Kaylee are all sick. Javi had it first and
passed it to me, then I passed it to everyone else. Then somehow, mine
mutated and became bronchitis, I think. Hoping to make it through the
weekend without an inhaler or antibiotics. So far, I seem to have it
the worst. I'm hoping that the rest of the fam fairs better than I.

Shanna Grimes
(Sent from my iPhone)

World Autism Day, April 2nd!

Tomorrow is World Autism Day.  Click the logo for more info.