Lots of Field Trips!

We have been busy this past week enjoying the beautiful warm Southern California "winter" weather by visiting lots of outdoor places.

We went to Travel Town last week with Dana, Sarah and Shannon and had a great time exploring the trains and going on a mini-train ride with all the kids. We have been there quite a few times, but the kids always love to go.

Off to check out the trains!

There are some great hiding places on these old trains!

The kids all ready to go for a train ride!

We went to the Arboretum on Friday and fed the ducks and just wandered around. There is so much to see there and the weather perfect. It's one of our favorite places to go and we usually try to go at least once a week.

There was no school on Monday for Sammy, so we met up with some of the other moms from MEPAF and spent the day at Descanso Gardens. I know I keep saying this, but the weather was so nice and just perfect. THIS is definitely why we live in Southern California and just one more reason why we don't want to leave. The kids had a great time exploring and playing in the dirt. We left a little early because it was waaaay past Hannah's nap time. I am noticing that the second child definitely gets lesser quality naps than the first child.

Sammy and Hannah exploring the maze

Lucy and Hannah hanging out!

Group picture!!

Today, we went with Sara and Eliza to the LA Zoo to see the new Gorilla Exhibit that just opened. It is very green and lush, although the gorillas didn't seem like they had quite adapted to their new surroundings. We visited Spider City AGAIN--it's definitely one of Sammy's favorite things to do when we visit the zoo. He's going to be sad when that exhibit is gone. The weather was HOT (see, I didn't say perfect!), but the zoo wasn't crowded at all so it was a nice outing.

Hannah is not quite tall enough!

There she is!!

I don't have many pictures from our zoo visit because I was too busy chasing my kids around because no one wanted to sit in the stroller today. Sammy was bit of a nightmare today (due partially to lack of sleep and partially just because he is 3). He passed out in the car within 5 minutes of leaving the zoo. Poor guy. I thought the time change would help to get everyone to bed earlier, but it seems like we somehow shifted bedtime an hour LATER...I'm not sure how that happened, but it sucks. Seriously, its after 10:00 and I can still hear him chattering away on the baby monitor. Sigh. 6:30am is going to come so early for him tomorrow.

Here is Hannah being goofy tonight talking on my cell phone with a bowl for a hat. Maybe she gets a better cell phone reception with the hat?

and you thought YOU had talent!

OK--I have nothing new/exciting/note worthy to post, but I came across this and was laughing so hard. Poor, poor girl. I'm sure she never thought her small town beauty pageant "talent" from 1980 would be all over the internet in 2007. And what is with the outfit? Is she from the future? Niiiice. I wonder if she still "plays" the trumpet...

Be sure to watch all of it so you don't miss the "choreography". Enjoy!

CHECK IT OUT!!!

Halloween Fun!

So, this picture pretty much sums up Halloween. Well, at least how it started out. Apparently, no one was in the mood to take pictures.

Sammy was, obviously, a pumpkin this year. I kept asking what he wanted to be for Halloween--Spiderman, Batman, a firefighter, and his response every time was "a pumpkin."

Hannah was a girl from the 50s--check out the "poodle" skirt with kitties on it. I just had to have her wear it. Next year she will definitely be a princess or fairy or some type of sparkly, flowy, girlie outfit--but this year, I had to use this skirt. I LOVE it--the pictures don't do it justice.

Once she figured out that people were actually giving out CANDY, she was all smiles.

Awww, my sweet pumpkin

We got the CUTEST Halloween treat bags from Pottery Barn Kids that had their names embroidered on them. Hannah had a pumpkin and Sammy had a spider. Hannah carried hers all around the house for weeks before Halloween. The girl definitely loves shoes and purses!

Hannah was really getting into it. She tried to open the door to the houses if they weren't answered quickly enough (for her standards) or if they weren't home.

She also got REALLY mad when I tried to go through her bag and pick out a candy for me. She started to yell "no!' "no!" and pull her bag vehemently away. What a stinker. She's never even had candy before Halloween. Apparently, one taste of a Kit Kat and I've created a monster.

Sammy still won't eat any candy (or cookies or ice cream for that matter). I tried to coax him into trying some this afternoon and then thought, what kind of crazy parent am I that I am trying to talk my child into eating candy. He'll figure it out some day...right?