Do You Believe?

Pristina singing her favorite song at Great America karaoke….

Damn, does that last entry say May 18?!?

Been busy busy busy these last few months, I guess. Lol. Let’s see…went to San Diego/Anaheim over Memorial Day weekend, celebrated my cousin Lisa’s graduation from SDSU, took the kids to Legoland then Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland. The kids’ first time, and they LOVED it. I guess that’s going to be our vacation destination from now on…well, when we go to SoCal, that is.

After our SoCal vacation, we came home so Dillon could finish out the school year, then it was off to Vegas…where we got married.  Yep, finally did it.  I was chatting with a friend and he asked why we weren’t married, and I explained that I didn’t think it was necessary, since there was really no benefit to being married.  We argued for a while, then he told me to look up the tax benefits.  Sure enough, we’ve been missing out all these years, lol.  So I decided since we were going to Vegas anyway for my sister’s high school graduation, and (some of) my family was going to be there, we might as well do it while we’re there.  The kids were the happiest, I think. The family members that weren’t there, and weren’t notified, were NOT happy. 

Hmmm…let’s see what else.  I don’t think anything big since then.  My car passed 100k miles, lol.  Had a mini family reunion in Monterey. Alexandra started a new ballet school. We’ve been doing the normal daily stuff, but I’m trying to do more outdoors-y stuff with the kids.  We went to Point Lobos a few weeks ago, they had a good time there.  Been spending more time at GG Park.  Spent a day at Gilroy Gardens.  Celebrated Jasmine’s Sweet 16th at Seacliff Beach on a cold ass day.  Oh, got a new iPhone 3gs, but I didn’t want to…yet.  HBY made me   Been shopping, of course.  I buy things faster than I can take them out of the bags at home.  I’m now debating between a 17″ Macbook Pro or an iMac.  Actually, I’m really still debating if I should make the switch to Mac at all, I have a hard time thinking I’ll be one of “those Mac users”…

That’s been our summer in a nutshell.  I didn’t get to bring the kids to Hawaii this summer like I wanted…I can’t use a Delta buddy pass on a Northwest flight until 2010, and I dont want to risk getting stranded at SLC or LAX alone with the kids, so we may go in October, or we’ll just push it back until next summer.  Hopefully October, though.

Still on our to-do/visit-in-the-near-future list:

• Ferry ride to and picnic on Angel Island
• Explore Point Reyes (specifically “Dillon” Beach, lol)
• Santa Cruz Boardwalk (I can’t believe I haven’t gone all summer!)
• Great America
• Coit Tower

Dillon goes back to school on Aug. 24…wonder if I can get all that in before then? I also have two birthday parties…oh, AND  a stamp day!! I REALLY can’t believe I haven’t had a stamp/scrap day at all this year.  That’s just crazy, lol.  Scrapbook Expo coming up this week…I may go down on Friday, but I’ll have the kids, so I don’t know if I should do that to myself…

Our long-term to-do/visit list:

• Explore Big Sur
• Hike the Pinnacles (although I’m not sure if Babygirl’s big enough for the caves, which is really why I want to go)
• Visit the Giant Redwoods
• Yosemite (but not to camp)
• Dillon wants to visit Mt. Rushmore…I don’t even know where that is
• Grand Canyon

I hope to get to do all of that by the end of next summer, although Mt. Rushmore is iffy..

Okay, I think I’m current now.  I’m sure once the school year starts and we’re back to a normal routine on a normal schedule I’ll update more often.  I think I’ll start a new Project 365 on Aug. 24.  Lol.

Star Trek

When HBY saw the trailer for the Star Trek movie, he told me he wanted to watch it.  I was all – are you serious?  I kept asking him if he was serious, lol.  We’re not Trekkies.  I’ve never even seen an episode of the TV series – any of them.  But I figured it looked like a lot of action, and I’m always down for action movies, so we went.  I wasn’t sure if I should read up on it or what before going to watch.  Well, we went to watch it last night and……I liked it.  Surprising to me, but actually, if it were just a movie being made, without all the history behind it, I probably would have wanted to go and watch it anyway.  I definitely liked it more than any of the Star Wars movies.  I think I may have missed out on a lot of the hidden references to the TV series, but it was still a complete storyline to me…and Sylar was awesome as Spock

The movies I’m really looking forward to watching this summer are Transformers and……………………G.I. Joe.  Lol.  So weird, I know.  It’s that Tatum Channing guy (or whatever his name is) that I like.  I know, he’s not the best actor, or even good, but….he does it for me   Plus, in the movie, he has a scar on his face.  I like scars on the face.  Not like, ugly burn scars or whatever, but more like a knife scar.  Especially around the eyes During the preview, I was all – ooh, I wanna watch this movie.  Then, when the title came up on the screen I was like – ewww.  The Rise of Cobra, how retarded sounding.  But still – I’m sure I’ll like it

It’s Official!

Officially funny looking now!

Photography Field Trip

Ever since Pristina got her Rebel Xti for Christmas, she’s been wanting more opportunity to play with it.  So I offered to take her around the city on a photography field trip.  I figured we’d to go all the standard places; Twin Peaks, Palace of Fine Arts, Baker Beach, Legion of Honor.  Well….with Pristina being busy throughout Feb, March and April, we had to schedule our day out for May 3.  Wouldn’t you know the day we chose to go out was all overcast and rainy.  Where the hell could we go take pictures on a freaking ugly rainy day??  Botanical Gardens was I think our only choice.  So I drove to the park.  I thought they closed the streets to cars on the weekends?? Or is that only on nice weather days?  Anyway, Pristina still had a good time, and from what I’ve seen on her camera, she got some good shots.  I was not so excited, but I took a few.

I have more on my Flickr.  Anyway, we totally went down this one path and got “confronted” by a squirrel.  That thing got in the middle of the path the way we were walking, and crouched down and looked at us.  So we froze.  Then it took a few steps toward us and stopped.  So we started to panic, and Pristina got behind me.  I was like – oh shit, I swear it looked like it was going to jump at us.  So we turned around and took off running.  Yeah, we’re dumbasses.  And whereever we went I swear they surrounded us.  Lol.

After the Botanical Gardens, we had to go home because Pristina is really a dumbass, and even knowing it was raining, and that we were going to be walking, she chose to wear her dumb converse that had holes in them.  so her feet were SOAKED.  disgusting.  When we got home, it was still overcast and drizzling, so I didn’t know what we should do.  Pristina wanted to go to Haight, or downtown.  So I told her we could go downtown, and since we were home, why didn’t we just hop on the bus?  She agreed, and she wanted to get off at Castro.  I was like – eww??  But whatever.  I was just along as a chaperone anyway.

So we jump on the K, and take it all the way to Castro.  I love to take the Muni, I’m so deprived.  The Castro was……..different.  I’ve never been…and never seen so many rainbows.  We passed by a hot tub place with posters advertising males together in the hot tub.  Uggh, gave me the creeps.  When we were walking, I saw a guy blow a kiss to another guy he was passing by.  I consider myself very tolerant…but I don’t care to be right in the middle of all this gay-ness. Sorry, not trying to be offensive.  But that’s just how I feel.  Do whatever you want…just not right in front of me, please.

Anyway, so Pristina went on a rampage taking weird pictures of like rusted chains, empty lots.  I was not so inspired.  I think I like taking pictures of people better. But I did take a few shots…

We jumped back on the Muni at Van Ness to Powell (2 stops, I thought it was ridiculous but Pristina was tired).  While we walked from Castro to Van Ness, the freaking weather finally cleared up.  Of course it would.  Well, we met up with

Mae, Emerald, Donna, HBY and the kids at the SF Centre.  From there Mae took Pristina home because she was complaining of a headahce and the rest of us took the kids to the Yerba Buena playground then to the Tilt arcade in the Metreon.  I was able to take a few extra shots, but after such a long day, I just wanted go home and SLEEP!!

I had planned to go home and pick up Pristina and go up to Twin Peaks after dark, but of course when it comes to Donna, the fun never ends, we didn’t get home until close to 10pm.  But at least I got to take some of my favorite pictures, with people in them…especially kids

HBY’s 33rd birthday

Since HBY had been working so hard these past few months, for his birthday we decided to go and get a couples’ massage.  And I decided to go to a place that Daphne mentioned, Watercourse Way.  (Thanks Daph!)  I had mentioned to Debbie that we were planning on going there, and she told me she LOVED that place.  Somehow I don’t really see Debbie having a spa day, but there you have it.  She said the place we should really check out is the spa at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay.  I was like – damn, I think we’d have to work our way up to that place   Although, it is my favorite place in the world I think.

Anyway, so we did an hour in the hot tub room followed by the couples’ massage.  Let me just say…one hour is way too long to be in a hot tub.  I will definitely be getting the room with a cold plunge the next time we’re there.  But it was a very nice place.  As for the massages, the first 10 or 15 minutes we were supposed to sit in the steam room, but after about 10 seconds I thought I was going to suffocate – damn, do people really like that??  Lol.  We were probably still just overheated from the hour in the hot tub.  I think we both enjoyed the massages at the Claremont better.  But still, overall a great experience.  The good thing about this place compared to the Claremont is that HBY and I stayed together the whole time, even afterwards when we showered and got ready.  The bad thing is there wasn’t really a place to sit and blow dry my hair and do my makeup, which is kind of what I was planning on since we were going to still go out to dinner afterwards.

Guess where we ended up going after the spa?  Well….we WERE in Palo Alto after all, so we had to go to HBY’s favorite place….Fry’s.  Lol.  The ugliest Fry’s out of them all, but oh well.  We passed by a bike shop that had a sign out advertising $349 every single bike in the shop.  He got all excited, he’s been wanting to buy me a bike forever, but I’m so not interested in going bike riding.  Ever.

For Dinner, HBY got to go to the restaurant he’s been dying to go to ever since I met him, Tommy Toy’s.  Fancy schmancy Chinese food, I don’t get it???  We had calamari, hot and sour soup (which I gave an honest try but couldn’t bring myself to like), duck, filet and fried rice.  It was okay, I guess, but I wouldn’t choose that restaurant again.  The fried rice wasn’t even as good as Benihana.  And with the duck, they only gave you two pcs. of the bread, which had to be the cheapest thing.  Oh well.  I had a lichitini, with Kai Vodka, I think I’ll be making those on my next bartender night

After all that, we hurried home to have cake with all the kids, Pristina was watching the kids, and DNS, Megan and Joshua were here also.  Whew, what a day, we celebrated the whole day, I don’t even think I’ve had a birthday where I got to do what I wanted all day long……..

My Son The Photographer…

When we were down at Roaring Camp Railroad for Chubby’s birthday party, I gave Dillon my little 880is and let him loose (after I wrapped the strap securely around his wrist).  First, on the train ride and then pack at the picnic site.  These were the photos he came back with…

He had such a good time running around snapping pictures all day that I decided I’d get him his own little camera.  I gave him my Canon S400 a while ago, the first digital camera I ever owned.  But I felt like it was time for a new one (plus, I’ve been on a total shopping spree these past several weeks – that really has to stop!).  So I thought I’d get him the Canon A470, cute little inexpensive camera.  But I decided to stop by Sears today to look at a toaster oven that Hby’s been wanting for a while and found myself in the digital camera section.  I ended up getting him the Olympus 850SW, it was on clearance for only $104…I couldn’t pass it up.  Waterproof/shockproof – perfect for my little boy…

Easter Photo Shoot

Some photos from our pre-easter photo shoot…

Dillon has entered the “funny-looking” stage…missing teeth   Plus, he’s developed this really crazy-looking smile.  Alex, on the other hand, has forgotten how to look happy…and I’m sure it has nothing to do with me yelling “LOOK HAPPY!”, lol.  Regardless, here are some of my kids:

Okay, so about the matching outfits…NOT my idea…my grandma bought them and my aunt brought them back from Hawaii last month.  Figured I should take a picture of them in the outfits and send it to my grandma.  Aren’t I a good granddaughter?  Of course I am.  But a few years ago (3, really, that seems so strange) matching outfits on them looked cute, but I didn’t pick those either.

Weird how fast the time has passed….*sigh*

So here are some of the shots with the other kids.

I have a hard time with kids that smile all unnaturally.  It really annoys me, then I start talking meaner, the kids get more tense.  Guess I won’t make a good kids’ photographer   Which I would never want to be anyway.

My “Baby” is 4 now…

Yeah, still a long way to go, but I feel like the “hard times” are behind me.  No more bottles, no diapers (thank god).  No more waking up 4-5 times every night to feed/change.  No incessant crying while trying to figure out what the reason is.  No more need to constantly watch every second to make sure they don’t touch/eat/do something that could hurt them.  Whew.  On the other hand, I’m not much looking forward to the teen or even pre-teen years, especially with the girl.  I guess I better just make the best of this time with them.

So this year, I finally decided to throw Babygirl an actual birthday party.  Normally, we’d take her to her favorite playplace (The Jungle), invite all the cousins and a few friends and just hang out and let them play.  But this year Alex said “I want to have a Princess cake and lots of friends sing Happy Birthday to me”.  So I tried to be firm and tell her “sorry, you don’t have any friends”, but in the end I gave in.  Dillon had a party every year until he turned 6, not really fair to never throw her one.  I know the 2nd-born gets jipped, but come on…

So I put together a last-minute party at Jungle Island in San Jose.  Seriously, I decided like 8 days before the date that I would throw it.  Luckily they were able to fit me in.  And there was a pretty good turn out.

The Princess cake she wanted

The "friends" she wanted to sing Happy Birthday to her

her favorite friend Olivia, they share the same birthday, Olivia is a year older

She had so much fun all day…until it was time to leave, then she cried her head off.  HBY kept arguing “just let her play for 10 more minutes”.  I swear, sometimes I want to sock that guy.  One day I will.  Then I’ll run, lol.

On her actual birthday, we spent the day with Megan and Joshua.  Took them to the Academy of Sciences and Botanical Gardens. 

Then, back home to let Alex open her presents from the party and the millions of presents from Mae Mae.

Topped it all off with a “tax crunch” ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins.

I’d never had it before, never even heard of it, but it was pretty damn good, I definitely recommend it…

While Awaiting My Next Turn

Sometimes I REALLY hate Internet Explorer.  Well, most of the time.  Okay, always.  Just thought I’d share that.

So these days Facebook really annoys me, but I normally go there to play my Scrabble games (by the way Daph, it’s been a month since you last made your move .  I play against my aunt that’s pretty good and my uncle down in Monterey that’s really good.  The first game we played he whooped me by over 100 points…and I rarely even lose, let alone by that many points.  At the moment I’m playing 4 games with strangers, so I figure while I’m waiting I shouldn’t waste my time, but update my blog.

Lately, I’ve been doing LOTS of shopping.  Lol.  HBY has been CRAZY busy.  I’ve noticed this: when he’s not busy, he’s around so I can boss him around a lot and not be so stressed out running all over the place.  So I’m pretty content just staying home, (kinda) cleaning up, cooking dinners.  Plus the fact that not busy = not making money, so we have to be a little more frugal.  When he’s busy, I’m like a single mom (I know REAL single moms hate when people like me say it, but seriously), I have to do EVERYTHING for both kids all day every day.  Uggh.  On the other hand, HBY is making crazy kinds of money, so I indulge in lots of “retail therapy”, which is TOTALLY necessary.  To make up for it, I make him lunch every day, so it’s totally worth it for him.  Right???  Lol.

I took the kids to the do-it-yourself carwash the other day.  Since living here in this godforsaken place with no real driveway means I either have to stand practically out in the street to wash my car, which can’t happen with the kids running around.  They LOVED cleaning the car!  Hilarious.  Then, this weird creepy man started interacting with them.  I know, it’s sad when a nice happy man acts nice to kids, but there you have it.  They both were on the passenger side and I was cleaning the other side windows, but of course once that fool started joking around with them I had to go stand on the other side.  Which of course was obvious, but, what else was I supposed to do??  I’m not paranoid, but lately I’ve been thinking, damn, if shit did happen, I’ll be the dumbass saying “well, I didn’t think anything would happen” and HBY would probably knock me the f*@& out.  Suffice it to say, the weird happy guy took off a few minutes later (after telling me I’m a “good mom” for teaching my kids to wash the car???) with a “god bless” and the kids and I were left to clean the car in peace.  I can’t wait until we can move…which will happen soon as long as HBY stays as busy as he’s been the past several months…and I don’t spend it all =D