Folsom Zoo, Train, Park

I decided to work a half a day on Friday and meet up with my mother in law, sister and my kids for an adventure to the Folsom Zoo. Originally we were going to the Sacramento Zoo, but I'm very glad we went to Folsom instead... The Zoo wasn't a hit with Sydney. She cried the entire time we were there... well unless I was holding her.... So the visit to the zoo was short and not very sweet... We got some snacks after our tour of the rescued animals and then went on the train ride. Everyone loved the train.... then we went to the park because I know slides and swings make the kids smile... and all i really wanted was to enjoy the sunshine and the kids...










Check out the Slideshow from our afternoon

Here We Are Again

This is actually a couple shots before everyone showed up for Tia's birthday dinner - Bianca was the photographer for one of the pictures....

Alexander turns two

The boy next door had a Pump It Up Birthday Party. The Diva, the Rock star, and the Drama Queen all showed up. The big slide was the most popular attraction, until Jason (the guy next door) showed up... Jason challenged Bianca to a race through the obstacle course. He got a quick start by jumping the gun, but Bianca made it up quick, beating him by three horse lengths.... Then they had a soccer shootout.. Bianca barely made it by 2-1... The little kids all enjoyed the jump houses, kicking soccer balls and the slides. Sydney even went through the obstacle course once... She wanted to go again, but it was hard work getting her up and over the huge walls...

Alexander gives Bianca a bear hug
the girls trying to get out of the jumphouse
mama sliding down with Sydney... daddy's not so good with the camera

Peyton enjoys the slide

Here are some more pics, click to view the slideshow

Happy Birthday Tia (Carmen)

(lovely shot Ben took with my tele lens from our side of the table... martin, matthew, carmen, kalyn
We all got together for Tia Carmen's birthday at Strings Italian Cafe. Grandma minus Papa who had a cold, Tio Martin, Kalyn and Matthew. Tio Rudy, Tia Andria, Dominic and Donovan.... and us - The kids were all very well behaved. Ben and I seemed to be banished to the kids side of the table.. and the rest of the adults got to chat it up... Ben got Spaghetti - way to try something out of the box... Bianca went with Penne Pasta and alfredo, Sydney had spaghetti with alfredo and Peyton had angel hair with red sauce... I had Calamari Steak and Shrimp... excellent choice... Sydney and Peyton actually had a lil angel hair and a lil spaghetti... plus brocolli. For dessert we all had some ice cream - then to Tia's house for strawberry cheesecake. Yummy - Thanks Tia for getting a year older....
Tia Andria shootin the breeze
Tio Rudy decided on Muscles

Dominic was concentrating on keeping the colors in the lines

and the reason there are no pics of us... well the telephoto lens - doesn't do well with close ups

The Blue Angels Air Show March 15th

For the last four months we talked about taking the girls to see the Blue Angels Air Show... Peyton loves airplanes and helicopters and I thought this would be a great opportunity to see the planes up close, even go inside some of them. Sunday the weather was awful. It was windy and cold, not the type of weather we wanted to take Sydney and Peyton out into. They have had a cold for awhile, the barking seal cough isn't cool. So we left Sydney and Peyton with grandma and papa.... Ben, Bianca and I got on the lightrail, then a bus and ended up at the airshow... Here are a few pics.

Daddy and Bianca waiting for the lightrail train
Bianca blends in with the fighter jet
four of the six

Slideshow from the Blue Angels

Tuesday

Another day in Paradise - picked up Sydney and Peyton from daycare (late) @ 4... I wanted to go to the gym at 530 to meet some friends for the Cardio Fushion Class... I pulled into my driveway at 500 - Sydney was screaming because I wouldn't hold her hand while I was driving and she almost threw her shoe out the window along with her socks... of course Ben said I shouldn't have the windows down that far... but Sydney wanted the window down... and hello... I wanted a quiet baby... and in the end... no one really got what they wanted... Ben had made spaghetti for dinner and it was almost finished when I got home. So I tried to get the babies calmed down and ready to eat so I could get to the gym.... well while I was upstairs trying to find my Reebok sports bra.... the world downstairs was shattering. I could hear screaming - Ben, Crying - the kids... so I didn't get to the gym - instead I played referee to a thirty something man, a tween and two wild and crazy toddlers.


Sydney in the far left corner, Peyton creeping up towards us (Courtni & I)
Peyton imitates the poopy pose with Courtni
Ahhh, someone is getting some love
Tastes great... What is this stuff? I think I could use a cup like this all the time mom... you don't mind cleaning up my spills - do you?

Please share you goldfish Sydney - Peyton's exact words
Playing in the sunshine at Grandma and Papa's house
Racing from the shed to mama all the while carrying a cup of apple juice
OOOhhh, who drop they orange?
I love me some sugar cookie chapstick

I'm a sweet sister, I share my chapstick and if you're lucky I'll let you use the chapstick too

Here let me help you Peyton, that's what sisters do... or could it be that she doesn't want to let go of the chapstick, cuz we all know that whoever holds the chapstick rules the world....







it's now 956 and I can still hear the kids, yes all three still wide awake. I've asked them to go to sleep like a billion times. I've gone into their room and put them into bed a bunch of times. I've asked Bianca to go to her own room and sleep... and still I hear three voices coming from one room.... tomorrow morning will be here quicker than I'd like... and I'm sure I'll have three grumpy kids -

Tomorrow Bianca has tryouts for soccer - We'll be out there to cheer her on, lucky girl...

Getting Ready to Welcome Devin

updated!!! Saturday we showered Andria with food, cake, games and gifts for her newest arrival - Devin - well he's arriving sometime in April - there is a bet on the date.... ~lol~

Bianca and I have been getting ready for the last few weeks, gathering decorations and goodies, and finally putting everything together on Friday night and Saturday morning.... I've been gone a lot the last month or so.. and I was very happy that it all came together so nicely.

MIL made Chiliquilas - everyone's favorite. We had regular salad and fruit salad - wow we went through almost two buckets of fruit - keepin everyone as healthy as we can. The Mango, Kiwi and grapes seemed to be the most popular fruit.

My sister Amy, sister in law Carmen & Cousin Joan all came over to help set up for the party - Thank you..

We got the best cake ever from my friend Adrianna - it was beautiful and tasted way to good to eat... but when you have a pregnant woman in the house... everything needs to be eaten ~wink wink~ I was very happy with everything. Andria's mom Linda was the mamarazzi.....Here are a few pictures from the party. I can't get blogger to upload any pics... ~pouts~ Check out Andria's blog for more pictures

a bunch of pictures

Beep Beep - outta the way
Baby drives
let's switch cars
a moment for dancing
stompin around in my rainboots

enjoying some sunshine while driving in our cars with our babies
Kallie comes out to play soccer
Kallie sure is getting big, and she's super fast

I can't find my other croc
Sydney goes for a spin around the kitchen
Peyton heads for the front door, she knows there is good dirt out there to ride through
Sydney teaches one of her babies how to use the potty - Peyton claps and says go baby, go baby....

Sydney wipes her babies mouth while she potties

La Jolla

This morning we got a later start than normal, we were waiting on some overnite material so we headed for breakfast at Mimi's Cafe before the moodlights were going to show up. The event today at San Diego State went better than any of the other events. It was sunny and warm - shorts weather warm - tank tops even... to bad I didn't bring a tank, but I did have shorts.... The campus was amazing, the weather brought out everyone on campus and they ate the toolkits/prizes up. Yes, marketing ReadyReturn is fun work, now I just wish that all the returns were really ready when we started, most people who quailified - filed before they got the message to use ReadyReturn. Pilots sucks. - not the ones flying the planes either....

So after we finished up at the University we went back to the hotel and then headed to La Jolla - it was breathtakingly beautiful - and I didn't bring my camera - i was kicking myself.... We walked around the village, checking out the places to eat for later, window shopping, and then it was down to the beach. We sat and walked around the beach for a long time. We watched some young girls playing in the tide, it would take them out and bring them back, they were having so much fun - it was priceless. We walked along the shoreline and touched the foamy water - it was freezing... We walked around some more - checked out some galleries - Peter Lik - amazing gallery - he's great, i'd like to have some of his work on my walls. i want to take photographs like his..

Okay so I had this idea for a picture of the family all looking out at the ocean, make it black n white, have it blown up and put it over the fireplace.... We may have the opportunity to come back to San Diego the middle of March... And I'm thinking it would be the perfect time to get that picture.... problem is.. ben doesn't want to bring Sydney and Peyton with us if we come to San Diego...

So should we make a special trip to San Diego - preferably La Jolla to get this picture?

Well to finish off the great day, we went to Cody's for lunch - it was a late lunch, we got there at 2, normally they close at 2, but they decided we looked hungry ~lmao~ the food was exceptional and the presentation was hard to beat - I had the grilled eggplant sandwich and salad.. Yummy.... Rob had the chicken sandwich - it was my second choice. Theresa had the shrimp Louie and swore by it... so next time you're in La Jolla check out the beautiful seaside cottage

Sunny San Diego

We were welcomed by the warm sunshine when we arrived in San Diego. Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day. Good thing I brought shorts... okay so it wasn't hot... but warm enough for short sleeves and was wishing I was wearing carpi's or shorts.... We had a great lunch/dinner - fresh fish, mahi mahi sandwich, clam chowder.... it was awesome. best chowder I've had in a long time.

the hotel is no St Claire's... but it's alright.... was thinking it was better than it actually was when I first checked in.... but the doors are all on the exterior... and I hate that... not the safest place. I prefer interior doors. I'm on the 8th floor, and I've taken the stairs up and down three times now... good exercise.

the bed claims to have seven layers of comfort, but no feathers... no down... no wireless Internet, no Internet.... so how am I blogging? I'm on this low strength connection from a rival hotel.... and its like when the wind blows... the connection is lost.

Tomorrow were going to San Diego State - looking forward to that, maybe go to La Jolla, the beaches, we have a planned jog through Balboa Park - maybe a nice dinner out with the gang.

I didn't bring my camera on this trip - maybe daddy will take some great pictures of the kids while I'm gone.

Bianca has tryouts tomorrow - good luck - play hard, be aggressive and do your best. I love you -

I miss being home, traveling wears you out.... and it's no fun to go home and have crying kids... Ben says the kids are all excellent for him, there's no crying - although I don't believe him after the phone call I got tonight... there was screaming and crying coming from the other side of the line. and it was bedtime. Word was that Peyton through a fit at dinner, didn't want to eat, but was fine after dinner. they seemed okay when I talked to them on the phone, hopefully they have a great night. Bianca has been quite the helper with me being gone. She helps them brush their teeth, fixes their hair every morning and dresses the girls - Thank You Bianca

Random Thought - Bianca won't hold my hand in public anymore... how sad is that? Last month it was okay, but this month... I guess it's out....