Aloha Maui!

We're leaving on a jet plane in a few hours for 10 day glorious days in Maui and we can't wait to meet up with Gran!

Two Things I Love About our New Place

Our back yard *

* and the red melamine plates I got at Target for $1.25 each

and our front yard

Two, or . . .

When you ask Addie how old she is, she immediately says, "One!"
Then she pauses, and shouts, "Two!"

In this photo though I wonder if she should say 18?

When I went to my flickr site to grab the image, I saw that Jamie had made almost the exact same comment on this photo, although noting the age as more like 14 than 18. Kids sure are growing up faster these days.

attack of the lorikeets

For those who blog, or write anything, you might be able to relate. I write the Funniest, Wittiest, Most Entertaining, Deep-diving, Divulging and yet Oh-So Self Deprecating blogs in my head. This usually occurs when I am falling asleep or driving my car to work. This does not often happen when I am actually sitting in front of my computer. I am thankful that my subject matter is happy to take over for my own lacking. This is one of the reasons I don't, say, write a political blog, because I couldn't just post a photo of McCain and write "poop" next to it. Or could I?

So, I have quite a backlog of Miss A photos from the past 7 days that I'll try to parse out in increments to fill my blog entries whether or not I accompany them with text.

Today we went to the aquarium for the fourteen millionth time. I never get tired of going with Addie, but I sort of wonder why I still lug my camera. Can you have too many grainy photos of Addie plastered up against the acrylic tanks? Well, here's another!


Her favorite thing right now is the sea horses which she imitates by making her forefinger and thumb into a feeding sea horse snout. Oh and if you get a chance, ask her what a roly-poly bug does. She'll lie on her back with her legs up in the air since that is what she saw when I picked one up in our yard in the palm of my hand. Great fun.


At the aquarium we have our usual route - head straight upstairs for the bright colored tropical fish, sea horses and sea dragons (my favorite), and the giant green sea turtle. Today however, we took a spin through the lorikeet area sans bird food which makes us rather second class citizens in their 'hood. They were flying at us like green darts. You can see that at least Addie was keeping her eyes open when the green blur of a lorikeet went whizzing by.


Check out a few more photos of our aquarium trip on the left side bar.

Happy Fourth of July!

Patriotic Art

Our Lil' California Gal

Taco Tongue

As I recall from Miss DeMott's Freshman Biology, "taco tongue" is genetic. 

Can you taco tongue?

On the Merry Go Round

Saturday was my office Summer Family Picnic. In my usual cynical state, I was skeptical that people would even show up but I was proven wrong. The soccer match between "Buildings" vs. "Consulting"* was the talk of the office the entire week. My 130+ office mates actually like hanging out together - or they just like free food and booze. While my co-workers were kicking each other's shins on the field, Cap spun Addie around on her first merry go round. I took a few turns with her and almost barfed. Ugh. I'm old.


* In the engineering world, "buildings" refers to structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers, while "consulting" is telecommunications, acoustics, and energy engineers.

Frosting Good, Cake Not So Much

I've been feeling super busy lately, so surely I must have stock piled a zillion photos of Addie and hilarious anectodes to share , but alas I'm not sure where all the time has gone. We've been enjoying a flurry of toddler birthdays (if two can be a flurry). This photo is from Addie's best daycare pal Rya's birthday last Saturday. Addie of course just licked off the frosting and left the cake remains behind which a 1 year old swipped off the table and gobbled up. At least it didn't go to waste.

Good Advice

"Poo-poo diaper. Don't eat it."
- Addie

The Ouch Game

Addie invented a new game.

Touch mama's leg
Scream "Ouch"
Giggle
Repeat

"Other Leg!"

Touch mama's leg
Scream "Ouch"
Giggle
Repeat

I guess I need to shave, but that wouldn't be fun now, would it?

Party at the Pits

This photo looks like a young college freshman off to school for the fall.

Thank goodness she's still my little Addiecakes holding hands with her friend Rya, running up giant hills and trying to feed pieces of grass to prehistoric mastodons at the La Brea Tar Pits.



Bonus from Friday night party at the tar pits - Cap and I could even drank wine with friends while the little ones ran amok. This is a tradition that Rya's parents just introduced us too. I know where we'll be Friday nights.

New Digs

We did it!

Addie turned two last Saturday, we moved into our new apartment on Monday, I started my new job on Wednesday and then flew to San Francisco for a 2 day work retreat. Oh and we also survived a trip to IKEA yesterday smack dab in the middle of when Addie should have been napping. I'm feeing a tiny bit like a super hero. tiny bit.

I know everyone has been asking for photos of our new place but of course I want it to be *perfect* before I share. I think that shall be defined as having our art hung on the walls and the clutter shoved back into closets for the photo shoot. I'm most excited to finally have a "nursery" for Addie since this is the first time she has her own room instead of just her crib and a 15 inch wide bookcase that we used for clothes and books.

Addie also has declared a new chapter. She told me yesterday she was not a girl but a woman. Well then.


We have the bottom floor of the duplex.

The living room looking really huge and spacious. Now it has a new plasma screen TV!

Happy Birthday Little Flower!

The early morning rain and the threat of more to come didn't stop about 30+ guests coming to celebrate Addie's 2nd Birthday in the park. The weather ended up working in our favor as we had the entire park to ourselves. Thanks to everyone who attended and to those who were there in spirit.

Happy Birthday Addie!


Addie ate only the frosting off her (2) cupcakes.

Picking the candy stars off each cupcake

Save Yourself

Last Sunday we attended Miss Clara's baptism down in Orange County and the after party at her grandparent's house. Nothing like a dousing of holy water followed by a sangria chaser to celebrate the beginning of Clara's spiritual journey.

Addie decided to take her salvation into her own hands. All gussied up in her Sunday School best (thanks Nana and Pop Pop!), she dunked her head in the backyard fountain after the ceremony. Amen!

Tomorrow is Miss A's birthday. My oh my! Thunderstorms in the forecast for our outdoor party in the park. If it rains, I'll be eating 50 pink and orange frosted cupcakes. She's excited and we've been practicing singing Happy Birthday. Happy Byoodday Dear Addie!


Grooming the Hedge

Addie and Clara

Addie and Jake

My American Idol

I am not embarrassed. I shall not hide. I LOVE AMERICAN IDOL.

And this year I love David Cook, the underdog contestant to child prodigy David Archuleta. For the first time since I started watching the show severals season ago, I actually voted. Yup, I texted "vote" to 5701 on Tuesday night. I care.

Cap called me yesterday afternoon at 4:15 and told me to get ready, he's on his way to pick me up. He snagged two tickets to the season 7 finale of American Idol about 50 minutes before the show started. Good thing I showered that morning! I had been enjoying a refill of a mimosa on the back deck of my neighbor's house and darn it if i didn't even get to finish my second glass before I was whisked off to the Nokia theater.

When David Cook won I went berserk - possibly equal to or more so than the 8 year old girls one row in front of us. I bet this is how NY Giants fans felt at the Super Bowl.

What next? Season premier of So You Think You Can Dance starts tonight. Phew. Just in time so I don't go into withdrawal.

aaaaaaa-ooooooooooh!

This video is dedicated to GranJanne on her birthday. Happy Birthday to the best dog howler this side of the Mississippi! I think your granddaughter has your gift.

Today is also my last at work. I've been with my firm for 8 years and am moving on to a new position as marketing manager in the same industry. I'll be taking a few days off in between gigs which will probably be spent packing up our apartment. It would be just like me to get a new job and a new apartment all at the same time. On to new and better things. Excelsior!

Fun for Addie, Pretty for Mama?

For Addie's birthday at the end of the month, Cap and I want to get her a tricycle. Of course I am immediately struggling with the my own on-going issue of Form vs. Function. The bike I like is the classic red flyer - sleek and nostalgic (although I don't remember ever having a tricyle.) I did, however, have The Most Awesome Bike Ever when I was little. It was a pink Hello Kitty bike complete with pink wheels and a star shaped electric horn that we got straight from Hello Kitty's homeland when we lived in Japan. I so wish we still had it as I've never seen one exactly like it since. But back to Addie.

So I like the red flyer (wins the Form contest) but I think we want one with a push handle which probably means we have to go with this one (wins the function contest). Now, why can't red flyer make the same red tricyle just with a push handle? Or what is it with me and primary colors?

I googled "modern tricycle" and I'm sorry but I have to draw the line at this. It just screams, "Look at me! My Kid is a Total Pretentious Jerk!"

Anyone else have a suggestion on a cool kid tricyle?

Happy Mother's Day!

One Mama, One Addie, One Chocolate Soft Serve Cone.






We celebrated Mother's day on Saturday with a delicious, 4 mom salute brunch as Cap had to fly to the antithesis of mother's day-land (Vegas) today. Addie and I partied at the zoo and then went apartment hunting in the afternoon. Best part of the zoo? The ice cream.

Happy Mother's Day to All (for being one or having one)!

Thanks Princess Genevieve!

How cute are these little knitted socks?

I think these socks came from Brussels to LA, got returned to sender, sent back to Brussels, delivered back home to Genevieve's in Washington, DC and then resent to us in LA. These are some well travelled socks!

Addie got to meet Genevieve while we were in DC. She ransacked Genevieve's crayons, and bookshelves before we all went to our favorite mexican restaurant in Adams Morgan (at 5:00 pm). Geneveive graciously watched us wolf down enchiladas even though she had another dinner engagement 2 hours later.

Thanks Princess Genevieve!

Happy Birthday Cap!

Addie and I surprised Cap this morning with a hand-painted banner wishing Dada a Happy 29+6. Addie however gave Cap just what he asked for: she slept in.

Happy Birthday Po!