Start of Summer Candids, Part 3

Anna, Michelle, and Sam enjoying a walk in the park...


Sam's height qualifying him to ride in bumper cars...


Anna finding a four-leaf clover for the first time.

Flattery will get you everywhere...

Anna and Michelle: "You are cool."
Sam: "I am!"
Michelle: "You are so handsome."
Sam: "I am!" (followed by Michael Jackson pose-on-the-toes)
Anna: "You are really handsome."
Michelle: "Yeah."

Start of Summer Candids, Part 2

The first graders made boxcars for a nighttime showing of the movie "Cars".


Here's Anna with some classmates on the bleachers in the gym, during the crossover graduation ceremony.


Anna had such a great time in Ms. Leah's class. Ms. Leah did such an excellent job for her first year of teaching.


We finally set up the monster tetherball in the backyard, this is a terrific toy for first-time tetherball players, the ball is huge and soft and you can run into it without getting hurt.


Another fun summer activity that will keep the kids moving!

Start of Summer Candids, Part 1

Wow, I haven't put up photos in a week, shows how busy things have been around here! Here are some photos to catch you up!


Anna enjoys a shrimp-mayonnaise pizza from Garlic Jo's, it's so much tastier than the name implies!


The "girls" treat mom to this late Mother's Day lunch. Tasty!


An early early birthday gift from Yumi for me, a stay at Paradise Pier Hotel, adjacent to California Adventure, this is the view from our room. This, plus a concert ticket to see Aimee Mann at the House of Blues. Remember "Voices Carry"?


A morning walk around the hotel provides surprises, including Disney topiaries...


... and a pretty gazebo area which gets prepped for a wedding.

Sea World: Behind the Scenes

It's interesting how photos can change your perception of a time, a place. Last Saturday on the drive home from a trip to Sea World, for various reasons I rated the outing 3 out of 10 stars. And yet...


We enjoyed seeing the sea lions, check out the seagull mid-flight...


We didn't see Shamu, but were mesmerized by these Cirque du Soleil wanna-be's at an alternative show choice...


I caught a great dolphin shot (only a miniscule 8 photos taken on this trip)...


Sam had fun dancing in the stands.

The photos made me look at the good aspects of the trip. Now I would now rate the outing higher than 3 stars... the moral of my story? Explore, see new places, the journey may not turn out the way you expected but don't forget the shining moments.