MinaG: July 2009

Knott's in the Summer

We bought Knott's passes in the winter, a teacher's special, but hadn't revisited this park this year until now. The kids are currently into Peanuts so it was fun for them to see the characters as we strolled around.

I would not miss a photo op with Snoopy!

Wow, Anna is sprouting up... pretty soon I will be the shortest female in the family, and later on, the shortest person in the house!

Knott's Berry Farm has a lot of crazy-looking roller coasters. I like looking from a distance.

Here's another one.

We enjoyed a couple of Peanuts shows, here's the outdoor Lucy Van Pelt song-and-dance routine.

The second show, Snoopy on Ice, was super fun to watch, in a large air-conditioned theater with amazing ice dancers, and Snoopy and friends, what more could you want?

Ooh, love the decor!

Again, another full day for Sam, good thing Daddy was nice and snuggly during the show. I love how Sam can still fall asleep anywhere when he's tired enough.

OC Fair 2009

We did make it to the Orange County Fair this year, the theme is "Think Big". We checked out the farm animals and other exhibits, ate bbq and fried foods, and the crowds and heat were more than enough to tucker Sam out at the end of our visit. Enjoy the photos!

Making Lemonade

The other week we had Rachel and Sarah over for a playdate, the big event was making lemonade.

It sure is handy having a lemon tree in the backyard, and an electric juicer!

Sammy can do it too!

Tart and sugary, yum... but the direct sunlight...

Ooh, a makeshift towel canopy... peek-a-boo!

Ok, one more photo, then let us drink our lemonade!

Huntington Beach

We went to the beach, a mere 10 minutes from where we live.

We took Lety, who hadn't been to the beach in more than 4 years. These two spent the majority of their time in the waves.

Sam, who was knocked down by a wave during our previous trip to the beach, preferred to stay near the edge of the water.

Anna and Steve did a lot of swimming and body-surfing.

Sam liked going beyond the water's edge as long as I held him and hammed it up with yelps and shrieks.

Squirrels and Ducks

We enjoy bringing a handful of peanuts and a few slices of bread to the Huntington Beach Central Park to feed the squirrels and ducks. It's fun seeing these critters shell the peanuts to get the goodness inside.

Sam is showing us the ducks, Anna is pointing to a squirrel scurrying away. Each wants to be the first to point out any animal these days.

This little dock is another bird-viewing spot.

Sam tosses bread to some more ducks, here's another shot that makes me wonder if he may be left-handed...

Where does this pretty girl learn her poses, hee hee...

Whew! A little break, that was fun!

Yumi's Big 4-0

Today we celebrated Yumi's 40th birthday at Wingnuts in Costa Mesa. Us sisters and her closest friends enjoyed this evening. We took every possible combination of photos of Yumi and her guests, they turned out nicely!

Stephanie, Yumi, Cathy

Yumi and Candy

Yumi and Tami

Good food and drink, fun times! Happy birthday Yumi, may this year be another great one for you!

Miss Biker Chick

Anna got a new bike last week, she had a smaller one with training wheels but never had as much motivation to learn as she did now. Anna started practicing in the backyard with Steve or I (mainly Steve) holding onto the back seat and while she pedaled, once, then twice, then five or six times in a row. That was the first two days. On day three, we went to the school blacktop and grassy area and Steve held onto her and jogged as she continued pedaling. Sure, there were tears and frustration, but never a tumble. And Anna kept at it without missing a day. On the fifth day, when Anna rode her bike in a fairly straight line with pedals too numerous to count, we were all cheering with delight. A week after her first attempt, she started riding on the paths in the neighborhood park. Anna's still learning to break, and becoming more adept at steering, but it's amazing how quickly she learned to ride a bike.

Huntington Gardens, Part 2

We then headed over to the Chinese Garden, and took a picture of the Pavilion of the Three Friends.

We enjoyed this zig-zag stone bridge.

At the Japanse Garden, Sam seemed to ponder life while watching the koi fish swim.

Another view of the Chinese Garden.

Do you spot the kids hiding amongst the bonsai trees?

Exiting the Japanese Garden and finishing our day at the gardens. We probably covered a third of the grounds, next time I'd love to see the Desert Garden and Australian Garden.

Huntington Gardens, Part 1

I absolutely love the Huntington Gardens, located in San Marino, about an hour away from us. With more than 120 acres of varying botanical gardens, and housing several works of art, this is a place you can spend a day or two in and not even come close to covering everything.

We first explored the North Vista Lawn. This simple photo of Sam reading a nearby plaque, with the large sculpture contrasting his size, is my favorite of the day.

Anna is always ready for a photo opportunity!

We then headed to the Children's Garden, which contains lots of interactive areas such as these little splash pools which had some of the kids drenched.