Good Day in LA

Yesterday we spent the day in LA, and our first stop was Olvera Street. This is the oldest part of LA where they have little shops and mariachi bands playing.

I think this building is one of the oldest in LA. There is a church inside.

Union Station.

A very old fire station with an antique fire truck.

Next, we had to visit City Hall since this is where a small part of Bedtime Stories was filmed.

Next stop: Chinatown.

We used every coin we had throwing them into this wishing well thing. We tried to get our coins to fall in the marked bowls that would bring us peace, wealth, happiness, etc.

Next stop: La Brea Tar Pits.

The best part was this hole in the dirt where we found some actual tar from the actual tar pit. Playing with tar and a stick is great entertainment.

The last thing we did was drive through Beverly Hills looking at houses we would never be able to afford, but the looking is sure fun.

I'm Gonna Miss This #6

I often find myself chuckling as I drive around Long Beach. I'm sure you could find signs like this somewhere else, but I'm not sure where except California. I don't need medicinal marijuana...

nor would I want a free HIV test (the blue neon sign is advertising free HIV Testing) at my local thrift store, but it sure makes life more interesting. I'm gonna miss this.

The Playground Underground

The coachies have banned trading on the playground, but there is a whole underground of trading that goes on behind their backs. At the beginning of the year, the thing to trade was Japanese erasers. Spencer and James would take all of their money to 2nd Street to buy the latest and greatest. These tiny little treasures are $1 a piece. I don't even want to think of what we spent on these erasers. Alas, they didn't last forever and by December they were replaced by...

Bakugans.
These are more annoying than erasers. The higher the power of the Bakugan the better trading power. I don't know how many fights I had to break up over who had which Bakugan that was better than so and so's. The greatest Target break-down in the history of my mothering career happened over these stupid things I can't even pronounce. By April, they were out and taken over by...

Pokemon Cards.
Now the boys take any money they get to go buy these things. I have a few questions. First of all, who is the great trading guru who now decides one thing is out and the kids should start collecting something else? And why do they all come from Japan? I see conspiracy written all over this.

I'm Gonna Miss This #5

Post office, bank, library, shopping, restaurants, chocolate, frozen yogurt, I can get it all on 2nd Street. It is so close, so convenient and so gonna be missed.

Father and Sons Camp Out

Last Friday night, Doug took the boys to Angela's Crest for the Father and Sons camp out--the best night of the year if you ask me.

A roaring fire is always good; I heard they almost burned the place down.

James doesn't go anywhere without his pillow.

Breakfast is served.

Boys and rocks, rocks and boys, they go together like nothing else.
The Jones boys and Spencer and James

When the Father and Sons are away...

The girls go out and play!
We started our night of no boys with dinner at La Creperie.

Then we were off on a gondola ride through Naples Island.

A toast (with Martinelli's of course) to the birthday girls Tina and Cindi.

Tina, Cari, Miriam, Cindi, Anne, Me, Faith, Darci and Katie with our gondolier Zamboni.

Sitting on the dock of the bay.....

we stepped off the boat and sat down to chocolate cake on the dock. Then we were off to the movies to see Angels and Demons at 10:15. That was the latest I've been out for a long time; I can tell I'm getting old.

I'm Gonna Miss This #4

I love school uniforms! I don't really mind if there is evidence that school uniforms make for a school's better academic success. As a mom, I love that there is no thought process whatsoever involved in what they will wear for the day. I'm sure gonna miss these uniforms. How long do you think it would take before they notice they're the only ones in uniform at their new school?

The Road to Tucson is......Long!

These are Cortney's pictures of the kids in the car for ten hours as we drove back from Tucson.

Don't let this picture fool you. Faith had her fair share of screaming along with the sleeping.