Fiesta La Ballona

This weekend we headed to Vets Park for Fiesta La Ballona. Man it was H-O-T! I can't even tell you how hot it was at the carnival.

In any case, Jack had a good time. Too bad he was too short to go on more rides. I feel bad because Jack loves all the fast rides so I know he wouldn't mind going on the bigger rides but the ride operators wouldn't let him.

So we had to stick to the kiddie rides:

He loved this ride...all it did was go around in a circle fast:


He also liked being high up in the sky on the Ferris Wheel:


Of course he couldn't pass up the fire truck:


My favorite part was the pizza, funnel cake, hot link sandwhich, corn and cotton candy. Yum.

Happy Hour...

I am back to work for a short contract so that means I am back to happy hour. Actually that isn't true...I go out to happy hour even though I do not work.

This wasn't one of my smarter happy hours because I went out the night before I started my new contract. Seriously though, who wants a new employee to start on a Friday??

Oh well, I made it thru my first day without any problem unless you count spending all my money in the company store buying video games a problem.

Hockey...

This week at sports class was HOCKEY! Can you believe the parks and rec teach hockey? I mean who plays hockey anymore. I don't think hockey is even in the big 4 of american sports anymore. I think it is the NFL, NBA, MLB and then UFC.

Anyway, Jack took to hockey pretty well. I think he thought of it as a more action packed version of golf.

Starting from one goal:



Working his way towards his goal:

Shoots...SCORES!

1,2...almost 3....

Can you believe it? Jack took a crap in the toilet for the first time on Friday. He followed up his efforts with another crap on Saturday. Sadly, on Sunday Jack was back to pooping in his pants. Oh well, at least it is a start.

Jack is pretty good about peeing in the toilet. You have to ask him to go but he does go on his own as well. In fact, he is pretty good about not peeing in a diaper. However 'poop' is a whole new issue.

We were beginning to think it just would not happen, but Friday at my parents house he had his first poop like a big boy. He was so HAPPY!!

I can't wait for Jack NOT to be in diapers anymore but then after that our little toddler is going to be a big boy!

Relaxing...

Jack was feeling a little under the weather over the weekend so we stay inside and watched a lot of tv and rested.

Jack loves to copy me when I am trying to relax:


He also hogs up all the room. First he is on my side of the bed. Second he is in the middle of the bed. Third, he keeps moving closer and closer to me so he can hog up more of the bed!

Basketball...

Jack's sports class has changed to his favorite sport...basketball!!


Jack gets to wear his 'buddy Kobe Bryants' jersey:


A lot of the kids must also like basketball because they are all pretty good at basketball, however Jack dominated the class outscoring all of the other kids.

Flashcards...

4 days a week, Jack has to go to the school of Grandma. Grandma makes sure that Jack continues his pre-school exercises over the summer.

At home we use flashcards to help Jack practice. Aya now gives Jack $1 if he can get all the flashcards right on the first try:



I think Jack is suckering Aya into this bet because Jack and I have been doing the cards most of the summer and it has been easy money for Jack.

Allowance...

I have had some bad luck with any plants that I put in the planters in the front of house. I always thought it was the soil but my mom thinks that I don't water the plants often enough.

I decided instead of me trying to remember to water the plants 3 times a week, I would give Jack his first chore...watering the plants.

If Jack remembers to water the plants, Monday, Wednesday and Friday then on Friday he gets one dollar. If he forgets any of the days, then I deduct 25 cents. So far so good. He remembered every day and he puts his money into his piggy bank.

Jeff's Birthday...

Jenny, Aya, Jeff and I headed to Darren's restaurant in Manhattan Beach for a belated bday dinner for Jeff.

It is always nice when a girl offers to pay...however you want the offer to actually be a sincere offer. Here is what not to do:

Do not offer to pay and pull out a AAA card!! At least pull out an AMEX, MC or VISA card...just not a AAA card.....genius!

Happy Birthday Jeffrey!! I brought out your longest and oldest friend to dinner!!

Hiking in Culver City...

Who knew that Culver City had created stairs like the Santa Monica beach stairs?

Who knew that there was a new small hiking trail in Culver City?

Well thanks to Grandma, Jack and I went to check it out last week:

Here is our view from left to right. Culver City.

Then Westwood:

And finally Downtown LA is behind all the haze:

Beach...

The summer is here and no summer is complete without a few trips to the beach. While Aunty Dawn was surfing we played in the sand:


Then we caught some sand crabs:


Aunty played with me in the ocean:

HAHAHAHAHA! I love this picture. You may have to zoom in to see it, but if you look closely you can see ONE foot...that is Dawn's foot after she eats it on a wave:

Just to be fair, here is video of Dawn catching a wave:

The Name Game...

Can you guess the FIRST name and/or MIDDLE name of our future daughter? If so, then here are the rules to the game:

1. One entry per person, per name
2. In the comment box enter your guess for the FIRST name and/or the MIDDLE name
3. If you sign in as ANONYMOUS then leave your real name so I know your guess.

Courtesy of Jenny, there will be a prize awarded for the correct guess of the FIRST and MIDDLE name.

If no one make a correct guess then Jenny gets to keep the prizes.

Good luck, happy guessing and let the games begin!!

Gymnastics...

I lucked out this week at Gymnastics. Normally I just stand in the waiting area and watch Jack but most of the time I can't see what is going on and then someone told me that if I request a "photo pass" I can go into the tumbling area to take pictures.

Well this past week I got a photo pass AND the other 5 kids did NOT show up to class so Jack had a private lesson and I was able to take pictures and video.

We are having a....

Aya and I went to the doctor today for the babies 20 week checkup. Everything with the baby looks 100% normal and healthy.

The big news is that today we found out the sex. The doctor is 99% sure that it will be a girl:

The real question will be, "Can I actually be nice to a girl?"

Playball...

Baseball has been my favorite sport and I am trying to get Jack interested in playing and watching baseball. So far, he doesn't like to watch baseball like he does basketball but at least he is trying to play baseball now.

This weekend we were practicing on his tball machine:

Naturally Jack was impatient and wants to run before he can walk and he wanted me to 'pitch' him the ball.



Afterwards he wanted to pitch the ball to me where I dominated and showed why I am the master and he is the student!