BOOK REVIEW - "Twilight"

This book is actually for teenagers of all ages. Huh? Well, you have to go back a few years to help appreciate the giddy feelings of first love. After being told to read this book by many of my friends, I gave it a try. Very fun fictional reading...a little stretch for me since the boy in the story turns out to be a vampire. I must admit that one night I read over 100 pages because the writer kept up the suspense level. There is a series of 3 books and a 4th is due out soon. I will be starting the 2nd one today.

Garage Sale

Alyssa, Perry and a cutomer (picture taken after many items were sold)

Our entire neighborhood had a garage sale yesterday, at least some 50 houses. Perry sold $8.66 and spent $2 (at another house) on a laser tag game. Alyssa, our friend sold close to $20. She had many craft items for kids and clothes. With the help of my friend, Charlene, I sold some boots, a pair of shoes, kitchen items and some quilts. Lee helped and worked hard to set up a SONY stereo system for people to listen to. Unfortunately, the seller wanted too much money so nobody went home with it.

Skirball Center

Sending the animals onto the ark 2 by 2. Animals were made out of styrofoam and the kids placed them onto a foam conveyor belt with snug holes for the animals that they powered by turning a wheel. The animals went into the ark and came down a shoot and down into a basket for the process to begin again.
Sage is using a hand pump to create a flood inside an enclosed glass case with a small ark inside.

Brooke is helping to build the ark with small planks of wood.
Sage and Grandma taking a rest in the climbing room.
Perry is using a pulley to send up food items to Sage on the 2nd floor. Gavin, Aunt Jenny, and Lee (on the large turtle) are watching. The turtle was made out of leather (possibly inspired by basketball material) and a head that bobbled.
Brooke is pulling on a rope that moves the elephants trunk and makes a loud elephant sound.

We went to a Jewish Cultural Center with Grandma Suzette, Aunt Jenny, and Gavin. Lee was able to make it with us as well. http://www.skirball.org/ I would compare it to a large museum with many exhibits going on at once. We went to the Noah's Ark exhibit that had 3 rooms for the kids to explore inside the ark. It was very original in the way each animal was created, they used recycled and reused parts. Pink fly swatters for the feet of a flamingo as one example. I finally got the video to work with sound. See Philip, I am MODERN! Everything was going so well until the drive home on the 405 freeway with Brooke in the car. Every seat was filled in the car and Brooke decided to be naughty...pulling hair, hitting, kicking, yelling, etc. After trying manipulation and bribes, we even tried restraining her...we were all glad to get home.

Brooke, Libby and Gavin are building inside the "Rainbow room" as they called it. There were 3 separate rooms to go inside that represented the 3 parts of the story: the storm, inside the ark, and the rainbow.

Swim lessons

The kids have been participating in swim lessons at Aunt Jessica and Uncle Jon's swimming pool. Lee has been teaching and I have been trying to assist. We figured doing a 2 week session could only help their skills. In addition, we get plenty of practice when swimming for fun at all sorts of pools. The first day started with a lot of bad attitudes and crying...it could only get better, right? In a few short days, progress can be seen...in their strokes as well as diving. No more belly flops for this family!

More Gavin videos

Now that some of you told me the videos worked, here are 2 more. Please see Gavin's blog for more exciting adventures...Jenny does better with sound!

Cousins are so much fun!

Gavin came to visit our house today. We had so much fun with him. I am attempting to include a video for the first time. I understand I have old technology, so there is no sound.

Funny thing, Auntie Staci doesn't have cabinets that are locked up. Gavin took full advantage...see for yourself.

4th of July: Part that really matters

We started the day off at a flag raising ceremony at our church. I hope the kids realized the meaning of it all. They certainly loved the food at the end! Our Patriarch spoke and presented a video of landmarks and special moments in history.

4th of July: Part 3

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The boys went to a Long Beach Armada baseball game, spent the night on the field, ate breakfast and got to practice baseball. Lee could tell more. The girls went to the Los Alamitos military base to play games and watch fireworks. They tried rock wall climbing - Libby made it to the top 2 times! (Unfortunately, my flash didn't reach her because she was so high.) The fireworks were spectacular...right above us. We finished the night by all 4 of us girls sleeping in the same bed. How cozy was that?

4th of July: Part 2

As a family, we had a barbecue at Grandpa Ed and Suzette's across the street. We all ate plenty of burgers, sausage, and "cold kitties" (as Ed call them). Corn on the cob was a big hit as well as ice cream. Lee made some Brazilian beans that were mighty tasty. The kids built some "cool" things with Legos. Grandma always knows how to fill your tummy.

4th of July: Part 1

As a family, we went to seal beach for a few hours. This time Perry wore his wet suit and had a great time with his boogie board. All the kids were found covered in sand from building swimming pool/fortress. Lee was busy body surfing and helping Brooke in the water. Sage was being scared of the water and I was trying to help her.

Libby has glasses!

Check out her new sophisticated look. Isn't she cute? She will be wearing them mainly at school, inside the classroom. At home, she wears them while watching a long movie. She is very excited!

Alamitos Bay

I was so mad that I didn't have the camera today. The kids were loving the bay so much today, we stayed 3 hours. Perry came with us...he tried out his boogie board with a wet suit on...much better than at seal beach with no wet suit on. He must have swam out to the buoy (sp?) 3 times. Perry, Libby and Sage took several hours to build a city of tunnels and canals, waterfalls, etc. Everyone walking by had to comment on how "cool" it was. Now after the lesson/reprimand I just gave on saying "thank you" to compliments given. You better believe Perry was first one to say, "thanks" even so the other kid could hear him. Some other children helped gather sea snails for them to put inside their sand structure. Our friend Jeremy and his mom Jenny were there. Brooke liked playing with the crabs that Jeremy and his mom captured. Aunt Jenny and her son Gavin were also there. Some of the kids thought that Gavin would like a swimming pool, so they helped dig it and put water inside. Sage wanted to put him inside, but I don't think he had the same idea. Summer fun!

Natural History Museum

Sage next to gems inside the vault
Libby and Brooke next to some Amethyst
The girls with a Polar Bear in an interactive room
Our friends and Brooke drawing spiders and tarantulas
Libby and Sage being paleontologists.

Today we went to the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, near USC. We drove with some friends to make a total of 7 girls in the car. Since it was a free admission day, you can imagine the crowds, but we managed to have fun for at least 4 hours. Everyone had a different idea of what was the best part. Since the place has 3 floors, we didn't even get to all of the exhibits.