06.26.2009 What happens to a kid not used to summer camp

I'm not sure this photo even needs words....but i ran across it while posting about our vacation. This was the week before we left. She had swam her little heart out all day. This was about 4pm. Bless her heart......... these are the shots that look great on a 20ft x 20ft screen at graduation dontcha think?

07.09.2009 Because my Kids may never get to ride one....

That is funny to write (...type?) but actually a true statement for many years to come. Or that can change tomorrow. The reality is, as much as my kids think a school bus is the coolest thing on the planet...they don't get to ride one! I remember it was like MURDER to "have to" ride the bus when i was a kid. All the cool kids had their parents drive them to school. Not us, we had to get up 20 minutes early to stand in the freezing morning air to ride a bus that made what felt like 10,000 stops at the time just to get to school 5 minutes before it started! Waaaah!

But my kiddos go to a tiny private Christian school and there is no bus for them...it's mom who has to drag herself out of bed, get all presentable and not only take them - but walk them into school each day (rules are rules...). They watch the public school bus drive right down our street and if they actually were lucky enough to ride it - it actually stops right at the end of our driveway. They actually get excited to see it drive by each day. =(

But there is a silver lining to this sad tale. Their VERY OWN Auntie Darla drives one of these babies - for REAL!!! So while we are on vacation, she let us tag along back to the depot and actually see it close up, sit in the seats, etc. They were in HEAVEN!



Looking angelic and oh so excited to be on a REAL school bus!



Wow! This bus is REALLY big and has lots of rows of seats, how many kids fit on one of these?!



Even a mom can enjoy sitting in the back of the bus if it gives her kids so much joy!

A Field Trip...during vacation???

Another fun highlight of our trip was getting to go on a field-trip! Auntie Darla took some kids for a field-trip, and she thought it would be fun for my kids too, so we drove out and met her there. BONUS! The kids got to have fun and we got to spend the day with Auntie Darla while she was working!

We went to a neat park. It was quite a drive from her house, but so very cool. There was about 10 parks within 1 park...each having a different theme or set of play things. There was only one way in and one way out...so the moms can relax and let the kids run wild wherever. It was big fun as evidenced here.

07.2009 Until we come again or alternately titled "Kids with Dogs"

Well we had oh so much fun overall at Auntie Darla's. Everyday was fun for the kids, and either productive or relaxing for me...so all in all a good trade-off.

The kids enjoyed spending time with Auntie Darla and Uncle Lloyd. They especially loved pestering..uhum..i mean "loving on" the dogs Willits & Sadie. Sadie is the little one- Willits is the Standard Poodle. He is just a pup so he will get much bigger. He just didn't know WHAT to make of my 2 little bundles of energy.



Notice how when Bubba is in there (with his develish grin) Willits looks like he is gonna BOLT?! Well that was the norm. Bubba was a bit much for him.



Sis on the other hand knows how to love on animals. So they cuddled. AWWW

07.07.2009 And then came LEGOLAND

Truth be told...we all were pretty excited about Legoland. Since my oldest sis had just moved to the stix (known as Moreno Valley) and I found out it was less than 2 hrs away from SanDiego...that meant our vacation would be even more vacation-like and include a fun amusement park. WOW. That sounds really good in thought, and on paper. Here is how it really went down.
Woke up late, left house late, scarffed some In-n-Out in car, got to park around noon. The tickets cost a small FORTUNE people! I am talking 3 day park hopper at Disneyland fortune. For what? Some lame rides and art made from plastic pieces? HA! In all seriousness, I was THAT mom ...the one standing in line barking at the kids that "we paid WAAAAYYYY too much money to get in and them not appreciate it!" Cuz mom made the mistake of carrying way to heavy of a bag/purse, in the blazing hot sun with whiney kids who DID NOT CARE ONE BIT that mommy and daddy would be eating from the 99 cent munu for the next 2 weeks of drive thru's just so they could go to this park! You see...my baby he just L.O.V.E.S. Lego's. He eats, breathes, dreams all things LEGO. This should be a dream come true. But not so much. They were tired, the first 1/2 of the park was B.O.R.I.N.G. About the time we were ready to just say screw it and drag them out it started to get fun. Better rides, more neat things to see...but it was too late. Talk about a DRAG. Due to the horrendous behavior they were told there would be no trip to the shopping area when this day was over. It hurt me more than them i think. Because there is soooo many things you can ONLY get THERE at Legoland. Because my boy dreams of all his "creations" 24/7. How could we leave and not get something?! But how do you go back on a threat? You don't. They had to learn the hard way.

I moped all the way home at all the cool things that might have been. Well here are some fun photos where they appeared to actually be having fun. We did have 1 or 2 of those instances.


Sis and Bubba with a lifesize Indiana Jones made entirely of Legos


Here sis perked up enough to take a great photo with some Lego explorers


Bub and Sis get their official Drivers License, HA! Even before brother!


One of the cool rides where you could fly around on the water AND get wet!


And the most scrumptious DELICIOUS thing known to man...only available at LEGO LAND, and this is the most excitement i could squeeze out of her?! These are Apple Fries people...complete with vanilla whipped cream dipping sauce, oh my heavens, yummy goodness!

After 5 years this was pretty much not worth the money thanks in part to 2 crabby children...and well...over-inflated prices. Maybe in another year or 2 they will appreciate it more and we will be in a better position to enjoy it. ...and if they are REALLY smart they will do their shopping BEFORE the day even begins *wink* that is my vote!