Well, as you can see, it has been quite some time since my last post.  I had grand ideas for keeping this up to date, but I guess life got in the way.   However I don't want my children's live's to go by and forget all the little things they said and did.  So I am starting again with renewed energy to document our days.

So the big news....
 Monkey has turned 5 years old!  I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We had parties at both Grandma's house and Marjie and Paul's house.  He had an angry bird theme at Grandma's and a Super Hero (Avenger's) theme at Marjie and Paul's.  He is such a big boy now and is anxiously awaiting a couple of weeks from now when he will start kindergarten.

Bug finally got to take swimming lessons.  She has been begging to take lessons for a while now, and I finally got the opportunity to give them to her.  Our frequent travel between home and Gumba's house during the summer made it difficult if not impossible before, but I finally decided that we would just commit our first two weeks of summer vacation to staying at Gumba's to take swimming lessons there (at the same pool where I took lessons as a child).  Of course Monkey and Curly Q also got to take lessons as well and everyone did wonderfully and passed their level.  Bug went from Duck to Dolphin, Monkey from Grunion to Duck and, Curly Q when she turns 3 will go from Mommy and Me to Grunion.  Although no one can actually swim yet, they are all much more confident and love the time that they get to spend in a pool now.

Curly Q is officially potty trained at 2 years 10 month.  As of the first week of summer at Gumba's house, she is no longer using a pull-up, other than for nighttime, but even then she seems to be waking up dry.  Whoo-peee  (or should I shout No-peeee)!!!! Finally after 8 years, no more diapers for this mommy!

117 outside and stuck at home!

Ever have one of those days where it 117 degrees outside and you are stuck inside with your 3 kids and you feel like a caged elephant?  You don't?  Well I do and that is exactly what I am experiencing today.  I wish we could go outside and get a breath of fresh air, but it would be like breathing in an oven, so I wouldn't advise it.  Instead we are dancing in the living room, using the TV remote as a pretend microphone. Good times!

Disneyland here we come!

The day after my birthday, Bug, Monkey, Grandma Dian and I got up really early in the morning (5:30...which should be illegal in the summer) to go to Disneyland.  This was one of the very few days that our Disney Passes would allow us to go during the summer, so we had to take advantage, plus it was an excuse to celebrate my birthday a little more.

Surprisingly it wasn't nearly as crowded as I thought it would be considering that it was summer and all. When we first got there a lot of the rides we just walked right on with NO WAITING.  A couple of times I thought maybe the ride was closed because there was just absolutely no one in line.  It was awesome!

This was Bug's third visit and Monkey's second (Curly Q didn't get to go and won't until she is a bit older).  I think they liked it even more this time especially with the smaller crowds.  We went on Star Tours for the first time.  They both loved their first trip to "Space."  Grandma Dian didn't love it quite as much because it made her feel sick.

Monkey really enjoyed the rides...

Bug and Monkey also went on the teacups for the first time!  I thought we were doing pretty good until we got towards the end of our ride and I realized that Bug and I had been spinning the wheel the wrong way.  Whoopsie!

We went on the StoryLand Boats.  When Bug was 3 and took her first trip to Disneyland with Gumba and I, she was terrified of going into the whales mouth.  3 years later and not much has changed!

Notice how Bug and Monkey are holding on to me and shielding their eyes.







Bug's first trip we spent hours waiting in line to meet and take pictures with the princesses.  The line today was only about 30 minutes so we took advantage.  She got her picture taken with Belle, Aurora, and Tiana.  Later after she learned to dance like a princess she also got her picture with Snow White.

Monkey took the Buzz Lightyear ride very seriously!

I love the determination in his face!!

All in all it was an awesome day!

Happy birthday Mommy!

To celebrate Mommy's birthday we went to Fudruckers.  It was yummy! It is a good thing that there is not one closer to where we live, or we might have a serious burger addiction problem! I have never seen Monkey gobble up a cheeseburger quite like the one he ate there.  Even though Curly Q only ate the french fries, she enjoyed them a lot.

Afterward we went to the beach in Oceanside.  The weather was perfect, nobody got sunburned, or got washed out into the sea....so it was a pretty successful trip.  The one bad thing was that poor Bug got stung by a bee.  It was the first time she had been stung and needless to say she was FREAKING out!  Luckily there were some very nice people next to us who gave her a bag of ice to help with the pain.  

We made to it to San Diego

Well we successfully left our house and made our two-hour trip to Gumba's house.  The kids are always very excited to see their grandparents and were content with just going for that reason.  They didn't even know that we also had plans to go to Disneyland and the beach as well as see the fireworks with their cousins on the fourth.  

Bug was checking out what she would look like with a beard.

Curly Q, Bug, and Monkey are all  cozy in Gumba's bed ready for a bedtime story.

Our first lost tooth!

Today we played at home again. 

Daddy helped the kids make a fort with sheets, pillows and a high powered fan.  The kids had a blast.

Curly Q drove around the living room.

But the biggest news is.......

Bug lost her first tooth!!!!!

She fretted over it all day and was especially nervous about the "blood."  It was very loose though and her new adult tooth had already broken through her gums so we encouraged her to be persistant and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. Finally when it was just barely hanging on by a thread, Daddy went ahead and yanked it out.Now we are anxiously waiting for the arrival of the toothfairy.

Birthday cake with cherries on top

Today was a pretty mellow day.  The kids did what they always love to do............play dress up!

 

 

Later though, Daddy helped them bake a cake for my birthday.  Monkey is an aspiring chef and is learning all of Daddy's cooking techniques.

Yummy chocolate! My favorite!!!!

Afterwards Daddy let them share some frosting, which we all know is the best part of baking a cake!