Cupcakes

CUPCAKES

Before:

After:

and some bubbles . . .

Cause for Spontaneous Celebration: A Doggie Birthday

Yesterday was Luna's birthday - she turned five.  A few of the kids from the neighborhood came over us to help celebrate this very important occasion.

First we put on a birthday hat . . . that lasted about two seconds.

Then we sang her Happy Birthday and each kiddo got to take turns helping her blow out the candles (this required relighting them several times) and eat "cake"

Finally, a birthday girl who LIKES receiving help opening her presents . . . 

I remember when Luna was just a little puppy . . . 

At only three months old, she could fetch before she was even potty trained 

- they don't call them retrievers for nothing!  

 

Flying Kites

Today our friends invited us to fly kites with them in Mission Bay Park.  

First step: fuel up at the water fountain.  

Michael shows Julius the best technique for launching the kites - thanks Dad!

Julius is ready to take on two kites at once - obviously he's a pro now

Almost caught it!

Marisol got in the zone at the helm of the Dragon kite . . . 

She calls it "the bird kite" . . . close enough!

Things got a little crazy when both kites make it up in the sky at the same time:

 

Our Yard

Our new house has a TINY little yard that we use ALL the time, every day.  Favorite activities include: rolling in the grass, chasing balls, blowing bubbles, throwing airplanes, drawing with chalk, digging dirt, wrestling with each other, etc.  The life of a kid and his dog is pretty sweet.  

Luna loves scratching her back on the fake grass.

Sunset Stroll on the Beach

The other day we had dinner in OB and then walked along the beach to watch the surfers and the sun set.  This California life never gets old!

The Tide Pools

This Saturday we decided to go for a hike to the tide pools at the Cabrillo National Monument  - the site where the Euros first set foot on the west coast of the Americas. Well, now the Euros are back.

Axel and Far learning about the local wildlife. The sign said "The Tide Pools are teeming with wild life such as crabs, octopus....".

 "Where are those damn crabs??" (we didn't find any)

Axel wanted his picture taken while standing on a rock. 

Far and Axel LL Bean catalog shot. 

Mom catching a quick snuggle. 

After seeing the museum (boring!) we marveled at the spectacular view of San Diego Bay. Down below we saw a pod of dolphins frolicking in the water. Quite a sight - and I had left my camera in the car with Luna (who was not allowed in the museum). Anyway, a great way to spend Saturday morning.

 A few final shots from the cutting room floor.

Birthday!

testing, testing, . . . Bouncy House!!

We bought one of those bouncy houses for Axel's birthday party.  When I saw how cheap they were online compared to the ones you could rent, I just had to do it.  Even though the weight limit is supposed to be 250 lbs, it didn't really work when I tried to bounce on it myself . . . darn it, too bad!

Our family set it up as a "test" before the big birthday party:

Contractor Crush

Contractors are highly entertaining for little boys.  They get to use ALL the cool equipment like shovels, wheelbarrows, hammers, and drills.  Plus they get to dig up dirt piles and make loud noises.  Axel ate his breakfast next to the window so he didn't miss a second of the show.

Me, I am much more interested in the end game.  The wallpaper and the fireplace were removed.  The fake grass was installed in our little yard.  All was completed on time and on budget.  I am happy.

New House - New Neighbors

We moved into the new house and one of the biggest perks are the neighbors.  They are all really friendly and best of all there are THREE children the same exact age as Axel so if everyone sticks around there should be no lack of playmates in our future.  Axel plays on a daily basis with "my new neighbor best friend Peyton".