Our BUSY Staycation

So a staycation is where you stay home and vacation around the house. Here is what we did!

Our first day we went to the Oakland zoo. IT was a lot of fun but SUPER HOT!

Ella loved seeing all the animals and finding where they were in there cages!
Brandon liked the water trees dirt and BIG animals that he could see with out looking for them! Other wise he could care less
they animals were fun!
they had a lot of critters up close.
I was so afraid they would spit on the kids and then Ella wouldn't go near the cages anymore.
the kids Both loved the Elephants.
they were eating when we got there. Brandon liked that he didn't have to look for them they were so big!
they had lots of fun things like this for the kids to play with!
Frog...
Brandon hid in here for about 10 Min's.

Next we went to:

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center

part of the Joseph M. Long Marine Laboratory

we took a tour of the beach and heard about the animals and landscape.
we were very close to the water
it was so pretty there.

they had the bone of a blue whale and a grey whale. it was so cool to see how big they really were.

we got to see some dolphins in tanks.

this one was friendly and would swim around for us. the other one was taking a nap I think!



in side the museum there were tanks of local see life
we saw crabs, bat rays , jelly fish, coral, all sorts of fish and many other things in the tanks.


they had another spot in the tanks where they let the kids touch thinks from the ocean. they touched kelp, seaweed, sea grapes, sea lettuce and other see life!


Yep even star fish. Ella was super freaked out by these. she would only hold it long enough for a picture!

On Wednesday we went to the SAN FRANSISCO ZOO.

Now I am sure you are wondering why we went to another zoo like place. 2 reasons.

#1 Ella begged to go back to the zoo.

#2 we went because it was a "free zoo day" however we happen to go on the first day they switched it to only San Fran residents...oh well we were already there so we went!

we liked this one so much better.

the cages were nice and they made it easier to see the animals.

they had fun spots all over for the kids to take pictures and do things.

of course Brandon was still interested in the dirt water and trees!
that girl walked into the picture and wouldn't leave even though she could see we wanted to take a picture...she was trying to get behind the kids on the lion....Weird!

I thought those 2 would make a good scrap page!
Ella was so cute checking out and playing with the elephant!
She is a beautiful butterfly!
he is an angry SPIDER...EWWW CREEPY!

we took Thursday off and ran errands and got the house straightened up and Friday we went to the jelly belly factory and we took Jessica with us. we had a great time. it was really neat because all the workers were there and we got to see every one working and how ti really works. The kids were super excited at the end when they gave them a free bag of Jelly belly's!!!

busy vacation~

Not that it was a total vacation! I went to Utah on Friday night. I would have to say that I never stopped. I got up Fridays morning to help pack up the house that My sister and her husband were moving out of!

Then off to Shanda for a extreme cut! I cut off A LOT of hair! I would say close to 2 feet give or take a bit! I think next time I am going SHORTER!!! I love it!

After my make over I was off to do business. I signed up Ronda and Rees to sell Avon! It will probably be the Funnest appointment ever I laughed really hard!

we relaxed after that and caught up on old times and laugh and giggled a lot!

Then next day I taught Ronda, Sarah and Connie a new quilting technique. we made two lap size quilts. I really was bummed that it went by so quick there was so much more I would have liked to do. I wanted to play longer But i had made plans with my mom to go see Momma Mia. that it was funny and I love ABBA so it was fun to see it based in a movie.

the next morning I was up by seven trying to help pack up the house and get it into the moving truck and then clean the house. I was trying to do it as fast as w could in hopes of going back down to play with Ronda and Sarah longer....needless to say it took so much time that I barely had time to shower before being off to the airport...ARRGGGG. Now I want to go back and play again but for a hair longer.

The plane ride home was really fun. I sat next to another girl who was so much fun to talk to. It made the Trip so much fun. I swear after I got off I felt like she was my new best friend! She was so easy and fun to talk to. I felt like I was leaving my long lost friend at the end of the flight! it isn't every day that you meet some one you feel is a "sole mate" for lack of a better word! How ever as retarded as I am I think forgot her name....it had been a long day! I believe it was Meredith (I am sure that is spelled wrong too)! Any way...I thought she was awesome. Not to mention she put up with my long winded talks about life and growing up with patience! she was just fun. So if she is out there and reading this...thanks for a great chat and putting up with me! I wouldn't mind keeping in touch!

Out of the loop!

I will be out of town until Sunday. I will be in Utah. If you want to get a hold of me you can call me on my cell. Can't wait to see you guys!!!! (if you don't know my cell call my house Josh will give it to you)!

The things that go bump....

Ell was running down the hall the other day with Brandon's sunglasses on she tripped on something and fell HARD the sunglasses flipped up to her forehead and the nose pieces left a mark into her forehead. It swelled for a bit and you can see the left over bruises there even after the Icing it!

Brandon has a death wish and climbs and jumps off of the most horrible things before you have a chance to stop him...and sadly half the time I get there to late to see what his latest conquest is...in this picture he has a huge bruise on his left cheek (this is the only picture that I could find that you can remotely see it)...This one I am not sure what he did!

I thought I would put some funny pictures of the kids this week this is Ella with her toy story harem! Don't you love the attire she is wearing???

He is Really into hats lately and he always wants to wear daddy's hat...he looks so cute in it!

we were at the store a while back and this was on clearance and we were letting the kid try on hats...Brandon LOVED this one...He would freak out if we took it off of him. We call it his pimp daddy Hat!

Ella on drugs~

Ella had to go to the denstist of a fix of an old filling he had given her. He gave her the gas and she was so funny! She kept putting her feet up into thier faces while they were trying to work...she told the dentist that she loved him and his assistant! It was quite funny! She is quite the charactor on drugs!

Brandons Really bad day

Brandon had a bad day on Monday!

It started off with mom giving him a hair cut...A short one...He didn't like that to much. All that sitting still and mom playing with his hair just wasn't fun he cried and wiggled and was not amused! He look like a little man when we were done...I just hope his curls aren't gone for good!
Next after a shower and a cute outfit we went to the Dr office for my 18 month check up. Yup I am getting big! The Dr said that I was super bruised and that she was worried that I might have a low white blood count...she hasn't seen me in action! I am a dare devil! How ever she ordered blood work cuz mom said it is better to be safe than sorry!
I was not amused at what happened next. They took me to another building and I wanted to run and play. I ran back and forth until they called my name and we went back to this little room and a lady told mom that I needed 3 shots...that doesn't sound to bad right. WRONGO...they weren't fun at all and the lady poked my legs 3 times...my dad held me down and I just cried. When it was over I found mom and told her how mean dad was...she understood! She hugged me and we went for a walk through all the big buildings and I got to run!

Next we went to this other building and (I was done with them hurting me) so I ran and played a little while later they called my name AGSAIN...so went to see what they wanted. These two ladies were talking to me and telling me how cute I am then I saw it another poky thing and I let them know I was Not letting that happen again. I put out my biggest pout face and let the the biggest tears I could roll down my face. This lady was far worse that the first one she stuck it in and started to dig around in my arm and I HATED it!

When IT was all over and on the way out of the buildings I ripped off every band aid and tape they put one me...That way they would know I didn't like it at all. I told my mom again that my daddy let them hurt me and she hugged me and then I told dad that I still loved him but that I wanted mom!

After that I got to take a nap and play at the store...mom even gave me some yummy snacks. After that I was ok. But I don't want to do that again!

Tagged by Sara....

"Ten things I can't live without tag...
I was tagged a little while ago. So here goes. I could write my kids, my husband, my belief in God. Trust me those are certainly the top three but since this is just for fun I am going for totally frivolous stuff." I'll second that! I'll third that!

1- All things crafty
2- My XB's
3- My DVR
4- My Computer
5- My kids toy story1/2 DVDs For sanity
6- Dr. Pepper...(on the occasion I drink a soda)
7- My dream of a king size bed ( so that the two little people who climb in between us stop kicking daddy out of the bed)
8- Camera...I am a picture taking addict!
9- My remote since I can't change the channel with out it!
10- My sisters! they are my partners in Crime!

Tag you are all it. So share all your favorites on your blog too.

TA-DAH

I have been preparing the stuff for Potato salad over the last couple of days. On Tuesdays I boiled some potato's and then put them in the fridge in a bowl so that when i went to cut them they would be cool. Then yesterday I boiled eggs in the same pan after I rinsed it out.

I put the bowl in the sink and Ran cool water into it ti cool the eggs down and then left it there full of water while I took care of some things.

Yesterday afternoon Ella came running in all excited and Yells "MOM, MOM, THE POTATO'S TURNED INTO EGGS!'

One sided red thing~

So the other day we had a garage sale at Jens house... I sat out with all the stuff we brought...In the sun! I sat kinda side ways to protect my eyes from the sun. I know I was burned when i got home that night...But when i woke up the next day and only one side of my face was swollen...including my lips I knew that I was stupid for not turning to the other side...So I am super sunburned on the left side and not so burned on the right...I look so dorky!!!

So I am the one sided red THING!

The things your kids teach each other!

see this cute kid...She has learned to climb things and get into to high things thanks to her 19 month old Brother. Before that she would wait for help....How ever this cute little thing taught Brandon to squish bugs...with his fingers...YUCK!

Sadly she taught his to squish poor little Roley pollies!

Here are the pictures when I caught them out there...

It was over a hundred that day so they are hardly dressed!

They weren't happy when i told them to stop squishing them....but he is so a boy...he got so dirty. He is so rough and tumble. How ever I did see he being the one to play with bugs...I didn't see Ella being the one to teach him!!!!!