Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving 2009. 

Here's us waiting for the rest of the family to arrive.

Three of us girls (and uncle) played outside for a little while.

Photo courtesy by Mike Tinio

Then it was time to eat!!  Boy were we stuffed!

The following day we headed down to San Diego to spend time with Great Aunt Vi and Great Grandma.  We had a very nice time with them.

We also celebrated my birthday early by lighting three candles on the pumpkin pie to make a wish.

I am thankful for our family and good health. I am grateful for the blessings we've had this year. Our thoughts go out to people who are less fortunate than us and for those who don't have families to celebrate the holidays with. May they find peace, light, and love within themselves to see themselves through each and every day.

Mommy

My mommy's been sick for a few days now.  She has a bad cold and flu.  She still tries to play with me, but I can tell that whatever she has is awful. 

So I try to take care of her by piling all kinds of blankets on her.

I also covered her face so I won't get what she has.  Don't worry she can breath through that old receiving blanket of mine.

I also shared my favorite bedtime buddy to hopefully make her feel better.

Ratty hat

Sometimes I come out of my room with an item that my mom hasn't seen for a hundred years.  This hat is one of them. 

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

One of my all time favorite shows was here in Los Angeles.  It's called Yo Gabba Gabba.  I usually watch it on Nick Jr, but this time I got to watch them live!

They had two sold out shows at the Shrine Auditorium.

Here's me and my daddy with his Plex shirt and DJ Lance glasses. My glasses were too big so I wasn't able to wear them.  My mom didn't need them because she already has some that looks exactly the same.  (wah-wah-wah..) 

They sang the cool balloon song and Brobie actually floated up.  Whoa!

Then after the song tons of balloons fell from the ceiling!

Guess who that is?  Snoop Dogg!  Can you believe it?

The whole auditorium was rockin'!  I haven't seen so many parents look more excited than their kids.  But I think everyone had a lot of fun.  Yooooo-Gabba-Gabba!!!

On Vetarans' Day

VETERAN'S DAY PRAYER AND MEDITATION

by Susan Kramer

"You gave for peace with courage

That families may be free

So children could grow strong

And safe they'd ever be.

In giving for the sake of peace

You may have suffered loss

Your body may still show its wounds

From taking up the cause.

May remembrance of your time away

Your sacrifice for peace

Spur us on to strive more strongly

For freedom, that there'll be release.

From causes that sent some away

To fight that we may freely live

With gratefulness we thank you, veterans

For all you gave and give!"

****************

Photo booth action at Knott's Berry Farm on Veteran's Day with family.

Early Morning Take Over

My mom usually wakes up early on the weekends. She likes to sit in the kitchen with her coffee to enjoy the early morning solitude before the ruckus starts. She usually reads and writes as the early morning light filters in.  As usual, I woke up, I snuck in the kitchen, and I startled her.  I think it's pretty funny.  So I went to her, sat on her lap, and she gave me a big morning hug and a kiss.  Then I took over her journal and started doodling.  We played a game where I would scribble something and she would continue the drawing to make sense of it.  See the flowers?  I started the grass at the bottom. See the dinosaur?  I drew the head believe or not.  That's just one of the ways we start a Sunday morning. 

What's that???!!

Mommy's notes: 

 I picked up my daughter from school and gave her her usual Welches Fruit Snack to eat on our way home.  We were having a good conversation about her day at school when I checked my rear view mirror.  This is what I saw:

Good thing we were at a stop light because I might've driven into the center divider.  I guess it was her last fruit snack and she decided to store it up on her upper lip until we got home. She had this thing on the whole time we were chatting.  Now, that's talent, isn't it?

 

Maya's notes:

I don't know what the big deal is.  I do this all the time although not in front of my mom.  It did take a lot of practice.  I'm glad I was able to make her laugh.  Anyways, so we got home and I just took it off and popped it in my mouth.  It was yummy.

Boo!

Wow I'm tired.  My Halloween calendar was jam-packed with activities.

I attended the "Goblins in the Garden" event at the Arboretum.

There were lots of kids in costumes and we chased giant bubbles.

I helped decorate a bird pattern with gems and stones.

Then I got a gourd as a reward for helping out with the decoration.  Cool!

They also had a cool tarantula exhibit. This guy is called a Mexican Orange Knee.  He's bigger than my hand.

Cool display of balloons.  Not sure what happened to this guy in striped stockings.

I was so tired when we got home that I actually fell asleep while I was eating my lunch.  Good thing I took a nap because there was another Halloween party I had to go to...

...in our backyard with Kayla!

She was a litttle bumblebee and I was Tinkerbell.

My lolo and mommy catching up on stories.  Charlie always parks in front of someone with food hoping for a chunk of something.

My lolo and lola helped prepare the pumpkins.

Photo courtesy of auntie's camera

So my mom and auntie could carve them.

After they were done, my daddy, Kayla, and I helped judge. 

Photo courtesy of auntie's camera

Um yeah, I like auntie's better.

Kayla also enjoyed going up the slide and going down all on her own.  Good job, Kayla!

We also rode a wagon around.  Here's me being carted around by my daddy.

Photo courtesy of auntie's camera

Then Kayla and I just hung out in the wagon for the rest of the night.  My daddy pulled us in the scary part of our yard while uncle rustled the leaves and stuff.  I guess they were trying to scare us.  It didn't work that's for sure.

Then it was time to say goodbye and Kayla and I hugged and said goodnight. We had a fun Halloween.  Hope you did too.