Muir Moments

December 2008 - Christmas Lights

2008-12-27T21:26:00.000-08:00

I had to get some last minute Christmas shopping done, and it meant taking the kids out with me after school, and we made a stop to take a look at some Christmas lights

November 2008 - Thanksgiving with the Cleggs and Olsens

2008-12-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

Mike's cousin Briana invited us to her parents home for Thanksgiving, and we had a great time! Aunt Bonnie made a WONDERFUl meal, and she also made the most AMAZING gingerbread houses for the kids to decorate.

Here is Tyler decorating, but had also obviously been "tasting" a bit by the evidance on his top lip!

Nicole, my creative child doing her thing

November 2008 - Holidays at Disneyland

2008-12-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

We haven't been to Disneyland quite as much as we used to, but the day before Thanksgiving I took the kids to go and have some fun. It truly is a magical place.

Here are the decorations at the Main Street Train Station

Here is the Christmas Parade

The great thing was the the kids didn't have school the following day, so we stayed until after dark, and the Magic Kingdom gets even more magical!

At Disneyland they also have "snow". Even though it was just bubbles, the kids LOVED it!

November 2008 - Thomas the Tank Engine

2008-12-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

Our neighbors Linda and Zachary invited us to go to see Thomas the Tank engine with them. We took a drive out to Perris, California, and had a really great time out there!

October 2008 - Halloween

2008-12-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

Halloween this year was a lot of fun once again!

Here are the pumpkins that Mike and the kids carved

One of our Neighbors goes "all out" with the Halloween decorations. This was just the beginning of what he put out this year

This year Mike and Tyler were "Captain Jack Sparrow"

October 2008 - Nicole Turns 6

2008-12-27T20:25:00.001-08:00

For Nicole's 6th Birthday she agreed to go to Dinner with 6 friends. We all went to California Pizza Kitchen, and it turned out to be a really fun evening! Happy Birthday Princess!

October 2008 - Toothless Grin

2008-12-27T20:21:00.001-08:00

Nicole continues to loose her teeth, much to her delight. Here is the 3rd one to go...

October 2008 - Anaheim Auto Show

2008-10-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

We usually go to the LA Auto Show, but we decided to try the Anaheim one instead this year. Tyler seems to share my interest in cars, and asks me what the car's make & model is when we are on the road. Our first stop at the show was by the DeLorean's - dated, but still cool in my book!

Here are Mike and Tyler with the Ford Mustang's done up for the "Transformers" movie

Tyler and the "Speedracer"

I could really go for one of these Audi's!!

September 2008 - Canyon Lake

2008-10-07T14:26:00.001-07:00

Mike's Uncle Jon and his wife Jerrie have recently moved to California, and we got to go and visit them. They live in a gated community on a lake called Canyon Lake. After swimming in their pool and having a BBQ, we went for a drive in their golf cart...

Nic and Ty on the lake with Daddy & Uncle Jon

We had a really great time, and we are glad to have more family close by!!

September 2008 - Marina Del Rey

2008-10-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

Nicole gets out of school early on a Wednesday, and I had heard about a local park where the kids can ride bikes, so we went to go and check it out. The Park is in Marina Del Rey, and it serves as a good reminder of how close we are to the ocean and all of its wonders.

September 2008 - Nicole ditches her training wheels

2008-10-07T13:36:00.000-07:00

You know that your kids are growing up too fast when they start loosing their teeth, and they ask for their training wheels to be removed. I cannot believe that Nic is almost 6!! So, here she is with her bike with no more training wheels...

Here is our girl in action...

September 2008 - First Grade

2008-10-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived when the kids go back to school. It was a really fun summer, and it was so much fun to be with the kids, but it was EXHAUSTING!!! 9 weeks...I guess that the teachers deserved the break! Well, Nicole was off to First Grade, new lunchbox in tow and all!!

And, on the first day of first grade, Nicole lost her first tooth...

August 2008 - Walking with Dinosaurs

2008-09-19T22:41:00.000-07:00

We got to take the kids to the "Walking with Dinosaurs" show (http://www.dinosaurlive.com/). It was really well put together, and the kids enjoyed it. Here they are with their friend Zoe who went with her family and us.

August 2008 - Wild Rivers

2008-09-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

My friend Suzanne, and her 2 kids Ava and Rex, and Nicole, Tyler and I took a drive down to Irvine and enjoyed a day at Wild Rivers Water Park. It was so much fun!

Here are Tyler and Rex having a snack

While Nicole and Ava lounge in the sun

August 2008 - Disneyland Monorail Mark VII

2008-09-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Our Disneyland passesd are valid again, and before we took the summer off the Monorail that we frequently rode between Downtown Disney and Tomorrowland looked like this..

On our first time back after the summer blackout we got to ride on the new Monorail Mark VII which looks like this...

It's good to be back :)

August 2008 - Power Wheels

2008-09-19T20:57:00.001-07:00

I have wanted to buy the kids a Fisher Price Power Wheels Jeep for the longest time! I was presented with a great opportunity when Mattel, which is just down the street, had a Power Wheels safety event where the kids could drive the cars around the track on the Mattel property.

August 2008 - First Sleepover

2008-09-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

Nicole had India over for her first sleepover. We set up the air mattress in the living room for the girls.

They had swam, and played all day long, so shortly after 10 pm this is how the evening ended...

August 2008 - Chuch-E-Cheese

2008-09-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

Tyler's friend Colin had his 3rd Birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese - a kids idea of HEAVEN, and a parents NIGHTMARE in terms of GERM INFESTATION!!!!!!!

Tyler was so in LOVE with Chuck-E-Cheese

Tyler and The Birthday Boy Colin

August 2008 - Mark and Maria

2008-09-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

We have two WONDERFUL neighbors, Mark and Maria. The kids love them!!

M&M made us some cupcakes, so Nicole made a Thank You card for them on which she drew M&M. The resemblance is uncanny :)

August 2008 - The In-n-Out Truck

2008-09-19T20:02:00.001-07:00

One of the great things about living in California is a chain restaurant called In-n-Out Burger. Our family enjoys going there, but you gotta love the USA even more when something as great as In-n-Out comes to you!!! Talk about the land of convenience!

Tyler's pre-school had a movie night, complete with fresh made In-n-Out burgers...YUMMY!!

August 2008 - Friends Celebrating Together

2008-09-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

My friend and Neighbor Heather is having her 5th baby, so a group of friends got together to celebrate with her. What a cute group of mommies we make :)

July 2008 - New friends

2008-09-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

We have some new neighbors, The Maugere/Larsen family. They have a daughter, India who Nicole has played with almost every day since they moved in.

Here are Tyler, Nicole & India on a hike in Tememscal Canyon

Here are the girls at the Aquarium of the Pacific

The kids at the Greystone Mansion Koi pond

July 2008 - A Day in Washington DC

2008-09-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

Our kind friends Erin & Carey and their 2 kids Ander & Hadyn were kind enough to be our hosts and tour guides during our stay in the Washington DC area. Our day started off with a ride on the Metro. The kids loved being together!

First stop - The White House

Erin made a great suggestion, to view the city from the Old Post Office Tower. It is an AMAZING way to see the whole city!

Here is the view of the Capitol from the Old Post Office Tower

Pass by the Washington Monument

The Smithsonian - we went to the Air & Space Museum

Final Stop - The Jefferson Memorial

The kids found some great sticks to play with at the Jefferson Memorial. Nicole and Ander were such troopers about walking all day long. I was glad that they got to take a break!

Erin, Hadyn and Tyler taking a break

We decided to have dinner in DC, but trying to find a restaurant without a lengthy wait proved difficult. Carey did us proud and found a great little place, but here is a picture of the tired crowd

We had a great time, DC is an amazing city. Thanks Carey, Erin, Ander & Hadyn for being so hospitable!!

July 2008 - 4th of July in Washington DC

2008-09-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

It isn't every year that you get to spend the 4th of July on the National Mall in Washington DC, but we got to this year! The weather was pretty dreary, but it was so worth it. Thanks to Carey and Erin for taking us!!

This was Mike's first trip to Washington DC, and the kid's too. I had to laugh when Mike said to Tyler "you better remember his, because it took me 35 years to get here " :)

July 2008 - Miniature Golf

2008-09-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

What family vacation would be complete without a game of miniature golf?? There was a little course at the resort, and Mike and the kids played several times during our stay. The kids LOVED it!!

July 2008 - Colonial Williamsburg

2008-09-06T19:05:00.000-07:00

We spent the day in Colonial Williamsburg, and it is definitely worth the visit! It is like stepping back in time, and it is so great to walk where the early US presidents and leaders walked.

The place the intrigued me the most was the Governers Palace. The Palace is really beautiful, with so much detail and craftsmanship!

Here are the kids playing in the gardens

June 2008 - Busch Gardens

2008-08-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

I wasn't too sure if we should include a day at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg or not, but my friend Heather vR talked me into it, and I am so glad that we went! We were joined by our friends The Smithee's, and it was quite funny because after days and days of taking at least 90 minutes to get to our destination, the kids were pleasantly surprised that Busch Gardens was about 5 minuts away from our resort :)

Here is my cute family, I think that I will keep them!

Tyler on a Biplane

Nikki and Willy on a plane together

We had a really great day!!

June 2008 - New Friends in Virginia

2008-08-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

We got to take a family vacation to Virginia in June and July. I got to see my good friends, and Nic and Ty got to make new friends with my friends' kids :)

Here they are with the Dube' Kids - thanks for your hospitality A&K!!

They made fast friends with the Smithee Kids too

June 2008 - Discovery Science Center

2008-08-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

We were invited to a preview of the "Walking with Dinosaurs" show at the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, CA (http://www.discoverycube.org/). The baby T-Rex that we got to see was great, and we will be going to the show on August 23rd, Yippee!

The kids got to do all kinds of fun things like climb on the rock wall

As well as hang with Bob the Builder and his crew :)

June 2008 - Kindergarten Graduation

2008-07-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

Well, Nicole is officially done with Kindergarten! I am having a pretty hard time coming to grips with the fact that she is growing up so fast.

Here she is receiving her diploma (sorry about the twit who put his hand in the shot)

Here's our "graduate"

June 2008 - Swimming Lessons

2008-07-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

My neighbor Jinny and I decided to have a teacher come to our pool and teach our kids how to swim. Stephanie did a really great job, and Tyler is swimming really well!

June 2008 - Toy Story Mania

2008-07-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

I entered a drawing at Disney's California Adventure, and we got to go and try out the new Toy Story Mania ride before it was opened to the public. It is a 3D attraction, and we got to ride it twice! If you go to DCA, you should give it a try!!

3D Nikki

3D Tyler

June 2008 - Muppets 3D

2008-07-24T18:08:00.001-07:00

We went to Disneyland yet again seeing that our summer blackout was about to start. We went to California Adventure, and has this pic taken at the Muppets 3D Movie.

June 2008 - Student of the Month

2008-07-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

Nicole was the Student of the Month for May, her teacher said that she is doing very well, and has matured nicely throughout the year - Well done sweet girl!

May 2008 - Mommy Turns 33 at Disneyland

2008-07-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Another birthday, another excuse to go to Disneyland as a family. Here we are at A Bugs Land at Disney's California Adventure. Tyler had been dying to go on this ride, but I needed another adult to accompany him...daddy kindly helped us out :)

May 2008 - Nicole's Class at the Fire Station

2008-07-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

I accompanied Nicole's Kindergarten class to the Culver City Fire Station. The firemen let the kids play with the hose...

And seeing that it was a REALLY HOT day, it was a welcome treat for all who got sprayed :)

May 2008 - Ty Ty The Bakers Man

2008-07-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

Tyler is pretty handy in the kitchen, and of course a VERY willing helper. Here he is helping to make some sugar cookies...

May 2008 - The Greystone Mansion

2008-05-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

Ever since Kathy and I went on our tour of LA, I have meant to go back to the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills http://www.greystonemansion.org/. Tyler and I were in Beverly Hills today, so seeing that we were up there anyway we went to take a look.

Seeing that I had Tyler with me, I had to perk his interest in the place. We went to this pond that has koi and turtles in it. The koi were really funny, they must have assumed that we were going to feed them because the came right to where we were, and followed us around the pond.

And then I fell in love! The mansion, completed in 1928, is so beautiful, and so full of attention to detail. The mansion was built by Edward Doheny for his son Ned. http://www.greystonemansion.org/history.html. Here are some pictures that I took...

What I loved most about the mansion was the attention to detail. Here are the chimneys all with different brick patternwork...

Here are the outdoor light fixtures...

It was a bit hazy today, but on a clear day the view must be truly spectacular!!

This is the list of movies that have been filmed up at Greystone

http://www.greystonemansion.org/movies.html

April 2008 - Tyler can draw!!

2008-05-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

Mike can draw, Kim cannot draw :( Nicole can draw, and now it seems that Tyler CAN draw. I was not too thrilled that he decided to draw a picture of his dad on the arm of the couch (yay for washable markers), but I don't think that I am crazy when I say that you can see that this is a face :) Not too bad for a 3 year old!

April 2008 - Kim & Kathy hit LA

2008-05-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

It was Kathy's birthday which means that we have an excuse to leave the kids with the dads, and go and have some fun together! Kathy is a great friend, and one thing that we really have in common in our celeb trash habit!! So, to celebrate we decided to do the ultimate LA tourist thing, and we went on a tour of the Star's Homes. Here is our tour bus in Hollywood...

We started at the Hollywood and Highland complex, and went up to the Yamashiro Restaurant where you can see for miles. It makes you realize just how HUGE LA is!! This home has an amazing history, (http://www.yamashirorestaurant.com/history/index.html) and includes the oldest structure in California, a Pagoda that the Bernheimer Borthers brought back from Japan with them.

The Birthday girl in front of the Tour Van at the Yamashiro

After Hollywood, we headed over to

We got to see the homes of The Osbourne's, David & Victoria Beckham, Tom Cruise's old and new homes, Madonna, and many others. We also had a bit of a history lesson, and a place that really intrigued me was the Greystone Mansion. I want to go and take a closer look one of these days seeing that it is now a public park.

We then headed into Bel Air where we saw Nicholas Cage's home, and the homes of many old Hollywood movie stars. It was fun to see the House from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air"

Life is short, and if you are ever in LA, this really is a fun thing to do!

April 2008 - Tyler's Hair Cut

2008-05-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Mike has cut Tyler's hair ever since his first hair cut. The only problem is that Tyler is NOT a willing participant at all! So, Mike put it off (understandably) for a little too long, and I was in Santa Monica where there is a kids hair salon called "The Yellow Balloon". The salon is quite "kitsch" for lack of a better term, but the stylist knew just what to do to keep Tyler sitting still - she handed him a spinning light up toy featuring "The Incredibles". Mike and I agreed that we need to pick one of those up :)

April 2008 - Tyler's Trike-a-Thon

2008-05-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

Tyler's Pre School has a fundraiser Trike-a-Thon. He was really excited to take his bike to school, and WIN! He did really well, 10 laps compared to most of the other kids 6 laps. I was very proud of him!

March 2008 - Bag Tagged

2008-05-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

My Sister-in-Law Mindy Bag Tagged me. What I had to do was take a picture of the contents in my purse, and put them on my blog. I had no problem doing it, but then I got a better idea when Nicole decided that she needed a purse too. It is pretty much exactly what is in my purse too :)

I too carry everything in a backpack. In it I have a :

Cell Phone
Digital Camera
iPod
Pen
Notebook (well, a Palm Handheld, but it serves the same purpose)
Nail File

Aren't daughters the best :)

I Bag Tag Karen W. and Nicole G.

March 2008 - The Huntington

2008-05-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

My friend Brenda used to live in Pasadena, and recommended that we go and take a look at The Huntington Botanical Gardens. Kathy and I took Colin and Tyler.

Here are Tyler and Colin at the newest Chinese Garden, called The Garden of Flowing Fragrance.

By the Koi Pond

February 2008 - Noah's Ark Exhibit at the Skirball

2008-05-01T15:33:00.000-07:00

The Skirball Museum in LA that has a really great permanent exhibit called the "Noah's Ark" exhibit (http://www.skirball.org/). The exhibit is shaped like an Ark, and tells that story of Noah and the journey with the animals. There are all kinds of great hands-on things to do, and many of the animals are built from all kinds of different and exciting materials. Kathy and I took Tyler and Colin to check it out. They had a great time!

Zebra's made with Air Vent Covers

The entrance to the Ark

The wind machine that blows leaves

February 2008 - Tyler Turns 3

2008-05-01T15:29:00.001-07:00

Our Ty-Ty is finally 3. He wishes that he was 5 like his sister, but all in good time!!

Happy Birthday Big Boy, we love you!!

January 2008 - A New Year at Disneyland

2008-05-01T15:18:00.000-07:00

Disneyland is great, but the large Characters really seem to freak most kids out. On this particular trip on a quiet day at the parks, Tyler decided that maybe he was okay with the characters. Yippee, progress! He may as well get used to them, seeing that we go as much as we do :)

Nikki and Pluto

Tyler and Mickey

Nikki and Cinderella

Tyler and Woody (who was trying to steal Ty's cotton Candy) - no wonder the characters freak the kids out ;)

January 2008 - I Wanna be a Cowboy

2008-05-01T15:15:00.001-07:00

Tyler up to his usual antics around the house...

January 2008 - The Boone Gallery

2008-05-01T15:05:00.001-07:00

LA has yet another Childrens Museum exhibit. This is the Boone Gallery at the LA County Museum of Art. They have all kids on things for the kids to create with. You can paint...

Build with blocks, and so much more!

January 2008 - Disneyland Lights

2008-05-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

One of the best days to go to Disneyland if you want the whole park practically to yourself is the first Monday after New Year when everyone goes back to work and school. We had a great time! This is what "It's a Small World" looks like at night during the Holiday Season.

December 2007 - Sightseeing in Arizona

2008-05-01T14:32:00.000-07:00

We went on a few family excursions while we were in Arizona. We got to see Montezuma Castle which is a "castle" that the Sinagua Tribe built into the side of a mountain

We also took a drive West of Sedona and ended up In Jerome. The thing that caused the most excitement was SNOW :)

We also discovered this "Museum" that was more of a junkyard, but there was some pretty cool old stuff to see there!

December 2007 - A GeoTrax Christmas

2008-05-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

So, last year was the Lego Christmas, and this was the year of the GeoTrax. Everybody got their own train, and Mike built some pretty amazing tracks. Here are a few that he built...

And after playing with the tracks for a little while, Tyler would delight in doing this...

December 2007 - Family Christmas in Sedona, AZ

2008-05-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

My parents generously let us all use their timeshare so that we could be together as a family for Christmas. Seeing that Ryan, and our family are in CA, and Craig is in Utah, Arizona worked out just great!

A Muir family Christmas time tradidion is to decorate a gingerbread house, so, here are Nicole and Tyler with the end result...

Seeing that we don't get a huge taste of the seasons changing in Southern CA, the kids had a great time playing with the dead leaves at the resort

I think that Nicole was a little worried that Santa wouldn't be able to find us, so here was a note that she left with a plate of cookies, and glass of milk

Relief, Santa found us :)

Santa also found Uncle Craig and Cousin Matthew

December 2007 - Christmas in LA

2008-05-01T09:17:00.001-07:00

There is a really cute street in El Segundo called "Candy Cane Lane" where the residents decorate their homes with lights, trains and all kinds of great things for the Holidays. We took my parents and the kids to take a look.

Getting ready for Sant'a visit

Tyler being silly as usual!

My Parents enjoying the holiday lights for the first time as US residents...YIPPEE!

December 2007 - Snuggle Bug

2008-05-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

Once again Tyler went looking for a warm body to snuggle up to before taking his nap...grandad was just PERFECT :)

December 2007- Hip Hop Dancing Queen

2008-05-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Nicole took a Hip Hop Dancing Class at school. She was not too happy about the class at first because she didn't know how to dance, but after I explained to her that she was in the class to learn how to dance, it was a lot better!

Here she is just before her performance to Fergie's "Glamorous"

Our dancing girl in action...

November 2007 - Enchanted

2008-05-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

Living in LA certainly has its perks! Kathy and I took Nikki and Zoe to a screening of "Enchanted" at the El Capitan theater, and afterwards there was an "Enchanted Experience" area that has sets, props and costumes from the movie. It was so much fun, for princesses young and old ;)

Here are Nikki and Zoe with Giselle's wedding dress

Nikki and Zoe after their "makeovers"

Sitting on the "Ballroom Scene" set

Giselle was also there for the girls to have a chat with

November 2007 - LA Auto Show

2008-05-01T08:33:00.000-07:00

When the Auto Show comes to town, you know where to find us :) It is really fun now that the kids can pretend to drive (or fight over who gets to drive :)

Here is Nicole loving the Mini Cooper S

Tyler thinks that the Smart Car is the one for him!!

November 2007 - Disneyland Christmas Tree

2008-02-19T15:04:00.001-08:00

Once again we found ourselves at Disneyland - I just had to take a picture of the ENORMOUS tree :)

November 2007 - Happiness Is...

2008-02-19T14:59:00.001-08:00

Tyler is doing so well with the potty training, and he especially loves wearing big boy underwear...even though he puts it on BACKWARDS :)

November 2007 - The Zimmer Children's Museum

2008-02-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles is truly full of all kinds of wonderful activities for children. I took Tyler over to one called the Zimmer Childrens Museum (http://www.zimmermuseum.org/). It is full of great hands-on activities for the kids, Tyler had a BLAST!

Ty got to play in a real airplane

and interact with some computers

It is also full of little rooms where kids can role play, like a store, and a tree house, and a Synagogue. I HIGHLY recommend it!!

October 2007 - Halloween Night

2008-02-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

Once again we invited friends and family to Trick or Treat around our complex with us. Kathy, Zoe and Colin came as well as Cousin Briana with baby Addison. Our neighbors Illana and Elijah joined us to for some fun too. We all had a great time!

Tyler, Nikki & Zoe before we left

Illana, Nikki and Zoe before leaving

Our favorite skunk Addison

Just check out that loot!!

October 2007 - Nicole Turns 5

2007-12-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

Yep, Nicole has made it to 5. She was so excited for this birthday, probably because she was the last one to turn 5 in her Kindergarten class. She even told me one day that she couldn't go to school any more because everybody is 5, and she is only 4 :(

We had her party at the Color Me Mine Pottery Studio, and she had a great time creating with her friends. They all did something Princess-related...or course :)

Happy Birthday to our FAVORITE 5 Year Old!!

October 2007 - Happy Halloween

2007-12-09T16:25:00.001-08:00

For Halloween this year Nicole was Elina from Barbie Fairytopia,

Tyler was a driver for Lightning McQueen from Disney/Pixar's "Cars"

October 2007 - Disneyland Halloween

2007-11-19T14:39:00.000-08:00

Halloween is so much fun at Disneyland! They decorate the place up with a halloween theme which just adds to the fun! Kathy and I took the kids there to see the halloween stuff, and we decided to be completely NUTS, and wait for the fireworks which only start at 9:30pm. When your kids usually go the bed at 8pm, stretching it an hour and half is CRAZY! We threatened to just leave a few times, but we kept each other strong, and we did it! The fireworks were truly worth it!!

This picture doesn't do it justice, but here is a glimpse of Main Street, with the Mickey Pumpkin at the end.

Nikki and Zoe waited patiently in the stroller, and goofed off a bit :)

Tyler and Colin hung in there too!

October 2007 - The Pumpkin Patch

2007-11-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

The fall would not officially be here without a trip to the Pumpkin Patch. Mike, my Mom, Nikki, Tyler and I took a drive down to Orange County to see a pumpkin patch with our friends Victor & Kristen.

We took a ride on the train

The kids got their faces painted

And Tyler tried to show off how strong he is :) It was a fun day!

I got Tagged

2007-10-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

I was recently tagged by my friend, Karen. After finding out that it meant to be "tagged", here are 6 Habits/Facts about me:

1. I LOVE cars! I am not into classic cars, or engines, just what the latest and greatest ones on the road are. When we lived in the Bay Area, I would so look forward to the Auto Show around Thanksgiving weekend that we attended every year we lived there. The LA one is okay, but I miss the Moscone Center!!

2. I am very organized! I believe that there should be a place for everything, and everything should be in its place! Desite having children, I have not been broken...yet. I kinda hope that I hang onto this habit though!

3. I cannot type.

4. I love yellow cake with cream cheese frosting! It is my ULTIMATE comfort food! It makes everything better!!

5. Even though I fought bitterly with my two brothers growing up, they truly have turned out to be two of my best friends in the world! I am trying to convince Nikki that she needs to be nicer to her brother, but I guess that it is still early days!

6. I used to be an avid ballroon dancer. I have medaled in Bronze, Silver and Gold Standard Ballroom, Latin and Social Dance and Bronze and Silver in Country Western dancing.

I now tag Nicole Guerra in Novato, and Mindy, my favorite sister-in-law :)

Sept 2007 - Last Time at Disneyland

2007-10-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends the Nuttall's moved this month, but we snuck in one last time at Disneyland with them! The kids had a great time! We miss you guys!!

Sept 2007 - Tyler with a Power Tool

2007-10-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Tyler seems to have a knack for the family business - power tools...uh oh!!!

Sept 2007 - Washing the Car

2007-10-15T11:48:00.001-07:00

It would not be the end of Summer without giving the car a last wash before it gets too cold to do it ourselves. Mike decided to wash the cars...with the kids helping, it took a LOT longer than it normally would have :) Afterwards Mike said that it was worth paying to take it to the local carwash :) Ha ha ha!!!

Sept 2007 - Tyler in the Sprinklers

2007-10-15T11:45:00.001-07:00

Tyler is such a little boy - I cannot take him anywhere with water, because look what happens...

Sept 2007 - Granny and Grandad

2007-10-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Granny and Grandad are FINALLY living in the US! Here they are with the kids on a break at Temescal Canyon.

Aug 2007 - The Varkie's at The Grove

2007-10-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

What monthly post would be complete without a picture at The Grove ??? ;) Here are Grandad, Mindy, Matty, Granny, Nikki & Tyler on the Tram.

Aug 2007 - Princess Jasmine

2007-10-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

Nicole has loved Princess Jasmine (from Aladdin) since she was 2, it still amazes me that Princess Jasmine is STILL her favorite - but here Nikki is again, dressed as Princess Jasmine at her friend Rachel's Birthday Party

Aug 2007 - Cool Dudes

2007-10-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Tyler "helped" Uncle Ryan to look cool by sharing his pair of Nemo sunglasses - needless to say, he put them on Uncle Ryan's head for him ")

Aug 2007 - The Cousins

2007-10-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

No visit with the family would be complete without a picture of the cousins. Here are Nikki, Tyler and Matty!

Aug 2007 - Sleeping Beauties

2007-10-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Our dear little Tyler is what you could call a "snuggle bug". He loves to cozy up next to a warm body, and take a nap. When Ryan and Wynne were visiting, they decided to take a nap on the couch. Tyler decided to join the party I guess, he hopped onto Ryan's lap, made himself comfy, and went to dreamland with them :)

Aug 2007 - Young Love

2007-09-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

Nicole has a new boyfriend, his name is Cameron Simpson, and she has it all worked out. They are going to get married, have 4 kids (2 girls, and 2 boys), and they are going to live in Idaho, because "Idaho is good for kids". I had to laugh when she told me that Cameron doesn't know where Idaho is, but she will show him - good thing seeing that they are going to live and raise their family there :)

Aug 2007 - The LA Zoo with Baby Addison

2007-09-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

On August 1st we got together with Mike's cousin Briana, and her adorable little gril Addison and we went to the LA Zoo. It was pretty warm, but it was a great visit. This was the first time that Tyler has taken such an interest in the animals. We will have to do this again!

July 2007 - Our Family

2007-08-03T15:25:00.001-07:00

We never really get a chance to sit down, and get a family picture taken. This one is not perfect, but here we are.

July 2007 - Tyler on a Pony

2007-08-03T15:23:00.001-07:00

Well, miracles NEVER cease. Tyler is slowly but surely getting over his fear of animals. I had Mike put Tyler on the Pony, if I had triend I probably would not have succeeded, but he did it!!

July 2007 - Adventureplex

2007-08-03T15:17:00.001-07:00

I took the kids to an indoor play area in Manhattan Beach called Adventureplex. The kids ran and ran and got all sweaty, but it was a great way to get rid of some of their never-ending energy!

July 2007 - The Circus

2007-08-03T15:11:00.000-07:00

On July 21st we took the kids to go and see Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus. I went to the circus as a kid in a big, hot, dusty circus tent. The Staples Center is DEFINITELY the way to do it!!

Here are Daddy and Tyler after the fun! Nikki wanted to stay all day!

July 2007 - More Good Times at The Grove

2007-08-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

We went to the Grove AGAIN! We had lunch with Colin and Zoe, yummy Pizza at Farmers Market

A trip to The Grove would not be complete without a ride on the Tram :)

July 2007 - Dad/Grandpa Muir Turns 60

2007-08-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons that we went to Idaho was to celebrate Dad Muir's 60th Birthday. Happy Birthday Grandpa! Here is the whole family.

July 2007 - Camping Fun ????

2007-08-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

Mike's Mom and Dad decided that it would be fun to go camping. We spent 2 days up in Palisades. It was pretty hot, but we all had a good visit.

The kids were getting pretty rowdy, so Mike came up with the idea for the cousins to make "soup". That kept them busy for quite a while!

July 2007 - Hanging with the Cousins

2007-08-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

Nikki and Tyler are really lucky to have 2 cousins very close in age. They had a lot of fun playing with Kennedy, and Mason.

July 2007 - Rexburg Water Park

2007-08-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

A trip to Rexburg, Idaho would not be complete without a day at the water park. Nikki and Tyler had a lot of fun there!

July 2007 - Visiting Craig, Mindy & Matthew

2007-08-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

We took a trip to Utah and Idaho at the beginning of July. Our first and last stops were to see my brother Craig, his wife Mindy, and cutie cute cute son Matthew.

Here are My Boys - Tyler and Matty :)

Isn't he the CUTEST!!!

June 2007 - New Backpacks at The Grove

2007-07-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

Nikki will be starting Kindergarten on September 4th - I still cannot believe it! We were at The Grove, one of my favorite shopping places in LA (http://www.thegrovela.com/), and they were having a sale at Pottery Barn Kids. They had the cutest backpacks on sale, so I picked up one for both Nikki and Tyler. It is always good to be prepared!! Here the kids are in front of the dancing fountain, they always love to stop there first when we arrive at The Grove.

June 2007 - Getting Ready for Fathers Day

2007-07-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Fathers Day, we went to Build-a-Bear and built Mike a "Cody Maverick" from Surf's Up! Here the kids are giving Cody a "bath".

June 2007 - Griffith Park Train

2007-07-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Trains and ponies are always great fun for kids, so I took Nikki and Tyler to Griffith Park to ride the train and ponies there. We rode the train together, and then Nikki rode on a Pony. Tyler is still not quite ready to ride on a pony, despite being so excited to see and touch them.

June 2007 - Tyler's First Day of Pre School

2007-07-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, my baby Tyler is all grown up, and he started pre school at the beginning of June. He is going to the same school as Nikki to make the transition a little easier. He was great the first 2 times I left him, and then the excitement wore off for a while when he realized that mommy was leaving him for a while. He is doing much better again, thank goodness!!!

Surf's Up Mike!

2007-07-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

Mike worked on Surf's Up, an animated feature that was released in June. Here he is with a poster that his mom found :) You can see more at www.surfsup.com

Disneyland with Grandma and Grandpa

2007-07-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, we go to Disneyland a LOT! We LOVE that place! Before Grandma and Grandpa Muir went home, we slipped in a day at Disneyland with them. Nikki and Tyler were so excited to show Grandma and Grandpa their favorite rides! It was a great day!

Fun in the Pool in Solvang

2007-07-22T16:16:00.000-07:00

We went to Solvang at the end of May with Mike's parents and grandparents. It was a lot of fun! The kids especially liked the pool! Here they are cooling off with dad, who also got a much needed break!!

Temescal Canyon Fun!

2007-07-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went for a hike up at Temescal Canyon, it is pretty close to home, and there are some really great trails up there. It is a great place for the kids to get rid of some energy :)

Mommy Turns 32 at Disneyland

2007-07-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

We all went to Disneyland on my 32nd birthday to celebrate. We had a good time going on all the rides, and we went to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. Tyler was a bit freaked out by the elephants right next to our table, he would get hysterical when they started moving - it was quite funny

May 2007 (so far)

2007-05-13T16:37:00.000-07:00

Last week we got to go to Cal Poly Pomona to see the Arabian horses that they have there. Tyler is obsessed with horses, and so I thought that it would be a fun outing.

Tyler was so amazed by the horses, but never let them get too close. He did NOT want to leave :)

Nicole jumped right in, and fed the horses. She is so ready to just be part of the action. It was a great visit!

Mike was kind enough to watch the kids while I went to Toronto to visit my good friend Mary. It was a great trip, but I REALLY missed my family. While I was there I got to go to Niagara Falls

And the CN Tower (the tallest building in the world)

April 2007

2007-05-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

April is the month of Easter. LA has a lot of easter egg hunts, and so we went to 2 of them. One in Culver City, and one in Westchester. The kids had a ball, and got a LOT of candy! I had to give most of it away...

My blog would not be complete without a picture of my perfect nephew Matthew...isn't he ADORABLE!!!