My latest adventures

I turned 40!!

I traveled to Denver for a few days to meet my new nephew Baby Syl:

With The Girls (Carmen and Kelly) and the Little Girls (Vada and Zoey):

The Girls and I spent one evening at a painting (and wine drinking) studio:

Finished!  (And yes, I wore the baby the entire time!)

Coop's latest adventures

A snake necklace:

 Sparring at karate (with actual, newly-acquired sparring gear):

Coop did yeoman's work sorting through the contents of his desk, which move to Alan's new house:

He and I set up this new loft bed for him here:

He was pleased.  I was exhausted!

Auction

Alan's Grandma Margaret has moved into a nursing home, and so a few weekends ago, they auctioned off her house and personal items.

Coop and Alan with Alan's dad and two uncles:

I bought this for Coop.  It's Alan's grandfather's pipe ashtray.  I told Coop he could never, never get rid of it, and that he was to tell people that it belonged to his great-grandfather.  "Who smoked.  But I don't."  Well, yes.... but you can use it for loose change or keys or something....

We stopped to see Grandma Margaret on the way home.  She's doing really well and lit up when Coop entered the room:

Games!

Coop and I have been getting into board games.  Battleship:

Mancala:

Trivial Pursuit:

And then Coop helped our friend Eleanor with some legos:

4th of July

Alan was out of town for the 4th of July weekend, so Coop and I had a playdate with his friend Madeline and her sister Genevieve:

We opted for ice cream for supper.  Only ice cream.  Because nothing says Independence like eating crap for supper!

We had time to watch a quick movie before heading to the Baldwin fireworks display:

Karate update

Coop got his orange belt last month at karate.  Here was the jump front kick he used to break a board at the belt graduation.  Look at the clap of triumph at the end, followed by the huge smile!

Coop and his friend Tyer with their new belts:

California vacation -- Hollywood

We had a day left in LA before our place took off, so Coop and I hit Hollywood!  We went to the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum, a wax museum, and the Guiness Book of World Records museum.  Awesome!!

Coop with the world's tallest man.  He (Cooper) looks a little freaked out because the tall man statue just stood up!

With Star Wars people made from car parts:

With the Zoltar fortune-telling machine (like in the movie Big)!

With wax Steve Irwin (and a snake):

With wax Indiana Jones:

The Pres:

We didn't walk very much around Hollywood (we were toting all of our luggage), so we just picked a star of someone Coop had at least heard of.  Will Ferrell:

I think a statue of the world's fattest man?  Or something like that....

California vacation -- the rest of Monterey

We spent several days in Monterey and visited its aquarium.  I'll spare you the photos of all the sea creatures, and just share this one that made me happy:

We had lunch at a lovely restaurant overlooking the ocean, and this bird landed outside our window, also having its lunch:

We walked by (but didn't stop at) Cooper's Pub.  Alas, no t-shirts sold inside:

We took a whale-watching boat ride with our friends.  But we spent 2.5 of the 3 hour tour in the cabin like this, despite both of us having taken Dramamine before we departed:

Nonetheless, we hit the water again the next day on a kayak.  Much much better!!

 Many of John Steinbeck's books are set in this area, so I made Coop stand by this statue of him:

And on our way out of town, we swung through Salinas, where Steinbeck was born, and went to the Steinbeck museum.  Here's Coop on The Red Pony:

And with the truck Steinbeck drove on his Travels with Charley:

California vacation -- Monterey beaches

The beaches at Monterey are lovely.  Not tons of sand, but big rocks to climb on and tide pools to dig in:

A sea slug (gross):

Star fish (not gross):

King of the mountain!