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!

California vacation -- driving up the coast

We drove up the Pacific Coast Highway from LA to Monterey.  It took a whopping nine hours given the stops for food:

And to look at elephant seals:

And to take pictures of the pretty scenery:

In true Kansas-kid fashion, Coop insisted I take a picture of this squirrel when we were stopped to look at the ocean:

And finally, we arrived to sit out on the deck and relax:

California vacation -- Los Angeles

Coop and I took a quick trip out to California for our summer vacation.  Waiting in the airport:

On the plane to Los Angeles:

The ocean!!!

The Hollywood sign (teeny tiny in the background -- I promise):

Coop with Hollywood Sign (he wasn't terribly impressed, but someday he'll like it):

We met up with Coop's friend Henry and visited this museum:

Watching scientists who are still cleaning and uncovering fossils found in the tar:

And seriously -- tar seeping out of the ground on the museum campus.  Insane.

Smiles and a time lapse video

What could make Coop this happy??

The arrival of these in the mail -- walkie talkies!!

My phone has a fancy time-lapse video feature.  Coop wanted me to use it while he cleaned off his desk.  This was the result:

Our friend Parker stopped by earlier this summer!

Coop showing off a model pirate ship he assembled:

A pirate game Coop invented, which mostly turned out to be rock-paper-scissors:

Grandma Marlene at her 90th birthday party!

Coop escorting Grandma out of the restaurant: