No way!!!!

That was my response to getting the mail yesterday. The reason why? I got another child support check! And this wasn't some measly check people, I got $667.70! Perfect timing too since our auto insurance is due (and thanks to teen drivers for doubling the insurance). Obviously I can't count on this every month or anything but it's sure nice to actually get child support. Thank God I don't depend on child support to live or we'd be screwed since I'm sure it will be a few months before I see another check, if I get anything at all. At any rate, gee thanks for doing the absolute bare minimum and knocking off $667.70 from that $88,000 you owe me! ;)

dancing, painting and cookies

Now that my pics are uploading super quick I want to blog everything! Ok not everything, but you get the idea. Kaelyn had her annual Girl Scout Me & My Guy Dance. This year's theme was sports so she was dressed in her finest Angels attire. The striped jacket isn't part of the official Angels uniform. Kaelyn and her date had a blast dancing. (I don't think her date had as much fun as she did-she ditched him to go hang with her friends!) They did all kinds of crazy dances like the Charlie Brown and the sprinkler. I would have paid big money to see the hubs dancing like that. Maybe someone posted something on YouTube.

I was getting ready for work...Boo

We were supposed to redecorate Kaelyn's room for her birthday last year and we FINALLY got around to painting. Aren't we terrible parents??? Anyway, it turned out really cute. She still needs a dust ruffle so I'll take more pics when her room is actually finished. She also needs a new dresser since her other one is falling apart. We also need new carpet since there were a couple paint mishaps. Remember, drop cloths are your friends!



I decided to bake some chocolate chip cookies today. Don't know why since the last batch I made at Christmas time turned out like crap. These actually turned out right!!! I got the recipe from another blog I read and I followed the directions word for freaking word. Can't wait to eat them after dinner!

free depeche mode show!!!

Yes, that's right folks! The Jimmy Kimmel show closed down parts of Hollywood Blvd. for a free show by Depeche Mode right there in the street. It was so cool. We decided to be smart this time and leave way early for Hollywood. Think we left around noon. We had lunch at some pizza place and made our way to the line to get in. Holy crap I haven't seen a line this big in a long time. Thank god the weather was cooperating for the most part. It would get a little warm at times but not like the day at the zoo. We had sweatshirts for later when it got cooler. The hubs can't remember how he found out about this show but basically it was put on by the almost finished W hotel in Hollywood and Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote both the hotel and Depeche Mode's new album Sounds of the Universe. The ticket said to expect a lot of standing and they weren't kidding. Think we got in line about 2:30ish and stood there waiting to get let in the gate to the concert area until 5. We got to hear Depeche Mode do sound check on two of their songs, Wrong and Never Let Me Down Again. We stood there packed in like sardines until they FINALLY took the stage around 8. They played Wrong, Peace and Come Back from the new album and old favorites Walking in My Shoes, Enjoy the Silence and Never Let Me Down Again. The crowd was great too considering we were all packed in tight for such a long time. I had visions of stampedes and people getting trampled to death like that Walmart worker at Christmas. We made it out alive after standing for probably close to 8 hours. That part was absolutely miserable. I stand a lot at work but I also do a lot of walking/running at work too. Standing for that long of a time killed my legs and feet. I'm getting old. We decided to have some dinner and drinks to mend our sore bodies and ended up at The Village Idiot. Seemed like a really cool place for locals to hang out and eat some fancy bar food and foo-foo drinks. I felt a little out of place surround by so many L.A types but whatev. We ate our food and drank our drinks and savored a night out without kids fighting/whining about something.


Here's a link to a YouTube video of Wrong. Can't wait to see them again in August at the Hollywood Bowl!

hayley's birthday celebration

Now that I figured out how to resize my photos I'm gonna be a blogging fool!! Pictures load lightening fast now! Anyhoo, back to this long awaited post. Hayley turned 8 this year and we had a weekend long celebration. We all went to dinner at Acapulco in Montclair on Friday (this was way back in April peeps, I'm that far behind.) For some reason she wanted Mexican food for her dinner but ended up ordering grilled cheese or some other nonsense. All six of us plus the mothers had a great dinner. They even sang to her and she got free birthday flan. We're not big flan eaters so most of it sat untouched, although I think the birthday girl ate the whipped cream on the top. I forgot the camera so no pics of dinner. I get a big boo for that one. Sorry!! I'm sure everyone was glad they weren't blinded during dinner with my flash anyway. We spend Saturday getting some free stuff and eating 20 cent tacos for the Wahoo's 20th Anniversay celebration in Chino Hills. It was soooo hot that day!! The anniversary celebration was cool though! (pun intended) We got cheap tacos, free samples from the bakery, frozen yogurt shop, Pei Wei, BJ's (our favorite) and Monster drinks. Don't worry, the kids didn't have any energy drinks. They had lemonade from the bakery. I took a couple sips from the hub's Monster. I usually stay away from caffeine since it gives me palpitations. Kids got stickers, free shirts from the frozen yogurt shop and Kaelyn got a free hat. There was even a snowboard demo in the 90 degree heat!! The snow was melting as fast as they were shoveling it up the ramp. We watched a couple runs then we were off to the L.A. Zoo. Traffic was terrible as usual so we didn't have much time at the zoo when we finally made it there. Why is there traffic on a Sunday anways???

where's waldo, brandon style

poor guy, he's always stuck driving

the zoo was celebrating earth day...the line to get into the zoo was like 3 miles long...ridiculous

celebrity sighting!! the famous alligator named something like ollie, allie, eddie, bobby...hell I can't remember now

meerkat, made famous in the lion king

where's waldo, prairie dog style by hayley

kk is too fast

a real prairie dog

in the petting zoo...seriously we came all this way to pet stinky farm animals??

this goat was hysterical...he'd throw his head back and his eyes would glaze over when this kid would pet him...tried to get a pic of it but the goat wasn't having it

some weird kid "milking" a cow statue

omg flamingos smell so bad...why is that???

in line for the $30 scam, I mean tram ride....don't take the tram people!! it's just a trap to take your money!

whats a blog without several pictures of boring zoo animals?

unfortunately we had to take these animals home with us ;)

Yes, Drew skipped the zoo. He was smart and stayed out of the heat and hung out with one of his friends. We saw a lot of interesting things at the zoo, and not just the animals. The zoo seems to attract a number of questionable people. And several people in casts. Don't know what was up with all the broken bones. After a stop at In N Out for dinner we all needed showers. Think we smelled as bad as the flamingos.

I'm a terrible blogger...

and I apologize for that. I still have to blog about Hayley's birthday, the free Depeche Mode concert we went to, my receipt collection and how I'm spending my $88,000 child support check I got. Just kidding on that last part. I'd be a better blogger if it didn't take 30 minutes for each picture to upload onto the blog. I can't seem to figure out how to resize my pictures so they load faster. Can someone help me to it, step by step?? I seem to be totally mentally challenged in this area so any help would be appreciated.