lots going on

Phewww!! We've been busy around here!! The hubs started a new job recently that has him doing vampire hours-working all night and sleeping all day. We are on the same schedule now but it's been strange having him sleep all day when I'm off. We also got his kids for two weeks for the first time so it was definitely an interesting challenge trying to entertain them so he could sleep. I had time off work while they were here. It would have been a disaster if we both were working. Anyway, I'll try to recap everything as best I can since you know my memory sucks.

The first weekend was 4th of July weekend. I had to work that weekend then I was off for 2 weeks. Luckily he had an extra day off to hang out with the kids. We BBQ'd for the 4th so I could have some sort of a holiday before work. He grilled up burgers and corn. Grilled corn is the best!!! Normally we don't go all out when we grill burgers but since it was America's birthday, we decided to add some bacon, avocado and fancy buns. They were sooooo good! I made a yummy dessert from my buddy's blog. Didn't get a picture of it but trust me, it was good. Kids and hubby (minus the teenager) went to the Angel's game and got to see fireworks after the game. I heard them from the high school. Not quite the same as getting to see them. I'll get to see them next year.

look at this burger!

I love taking pics of people eating...don't know how he fit this thing in his mouth

he didn't realize we were grilling burgers so he had already eaten...didn't stop him from eating grilled corn...so good!

Brandon hates corn and makes sure he tells us every.time.we.make.corn.

looking at the memorial for Nick Adenhart. he was the rookie pitcher that was killed hours after he made his debut....so sad

KK, keep your eyes OPEN!

this c-17 flew over the field before the game

this Angels A was made out of bubbles....some douche from the Orioles hit it with his bat and everyone booed

Hubby didn't take pics of the fireworks with this camera, think he used his camera on his cellphone. Just imagine pics of fireworks at this point.

I have to say, trying to keep the kids quiet so he could sleep was sooo stressful on me. He doesn't use earplugs like I do so most of the time I can't hear anything. While he was sleeping even normal conversation sounded super loud so I was constantly shushing the kids. I think the first day I stressed myself sick. When I'm trying to sleep during the day when all the kids are here it's only for a couple days. I was looking at 2 weeks of this!!! Luckily he said the sound of the air conditioner in the room drowned out most noise so I pretty much let the kids do whatever in the house. (obviously there wasn't any really loud screaming, running or using power tools)

Here's some pics taken swimming at Gawa's pool at her condo. We spent about 5 hours swimming. I really needed some sun. I'm ghostly pale.

didn't lie-ghostly pale

they look so ridiculous wearing their goggles

Hayley can finally swim so this year she didn't spend the entire time in the shallow end. She even got brave enough to jump in although both girls still need to plug their noses to go underwater. I have tried and tried and tried to explain how to blow out of their nose but they just don't get it.

We got some gloves to play catch. Brandon has decided that next year he's not going to play football, he's going to play baseball. Said he needed to start practicing now. We spend several days in the yard playing catch. We all had so much fun, even the non-sports person (me).

playing 3 flags up...basically whoever caught 3 fly balls won

Since the hubby works 5 days in a row we could only spend one day at the beach with all of us. We usually go to Laguna since the scenery is much better and we can see the tidepools, but decided on Huntington for the waves. Packed up some lunch, boogie boards and sand toys and headed off.

here comes Brandon! hubby got him way out in the water and got him started on the wave...he did pretty good!

oops, wipeout!!

he made it all the way to the beach

she was cold ?!?

I love the beach but some times the sand just drives me nuts!! I get a little crazy with keeping the sand off the towel but the kids mostly played and didn't hang around our towel/umbrella set-up. We ate, played in the water, played in the sand, read trashy magazines (me), played catch and had a blast. I like Laguna way better but really the day was great. My only complaint was the 357 mile walk in the sand from the car to the water dragging all our crap back and forth.


Hubby needed to sleep so I took the kids to the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana. Lots of intersting things there for the kids to see. I got a little bored towards the end of the day but the kids seemed to have fun.

the kids were on the other side of this thing pushing into these peg thingies...those are their hand imprints

Brandon on the other side of a tornado

making smoke rings....and not with cigarettes!

Hay was making a face using this computer program...kinda creepy how realistic it looked

laying on a bed of nails

Hay didn't want to do it and neither did I! guess it doesn't hurt but, no thanks!

they made a new friend

this thing is so creepy!! reminded me of the stupid Howdy Doody doll my cousins used to torture me with

the girls giggled and giggled listening to each other....this thing distorted their voices...they sounded like old women that smoke and drank way too much

this pic reminded them of where the hubby works

they had this whole set-up of the science of hockey...don't think they learned a thing but had fun anyway...Bran was trying to be a goalie here

this was the Smokey Bear/Woodsey Owl setup-it was babyish

KK is some kinda bird and is trying to attack Hay the turtle...dorks

I don't have any other pictures to show but we went to another Angel's game, saw a bunch of movies at home and in the theater, played countless games on the Wii, went swimming with the neighbors and a friend from work, went out to eat and did a lot of cooking. Our visit went pretty good. The kids didn't fight and drive us crazy like we were expecting. We are hoping that next year when the hubby will get vacation time that we'll finally be able to take a real family vacation. I go back to work after 2 weeks off and I'm not looking forward to it. :-(