The Acquarium

Saturday morning we took the kids to the Long Beach Aquarium. We met our friends Larry and Chantel and their kids and romped around looking at fish and birds and seals for a few hours. It was so much fun! Maddie and William LOVED it! There was so much to see and do. William loved the bird cage. Not sure how else to describe it but a big netted cage that you entered and cool birds flew all around you. Mike fed them nector and got one to sit on his arm. Wil thought that was pretty cool.

Maddie and Wil got to play with these fun, pretend starfish and octopus. I knew it was time to move on when Wil started to put the squishy octopus in his mouth and the teenage girl behind the table nervously told him not to put it in his mouth.

Here is Maddie with her friends Sophia and Larry. We were waiting in line to see the 3D fish movie.

Maddie said this was her favorite part of the aquarium. The movie. That is so like her. It was really cute. Mike said he looked over at her and Maddie was reaching out trying to grab the 3D characters coming at her.

Maddie and Sophia fed the birds too. We all had such a great time. The aquarium is such a fun thing for the kids and adults too! I look forward to taking the kids again soon.

Ducks Game

We are wrapping up a very fun and busy weekend. It started with a Friday night Ducks game... just Mikos, me and the kids. It was an action packed game and the kids had fun watching all the excitement. We had great seats...just 3 rows up from the rink. At times, when the players were plummeting eachother with their fists, I wondered if hockey was really an appropriate family outing for the young ones. I forgot how violent hockey can be!

The kids didn't seem to mind at all. They were enjoying their chicken stars and fries from Carlos Jr. and the red vines dad picked up were perfect for keeping William in his seat and occupied.

We actually got to stay a couple of hours and ended up leaving after the second period which we didn't think was that bad. The kids had fun and were pretty beat by the time we got home. It was after 10:00pm when they finally got to bed and Wil slept until 9:15 Saturday morning. It was a nice start to the weekend.

Meet "Monkey"

This is William's beloved Monkey who he affectionately refers to as his "Oh-oh, Ah-ah". My mom and dad sent Wil this monkey last year for Valentine's day and he loves it! When you press it's hand, it says, "I love you" really cute. This is how Wil learned how to say I love you (or at least what sounds like I love you).

Maddie has her Kitty and William has his Monkey. That's just how things are around here.

Sleepovers

When Mike is traveling out of town for work, and if it's NOT a school night, Maddie gets to have a "sleepover" with me! He left for Vegas today and it's my day off tomorrow so it's a sleepover tonight. Maddie seems to think we're going to have a few friends sharing our bed with us. I'm not so sure about that though...

The Car Show

Last Saturday morning, William got to go to his first Car Show! He got to go all by himself with Dad and Papa. They went with our friends Larry and Marcus as well. Mike said he absolutely loved it! It is so cute how much this little guy loves cars.

He looked so darn cute leaving with Dad all buckled up in his seatbelt.

I'm sure this will be the many of annual car shows that William will be going to! It was fun for Maddie and I as well because we had the morning to ourselves. I took Maddie to soccer and than we went shopping and to lunch with Grandma and Aunt Sonja. Good times.

A trip to the snow

Last weekend, we packed up the kids and headed up to Lake Arrowhead to play in the snow. Once we got everything loaded up and in the car, it was a fun and relaxing weekend. Saturday we bundled up the kids and did some sledding down the hill right outside the house. Uncle Russell and Maddie headed full force down the hill...wee!

I don't know what it is about snow but we couldn't get Maddie and Wil to stop eating it! I told them that was kind of disgusting but they didn't seem to care a bit. Big surprise. Tell 'em not to do it and they just want to do it more!Wil and Maddie loved getting pulled around on this sled. Wil was a little unsure. His mittens kept falling off and he did NOT like getting his hands cold and wet in the snow.

It was a fun time to be had by all. I can't wait for Christmas in Minnesota next year... the kids are going to love it. This was just a small taste of the fun you can have in the snow. Right?

William turns 2!

So the photos didn't load in the order I had hoped they would. My sweet, little William is 2. I can hardly believe it. He's growing up oh so fast. Dad did some of the birthday shopping and he picked out some cool WWF style wrestlers. Wil thought they were pretty cool. Mom just noticed the ages 8+ note on the packaging. We celebrated with an ice cream cake and presents on the actual night of Wil's birthday...Monday February 16. Mike and I had to work and the rest of the Ciriza clan was out of town in Connecticut so it was a small family celebration... just the 4 of us!

Wil got a cool basketball hoop from Grandma Jeanne and Papa Mick. He loves it and it was so cute to watch him check out the picture on the box and than imitate throwing the ball into the hoop. He keeps calling it a football and insists when we correct him that it's a basketball that no, it's a football. He's so serious and quite adament.

Later in the week, we went to Lucille's BBQ for a joint birthday dinner for William and Aunt Soosa whose birthday was that day, Thursday February 19. Wil got lots of fun presents including a set of new cars from the CARS movie, a new little people truck that moves cars (not sure what it's called but he loves it!) , new CARS swim trunks and the cutest outfits from the GAP for summer.

It was a very fun night and Wil was sporting a nice new haircut to boot! He is getting to be such a big boy...very fun and a little sad for Mom at the same time. He's our baby. We still refer to him as "baby". I keep wondering how long that nickname will last.... Happy Birthday sweet boy! We love you more than you will ever know!