BEHOLD!
The Drama.
The Spectacle.
The Awe.
Christmas Morning At Grandma Ann's House!
The Drama.
The Spectacle.
The Awe.
Christmas Morning At Grandma Ann's House!
Friday, February 22, 2008
The Big Surprise
December 20, 2007
We flew into Phoenix to spend Christmas with the family. As usual, what was originally planned as a relaxing vacation was turning out to be several days packed full of activities with the family.
With Corinna and her clan flying in from Florida, the whole family was in town and we took the opportunity to get some professional family photos done. I even managed to drag my mom into the photos. It has been over 14 years since the last time she had any professional photos done of herself. We called in the expertise of Lori Lott, our wedding photographer, to handle the herd of Mattingly's that had taken over Linda and David's house.
The following days were filled making our rounds to spend equal time with parents and grandparents. To reduce the amount of luggage we took we decided not to do our Christmas shopping until we got to Phoenix. (At some point near the beginning of December I swear we had all decided that because everyone's money was tight we would not buy any gifts for each other. But apparently the holiday spirit is stronger then the will of the wallet.)
So on top of all our, "you're-in-town-so-you-need-to-come-visit-us-because-we're-family-and-if
-you-don't-you-know-you're-going-to-feel-guilty-about-it" obligations, we also needed to shop for gifts, wrap them and get them under the tree without other family members noticing. We realized there would hardly be any time to hang out with our friends. So we promised ourselves we would visit them on our next trip down.
As the days went by my fantasized vacation slowly started to evaporate. There would be no dropping off Elektra with the grandparents and having a date night with my hubby that included wining the jackpot on the nickle machine at the local casino and celebrating with a big scoop of ice cream at Mary Coyle. (Hey, I'm allowed to dream!)
We did get a chance to have the grandparents watch Elektra for us, but not for a romantic evening out. Instead, we needed to do some more last minute shopping. The whole family had planned to get together for dinner at Linda and David's that night. Near the end of our shopping Ray started receiving phone calls from his mom. Supposedly Caleb and Zack were hungry and getting restless. We were holding up the dinner train and we still hadn't finished buying everything on our list. So we made a mad dash through the aisles and threw what we could find into our cart.
The cell phone was still ringing as we loaded the car and headed to Linda and David's. When we got to the house we parked in front since the carport was full. Rather then waist time opening the garage and going through the garage door we went through the front. We didn't want two hungry boys waiting a second longer then they had to for their dinner.
As the front door opened, I only had a second to notice the lights were out in the house. Then everything went bright as a large group of people crowded into the front room yelled, "Surprise!".
Ray, my sneaky little hubby, had planned a surprise birthday party for me and invited my family and all our friends. The party was awesome. I couldn't believe how many people showed up, especially with it being only a couple of days before Christmas. I discovered later that all those phone calls Ray was receiving was to confirm last minute party details and to check-in on where we were at.
Ray's brother, Frank, served up bowls of homemade chili. There was also chips & dip and of course a huge birthday cake. I think our friends were more surprised then I was when they found out that I never suspected a thing.
Well, it wasn't the jackpot at the casino, or a double scoop of honey banana ice cream, but with over a month of planning, Ray had pulled off a surprise 30th birthday party that was nothing short of perfect.
We flew into Phoenix to spend Christmas with the family. As usual, what was originally planned as a relaxing vacation was turning out to be several days packed full of activities with the family.
With Corinna and her clan flying in from Florida, the whole family was in town and we took the opportunity to get some professional family photos done. I even managed to drag my mom into the photos. It has been over 14 years since the last time she had any professional photos done of herself. We called in the expertise of Lori Lott, our wedding photographer, to handle the herd of Mattingly's that had taken over Linda and David's house.
The following days were filled making our rounds to spend equal time with parents and grandparents. To reduce the amount of luggage we took we decided not to do our Christmas shopping until we got to Phoenix. (At some point near the beginning of December I swear we had all decided that because everyone's money was tight we would not buy any gifts for each other. But apparently the holiday spirit is stronger then the will of the wallet.)
So on top of all our, "you're-in-town-so-you-need-to-come-visit-us-because-we're-family-and-if
-you-don't-you-know-you're-going-to-feel-guilty-about-it" obligations, we also needed to shop for gifts, wrap them and get them under the tree without other family members noticing. We realized there would hardly be any time to hang out with our friends. So we promised ourselves we would visit them on our next trip down.
As the days went by my fantasized vacation slowly started to evaporate. There would be no dropping off Elektra with the grandparents and having a date night with my hubby that included wining the jackpot on the nickle machine at the local casino and celebrating with a big scoop of ice cream at Mary Coyle. (Hey, I'm allowed to dream!)
We did get a chance to have the grandparents watch Elektra for us, but not for a romantic evening out. Instead, we needed to do some more last minute shopping. The whole family had planned to get together for dinner at Linda and David's that night. Near the end of our shopping Ray started receiving phone calls from his mom. Supposedly Caleb and Zack were hungry and getting restless. We were holding up the dinner train and we still hadn't finished buying everything on our list. So we made a mad dash through the aisles and threw what we could find into our cart.
The cell phone was still ringing as we loaded the car and headed to Linda and David's. When we got to the house we parked in front since the carport was full. Rather then waist time opening the garage and going through the garage door we went through the front. We didn't want two hungry boys waiting a second longer then they had to for their dinner.
As the front door opened, I only had a second to notice the lights were out in the house. Then everything went bright as a large group of people crowded into the front room yelled, "Surprise!".
Ray, my sneaky little hubby, had planned a surprise birthday party for me and invited my family and all our friends. The party was awesome. I couldn't believe how many people showed up, especially with it being only a couple of days before Christmas. I discovered later that all those phone calls Ray was receiving was to confirm last minute party details and to check-in on where we were at.
Ray's brother, Frank, served up bowls of homemade chili. There was also chips & dip and of course a huge birthday cake. I think our friends were more surprised then I was when they found out that I never suspected a thing.
Well, it wasn't the jackpot at the casino, or a double scoop of honey banana ice cream, but with over a month of planning, Ray had pulled off a surprise 30th birthday party that was nothing short of perfect.
Monday, February 04, 2008
The Christmas Battle
Christmas 2006 season was complete chaos. It had nothing to do with fighting the holiday crowds while shopping for gifts or dealing with tangle messes of Christmas lights and decorations.
No, I wish it was that easy. Here is a recap from last year: There was the two and a half week energy blackout, the crisis that sent me to the hospital and being surrounded by slippery ice covered hills that made it impossible for this preggie woman to get to her pickles and ice cream.
Now this Christmas, in our new house, we wanted to make up for lost holiday spirit. We didn’t just put up a few lights and decorations, oh no, we went all out, Mattingly style!
We found out that the residents of Willow Glen traditionally put out a small ‘Charlie Brown’ type tree in front of their yards, decorated with a simple strand of lights. So, not wanting to stand out as the odd couple, we purchased a small tree of our own.
(Side story: We had walked up to the store with Elektra in her stroller. Our intention was to buy a couple of items that we needed. On a whim, we saw the trees for sale outside the store and decided to buy one. So here we were in the middle of the night, me holding Elektra, and Ray pushing the stroller that was now carrying a fresh pine tree that seemed to wiggle in the stroller a lot more then an 11 moth old baby. Needless to say we got a lot of strange looks from everyone in the parking lot and on the street.)
Okay, so back to the original story. We pulled out all the decorations we could find and did the usual sorting of what goes where and what needed to be fixed or replaced. The living room was rearranged to fit the tree and the fireplace mantel was cleared in order to set up the nativity scene.
Thanks to a great dumpster dig by Ray, we had accumulated two large wreath swags on polls and about a dozen loose plastic pine garland. We hung one of the polls in the living room and one outside our front door.
The house was starting to take shape and look very festive. I was responsible for the inside decorations, Ray was in charge of the outside, and Elektra was in charge of making a mess.
Every day after work, Ray would come home and work on the lights. The inside window lights went up first. After some torn fingernails, several near misses of the staple gun going through the fingers and many sailor curse words, Ray managed to get the lights in place. Each window was now filled with the glow of pretty blue lights.
Next was the outside lights. We had unopened boxes from the year before and now that we had a ladder, Ray was itching to get the lights up. Of course, after getting all the lights up, Ray realized that we didn’t have an outside power source to plug them in. The lights would have to be plugged into the nearest power source which was the garage. So, happily, Ray announced that we needed to make a trip to Home Depot.
An extension cord, some self-timers for the inside lights and a few strands of lights (hey they were on sale), later, we were back at home and Ray was back to work. We underestimated just how long of a cord we needed to run the lights to the garage, so the next day I went to the store and purchased yet another extension cord.
As Ray finished hanging the lights, our neighbors across the street, which we have so fondly dubbed the ‘college frat house’, started putting up their decorations. They trimmed their house with lights and placed lights in their bushes.
Well, Ray then decided to add lights to our bushes. Then he used some of the pine garland and made a swag going across out gate. And of course the swag had to have its own set of lights. If that wasn’t enough, we also added a big red bow to our garage door.
I had ran out of hooks for the tree ornaments, so we took a walk up to Walgreen’s where I knew they would have some. There Ray spotted the lighted candy canes that you could stick in the ground. They were too cute to resist. So we bought several boxes of them to line our walkway. As Ray planted our candy canes he discovered that we were about a box short of fully lining the walkway, but it was okay, it still looked nice. We had went out that night and on our way back we saw that the college kids had put out a row of cute cut out snowmen that were trimmed in lights all along their banister.
“Oh, look honey. They have cute snowmen on their house.”
“Oh, it’s on now!”
“Now Ray, we’re not trying to keep up with the Jones.”
“Uh-un. They started it. They think they can out due us. They don’t know who their messing with.”
The next day we went back to Walgreen’s to see if they had any more candy canes. We picked up the last box they had as well as two pop-up snowmen complete with their own scarves and hats. We also had to go back to Home Depot to pick up a multi-outlet rod to house the plugs for our lights that were now starting to multiply in front of our house.
Ray set up the snowmen, strung more lights around our bushes and our tree, then added lights to our already garland wrapped banister. Since the snowmen didn’t have their own lights, Ray laid some more lights behind them to make sure people saw our snowmen at night.
Then the college kids put a white artificial tree in front of their house. So once again Ray was out there adding more lights to our tree along with some red ribbon garland and unused ornaments.
Finally came the straw that broke the camel’s back. Driving home one afternoon from shopping, Ray shared with me his plans for next Christmas of putting a big peace sign on our roof top and having our family re-enact the Nativity scene in our front yard. As we pulled up to the house we saw the college kids out in their yard with two light up reindeer and a thick strand of blue lights that they were trying into a shape on the grass to look like a little pond. As I was starting to wonder how much hay would be needed to make our front yard look like a manger, Ray got out the car and walked over to the college kids.
“Okay, I’m throwing up the white flag.”
“Man, we were getting ready to call a truce. You keep adding more stuff, we just can’t compete”
So the battle was over with the results being the best two decorated houses on the block. Of course now I’m thinking of adding a star of David and a life-size lit up menorah to next year’s decorates. Hey, it’s just a thought.
No, I wish it was that easy. Here is a recap from last year: There was the two and a half week energy blackout, the crisis that sent me to the hospital and being surrounded by slippery ice covered hills that made it impossible for this preggie woman to get to her pickles and ice cream.
Now this Christmas, in our new house, we wanted to make up for lost holiday spirit. We didn’t just put up a few lights and decorations, oh no, we went all out, Mattingly style!
We found out that the residents of Willow Glen traditionally put out a small ‘Charlie Brown’ type tree in front of their yards, decorated with a simple strand of lights. So, not wanting to stand out as the odd couple, we purchased a small tree of our own.
(Side story: We had walked up to the store with Elektra in her stroller. Our intention was to buy a couple of items that we needed. On a whim, we saw the trees for sale outside the store and decided to buy one. So here we were in the middle of the night, me holding Elektra, and Ray pushing the stroller that was now carrying a fresh pine tree that seemed to wiggle in the stroller a lot more then an 11 moth old baby. Needless to say we got a lot of strange looks from everyone in the parking lot and on the street.)
Okay, so back to the original story. We pulled out all the decorations we could find and did the usual sorting of what goes where and what needed to be fixed or replaced. The living room was rearranged to fit the tree and the fireplace mantel was cleared in order to set up the nativity scene.
Thanks to a great dumpster dig by Ray, we had accumulated two large wreath swags on polls and about a dozen loose plastic pine garland. We hung one of the polls in the living room and one outside our front door.
The house was starting to take shape and look very festive. I was responsible for the inside decorations, Ray was in charge of the outside, and Elektra was in charge of making a mess.
Every day after work, Ray would come home and work on the lights. The inside window lights went up first. After some torn fingernails, several near misses of the staple gun going through the fingers and many sailor curse words, Ray managed to get the lights in place. Each window was now filled with the glow of pretty blue lights.
Next was the outside lights. We had unopened boxes from the year before and now that we had a ladder, Ray was itching to get the lights up. Of course, after getting all the lights up, Ray realized that we didn’t have an outside power source to plug them in. The lights would have to be plugged into the nearest power source which was the garage. So, happily, Ray announced that we needed to make a trip to Home Depot.
An extension cord, some self-timers for the inside lights and a few strands of lights (hey they were on sale), later, we were back at home and Ray was back to work. We underestimated just how long of a cord we needed to run the lights to the garage, so the next day I went to the store and purchased yet another extension cord.
As Ray finished hanging the lights, our neighbors across the street, which we have so fondly dubbed the ‘college frat house’, started putting up their decorations. They trimmed their house with lights and placed lights in their bushes.
Well, Ray then decided to add lights to our bushes. Then he used some of the pine garland and made a swag going across out gate. And of course the swag had to have its own set of lights. If that wasn’t enough, we also added a big red bow to our garage door.
I had ran out of hooks for the tree ornaments, so we took a walk up to Walgreen’s where I knew they would have some. There Ray spotted the lighted candy canes that you could stick in the ground. They were too cute to resist. So we bought several boxes of them to line our walkway. As Ray planted our candy canes he discovered that we were about a box short of fully lining the walkway, but it was okay, it still looked nice. We had went out that night and on our way back we saw that the college kids had put out a row of cute cut out snowmen that were trimmed in lights all along their banister.
“Oh, look honey. They have cute snowmen on their house.”
“Oh, it’s on now!”
“Now Ray, we’re not trying to keep up with the Jones.”
“Uh-un. They started it. They think they can out due us. They don’t know who their messing with.”
The next day we went back to Walgreen’s to see if they had any more candy canes. We picked up the last box they had as well as two pop-up snowmen complete with their own scarves and hats. We also had to go back to Home Depot to pick up a multi-outlet rod to house the plugs for our lights that were now starting to multiply in front of our house.
Ray set up the snowmen, strung more lights around our bushes and our tree, then added lights to our already garland wrapped banister. Since the snowmen didn’t have their own lights, Ray laid some more lights behind them to make sure people saw our snowmen at night.
Then the college kids put a white artificial tree in front of their house. So once again Ray was out there adding more lights to our tree along with some red ribbon garland and unused ornaments.
Finally came the straw that broke the camel’s back. Driving home one afternoon from shopping, Ray shared with me his plans for next Christmas of putting a big peace sign on our roof top and having our family re-enact the Nativity scene in our front yard. As we pulled up to the house we saw the college kids out in their yard with two light up reindeer and a thick strand of blue lights that they were trying into a shape on the grass to look like a little pond. As I was starting to wonder how much hay would be needed to make our front yard look like a manger, Ray got out the car and walked over to the college kids.
“Okay, I’m throwing up the white flag.”
“Man, we were getting ready to call a truce. You keep adding more stuff, we just can’t compete”
So the battle was over with the results being the best two decorated houses on the block. Of course now I’m thinking of adding a star of David and a life-size lit up menorah to next year’s decorates. Hey, it’s just a thought.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
My Birthday!
Yes, it has finally happened. I've turned 30!
The day started off like any other day. (Well, except for the words, HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY written in lipstick on our dresser mirror).
I got up and had breakfast. Ray was already at work and Elektra was still asleep in our bed. The usual routine had occurred of cleaning, checking emails, feeding Elektra and cleaning some more.
Halfway through the day a FedEx truck pulled up and dropped a package off on our front door. It was addressed to me. I brought the box in and opened it. Inside was a beautiful bouquet of 24 roses.
I called Ray at work and thanked him for the lovely flowers, then spent the next half hour fussing over them- pruning the ends, trying to find the best vase, displaying them just right on the table, etc.
After all the fuss over the flowers, I went back to my routine. I was enjoying the fact that for once in a very long time, there was noting going happening on my birthday. In the past there have been rehearsals or theatre performances or other parties and events that always seemed to fall on my B-day.
But today there was nothing and for me that was a gift in itself. Elektra's extra long nap allowed me to play some computer games and indulge in one of my guilty pleasures- looking at pictures of Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Woods, my fantasy boy toys.
Elektra woke up just before Ray came home. He didn't pull all the way into the garage like he usually does, but this didn't surprise me since he's done it before. Ray then came in and fussed it me for still being in my PJ's. So I left him with Elektra as I went to go change into something more presentable.
When I came out of the bedroom, Ray and Elektra was waiting for me with a half dozen roses.
"So, how many roses do you have, honey?"
"Well you gave me 24 roses."
"Yes, and Elektra just gave you 6, so what does that make?"
"Oh honey, you gave me 30 roses. Thank you. That's so sweet."
"30 roses for a beautiful 30 year old women. Now finish getting dressed."
After some puttering around the house some more, we were on our way to I didn't know where. It wasn't long before I realized exactly where we were going. We pulled into the Black Angus parking lot and went inside.
We've realized in our short time living here that people seem to eat really late. You can go to a place at a 5:00pm and there is an echo in the room. But come back to the same place at 8:45pm and there is a line outside the door. So, we had the whole place almost to ourselves.
After dinner we went to the movies and saw, "The Hitman", which was awesome! There is nothing like a good shoot-them-up-and-blow-them-all-to-pieces movie to end an already perfect day.
Overall, it was the best way to turn 30. I could not have asked for more.
The day started off like any other day. (Well, except for the words, HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY written in lipstick on our dresser mirror).
I got up and had breakfast. Ray was already at work and Elektra was still asleep in our bed. The usual routine had occurred of cleaning, checking emails, feeding Elektra and cleaning some more.
Halfway through the day a FedEx truck pulled up and dropped a package off on our front door. It was addressed to me. I brought the box in and opened it. Inside was a beautiful bouquet of 24 roses.
I called Ray at work and thanked him for the lovely flowers, then spent the next half hour fussing over them- pruning the ends, trying to find the best vase, displaying them just right on the table, etc.
After all the fuss over the flowers, I went back to my routine. I was enjoying the fact that for once in a very long time, there was noting going happening on my birthday. In the past there have been rehearsals or theatre performances or other parties and events that always seemed to fall on my B-day.
But today there was nothing and for me that was a gift in itself. Elektra's extra long nap allowed me to play some computer games and indulge in one of my guilty pleasures- looking at pictures of Daniel Radcliffe and Elijah Woods, my fantasy boy toys.
Elektra woke up just before Ray came home. He didn't pull all the way into the garage like he usually does, but this didn't surprise me since he's done it before. Ray then came in and fussed it me for still being in my PJ's. So I left him with Elektra as I went to go change into something more presentable.
When I came out of the bedroom, Ray and Elektra was waiting for me with a half dozen roses.
"So, how many roses do you have, honey?"
"Well you gave me 24 roses."
"Yes, and Elektra just gave you 6, so what does that make?"
"Oh honey, you gave me 30 roses. Thank you. That's so sweet."
"30 roses for a beautiful 30 year old women. Now finish getting dressed."
After some puttering around the house some more, we were on our way to I didn't know where. It wasn't long before I realized exactly where we were going. We pulled into the Black Angus parking lot and went inside.
We've realized in our short time living here that people seem to eat really late. You can go to a place at a 5:00pm and there is an echo in the room. But come back to the same place at 8:45pm and there is a line outside the door. So, we had the whole place almost to ourselves.
After dinner we went to the movies and saw, "The Hitman", which was awesome! There is nothing like a good shoot-them-up-and-blow-them-all-to-pieces movie to end an already perfect day.
Overall, it was the best way to turn 30. I could not have asked for more.
The Winchester House
Those who know me won't be surprised to hear that I absolutely love the Winchester Mystery House!
I have seen almost all the TV specials on the house, and ever since Ray and I toured the house during our honeymoon, I have been drawn to the place. To me there is nothing scary about the place. Instead I view it with a deep fascination and respect for a woman that was not- as most people believe- crazy, just maybe very eccentric.
We live less then ten minutes away from the Winchester House, so if you are ever in the area please let us know. We'll be glad to join you for a tour.
I have seen almost all the TV specials on the house, and ever since Ray and I toured the house during our honeymoon, I have been drawn to the place. To me there is nothing scary about the place. Instead I view it with a deep fascination and respect for a woman that was not- as most people believe- crazy, just maybe very eccentric.
We live less then ten minutes away from the Winchester House, so if you are ever in the area please let us know. We'll be glad to join you for a tour.
Random Acts of Cutness
Admit it. The only real reason you come to view this blog is to see the cute pictures of Elektra. Well fine, you win. Here are some pictures of Elektra in all her glorious cuteness. I hope you get a cavity just looking at them-
A Blessed Day
On November 11, 2007, Elektra Cali Mattingly was brought before the Lord to be baptized in his holy name. The event took place at The United Methodist Church in Phoenix, Arizona.
Maggie and John Medcalf were given the honor that day of becoming Elektra's Godparents.
"May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord show you kindness and be gracious to you.
May the Lord bestow favor upon you and grant you his greatest gift- the gift of peace."
-Jewish Threefold Blessing
Maggie and John Medcalf were given the honor that day of becoming Elektra's Godparents.
"May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord show you kindness and be gracious to you.
May the Lord bestow favor upon you and grant you his greatest gift- the gift of peace."
-Jewish Threefold Blessing
Friday, December 21, 2007
Monterey
One weekend in early November we decided to take a trip over to Monterey. I had heard so much about the area from Ray's mom, Linda. To hear her speck about it is to hear about a school girl crush. I wanted to know what was it about Monterey that ignites such a sparkle in Linda's eyes and a sound of longing in her voice at the very mention of the place. I was soon to find out...
So, on we drove to the Monterey coast. You could smell the water even before you could make out the distant coast. Despite the rainy days that mark the winter months here, the gods gave us a beautiful clear day with a sky of blue that mocked in jealousy the blue of the waves that crashed on the shore before us. Even though the temperature was getting colder, it did not deter the die-hard surfers and sun bathers. The sandy cost was sprinkled with locals and the pier filled with tourist.
We walked the beach, picking sea shells and stones that had been smoothed to perfection in a way that only water can create. The seagulls sat in audience with us as we watched a family of seals swim by.
On the pier, the shop windows enticed deeper exploration. The perfume, an intoxicating mixture of simmering seafood and vintage wine, filled the air. Restaurants drew in the passerby who could not resist the free samplings of hot freshly made clam chowder that not only warmed the body but touched that part of us that longs to live a life by the sea, where everyday is filled with a drink of these moments and these experiences.
After dinner on the pier, when the dusk gave way to the darkness, we watched the coast transform as the fog floated in, covering the bustling area with an eerie silence. Shadows turned to ghost as the waves, that just hours before splashed in childhood play, now slowly rippled along with the age of a man that has seen too many wars.
As the remains of the coast faded into our rear view mirrors, I understood why people are drawn to Monterey. Why people are called to its beaches time and time again. It is an affair between sand and the soul. A pleasure to be experienced and never forgotten.
So, on we drove to the Monterey coast. You could smell the water even before you could make out the distant coast. Despite the rainy days that mark the winter months here, the gods gave us a beautiful clear day with a sky of blue that mocked in jealousy the blue of the waves that crashed on the shore before us. Even though the temperature was getting colder, it did not deter the die-hard surfers and sun bathers. The sandy cost was sprinkled with locals and the pier filled with tourist.
We walked the beach, picking sea shells and stones that had been smoothed to perfection in a way that only water can create. The seagulls sat in audience with us as we watched a family of seals swim by.
On the pier, the shop windows enticed deeper exploration. The perfume, an intoxicating mixture of simmering seafood and vintage wine, filled the air. Restaurants drew in the passerby who could not resist the free samplings of hot freshly made clam chowder that not only warmed the body but touched that part of us that longs to live a life by the sea, where everyday is filled with a drink of these moments and these experiences.
After dinner on the pier, when the dusk gave way to the darkness, we watched the coast transform as the fog floated in, covering the bustling area with an eerie silence. Shadows turned to ghost as the waves, that just hours before splashed in childhood play, now slowly rippled along with the age of a man that has seen too many wars.
As the remains of the coast faded into our rear view mirrors, I understood why people are drawn to Monterey. Why people are called to its beaches time and time again. It is an affair between sand and the soul. A pleasure to be experienced and never forgotten.
Halloween In Willow Glen
This October 31st marked Elektra's initiation into the time-old tradition of begging strangers for candy!
Weeks before, Ray and I searched for the perfect costume for Elektra. It had to be so cute and utterly sicking that we would be able to embarrass her with photos of the costume years from now. Our search ended when we found a pair of cute pink bunny ears at the local Halloween store.
On Halloween day starting at 11 a.m., Downtown Willow Glen merchants passed out candy to all the preschool and younger kids. Of course, never being one to turn down free candy, I bundled my little pink bunny up and we trekked our way downtown.
This picture was taken at a bathroom and kitchen store that filled one of their bathtubs and allowed kids to grab a handful of candy.
After cruising both sides of the three blocks that makeup downtown Willow Glen, Elektra came away with a nice bit of booty. (And yes, that is an actual box of Crayola crayons. Our local State Farm insurance passed those out.)
When Ray arrived home from work, we ate dinner and then prepared ourselves for the evening walk around the neighborhood for even more candy.
"Oh no! It's the scary pink bunny! Run!!!!!"The weather was getting cold real quick, so we didn't get to trick-or-treat as long as we would have liked. But we did get to a lot of houses where Elektra's sweet smile and cute bunny ears melted the hearts of everyone.
Elektra with her Halloween Booty! Girl, you made your parents proud.
Oh, in case anyone actually cared, Ray went out dressed as a dead sailor and I was dressed as a gypsy.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Elektra at 9 Months
A small snack between meals
Look what the movers unpacked, honey!
Just chillin' out at home
I think Poppy would agree with you- nothing is better then a good nap after a good meal.Elektra is now 9 months old. She can crawl, pull up on furniture and chew on her own feet. She has two teeth now. Both on the bottom center right next to each other. Her hair hasn't grown much, but she does have a beautiful set of well shaped eyebrows.
She now enjoys pulling her toys out of the toy box, (we now need to teach her how to put the toys back in). She also likes to rip up paper and chew on the pieces that we don't pick up in time. And when mommy and daddy are not looking, she likes to drop random things into the cats' litter box.
Overall, she is absolutely perfect and we wouldn't trade her for anything. (Except maybe a weekend away in Las Vegas with $500 spending money. Maybe.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
