Last Day of School

Today is Ryan's last day of school.  The school picnic yesterday was fun.  Ryan enjoyed the bounce house but Jacob thought it was "too scary!"  They did have fun playing with a big parachute.  We used to do that when I was teaching.  They had lots of tables set up with activities.  Ryan always enjoys playing with the giant bubble blowers.  You can see the table full of shaving cream in the background.

Jacob discovered his own activity.  He went around the park collecting sticks.  Boys will be boys!

I'm not sure yet when Ryan starts a summer session of school but I think it will only be two days a week.  Our days of just having Jacob here until almost 2:00 are over so there will be a lot more work for us keeping them both occupied.  We'll have to do a lot of beach, park, zoo, etc... trips.

Picnic

It's the end of the school year for Ryan so today is his school picnic.  Jeff and I will be going and taking Jacob along.  It's at a park and there will be the dreaded germy bounce house, popcorn and snow cone machines.  Everyone brings a picnic lunch and a finger food to share.  The weather forecast calls for 84 degree weather.  I think there's one more day of school- Thursday- but then Ryan will be going to a summer school program and I'm not sure when that begins.  Hopefully, soon.  I'll find out today.  Watching Jacob alone is so much easier so when Ryan is here at the same time. Jeff and I try and get out and do some activities so they aren't fighting over toys and things.  They are looking forward to going to the beach and the neighborhood water park.  We'd also like to see Ryan get swimming lessons this summer.  Jeff said he'd take him.  Sarah, Justin's girlfriend, lives in Irvine and there's a big manmade lake and water park complex so we plan to take them there for a visit, too.  Justin and Sarah are going to take sailing lessons so they can rent a sailboat to use on the lake.  We have a nearby manmade lake, too.  Here's a photo of Westlake near us.

  

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day- the unofficial kick off to summer!  And we are spending it the way I like to:  a day at Fiesta Hermosa.  Hermosa Beach is a beach I used to go to a lot when I was growing up on the westside.  We've had some unseasonably cool weather but Monday is back up into the mid-80's here and should be nice- in the 70's- at the beach.

Remember our Desperate Housewives homework assignment where we wrote about household tips?  I have a really unique method for cleaning soap scum off of glass shower doors.  Granted, our doors are never that soap scummy because we always use a squeegee (California Water Blade) on our shower glass after every shower.  Jeff and I have a routine where we ask if the other person is going to shower next so the last to shower can do the squeegee.  Anyway, I googled "how to get soap scum off glass shower doors" and came up with lots of suggestions.  Many used commercial products, some used homemade methods like vinegar or baking soda but the tip I liked the sound of best was to use dryer sheets!  I liked the idea because it didn't use harsh chemicals and I figured it was a cheap and safe method to try.  Guess what?  It worked!  All I did was take a dryer sheet, get it a little wet and rub the areas that had soap scum.  I used a total of six sheets for the three glass panels of our shower.  After I rubbed with the dryer sheets, I rinsed with water and then squeegeed.  I dried with one of those yellow cloths guys use when they wash their cars.  Jeff was really impressed and he applied a coat of Rain-X which repels water and helps make water droplets bead up so they are easy to wipe away.  Another suggestion I didn't try was to use my favorite standby- the Magic Eraser!  As you know, I'm a huge fan of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  It's great for getting marks and dirty fingerprints off walls and doors.  A preventative suggestion that I read about several times was to not use bar soap, especially Dial which leaves a lot of soap scum.  If you must use bar soap, instead of a liquid, then use Dove.  Our shower is probably 4 or 5 years old now and looks like new!  I just took this photo.  Next up is the downstairs shower which has a total frameless glass door.

Superheroes

Ryan is obsessed with The Avengers and Iron Man in particular.  I have the Iron Man DVD and he watches it over and over and runs in circles around the family room sofa.  When we were at Costco the other day, we saw a Spiderman tent, sleeping bag and pillow set for only $23.00.  I thought it was so inexpensive and Ryan was really excited about it but I asked him, "What happens if next week they have an Iron Man tent?  Will you want that because I'm not buying another one if you get this."  He assured me he really needed this Spiderman tent so I put it in my Costco basket.  We set it up in the family room and here he is playing inside.

Remember my annual flower bed where I planted the Gerbera Daisies and Marigolds.  It is taking off like crazy, especially the Marigold border in front.  On hot days like we've been having, I have to water twice a day.  The Marigolds seem to hold up well in the heat but the Gerbera Daisies wilt.

Vegas and Weigh-In

We visited Justin and Sarah on Sunday for our delayed Mother's Day get-together.  George and Robin also came and we had a late afternoon BBQ and took the dogs to a dog park in Costa Mesa.  Justin gave me an iTunes gift card which I mostly use for iPad apps and the occasional music download.  The reason for the delayed celebration was Justin and Sarah's trip to Las Vegas.  Here's a photo of them and Sarah's good friend, Tilda, who flew in from Colorado.

Tilda, Justin & Sarah

Monday is Hunter's weigh in day and he only dropped .2 pounds this past week. So he began at 19 lbs and weighed 17.2 lbs last week and 17 lbs even this week.  I think he lost so much the first week because he wasn't used to the food being removed so he only ate a little bit.  Now he's figured out that when he stops eating in the morning, the food disappears and doesn't return until 5 PM so he eats more when he has the chance.

We are in the 90's this week so we may have to go to the beach.  Jessica has the day off today so we are free!  (I'm trying the new blogger interface again to see if they've fixed the postdating so if my post isn't here at 12:01 AM, I'll have to upload it when I get up in the morning.)  

Shocking Turn of Events

Remember my story and photo about the goats that were brought in our neighborhood to eat the grass and bushes as a brush fire preventative measure?  Here's the photo I showed you of the goats.

This is right at the edge of a park with a children's playground and the place where Jeff takes the dogs if he's short on time and can't make it to the dog park.  Both dogs, but Cooper especially, love this park and they run like crazy dogs as fast as they can.  They get far more exercise here than they do at the dog park.  If you look closely, you can see that the goats are fenced in with temporary fencing and to make sure they don't get out, the fence is electrified.  Here's a photo.

If you look closely, the sign says, "Electrical Fence.  Don't Touch!"  That fence was put up right along the sidewalk that's at the edge of the park.  Where you see the grass is the park and there's a picnic table right there and a playground for kids behind that.  I definitely think there is a safety hazard there and poor Cooper found out the hard way.  He spotted a rabbit and he flew over that electrified fence.  He cleared it fine but then as he tried to get back, he was shocked.  He let out a lot of loud yelps and then started running along the fence and touched it two more times, crying each time  We could tell it was really hurting him.  Jeff and I both ran to try and help him and figure out what to do and how to get him out without him or us getting shocked.  We calmed him down and got him to follow us to the enclosure where the goats stay at night.  That part of the fence isn't electrified but it's a regular chain link fence so too tall for him to get over and the gates were locked with chains.  Quickly, I spotted a battery, like a car battery, with those jumper like cables attached and asked Jeff if he could safely disconnect it.  He was able to and he touched the fence with the back of his hand and it was no longer electrified.  We were able to get Cooper back over the fence that you see in the above photo.  I took the dogs to the car while Jeff hooked the battery back up.  We didn't want to be responsible for a 100 goats escaping into our neighborhood!  What an adventure and poor Cooper learned a tough lesson about running off and jumping over fences.  He seemed no worse for the wear but I was really scared when it happened.  I wasn't sure if it could've been fatal but Jeff said he didn't worry because they wouldn't have it electrified enough to kill their goats.  Ryan and Jacob were with us and they still haven't stopped talking about Cooper getting shocked.  

Happy Weekend!

We've been busy, busy so didn't find time to post.  We had a house guest, a firefighter friend of Jeff's, who had to see an attorney in our area so we invited him to visit and stay in our guestroom.  He was one of the paramedics in the famous "you-know who" case.  Can't write the name because there are still crazy sites out there looking for evidence that he's still alive.  Just like Elvis, people actually believe that!  This weekend, we are making up for our Mother's Day celebration that we postponed since Justin was in Las Vegas.  Saturday morning, Jessica and family are coming over for a brunch of Belgian waffles and fresh strawberries.  On Sunday, we are going down to Justin's for an afternoon BBQ.

Broken Blankets

Ryan and Jacob both have blankets that they love.  Especially Ryan.  Their blankets were both part of a crib set (quilt, sheet, bumpers) made by Summer Infant.  They are organic and called Nature's Purest.  They are a slightly different pattern.  Ryan's has teddy bears and Jacob's has zoo animals.  Here's a photo of Jacob's.

If you remember the photo of Jacob when he wasn't feeling well, he was cozied up under his blanket.

Both of their blankets are falling apart.  Again, especially Ryan's!  The other day, I took a needle and thread and began sewing up where Jacob's quilt was coming apart.  When Ryan saw it, he told his mom to ask Nani to fix his blanket because it was broken, too.  So yesterday I spent hours trying to patch up a quilt that is basically becoming thread bare.  I did my best and hope it will give Ryan a few more months of comfort and security.  If I could replace them, I would.  Ryan's is no longer available and I'd have to spend over $100.00 to replace Jacob's because they are only sold in the crib sets.  Before I do that, I'd rather see if I can find a suitable replacement.  I think Ryan could be talked into an Avenger's blanket and Jacob might be happy with Elmo.

Kids really do say the darndest things.  You know how I posted the "No, I do it" video of Jacob taking off his own shirt?  Well, Mr. Independence is suddenly changing his tune.  We've had Sierra, Justin's dog, here and 3 dogs running around is too overwhelming for Jacob.  So now instead of insisting on doing everything himself, he's standing at the top of the stairs afraid to come down and telling me, "Nani, I stuck!"

Fat (Cat) Farm

Thought I'd give you an update on how Hunter is doing on his new diet.  It's been one week now and he weighed in on Monday at 17.2 pounds.  He was 19 pounds when we began the Science Diet RD.  So he's already lost almost 2 pounds!  What's interesting is I measure out his daily allotment and feed it to him in the morning and evening and he rarely finishes what I give him.  I think after all those years of grazing, he really doesn't understand to stay and eat what he's given.  The complaining has stopped so I think we are getting a good routine down.  This special food is supposed to help him "feel full" so he doesn't seem too upset about the changes now that he's getting used to the food not always being there.  Here's a photo of Hunter.  This was when he was merely fluffy and not fat so this is his goal!

  

So many of our shows are wrapping up.  Sunday night was the finale of Survivor and Kim, the bridal shop owner, was a very deserving winner.  I was really surprised by Kat who gave a mature and intelligent speech about forgiveness at the final tribal council.  I predicted that there would be a Survivor where they would bring back previous players who had to leave the game unexpectedly and that's what they are doing in the next one:  Survivor Philippines.  I knew they would want to get Colton, who departed early due to appendicitis, back into the game.  He was just too much of a lightning rod to not try and get him back on the show.  I still need to see the 2 hour series finale of Desperate Housewives and it's getting close to the finales of Dancing with the Stars and American Idol!

Down by the Seashore

For my Mother's Day present, Jeff turned me loose in Pottery Barn.  I wanted to change out my dining room centerpiece which is very autumnal for a summer look.  I've been seeing a lot of beachy ideas so I found these placemats at Pottery Barn.  They had a lot of expensive trays filled with sand and shells but I knew I could reproduce the look less expensively at HomeGoods.  In addition to the placemats, I did buy the Japanese glass float at Pottery Barn which didn't photograph very well.  I wasn't sure I could find that elsewhere.  You used to be able to find those on the beaches of Northern California and Oregon but they are rare now.  Some beach towns buy a bunch of glass floats and turn them loose in the water for tourists to find.  At HomeGoods, I found the wooden tray and knew that would be perfect.  It's very artistic looking.  It's made of Monkey Pod or Acacia wood from the Phillipines and handsculpted.  We have Monkey Pod trees in our farmville game so I was familiar with them but googled them anyway and found this interesting bit of information:  "Monkey pod wood, also known as Acacia wood, is a durable and naturally resinous hardwood that is harvested from fast-growing Acacia trees. People have recognized the value of monkey pod wood since biblical times; it is mentioned in the book of Exodus as the material that was used to construct the Ark of the Covenant. Today, monkey pod wood is often used to make fine natural furniture and tableware.  I had some shells because I used them in the guest bedroom and found the larger shell, the candle and the coral at HomeGoods.  I told Jeff we would have to take a quick trip to the beach for some sand.  I may replace the sand with Carmel beach sand which is so pretty when we visit this summer.  We also had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.

Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing everyone a very Happy Mother's Day!

Run Like the Wind

Jeff takes the dogs out on daily outings. They either go to the dog park or on a hike but if he takes them to our neighborhood park they both run like crazy and get far more exercise than they do at the dog park. I told Jeff to take my camera and get a video of them running like maniacs at the park. Here's a typical outing.

 

Cooper Racing Around the Park from Darylynn Mills on Vimeo.

Later that morning I took Jacob to the same park to play and we were surprised to find a huge herd of Boer goats that were brought in to graze on the hillside as a fire prevention measure. Jacob had fun seeing all the goats and I was surprised to hear them say "Baaa!" I thought that was what sheep said! Guess goats say the same thing.  Here's a photo of our neighborhood goats

Caterwauling

We had a lot of caterwauling from Hunter!  The dictionary defines caterwaul as:
1  to make a harsh cry

2  to protest or complain noisily
When Jeff went into the kitchen Monday night to set up the coffeemaker for the morning, he was met by Hunter and Kalani and they were weaving through his legs begging for food.  When I got up in the morning, they met me at the door with plaintive cries.  I am feeding Hunter at the same time as the dogs:  7 AM and 5 PM.  He's getting a little less than a cup of the Science Diet RD per day.  I fed him half in the morning and he didn't eat it all so I put it back into the little container I'm measuring his daily amount into to save for his evening meal.  He will have to learn that he needs to eat when it's there or he will have to wait until the next feeding time.  The dogs do it so he can do it, too.  On the other hand, I'm sneaking Kalani up to the computer/cat room where Hayley's food bowl is left out all day so he can eat as much as he wants.  We don't want him to lose any weight because he's the smallest of them all.  I'll weigh Hunter in a week to see if there's any progress.  I'm sure there will be.

Jeff picks up Ryan every day from school at 1:15 PM and he takes him on little errands or adventures.  He does this to give me a break because Jacob is napping at this time so I have a few free hours to get on the computer or do other things I want to do.  Yesterday, they stopped off at a motorcycle shop and Jeff sent me this cellphone photo of Ryan.

Meow

Time for Hunter to go on a diet!  Did you read the story about Meow, the 39 lb cat?  His elderly owner could no longer care for him so they took him in at a vet's and were trying to get him to lose weight but he, sadly, died over the weekend from lung problems.  The story is HERE and here's a photo of Meow.

Now Hunter is nowhere near that bad!  Meow weighed 39 lbs and Hunter "only" weighs 19 lbs but that's still a good 7 to 9 pounds over what he should weigh.  Look how similar Hunter looks to Meow.

What we need to do is stop the "grazing" (where full food bowls are left out all day) that we are allowing now.  We need to get Hunter Science Diet R/D and feed him the specified amount in the morning and evening.  It says they can lose 20% of their body weight in 3 months so by summer, he should be down to around 15 pounds.  Will keep you posted as to whether he gets into swimsuit shape in time.

We Bought a Zoo

I think we solved the mystery of our visiting peahen.  Friday night, Jeff and I were watching the DVD of We Bought a Zoo with Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson and we noticed it was filmed in nearby Hidden Valley.  Then we saw peacocks and we looked at each other and said, "Peacocks!"  It's probably less than 10 miles away as the crow (or peacock) flies so that's our best guess as to where our peahen came from.  I googled the locale of the movie and found this:  "Thousand Oaks- Peacocks strut by, flashing their tails like fan dancers. Across the way, swans serenely glide across a pond as flamingos strike one-legged pinup poses. Perched nearby are several stately owls, some of which are Hogwarts alumni."  Maybe next we'll have a visit from Hedwig!  Or have a real life pink flamingo in our front yard.

We had a nice weekend.  Saturday, we met Chris and Liz and had lunch at Brophy Brothers at Ventura Harbor.   Liz and I had salads and the guys had fish and chips.  My salad was shrimp and avocado with basil vinaigrette.  We stopped at a new Lowe's and bought s few more flowers in their garden center and then came home and waited for our little ovenight guests, Ryan and Jacob.  We sat out on the patio and had popcorn and then pizza for dinner.  They both went to sleep before 8 PM and slept around the clock.  Jessica and Pat had a nice time at the wedding in Malibu.  It began at 4 PM and the weather was gorgeous and the lucky couple had a supermoon to light up the night for them.  I would take that as a good omen!            

May the Fourth be with You

It's that day of the year again where I can use Sadie's Princess Leia and R2D2 and say, "May the Fourth be with you!"  I miss not having handy access to all my mood girls now that I'm using blogger.  I have to upload them individually like you would a photo so while I'm at it, I'll also wish you a  Happy Cinco de Mayo!  

Jessica and Pat have a wedding to attend on Saturday in Malibu so we will have the boys spend the night here.  We will have to have a special Cinco de Mayo dinner.  Ryan is a really good eater now but Jacob has a very limited diet.  He eats bananas, toast, rice cereal, yogurt, string cheese and pizza and that's about it.  Hopefully he will become more adventurous in food as he gets older.  We are looking into some Mommy (Nani) and Me programs for him so he can have some social interactions with someone other than Ryan who tends to boss him around and take things away from him... typical older brother stuff.  Have a great weekend!  

You Can Never be too Rich

or too thin the saying goes... How about too tan?  HERE's an unbelievable story about a mom who supposedly took her 5 year old daughter in a tanning booth where she was burned.  Whether or not that happened, I don't know but you HAVE to see this mom in the video!  Her color is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!  She looks like she's right out of a comedy skit on Saturday Night Live or the crazy lady in Something About Mary!  You have to watch a short word from a sponsor but the wait is worth it.  If you stick around and watch the next video, it's about a mom who lets her 4 year old wear makeup.  What is wrong with these mothers?  When we were at the park the other day, I saw a baby, probably under 1 year old, with a mohawk.  I've even read about a mother who had her child tattooed.  On the other hand, the third video on this Good Morning America page has a great dad who sings Bohemian Rhapsody with his kids on the way to school every morning.  I sent that link to Justin and he said, "If I have kids, that's how I'm doing it!"

Pink Slime and now Meat Glue!

It's enough to make anyone become a vegetarian!  Last month we learned about "pink slime" in our hamburgers and now we are hearing about "meat glue" used most often in filet mignon.  While pink slime was mostly just gross, meat glue has more potential for danger not to mention ripping us off thinking we are getting an expensive cut of meat when really it's just cheap stew meat chemically glued together.  HERE's the story about meat glue and a San Francisco chef demonstrates how meat is glued.  In a nutshell, meat glue is produced through the fermentation of bacteria. Added to meat, it forms a nearly invisible and permanent bond to any other meat you stick it to so cheap stew meat can be coated with it and shaped into what looks like a filet mignon or other expensive cut of meat.  The reason it's dangerous is glued pieces of meat can contain bacteria on the inside where it is often not cooked thoroughly.  Bottom line:  if you're going to order a filet mignon or any other piece of meat that could be glued, make sure it's cooked well-done.