Water Fight

It started innocently enough . . .
 
A visit to a friend's house, 
 
so her grand-monkey 
 
could play with my grand-monkeys.
 
It quickly devolved into a fight . . . 
 
of the very best kind.
 
With laughter
 
and soaking

and friendship all around.
 
With a great life lesson thrown in for free . . . 
 
after the fun
 
comes the clean-up.
  
And clean-up always goes better if you do it with friends. 

Recital

Leanne was more than just a little worried about ballet recital.  
Her costume itched. She didn't want to be away from mom and grandma that long. The stage was big.
 
But in the end, she and all her buddies did a great job. 
Leanne is front row, 4th little girl from the left. 

And being on the big stage? Leanne LOVED it, especially getting to come back out with all the other dancers for the final bow. She was so excited afterward she could hardly talk.
 
And the other thing she loved? The long-stemmed roses* from Grandma and PopPop. Because every prima ballerina deserves flowers at the end of her performance. 


These are 3 to 5-year-olds in their first ballet recital. Leanne is second from the right. 

* She disliked her itchy costume so much, I couldn't talk her into putting it back on for even one minute for pictures with her roses. 

Recital's Coming

Today was dress rehearsal for Leanne's big ballet performance this Saturday.

Can't wait to see these cuties on stage at the TO Civic Arts Center.

And Jaclyn couldn't care less. She knows she'll be the center of attention, no matter what else is happening.

 

Fireworks Bust

No boom-booms for us tonight. Still not sure why Camarillo's fireworks were a no-go - although I'm guessing a technical malfunction of some sort. So disappointing!

Leanne and I were all set and in our places by 9:00 pm, the official start time. We could hear Thousand Oak's display start . . . and end . . . and still nothing (other than some large, colorful, very illegal fireworks from a nearby field.)

We gave up at 9:40 and Leanne headed home in tears. At 9:50 came word of the cancellation from people who had paid to see the show inside the stadium.

JRo all dressed up and ready to celebrate America's birthday.

Camarillo's show was late starting last year but it eventually hit the skies. Now, no show this year at all. I'm thinking the city needs a new fireworks vendor. And I need a better plan for next year - I love fireworks too much to miss them again.

 

One, Two, Three, Four

One baby.
 
Plus one PopPop.
 
Add a big sister,
 
and a grandma and what do you get?
 
 Happiness. 

Wedding Bells

Hubby and I got all dressed up* and headed out to Descanso Gardens for hubby's best friend from junior high's daughter's wedding.

We clean up pretty good, yes?

Pretty bride, pretty wedding, pretty site (and a lot cooler than the 95 degree temps predicted earlier this week).

These four guys have been friends since high school. Lots of time spent wandering down memory lane tonight. 

*The necklace I'm wearing was my mother's. She wore it in her high school graduation photo, having received it from her step-mother, my beloved Granny Toe. I've had it restrung once since I've had it. One of my most prized possessions. 

Big Sister Quilt

When Jaclyn received a quilt at mom's baby shower, Leanne asked, "but what about me??"
 
So up to grandma's stash we went, where Leanne picked out a Frozen panel featuring sisters Ana and Elsa and a super-bright, super-fun jungle print by Laurel Birch (one of my favorite fabric artists).
 
Then we set back to wait . . . and wait . . . and wait some more until Jaclyn Rose decided it was time to be born. Leanne didn't know that I'd been working on the quilt and, thanks to a pal who did a rush long-arm quilting job for me, finished it with a couple of days to spare.
 
Pop and I gave the quilt to Leanne just as she was leaving for the hospital to meet her sister for the first time. I think she liked it. 
 
Want to know why Leanne picked this fabric for the backing? She plans to use it to teach Jaclyn her animals. Isn't that sweet???  

Note: original size 61 x 48". After washing/drying, size is 58.25 x 47.5 ".

Yard Work

Hubby and I are not big fans of yard work. That, combined with the on-going drought, has led hubby to some design enhancements for our front yard.

Before (but after we pulled all the old plants out):
 
 
During:
 

After:

 Love the brickwork and really love the no low-maintenance.
 
We still have plenty of flowers
 
for us, the hummingbirds and the bees.
 
Giant hibiscus.
 
Stephanotis that was originally in my mother's yard. My sister saved it, then passed it on to me when she became yard-less. The original vine is 28 years old and still thriving. 

New Baby Grand

This is Jaclyn Rose, born June 28, at 5:00 pm, weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces and 19.25" long.

Isn't she a cutie?

Mom, dad, baby and big sister, Leanne, are doing great.

 

TV Time

I found a fun project for the little girls on Pinterest and immediately set about making it talking hubby into making it.

When the perfect box arrived from Amazon a day later, hubby cut a "screen", built a shelf and asked the girls to decorate the front of their new TV with buttons and dials.

"Hello, I'm Leia, with today's LPS* News"

Marie takes it from there: "Signs that you are getting old. My parents found a project for Leia and Leanne to have fun with, making a TV out of a box that they can perform out of. Well dad tells them to draw dials and buttons on it. Leia immediately asks what a dial is. I was dying of laughter, poor dad."
Bonus: Leia now knows what a dial is!
Bigger bonus: This is the first thing they head for when they walk in the door. Hooray!

* LPS = Littlest Pet Shop, Leia's most favorite toy ever.