weekend fun

Another fun weekend to go down in the books.

Wouldn't it be nice if ALL weekends were like that?

Friday was the quintessential girls night out. But the funny thing is, we didn't really go out - out. We planned all week like we were going out on the town, when really... it was about an hour of happy hour (and that is NEVER enough time when ladies get together), followed by a two hour showing of the movie Magic Mike. Which by the way, is lined up with some pretty awful acting.

But the fun was all during the dance scenes of course, with lots of giggling.
The men performed pretty darn well and they looked amazing.

Christel, Nova, Angie, Michelle, Cathy and I all enjoyed getting together to watch it.
Oh my gosh, so cheesy, but wow... !

Saturday morning soccer was a success and the kids seem to be enjoying it and "getting it" more and more with each passing week. The muddy and slimy fields were a good source of entertainment for us parents along the sidelines, witnessing lots of falls, slips and dirty bottoms. Poor kiddos!

We spent the later part of the day out in Coronado and let the kids play on the sand and (kinda) in the water. The water was bone-chilling cold, but lucky for me, my little one won't even step foot in the water. Maybe a toe, but not a foot! Glen and I are hoping that changes soon, especially with our upcoming Hawaii trip this fall. Heck, we even picked up the Disney movie LILO & STITCH at target this weekend to sway her dislike for the water.
Side note: Here is CJ & I at Cali Disney in 2009 when Camille was 9 months.

It was a gorgeous day and even more gorgeous spending it in Coronado during the best part of the day, where the heat wasn't beating down on us and the lighting was beautiful. It really made us feel like we were on a nice beach vacation (Maui, perhaps?) and not in San Diego.

With all the talk about vacations, that led us to try out a new Hawaiian place that is fairly new- Chris' Ono Food. It was pretty good and located in an industrial area of Mission Gorge. I thought the location was a bit off. The food was good, but portions were a little small. I tend to think of Hawaiian food serving bigger portions, but we were probably better off.

All that activity and the weekend wasn't even over.

Sunday rolled around and Camille & I took off to spend some girl time together. Not really, but that's what it felt like at first, and it ended up turning out to be that way since Glen was set out to hit the greens with the other dads (Randy, Earl & Billy).

I got her 3 year old pictures done at Picture People and used a pretty sweet coupon that I was sitting on for this very occasion. Granted the coupon was good for only one pose, it was way better than the packages they tried to sell me at $175+...not to mention, they were "specials". No thanks!

The little girl fell asleep after visiting the Disney store, so I got to cruise through a few more stores in peace and surprisingly I didn't pick up anything. We headed home and she continued to nap while I did a few chores around the house and caught up on Homeland. Yes, she napped for that long! Yessss!

Once Glen got home, we went straight to the Chinnsters and went swimming with all the cousins.
The boys got to hang out with Mama MJ and she got to endure a jelly fish sting on Konor and the lifeguard pulling Jaja out of a rip current. Ay yay yay! But it didn't stop these boys from having a good time at the beach.

All the kids & dads swam, we ate pizza and popsicles, watched the Olympics and ended the fun filled weekend with the cousins. It's so awesome to see how close all the cousins are and how much they love each other and got each other's backs. In fact, before Camille fell asleep on Saturday night, she was whining to me how much she loves her cousins and how much she missed them. It was only a hour being away from them. I love my family and family time that we spend together.

We are more than half way through, but I think summer is far from over. Yaaay for summer!

barre review

Tomorrow will mark the end of my discounted, month long trial at Xtend Barre.

I blogged about my first experience here.

And after a few weeks of amplified dance and pilates... SOLD! I'm such an easy sell, it's pathetic! 

With the experience I had in this barre class, I can honestly say I really do like this type of exercise.

The work outs are not too strenuous- it incorporates enough cardio at a reasonable pace and the warm up, cool down, arm, leg and ab segments are apportioned evenly.

In addition to a manageable work out, the following points are favorable: 

Proximity to our home- 2 minutes
Teachers- a big fan of Summer
The set up & style of the studio- nice sized studio painted in light blue walls
Lobby area- obsessed with the very cute, but very expensive workout clothes that I would eye out every single time I entered the studio.

My main gripe is that these places are very pricey!!!
And really, working out in a studio vs. at home, watching a monotonous video is a major disparity.
Admittedly, I bought the work out video Xtend Barre at Target and the work out is pretty dead on.
Bought some 1 pounders, I just don't have a bar built into my bedroom wall.

The upshot:
I love it, sign me up...but not just yet!
I want my "monthly dues" to be worth every last penny. Thus, requiring me to go to class 4-5 times a week. I gotta a whole lot coming up, so allow me to get through a few months.
In the meantime, I'll cheat and use my handy dvd and throw in some runs.
But I recommend it and would love to have a buddy to go with me.
Interested? 

wicked

 In my previous life, going to Broadway shows was a part of my regular schedule.

I made sure to see RENT three times in NYC and once in San Diego, all within 18 months.

I was such a RENT groupie - I bought the CD, E bought me the book, I used to listen and sing along to Light My Candle (word for word). E & I even did a reenactment to Out Tonight on the rooftop of one of our friend's apartment buildings in NYC- high kicks coming down the fire escape stairs.

What the hell was that?

The RENT obsession eventually fizzled and I got a life.

It has been almost eight years since I sat in a fancy theater and enjoyed a Broadway Musical.

That is until recently... 

I finally got to see Wicked!

It really was pretty wicked awesome!

I've been wanting to see this show for a while now and finally got to with Cathy & her family.

What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon with a group of Italian women in the beautiful Civic Theater. The seats were ehh, but I got an idea of the storyline that I was watching below. 

If I ever get the chance to go again, I know to get better seats and know it will be worth it.

 

The story is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, and knowing that background isn't necessary but it is good info since most of the characters are interrelated.

My friend at work let me borrow the soundtrack. After listening to it for a few days I found the tunes very catchy and the scenes became real- the story all made sense while actually watching it.

And after watching the musical I, of course, became addicted to the songs and it was all I listened to for a week straight. I ended up making Cathy a copy of it and she too loves it!

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Wicked and can't wait to see it again, whenever that may be.

I promise not to paint my face green and don an all black outfit.

I'm not that obsessed with it.

weekend warrior

Friday started off with Glen picking up Camille and meeting them at the ped office for Camille's 3 year well-check. And she checked out just fine. The ped is very interesting...Dr. M is very granola and gives us the same spiel at every visit, ever since Camille's 2 week visit. Even when we go in for a sick visit, it is always the same remedy. Eat salmon, take vitamin D and double up when she's sick, use honey to help the throat, go to Henry's and get this vitamin, blah, blah. I'm not knocking her medical advice, but that's the thing- it is her medical advice. Maybe it's time for a second opinion...or rather a change of docs?! Hmmm...

Because Camille was such a good girl and all kids deserve treats after a doctor's visit, we wanted to get her shave ice and ended up having an unplanned, but delicious dinner at Island Style Cafe. Followed by the said shave ice. She was one happy little lady. It took a lot out of her to share a few bites with us...and that thing is massive!

Early the next morning, we headed to her first soccer practice. Soccer at this age is completely non-competitive, or at least the league she is signed up for. So I am always correcting myself when I slip and say that she has a soccer game. She loved it, especially since her cousins are in the class with her. Yes, S & C are in the same class! The teachers are great and the kids have a blast kicking the ball around, running and slipping around. The wet fields caused all kinds of slipping and sliding throughout practice! Nothing like coming home with dirty kids.

It's a good thing I brought an extra set of clothes for her to change in. Right after soccer, it was time to get Camille's hair did. I think the hair in the face was getting to her and having to fix her unruly hair was getting to me! I've been asking her how she felt about bangs and she seemed open to it, so bangs it was! We took her to Pig Tails and Crewcuts, the place we took her to get her first haircut two years ago. That was more of a trim than a cut and you couldn't even tell. But with this bang cut, she looked like a totally different kid. My what a difference bangs makes!

Later that day, it turned out to be girls day and we met up with H & Char to have a late lunch, early dinner at the infamous Slater's 50/50. That place is insane, but it is certainly heaven for the ultimate bacon lover. Char & I split the 50/50 burger, which is basically a half ground beef and half ground bacon patty--- with a whole lot of unhealthiness to top it off. If it's that good, chances are it is that unhealthy as well. As if we couldn't get any more bacon intake, we all shared a maple bacon shake which was pretty darn good. If anyone enjoyed it, I'd say it was this little girl.

And to top off the weekend, catching an afternoon showing of Wicked at the Civic Center and grilling a delectable dinner (ahi, corn & quinoa) with my loves on the patio was how I spent my Sunday. It was a wonderful weekend full of activities to keep us on the go the entire 48+ hours.

3

*(apologies: I sat on this post for the longest time, and am now posting)

 
Birth day!

My little girl is three today, and I'm not lying when I say that it has been the most wonderful three years of my life. Hubs & I have always wanted her to stay the baby we remember bringing home back in July 2009. By the same token, we are having the best time seeing her grow and flourish into this remarkably pleasant, extremely bright, very curious, amazingly adorable, active and talkative little lady. I love her so much and I tell her everyday...no, I literally tell her "I love you so much" and since the day she has been able to say it, she will reply right back, "I love you so much!" It's the cutest thing ever.
She has changed me and my life and the impact that she has on my happiness is immeasurable.
I am beyond blessed.

To help me remember and for you (are you really out there?) to get to "know her," I've listed random  highlights & milestones of CJ's life thus far:
 

born on 7-8-9 ~ cute, sweet, easy baby ~ born with small stork burn markings right under her little nose, but is now gone ~ made life easy for mommy & daddy and slept through the night after 6 weeks ~ loved the alien noises ~ 1st grandchild for grandma P & grandpa G ~ 10th grandchild for grandma M & grandpa I, only the 2nd girl out of 11 grand kids ~ good eater, nursed for 11 months (woo hoo!) ~ ate anything & everything ~ broccoli was & is still the favorite vegetable ~ fruit crazy ~ slept in the crib for the first 6 months, hello co-sleeping, and then on her own after 1 1/2 years ~ first road trip was at 3 months to Orange County for go-mo (that means Auntie in Korean) Julie's wedding ~ first airplane ride was at 11 months to San Jose ~ first real vacation to Maui was at 13 months ~ started walking at 13 months...in Maui ~ first tooth pooped out at 14 months ~ not a big drooler, thank God! ~ Toy Story 3 is her first love ~ collected all the TS3 mini characters from the Disney store & loved to roll call with all of them ~ first trip to Disneyland was at 8 months for Auntie H's birthday ~ after that, annual passes were "mandatory" so we bought 'em that fall ~ now a huge Princess fan, go figure ~ big Dora & Kai Lan at such a young age, but they taught her a lot! ~ when she was much smaller, Daddy held her standing on his thighs and had her boogie down ~ lots of stroller walks all the way around Lake Miramar, now it's in 1.5 miles and back out ~ loves her "sister", Cloie ~ knew her full name and birthday before turning 1 ~ a huge 1st birthday party ~  wasn't too thrilled about being center of attention blowing out that one candle ~ such a good, cute baby that everyone loves ~ enjoyed Gymboree for a little while; difficult for working Mommy to pull that off on the weekdays ~ not a "park baby" until recently, and still a little timid ~ loves & absolutely adores all her cousins, even the teenagers ~ able to recite all immediate family and group them by families and/or spouses...good memory! ~ the cutest look on her face when asked a question, the brain is working! ~ a few weekend trips to San Jose to visit uncle G & auntie C ~ many a trips to Orange County to visit auntie M, uncle R & cousins ~ talkative ~ no more Binky at 2 years old ~ a little uncoordinated, but enjoyed ballet at age 2 ~ somehow the 2nd birthday turned out to be just as big as her 1st birthday party, but still lots of fun ~ received some great gifts, thank you everyone  ~ vast vocabulary ~ loves soccer at age 3, still working on those skills ~ fearless in the swimming pool, as long as the wings are on ~ enjoys the beach and sand, but not fond of the waves ~ always wanting to throw  tea parties, play with play doh, watch Disney movies, do puzzles ~ kisses Cloie every night before bed ~ so much fun to chat with ~  I know I'm boasting, but I can't help it.

CJB, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me, please don't grow up too fast!
I love you more than you know, Happy Birthday!!!

My little 3 year old!

hipster baby shower

Happy July!

We started the month off by throwing the L's a little baby shower celebration for #3.

The afternoon flew by as we drank, ate, played some fun(ny) games, chatted and indulged in the most awesome cake from DBar. All 25 of us took over URBN Kitchen in North Park, a little neighborhood not far from Downtown San Diego. The pizza there is delectable, probably my 2nd favorite pizza joint in SD...the first being Bar BASIC. Although the place is owned by the same person, so of course they get high ratings on my list. :)

North Park is a place where you come across a certain breed of people cruising down the street in the most apparent fashion: skinny jeans (guys & gals), over sized beanies that hang off the back of the head (yes, even in this warm weather), gals who rock the floral short skirts or dresses, reminiscent of the 80's look, dark frame glasses...ya know- hipsters!

Clearly a place I don't hang or belong in.

And not your typical place for suburbia to come in and have a baby shower.

But for the occasion, of course... and for the food, always!

 The amazing cake from DBar!

Nova was explaining the games, the guys are such good listeners.

And here we are...it never gets old with these girls!