The Social Network

I had to think about this one for awhile... I couldn't decide if I really liked it or not. Eventually, after some thought, I did. It got a lot of hype from everyone we knew, so I think that I was expecting more. But all in all, it was actually pretty good. Mostly because the characters were so well written and smart. I don't know how much of it was actually true, but what a roller coaster for those guys.

I love that the twins in the movie were played by the same dude!

The Events

OK, so let's talk about what we did while the cutest nephew in the world was visiting. (I should mention that my sister was here too. I know she sometimes gets overshadowed by the cuteness of the kid, but she is fun to be around too! She's such a good mom and likes to have fun with the best of us. It was nice having her here for longer than a couple days.)

They arrived on Monday evening and on Tuesday we started the fun with a visit to Travel Town. If you have a child that likes trains, this is the place to go. It's just a big yard with plenty of old steam engines and cargo trains to look at. There's no Thomas the Tank Engine, but its close enough. We rode the mini train around the park and the nephew chased a playful squirrel. Upon leaving, he said "That was a good day, guys." He didn't know the day wasn't over yet, but it was adorable. We headed over a couple blocks to the L.A. Zoo. Sister and I showed more interest in the animals than the kid. At least it was a nice cool day to walk around.

On Wednesday it rained and rained. So we had a hard time deciding what to do. We finally settled on the Kidspace Museum in Pasadena. We didn't leave the house until a little later, so we had to rush through a bit, but it is another awesome place for kids. Everything is hands-on and it was difficult to convince the boy to leave because he was having so much fun.

You know we did Disneyland. That was on Thursday. We wanted to celebrate his 3rd birthday a little early (so he could get in free one last time!) and it was a great day. It was unexpectedly crowded for a weekday, but we still got to do the most important stuff. And I was pretty proud of myself for holding up as well as I did with this belly, too!

On Friday it started to warm up a little more, so we decided to spend a little time at the beach. After fighting traffic on the way there and back, we were only on the sand for maybe an hour. Sand castles were built, seagulls were chased, and waves were run away from.

Saturday started with a trip to the park so nephew could play on the jungle gym. I took him by myself and when he was naughty, I realized how hard it is going to be to discipline my kids! I got mad at him for not listening and he cried and cried. And then I felt so bad! I know its a teeny tiny taste of what I'm in for, but man. Those crocodile tears can break your heart - even when 3 seconds earlier, he was being such a little turd! He got over the sadness pretty quickly and told me he loved me about 5 minutes later. But it plays with your emotions a little bit, I must say. Later that afternoon, a group of us went to Lombardi Ranch Pumpkin Patch and that was a huge hit. There was so much fun stuff to see and do so that kept us entertained for a couple hours before going out for dinner and dessert at CPK.

All in all, it was a great week. I'm so glad they chose Burbank, CA as their vacation destination! (Don't worry, sis - we will go to New York one day...)

This Is The Face...

I have had the pleasure of spending a week with this little guy.

He makes me so excited and nervous to have a baby of my own! I just love him!

Reunited, and it Feels So GOOD!

Reunited with my short hair, that is.

Don't get me wrong, there is something to be said for having long hair and I was kind of enjoying it - it looks full and luxurious when it's actually styled, it feels good brushing against the back of your arms and shoulders, and bad hair days are easily disguised with bobby pins & ponytail elastics. But when bobby pins & ponytail elastics became the daily norm, I knew it was time for a change.

It took a bit of courage to cut all that length off, but once it was done, I felt so refreshed!

And there is something to be said for short hair too - it looks cute with just a quick blow-dry, it feels good to have a breeze on your neck, and its so dang healthy! (Plus my husband just loves it.)

My attempt at being sassy.

I'm still wanting it a little blonder, but highlights seemed like the most sensible solution for now. All in due time... Aaaaaaaaahh.

Nevermind!

The Fall-ish weather did not last. It was like a cruel joke! Two days after I posted, we reached 98 degrees here. And today, it's supposed to be 110. We are mostly trying to stay indoors and run up our electric bill with non-stop air conditioning.

Not cool, Mother Nature! Not cool.