MAC STUNG BY STINGRAY

Be careful of what's lurking in the water!



It could be a Round StingRay!



Mac got stung today at Coronado Beach by a Round StingRay. She felt it brush her leg, tried to get out of the water but got stung anyway. I carried her, bleeding and screaming, to the lifeguards and then we rushed her home to a big bucket of almost scalding hot water (the only relief for the pain). I haven't heard Mac scream this much since I took 4 year old Mac home from Elsa's Barbie Party without giving her the five minute warning. She was screaming "make it stop make it stop", I cried later in private at home. We were all a little traumatized. She is fine now, talking with her friends on the phone about her experience....

Matt

I just can't make myself go to bed.

...there's a kitty on my lap and I keep thinking that the words "squash blossom" would make a great song...or store...or name for a band...or name for a kid, well maybe not...and I'd like to be the kind of person who successfully sauteed squash blossoms with something yummy inside but I am not, yet.

AND I have a quiet moment which is rare in summer with the lovelies around ALL DAY which is great but exhausting, draining and zombifying at times.

...and if I go to bed it will be tomorrow faster and there's just so much stuff to do always...except for now I can just sit here and mess around on a disappearing blog...

hmm, which image to pair with this completely nothing facebookish post????
ah yes, a cartoon of my dream to do list.

I Do NOT Heart Sea World

That place is just one big commercial theme park nightmare with gross music and fake, sappy
faux-environmental staged crap everywhere...every single show was BIG and OOOH and AAAH and they forgot to mention anything real about the animals really at all. And it was all projected on the big screen anyway so we had to keep reminding Silas that the actual animal was down there, not on the big TV.

I haven't been there in a long time... when they only just started the whole water park business and they had one ride I think. Since then they have added an entire ride section for kids. And carnival games. On top of the two water rides. (line 45 minutes). This is not how I wanted to spend the day. If I wanted this I would have gone to the Del Mar Fair instead. At least you know what you are in for and can prepare. And I actually like a good fair with the kooky carnies...But I honestly thought we would spend some time today at Sea World checking out sea life, seeing a few animal shows.

I will admit to a few moments of goodness...We did like the manatees and area where the beluga whales are...because they were completely empty...no one goes to sea world to see animals...I didn't know that.

SeaWorld is no longer what it used to be at all...a little sea town animal rescue place with
some dolphin trainer shows and cool ponds to touch manta rays. I guess it hasn't been that in a long time.

It really sucks.

I did a terrible job of hiding it so now the kids think I am the Grinch of all things FUN...like rides, and dyed teal water and sea lion shows where the theme is ANIMAL AMERICAN IDOL where the sea lions are dancing around like Brittany Spears and High School Musical. Gross.

And I love hearing over and over how Anhauser Busch (sp??) loves our Mother Earth.
Gag me with a funnel cake.

Now I am sure they do some good...somewhere....for profit, BIG PROFIT....but compared to
the Zoo or the Wild Animal Park this place is a nightmare for people like me. It is Legoland without the coolness of Legos...its Disneyland with out the retro camp of DISNEYLAND...

To quote the hag lady in Princess Bride, my review of Sea World 2009 is...
"Boo rubbish, filth, slime, muck...boo...boo...boo!"

emmett's poem

camping 2009

highlights:
1)the food was ridiculously good and plentiful and all I did was eat. this is definitely the perk of the multi-family camp-out...I only cooked twice and did dishes 3 times and it was a breeze.
2)the kids were so happy the whole time. so very nature happy.
3)the swing that shawn rigged with the extra long rope was awesome
4) singing with Matt is one of the most fun things in the whole wide world for me...shawn and emil made it even better!
5)we brought the ladybug constellation nightlight that nana got for Silas and it made our tent glow. this is a highly recommended camping item whether or not you have kids!
6)I just really like everyone, had fun talking and hanging out and watching all
these kids play hard.
7)at one point there were 48 people! but never more than 38 over night and it never felt too crazy...phew!
8)going home and taking a hot shower...ahhhh!

Here are the kids on the ride home. exhausted. Also, notice the wiggly, wonky tooth on Emmett. ! First Big Front Tooth Loosened Considerably by Large Wooden Swing to the Face, Camping Trip 2009.

(that tooth is no longer there thanks to Nana who mercifully had the
chutzbah to pull it out before the pizza came...)

Happy Father's Day!!

We love you papa. Soooooooooo much.