#420 - Toy Story Wii Game

Tonight we headed to Best Buy to choose a new Wii game (or three)... two of our choices are ones I will critique for you, the third (Indiana Jones and the "something something") is one my hubby will probably play without me. First up: Toy Story Mania Wii game. This game is based on the two Toy Story rides at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, so we knew I would like it - plus TLG likes these movies and remembers the rides too (see photo, left, taken last September on the ride at California Adventure). The Wii game game with two 3D glasses with the red-and-blue windows in them. I never did adjust to wearing them (but that could have been because I was wearing my regular glasses today and the 3D glasses didn't fit well). TLG loved the glasses. As for the game, we played for about 30 minutes, and all the games we remember from our trip to Disney showed up somehow - the "ring an alien" game featured in the photo, plus the balloon pop, the shooting gallery with the bullseyes, and some we didn't remember like the teacup switch and the whack-an-alien-with-a-hammer-to-shoot-him-into-space. The game was a definite "hit" at our house, considering TLG had a little tantrum when it was time to turn it off and go get ready for bed. I do believe we'll be playing lots of this one in the future!

#396 - When There's a Will...

Today, my amazing hubby and I finalized our wills. People have been telling us since the little guy was born that we needed to have a will, and it took us until now to actually do it. We started a few weeks ago with a consultation with the lawyer to discuss our wishes, then we had a second meeting to go over everything and ask questions. And boy, did we have questions! Legal-ese does not come naturally to me. And today was just a quick meeting to look everything over a final time and sign it all. Whew! As my hubby said to the lawyer, "I feel very grown up."

#387 - (Really Old New Thing) 50's Party

Waaaaaaaaay back in May, my sister hosted a costume party with a 50's theme, which we happily dressed up to attend. It was an awesome party, and each of my family members showed up dressed to the nines. Even my then-5-month-old niece had a poodle skirt! It was really fun to dress up outside of Halloween, and we had everything from Elvis to a beatnik to a high school coach (see left).

Rather than go back and re-number all my new things, I decided to just add this now, with this totally adorable photo of our family.

#367 - Thomas Live

This afternoon, The Little Guy and I went to see Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends in a live production. As it turns out, TLG is a little shy to meet any costumed characters up close (see photo), but he enjoyed the show fairly well. It was unfortunate that the show began at his normal naptime so he was not very enthusiastic during the audience participation sections of the show... but he didn't want to leave, either. The show itself was about a circus coming to the Island of Sodor, and since TLG has never been to a circus, either, I'm not sure if he really understood the plot. But he liked seeing the trains on the stage and seemed to enjoy the music, most of which he knew from watching the Thomas TV show. I got him a new light-up toy from the souvenir stand, and he did wave it around quite a bit during the show. One funny thought: there were cookies in the meet-and-greet area, and TLG didn't want one, nor did he want any popcorn. He settled on M&M peanuts (a boy after my own heart) but blew me away with not wanting a cookie!

#365 - Local Library

This afternoon, I took TLG to the local library branch near our house. As an avid reader, I spent tons of hours reading books from libraries in Sacramento, so I was really looking forward to today's new thing. It turns out that the daycare has taught TLG many of the rules of the library, including being quiet, and borrowing books and having to return them. The branch near our house has a great kids' section with tons of books and videos to choose from, though TLG's method of choosing books is totally haphazard (whatever he touches first, basically). Though I don't know the exact titles, TLG's first five library books ever are: 1) The Bernstain Bears' Road Race, 2) Garfield at the Circus, 3) Bob the Builder Learns Shapes, 4) Some Things Go Together, and 5) Amelia Bedelia. I can hardly wait to share these with him over the next three weeks, and I'm already looking forward to our return visit.

#363 - Wii All Had a Good Time

My wonderful family gave us a handful of new Wii games for Christmas, so last night and this evening we taught some of my family members to play with the Wii remotes, and we tried a bunch of new games: Wii Music, Dancing with the Stars, Star Wars Force Unleashed, and a Namco Arcade game (which includes Pac Man and Dig Dug, two games I grew up with). A few thoughts on the games: 1) The Little Guy loved the Wii Music game. If you know any three-year-olds, I'd recommend this one to try, since a good portion of it doesn't require any ability to point the controller at the screen - just wave it around to "play" an instrument or conduct an orchestra. And, I hate to brag, but TLG was really getting good at matching pitches and answering questions about music in the Pitch Perfect game. 2) My husband is a better "Dancer" than I am... he insists that this means he is a better video gamer than me, but I think that's a silly excuse to get out of dancing with me in person more often. 3) I only observed the Star Wars game, which apparently lets the player become Darth Vader, swinging a light saber and searching out a Jedi knight. But my hubby thought it was great, and I do believe that I'll be hearing Darth's funny breathing more and more around our house. 4) As for the Pac Man game, I hate to say it, but some things are better left alone. We need to go buy some "traditional" controllers to make this one more palatable for me. I used to be really good at Dig Dug but the controllers really held me back. 5) I think my favorite part of this session was during the Wii Music game last night, when we all got the giggles because we were "conducting" so poorly. What a crack-up.

#361 - Becoming an Aunt!

This morning at 1:01AM, I witnessed the birth of my niece. What an amazing thing to be a part of: the miracle of birth. My sister is my new hero... she made it through 25 hours of labor with no epidural (!) to introduce the world to her daughter. My brother-in-law, my mom, and I were all helping, especially for the four or five hours leading up to the birth. Our precious new family member weighs 7 lbs., 10 oz. and is so beautiful we could hardly stand it. I was the first photographer on the scene (and will need to get permission from my sister before I post anything here). There were tons of family members in the waiting room, but being able to be a part of this was an honor I wouldn't trade for anything.

#360 - An Exciting Drive

I've lived in Reno for over twelve years, and I have driven over Donner Summit to northern California by myself many times... but never has it been as exciting drive as it was this morning. Shortly after midnight, I received the phone call from my sister that her water had broken and she was on her way to the hospital. (YAY!) So I quickly packed my suitcase, left my house at 1:30AM and drove over the mountains by myself in the middle of the night. I was pretty wired about the prospect of becoming an aunt today, so I wasn't sleepy, and I had my ipod on shuffle and sang most of the way (as I often do). The traffic was light, and there was no ice on the road (thank goodness). I wouldn't recommend stopping at the Donner rest area at 2:30AM by yourself... a little spooky for a woman travelling by herself, but I was pleased to see the CHP officers driving by as I was walking back to my car.

#356 - Third Birthday

The little guy turned 3 today, and we took the day off from work to have a leisurely day with family. Early this morning, we drove to Sacramento to have lunch with my mom and sister. After a nice nap and a little afternoon shopping, my sister had an amazing "Handy Manny" party ready for TLG, complete with streamers, balloons, plates, napkins, and toys emblazoned with the cartoon handyman. My terrific family all gathered for a dinner from The Old Spaghetti Factory and chocolate cake, decorated by my dad ("Poppy"), just like he used to do for me when I was younger. And, oh, the toys! Did I mention the toys?!? The highlight must be his very first two-wheel bike (though for now it has training wheels) with a Lightning McQueen bike helmet. He took to it right away, and even rode down the driveway before getting a little afraid of not being able to stop. (I'm sure he'll get the hang of those pedal brakes before long.) Thank you, family, for a wonderful party and some great memories.

#345 - TLG's First Movie

Today, we took TLG to his very first movie theater! As much as he loves movies and TV at home, we were pretty sure he would love it... and we were right! We took him to see Madagascar 2 (he loves the first movie, and as you probably know, the first movie quote he ever learned was from the first Madagascar). He sat quietly throughout the movie, entranced by the new story and his old favorite characters. I brought an empty brown paper bag so we could put some popcorn in a separate bag for him, and he thought that was great. We also brought along a couple of pieces of Halloween candy to share at the movie, too (don't tell!) As for the actual movie, I thought it was not the greatest plot line, but seeing TLG enjoying it so much more than made up for that (in my book). Something tells me we'll be going to see plenty of movies in the future with TLG! A spare thought: Since when do child movie tickets cost upwards of $6?!? Insanity!

Here's one more photo of us with the Madagascar display in the lobby of the theater:

#338 - Pumpkin Patch!

Today, my dad joined our little family at the Pumpkin Patch in Sacramento, where we had lots of first for The Little Guy (including his first hayride, haunted house, corn maze, and pumpkin patch in general!) I didn't remember that this particular pumpkin patch had so many great things to do --- TLG also got to go on a pony ride, play on the hay bales, climb through a long tunnel, and of course pick some pumpkins to bring home. We easily spent two hours exploring all the great things to do, and could have stayed longer if TLG hadn't gotten tuckered out and in need of a nap. Thanks, Poppy, for spending the morning with us. TLG and both his parents had a great time and really enjoyed exploring all these new things!

#318 - Late Summer Celebration

We live within an hour's drive of Lake Tahoe, and yet I have never driven up to spend a day with my family there, then driven back home again. The closest I've come is going there to visit a tuba-playing friend when he and his university marching band were in town... and that was a long time ago. So today, our little family of three spent the afternoon at Lake Tahoe, playing in the water at Kings Beach, eating dinner at a new place (The Lodge at Galena) and driving back home. The water was perfect for a splash and TLG was loving every minute of it. I thought the water would be too cold, so I didn't bring his swimsuit but we just let him go in anyways. We met lots of water-loving dogs, including a Great Dane which was the biggest dog I'd ever seen! Our dinner was delicious too, I'd never been to this place at the base of the mountain range but my ravioli was terrific. What a wonderful end-of-summer day.

#308 - A New Family Meal

This afternoon, we ate lunch with my stepdad. We wracked our brains but can't remember having a meal with my stepdad without at least one other family member around (though my hubby acknowledged that when they were fixing our fence, that almost counted). He took us to a cute place in downtown Sacramento named Suzie Q's, a burger and hot dog joint that also served hoagie sandwiches. TLG loved the french fries and even ate 1/2 a regular-sized hamburger (a new record for him). But mostly what I will remember about today's meal is the wonderful time we had just talking to my stepdad outside of our family get-togethers. I am very glad we were able to have this time together! Thanks, PaPa!

TLG HEALTH UPDATE:
If you are a friend or relative, you probably remember that TLG has had some surgeries to correct some problems he had at birth. Today was also a follow-up appointment at UC Davis, where the Dr. says he looks great and we have one more surgery to go before he is done with surgery all together. So next February is scheduled to have TLG's final surgery (we hope) and it won't be as big a production as the last two have been. Hooray! If you want more details, please e-mail me.

#306 - Funhouses are Fun?

After the pony ride, what could possibly be exciting to do at the State Fair? Amusement rides, of course! We purchased a $40 ticket (which was good for approximately 10 rides in the kiddie area). After trying the flying elephants and the helicopters, TLG decided to try a funhouse attraction. Being the big boy that he is, he wanted to go alone like all the other kids, so we stayed on the ground watching him as he navigated through his first funhouse. He did great on the first two levels with the punching bag maze, the rope ladder, the creaky swinging bridge to cross. But as he made it to the top of one side of the funhouse (two stories off the ground) he suddenly got a little spooked and he started to get upset. From the ground, we yelled encouraging words and started to panic a little when it looked like he might be stuck there, unwilling to move forward onto the next bridge. Finally, he followed some bigger kids across the second bridge, where an attendant was waiting to help him go down the two-story slide where I was waiting at the bottom. What a relief I felt when he was on the ground again! Of course, once he came down, he acted like the whole thing was no big deal...

#294 - Hubby Update

If you're reading this blog, you must be a friend of ours, and you probably know that my amazing hubby has had some pain issues these past 4+ years. Today, my hubby had some surgery that will block the nerves in his spine from telling his brain about the pain in his side. Yep, that's the best way I can describe it because I'm just not that certain about the specifics. I only know they did four injections in his spine and he's pretty stiff and sore this evening. They told him to give it a few days for the pain to subside before he knows how this all worked, so for now he's settled on the couch with some ice. Keep you fingers crossed, will you please?

#289 - What a Deal!

This morning, some of our neighbors were having a massive garage sale, and lo and behold: there were tons of age-appropriate toys for little boys like ours. So my fantastic mother-in-law and I took TLG to his first garage sale. He was in hog heaven with all the great stuff, and Grandma had to go get our wagon to bring our final choices back home with us. One toy that I picked for him (because it was in a big box and he couldn't play with it at the sale) was a Thomas train track toy, complete with engines and cars. We've had the train table (see photo) for months but it's mostly just stored his other toys... until now. We set up the train track and it is DEFINITELY his new favorite toy! I think if we just let him go, he would play non-stop for a week. We also got some large Tonka trucks, some wooden train tracks (for when he tires of Thomas), a toddler-sized basketball hoop, two DVDs, some die-cast airplanes, and a partridge in a pear tree. Best $25 I've spent in a long time!

#288 - NFL Sunday Ticket

My wonderful hubby celebrated a birthday today, and my gift to him: I signed us up for DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket. (I told him that the "real" present wasn't the actual gift itself, but the fact that the little guy and I will give up talking to him each Sunday during the football season. Ha!)

I'd never really heard about this service in-depth, but apparently you pay a fee and they broadcast each NFL game every week for your enjoyment. We could have paid $100 extra to get one HD station and one station that would show you all 8 games and let you choose which one to listen to... but that just seemed like overkill! Then again, for a non-football-lover like myself, the entire thing seems a little like overkill. Anyway, you'll know where to find our family once the football season starts for good: in front of the TV.

#282 - Girls Weekend

This weekend, I stayed at my wonderful sister's house and, along with our mom, had what I hope will be the first-annual girls weekend. The basic outline of our weekend included pedicures, shopping, healthy (but yummy) meals, seeing a show (My Fair Lady) at Music Circus in downtown Sacramento, and another musical movie (Mamma Mia!). I had the best time - I'm not sure I even remember the last time the three of us just sat down and had hours to be together without interruption. The show and the movie were good too, but it was being with my mom and sister that made the weekend special for me. Thank you both for everything this weekend!

#234 - Texas Hold 'Em

I am not a poker player, but yes I have played before in my life. Tonight, however, my family gathered together for a Texas Hold 'Em tourney, complete with all sorts of strange betting terminology (big blinds? flops?). Thank goodness my stepdad is a good poker player and doesn't mind going over all the poker basics for us (what's higher, a 3-of-a-kind or a flush? and how do we bet again?) I was the second person to run out of chips, but it still was fun to all do something together.

#205 - An Almost-New Mall

There's a relatively new open-air mall south of town that I've been to, but only to visit the Old Navy, restaurants, and movie theater. And I've never been in the department store Dillard's at all. So for mother's day, TLG and I went shopping there with my fantastic mother-in-law. We hit Coldwater Creek, Talbot's, and Dillard's... and of course, ended up bringing home something Lightning McQueen related (a new swimsuit for TLG - see photo). Dillard's reminded me of Macy's only with less clothing in the store somehow. The other stores were a little out of my price range, but did seem to have some cute options if I'm ever feeling especially rich!