Swim baby swim!!

I can't believe that Bella can actually swim now.  I mean SWIM.  After her very first swim lesson, she was out there...swimming!  She is so used to relying on her little floaties, and I am so used to relying on those floaties...I didn't even know that she COULD swim.  This had like opened a whole new world for Miss Bella and she is like on FIRE with swimming!  Caleigh is loving the pool too, but definetely feels more comfortable with her floaties on.  Next summer, she'll be ready for solo swimming for sure.  Good thing Omi lives just a few miles away with a pool at her place. 

Happy 4th!

(backyard fun with cousins!)

getting ready for the parade!

got the bike all decorated!

I'd say Ben and Caleigh scored on the best seat!

Hermosa Beach block party!

the 4 amigos...

ohhh, sparklers AGAIN!?

Gil's pooped.

We went up to the Lurias in Hermosa Beach for the 4th.  The kids had fun just playing and running thru the sprinklers by day.  At night, Jenni's neighborhood had a cool block party.  Everyone potlucked it and came with their decorated bikes for the parade. Margarita machine was a-going, french fryer was fryin, and the kids were SO EXCITED.  One of the neighbors decorated an old pick up trick with a ton of teenage kids piled in it...screaming and honking their horns while all the neighborhood kids followed along with their bikes.  It was pure chaos, but so much fun!

Backyard Campout

(dinner of champions!)

(sparklers to boot!)

Bijan decided to have a lil campout in the backyard.  The girls couldn't have been more THRILLED!  Still a lot of work to set up all that crap...I mean gear, in the backyard.  Of course the girls wanted their chairs, of course they wanted their sleeping bags, of course they wanted flashlights, of course we had to set up EVERYTHING.  The best part of the night was SMORES.  Caleigh had never had one before...I think she has asked for one every night since.  Bella prefers hers sans the graham cracker.  Bijan had the brillant idea of holding the flashlight under his chin and making a very spooooky sound in the tent. I think the girls nearly pee-ed in their pants, they got so freaked out!  :)

Coronado Parade

(the shamu float-love the look of pure pleasure on cal's face)

(awwwww...)

We went to the Coronado Parade for the first time this year.  Very fun.   A good ole, family feeling, parade.  There were LOTS of horses (for our horse loving children), bands, soldiers, dancers, dogs, clowns, cool cars, a helicopter, and even a Shamu float and the Shamu cars!!! Coronado holds a very special place in my heart...maybe cuz we got married there...I don't know.  Everytime I am there, I just fall in love with how pretty and clean and safe it is.  It just makes me feel really happy.  I think this will be a new Bijan family tradition for the 4th...

Fair Fun

We had so much fun at the fair!  The girls got to go on a pony ride ANNND an elephant ride (which I thought was pretty darn cool by the way), they went on all kinds of rides, played games, saw all the animals, tried funnel cake for the first time (Cal=not a fan, Bel=a fan), saw a magic show, and just had an all around fun day!  Thanks B for taking off from work for us all to enjoy the day together!

Best Daddy...EVER.

Bijan is the best daddy...ever.  Really, he is.  He does EVERYTHING and MORE.  He has always been so helpful...with playing with the kids, bathing them, changing diapers, cleaning vomit, giving hugs and kisses, reading stories, kissing boo boos, tucking in the girls, hugs and kisses.  The list goes on and on.  The girls just adore their daddy and nothing melts my heart more than seeing them just love on each other. 

For father's day this year, we went for a bike ride around Coronado Island and then down to 15th Street in Del Mar for a beach bbq. 

The girls are so lucky to have such an incredible daddy.

xo

Hitchcock Puppet Theatre.

The girls just LOVE going to the puppet theatre at Balboa Park.  We recently saw "the Little Boy who Cried Wolf".  I have to admit, even though these puppet shows are a bit on the cheezy side, they usually always have a really good lesson behind them.   The girls and I talked at great detail and length about telling the truth...

Baby Barnum...coming soon.

Kevin and Kayla are having a BABY!  I can't believe that my "baby" brother is going to be a daddy.  Kayla is due any day now.  They don't know if they're having a boy or a girl. My vote is, girl.  One thing I know for sure, is this baby will be soooo loved...not only by Kevin and Kayla, but by alllll of us.