Wiggles N' Thugs

I took Elise to a restaurant today called Giggles n' Hugs. It's a "children's restaurant" that has a separate dining area and play area. The idea is that you let your kid play with germ-infested toys while you eat overpriced grilled cheese and listen to Laurie Berkner for an hour or two. Of course, Elise was CRAZY about it so unfortunately we'll have to go back. I understand what they (the owners) were trying to do but I still think a regular kid-friendly restaurant + the playground before/after would be better. But it's probably a good place to rent out for birthday parties.

Great Hike

We went on a super hike today! Sullivan Canyon is just down the road in Pacific Palisades. One of the remarkable things about this area is that all of the homes and neighborhoods are nestled into these incredible hills and canyons. For many, their front yard is an ocean vista and their backyard is a mountain vista. Of course, we don't have a yard, so neither of those things is an option for us. The cheapest house in these neighborhoods is about 2 million dollars and that's for a tear down or remodel..but I digress. The hike wasn't especially scenic with panorama views but their were plenty of birds, lizards and butterflies to keep the attention of a toddler. Elise proclaimed that she was going to sing the ABC's to the butterflies and she kept her word. We heard a charming rendition of the old classic about 150 times:-)

These pictures would most likely have been better if I used the macro lens but oh well. Elise "helped" mommy make cupcakes when we got home so it's shaped up to be a pretty great day!

Asking for Trouble

This is what happens when you pair Elise with chocolate chip pancakes...

Funny Picture and Rant

Hi! I was wondering where the DMV was located? Oh certainly ma'am, it's on the bottom floor right below purgatory..

How difficult does it need to be to change your license and registration? I feel like this is the 10th time I've been to the DMV and I'm still not finished. And let's not even talk about the written exam we had to take. Let's just say one of us failed the first time and it wasn't Holly..good thing they give you 3 strikes. Some of the questions are so ridiculous that I wonder do they think we're not in America?? I'm glad I'm up to date on cattle privileges because there are so many of them wandering the streets of LA I was worried I wouldn't know what to do.

Moon and Dylan

Lastnight there was a gorgeous moon through the trees on our balcony and I attempted to snap some shots of it while thinking of the song It Takes Alot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry. What a great song...Our music collection has exploded in the last 5 years and Mike has been good about organizing it in a media center way too sophisticated for me to use probably. I'd rather just have it on the Ipod ready for take-off. It also makes me think of how reliant on technology we've become and it's nice to just sit and look at the moon.

In other music news, Mike has Elise singing Aqualung and she admitted that Jethro Tull is her fav group.

Hand-Me-Down Holly

Oh Boy!! Here we go again...

Mike just picked up his new iphone which means I'll be inheriting his blackberry which means our numbers will change yet again. I tend to be the recipient of all his rejected phones but this is quite an upgrade for me. Because it makes sense for me to have a smart phone what with all the play dates, dance classes and grocery shopping I have to keep track of;-)

Hiking and Biking

Yesterday we went for a ride on the beach. We love the bike path that goes from Santa Monica down to Venice Beach. Elise is just like a queen in her bike trailer shouting out commands along the way.

Today we went for a wonderful hike in Topanga Canyon and mommy would have hiked all day but daddy was pretty tired from escorting her Majesty in the backpack. I took some great pictures but unfortunately I forgot to put the memory card back in the camera so there's no documentation. Now we are home relaxing and Mike is making short ribs (mmm my favorite) for dinner:-)

Here we are

We were ambivalent about starting a blog but have decided to bite the bullet. Too many funny things happen that we would love to share with friends and family. It's way easier to post than to try sending a whole mess of pictures.

California has been treating us well and we can't believe we didn't live here sooner. We found a nice neighborhood to call home on the westside of Los Angeles. We live on the border of Brentwood and Santa Monica and it doesn't get much better than this. It has been almost 3 months since our move and it has yet to rain. While I don't miss it yet, I'm sure in a few months I will be longing for a good old-fashioned thunderstorm.

Elise loves the nice weather as well. It essentially means there are no good excuses for not going to the playground/beach/canyon everyday.