LA county faire!

WE LOVE the LA FAIR! This year, like years before we packed up the car... this time a little more creatively since we have the Mini now, and the kiddos and our tons and tons of bottles of water and headed up to Pomona to the LA fairgrounds. We got there a little early since we were braving the last Saturday of the fair and had a few hours of wandering the shopping halls and food aisles before it got crazy busy. We've been dealing with insane weather here in southern California so throughout the humid day we got a bit of rain, some lightening, 90 degree heat and even our share of blue skies! We were glad to get out of the heat and walk through a 17 degree freezer featuring ice sculptures of Los Angeles. It was very cool (pun definitely intended)!
Kiddos enjoyed the petting zoo and we got replacement food since a crazy goat snatched ours out of my hands! JT and Mr B zip lined (JT after a little coaxing) and looked so cool doing it. It was a nice warm up for our dream vackay of zip lining over Hawaii!

We grubbed down on kabobs, roasted corn, a cinnamon roll, cinnamon roasted pecans and almonds, frozen chocolate bananas, soft serve ice cream, giant hot dog, and tons of Muscle Beach Lemonade (only $2 refills!)
We're reminiscent every year of the time Mr B broke his ankle while working the Toyota exhibit when JT was just 9 months old! Toyota still has a large display there as a major sponsor but the Xgames trampoline is since absent.
JT got a wallet (which he's been asking for 2 of his dollars to go shopping for one) for only a dollar and we scored on some sillybandz (maybe they're knock offs but he was jazzed about it). Bought a giant safe finally after years and years of looking, cinnamon roasted pecans and almonds, and other things that we probably don't need but can't resist. Lol. Always a fun time together as a little Boothohana, we loveLOVEloved the faire! Come with us next year!

Alpha and Omega

Kindergarten is agreeing with JT. He's having a good time and making lots of friends. Quite the social... I want to say butterfly but that doesn't sound very boyish... hm. 

He has a little friend LaDy that waits with her grandma Mrs D everyday for us and we walk to the cars together. Out of habit, I tend to park in the same area and that's where LaDy's grandma parks too.

I guess there's a new movie out about some wolves called Alpha and Omega, we haven't been to see a movie in a while but I guess they play this during recess. He told me... "Um, they get married in the end you know Mom". JT was sitting at the table the other night after dinner and said, "Mom, LaDy is the Alpha to my Omega". Who knows if he even knows what he's talking about but it was cute nonetheless.

A Score of MariBug

happy happy birthday Mari Bug Dear...
happy days will come to YOU all year...
if I had a wish then it would be...
A happy happy birthday to you from the B's!

Our lovely niece Maribug turned 20 (WTH!!) last month and we celebrated by ordering and eating "family style" (fancy way of saying base price, choose two salads, two appetizers, four entrees and two desserts and they'll keep bringing them!) from Maggiano's at the South Coast Plaza. In general, I avoid OC Shopping centers but this food was far too good to miss.

Even HeaBug got down with some spinach artichoke dip... we were happy to get together, have a good time, laugh, talk, celebrate and leave with full tummies (i'm a mom, I say tummy, get over it). Because I can't get enough of food... here's our yummadocious menu:

Spinach and Artichoke al Forno, Bruschetta

Spinach Salad and Maggiano's chopped salad (think blue cheese, prosciutto, nuts)

Tomato Vodka Gnocchi, Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken and Spinach Manicotti and Chicken Marsala

Creme Brulee and Toasted pound cake with banana and caramel sauce a la mode.

This description does not do it justice and I'm tempted to describe in detail since that's how they do it on Top Chef but I'll refrain.

Happy Birthday to a wonderful and beautiful niece. We love you and watching you grow to the woman you are today. We will love and stand by you you're whole life (cuz our ohana is that kind of awesome). Hau'oli La Hanau Kehau!

30 Candles for Yana Mama!

My beautiful Sister in Law Yana celebrates her 30th birthday this month so HeaBug, Breezer and I picked up our girl Yana and had tea at the a"cute"able Elise's Tea Room in Bixby Knolls! We dressed in our "lady tea clothes" and had the following at our full tea:

Original and Apple Cinnamon Scones with Devonshire Cream, Lemon Curd and Blackberry Jam

Lobster Bisque
Egg salad, chicken curry salad, cucumber, cream cheese with chives, 

black olive, and apple pecan tea sandwiches

Key Lime, Lemon and Caramel Cakes

and pots of Apple Cinnamon, French Vanilla Almond and Spiced Chai teas.

 It was wonderful to spend a few hours with the girls celebrating such a kind, talented and beautiful woman. I'm blessed to have her in my life and even more fortunate to call her sister and friend. She's a wonderful wife and mother, and a beautiful example of womanhood.

Happy Birthday to my darling sister Yana!

First Day of School!

We officially have ourselves a Kindergartner! We were luck enough to get accepted at an excellent Charter School in the LB District and are so excited for this school year!

Every First Day of School, the kids can have ANYTHING they want for breakfast... JT prepared for the day with Oreos in Milk!

 

Mrs. S invited parents to stay while she read a story to the class, then all the new Kindergartners blew kisses to their parents and sent us off. They have full day Kinder so J.T. is 9-3 everyday! We asked how school was when we picked him up and he told us that it had been the best day of his life! and that Mrs. S was the BEST teacher in the world. So proud of our little guy!

The Last Days of Summer

We LOVE summer and love to stay busy, busy, busy. Between daily 49er camp at CSULB (only for 5 weeks thank goodness!) and weekly piano, twice weekly jiu jitsu and thrice weekly Spanish lessons, we tried cramming as many fun things as possible in before JT started school.

The last two weeks we had lots of fun with our friends the Long Beach M's. We visited Pretend City, which was lots of fun... It's an entire community made for kids where they can dress up and "work" at different stations (marina, restaurant, fire house, police station, gas station, beach, farm, stage, home construction, market), getting stamps on their time card which they can then turn in to the ATM for pretend cash. With their cash they can choose to spend it, save it or donate it. I loved the concept and while I personally felt a little over stimulated around SO many little people, the kids and lillo B of the Long Beach M's had a great time together!

manning the boad, like older B's before hime

groceries bought with earned pretend city money!

Don't know where she gets her "razzle dazzle" haha

We spent an afternoon at Buccaneer Bay which is in Splash, an Aquatic Center for the city of La Mirada. SO much fun, after waiting a little bit to snag "beach side" seats, we planted down and enjoyed an afternoon of splashing, sliding, swimming and friends! A mini water park designed especially for little ones, there's a super fun playground in 2 feet of water. All little ones under 48" are required to wear life vests that are provided free of charge. There's a lazy river (my fave!), that was moving more swiftly than lazily, three "big kid/grown up" slides that Mrs. M of the Long Beach M's and I took turns going down. We ate hot dogs and pb&j's from the snack bar and rode it out until J.T., lilloB, and Hea Bug started to melt down as a result of no naps. Good fun though and yay our admission included a free pass to return! Better get back soon before it gets too cold, good thing the pools are all heated!

That very evening Grandpa B scored us a stack full of tickets to see Walking With Dinosaurs at the Honda Center! SOO cool! The Long Beach M's joined us and our Booth fam for awesome front row center seats. We enjoyed the show and the back stage tour where the kiddos were simultaneously awed and freaked out at the life like, giant dinosaurs.

Summer was grand, family is good, friends are fun and we are so blessed.

Herb Booth, heaven's gain.

      

Herb V. Booth
September 7, 1929  -  August 22, 2010

Herb was born September 7, 1929 in Wilmar, CA (which is now Alhambra) to Dewey and Dorothy (Smith) Booth. The 2nd of five children he had an older sister Nora, younger brother Ed and younger twin sisters Donna and Diane. He spent his youth in El Monte, California. He attended school there, played football and wrestled. Herb began working for the Plumbers Union Local 494 at 17. He was drafted to the US Army and after training at Camp Roberts, he left to the Korean Conflict from San Francisco. It was his first time being out of California. He was serving as a Corporal until January of 1953 and in September of that same year, married his sweetheart Martha Mae (Jinks) and they began their family in Long Beach, California.

He became a proud father to four sons: Gary, Donald, Ronald and Thomas. After Herb retired as a Master Plumber with 35 years in the trade he worked as a Park Ranger for the Boy Scouts. A lifelong Scouting enthusiast, Herb earned as a leader the Golden Arrow training award, which had actually been awarded to him while he was in Military Service in Korea. He also earned a Scouting adult leader’s highest award, the Silver Beaver. It it given to those who implement the scouting program and perform community service through self sacrifice, dedication and many years of service which he had shared with Pack and Troop 59. For 8 years, Herb, Mae and their family lived at Will J. Reid Scout Park in Long Beach, California where Herb was the Ranger and from there, went on to spend 12 years on top of “The Hill” at Camp Tahquitz, in the San Bernardino Mountains. Herb is member of the Tribe of Tahquitz as well as a 3rd degree mason.

Herb and Mae moved to Kingman, AZ after retiring (again), this time from 20 years of service to the Boy Scouts of America. A resident of almost 20 years in Kingman, he enjoyed undertaking projects around the house, playing bones (dominos) and bowling weekly with Mae and their friends and family. Herb attended Kingman Christian Church and the children there, as well as his grandchildren and great grandchildren benefited from his love and talent of working with wood.

 Always creating new toys and projects to keep himself and the little ones busy and happy, he enjoyed being in his shop. Herb could always be found, at any age, fixing something for a neighbor or helping out a friend. He wasn’t comfortable with lots of recognition and took joy in knowing he was doing something kind for someone else.

Herb departed this earth to be with our Lord on Sunday Morning, August 22, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was in the presence of his sweetheart of 57 years Mae and his sons Ron and Tom. He was greeted on the other side by sons Gary and Donald, Parents, Dewey and Dorothy, and sisters Nora and Donna.

He is survived by His loving wife Mae, Sons Ronald and Thomas and their families, 12 grandchildren and their families, 6 great grandchildren, his beloved Sister in Law, and nieces and nephews.

Herb V. Booth was a man that worked very hard and was loved very much.