Lozano Smith Summer Splash 2006

Lover's Point
Pacific Grove, CA

Beckam keeping an eye on us!!

Jaden amazed us with his paddling skills!

We went out past the mass of seaweed

you can see just beyond where we are.

He wasn't the least bit afraid, little did he know what I

was feeling (the seaweed was the most unnerving part for me--

I felt claustrophobic paddling through it).

We can do this!

Just a cute picture:

Beckam Strikes Again!

Yes, those would be the keyboard keys!!
This is how much damage he can do in 3-5 min. (while I'm brushing my teeth, for example).

They are all fixed now, thankfully!

Weekend with the Wozniaks and Other Fun Stuff

Early in the week the boys and I drove up to Santa Cruz to visit my dear friend Rebecca and her family, who were vacationing there for the week.

It was a dream come true when the Philips Family moved onto Silver Dr. 18 or so years ago. Before that, I was the only little girl in the neighborhood and so b-o-r-e-d. We had so much fun riding bikes, babysitting, having sleep overs, swimming, tormenting the Miller's and all the other fun stuff neighborhood kids do.

Santa Cruz is beautiful! We enjoyed the day at the beach playing in HUGE holes dug by the men-folk and watching the flocks of pelicans fly overhead. Sadly, we came home to a very sick daddy, who was down with the flu for a good 3 days, which we think could have been induced by a very bad sunburn he got the previous Sat. (have any of you ever heard of this?). On Wed. they came to Monterey. We rode the trolley from our house to the aquarium and then had a great lunch at Bubba Gumps.





On Thurs. we had a surprise visit from the Dyer cousins (from Sac) on their way to a family reunion south of Carmel. They were only here a couple of hours but we didn't miss out on any fun. We took a walk down the beach to let the travelers stretch their legs where they enjoyed climbing the rocks, collecting crab legs, sea shells, rocks and playing in the tide pools.

The special appearance from the baby sea otter was the highlight of the excursion (and this time I had my camera)! It's the most adorable thing to watch. S(he) comes right up near the shore, floating on her back with a rock sitting on her belly. She then proceeds to repeatedly whack a shell on the rock with such persistance. I wondered why it took so much effort to crack one shell but then read at the aquarium that often the otter pups mistake rocks for shells so this may have been the case. Occasionally, the rock slides off her belly and she has to dive down and get another one. She's not at all disturbed by the adoring on-lookers.


The Wozniak's arrived on Fri. evening. We ate well (of course), had beautiful weather, Micah finally got to play Bocce on the courts near the warf (the balls are always in a locked compartment but Sat. was his lucky day)and Jaden finally got to ride a Surrey (we had to get the "limo" to fit everyone) The babies weren't thrilled about sitting in the front basket. Beckam warmed up to it but wanted to sit in his dad's lap and help him drive, which is not allowed and Carter (Wozniak's 15 mo. old) wanted no part of any of it. The Wozniak's ditched the Surrey and took Beckam to play at the beach while we rode a little further. I'm happy to report that we won the race against the other Surrey limo (which had 3 teenage kids in the back with the parent's up front--not a very equal match I admit) but our chain couldn't handle our high speed and came off just as we were gaining our distance.

Master of Destruction

This post has been brewing for awhile now but tonight was the final straw. We have racked up quite the maintenance bill at our summer home, all because of guess who? B-E-C-K-A-M!! I think it'll be taken out of his college fund. We've been here just under two months and thus far he has:

1. Nearly broken the TV by pulling it, along with the TV stand, down on top
   of himself (fortunately, Micah is part super-hero and caught it just before it squashed him). I'm sure it will be broken by the time we leave since it is a VCR combo and he thinks the VHS slot is such a fascinating hiding place for his toys.
2. Poked 4 holes through the rice-paper/linen-like material in the accordian
   room divider and pulled it down onto the table breaking the rectangular wooden
   braces covering the rice-paper/linen-like material.
3. Threw away the cordless phone (after it had been missing a few days, I
   realized it must have been trashed so Micah was nominated Dumpster Diver and amazingly recovered it!)
4. Broke their mirror by jumping along the back of it and shattering it into
   a million little pieces (replaced for $5 at WalMart)
5. Dropped our mini DVD player (which I might add is serving as our only DVD player) as he was carrying it around in a football hold (not so cheaply replaced)
6. Shattered many of Jaden's toy by dropping them off our balcony
7. Busted through the screen door numerous times knocking it completely off the track...but today...it finally ripped.

On our walk the other night he also managed to get our bike lock keys out of the pocket of the jogging stroller and toss them out about half way through our walk, which I didn't realize until after we got home. I went to get the car keys so I could drive along our path to see if I could find them and guess what?! Car keys missing, too. Since nightfall was fast approaching I opted to just run it allowing me to get an extra good workout!! Luckily, we found both sets! The car keys hidding place was clearly the work of none other than Sir Beckam Nilsson. I know, I know, we could be a little more precautious and I do try but it's such a constant battle! I think he's winning.

Like Peas and Carrots

Last Thurs., Jenny, my best friend of 23 years, brought the train up from Bakersfield for a visit. (We can't seem to shake these titles given to each other in elementary school: "My best friend Jenny," "My best friend Lolly." We have lots of great friends but I suppose the titles will always remain since they've endured this long. When we were about 6 we were cruising in the Street (Jenny's madien name)stationwagon sitting in the "way, way back" (you know, facing the oncoming cars) and promised each other that we'd be each other's maids-of-honor. Our promises were easily kept (even with me at a whopping 6 months pregnant with all those other cute girls in their cute "little" dresses). As we were getting ready for bed that night, she made the observation that we'd planned every meal for the duration of her stay including appetizers and desserts but had not planned a single activity--we've always enjoyed our food!! Our lives have always revolved around what we're going to eat:

As wee little girls it was ham, cheese and Doritos sandwiches with Miracle Whip on wheat bread. Jr. High was the beginning of our annual Newport Beach summer vacations and we looked so forward to our black forest ham sandwiches from the Greek deli at the Lido with China Mist iced tea, Claim Jumper and chocolate muffins from the bakery on the boardwalk. In high school it was the Country Rose Tea Room, Taco Bell's bean and cheese burritos with no onion plus sour cream and mexi-melts. We also enjoyed lemons with salt for me and sugar for her and at my house the first thing she went for was my dad's iced tea (a favorite among many)and peppercionis.

Dessert is ALWAYS involved with the Street Family and this weekend was no exception. The crockpot had to travel from Bako with Jeremy, her husband who joined us on Friday and on Saturday evening the Fondue Fest was on!! Chocolate Fondue with strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, pound cake and cheese cake for dippin'! Yummmmmmmm! Jaden and Beckam were in Heaven! Of course the entree for the evening wasn't lacking: king crab legs, shrimp and corn on the cob with brie and apricot jam on sourdough bagettes for the appetizer. It was awesome! Thanks Jen for the incredible meal, it was so much fun.

I LOVE my Jenny friend! She's made the trek to visit us over land and sea. She flew out to Hawaii to help when Jaden was one week old (not your typical Hawaiian vacation--quite a sacrafice), she visited us in San Diego and now Monterey. She hasn't made it to Davis yet...but I'm just beginning to see the trend: Davis lacks the ocean. She's a smart girl.

Fourth of July

The excitement and anticipation of 4th of July was a little subdued for me this year since it was the first one we'd be spending without a fun family gathering. Every July 4th we enjoy hanging out with friends and family BBQing, swimming, and watching the kids set off fireworks. This one would be very different: no friends, no family, no BBQ, no swimming and no fireworks for the kids (they're illegal in Monterey). I was hopeful, nonetheless, and looking forward to a relaxing day with Micah and the kids!

I was not let down.... I can't say it was quite as cool as Dan and Minna's but it was good.

We kicked off the day with a fabulous parade downtown complete with The Bat Mobile, a lady on stilts wearing hot pink converse, marching military men from every branch of the armed forces (which brought the entire crowd to their feet with applause--it was actually quite emotional), diverse and varied bands playing patriotic music, Scooby-doo along with other characters in costume, and Polynesian dancers including Tongan drummers! The kids loved it. We even met up with some friends from the ward, who watched the parade with us and then came over for the afternoon to watch the Germany vs. Italy game (we're very sad for Jan and Birte that Germany is out).


The most spectacular highlight was the firework extravaganza we watched from our very own balcony, while Beckam slept soundly in his own little bed. We not only had a great view of the Monterey fire work show over the bay but ALL the firework shows from here to the skyline--they dotted the horizon for hours. It was awesome. It was also the first time I've seen a firework show coordinated to music that we listened to on the radio. It was a great 4th of July celebration!

Quote of the week

I like it when you guys are happy, it makes my heart good. --Jaden

I had to ask, "are we usually happy or unhappy?" and was pleased with his response, "Happy!"

The Fish

Jaden finished his last session of swim lessons today and got to go down the waterslide--we're talking water park style: windy and fast!! He can swim!

Later this afternoon, we headed back to the beach for some more boogie boarding:

We found Beckam kickin' it on the beach making sure he had adequate sun protection!


Baby Magic (SPF 50) is our sunblock of choice!

Usborne Books

The first day we were in Monterey we ate breakfast at this cute little cafe called Lou Lou's on the Pier. I met a lady there with two little girls, one of whom is Jaden's exact age (Nov. 2001). After breakfast we all played on the beach. When it was time to leave Jaden wondered if he would see his best friend tomorrow so I asked if she lived in the area. She did and happened to be having this book show the next day, which she invited me to. Books are the last thing I need but figured I'd use the opportunity to get better acquainted with her.

Since I took both kids, my concentration on the presentation was compromised quite a bit but I did see some things I was really interested in. I'm totally against impulse buying so I asked if I could take the catalog home to peruse it before placing my order--wow, I should've just gone with those impulses, my pocketbook would have been a little better off!

We received our order in one week and those books have been such a hit in our family!! Jaden's enjoyed them so much that I just wanted to share in case anyone is interested. I'm not trying to sell them for any other reason than that Jaden loves them so much and I thought your kids might, too. Here are his fav's:

Puzzle World (you have to help two kids accomplish their mission by helping them find certain things along their journey (i.e. pieces of their costume, tool and supplies, etc.)) This one is available in many varieties: Puzzle Island, Puzzle Farm, Puzzle Town, etc.

Big Book of Things to Spot (they have to find a certain number of a variety of different items on each page, which has helped Jaden with number recognition). It's also available in different varieties: Animals to Spot, Things to Spot Long Ago, etc.

Children's Mini Encyclopedia, On The Moon, Stories of Pirates (book on CD), First Numbers, Chocolate Island, Night Animals, Ted and Friends, Don't Be a Bully Billy, etc....

My sister was in town when they arrived and decided to take the catalog so she could order some, too and show some of her friends. My friend Kim, the Usborne Rep. ended up setting up an e-show for her so that people could just place their orders on-line.

Here is the link, if you want to check it out: www.ubah.com/HOS60477

Cape Town, Africa

Grandma Kip (micah's mom) has just been called to serve a mission in Cape Town, Africa!! We're very excited for her. She feels very blessed and like the Lord treats her so wonderfully. She leaves Oct. 16 and will be there for 18 months, returning in April 2008.

This is an email from Micah, which includes a link to the area:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Town

All I can say is . . . WOW! What an experience that will be.

How about a trip down there in late July or early August of 2007? Going as a group would be tremendous.

I'm still not sure how far we'll have to travel to do a safari, but the African Penguins, Mountains, and Beaches look great!

It will also be the home of the 2010 FIFA World Cup!

Congratulations mom, looks like you're in for a treat.

Perpetual Motion.

Coincidentally, this is their favorite toy in the house. Beckam gets in it and says, "whee. spin."

Beach Bums

I must admit I do feel guilty living in this weather when everyone else I know is suffering elsewhere. It is truly unbelievable.

We live only a short walk from Fisherman's Warf and the bike path, which stretches along the coastline of three towns! It's a great way to burn energy and is a great work out especially considering we live up a rather inclined street from the warf and our apartment is up an even steeper driveway. Thankfully Jaden is riding solo now! Pulling the bike trailer with just Beckam begins to feel more comparable to pulling a Ford Festiva.

Lover's Point is a favorite spot. Thanks to some good friends who moved to Arizona and handed down a Boogie Board to Jaden, he thinks he's on his way to the pro circuit. He's fascinated with scuba diving and really wants to go but has had a hard time understanding why he has to wait! He's also decided he wants to own a rafting company (I think so he can have access to rafts and kayaks at his wim). He's put in numerous phone calls to his Uncle Darron, owner and operator of River's End Rafting and Adventure Co. to find out when he's coming and if he can bring some rafts.

We've had to eliminate one of Beckam's naps and require that he be more flexible with the one he does take because there's just too much fun to be had in this town and, hey, we're only here for so long.

Our Extended Summer Vacation

We've been in Monterey for just over a month now with one and a half left to go. Time passes too quickly! In the five weeks we've been here, we've had six sets of weekend guests and had so much fun showing off the sites of Monterey many of which can be seen from our balcony!

We enjoyed a wonderful Father's Day weekend with my dad and Sandy. My dad was getting such a kick out of this monkey at Fisherman's Warf, or wait, was it Beckam's reaction to the monkey. Beckam wanted so badly to meet this furry friend, who equaled him in size (but not weight). He would climb down from my arms to get a closer look but scurried back up each time the little thing came near. He watched as Jaden confidentally climbed up and sat next to "Harpo" with his arm around him but when Beckam's turn came he hid his face and clung to me. When we finally turned to leave after saying our goodbyes to "Harpo" Beckam refused to go, grunting angrily and lunging backward toward him. Again, we gave Beckam his dollar so he could shake the monkey's hand. Again he refused. So we tried once more to leave and this time Beckam reached for my dad, took the dollar from his hand and urged me toward Harpo, finally allowing me to squat down next to Harpo as he quickly handed him the dollar while I shook his little leathery hand. It was so fun to see how persistant he was and what courage it took for him to meet Harpo! We met birds that day, too. Jaden is ever so brave per usual where Beckam tends to be a little more cautious--whew!

Here we go...

I was just getting ready to email some recent photos and then decided it would be so much easier to view on a blog!! So I finally did it (Stina!). I'll get to posting!