To Go Where No Family Has Gone Before

We had a rather unique visitor to the neighborhood a few weeks back.


Despite the multi-billion dollar piece of aircraft that rolled through the neighborhood, it was equally entertaining to just play in puddles.  I'm really hoping that is some sort of iced coffee beverage that Carson was holding for Thea, and not just muddy water, but I have a pretty strong suspicion that that it isn't.


Although our love of costumes has us celebrating Halloween year round, it's nice that other people get on board in October.  Superman should really be more careful with his bone-crushing grip.


Despite growing up in the midwest, neither Bill nor Laura entered a corn maze until well into their 20s.  Although it's a mostly fake corn maze constructed more for Halloween festivities than for actual corn consumption, Summer still get's to experience the lab rat feeling much earlier.


Carson was one step ahead of us the whole time.


Although the Bailey's didn't make it on to this hayride, it's still not polite to taunt at them.


Of course, if you're taking advantage of free hayrides and corn mazes you eventually have to buy some pumpkins.  Carson was appropriately dressed in pumpkin camo and still couldn't escape.


Summer tried her best to negotiate with the proprietor, without much success.


Given the proposed punishments we happily left with 4 pumpkins purchased.


Sorry for the long delay on getting this post up.  Bill will endeavor to do better over the coming weeks.

(Sea)Lions & Ponies and Bouncers - Oh My

The calendar has flipped to October and Summer is pretty happy about it.


Ging-Ging hopped the first train west for the opportunity to hang with Carson & Summer this past weekend, and we did our best to make her visit eventful.


While the month will likely end trick or treating on this same street, Carson got an early start while cheering for Laura at the Manhattan Beach 10k.  While she didn't match her PR from last year's race, Laura certainly started strong, and finished in a Geddy Lee approved place.


Of course, with the MB 10k comes the Hometown Fair, giving the Summer the chance to get her hands on a goat.


Carson led Summer out for a ride on the back forty (which apparently is actually in Culver City).


She was old hand after her ride last year.


Playa Del Rey celebrated the grand opening of Tower 42 in the space formerly occupied by Playa Cantina.  The remodel has made the views much more palatable to Ging-Ging.



After the Hometown Fair on Saturday we went north for more bounce houses at Discover Marina Del Rey.  Carson remembered this slide fondly.



Unfortunately there was no coast guard water rescue demonstration as the airspace was being freed up for President Obama to visit, take campaign dollars and then fly somewhere else where he would actually promise to do things for voters.  That said, we do have wild sea lions to entertain us, so take that Ohioans.


It wasn't the only animal that we discovered in Marina Del Rey.

Carmageddon It

This week marks the official end of going into the ocean as far as Bill is concerned.  August 1 - October 1 the Pacific is warm enough to be bearable without wetsuits.  There is concern that the kids won't agree with those strict limits.



Regardless of water temperature, beach time will continue all year long.



On this carmaggedon weekend, with the roads doubly blocked by the LA Triathlon there was no better (and easier) place to get to.


It continues to look like we may have a southpaw on our hands.  Bill hedged his bets by hitting tennis with her both ways, but Coach Mike has her almost exclusively from the wrong side of the plate.


We had the Grahams over for a make your own pizza night on Saturday and did our best to put the kids to work.


Summer and Grayson did a great job applying oil and sauce...


But would have sampled cheese until there wasn't any left on the pie.


With no ability to make it north of Venice we had to bring Muscle Beach down to Playa Del Rey.