2009 LA County Fair

The family hit the LA County Fair...a.k.a. Fried Food on a Stick marathon! Piper was quickly initiated with the tried and true corndog -- foot long, of course. Meanwhile, Parker hit the balloon darts and immediately came away a winner. Awesome...yes. But we were soon back to the main objective and we tackled a pork chop on a stick and fried dill pickle spears.


But that was just the start. We soon found Nirvana -- fried smores, fried avocados, fried oreos, fried twinkies, and...le piece de resistance...the zucchini weenie. The best find of the fair...yes, the zucchini weenie. The worst of the fair...the fried avocado.


Mission accomplaished, we then pursued Parker's objectives...fun, fun, fun. We hit the kid rides. (Talk about HUGE lines.) Parker and Chris did a water gun competition and...yes...came away a winner again. Then, on our way out, the boys flexed their muscles while I grabbed one more treat. That's right, chocolate covered bacon. (Believe it or not, I think it could have used less chocolate and more bacon. Go figure.)

Birthday Train

Birthday Train,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

Parker attended a classmate's birthday party which took place at Travel Town, which is basically a park filled with old trains. AWESOME! Parker and his friends spend the day playing in and around various trains, eating tons of food, and riding on a train that circles the park. As you can probably guess, he had a great time. No doubt, we'll be back again.

Razor Sharp

Razor Sharp,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

So the last few months have been marked with a slew of birthday parties. The latest was Nicole's, which took place in a park. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it but have no fear. Chris was free to take the kids.

Party in a park? You know what that means...
Perfect opportunity for Parker to test out the scooter Gram gave him for his birthday. With his helmet on, Parker took off like a pro.

I only have one question for Chris...where are the elbow and knee pads? Okay, maybe I'm being too protective. And I have to admit...pads or not pads, he looks pretty cool on that scooter.

The Party Continues

So, we figured for Parker's 4th birthday, we'd do a big party -- one where we invite all his friends from daycare. That said, we couldn't have it at the house; I mean who's really going to drive their kid that far for a party? So, as I mentioned in an earlier entry, we decided to have his party at the Kidspace Children's Museum in Pasadena.

What a great place for a party. Not only do the families get to go to the museum before (and after, if it were still open) the party for ''free''. But they have people running the party, keeping things fun and entertaining for the kids. I love it! And so did the kids. They got to see and learn about turtles and tarantulas. Plus they got to play the kiddie party favorite -- parachute game -- plus an cruise ship favorite -- limbo. How low can you go?!

The best part, no clean up! :o)

Santa Anita

Santa Anita,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

What would St. Patrick's Day be without the races?

BC, Aimee, Geof, Larry, Pete, Ravi and Chris' mom joined us this year.

The big winner? Larry who hit the trifecta in the last (or was it next to last) race.

The big loser? Hey, when friends get together there is no loser. :o) At least that's what I tell myself to make me feel better.

Kidspace

Kidspace,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

ZAP! Electric Kaleidoscope walls, giant bugs, a working bee hive, bike course, and more. Yup, we've found the location for Parker's birthday party.

New Year's Feast

With my mom in town, Piper's birth, and Chinese New Year all happening at about the same time,, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to catch up with my mother's brother, Woody. Of course that means dinner in Monterey Park -- and again, we're eating what could be considered an ark of animals, including shark, duck, and lobster.

I love it when we get to see Uncle Woody with my mom because it gives me a chance to catch a of couple "natural" shots of my mom. Usually, photographing my mom is a tense affair. However, when she's with her brother, she seems to loosen up and relax.

2008 Company Picnic

This year the company picnic was at a Trillo family favorite...Santa Anita. No horses were racing but there's was enough to keep us entertained in the infield, including bumper cars, jungle gyms, and pony rides. It could have used a bit more shade but there's was enough food to keep me content. :o)

Racin'

As we waited for Thommy, Geof, and Jan to arrive for dinner, Parker and I took a walk around downtown Montrose and came across the quarter ride-ons. Last time I had an excuse to avoid them but this time...seeing that we were killing time anyways...well, we indulged.

First, Parker hopped into the race car. I could see the scenes from Cars replay in his head.

''Okay, here we go. Focus. Speed. I am speed. One winner, forty-two losers. I eat losers for breakfast.''

''No tires! Just gas!''

''Serpentine! Serpentine!"

After three rides in the car (each of which, I should mention, ended with ''Again!''), we took a turn on the nearby horse. I guess after tooling around in the race car, the horse was nothing. No steering...just hold on for dear life as the two bobbed up and down, up and down.

Ride 'em, Cowboy!

In serious need

In serious need,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

...of a pedicure. I'd normally blame improper footwear but he's the Hulk. He doesn't wear shoes.

Now I believe because of those skanky feet, Parker did not want to get anywhere near the Hulk. Sure, you don't want to make David Banner mad. But you really don't want to upset Parker. That can really ruin an afternoon.

And no one wants that because were at this theater on a mission...to see Iron Man.

Noodles anyone?

Noodles anyone?,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

Out on the town with Geof and we've discovered another good restaurant near Parker's daycare. Parker recommends the yakitori and the tempura.

Oh No...

Geof, Parker, and I had Korean for dinner, which meant Geof partook in a bit of the soju. What a shame. Such a huge bottle but no one to share it with. Where's Chris when you need him?

Have not fear; Parker's here to keep Geof company!

No. He wasn't drinking soju or any other liquor. Instead, he started with Pediasure and chased that with water until he drunk Geof under the table.

Cheers!

2008 Los Angeles Times Book Fair

As planned I attended both days -- Saturday with Parker, Geof, Thommy, and Aimee, and Sunday with just Thommy. It's changed a little bit but, for the most part, was everything as expected. Parker just likes getting out and seeing the world. Yeah, if you've played the video above, he REALLY likes it.

At lunch he was too excited to eat. All he wanted to do is just dance around and around.

Notice the wiggling fingers? Yeah, Thommy and Aimee are teaching Parker to say ''Red Rum''. Nice. Well, at least when incorporated into his interpretive dance moves comes across it's just less threatening.

The music by the way is ''Clap Your Hands'' by They Might Be Giants, off their ''No!'' album. With or without kids, I highly recommend it.

By the way, later on Sunday, Thommy and I stopped at Coco's for a late lunch and pie, of course. I opted for this Strawberry Banana Chocolate Cream pie. Delish! But I have to admit. It's a bit weird to discover your food looking back at you.

If this little just looked a little more like Jesus or the Virgin Mary...I'd be rich. But since it didn't, well, I ate it.

Where's Grandma?

Where's Grandma?,
originally uploaded by Car2nGrl.

HOT DOG! Ketchup red Mustang and mustard yellow coat. What a cool old lady! Can you imagine if this were your grandma picking up you up from elementary school? STAND BACK! Here comes Gram!