Maya's First Beach Day

Well, now that summer is here and I am on a summer schedule, I packed Maya up, and joined Shammy, Grammy B. and Grampa B., the Haberts, and Auntie Al at Sycamore Cove. We took a picnic lunch and found a nice shady spot. The beach was not crowded, so we had our pick of a sandy spot. Maya took to the water like a little beach bum. She loved the feel of sand between her toes, waves rushing to her feet, and lastly, the cold water. We got "slightly" knocked over by a wave, but my little California beach bum was a trooper...she sputtered a little, rubbed the salt out of her eyes, and was a good as gold.

Maya's 8th Month

Maya got a walker from the Bubus.



Well, our Rosie Nosie is at the eight month mark. Her checkup with Dr. Irani went really well. Maya now weights 17 lbs 2 oz and is 27 inches tall. Maya is very skilled at crawling (fairly fast towards you, but even faster away from you). She is standing and has started cruising, especially along the coffee table. Her energy knows no bounds, and we are finding it quite a challenge keeping up with her. Maya shared her 8-month b'day with Grammy B. We surprised her at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica with a birthday lunch, after which we all walked to the pier and savored some cooling ice cream.

Couple of Mall Firsts

Maya, Shamai, Grammy B., and I went shopping this evening to avoid the sweltering Valley temperatures. It was 108 degrees outside, so the cool, recycled air of the mall was extremely inviting. The goal was to grab some dinner, take a quick walk, then head home; however, as most plans go, this one changed. When we entered the mall, there was the two-story carousel, towering over us little people, and playing that oh-so-enticing music. I had vowed, that at $3 per two-minute ride, I was never going to be a patron, but alas, Maya thought otherwise. Through the kindness of Shamai, we bought a token, stood in line, and boarded the carousel. The giraffe figure seemed most inviting, so I belted Maya in, and held on to her as she took her first carousel ride...awake.






After the carousel ride, we took on the adventure of shoe shopping (not for me, but for Maya Rose). Stride Rite was our first stop based on their 80-year old good reputation. Maya was not a happy camper, so it was just one pair of shoes that we tried on...I guess she didn't get my genes in the shoe department. Pretty pair of white shoes bought and off we were to other mall adventures. Maya's first shoe experience was quiet a good one.

One, Two, Three...Surprise Shappy!

My Dad (Super Sal/Shappy) turned 70 on June 8th, and my Mum and I decided to throw him a very special surprise party. This was a great undertaking because in involved secrecy, lies, and the attempt to keep all our stories straight. Thanks to the unwavering strength of Bubu, Betty, and Auntie Al, we pulled it off and successfully surprised him with a Hawaiian-themed party at Bubu Villa, on Saturday. He was so stunned and definitely showered with love from friends, family, and co-workers.
Saturday was the beginning of our heat wave here in the Valley, so the prepping of a Hawaiian party was no small undertaking. Thanks to Bubu, the yard was manicured, landscaped, and "tikkied-out". Here is the fun we had, in pictures.

Fathers' Day Train Adventure

Since Brad is now a full-fledged member of the Los Angeles Live Steamers Club, we decided to take the fathers down to the train club and ride on the rails for a bit. Our friends, the Coombs' joined us with their little girl Ava. Brad got to debut his new toy, a red speeder, which pulled us around the rails after the public rides were done. We started off with a Yaki's burger lunch and then took one round on the public rides. Then, Brad brought out his speeder and took us for a spin. What a nice day it was, riding free on rails.