Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Cutest Harry Potter Fan

Violet loves to watch the Harry Potter movies with us, and is so funny about knowing all the characters names and things.  Today when she was watching a scene with Glenn that Ron wasn't in, she asked him about every 30 seconds, "Where'd Ron go?".  She also loves to point out Hermione whenever she is on the screen, because she knows they share a name! Glenn took this video of Violet using her wand the other day.  Enjoy!


P.s.  I've always hated how in a couple of the movies, like 3 and 4, the director really emphasized a physical relationship between Harry and Hermione.   It made everyone who hadn't read the books think that Harry and Hermione ended up having some sort of romance.  Anyway, now I have proof that there was too much touching between those two, based on how often Violet says, "Harry and Hermione kissing?", and we answer, "No, Hermione is just scared."

Friday, July 26, 2013

At the beach with Glenn

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Violet and I have been at the beach every week this summer!   Glenn, however, has not had as many chances to go.  When our parents were here two weeks ago, Glenn had SO much fun at the beach, that he insisted we go as soon as finals were over.

So yesterday we went to Manhattan Beach.  First, we stopped at Jacks 'N Joe, our favorite breakfast place, to have breakfast.  
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Then we headed out to the beach.  We took turns boogie boarding while the other person played with Violet.  The waves were so big!  We actually broke our boogie board.  I couldn't even hold on to the board when I'd catch a wave because the wave was so strong!  Glenn also thought the waves were stronger than they'd ever been, but he had a lot of fun, and stayed out in the water for a long time!

Glenn catching a wave:
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Me:
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Violet had a great time too, although predictably, she wasn't very happy when it was my turn to play with her when Glenn went out in the water.  
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Also, we spotted some dolphins!  They were so close to the beach, and swam back and forth in front of us for a long time.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Tar Pits Museum

Ugh, you guys, I am so sick.  It is just a sore throat and runny nose, but I feel so awful, and also barely slept last night.  Also, the last couple of days, Violet has had a runny nose and been really whiny.  If she felt as bad as I do right now, she is a trooper!  She didn't behave nearly as badly as I have today.

Anyway, I knew it was going to feel like a long morning no matter what, so today Violet and I tried out a new museum we'd never been to before!  I just wanted to do something that would keep her very entertained, so I wouldn't have to talk.  Talking hurts so much.

Our membership to the Natural History Museum also works for the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.  The park around the museum is really cool, and the tar pits are still there, though fenced in.  We didn't spend much time in the park, but next time I'm going to plan on it.  The inside of the museum was small, but entertaining.  The Natural History Museum, where we go regularly, has mostly dinosaur fossils, with one exhibit of extinct mammals.  This museum is almost completely fossils of extinct mammals, and I though it was so interesting to see the fossils and read about them.   One of the first exhibits we looked at was this one of a saber-toothed cat attacking a ground sloth.  The animals were robotic, so they moved a little bit, which terrified Violet!
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This was the best picture I could get because Violet was so scared!  One of the workers assured Violet that those two had been locked in combat for decades and probably wouldn't even notice her, but it didn't help.

There was a robotic wooly mammoth just past the real bones of the mammoth, and Violet was pretty scared of that too.  I did manage to get a picture of just her with the mammoth skeleton.  That skeleton was pretty impressive in real life!
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Of course we had to stop in the gift shop for a while, where Violet insisted on holding all of the pink stuffed animals in the whole place.
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Also, one of the places where Violet had fun was in the atrium, which was just a garden in the middle of the museum that had big koi fish in a stream, and a little waterfall.
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The last thing we did before we left was watch the "Ice Age Encounter" show!  It is similar to the Dinosaur Encounter show we watch at the Natural History Museum, but with a saber-toothed cat instead of a dinosaur.  Violet was very excited-scared the whole time!
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He got pretty close to us once and roared right in our faces!  Even I felt a little jumpy!

(Also, just so you don't feel too jealous of me living by this cool museum:  It is less than 5 miles from my house and it took me 35 minutes to drive there.  Traffic is so fun.  We got home in 10 minutes though, since traffic had cleared up by the time we were done!)

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

The beach with friends

We went to the beach this morning!  We went with a few moms that I don't know very well, except for one of them.  They all have little girls right around Violet's age though, and she had so much fun!  I was so glad that one of the other moms took pictures and emailed them to me.

All the girls in one shot - a miracle!
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Violet saw Amelie swimming like a fish, and decided to join her.  I thought the water was pretty cold; they are brave!
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But Violet did insist that I play with her a little bit in the water.
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Violet is loving the beach so much the summer!  We have gone almost once a week!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Violet's Art Gallery

Violet has been a coloring fiend lately!  It is so nice that she can color all by herself for a little while now.  Making lunch is a lot more peaceful now!  She always wants to tape her pictures on the wall, and a couple of weeks ago, I stopped taking pictures down before I put new ones up, so now there is quite the collection!
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She is getting so good at trying to color in the lines, and she really works on a picture for a long time now before telling me she is done.
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Saturday, July 20, 2013

Conversations With a Two-Year-Old

Violet has been saying so many funny things lately, I thought I should write them all down so we don't forget!  

(I was about to mop, so I was holding the swiffer between my legs while I put the wet wipe on it, when Violet walked into the kitchen...)
Violet:  (gasp)  Mama ride like Harry Potter!

(At a new exhibit at the Natural History Museum)
Violet:  What's that, mama?
Me:  An oil pump.  What do you think it is used for?
Violet:  For... making..........honey?

(Violet and Glenn are watching a James Bond movie in the other room when I hear...)
Violet:  James Bond is going to church!
Glenn:  Uh...no...he is just wearing a suit...

(Right before bedtime)
Me:  You are so sweet, Violet.  Did you know you are sweet?
Violet:  Yeah.
Me:  What makes you so sweet?
Violet: CANDY!

(At WIC, talking to the nutritionist about healthy foods we should eat)
Nutritionist: (shows Violet a picture of all different kinds of foods):  Which of these foods does your mom like to eat?  (When Violet doesn't answer for a while, she prompts her:) Carrots?  Apples?
Violet: Mama likes this one. (points at picture of cake)

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Friday, July 19, 2013

Violet sings the ABCs

Violet loves to sing the ABCs right now, so I decided to video her doing it the other day.  Unfortunately, Violet is a little camera shy, and neither video I took really show off her skills.  I am posting both, so feel free to watch just one!  Or none, if that sounds really boring to you.