All she really needs is...

Yup, it's classic...

a kid could have all the toys in the world...

but the best thing in the world to play with is...

a box!!!

Hours of entertainment!!

Ah, to be a kid!

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy & Dancing with the Stars!!

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performed on the Dancing With The Stars results show back on March 17th.  And, yes, I got to go too!! I love that show!!!!!

Here's Brian in the teeny tiny Red Room... 

and he is safe to dance another week!!!

Here's the band killing time waiting to go on...(the performance part of the show taped at 5pm and the results part started at 6pm for live feed to the east coast.) 

Julianne Hough and Scotty chit-chatting away...

Scotty waving to me in the crowd...(he's really waving at his parents.)

Dirk & Kurt gettin' ready to perform...

The judges are in place and ready to start the show!

In case you missed the performance...here it is, for you to enjoy!! (click on the play arrow)

My friend Safi was my guest for the show and afterwards, we got to hang out backstage by the press line.  (Safi is just as crazy for the show as I am...and for Maksim too!!) So we got to meet the dancers and celebrities in-between interviews.  Yeah, we were 'stalking' them...calling their names to catch their attention, waving at them to come over to us...and it worked!

Here's Safi, Derek Hough and me...

and with Cheryl Burke...

and with Karina Smirnoff & Steve Wozniak...

and with Mark Ballas...

and our favorite Maks!! (Maksim Chmerkovskiy)

oh yeah, and Denise Richards...

and my favorite to win it all, Gilles Marini...

and even scary Lil Kim...(by the way, she's shorter than Shawn Johnson, the gymnast!)

Ouch, my feet are killing me by this time of the night!  Time to head home!

(Thanks for taking all the pictures for me Brian!)

Just to prove I was there...there's me in the audience -on the right, 5th row up on the aisle! 

Hey, look I'm on TV!

And, here's me and Brian along the press line...

Look at me scoping out who I can bug next!!

I had so much fun!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

It was Grandma's birthday 2 weeks ago - yes, I'm a bit behind in my posts.  

Zoe loves birthdays...especially birthday cake!

Zoe was very concerned that there be candles on the cake and that we sing "Happy Birthday."  I thought I was taking a video...but only ended up with a picture of her singing instead.  (Just hum "Happy Birthday" to yourself right now...)

Josiah really enjoyed the chocolate cake!

Grandma with Andy & Lisa's brood...

Grandma with Zack & Dan

and with Roger...

and Grandma, mama & zoe...

We hope you had a happy birthday Mom!  We all love you very much!

Our new puppy!!

Isn't she cute???

I think we'll call her Zoe.

Cake pops!

What are cake pops?  Well, they are cake lollipops.  

I like to read the blog, Bakerella , where she does amazing things with cake.  She recently posted Hello Kitty Cake Pops and I thought they were so cute.  So, being brave, I thought I'd give it try and make them for a co-worker friend's birthday.  

Of course, I employed my ever ready helper to make them.  Here she is crumbling the cake for me.

Then she realized, "Oh, I'm cooking, I need my hat!"  And now she's ready to mix in the frosting!

Well, all she wanted was to eat the frosting...

After several more steps, here's the finished product of Hello Kitty Cake Pops...

Not bad for a first try in making something like this...

But this is what they are supposed to look like!!

 

I need more practice!

An early anniversary present

Ok time for a post that's just B & b (and no Zoe...)

Brian surprised me with an early anniversary present last weekend.  He arranged for Zoe to stay with Grandma & Grandpa and he whisked me away to MAUI!!

Well, wouldn't that have been somethin'. 

No, we didn't make it to Maui, but Brian did actually whisk me away to the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake, but, alas, only for one night away just for ourselves.  He truly surprised me.  I had no idea he was planning anything.  Plus he packed everything for me (and he did a good job, too.)

Here's our room (upgraded to a 2-room suite!!)

 

I always love a good bath...nice and relaxing!

And the view outside our room....

Then we were off to dinner at Roy's...

and we got our "Happy Anniversary" dessert, too...yummy!

Then on Saturday, we got to sleep in...that was the best!!  No little voices calling for Mommy at 6am.  No little hands pulling at me and telling me, 'it's morning time, Mama, wake up!'  

Then, we ate a relaxing breakfast in the Lobby Lounge...

And before we knew it, it was time to pack up and go get our daughter...

Thanks for the wonderful surprise, my loving hubby!  I had a great time!  I love you!

love or hate daylight savings time??

Since I am an east-west commuter, I am constantly driving into the sun.  This is unfortunate for Zoe.  There are no back seat visors for the little one.  She just gets blasted by the sun every morning! Poor thing.

"Bright sun, Mama! Turn it off!"

So right before we turn the clocks back, the sun gets especially wicked.  Zoe resorts to covering her face with her blankie or kitty-cat or sometimes a book.

Sometimes it's me who has to hold up the book to block the sun from shining in her eyes.  So, I'm just a crazy lady driving down the freeway holding up a book, or magazine, or coloring page just the keep the sun out of my baby's eyes.

Sometimes though, she just has to suck it up... 

(By the way, these pics were all snapped while safely stopped at traffic signals.)

Now that the clocks have been set back, we leave while it's still dark out.  No chance of sunshine in the face (yet.)  But those first few days were confusing to her.  One morning she never opened her eyes while she was dressed, hair brushed and carried downstairs to the car to go to day care.

So what's easier, dealing with the shrieks because the sun's too bright or trying to dress a limp ragdoll because she doesn't want to wake up?

Love daylight savings time or hate it??  The jury's still out...