Purple Dolphins

Ava has graduated from a Cheetah to a Green Princess and now to a Purple Dolphin. 

Living in North Irvine our team is a true rainbow coalition.

 Ava has enjoyed her soccer experience including practice,

And warm up drills. 

In games Ava has been working on her dribbling skills,

Getting back on defense, 

Scoring goals (including a hat trick today),

And occasionally crash into teammates.

At the end of each game the girls cheer for the other team,

Shake hands with the other team,

Enjoy snacks,

And visit with old friends from other teams.

Sometimes Ava even gets the chance to break down game film with Poppy on the short ride home.

Top Gun

We spent the morning at the Miramar Air Show, visiting the flight line and skies made famous by Ice Man and Maverick.  It was not only Ava's first visit to an air show but Mommy's as well.

We were able to get up close and personal to all sorts aircraft large and small.

To please the kids, the air show also had a carnival area, face painting, and lots of junk food. 

One of the most important parts of every air show is watching the stunts and acrobatics. Although the noise from the aircraft scared Ava, she did enjoy the smoke trails and loops.

Harvest Time

For a brief escape from the endless suburbs of Orange County, we made a quick drive to Rileys at Los Rios Rancho in Oak Glen to pick apples.  After missing out on apple picking last year because of some spring frost decimated the harvest, this year there were apples at every turn.  Ava was able to take home some Double Red Delicious, Granny Smith, and Roma apples.

All that apple picking made us all very hungry, so we stopped at Law's Coffee Shop (Since 1953) where Ava gobbled up a sandwich, apple sauce (of course), and we all shared some homemade apple pie.  Delish!

All the excitement eventually caught up with Ava, and she fell asleep on our ride home.  

Birthday Girl

After months of waiting, Ava's big day finally arrived.  We celebrated her birthday a Care Bears party at Aliso Beach with some of her closest friends.

Of course no birthday party would be complete without a birthday cake.  As part of the Care Bears theme, Mommy made a super rainbow cake.

After the party, we headed home to open presents and play.  Ava naturally loved every single present.

On Tuesday (Ava's actual birthday), she celebrated with pancakes, a mani-pedi, cupcakes and a pool playdate, and a dinner at her favorite restaurant Snoopy Dog (aka Lazy Dog).

Westside!

Even though Ava spends most of her time in Orange County or the South Bay, every once in a while we expand our horizons and get out and about.  Recently we spent the day on the Westside.

We started by visiting the Santa Monica pier where we enjoyed the arcade and watching people fish, and had lunch.

Afterward, we went to the Getty Museum where Ava had more fun walking around the fountains and running on the grass than viewing the Herb Ritts and Gustav Klimt exhibits.  She did, however, have lots of fun when her friends joined her for the main event - a concert on the Getty lawn.  Next time we make it up this far north on the 405 we'll have to make time for Diddy Riese or Stan's.