Orange County Obon 2009

Every year we go to a couple of the Obon Festivals during the summer. I have been going to them since I was just a kid, but they were in Hawaii. So when Ivy was born we figured we should take her and start a tradition. If you don't know what an Obon Festival is, it is a festival that honors the people who have passed away. There is lots of food and Japanese Dancing. The Devines joined us again this year and Great Grandma Violet was here from Hawaii.

Ivy's Ballet Class.

Ivy is SUPER excited that she started ballet class. It's once a week and they have their first public performance at the OC fairground next month. She just started so she'll probably have to skip this one though.


Haven't shown too much of Violet so here is a little video of her recently.

Fourth of July!!!

A little girl in the neighborhood named Emma organized a bike parade for the neighborhood.
After a stroll around the block she had set up some games for the kids to play and treats for all.

Father's Day at Ivy's school.

Ivy's class had a little Father's Day party. So we made a chocolate pudding with oreo's and gummy worm treat, then the kids sang a little song. It was pretty cute.

Happy Birthday Ivy!

Ivy wanted a Princess party for her 3rd birthday, so she had a few of her girlfriends over and Cinderella came over for a tea party and played a couple of games with the girls.

Scarlett, Stella, Ivy and Amelia.

check out Violet trying to get in on the action.

Cinderella read some stories and did a few games with the girls.

The girls had a tea party with Cinderella.

The whole gang.

Happy Memorial Day !?!?

So, we were BBQ-ing in the backyard with Ivy's cousins and their friends and she decided to stand up in the wagon just as it was being pulled. Ivy fell straight back on her head on the cement. Tracy and I headed to the CHOC emergency room and on the way there she started throwing up and she kept saying she couldn't keep her eyes open. Totally freaked out, they rushed us right in and got a ct scan of her head. The verdict, one concussion and a 3 inch fracture of her skull and one overnight stay in the hospital for observation. By the next night Ivy was still sore but she was her usual self. No running, climbing or playing with anything with wheels for a couple of months.

At he hospital, Ivy was the total hit of the entire floor. She had nurses bringing her all kinds of stuff and when the doctor came in she said "So this is Ivy, the one everyone is talking about."
She got so much attention she wants to go back.

Ivy's First Open House.

Ivy's Teachers, Miss Jennifer and Miss Shannon.

Ivy's classroom.

Kids in her class.

Last week Ivy had her first open house at her preschool. We got to meet her classmates and their parents and they had set up little stations to show off what they are learning in class.