Around here we live for the weekends!

Yet another weekend come and gone. This weekend was pretty busy with my command's kids Christmas party on Saturday and Gabriella's birthday party on Sunday. We managed to fit some shopping in there as well.

For being thrown together at the last minute the kids party was pretty good. There were games, a big bounce house with a slide attached, pizza and cookies to eat, and a visit from Santa. All the kids that showed up had alot of fun.

My goofy kids... Sean has always loved bounce houses. He's such a goofball when he's jumping around in there and whenever we see one at a party or fair it's the first thing Gabriella heads for. Usually you have to drag her out when it's time to go.

One of the games they had was a magnetic dart board set. How long did it take the kids to figure out the wall was metal too? Not long... they were trying to see who could get the dart to stick the furthest up the wall. Sean had to borrow someones shoe to throw at it and try to knock the dart loose.

A rare moment waiting in line for Santa.

I can tell what Gabriella is thinking: "Should I only tell him one thing I want or hit him with the whole list?"

Sean has gotten too big to sit on Santa's lap... but he's not too big to ask for a present.

OMG!!! Makeup!!!

Sean got a Zoom-O. It comes with propeller disks that spin and fly straight up, but instead of a rip cord it has a small electric motor. So you just push the trigger to launch it. Yeah I'll be finding these up on the roof next year when I put up the Christmas lights.

We got two of them because they have a basket to catch the propeller so you can play pass with someone. Sean got the hang of it pretty quick, but I'm still working on the hand eye coordination of it.

Yeah they fly really high... They can sit on the roof till I'm good and ready to get them.

I saw Kristi making a stocking ornament and thought I can do better than that. Hers came out awesome, mine... not so much.

Gabriella's Birthday Party.

Well I lucked out let me tell you. Kristi was supposed to work this weekend but it got switched at the last minute. I knew that there would be at least 10 little girls showing up and to tell you the truth I was scared.

This is one of the best things about California, you can do almost anything outside. For a craft all the girls made princess crowns.

Lily was so mad because all the girls were using the purple glitter glue which is her favorite color.

Even my buddy Brad showed up for the party.

Demi, Gabriella, and Nicole.

The whole motley crew: Demi, Alicia, Gabriella, Nicole, Mireya, Maya, Jazzy, Cora, and Lily.

Since it had been raining the last few days off and on (truly a rare event for southern California) it was all wet out back and I had no place to hang the pinata. So this was my brainy idea. Tie it to a telescoping pole with some light rope and stand on a ladder. I must have forgotten how a lever works because that pinata felt like it weighed 50 pounds.

Cora is just four and I swear she swings a bat better than her two older brothers who were on my baseball team.

Every kid there is thinking "Gimme that bat!"

Woosh it's swing and a miss for our birthday girl... she hit with her other two swings.

Lizzy was watching me almost the whole time... I think she was waiting for me to fall off the ladder.

Craig is from Scotland and his favorite sport is soccer, or as he calls it football. With a swing like that he should try baseball while he's living here.

Big brother is batting clean up. This swing caved in the whole side of the pinata. Sean's next swing tore it right off the handle the rope is tied to.

Happy Birthday To You... You Live In A Zoo... You Act Like A Monkey... And You Smell Like One Tooooo....

You can't see the package but this is a Polly Pockets set... yup some of the pieces are already missing.

Kelsey got Gabriella some books. One on marine biology and the other is a fortune telling book. It told Gabriella in a year she would live by the beach... Well we'll still be in San Diego so close enough.

Brad got Gabriella the "American Idol" dance pad. That was a real hit.

Here are the sparkly red shoes she has begged months for....no more like a year or so.

Little Kira says Gimme cake!!!