Aloha

We are in Hawaii right now and having a great time. We have two days left (boo) but I will be happy to be n my own bed. I have become the picky person I hate. The kids are having a great time. Phoebe has a cough but still going strong. She is conked out right now after swimming for four hours. We are heading to the luau in a bout an hour, yay drinks for me! I will post pics and tell you all about my third degree burns GO ME!

Phoebe discovers You Tube

Phoebe has been watching music videos on you tube lately. Her favorite is Katy Perry's Hot and Cold. I was going to do laundry and came around the corner to her copying the video. Lucky for me and you she started it over and I was able to grab my camera. Sadly we didn't get very far in before she caught me. You can't hear the song very well, but she does a really good job talking to I think the printer. I agree it does run hot and cold.

Christmas

Miss Thing on her board from Uncle Stevie

Dad wouldn't let them at the presents until they said cheese

The loot...and no I still don't have curtains!

Ashley's Christmas show

Had a great Christmas and hope everyone else did. I worked the day before and came home to find extra gifts under the tree. Neil thinking he was being slick hide some stuff he got for me behind the tree. Phoebe being Phoebe decided to point them out. I never would have noticed other wise. Neil was not happy she ratted him out but oh well. Phoebe also decided to tell me she knew there was no Santa Claus, good to know the night before. Her friend had told her during the summer, but she pretended for us......isn't she sweet?

The kids loved all the presents. They each had favorites that we never would have thought would stand out. Ashley loved her Twilight sweatshirt, where we thought she would be over the moon with her green ipod. Nathan loved his Spider man picture where we thought he wold be more excited about his radio. Phoebe flipped over her wreck this journal, we thought she would be more excited about her cupcake machine. Mind you the book was in her stocking, last minute filler. It is a really cute book, I recommend everyone checking it out. I cooked turkey while Neil slept but made sure to use extra bowls and pans since he had clean up!!!!!!!!!

Cleveland ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Had an AWESOME time in Cleveland, who knew? I made the flight arrangements for us to fly out of LA because it would have cost us a couple thousand more and a lay-over in TX. We had never been to LAX and man am I happy. It has to be the worst airport I have ever been in, and I include Bali airport in that mix. Parking wasn't the problem although it did cost a fortune for long term. The terminals are a mess and tehy kept changing our gate number. While we were waiting to board, I was looking at the crowd and just started pointing saying "it's, it's,it's" and of course Neil and the kids had no clue who I was pointing at, but who I was trying to call attention to was Scott Schwartz who played Flick in A Christmas Story. He saw me pointing , just smiled and boarded the plane. YES he was on our plane, some of you may not think that's big but he was one of a few actors we were flying to see so it was pretty cool. When we left LA it was about 75 degrees, we got to Cleveland at 6:30 pm and it was 30 degrees. The kids were not happy. Neil and I liked it, but only for a little bit. When we got to the hotel who else was standing at the desk but Flick. He looked at us and said " the Cali people", almost peed my pants. Standing beside him was the guy who played Randy, and the guy who played Grover Dill. HAPPINESSThe next day we headed down to the lobby to register for our Ralphie passes. We got a gift bag with a mug, shirt, Ovaltine and a bar of LifeBouy soap. The worst smelling soap on the face of the earth. Threw them away before we left. We then hoped the Trolley and headed over to the house. Such a great time. Got to tour the house, then we got to ride the actual fire truck from the movie. It came down from Canada for the weekend. All of us were freezing and praying for the damn ride to end except for Phoebe who was yelling 'wee' the whole time. After we got back to the hotel we decided since the line wasn't long to do the meet and greet then instead of waiting for the private one on Sat. Nathan was in hog heaven that he got to meet Zach Ward who played Scut Farkus. All the actors were really sweet and talked for some time to us ( the line was small). After that we could have just stayed in the hotel for the next day as far as I was concerned, but we found out the Rock N Roll hall of fame was only five blocks down. Of course we went and had a great time. Nathan who just did not want to go had the best time. I was only abe to get a few pics in the entry way. No cameras allowed inside. We got to see so many costumes and find oout cool facts. We got back on Sunday and I am sure I still have not recovered.

Our hotel
Electric sex gleaming on the desk top

Ashley being Ashley in front of the Higbee building

Just got the Ralphie passes and we're heading to the house

It's the freakin Christmas Story House YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So stinking cute

Randy and Phoebe fit better

Acting like Black Bart's gang and trying to get out before Ralphie shoots them

After our ride on the fire truck

Patty Johnson aka Head Elf and Drew Hocevar aka Male Elf

Yano Anaya aka Grover Dill and Zach Ward aka Scut Farkus and Dave on Titus

Scott Scwartz aka FLICK!!!!!!!!! He is really that short

Guitars all through the city

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Bon Jovi bike

Roy Orbison's car

Pink Floyd "The Wall" display

Twilight

1. and 2. Pictures of the fires

3. Me,Amanda, Cyn and Sarah, two girls we met

4. Ash sleeping

5. Cyn, Katherine Hardwicke and me

6. Ash getting interviewed by Entertainment Tonight

7. Kellan Lutz play Emmett Cullen

8. Jackson Rathborne plays Jasper Hale

9. Jennie Garth, her husband is in the movie, but I love her on 90210

10. Robert Pattinson plays Edward Cullen, main character..looks better in the movie

11. Kristen Stewart plays Bella Swan, other main character

12. Taylor Lautner, he is Ashley's favorite.

Ash and I left around 5:30 am on Sunday to head to La to sleep out for the red carpet of Twilight. It sounded like it would be a piece of cake, it was except for the lack of sleep and having to stand for so long. I forgot I'm old. We drove with my friend from work Cyn and I dropped two gals off who were meeting a group to wait in line. We drove through the smoke from all the fires and man was there a lot. Ashes were flying everywhere and at times it was hard to see. We did get to see the helicopters dumping water which I thought was cool, but Cyn just laughed at me. She grew up here, she's used to it.

We got to the theater at around 11:30 am and thought we would be the only ones....wrong. At that point we were about 37Th in line. Not bad, but it quickly grew after us. We just put out a chair and sleeping bags and began the wait. We talked to some people and got some lunch but then just hung. A couple hours later they made us move across the street so we wouldn't be blocking the businesses. The company that ran the event did a great job making sure no one cut and we all ended up in the right spot. That worked out great cause we were right in front of my car so it made it easier to rest and get stuff. At around 7:30 pm Ash and I started hanging out in the car and she fell asleep. I read for a while and tried to sleep in the back. The other girls were too loud but I got to close my eyes for a bit. At around 10:30 Cyn came banging on the car saying Katherine Hardwicke (the director) drove by, then she came back and said Katherine was coming around signing autographs. Sure enough she did. She went down the line which had now stretched around the block. She was taking video which I am told will be on the DVD when it comes out. I didn't wake Ashley up. But we got a pic. After that I laid back down and fell asleep until around 5:30 am. Got to see the trucks arriving YEAH!

After Ashley slept ten hours ( the most out of everyone) she got interviewed for Entertainment Tonight. She was super cute. Sadly it didn't air but I got some pics any way. At around 1:30 they had us go to the barricade and then it was four short hours until they arrived. We were at the very front. When they did, holy cow did it get crazy as I am sure you all can imagine. I am not even exaggerating, a lady climbed on my back and stayed there while having Stephanie Meyers sign her book. After a few people arrived and I got some pics, my camera died which was fine with me cause at that point I was exhausted and deaf from all the girls screaming behind me......and I'm old. I discovered that it would have been better to be in the back because we couldn't really get good pictures do to the stars having to face the paparazzi which were right across from us. Once I turned and faced the podium, I got great pics. Live and learn. It was something cool we can say we did, but I probably will never do it again

The movie: It was Ok. There was some really cool parts that stayed true to the book, but not at all impressed. I may be the only one!

Today was a crazy day at work. We had a Twilight party to celebrate the movie opening this coming week. Because I have read all the books and am somewhat addicted, I am taking Ashley to Hollywood tomorrow where we will sleep outside and on Monday night get to see all the stars going to the premier. That is the plan any way. I am hoping the fires do not put a damper on but at this point nothing is ceratin. I will post pics as soon as I can. Look for me on Geraldo

Apparently beds are not the only thing they do kings size out here. We tried our first "King" pizza. Phoebe really wasn't sure what to make of it.

Halloween

Here are some pics of Ash and Phoeb's. Nathan decided he was too big this year, so he hung out with his friends. Ashley takes her costumes very seriously!