Making faces again....

Here are a couple of our friends that we'll miss. Jude, Ben and their Uncle Jeff. The other boy (Cole) had the "teenage grumpies" and didn't want his picture taken. The boys just left with their parents:( Now we have a bunch of really noisy obnoxious people next to us.

Kid's Discovery Center...

So, we've pretty much done all the "touristy" things. Today we went to the Big Bear Discovery Center which is a "learning center" for kids. It has various "stations" to learn about pine cones, seashells, spiders, skeletons, etc. That didn't take very long. We've just been goofing around the rest of the day. There is a huge family here at the cabins. They have stayed here every single year for 45 years! Two older people who are the grandparents, their son who is my age who came with his daughter, their daughter who came with her husband and 3 boys. The boys are 15, 12, and 9 and have all befriended Jasmine, of course. They have been swimming together every day for hours. They are going home today:(... so it is going to be very quiet around here, and Jasmine will not have anyone to play with (temporarily). They are from Long Beach... and maybe we will see them next year.

Pirate Cruise....

We just got back from our 90 minute Pirate Ship Cruise on Big Bear Lake. I thought that the pirate ship had some type of significance, but nope, it didn't. The ship was built in someone's backyard, a father and son, and was completed in 1968. Somehow it made it to Big Bear Lake in 1997. We looked at all the multi- million dollar homes on the lake..Shirley McClaine...and I cannot remember all of the others. We saw the location of the first moonshine distillery in the 20's, as well as the accompanying brothel:) The kids all got big squirt guns to squirt at other boats and people passing by. They also got a prize from the treasure chest... sunglasses:) It was a really nice slightly overcast day with a perfect breeze. It would have been way too hot without the clouds. We also went past Mel Blank's house- the voice for Bugs Bunny, etc. His son Noel? Blank, did the voices for us thru a megaphone. He is the small dot guy in the white shirt in the distance.

Busy...and it's only 1pm....

First thing... every morning...we barely get dressed, "Hurry, hurry, ..we have to go feed the ducks". We really don't have anything to feed the ducks. Someone came by the dock on a canoe and gave us about a half a loaf of bread, which really isn't all that good for ducks, but that's what people feed them. Next, off to the Big Bear "Zoo". It's not really a zoo. It's a rehabilitation center for local animals. Only 2 acres in size, but next year they are moving to a 10 acre spot. Next we rented a Paddle Boat at the Pleasure Point Marina. Got a little low level cardio workout in for about 45 minutes. It was perfect because the sky is a little overcast and there is a cool breeze. We went out into the middle of the lake as far as we were allowed, then turned around and came back. I'm really glad the sun was not out, or I would have been cooked pedaling all that way:) Going on a pirate ship ride right now to learn about the history of Big Bear Lake.

Lots of pictures from today...

Slept in... then, first thing Jazzy wanted to do was go out to the dock. Then, drove around the lake to the north side and went on a hike on the Alpine Trail. Then to the "Alpine Slide" which apparently is covered by ice in the winter and is used as a "bobsled" slide. In the summer they have bobsleds with wheels. You have to ride a ski lift up to the top (unless you want to go on a very long walk). I had never..uh.. ridden a ski lift before. No problem getting just me on it, but getting Jasmine on first, then me- while the thing is moving was a trick. I had sandals on too.. so had to scrunch my toes so they wouldn't fall off. Jazzy and I went down on the bobsled together.. SO much fun. Here is the ski lift- with another water slide off to the right. Then, in the lobby...they have a "do it yourself" cotton candy maker. Of COURSE, we HAD to do that. Then we were told to just "show up" at 2pm for a pirate ship ride on the lake. We showed up and they told us we had to have reservations... totally annoyed about that.. but we'll probably do it tomorrow. Then off to "The Village" to have lunch and sheck out the shops. Big attraction... candy store. Jssmine is now out socializing with the neighbors. I can hear her chattering non-stop. Poor people:) Something funny: Jasmine has been watching "Peppa Pig" videos on the way here and then in the car when we are driving around. It's a British cartoon about a family of pigs. Now she is speaking with a British accent!!! It sounds very authentic, and she has been speaking like that for 2 days!!!

Mallard Bay "Resort"...

Resort... translation= "cabin"... sort of. Older cabins, probably built in the 40's and updated periodically:) Guess that's wy they were so cheap on Groupon. We're right on the lake though, and it's 65 degrees!!! Jasmine has already made friends with a family a few cabins down, and they agreed to let her use their fishing poles some time this week. After a very long drive, we finally made it. I didn't really realize that Big Bear Lake is really just a higher elevation suburb of Los Angeles. It's just outside of Riverside. Tonight we drove around Big Bear Village, had dinner, and came back to our "cabin" to ride Jazzy's scooter. Big day tomorrow- but don't know what we're doing. Dock and lake outside our little cabin. Our cabin #16 Jasmine and her friends (in the background)

Cactus Classic in Scottsdale...

Today we were at the Cactus Classic Skating Competition in north Scottsdale ALL day. Jasmine skated the Annie Dramatic Program in the morning and got 3rd place, then her Artistic Program "Boots" wasn't until 5 PM, and she received 2nd place. The same judges judge pretty much every competition, and I think they are getting sick of seeing her do the same program over and over the past year, even though we change it every time she moves up a level. So, starting in the fall, we are going to do all new artistic and dramatic programs... after we get the new Freeskate Program down pat. OMG- SO much work!! especially for ME! So, we probably could have gone home in between the morning and evening programs, but north Scottsdale is just far enough that if we drove home, we wouldn't be there all that long. In the afternoon - just to kill some time- we went to a Cavy and Rabbit Show that we always attend on this weekend since Jasmine was 3 yrs old. It was much smaller than usual- for some reason. The Cavy Show was only a couple of miles from the Ice Den, so it worked out fine. Next we went to an Asian restaurant- Wok Box, then next door to Gigi's Cupcakes. I am pretty sure that Gigi's Cupcake store was on that show "Cupcake Wars". Jasmine picked out 4 Strawberry Shortcake cupcakes that were supposed to partially go to Jaime and Jasmine's friend Kiki Owens. Kiki had already gone home, and Jaime declined since she was going to a birthday party/dinner right after the competition, so now we have these extra cupcakes that we really didn't need. Long day...have to pack tomorrow to go to Big Bear Lake, wash the car, do a million errands... then FINALLY leave on Monday. Jasmine and her friend Mia Cornis who skates with her at Chandler Polar Ice. Getting ready to go to the Cavy Show with her Guinea Pig shirt on. I really didn't get any photos at the Cavy Show since it was so small and we didn't stay there very long. I have given up on getting normal photos of Jasmine sometimes. She just constantly makes faces and sticks out her tongue. It gets annoying after awhile. Here is Jaime, Jasmine and Emma Erlandson- a very nice and really funny little girl. Emma will be a comedian some day when she grows up:) Also, Jaime told me today that she and her husband are going to start the adoption process pretty soon. She wants to adopt because she (Jaime) is adopted. I told her to plan on spending much much much more time and money than if she just had a biological child:)) Ashley Osbourne and Jasmine. Her dad is my favorite person--NOT. He's the self-proclaimed ice police at Chandler Polar Ice (long story) kind of like the George Zimmerman of Chandler Polar Ice... but his daughter is good friends with Jasmine. Fun day. The little yellow dot is Jasmine skating with the judges watching:)