Day 3...

Back at Universal studios for another day. More rides and shows, cant get enough of the Simpsons rides, we all love it. Another 2 times today ..ok so we are theme park freaks haha

For lunch thought we would try pizza, well the slices are HUGE, kids could have shared one. i cant believe how big meals are here, even the hot choc and milkshakes are in huge cups..nothing small over here !

After Universal, back home to hotel and back to reality for 38 mins will I did washing ..I know it was 38 mins because the machine told me !

Then out to Downtown disney ..what a place ..loved it. Seb loved the lego shop, brought himself a cup of lego..like lollies, just get a cup and fill it with loose lego.

Mad loved the disney shop , and we all loved Build-a-bear ...because we all did one. Mad got a dog, Seb a monkey and mine is a red/white/blue bear.

Tea was very average tonight snd huge again, we actually got 2 chicken burgers and chips and shared it between the 4 of us and it was enough.

Then when walking around we got to see the fireworks at Disneyland ..beautiful.

Home at 10.30pm

Tomorrow - Sunday is off to a shopping centre before heading to Venice Beach.

Monday is the BIG day ...DISNEYLAND!

The BIG piece of pizza, Seb looks a bit daunted by it !

Group shot with the Simpsons

Day 2 ...Universal Studios

After finding out it was going to cost $160 for the 4 of us to get to Universal studios and that the public transport isnt the greastest. We decided to hire a car - the cheapest way to get around ..and the most scariest. Worse than a theme parl rollercoaster !

Driving on the "wrong" side is very frightening, and you have to remember to stay to the left not the right LOL

Getting there was easy, just scary.

Left at 9am and got home st 8pm.

what a day ..

The Simspons ride was fantasatic -went on it twice, Jurassic pasrk ride twice and the kids and Jon went on the Mummy ride twice - not for me.

The studio back lot tour was great, they were filming Desperate Housewives, Ghost Whisper and the new Meet the Parents movie - starsing Robert Di Niro & Ben Affleck - but not a star to be seen :-(

Heaps of other shows to see and all fantastic, and we will be back tomorrow for more rides ..

we found this great ice cream called Dippin Dots ..little balls of ice cream !

so yumm

Also at one of the hot dog stands I just had to take a photo of the alcohol they sold.

Look how huge the Fosters can & Corona bottle are !

Depserate Housewives - this use to be The Munsters house

Susans house

Day 1 continued ....

After a visit to the supermarket to get supplies for breakfast, the kids went for a swim at the hotels pool. early night all in bed by 8.30pm..

BUT I was awake at 11.33pm thinking it was morning ..and then at 3am,

think body is back to sleeping time LOL

while at the supermarket we had to get some American supplies,

Oreos, twinkies, cereal, and of course a trashy mag !

the water park at they hotel.

Mimis for tea..the meals where HUGE !

G'Day from L.A. ...day 1

The flight..

We left home at 6am and the first part was the 3.5 hrs flight to New Zealand at 11.35am - it was on time !

Perfect flight, no turbulance and the meal was nice.

Then landed in NZ for 2 hours.

Then thru customs, everything had to be searched, amazing the process, body seasrches and all.

Then off to L.A. -12 hours later and another perfect flight we landed 24 hours from when we left home.

Customs and immigration was a breeze - after all I had heard, we must have been lucky.

Then finally at our apartment for a shower, then a look around.

Arriving in New Zealand

Kids enjoyinng their plane meals and t.v /games

A party when you are not having a party ...

Sebs 9th birthday is when we are away, so on his actual birthday we are all going to have breakfast at Disneyland with Goofy and his friends in the morning, then Jon is taking him to a sports bar !! mmmmm..to watch Manchester United play, then back to Disneyland for the day, then out for tea.

Then the next day we are going to Legoland so he can spend his birthday money LOL.

That is his birthday celebration.

So Seb wasnt having a party ! Well he wasnt having a party !

But I couldn't let him go without a cake and a family party and of course he had to have a few friends..

OK I love birthdays and he is only 9 once ...well technically he is still 8 !

So family BBQ on Saturday night with 2 friends from school, and his Manchester United cake.

He was a very happy 8 almost 9 yr old :-)

The cake

With his friend Jed

5 sleeps to go....

and off we go to Disneyland for 18 days..

pulled out the case and wondering if this can go on the plane ???

Sebs request ...

for a Manchester United birthday cake ...

What is a mum to do, but make one !

Made a cake plate from roll out icing, and long fingernails and this icing

dont really mix well together, trying to get the imprints out LOL

we have having a family birthday tea next Sat night before we go. I will make a choc mud cake and put plate on top.

Updates ....

Well both Mad & Seb have settled into their new grades at school and in the swing of things already, Mad was not happy getting homework in the first week , oh and an assignment she has to do before we go away LOL

I havent had any time off work, worked all thru christmas / new year / school holidays, waiting till the end Feb for my time off.

Netball has started back and Madeline is loving it still, 8 goals 1st week, 3 last week, Seb is back at soccer, this will his last season of indoor soccer. He will start outdoor in April, not looking forward to watching in rain, hail or shine, indoors is so much better for mums LOL

We have 17 days before we leave on out DREAM holiday, 2 years planning and saving, and its so close, getting very excited now. Will go in tomorrow and pick up all the tickets, then just have the cases to pack and we will be off.

So watch for posts of our adventures, oh and lots of photos .....

Back to school

And back to packing lunches, school run, netball, soccer ....

but only for 25 days ..then we are on holidays !

New shoes ...so sparkly white ...wonder how long that will last ???