Quick change costumes!

I think my favorite part of Bennett's birthday was when the boys dug into the costume dress up box and did a bunch of funny combinations of costumes then did mini runway shows for everyone. They even got most of the adults in to dressing up too! My cheeks hurt so bad at the end because I was laughing so hard at how goofy the kids were being. They had a blast!

I call this Elton John meets cowboy.

Max dressed ever so smartly in his Mexican Wedding shirt, Hawaiian leis and purple pimp hat. :o) Sam dressed as a cowboy meets sailor...doing hip hop moves.

This look brought to you by the Village People....all wrapped up in one costume!

Riley even got in to the act.

The guys were so busy playing Guitar Hero that neither Joe or Dan seemed to mind us dressing them up too. All I have to say is ...blackmail!

Grandma Pat in her smart sombrero.

The boys even got Grandpa Nick and Marty into the game too.

2009 British Auto Meet - Woodley Park

Grandpa Nick showed his 1969 MGC GT at the British Auto Meet this year again and we all made a fun day at the park out of it. The kids just love seeing all the neat cars and double decker buses. Jay Leno was there again this year, but the kids didn't get the opportunity to sit in his car like last year. Oh well! It was a "brilliant" day. Pip Pip Cheerio. :o)

Dan and Bennett in front of a vintage fire engine.

Max, Sam, and Bennett in the back of Grandpa's MGC GT.

Riley, Sam, and Bennett posing in front of a Red Triumph TR3 that was just like one that my Mom and Dad owned when they first got married.

Adventures at California Adventure

Dan and I bought season passes to Disneyland this year for the first time ever. We decided to take Bennett to California Adventure for his first real trip there this week...he has been to Disneyland a couple of times. He LOVED going to California Adventure (DCA). I think his favorite part of the day was definitely the Pixar Play Parade since it had every character from all of his favorite movies in it...from Nemo, to Mater and Lightning McQueen(he calls him Speed), to the Incredibles, etc. I have never seen smiles so big on his face as when watching that parade! We had a great day...well, except when Bennett got a little too close to the water splashing off of the Grizzly River Run water ride. Bennett got too close and got drenched! A few tears came, but then he wanted to go back and stand there again...so I think he wasn't too traumatized! Can't wait to go back to DCA again...

Bennett's favorite cars...Mater and Speed. (Think about it...in the movie he says "Speed...I am Speed." Makes sense!

Running into mommy on the bumper cars.

Running around the backlot stage area and getting into trouble!

Bennett showing off his righteous surfing skills. :o)

Hanging out with me in Bug's Land.

If this picture isn't an endorsement for the fact that USC is our main source of income , I don't know what is! Even Bennett has T-shirts from there now!

Bennett riding the carousel on Paradise Pier.

Bennett's First Real Haircut

Bennett got his first real haircut this past week. We took him to Supercuts and although he was totally enthusiastic about getting his haircut alongside Daddy...he totally ran in the opposite direction when we got there! Aunt Cheryl came over the next day and over about 45 minutes and chasing him we got the job done. We would just wait till he sat down to watch TV for a few minutes and then sneak up behind him and start cutting. Whatever it takes to get the job done! He seems to like the new haircut...but he was acting very silly in the pictures here. :o)

California Science Center daytrip

Bennett and I set out for the day to meet up with Daddy for lunch across the street from USC at the California Science Center. I love this place...it is free to get in to! Plus it has a McDonald's on the first floor...which at Bennett's stage makes it a nearly perfect place to go to. See Daddy during the day, push buttons on all the exhibits, get McDonald's for lunch...what could be better! Such a great place.

Bennett and Daddy figuring out how sound travels. Bennett loves this exhibit every time we go.

Just in case you were wondering...yes we have a car with us at all times...never leave home without at least 3 cars!

Fun running up and down the little block walls...we must have been in this spot for 20 minutes. :o)

Stop tickling me mommy!

A rare moment of standing still at the museum.

Such a Great Day!

I had the absolute best day this week. Decided one day to take Bennett down to USC to go to the California Science Center and meet up with Dan for lunch. (The Science Center is directly across the street from Dan's work, so he got to play with us for a bit before going back to work). We had an awesome time there, and when I went to leave I decided to drive the route home that ran along PCH and the beach then over the mountains to home. It was so beautiful. I feel so fortunate to be living in So. California where I played in the snow over the weekend and can go to the beach the next day. The scenery was gorgeous and the hills are all green from all the rain we have been having. It was just so nice to get out since I have felt so closed in with having constant colds since Christmas then weeks of rain. Such a great day and such a great drive!!

Ocean view from my car while driving north on PCH.

Drove back on Kanan Rd back to Malibou Lake Mountain Club where Dan and I got married. Just such a pretty place.

A scene in the Santa Monica mountains back by Malibou Lake.

Sledding with Grandpa

Last weekend I took off again to Lake Arrowhead. Dan's family and my mom joined me up there and the kids just had an absolute blast playing in the snow. Grandpa gave free tobaggon rides all weekend! We had a bunch of snowball fights and for some reason, Bennett loves eating the snow...had to taste every snowball before he threw it. :o) Great weekend playing in the snow. We usually don't get as much snow at our condo as we have this year so we have been trying to take advantage of it...I think that the people who live in Arrowhead wish that the snow would stop already though. :o)

Grandpa gives great tobaggon rides!

This was Max's first time playing in the snow..he liked sledding!

Sam and Bennett...first knockdown of several while I was trying to build a snowman that never got entirely built!

Sam.

Red Car - San Pedro

Last Friday night just the 4 Lenhart Members of the family headed out for a rare night out together to San Pedro to go to a sing a long version of the movie Mamma Mia. Before we went to the movie we decided to take a ride on the red car line which is a replica of the historic electric red car that ran all over Southern California from the late 1800's to about 1961. It runs about 2 miles long now along the waterfront in San Pedro from the cruise ship terminals down to the end of the harbor. It was so much fun (even though it was horribly cold when we went!). We had such a blast at the sing a long too (which was a fundraising event to help restore an original art deco movie house that was originally owned by Warner Bros.) Crazy night...lots of rain, but lots of fun (Abba style fun)! Got to meet up with my friends Leah and David, but sadly I have no pics of them to post. All of these pics were taken on my cell phone, so the quality is not great.

We were absolutely freezing because it was windy and cold and raining and we didn't dress properly at all! This is Craig and Mom and Cheryl huddling together for warmth and waiting for the red car to come.

Red Car pulling in to the station. Bennett would say "ALL ABOARD" if he saw it!

Ridin' the Red Car.

Craig riding along ...in seats that incidentally were made just like the originals and the seat backs swivel so you can change which direction you want to sit...forward or backward. I thought that was ingenious engineering for the 1800's! Check out the video below...Cheryl is demonstrating how they work.

Playing in the Snow...

My mom, Bennett and I headed back up to Lake Arrowhead for Saturday and Sunday while Dan and his guys had their monthly LAN party at our house. Figured we would play in the snow again since it is pretty rare that the snow stays this long at mom's condo. It is so fun because we can basically play in the backyard of the condo. Bennett just loves it. This time Grammy took him out sledding and made a snowman with him. He loved getting dressed in all of the snowclothes and snowboots. Just makes me laugh that he walks like the StayPuff Marshmallow Man when he is in his snow gear. :o)

We have a Mr. Potato Head at the condo, and Bennett thought that it would be funny to put the funny tongue and glasses on himself....I think he missed where the glasses were supposed to go....I don't think you can see through your nose dork. :o)

Dan's Birthday - 37 years old - whoo hoo!

Happy Birthday dear Dan.....your 37!! Ugh - he will forever be younger than me! Well, we didn't rent a bouncy house for his birthday, we'll save that for Bennett! But we did have a nice dinner at home with my mom and Cheryl on his birthday, and the next night went out for an adults only birthday dinner at Vitello's with Dan's family. Always love an evening out. Happy Birthday Dan!

Cheryl gave Dan an LED flashlight that straps on to your head for when you work in places that you need to have your hands free to do so....pretty much for when he works on his computers. :o) (Especially since there are no mines around here for him to go trudging around in. :o)

Bennett is showing off his many multitasking talents...wearing the head flashlight and playing the harmonica at the same time....what can I say....he has skills. :o)