Making Easter Eggs

Deckers Outdoor Corporation did a volunteer event for Food from the Heart.  We decorated 870 Easter Eggs to go into baskets for folks who are shut ins in the local Santa Barbara area.  Food from the Heart provides meals for 150 people in need each week.  It was a fun event and Max LOVED making all the eggs and making more Deckers Friends.

Mama and Max dying eggs

Max making friends with Letty and Mark

Quite the assembly line.

 

 

Easter Egg Hunt

We went to Arroy Verde Park in Ventura today for Community Presbyterian Church's Easter Egg hunt.  Auntie Amy and Aunt Becky also joined us which was super fun.  It was a beautiful day, sun shining and warm.  Perfect day for the activities.

Mama and my two besties:  AKA Aunt Becky & Auntie Amy

We started with face painting.  Max wanted a butterfly; I think he has spring fever.  After that, we decorated our own Easter basket to get ready for the hunt. Max had his heart set on finding "one yellow egg".  He got the hang of it pretty quickly and went  for the mother load.

sit very still

 

Springtime butterfly

After we went and played a bit in the park, the entire time, Max was holding his handmade Easter basket.

whheeeeeeee!

 

 

Max and Mama.... enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning.  The day couldn't have been more perfect.  Max really had a great time.   Thank you CPC for putting on such a fun family event.

 

Auntie Amy and Aunt Becky - thank you for making Max's morning so special  He was sooo excited to see the two of you.  He loves his 'girls', that's for sure!

Auntie Amy, Aunt Becky & Marvelous Max

I would say it was a very successful day.  Anytime you get the boy to sleep for a half hour on the ride home is a good thing.  We really had fun!

the best way to ride the 101

All in a day's fun ....

One of Max's favorite places to go burn energy is the Goleta Beach Park.  It's always good to bring him there after dinner to try to tire him out and get him ready for night nights.  Most of the time, Daddy runs Max ragged so he'll poop out ... last night it was Mama and the little man.  I think Tommy might do a better job at this part.  :)

Swining on my belly is FUN!



Trains like to go down slides too

Whheeeeee!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cars Land

GrandPops, Daddy, Mama and Max at Cars Land for Max's 5th birthday.

Well... Cars Land at Disney's California Adventure is super cool and well worth the visit. We wanted to go in the evening so we could see the neon.  By that time Max was a little worn down and not really into going on rides.  But we did walk around and get a great look at Cars Land in all it's glory.  I'm looking forward to a return visit in June and getting more thrills on the fun rides.

 

Cars ride lit up at  night.  Pretty cool!

 

We went back the next day first thing and the lines were already very long. We should have toughed out the line for the fast pass, but Max had a bit of a cold and wasn't too excited for more theme rides. So we just walked around, shopped and checked out Radiator Springs.

Luigi's Casa De Tires

 

Mator visiting the Cozy Cone

what 5?? FIVE! Happy Birthday, Max!

Happy 5th!
click on any images to enlarge

How did I wait an entire year to update Marvelous Max?  Damn you Facebook! 

It's hard to believe Max is 5! What a big boy; he is just darling.  Max is a very caring and sweet person. I get lots of hugs and kisses served with my daily doses of, "I love you!".  He really is all Tommy and I could ever ask for and more.

We had the great "Maxabration" for his 5th birthday. We took the Amtrak train from Goleta to Anaheim. It's about a 4 hours ride and Max loved every minute of it. He always calls the Amtrak Surfliner his "favorite train" and often wants to go to the Goleta station just to watch in come and go. Imagine his thrill when he got to pack up his Cars luggage and actually get on the "favorite train" and go for this big adventure. He probably would have been happy with just that!



Favorite Train

Mama's pride and joy

I love my awesome Cars luggage from Auntie Becky.  Waiting for Pacific Surfliner.

But it got much better, GrandPops came out from Boston and met us for a Disneyland and CA Adventure extravaganza.  We rented a nice condo and stayed down for a couple of days and did the park hopper.  We really had a blast.  The only thing missing was Tommy's dad who was originally going to join us but, sadly, couldn't make it.

As soon as we got to Disneyland, Max was immediately chosen to march with Mickey's band and conduct the orchestra!  What a great treat!  He got his birthday pin at City Hall which was mirrored by his Mickey Orchestra button.  He kept pointing them out all day.

waving to his adoring fans

  

Conducting

Max and Mickey!

Of course there were fun rides, the carousel, space ships and Carsland ... all big hits.  Pirates of the Caribbean?  Not so much... Max didn't like the darkness or when he got splashed with water.

Carousel with GrandPops



happiest place on Earth

Great Maxabration 2013 - Carsland

Daddy, Max and GrandPops on the teacups

I'm flying!

After a busy two couple of days even the exciting train ride back home was a little much and Max was ready to get off the train after only a few stops and "go home".   To entertain himself, and everyone around him, he sang "God Bless America" from Ventura to Goleta.  All in all, I'd say he had a very happy birthday and will remember his adventure for a long time.

Mouse ears from GrandPops

Happy 5th Birthday, Marvelous Max!!  Mommy and Daddy love you to pieces and are so proud of our little man.    ....

Like I always say ... it doesn't stink to be Max