Huckleberry!

Huckleberry is our family's new favorite word.

This is what a huckleberry really looks like:

Last Saturday we went to Arctic Circle after the Osmond Reunion Concert and ordered some shakes.

While we were waiting, 2 elderly couples were sitting in the booth next to us. John swears he heard them say HUCKLEBERRY at least 10 times. They were talking about the Huckleberry Shake that Arctic Circle was advertising. So, John kept saying Huckleberry, Huckleberry, Huckleberry...and he wasn't being quiet about it either. It made Parker and Dexter and myself crack up. John started using it in a sentence and saying it over and over again. He wouldn't stop. We all started using it like it was a swear word. "Would you get your huckleberry hands off my shake?" "I'm gonna kick your huckleberry butt!" I find this word funny because I had never heard of a huckleberry berry before.

Then Dexter made up a song and sang it on the way home. "I'm just a huckleberry boy stuck in a huckleberry world..."

When ever I say Huckleberry it comes out in "Southern-talk" and I can't stop! It makes Parker smile, so I continue to do it and talk Southern for a while.

I asked Dexter if we could change his middle name to Huckleberry, he said he wants to change his first name to Huckleberry. I said, "You can call me Huck or you can call me Berry, or you can jus' call me Huckleberry!" Huckleberry Beach has such a nice ring to it! (It's much funnier when you southern-style the whole thang!...Stephanie would understaaaaand! You have to drawl out your long vowels...once you start you cain't stop!)

Since we aren't having anymore kids, we decided to just name our next dog, Huckleberry. We aren't getting another dog until one kicks the bucket though which hopefully won't be for a long time.

So today I took the boys to Arctic Circle for lunch...and we got a huckleberry shake. Dexter and I liked it. It was pretty good, a flavor I can't explain. Dexter calls it a shake with 5 different berry flavors...and grape flavor. The only thing I didn't like is the big pieces of huckleberry skin in the shake, but I chewed it up and swallowed anyway.

I didn't realize there were so many huckleberry things!




P.S. If we would have had one more baby and it would have been a girl we were going to name her Malibu Barbara Beach....and call her Malibu Barbie!...I often wonder if that is why we didn't have anymore kids?

California Adventure, continued...

I got a little distracted from Breaking Dawn, so here's some more of our Family Vacation. This was on the Canoes. Our guide asked us not to take pictures, just to keep rowing. This is her catching me...oops!
The Beach Boys outside Tarzan's Treehouse
This was the parade at California Adventure and it was AWESOME!! A lot of the characters and floats squirted water at the guests...it felt great!!! Here is one of the Toy Story themed floats
Tow-Mater from Cars!
Hey Buzz Lightyear!
Jack-Jack from The Incredibles!
Heimlich from A Bug's Life
Dex always is entertaining. This is Dex being "candid"
Rock Climbing in Bear Country. Parker made it to the finish again!
California Screamin' roller coaster...one of Dexter's favorite rides.
Dex enjoying the swings in the Big Orange
Toy Story Midway Mania...our favorite ride in California Adventure. It was more of a game than a ride. It was great! 3-D and kept your score! Check out the roller coaster doing the loop!
John and Tasha. Dex really wanted to take our picture.
Oh! Wait, this was my favorite part, but it was a show, not a ride. Crush was AWESOME!!! Don't miss it when you go. It is in CA Adventure, across from the Muppets 3-D. Crush is interactive and talks with the audience...TOTALLY AWESOME DUDE!

Muppets in 3-D (California Adventure)

As some of you know, in high school I was a lover of the Pig. I was a pig collector and Miss Piggy has always had a special place in my heart. At Disney California they have a Muppets in 3D show, outside they had these movie posters. They cracked me up...here are a few.

PIGGY WOMANTHE SOW OF MUSIC
JURASICK PORK
PLUMP FICTION
...and my favorite: BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER AT TIFFANY'S

Code Adam Alert

Have you read the E-mail about Sam's Club, as well as other businesses, using the Code Adam alert for missing children in the store? My SIL sent it to me today and it prompted a memory of mine:

I first read this E-mail about 5 years ago...and then a week later I saw it in effect with Dexter! I knew John would think I was an idiot, so I never told him about this E-mail until...after.

We were at Wal-Mart. I had Dex in a cart and John had Parker. We let the kids out of the carts to look at toys. In a matter of minutes, Dex was gone! I was starting to freak out and John was totally calm. The Code Adam E-mail starting coming to mind. We walked up and down every single aisle (this is before the Super Wal-Marts...thank goodness!) We both were at the front and talking to some workers. I described Dexter to them and told him that we cannot find him. They looked at each other and said, "Should we call a Code Adam?" I gasped and burst into tears.

A little boy in a near by check out line was listening to what was going on and said, "Is that your little boy over there?" (pointing towards the door) We all looked over and there was Dexter, sitting calmly on Ronald McDonald's lap, waving to all the people, trying to be a Wal-Mart Greeter.

By the way, Albertson's also has a "Code Adam" and it is "Code Yellow" at Target. How do I know this? Because Dexter. Thankfully, every time, Dexter was found and usually he was looking at Toys...(so we started checking there first). Dexter is now 10 years old (almost 11) and a still loves Toys...especially Legos.

I can't find a picture of Dexter on Ronald, but here's one so you remember what I'm talking about. I'm sure if they have them any more.

Hats Off To Disney

Growing up I was always so jealous of my friends that got to go on family vacations and always came back with "Ears" from Disney...and with their very own name embroidered in it! Luckiest kids in the world! That was the coolest thing! I grew up poor and the oldest of five kids, so spending money on 5 different Mickey/Minnie Mouse hats was not an option and quite a luxury!

I was definitely a kid at Disney in 2008! It was basically my first time being able to enjoy all the rides and do what I wanted! We all got Disney Hats! I love my Ears and will wear them whenever possible...and not too embarrassing. John got a baseball cap that says "Grumpy" on it...perfect!

After trying on a few different styles, Dexter opted for the "Goofy" hat.
Parker, trying to be the 13 year old teenager he is, went for the "You Say Grumpy like it is a bad thing" hat.

**Embarrassing Hat Story***
Many of you know, if I'm not wearing my wig, I'm wearing a hat. The only thing I can see from my view is the brim of the hat I'm wearing. After our trip I went over to my bosses house. I walked up to their door and saw my reflection in their storm door... Great! I was wearing my ears! Now that was embarrassing! Keep on the ears or let them see my hat head? I opted for the ears. Steve & Robyn just thought I was rubbing in the fact that I got to go to Disney...what ever works!

Ding! Ding! Get out of OUR Way! The Beach's Are Going To Disneyland!

June 22, 2008 - Disneyland

As soon as we walked into Disney, the fire department truck whisked us down Main Street. The conductor asked Dex to ring the bell to warn people we were coming! He was a little stressed about all this responsibility at first...he didn't want anyone to get hurt on account of him not ringing the bell loud enough. We made it to our destination without any pedestrian injuries.

The Parade of Dreams Disney Parade. Welcome to our Family time, welcome to our brotherly time, welcome to our fun-to-be time... Great parade!

Jedi Training! Soooooo Exciting! If you have a son or daughter "in to" Star Wars, you don't want to miss this!

I am the mother of an official Padawon...here's the certificate to prove it!

S*P*L*A*S*H Mountain! Aaaaaah!! My first time (like you can't tell by the look on my face!) and it beats the hell out of the Log Flume at Lagoon!

I love my Hunny!

The Host

I'm reading The Host, by Stephenie Meyer. I'll finish blogging about our vacation when I'm done (less than 100 pages to go)! The Host was hard to get into and under stand the first couple chapters. I'm not a Sci-Fi fan AT ALL but I am loving this book! Another great one from Stephenie!

Book Club is at my house this month - The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright