Another Sunday

Nothing like a perfect Sunday for weather.  Yes, that whole change of time thing can be bothersome... luckily for the children, they didn't know the difference.

In this picture, the girls learn that what goes up must come down.  They love the toy crocodile.

 Here little Jack is relaxing on the smooth carpet at the Well Baby Center.  Almost no one showed up for class today -- must have been the change of time blues -- but all three of our children were there.  Jack was actually quite transfixed by the music.  Betsy Jo and Mary Jane know the songs well enough to... well, ignore them at times.  But for Jack it was one big noise fest for him.

 Betsy Jo and Jack are hanging out on the couch together in the early afternoon.  Betsy had just previously said that she didn't need a nap.  Well, I think I could state that she needs one... but Jack didn't mind her being there.  He absolutely loves it when she comes over and calls him "Goo-Goo."

Here is a better family pic of the three.  Everyone look at the camera and smile!  Happy Sunday for all... especially that they know Mommy will be back tomorrow.

Looking at the New Guy!

Here Mary Jane and Betsy Jo are wondering who this Jack guy is.  They've heard all about him but now they get to see him up close and personal for the very first time.

Mary Jane Leads the Erb Caravan

Mary Jane is slowly mastering her tricycling ability.  In this video, she's working her way down Stanwood, the street adjacent to Dewey.  This was only her second time circumnavigating the block.  Hey now, it takes her almost 30 minutes for the whole trip.

Betsy was sitting in the wagon and was not in this video.  Betsy, at this point, can make the walk around the block but often lingers and wants to pull off flowers.  Oops.  Thus when she gets a little... tired and distracted... I place her in the wagon and off we go.  It's the Erb Caravan.

Fire Station Open House!

Oddly enough the firemen rarely use this any more.  Most of the firemen at Mar Vista are on the older side and might actually get hurt on the landing.  But it remains as a symbol.

 It's been a double fire truck week for the girls.  On Thursday, Mary Jane and Betsy Jo went to the local fire station in Westchester.  (Some of those pictures must be on Facebook somewhere.)  But that was completely unrelated to the open houses run throughout all of LAFD today.

I was struggling with my Saturday morning run... on my quest to finish the Pasadena half-marathon... when I passed a bunch of fire trucks parked out on a street.  I thought, "Oh, bad fire" or even "Someone was shot!" as it was down by Oakwood.  But no, it was an open house with a pancake breakfast!  Ah, no better way to celebrate a morning than with a pancake breakfast.  Ironically, Mommy and Mary Jane were fixing a pancake breakfast while I was running out and about through the Venice and Mar Vista area (today's run: 7 miles).  We didn't ever make it to the Venice pancake breakfast (maybe next year) but I did take the two girls to the Mar Vista open house.  It's the one over on Venice and Inglewood.  Yes, where the old Break Shot used to be. (Now how would you remember that?)

There weren't that many people there that late in the day.  Mostly moms with young children so I fit in quite well with my girls.

Mary Jane and Betsy Jo had fun wandering around and climbing onto and off of the fire trucks.  No hats were worn though.  That's too bad.  

Daddy and the Girls

Sunday Is Dancing Time...

No pictures from the music class but Mary Jane and Betsy Jo had fun in good ol' Mar Vista with their Sunday morning music class.  They get out and about and get in some needed play time.  Mommy and Daddy get to groove out to classic tunes like the "Alphabet Song" as well.

No Parade for Phillip's Re-Inauguration

Very little celebrating happened on Dewey Street this weekend as Prince Phillip was "reinaugurated" for another term.  The whole word irritates Phillips as he says that princes are not reinaugurated but rather reassure others of their sovereign rule of the land.  Everyone knows of the "divine right of rabbits" and that's just the way it is.

Ruby Jane did not run against him the Bunny Elections in November 2012, as many had thought.  The former rivals are much more amicable these days and share many ideas over blades of grass and orange slices.  There is also one agreement that has united the divided rabbit coalitions since the last election: Mary Jane and Betsy, the two new potential usurpers to the throne.

Mary Jane was born shortly after the previous two-year election cycle started.  Potential human usurpers wasn't even a topic in the previous election debates.  It was only food, water, free time, and airplane noise.  All the rabbits thought that Mister John and Miss Jill were perfectly happy to let their back yard be ruled by long-eared, fluffy tailed overseers.  Alas, that did not seem the case as Mary Jane (and later Betsy) arrived to chase, grab, and laugh at the noble rabbit line.  They felt completely humiliated by little children who couldn't even wipe their noses after sneezing.

"I'm thumping mad," said Ruby Jane.  "No way two little girls -- no matter how cute they are -- are gonna chase us off our lands."

Heidi and Cookie Sue, relative newcomers to the Erb household, really didn't have much of an opinion as their major concern is just food.

Prince Phillip in royal pose.

As for Mister John, he is trying to stay independent of the whole situation.  "It ain't my thing right now," says Mister John, as he types up more Decathlon notes.

A Mar Vista Halloween

Mama with girls

 Nothing like a Halloween evening to get the girls in a festive mood.  They paired up quite nicely as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.  They made it to four houses on the evening as that's about all they could manage in our neighborhood.  Maybe next year they'll expand to ten but for now that's perfect.

Mary Jane much preferred to stand on our porch and distribute candy to all the other trick-or-treaters.  One of them (in a Scream mask) actually scared her so she backed up at first and didn't give them a candy.



The Big Bad Wolf with Candy

On a similar note, Betsy had a fit when she first saw Daddy in his Gramma (Wolf) costume.  She kept screaming not knowing it was her own Daddy.  That made him sad but he got over it... ultimately.

Little Red Riding Hood (Betsy) fell asleep as soon as she got back.  Too much stimulation for her.  As for Mary Jane, she did stay up late for her.  All of 7:15 but then she summarily passed out and the rest of the night was quite for the Wolfman and his Wife.

Look, it's Little Red Riding Hood!

Daddy on a Stroll

Alas, poor Driveway, I knew him well, Horatio



After many many years, the driveway is being replaced.  Methinks its the original driveway that's been here since 1952 or so.  That means that it's put in some good usage for many many basketball games, wiffle ball tournaments, and oil changes.

Mary Jane is watching intently as the asphault is being taken up.

Proud Product Placement

No one in this proud is too proud to do a little promotion.  In this case, Mary Jane holds up a piece of taco from Tito's Tacos, a very well-known Mexican restaurant on the Westside.  Technically it's in Culver City but that's neither here nor there.  (Well, we live in Mar Vista which is the literal here nor there as it's between Santa Monica and Culver City.)

The basic taco was truly favored by our little girl.  Not too much salsa though.  Keep it moderated.  Mommy and Daddy both enjoyed tacos.  Mommy wanted a bean burrito but Daddy forgot to write that down on the menu list.  Not to worry, the family will go back again in another month or so.  Mommy's parents are big fans of Tito's so there are often apt to allow us to get some over the weekend.

Doing the Dog Dance

Mary Jane has not yet quite figured out the differences between rabbits, dogs, and cats.  She, being a true member of the Erb family, thinks that all animals are "bunnies."  Christmas was the first time she was introduced to those barking animals. She was completely thrown off but still calls them "bunnies" anyway.

Upon our walk a few days ago over at the Airport Park, we passed by the dog park that is there.  You know, that's the park that originally allowed only Santa Monica dogs inside.  Nevermind that all Santa Monica residents have to drive to the park and Los Angeles (re: Mar Vista) residents could actually walk there.  Ah, Santa Monica being Santa Monica.  But this isn't a rant about the evils of Santa Monica... or is it?

Anyway, Mary Jane watched some dogs and she then busted out into a dog dance.  Quite a classic to watch. 

Pictures from Mary Jane's Party

 Here are a few pics from today's party.  It was quite the busy shindig this afternoon as family members from both sides represented.  Ironically enough, the closest relative on either side, my sister Pat, couldn't make it due to illness (never good when other children are there) but my other sibs from the Inland Empire and Jill's family from Arizona made it.  Lots of tables there and all were occupied.  Good thing we rented all of those chairs!







Hmm... cake!

  Mary Jane tried cake for the first time and shivered quite a bit at it.  She had a little bit but not much.  She much preferred all the other food that people were giving her.  I think she really likes meatballs.  Then again you can't wear meatballs on your face as well as you can with cake.


Betsy is only eight months away or so from her first birthday party.  Wow, she's almost four months old herself!

Hopefully Mary Jane will have a much healthier Christmas this time around.  She'll grab a stick like she did on the right and smash any illness that dares try to confine her.

Perfect weather today... always have to wonder about December birthday parties but this was ideal.

Mary Jane didn't quite hit the pinata all that well but give her a few years.  Then she'll really be able to give it a whack.  I'll work on that swing with her.

Misunderstood Woman in Rabbit History

For some reason the rabbits thought that Mary Jane Erb, the original and not the little girl in the house currently, was the original conspirator against the rabbits of Mar Vista. This was untrue but certain rabbits like Easter, Carmel, Herbie, Pete, and Shirley all thought she never delivered food to them with an adequate smile. Now look at that smile, rabbits, isn't that a classic bunny feeding smile?

Meanwhile Chip is getting a bit afraid of the Mary Jane on the right. She pulled/crawled her way to him this morning and as he looked up, she excitedly swatted him on the nose. He felt confused and then hopped away. But how can bunnies not like a happy smiling Mary Jane? Then again they seem to have it out for Miss Jill as well.

The psychoanalytic rabbits out there would say that Mister John married someone who was just like his mother. Too bad, he loves them both.

Arch Rivals Prepare to Race in Aunt Pat's Backyard

The eternal debate remains: who will win the race between the tortoise and the hare? During this -- the Final Four weekend -- these arch rivals will be competing all over households in the southern California area. As seen on the left, the tortoise Yoshi is comparing to race against the hare Samson (on the right). Both of them are resting up for their ultimate race tomorrow afternoon. Who will win? Who will give in?

While I'm not that sure about the result of their race, I do know that the word has spread all the way from Monterey Park (where Yoshi and Samson will vie) to that of the usually quiet Mar Vista where some of the animals are getting a bit testy. As the festivities are getting closer, the animals are lining up against one another at Chez Erb. As seen in the left photo, Mama and Papa Bugg have called out Theodore Victory (TV) Turtle and Kelly. Mama Bugg and TV have even gone nose-to-nose in a staring contest. Methinks that competition will be a draw.

Fortunately Root Beer Float and her sister Ruby Jane have not heard about this or they'd be busting down the doors to... eat the victory bouquet.

Grazing Bunnies on the Mar Vista Serengeti

Upon the Mar Vista Serengeti graze the fierce rabbits of Chez Erb. Quietly munching with ears ready to hear all those that dare chase them, mock them, or bite them on the butt.

Amazingly one brave cameraman sneaked into their territory and captured on film their silent munching.