I'm sure you're used to seeing plenty of beach pictures on this blog but just to prove that El Nino has made his mark in LA, I'll post some snow pics to show you!  The last El Nino storm dumped quite a bit of snow in our local mountains.  So we decided to take the kids to Snow Valley Resort for some winter fun.  Snow Valley is closer to us (thus lower in altitude) than the more popular Big Bear Resort.  But with a three-day weekend, we didn't want to fight the crowds at Big Bear.  Our goals for the day were simple, check out the resort and let the kids have fun.  Mr. BAW didn't even bring his skis because he knew it would have been way too crowded.  Well we achieved both goals.  With enough snow, Snow Valley was decent.  So next time, we can maybe plan an overnight stay.  As for the kids having fun...well, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.  

Buzz made a big snowball as well.

On one of our last three-day weekends, we took a little road trip up to the charming town of Solvang north of Santa Barbara.  This is a little Danish town that mostly caters to tourists.  Both Mr. BAW and I have been to it separately in the past, me with my parents in the 80's and him with his friends in the 2000's!  Clearly it's been a while.  My impressions of Solvang as a teenager were not so great, mostly due to teenage angst and not wanting to hang out with my family, I'm sure.  Back then, I remember it being kind of cheesy and touristy.  Well, I guess it's still kind of touristy, but I definitely enjoyed the town much more this time around!  I especially enjoyed how much fun the kids had.  Also the fact that all the Christmas decorations were still up made things more charming.  Enjoy the pics!

My kids have never been shy about asking Santa for things!  Last year, Ahgoo slept through Santa's visit so this year, she made sure to tell him loud and clear that she wanted a cat for Christmas!  I will always remember the stunned look on Santa's face as he turned to look at me!  Haha, he hesitated for a second whether he should tell her that her wish will come true or not for fear that Mommy won't let her have a pet cat!  Little did he know that there are, not one, but two stuffed cats sitting under our Christmas tree.  They are named Elsa (the mama cat) and Ellie (the baby cat) and have been her sleep companions since Christmas day.  

As for Buzz, he asked for Scooby Doo after Mr. BAW had introduced the old cartoons to him a few months ago.  The classic cartoon has stood the test of time and is entertaining a whole new generation of ghost lovers.  Buzz ended up with a set of lego Mystery Machine with Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby figures.  

The next week, the kids asked me if Santa was still in our neighborhood and I told them the he's in Hawaii for a much needed vacation.  All day long, they kept asking me why Santa was in Hawaii!