Leaping for Leap Year!

Happy Leap Year!!!

From Wikipedia:

"A leap year (or intercalary or bissextile year) is a year containing one additional day (or, in the case of lunisolar calendars, a month) in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year.^[1] Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat in a whole number of days, a calendar that had the same number of days in each year would, over time, drift with respect to the event it was supposed to track. By occasionally inserting (or intercalating) an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected. A year that is not a leap year is called a common year."

What will you be doing on this rare Leap Year Day? Well, one thing for sure, we'll be jumping around, probably on the trampoline, since it is such a sunny beautiful day. 

Have fun, jumping, leaping, or maybe even possibly soaring!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Soaring on a Sunday

 Afraid to fly 

by Kim C. Martin Photography (with permission)

The girls and I just got back from a couple of days visiting friends up in Sacramento. We had a great time hanging out with our good friends who drove down from Oregon to meet us half way. We mostly just hung out and enjoyed our friendship, but also got to go see The Secret World of Arriety, the new Myazaki film by Disney and Studio Ghibli (makers of "Spirited Away" and "Ponyo"),  based on the story "The Borrowers", a family of little folks that live under the floorboards in a beautiful little garden cottage. We all really enjoyed it, and I especially loved the music, as well as the beautiful animation. It just came out Friday, so if you get a chance, I do recommend seeing it.

Back to Soaring over San Diego. It looks like it was a beautiful weekend out and lots of great things to do. Sorry we missed the Avocado Festival in Balboa, I hope some of you were able to make it and enjoy the many samples of guacamole they had available! Yum, has me in the mood for some yummy guacamole and chips.

Here's some other great things going on this week in San Diego;

Tuesday, February 28th, Resident Free Tuesday at Balboa Park. San Diego Air & Space Museum** (See Special Information at bottom) San Diego Automotive Museum (last admission 3:45pm) San Diego Hall of Champions SELECT House of Pacific Relations International Cottages.

February-March, Wildflowers in Anza Borrego are starting to bloom. This week the barrel cactus, verbena and desert lily have started to bloom. Check out the website for flowers reports.

March 1-May 13th, The Flower Fields in Carlsbad opens this week. Come see the ranunculus, enjoy a hayride, pea mazes, activities for kids and more. Don't forget your camera for some wonderful photo ops while there!

March 8th-18th, Family Screenings at the Latino Film Festival, San Diego. Family Film passes now available thru 3/11 or until supplies last.

March 17th and 18th, 9am-5pm. Herb Festival, Spring Plant Sale and Tomatomania at the San Diego Botanic Gardens in Encinitas. (coupon available on their website). Also, on Saturday only, from 1030-noon is a childrens activity where kids will learn how roses are used in cooking, perfume and for nutrition. They will make a rose-inspired bracelet, rose petal potpourri dream pouches, or wild Irish paper rose in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Saturday and Sunday, March 10th and 11th, 10-2pm.  Vallecito Days, Anza Borrego Desert Park. Experience  life on the 1860's frontier. Dress up in 1850-60s attire.


This week's featured photo is by my online photographer friend, Kim C. Martin. Check out more of her amazing photography on her Facebook page, Kim C. Martin Photography. 

Keep Soaring & Landing Safely,

in Beautiful, Sunny San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama, 

Mandy

Happy Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

May you soar to new heights 

of love and compassion 

today and always!

LOVE,

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Soaring on a Sunday

Love is in the air and Valentine's Day is this week. We had great fun making homemade cards at Nature of Art Kids Studio with Spramani E'Laun  in San Marcos. She has ongoing art classes, workshops and lots of great eco-friendly products. She shares some great ideas for making recycled Valentine's on her blog, Eco Kid's Art. 

I hope you're enjoying your weekend and had a chance to get out enjoy some of the great activities going on in San Diego. Last week's post had several fun events to choose from and there's more going on this week.


The Titanic Exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum opened this weekend! Can't wait to go see it. If you make it out there first, please do share your experiences and any photos taken (if allowed) with us here on Friday's Soar and Explore!  From the Nat's website:

"Experience Titanic's fateful 1912 maiden voyage and take on the identity of a real passenger onboard Titanic as you explore magnificent re-creations of the Ship's interior. Discover how the 'unsinkable' Ship met its tragic end and connect with the passengers and crew, as you view haunting artifacts recovered from the wreck during the eight research and recovery expeditions conducted by RMS Titanic, Inc. since the Ship’s discovery in 1985."


It's a limited engagement so be sure not to miss it!


Also, happening this week is....


Thru February 14th, pet adoptions the San Diego Humane Society are only $14!!!! Check out their website and you're sure to fall in love!


Sunday, February 19th, 12-4pm.  Family Sunday at the Mingei Museum in Balboa Park, Henna fun. $5 per family, $3 individuals.


Open daily, Tinkering Studio at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park. 


Tuesday, February 14th at 1030 am.  Tots and Tails at the San Diego Humane Society in Oceanside. Storytime for little ones. 


February 16th, 17th, 18, 19, 24th, 25th & 26th at 730pm.  "Squawk!", a story of peace by  South African performance artists at the San Diego State University. From the website, "This madcap adventure is set in a community of birds. Using the imagination of the audience, a broken umbrella, a stick, and a bit of cloth, the actors conjure from the air an ostrich, two conniving crows, and many other feathered friends."


February 17th-20th, Backyard Bird Count.  The 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count visit the website for details.

Friday, February 17th. Taiko Drummers of Japan at the Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego.

Saturday, February 18th, 5-9pm. Little Italy Carnevale in downtown San Diego.

Saturday, February 18th, 930am-11am.  Free. River Tales at the Visitor Center at Mission Trails Regional Park.

Sunday, February 19th, (& every third Sunday of the month) at 3pm. Free Concert, Japanese bamboo flute performed by Mary Lu Brandwein at Mission Trails Regional Park.


Upcoming:


Saturday, March 3rd at 9am, 64th Annual Ocean Beach Kiwanis Kite Festival at the Ocean Beach Rec. Center. Kite making, crafts, food and entertainment. 


Saturday, March 24th and Sunday, March 25th 12pm-5pm, FREE, Spring Busker Festival at Seaport Village. From the website:  "A Busker is a street performer. Known for their unusual and comedic acts in Boston's Faneuil Hall or standing statue-like, painted in gold on San Francisco's Pier 39, these artists perform for tips in public venues across the globe. San Diego's Seaport Village hosts the only Busker Festival in Southern California. We bring professionals from across the country to perform their bizarre talents from sword swallowing to knife throwing to pogo stick tricks and juggling on unicycles. Throughout the two-day festival, some of the nation's top performers fill the bay front village drawing visitors to shop, dine and enjoy an entire day of one-of-a-kind entertainment. Free entry. Tips will be accepted by performers."

Share your photos of your Valentines or somewhere special you went for Valentine's Day, or just a nice shot  of anywhere exciting you've been to in San Diego this week. We'll post it on Friday's Soar and Explore post this week!

Keep Soaring and landing safely

in beautiful, sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy

Friday's "Soar and Explore!"

From SDFS Bows & Arrows

Happy Friday! Where have you "soared" to this week? We enjoyed a cool, fun day at Vista Homeschool Support, Archery classes in Vista. We spent an hour learning safety, how to use the equipment and shooting arrows at various targets. Both my girls and our homeschool group had a really great time. It's held on a beautiful property with lots of oak trees, and fun play area for the kids waiting and plenty of areas to sit and watch. It was a really great day!

From SDFS Bows & Arrows

From SDFS Bows & Arrows

Please share what you did this week, here in San Diego. Feel free to post links to photos or blog posts in the comments or on our facebook page!

May you all continue to soar and explore....

in beautiful, sunny San Diego! 

Your Soaring Mama

Mandy

Soaring on a Sunday

Do you have any special Valentine's Day plans with that someone special? There's some fun Valentine's Day crafts being offered at the local libraries and museums, fun for kids and the whole family. Enjoy yours and feel free to share of any great local Valentine's day activities that you know of in San Diego.

Here's a few that are coming up soon:

Through February 20th, Visions of Coronado, art show at the Museum of History & Art in Coronado. $2-4.

Saturday, February 11th & 12th, 930am-4pm. California Open Wildlife Art Festival at the Corky McMillin Event Center, Liberty Station, Point Loma.  $5, 11 and under free.

Saturday, February 11th, 11am - 3pm. Valentine's Day fun, craft making at Lakeshore Learning store in San Diego. Free.

Saturday, February 11th, 10am. Origami Valentine's crafts at Cardiff-by-the-sea Branch Library.

Saturday, February 11th, 1-5pm. For the Love of Chocolate & Sweet Art Festival on Grand Avenue in Escondido.

Saturday, February 11th, 4-8pm. HeART on Center in Chula Vista. Live music, art interactive activities for all ages. Free.

Saturday, February 11th, 2pm. Afro-Cuban Dance & Drumming and stories at the Bonita-Sunnyside Branch Library.

Monday, Febryary 13th, 10am-2pm. Arts Festival for Homeschool Families at the Hall of Champions, Balboa Park. $5-10.

Trash, exhibit at The New Children's Museum, San Diego. Free every 2nd Sunday of the month. 10am-4pm.

Sunday, February 12th, 1am-noon. Puppy Love 5K Run/1-Mile Walk benefits helen Woodward Animal Center. Solana Beach.

Keep Soaring and landing safely

in beautiful, sunny

San Diego!

Your Soaring Mama,

Mandy