The Life of AJ

1.25.12 - i'll be back

2012-01-25T22:20:00.001-08:00

I'll be back, a photo by brandycNapa on Flickr.

Support 2 for 2

2012-01-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

We support and we challenge you too!

{taken from Kelle Hampton's blog, Enjoying The Small Things}

For $40,0000.

A little over $40,000 to go.
We can do this.

Please join us in spreading the word. Every child is important. Every child deserves a promising future.

Help us in our 2 for 2 initiative. $200,000 to support the National Down Syndrome Society in honor of Nella's two sweet years of life. Please share our video and our message--help us raise awareness for a more tolerant society that embraces and celebrates differences.

Donate here: 2 for 2

1.16.12 - seasonal supplies

2012-01-16T10:55:00.001-08:00

seasonal supplies, a photo by brandycNapa on Flickr.

1.15.12 ~ sickies

2012-01-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

boo... AJ got a little case of the sickies this past weekend. He stayed in bed and slept most of Sunday.

boo~ aj's got a bit of the sickies, a photo by brandycNapa on Flickr.

1.11.12 - breakfast for dinner

2012-01-11T19:06:00.001-08:00

(by the way, the 'cakes are burnt... they are extra gooey chocolate chocolate chip)

1.10.12 - busta move

2012-01-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

1.9.12 - evening ride

2012-01-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

Evening ride, a photo by brandycNapa on Flickr.

1.7.12 - best friends

2012-01-07T08:57:00.001-08:00

Nothing like pancakes at sunrise with your best buddies after a great sleepover! I adore little boys... especially these three

aj and jonah are inseparable anytime they are together... the 2 crazy amigos

1.6.12 - aj & zachary

2012-01-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

aj & zachary, a photo by brandycNapa on Flickr.

1.5.12 - cutie pie

2012-01-05T22:27:00.001-08:00

1.4.12 - baseball glove

2012-01-04T20:31:00.001-08:00

We signed AJ up for his first season of tee ball. He's got his glove and he's ready to play. Come check him out in the Spring.

1.3.12 - bedtime giggles

2012-01-03T21:35:00.001-08:00

a photo by brandycNapa on Flickr.

My favorite book at bedtime makes me giggle. Can you guess why?

1.2.12 - Haircut

2012-01-02T19:08:00.001-08:00

Well, hello there!

Long time no see.

Yes, it has been a while. We've been very busy. Moving... settling in... school... holidays, it has been a blur. And of course AJ's blog has suffered because of all this. Really no excuses other than just plain ol' tiredness at the end of each day. And I have made no secret of how I find it completely astonishing that time passes so quickly on this blog in the past. So I won't bore you again with my ramblings on that topic. Just know that I can't believe it is already 2012.

Really? 2012?

How's AJ doing? Great! He loves his new house and all his new neighbors and friends on the street. We moved about 5 minutes from our old house. And while it was bittersweet to leave our first home, the place we brought AJ home to and the walls that could tell a million stories to leaving the most wonderful neighbors turned awesome friends, it was time to move. AJ misses Zachary all the time, but he still comes up to visit and hang out and play. Though not the same as it was before, AJ cherishes the time they spend together more now. And we found that we have a ton of awesome neighbors now. And LOTS and LOTS of little children on our street for AJ to play with. AJ loves school. He has grown another few inches and gained another few pounds. Yeah, he is a big boy. On the growth chart for a 5 year old already and his fourth birthday isn't even until next month. But I am pretty sure he will slow down and the others will catch up.... I hope. He is active and talkative all the time. He plays... a lot and all the time. He still takes naps (yeah!) and most importantly, he is still a cuddle lovebug. He still curls up into my lap whenever he can and asks for snuggles at least twice a day. He never forgets to tell us he loves us at least ten times a day. And while he does get into a good amount of mischief now days and does a fair share of time outs, he still remains a sweet love at his core. He makes me swoon daily.

So now that we have established a little of what has been going on, we are moving on. I have been inspired and enlightened by my friend, Kristen, and will be participating in Project 366 - Life Passes in an Instagram. I know this will make certain people happy (Judy, I am talking to you). I will attempt to post at least 1 picture a day, mainly from my iPhone photo app's, to AJ's blog. I am not going to pretend this will be an easy feat by any means. Looking at my past track record on this blog leaves something to be desired. However, posting from my phone and knowing it only has to be a single picture will make things considerably much easier and doable. So I will give it my best shot. And without further ado here is our second shot for the project. Today was haircut day... a much need chop of scruffy out of control locks off AJ's gorgeous little head.

a photo by brandycNapa on Flickr.

see ya tomorrow!

1.1.2012 - AJ and Lovey bear

2012-01-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

Yeah, not going lie. This was taken on 1/2/2012 after the haircut. But I missed the first day, so I will use this little gem for the first pic post from Project 366.

AJ and Lovey bear, a photo by brandycNapa on Flickr.

back to {pre}school

2011-09-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

I cannot really say, first day of school, because that took place earlier this year. But this past Monday, AJ did go back to school... preschool. And here are the applicable "first" day back to school pictures...

I love this picture... he posed! I think he has been looking at too many PBK catalogs

And when he got to school, he started right back where he left off at the end of the last school year...

at the play dough table.

It's going to be a great school year, I can feel it in my homemade bracelet. And finger's crossed I finally get my

macaroni necklace : )

signs of life

2011-08-30T07:55:00.001-07:00

There is a heartbeat still beating here. You may not have felt it for a few months, but it's here. Life outside this blog has been a thriving pulse of electricity.

This is the first week since the beginning of July that I do not have a wedding or event on the weekend that preoccupies my entire week leading up to it. It has been a constant marathon for me and has made my summer feel like a hazy blur. We did manage to squeeze in our annual family vacation to Palm Springs the last weekend of July in between two huge weddings on my schedule. But we needed a break together as a family, to focus on us and not have the constant pinging of cell phone notifications for emails and texts, the gentle rhythmic humming and glow of a computer screen pulling our attention away from those we love.

My camera sits in it's bag with a memory card overflowing with images of our summer. It excites me and at the same time, scares me! The thought of uploading and sifting through it all seems a bit daunting. So it may take a while for me to get a visual of the last few months up on this blog. But I will work on it and hopefully make some progress before my next wave of weddings in a few weeks begins again. But in the meantime, I will leave you with this... my love in black & white

daddy love

2011-06-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

The weather has slowly begun to bring us a bit more heat and just in time for a day to celebrate the special men in our lives whom we loving refer to as, dad. The men who give us unconditional love and support. The men who are the best role models and boo-boo kissers... whose strong arms carry little ones up the stairs to bed so lovingly... whose shoulders provide a perfect pillow for small heads and a chair to ride higher and attempt to reach the sky... the men whose strong big hearts melt when they simply look at their child.

It was a great day to celebrate this man...

And the man who melts my heart and is the very best daddy to AJ, this man...

We BBQ'd chicken and sipped sweet and tasty rum drinks poolside

We enjoyed a glorious afternoon in the perfectly warm weather celebrating the perfectly warm and loving men who make fatherhood look so... perfect.

Thank you wonderful and perfect daddies... we love you!

And Happy Father's Day to my dad who spent his Dad's day working his beautiful garden in the Fresno heat. We love you and miss you and hope you had a perfect day!

(me and my dad, Father's Day circa 1978)

Before school let out for the summer, AJ's class did make Father's Day presents for their daddy's. Give this boy a hand!

ice cream

2011-06-18T18:31:00.001-07:00

Saturday night yumminess.

Bubblegum, of course.

Delicious to the last drip drop!

easy rider

2011-06-15T06:31:00.000-07:00

He's off and riding. And it was no easy feat either. It took me back to those days when we waited for him to take his first steps and wondered when he would walk. He had all the skills, it was just using them in sequence and putting one foot in front of the other and holding balance. But in this case, it was one pedal over the other and a lot of determination.

I will admit that we didn't practice like we should. But with all the cool rainy windy weather, it's not like there has been a lot of opportunity to do so. And when the weather tolerated outdoor activity and the other neighborhood children jumped on their tricycles, bicycles and scooters, AJ jumped on his. Only he used his feet to push himself along and avoided the pedals. We would try to show him what to do... putting his feet on the pedals and pushing him around, his feet gliding on the pedals over and over. But as soon as the tricycle stopped, his feet hit the ground and began the trike walk to keep up with the other kids. And it has been this way for over a year now.

So today was hot and sunny. I asked AJ if he wanted to go out and ride his tricycle? He said yes and jumped up to grab his helmet. I snapped it on him, opened the front door where he greeted his trike sitting by out front steps. I turned around to grab the garbage I wanted to take out and when I turned back to walk down the steps, I looked up to see him PEDALING up the sidewalk to the garbage cans... like he had been doing it all along. No feet on the ground pushing himself along, both on the pedals pushing and rotating one over the other. I squealed with delight and ran to kiss him. Told him I was so proud of him. He smiled and said, "watch this mommy!" and took off down the pathway at full speed.

And in the afternoon when all the children came out to play and everyone jumped on their wheels, mine did too. But this time he kept up with them pedaling along and looking so big.

And my heart swelled with pride and total admiration and love.

bubbling

2011-06-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Our life is a bubbling pot of stew right now. Simmering and cooking up new and exciting possibilities. Just when the recipe seems perfect, life throws in a few more ingredients and gives it a stir and something even more delicious and appealing starts bubbling. And with all this cooking in our life, I look at our son's blog and realize how I seem to fail in this area. Like the perfect dough that I have kneaded and let set for the correct amount of time to rise and become ready for baking in the oven. And I have been giving it the attention it deserves and I am quite proud as I slide it into the warm oven with the best intentions. Only my stew is bubbling and requiring my full attention and I forget the sweet bread in the oven and before I know it, I have burnt it... again.

Thus it has sadly been over 4 weeks since my last post. And I feel awful. But, I will share with you a few of the ingredients from our stew pot... the best parts! The seasoning that makes it the flavor of life. The little dash of this... and a spoonful of that.

*******************************************************************************

My 4th year celebrating life as a mom. But this year, my little boy is a school going kid. Which means the start of *handmade with love* gifts. My secret... I have always wanted a colorful necklace totally comprised of penne macaroni! I still haven't received one and I know it won't be long, but I got the next best thing... a bead bracelet. AJ also made me a custom sunflower flag banner. It is beautiful! AJ's school hosted a Mother's Day Tea for the children and their mom's. It was delicious,

(yes, I love to buy toys for AJ at Target... Mexican Food is my absolute favorite... after years of traveling, I have become a homebody and I enjoy a big bowl of macaroni and cheese shared with my boy! AJ knows his mama)

Thursday morning dancing jigs have begun again! Our first Farmer's Market night just happened to be on Cinco De Mayo. Angelo had to work, but Auntie D and Logan joined AJ and I for the fiesta. After Margaritas and dinner at Randy's, we walked down to the market and made an immediate bee line for... can you guess?

A few weekends ago, we took AJ camping for a few days at Van Damme State Park in Mendocino near Ft. Bragg. For the beginning of June, it felt more like November. It was cold and a bit rainy for the full day we were there. But it was still fun. AJ got to campout with his cousins Jaron and Logan. They played with banana slugs, roasted marshmellows for s'mores and hike down to the beautiful beach (once the rain subsided).

And on Memorial Day, we honored our military family and all past and present men and women serving in our nations armed forces at the Benicia Military Post Cemetery Services.

And at the conclusion of the service, Taps

catching up

2011-05-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

We have been busy.

Very busy.

Busy little bees. Like the ones who float weightlessly above our blooming lavender and roses. Our little deck garden has sprung to life with glorious colors and smells. Sometimes, I can sit at my desk next to our garden window and I can hear the buzz of the bees and smell the scents of flowers and herbs. And these days, I do not even mind the loud humming of a lawn mower that disturbs a warm pleasant early afternoon. Because one of my favorite spring scents often accompanies it... fresh cut grass.

Spring sun and warmth have not only made our garden grow, but I am certain it has also made a certain little boy grow taller too. AJ has become reacquainted with a few long lost friends... dirt, mud and warm fresh air. We spend afternoons soaking it all up. Trucks are driven by muddy little fingers across cement and dirt obstacles. I love that little boys from the neighborhood now make their way to our little piece of play land. I love watching the backs of little heads clustered together over a bucket of toys and listen to their discussions and listen to them giggle and laugh and give each other directions. It's quite joyful and makes me proud to be a mommy.

Our sidewalks have become works of art. Sidewalk chalk has also made a very glorious return. Bright white, blue, pink, green and yellow race up and down concrete in elaborate roads for trucks and cars to travel on. Vines and flowers climb the stairs to our front door. Stars, squares and circles replace our doormat as AJ practices his shapes and writing his name.

The blue skies and breezy afternoon are perfect kite weather. AJ was so excited to receive a real kite from his GV in his Easter basket. We have enjoyed many wonderful afternoons at the park flying his kite... and chasing his kite. We have preformed a few rescue operations, detangling it from trees and jungle gyms when the pull of the string has become to much for AJ and he lets go. Sometimes I think he just lets go of the handle to watch Angelo and I scramble running across the grass and playgrounds trying to catch the kite. He laughs... we do not.

And in case you haven't heard, AJ has a new bedroom! No longer in a crib sleeping amongst his "hey diddle, diddle" nursery layettes, he has moved on up to a BIG bed. Check back soon for pictures from his new digs.

But in the meantime... enjoy Spring! We sure are : )

happy easter

2011-04-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

Not exactly a spring like day here... it's a little chilly and rainy outside. But the Easter Bunny still hopped on over and dropped off an Easter Basket for AJ and was slick enough to hide a few eggs in the house.

Happy Easter!

petco park

2011-04-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

{San Diego Trip Part III}

On one of our last days in San Diego, we made it over to Petco Park... home of the Padres. Uncle Todd's condo actually is right next door and looks into the stadium. Yeah, really cool! But AJ and Angelo wanted to walk the park. Being Giants fans, we acted unimpressed even though we loved the stadium. I wish our stadium had a picnic area and grass stadium seating in the outfield. And we showed our Giants love by wearing our Giants gear to the stadium. We took a few friendly heckles from others enjoying the stadium. But mostly we had people {even the grounds keepers} tell us they were happy the Giants won the World Series this past year. AJ loved everything about the stadium. He got to run the bases, run in the outfield and roll in the grass and dirt. He even practiced sliding. It was a great way to end our fabulous and relaxing trip.

Chasing the moving SD light around the dugout store. He was completely enthralled with the moving light.

Assessing the field conditions

Running with Uncle Todd

AJ meeting Mr. Padre

Angelo and Todd

sea world

2011-04-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

{San Diego trip part II}

The day after we visited Legoland, we took AJ to Sea World. Though he was much more excited about the Lego world when our trip began, he became an instant fan of the marine world too. And again we lucked out with a relatively small crowd at the park (and most we saw were familiar faces from the day before when we were at Legoland... that's how sparse the crowds were) we were able to enjoy the aquatic shows from great seats and see many of the sea life up close. At the end of the day when we were about to leave, the Shamu Show was beginning their second show of the day (we saw the first in the morning), and there was no one - I mean NO ONE - but us and a couple of other families roaming the park. Everyone else had filled the seats at Shamu Stadium. We happened to walk by the Dolphin tank, where no one else was really at, on our way to the exit. We heard a high pitched screech and looked over to see a dolphin with it's head propped up on the rock wall looking at us. When we began to make our way over to the tank exhibit, he let out another squeak and dove backwards and began frolicking in the water. When we reached the rock wall, he swam right up to us and began chattering. We played with him for awhile and let AJ pet him a few times and splash the water to which the dolphin would splash him back. It was really cute and amazing. I had never touched a dolphin let alone play and interact with one as we were. We were having such a good time, that I really did not get that many pictures. It was a perfect way to end our visit to the park.

AJ {LOVES} this picture so much! It makes him laugh and he says this whale "has funny eyes and a big smile!" I have a copy of this picture in his room

legoland

2011-04-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Finally... here are a few pictures from the first stop during our trip to San Diego.

Legoland

AJ's birthday inspired this entire trip. We decided instead of unneeded toys and a big party, we would take him to Legoland instead. Which meant an airplane ride, visiting San Diego and shacking up with Uncle Todd for a few days. In the days leading up to our trip, AJ would ask everyday if today was Legoland day? When I would pick him up from school his teachers would tell me that all he talked about were Lego's and going to Legoland. He slept with his Lego books and I am sure dreamt of teeny tiny colorful building blocks and odd looking little square people. So when we finally arrived, AJ's excitement could hardly be contained.

Everything at Legoland was made with Lego's. The animals looked very realistic

AJ's favorite Legoman... Pirate (arrrr matey)

The beginning of the safari tour ride

"Am I really in the mouth of a Lion? Those sure are some big teeth!"

AJ earning his Volvo Lego drivers license on the official Legoland racing circuit

A view from way up high

Piloting his own charter

And of course, he couldn't pass up a little tee time with a round of golf on the Lego miniature golf course

And we ended the day with a water ride and a sopping wet AJ

I highly recommend Legoland to parents! Healthy food everywhere, extremely clean park all around including the restrooms (which were also very toddler and little kid friendly) and super nice staff. We went during a weekday in February, so we did not have to contend with crowds at all. In fact, it was almost like we had the whole park to ourselves. It was a great trip and AJ even picked a few new Lego items out to take home on the way out.

He now talks asks when are we going back to Legoland?

spinning

2011-03-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Everything is spinning and spinning rapidly. Can it really be the end of March already? Is Spring finally here? Have we finally put the rain and cold weather to bed for it's long slumber? Part of me is hoping yes, but there is a part that feels that it is all going to quickly. I know I have posted about my feelings on this subject quick frequently, especially when it comes to my boy and his growth, but life is my reference now. I look at AJ's blog and realize just how much I have not had a chance to post about. I keep promising myself that I will get our family trip photos up from San Diego that we took over a month ago. AJ at Legoland and adorable images of him petting and playing with the dolphins at Seaworld. But before I know it, Monday has turned into Friday and my days are consumed with playtime, work and life. I am extremely happy right now and feel I have found a great balance... even if it means I wake up at 4:30 and greet the first rays of light each morning leaving the gym on my way back home. But it is small price I pay to feel the balance I have craved and sought for a few years now.

The only addition I wish I could squeeze in more of would be updating AJ's blog more frequently. He truly is growing leaps and bounds and I am utterly amazed each time it crashes into me like a rolling wave. I notice the small things everyday, like speech and vocabulary, but what makes me catch my breath and release a tear on occasion is something similar to last night. He recently made the big jump from his crib to a bed. When I went in last night to tuck him in, he was fast asleep. He was in a tangled mess of sheets and blankets, his head buried in a pile of pillows that at one point was a fort. His cars and trucks strewn about the bed and Lovey Bear was poking out from under his AJ's back. When I untangled the covers to rearrange him into his bed, I stopped dead in my tracks. The length of his once tiny little legs caught me off guard. And his long arms and torso are those of a little boy now, too. It was here that it again washed over me just how big he is getting. My mind sees a little babe swaddled in blankets swallowed by his crib when I think of him sleeping. But the reality is the shocker. And it hits me like a ton of bricks every time. My heart pounds a little quicker and my world goes spinning off it's axel again. It really is the most amazing gift in the world to watch your child grow. To be there every step of the way. To feel their hand is yours on notice the way their fingers have become longer and their grip is firmer and more confident. It is AH-MAZE-ING.

So while my world is spinning on a perfect axis right now, I will attempt to break out my magic camera more often and get the images up on this blog. Because as much as I love sharing the Life of AJ, this also serves as his memory book and I need him to have this, forever.

AJ spinning out and loving it

up in the air

2011-03-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

This post resides in a very soft place in my heart... AJ's first trip on an airplane.

After all I did spend my fair share of time flying the friendly skies : )

Though his first flight was not aboard a "Silver bird" and the crews were not familiar to me, it still was a great experience. And because I am of the flight crew sort, I hold to the code for traveling with kids... tiny feet only fit the floor for boarding, in flight potty breaks and deplaning. We brought a backpack full of toys, coloring books and the very best travel companion for any child, the iPad.

And my confession, I was petrified of this moment. I pictured everything that could wrong, going wrong. AJ had just got over an ear infection, so I was worried if it was really healed or would I have a screaming boy holding his ears for dissent? Would he freak out when he looked out the window during takeoff and saw the ground disappearing below him? Would he refuse to stay seated and scream and kick the seats? I didn't want to be one of "those" parents with one of "those" kids. My sister in law assured me that she knew AJ would do great and I tried to keep that in my head in the days leading up to our trip. And sure enough, she was right. He loved having his own seat, the television in the seatback in front of him, looking out the window and watching all the airplanes at the gates. He loved takeoff and kept repeating "faster, faster" then "higher and higher!" He had a treat and drink from the Flight Attendants, watched his shows on the iPad and examined the sky and clouds out the window. Before we knew it, we were landing in San Diego and just like that every doubt I had feared was put to rest. He was a boy that took after his mommy... he loved to fly.

And then there was our fabulous trip to San Diego. That post is still to come very soon.

three... and it's a party

2011-02-14T21:25:00.000-08:00

Sunday we celebrated the third year in the life of AJ. This year we kept the party small and partied with close family and play friends. Still a party calls for balloons, birthday signs, bouncy houses and of course... cake!

Mother Nature gave AJ her own gift by providing an amazing day... sunny, warm and brilliant blue skies. A perfect backdrop for Birthday fun.

There really was not much of a theme this year, except color.... lots and lot of color! It was in the sky, the balloons, the presents, the cake and the laughter. AJ picked out his party favors all on his own. He chose one of his current favorites... Hot Wheels. We chose the cake... Lego blocks, in anticipation of our upcoming family trip to Legoland. Angelo chose the entertainment... my DJ friend Randy to provide the dancing tunes for the afternoon. And AJ's closest family and friends provided the love and celebration atmosphere.

birthday boy

A colorful welcome

a colorful party hat for the birthday boy

hot wheels welcomed the boys to the party

and an AJ lego-man atop lego blocks spelling out our family trip

and what's a party without presents?

but the best... homemade valentine's playdoh from Aunt Colette!

Happy Birthday beautiful, beautiful boy!!!

Even Uncle Joe played it cool on this day

what provides hours upon hours of entertainment for 8 children?

that's right... the bouncy house was in da house! making a second straight year appearance with special thanks to Uncle Mitchell and the DCFD!

Lovey bear even had a special seat to watch all the fun

let them eat cake! after blowing out the candles of course

and then it was present time

a new bicycle and helmet!

and our chalk dance floor said it all... Happy 3rd Birthday!

How do years go so fast? When will I ever get use to it? Or will I ever? It was 3 years ago that our little prayer was answered after several years of praying and wanting a child. Time seemed to stand still those days. And after AJ was born, I remember those first few months - through the uncertainty of new parenting and new baby cries and exhaustion - wishing for the day when he could tell me what he wanted and what was wrong. When he would sleep through the night and we could play together outside or on the floor of his room with Lego's and Hot Wheels. And now that these days are here, I find myself nostalgic for the those first few months. To hold him so very close to me that we almost become one again. To kiss tiny toes and tiny fingers and tiny lips on a tiny face. But if I close my eyes and take a deep breath in, I am there again and I can see and feel it all. Only when I open my eyes and walk up the stairs to a bedroom that smells of bath time bubbles, I can peer down to a boy whom I can play with and have wonderful, delightful conversations with. A boy who makes me laugh every day. A boy who tells me what is wrong when something is not right. A boy who offers up kisses and hugs and snuggles of his own free will all the time and often without forethought (those are the absolute best!). A boy who tells me at least a hundred times a day, " I love you mommy." I am in constant amazement at how just quickly his mind works and how incredibly smart and thoughtful he is. And while I miss and will cherish those baby days, I am enamored with these days of AJ becoming a little boy. This remarkable and perfect boy... my heart and my everything... my son.

Happy Birthday AJ! We love you to the moon and back.

three

2011-02-13T08:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday sweet little boy!

Three whole years of wonderful and perfect love...

{sentimental post to come a bit later}

it's in a name

2011-01-31T11:34:00.000-08:00

AJ celebrated his Vo's Birthday with a very special night out.

It began with conversation by the fountain and pennies and wishes

And it continued with a great dinner by the fire at a terrific restaurant

And it ended with learning to write one's name guided by a loving hand on an expensive menu in crayola

Happy Birthday Vo!

first day of school

2011-01-28T19:38:00.001-08:00

I have been staring at the screen attempting to come up with words that reflected my emotions on this day. A day both AJ and I were very excited about. A day he had been begging for since the fall when he first began to notice the other neighborhood children gathered on the sidewalk across the street waiting for the big yellow bus. AJ would watch from the window just about every morning. If the window was open, he would call out greetings and try to talk to the children and then dance around the living room with excitement when the bus finally arrived. "Mommy, I go to school too... pwease, pwease, pwease!!!" His desire had not wained through the winter, but unfortunately the waiting list at our preschool was a bit long. But we got an early Christmas present when we received the call that a spot had opened up for AJ and he could begin in January. We both did a little dance of excitement around the living room.

Still I am unable to explain how I truly felt that day. Excitement... yes. Pride... most definitely! Love... absolutely. Fear... without a doubt. Readiness for this moment... yes and no. Conflict... yep.

So on 1/11/11... AJ began his 1st day of preschool.

snow day... merry holidays part II

2011-01-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve day in the snow at Kings Canyon National Forest, a short drive from my sister's house. It was the first time in the snow for AJ and the first time this year for Corbin. We had so much fun and the boys were in a snow white funland... sledding, snowman building, snowball throwing and sinking up to their little chest in snow.

Baby Gap ad... total toddler posers! Too cool for school

Everything was covered in a fresh pure white blanket of snow

AJ's first stride into snow... love at first sight!

Grandpa (my dad)

Let the sledding begin with Grandpa giving the boys a push down the hill

AJ went down the hill all by himself on his first attempt. Daredevil

Grandpa and AJ taking a cozy moment

And after a long day in the snow on the drive home, AJ fell asleep. But then he had another first... car sickness... poor baby : (

I'll spare you the pictures

merry holidays... a beginning

2011-01-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, yes I know this is very late, but I'm just getting around to it... so here is goes ~

I may have to spread this into 2 parts because it seems our holidays extended the entire month of December. Not that I am complaining (but I am secretly glad that it is over) nor would AJ complain in the least. He grew accustomed to opening presents quite frequently to the point that I thought maybe we had switched religions and were celebrating Hanukah. He was unwrapping a present a night, with or without us knowing. He had grown clever and it took me a few days to wise up to his shananigans. I should have known that brightly wrapped objects under a glowing tree would call to his curiosity the way a Pottery Barn catalog calls to mine.

We did get a real tree this year, even though we were going to be traveling for Christmas. Most years that we travel, we skip the tree since we won't really be around to enjoy it too much. But now that we have a child, it seems cruel to deny him that magical build up that really only happens once a year. The excitement begins with a Christmas tree lot and candy canes and running up and down aisles of noble firs, douglas firs and blue spruces. This year included a steady drizzle of rain and puddles perfect for splashing in. Our tree was smaller than usual, but perfect in a little corner of our living room.

At first AJ did not seem to notice or take an interest in the sparkly bright wrapped packages under the tree. But now I think maybe he was just bluffing. It started with a tiny tear here and a little pull there throughout the day and when no one was watching. A few times, he would tell me he wanted a new train or a super hero. And I would pat myself and Angelo on the back for picking out just what he seemed to really want. Then one evening just after dinner, AJ casually asked if he could play with his new train? Huh? I asked him which train? He ran out of the kitchen and reappeared shortly carrying one of his gifts. Angelo and I exchanged glances and when he handed me the gift, I noticed the tiny tears and bits of torn away paper. He said, "this train mommy! pwease, pwease, pwease!!!" We were about a week away from Christmas and since this gift was already revealed, we let him open it. But that evening after he went to bed I began to look more closely at the presents under the tree and noticed most of them had tiny pieces of paper pulled away and tears. I repaired what I could and the next morning warned AJ that if he touched any of gifts, they would all be removed from under the tree and hidden until Christmas. But later that day, he was unusually quite and in the stillness of the house, I heard it... a rip. It was very quite, but it was the undeniable sound of paper tearing. I tip toed around the corner just in time to see AJ peel a tiny piece of paper back and try to inspect what was underneath. He must not have seen much, so he tried to put the paper back in place and replaced the gift under the tree. He scooted back and resumed playing with his trucks. And every few seconds he would glance back over his shoulders with a longing gaze at the presents under the tree.

AJ also has got to see Santa again when he visited the local firehouse and donated some new wrapped toys to the Toys for Tots Christmas toy drive. They discussed how reindeers flew in the sky and AJ excitedly explained how Monster Trucks can crush Mega Blocks!

Then a few days before Christmas Eve, we said goodbye to our lovely little Christmas tree and departed for Central California to spend the holidays with my family...

{more to come in part II. check back soon, I promise to update more quickly!}

wubby washing

2011-01-04T11:20:00.000-08:00

There is one chore that has to happen at least once a week that can make AJ go bonkers. Washing Wubby (Lovey Bear). He hates (and I use the word as strongly as it comes across) tossing his best friend into the washing machine and waiting the excruciating 35 minutes it takes to wash, clean and spin through a cycle. And forget about thinking of Wubby making it to the dryer for a quick warm dry off. AJ takes him back damp and doesn't even mind. A few months ago we had to purchase a new washing machine and dryer and it has helped AJ cope a bit easier during this chore. The top is clear and he can watch Wubby through the entire washing process. Keeping him sight seems to easy his tension and keep the crying hysterics to a minimum.

Still a dastardly chore each and every week.

love

2010-12-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

Again, my wonderful dear friend Tiffany from Adeline and Grace Photography provided us another great family photography session. Thank you Auntie Tiffy!

santa baby

2010-12-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Holy moly! Can someone please tell me where November went? Or for that matter, how about the entire year of 2010? It has a been a blur I tell ya! I knew 2010 was coming to a close and Christmas was quickly approaching, but nothing stunned me more just how quickly that was until a few weeks ago when we took a quick trip to mall.

It was the a full week BEFORE Thanksgiving and we needed to find a pair of shoes for AJ. So we made our way to the mall and upon entering the top level could see the top of humungous glass ball erupting from the ground floor. As we approached the overlook, with AJ in his stroller and glanced down, Santa was perched in a plush velvety couch smack dab in the middle of Narnia recreated. Sensing a little boys gaze, he glanced up and made eye contact with AJ and gave him a wave and wink. AJ immediately waved back and declared "CHRISTMAS! IT'S CHRISTMAS MOMMY!" I was shocked, Santa already? It's the middle of November and the turkey has not even been pulled out of the freezer for Thanksgiving yet. AJ was not dressed for a proper picture with Santa and remembering last years experience with AJ and Santa I was not anticipating a photo op with the Big Guy. But AJ insisted through 3 different stores and multiple shoe fittings. Finally I gave in and on our way out, we rode the elevator down to the Land of Narnia where AJ ejected himself from the stroller to explore the glass dome and quickly made his way to Santa's side. There were no other children there, so Santa hoisted him up and they began a very in depth exchange about Monster Trucks and Hot Wheels. The kid acted like he was visiting his oldest dearest friend. Not a tear this year... not an ounce of hesitation.

We had to pry him off Santa's lap with the promise of another visit very soon. One where he would be more appropriately dressed and prepared with his letter to Santa of course.

monster bath

2010-12-02T07:23:00.001-08:00

Do you know AJ? Even in the slightest acknowledgement? Then you know how extremely fond of Monster Trucks {and Hot Wheels} he is. He also happens to love a long soak in the tub at the end of hard played day. Combine the two and you have the equivalent of little boy bliss... A MONSTER BATH!

hipstamatic

2010-11-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

going vintage using this iPhone app. Loving it, but still playing and learning it. These are just a few shots from over the weekend while I was exploring the different lenses, film and flashes.

classic b&w

vintage pop (and yes and someone IS wearing big boy underwear... though it lasted only this day)

light my fire

2010-11-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

Crazy, crazy weather.

Last Wednesday we actually hit the mid 90's during the day and even had to crank up the air conditioner again. But by Friday, things were cooling back down and returning to a fall like feel. And on Saturday night... brrrrrr! Then Sunday had rain in the forecast. Saturday night we collected firewood and built our first fire of the season. One of my favorite things is a fire burning in the fireplace on a cold night. Even better if it's a cold rainy night. And on Sunday morning, we woke to the pitter patter of raindrops on our window. With enough wood left over from the night before, we enjoyed our second fire. With a cup of coffee, the Sunday paper and Caillou barely audible from the television, we enjoyed our first real perfect fall morning.

Spaghetti a la Carly

2010-11-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

This post is for Lauren. She requested recipes in a recent post to beak up the vegetarian monotony she was having and wanted something with meat in it to satisfy her carnivorous side. Here is a favorite from our "table of 3", Spaghetti a la Carly as I call it. Why? Though not really this recipes name, that is what I named this yummy pasta dish because it comes from my friend Carly Texdahl. She made this for us on one of our trips to Tahoe a few years ago and was kind enough to pass along this "oh so easy" semi homemade dish. I have made just a few adjustments, but it remains Carly's recipe and is super delicious. And of course, it's even better when prepared and enjoyed with a great bottle of Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Hope you enjoy Lauren (and everyone else too!).

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Spaghetti a la Carly

5 cloves garlic, diced

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 pound lean ground meat

1/2 pound mild italian ground sausage

2 bay leaves

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 small basket of fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 eight ounce jar Prego Fresh Mushroom spaghetti sauce

Garlic Salt

Pepper

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Angel Hair Pasta, handful

Heat olive oil and butter in large sauce pan on medium. Add garlic and saute for a few minutes then add onions. Stir together and let saute for about 3-5 minutes or until soft. Add sausage and beef and stir.

Stir in italian seasoning, garlic salt and pepper (to taste). Add bay leaves, celery, bell pepper, and mushrooms and mix together. Cover pan and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add sauce, stir and cover reducing heat to low. Let simmer at least a half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile bring a pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Add Angel Hair pasta (or spaghetti pasta) and cook al dente. Plate pasta, top with sauce and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve with warm crusty bread {caesar salad optional but a must at our table} and of course a glass of delicious red wine.

farm life

2010-11-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

Nothing says fall like harvest. And though most of the picking and harvesting has been completed, on some farms there are still a few trees bearing their fruits and waiting for someone to come along a pluck the bounty from their branches. And yesterday that's just what AJ and his friend Alex did. We received an invitation from my friend, Tina, who owns an organic farm in Winters to visit on Wednesday to let the boys pick fruit and play on the farm. It was a gorgeous day and perfect for a day on the farm.

Tina's home at Bear Flag Farm... I love this house

A few of the trees in the orchard still had delicious ripe fruit hanging from their branches. The boys picked apples, pears, persimmons and pomegranates.

And before we knew it, late morning had turned into late afternoon. The sun had begun it's descent into the horizon, casting brilliant streams of sunlight through the orchard trees. We loaded our booty of yummy fruit into the car, hugged our goodbyes and promised to visit again in the spring when the lavender fields are flush in purple hues and the blossoms and promise of new fruit fill the trees.

park life

2010-11-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Yep... still enjoying it. As long as this divine weather sticks around, we'll continue to spend evenings romping through the sand, galavanting through the grassy fields and clambering around on the play structures.

Thank you Mother Nature!

halloween 2010

2010-11-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2010 was the year of the Lion.

This will probably be the last year I will get to choose AJ's costume and he doesn't mind. When I asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween, he already was replying the dreaded "super hero!" But not truly understanding the entire Halloween costume yet, I was able to get away with just one more cutesy costume this year. I am positive next year will be another ball game all together and we will be escorting "Thor" or "Iron Man" door to door. This will be followed by a solid rotation of Marvel super hero's for the next 7 years at least.

This year though, he was soft and oh so adorable. With a headdress mane and plush bodysuit, he was jungle perfection. We tried painting his face and he was really into it. I sat him in front of a mirror while I applied makeup, and after each swipe of the sponge and crayon, he would look into the mirror and laugh at himself and practice his roar. We were able to get him into his full costume and get pictures before he started, unknowingly, wiping or rubbing his makeup off.

And at our annual Halloween get together at the Schwarze's house, the kids played, chili simmered on the stove, friends gathered in Danny's man cave to watch the World Series and wonderful wine flowed. The most popular costume of the night was a Giants jersey, of course. But Frankenstein won hands down.

Sweet little Adeline

And as dusk set upon us, the night took on a tinge of frightfulness. The spiders in their webs emerged along with all things that go bump in the night. AJ encountered the big bat that dwells in the Schwarze's garden, among the fruits and vegetables and tombstones.

And after dinner, the kids's feet itching to walk the streets and collect their loot with thoughts of treats and no tricks, we set out and joined the band of other costumed children already trick or treating.

With a bag full of candy and tired little legs, our lion had completed his mission. His next stop was bed where he could have sugary dreams.

And the icing on the cupcake this Halloween night... black and orange truly ruled the night. The Giants won! GO GIANTS! One more to go!

hallows eve

2010-10-31T13:27:00.001-07:00

Someone's upstairs resting for tonight.... a big, spooky and fun night

AJ made his first Halloween art project {with a little help} last weekend when he went to our Harvest Festival with his GV. A creepy black spiders web

I made witch cupcakes. I prefer to call these "Glenda" the good witch cupcakes as oppose to the "Wicked Witch" cupcakes I spied in a magazine last week.

And our little home cuddles pumpkins for the season and candy for the holiday.

Have a safe and frightful Hallows Eve!

pumpkin farm

2010-10-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

It seems like yesterday we brought AJ to Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm to pick out pumpkins for Halloween last year. And it's hard to believe it has been over 365 days since we visited last. But it has been and it only reminds me how quickly time passes. I still find it hard to believe we are already in the fall season and ghouls, goblins and witches will be out and about in less than a week. This year has been a blur... a fast paced race that I seem to be unsuccessful at hitting the brakes or even switching to a lower gear and slower speed. And visiting the pumpkin farm yesterday only reminded me to enjoy the view and take in the memories. Because this car known as life does not slow down, only excellerates faster each passing year... or so I have been told. I read on a friends Facebook post yesterday something that holds so true, especially for me:

"the days crawl by, but the years are passing so quickly".

And I also believe that the older we get, the faster time passes. {Thanks Jenn Topliff!}. This is basically how I felt seeing AJ standing in the same spot he stood last year at the pumpkin farm. The growth chart. Which indicated he was almost a half of a foot taller than last year. And then just his look... not an ounce of babyness left on him. Not even a smidgen of toddler. He is full on, 100% little boy.

Hello handsome!

And thank you to my wonderful and awesome friend Tiffany who took these shots of AJ and I.

This year, AJ was not into sticking his head through the cutouts and instead preferred to study them from other angles. This was the closest he got... maybe next year.

Yes a day can drag, but Monday leads to all of sudden Thursday then the weekend then a whole year has passed before my very eyes. I honestly do not think it will ever be something I get use to or even become comfortable with. So I resolve to roll my window down, let the breeze blow through my hair, stretch my arm out the window and let my hand sail on the wind like a plane through the sky and take it all in. Every laugh, every smile, every meltdown, every kiss, every hug, every "I wuv you mommy" and every little thing in every little day so that when another year rolls around... I will feel I have lived and relished in the time that crept yet sped by me in a whirlwind.

sleepyhead

2010-10-25T16:51:00.001-07:00

decade

2010-10-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

10 years ago today, AJ was the proverbial twinkle in our eyes.

10 years ago today, it was a very windy day in Napa.

10 years ago today, I dressed in white and Angelo looked extremely dapper in his tuxedo.

10 years ago today, our family and friends gathered together to watch the forming of a new family branch begin growth off the Cabral family tree.

10 years ago today, my mom and dad walked me down the aisle and into the arms of my soul mate and best friend.

10 years ago today, Angelo and I exchanged vows of love, honor and a lifetime of commitment to each other.

then and now

And a decade later, we still honor those vows with our whole hearts. Hearts that grew even fuller than we thought possible and learned a new kind of bigger unending love two and half years ago.

And here's to many many more decades of the same old, same old. Because the same old is comfort, love, and growth together and as a family.

Happy Anniversary Angelo... I love you!

bouncing up a sweat

2010-10-15T08:47:00.001-07:00

It was another Thursday evening. The morning started off with the bouncy house jig and by late afternoon, AJ was completely immersed in full bouncing bounciness. It was exceptionally fun this evening though. When we arrived, there were no other children bouncing or waiting. AJ had the entire bounce house to himself for a half an hour. He was a wild and crazy kid so much so that he worked up some major sweat. I got in a little of the action and we had a bouncy ball fight on the slide.

Then we got an extra special surprise when AJ's Vo rode into town and the Farmer's Market on his Harley. AJ was so excited! We had dinner at Frankenburger and then ate some delicious sweet strawberries from one of the produce booths.

Just when we thought the night was almost perfect... it turned out perfectly after all when Angelo showed up. We thought daddy would be golfing until late, but he cut out early and came to join us. Angelo surprised us and he was surprised also to see his dad there.

Next Thursday is the very last Farmer's Market of the season for our little town and that means the last night of bouncy house, the last morning of the bouncy house jig, the last night to enjoy the produce stands and corn dogs. The leaves have already taken on their fall foliage look and though we have had a bit of an Indian Summer this past week, I feel the cold lurking around the corner. The smell of the air has began to change and I spend a good deal of time during the day vacuuming or sweeping up tracked in leaves and tree berries. But we will partake in one more glorious evening at Farmer's Market then give it a huge air kiss goodbye till next spring.

* apologies for lack of picture quality... iPhone

going to fleet week

2010-10-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

Look up! It's a bird... it's a plane... alright, it is a plane or rather 6 super fast blue & gold planes otherwise known as the Blue Angels!

Saturday we decided to take a leap and brave the traffic and crowds and treat AJ and ourselves to an afternoon in the city because it was Fleet Week. First, to avoid the traffic we were sure was going to be mayhem, we thought we might take AJ on his first Ferry ride across the Bay. But that was quickly nixed when we pulled the schedule and concluded between round trip on the ferry plus time in the city, it would be a 10 hour day... with no nap for little man. So that was out and saved for another day and another trip. We were going to take BART, but in the end just decided to drive and huff and curse our way through the gridlock to the city. But surprisingly, there was no traffic. We found parking quickly and then made our way down to the piers for the all the fun.

Everyone else must have taken the ferries and BART, because it was crowded, packed, spilling over the sidewalks onto Embarcadero. But we managed a good view and waited with the crowd to watch the amazing flying wonders appear in the skies overhead. The crowd was really quite and all heads were turned upward scanning the blue in all directions, waiting and waiting. Then finally we heard the roar and like a sonic boom, they buzzed right over our heads and the crowd erupted into cheers and clapping. The only way to put it... SUPER COOL!!!

AJ was enthralled the entire time. He loved it. And for your viewing pleasure and for those of you who did not get to witness the spectacular show, here are a few clips from our Saturday afternoon at SF Fleet Week 2010

*remember to go to the bottom of this blog page and pause the music so you can hear the videos!

monday evening in the park

2010-10-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

Taking in the last of what may be perfect beautiful evenings before the cooler weather prevails upon us and dusk arrives much earlier on the clock, we headed to one of our favorite parks. My boys played frisbee and then watched one of the girls soccer teams practice. We then began to notice the little boys filing in across the field with their bats and gloves, so we walked over to the baseball diamonds.

And on the way, in the lush lit grove of trees, AJ practiced his golf swing.

We watched the little league practice and AJ kept his eye on the ball... even the really high pop fly.

We chased leaves and our shadows in the grass as the sun cast long rays of brilliant fall light across the fields

And when finally our tummy's began the rumble for dinner, we took our time and leisurely walked back across the baseball diamonds, through the grove of trees and the soccer fields. And one little boy enjoyed every moment, just as his mama and dada did!

But before we could call it an evening, there was one more thing left to do...

apples & magazines

2010-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick evening trip down to our favorite shopping area to pick up a few amenities. First stop.... Apple Store for AJ

He *loves* the computer and moving and clicking the mouse. Apple has some great preschool games (Dora and Diego) that teach children counting, the alphabet, colors and shapes along with interacting and using hand eye coordination. They also have a great new Disney book collection very similar to a Kindle or Nook, that let's children pick the book they want to read. The computer will read it to them, but they click to turn the pages and can point and click on different icons within the pages to hear or learn about other things going on in the story as well. AJ sat at the computer in the Apple store and {read} a few books while we browsed and discussed..... to iPad or no iPad? hmmmmmm, still debating this one.

Next stop, and I was so excited for this one...

Why you might ask? Because this beautiful magazine just hit the stands and one of my weddings from last year has a feature within it's gorgeous pages! I wanted to get my hands on a copy and see it for myself.

We headed back home and before AJ went to bed, he read a few more books... the old fashion way this time though. Me and my boy snuggled up close in a blanket cocoon in his rocking chair with his sweet head resting against my shoulder. I would read and he would turn the pages and ask me questions. Just the way we prefer it!

firehouse fun

2010-10-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

This morning was open house at our local Fire Department. Despite the fact that we were at the wrong firehouse in a completely different city, AJ insisted on looking for Uncle Mitchell. We were able to distract him from his search with a few fun fire activities the firemen were playing with the kids. We met "Pluggy" the fire hydrant who was a cool r/c robot that followed the kids around and made some nifty sounds. Then AJ squirmed into his turnouts and grabbed a hose and let the water works rip. He learned to stop, drop and crawl through a little tunnel when he heard a fire alarm and then met "Sparky" before he left. But alas, there was still no Uncle Mitchell. And though his favorite fireman in the whole wide world was not there, he still got to learn a little about how his uncle does his really cool and heroic job.

And a little video of AJ meeting "Pluggy"

and then working the fire hose

jumpy house

2010-10-01T08:52:00.001-07:00

For the last 3 months and for the next 3 weeks, Thursday evenings mean two things... Farmer's Market and more important to AJ, jumpy house night. Thursday mornings when I go in to collect my boy after he wakes and calls for me and as I pull him out of his bed, I ask him if he knows what "tonight is?" At first he would just simply ask, "what?". But now he knows. Yesterday morning as our routine began and I asked him if he knew what tonight was, he threw his arms into the air and yelled "JUMPY HOUSE!" and began dancing around his room in circles in a little bouncy house jig. And through the day, I answer the same question a hundred times, "we go to jumpy house now?". And ninety nine times the answer is "not yet." But then that magical hundredth time when I say "yes" and as we drive down the street and the top of the jumpy house comes into view and we park across the street, Thursday night happiness comes alive.

AJ knows the routine now and has it down solid. As soon as he is released from the car and makes his way to grassy lawn, he turns to get his $moola$ and then takes off in a full sprint to the attendant at the jumpy house entrance. He will hand over the cash in exchange for his 2 tickets then immediately plop onto the ground and begin removing his shoes as quickly as toddler possible. As soon as his shoes are discarded into the heap of other children's shoes lying on the grass also, he slides smoothly and nimbly under the netted entrance and begins jumping and sliding like only a pro can. He will spend a good half an hour exerting as much energy as he can. And in between the jumping and sliding and taking a quick break to run out and grab a drink or bite of food, he crashes and wrestles with other little kids inside the inflatable house. And when he is finished, he strides over to his stroller often times drenched is sweat and panting, climbs on and asks for his sippy cup before we begin our stroll down Farmer's Market lane.

Sadly Farmer's Market comes to an end in only a few more weeks and along with it Jumpy House night. I know AJ will miss our weekly Thursday night routine as will we, because it's really nice to bring home a truly tuckered out little boy who gives no protest when bedtime rolls around. Mostly we will miss it because it's too much fun watching AJ's joy and fun as he bounces and slides. And we will miss those evening night strolls through the produce stands and the smell of kettle corn wafting in the air. But for the remaining 3 weeks, I will continue to ask my boy each Thursday morning if he knows what tonight is and I will watch him do his little dance in excitement when he announces the answer. I will answer his same question one hundred times each day and it will conclude with watching him engage in full bouncy house fun until he has worn himself out. And I will memorize every moment of the happiness Thursday nights bring.

d-day for Logan

2010-09-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon, the Sun shone bright and the air was warm and perfect for a special little boy. AJ's Auntie Dee and Uncle Mitchell dedicated this day for their son Logan and appointed his godparents, Angelo and Aunt Lisa. We celebrated in Logan & AJ's Nana and Vo's garden with Logan's closest family members all present to love and support him. Drinks and food aplenty with laughter and love spilling over, it was a brilliant afternoon for a handsome little boy, his proud mama and papa and his very honored godparents. The rest of us attending were happy to witness it all and be among the festivities dedicating this day to Logan.

Here is a little video commemorating the day.

**NOTE - before playing, please go to the bottom of this page and pause the blog tunes, to enjoy the video that has it's own music**

sweetest love

2010-09-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

p is for putt

2010-09-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

corn dogs, strawberries and smiles

2010-09-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

all courtesy of a gorgeous Thursday evening at The Benicia Farmer's Market.

AJ eating a corndog

Alex eating his strawberry

And everyone eating up Miss Sofia's smiles

Cutest kids in town I tell ya!

sunday morning in the kitchen

2010-09-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

The one constant with children... there is no sleeping in, at all. They don't care that it is Sunday, a day normally reserved for late mornings. They don't care that it is dreary out and sends the perfect invitation to snuggle down deeper in the comfortable confines of your bed for a while longer. And they especially do not care that mommy was up till the wee hours of morning working at wedding where she spent the entire previous day on her feet. Children are like clockwork or a rooster and regardless of the day or weather or tiredness level of others in the house, they are up and ready to go early.

Today started off on time as usual... 7:00 AM. Everyone was up, so we headed down to the local grocer, picked up the makings for homemade french toast, a newspaper, a few donuts and Starbucks (coffee is the elixcer of the God's, I tell ya!). Back at home, we whipped up our cinnamon and sugar french toast, munched on frosting covered donuts, read the paper and indulged in our coffee and juice.

Invited to the Walker's to celebrate a Babies-n-BBQ afternoon, we baked up some homemade chocolate chip cookies to take over. AJ was quite the helper, measuring and stirring and dropping spoonfuls of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Of course he licked the spoon between each dough drop. His reward!

mmmmmmm, a yummy and oh so sweet Sunday morning spent mainly in our cozy kitchen.

party boy

2010-09-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Balloons, party hats and animal masks, cake and ponies only meant one thing... it was one of AJ's favorite activities to participate in... a birthday party!!! Sunday was a special birthday party and one that was an honor to be invited to. Marie Rode turned 1! Marie is the daughter of Mike and Angela, and Angela and I flew together at the airline. We have stayed in touch since I went out on my maternity leave and then subsequently quitting a few years later. During that time, Angela also had a an adorable baby girl. We had the honor of celebrating Marie's pre-arrival at their baby shower and now we were celebrating little Marie's 1st birthday at her ponies and pink party. Quite honestly, I don't think I have ever seen such a beautiful little girl. She is a cherub with big crystal blue eyes, rosy cheeks and whispy blonde hair. Her cuteness was only enhanced by the cowboy boots she wore with her denim dress and pink cowgirl hat. For only being a year old, she sure knew how to ride the pony her mom and dad held her on. She held the horn of the saddle with both hands, kicked her little feet to get the pony moving and had a smile that stretched from ear to ear the entire time. If ever there was a little girl destined to be a cowgirl, it is little Marie for sure.

Meanwhile, back at the corral, AJ had donned his red party hat and played with the other little boys who were shooting off balloon rockets. He swung on the tree swing and of course ate his share of birthday cake. He watched the ponies and petted them, but did not want to ride on them this day. He preferred to be a spectator and watch the real cowgirl in the pink hat ride her pony instead.

The birthday girl

(I stole this photo of Marie from Angela's FB photos. I hope she doesn't mind! But I did not take any photos of Marie yesterday I only had was my iPhone. You just need to see how cute this little girl really is for yourself!)

And some iPhone pics of AJ enjoying his time at the party

Thank you for inviting us to the party Rode family! We had a blast... literally with these balloon rockets : )

happy sunday

2010-09-12T14:03:00.001-07:00

did you know?

2010-09-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here is a bit of trivia for all you parents our there. I recently stumbled on this when I was searching for a Max & Ruby video for AJ on YouTube. I do not know why this particular video pulled up or why I even clicked on it, but it provided some interesting knowledge about every parents least favorite bratty toddler, Cry-You... errrrr, I mean Caillou.

Okay here is comes... Are you ready? Drumroll please...

Caillou is actually a doll and a story time book. Caillou and his entire family are book character's in another cartoon! Yes they are fictional, but they are all fictional characters in a fictional cartoon. Not just a fictional cartoon on it's own. The sweet grandmotherly voice that narrates throughout the cartoon version that most of us know, is actually a grandmother reading a book to her grandchildren who actually have a Caillou doll. And did you know that Gilbert came along before Rosie? The grandmother reads a series of books about a little boy named Caillou and each book Caillou learns something. Like learning to swim, or skate or be big brother. But Cry-you still lives up to his name and is still the most annoying bratty and whinny toddler, EVER! But I think this might explain why Caillou never grows any hair. Dolls after all cannot grow hair.

I don't know why, but I found this kind of amusing. I think I would prefer a Caillou doll. You know one that did not talk or whine. Just sat there... quietly.

And if you are wondering why I was searching for another annoying cartoon, Max & Ruby, AJ has suddenly become a little smitten with the rabbit brother and sister duo. And to be honest, I kind of like Max, but Ruby... I could do without her bossy attitude. They are better than Caillou at least.

Okay, Sprout TV cartoon trivia over. Back to our regularly scheduled blog posting.

oh boy

2010-09-08T13:21:00.001-07:00

Meet the newest member to our extended family and much loved friends, Tiffany & Matt.

10 perfect tiny fingers, 10 perfect tiny toes and 100% snuggle perfect. I can't wait to get my hands on this beautiful baby boy and sniff that intoxicating baby scent. There is such peace and purity in these moments and this next picture of Tiffany and Hunter makes my heart melt.

Welcome baby Hunter! We are so happy you are finally here.

an evening walk

2010-08-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

The fall season approaches. The evenings are gorgeous, the light sublime and the air crisp. We walk in golden rays and listen to the crunch of leaves under our feet. The cool breeze tickles at our ears and brushes wisps of hair into our faces. In another month, pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns will appear on doorsteps and wreaths of autumn foliage will adorn the entryways of our neighbors homes. The scents of smoke burning from chimneys and mingling in the brisk evening air will replace the smell of fresh cut grass and blooming jasmine. Every season has its turn and as the wheel slowly turns towards fall, we soak up the last of summer evenings with long casual walks through our neighborhood. Such was our evening last night.

The last of golden summer light preening through the trees

Just enough of a cool breeze to warrant the first wearing of a brand new beanie hat

Our golden boy in the golden summer yummy light

What would a walk be without exploring? AJ exploring and climbing the hillside rocks

Run, AJ, Run!

Good bye Summer and hello Fall.

muddy buddies

2010-08-27T07:34:00.001-07:00

There's really not much more I cay say about AJ's fondness for mud that has not already been written about in these blog pages. But this was by far his most entertaining experience in the goop yet! Zachary introduced AJ to mud and since then, the three of them together have some down right messy amusing times together.

Evidence...

Happy Friday!

noodles

2010-08-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

Lunchtime with AJ. He digs noodles.

Noodles (plain) start off all in the bowl.

He begins to eat noodles with his fork, like a proper little boy.

Eventually, noodles do not all stay on fork and begin to slip off making proper little boy frustrated.

Fork gets tossed aside. Finger eating takes over.

Noodles tossed everywhere, but mainly into a hungry mouth.

mmmmmmmm, noodles!

Lunchtime with AJ.

swing baby

2010-08-23T19:29:00.001-07:00

AJ is a fiend for golf. True as the sky is blue! On some days, the kid would rather watch the Golf Channel instead of Nick Jr. or Sprout or even Monster Jam. He carries a golf club with him about 50% of the time. He currently has 3 favorite plastic clubs, 12 yellow soft golf balls and just 1 real golf ball {for obvious reasons}.

Yesterday, Angelo needed to practice swinging and work on stretching out his elbow after the fracture he suffered to it a few months ago. So it was off to the driving range at our local golf club. Did I mention this was AJ's first trip to a real golf driving range? He was thrilled. He looked like his bug eyed fish, Chili Pepper while he stared and took in the whole scene. He loved carrying his clubs, getting his bucket of golf balls and walking with daddy down to the range stalls. He enthusiastically swung and swung at golf balls off the tee and then off the mats. But aside from his natural love for the game, Angelo was most impressed with his ambidextrous skills of swinging both lefty and right... though he did tend to favor his left side.

AJ in full motion. He knew just what to do from the time we stepped up to the stalls. He dumped his bucket of balls into the ground caddy. He picked a few up and put one on the tee and the other in his pockets. He stepped back, took aim and began to swing away. Not always connecting on the first or even the second attempt. But he never gave up till his club made contact with the ball.

And of course a little one on one golfing time with his daddy.

Then daddy let him try out the real golf clubs. Will he be a Callaway man just like his dad? We'll have to wait and see!

I adore this shot... swooning with pride and love for both of them!

new friend

2010-08-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

I did it. Not sure if it's a good thing and I still feel a little sad. But I searched and browsed and searched more and finally found a brand new Lovey Bear. Of course he was ordered with expedited delivery service {which cost more than the blanket}. So when the new one arrived in the mail, AJ happened to be with me at the mailbox. I opened the package and pulled the pristine, fluffy cloth and smooth satin blanket from inside and I can honestly say I was in shock. I had almost forgotten how our Lovey Bear had looked over 2 and half years ago. Long before the drool and tears, the snuggles and playtime fun, through the nights of blissful sleep and also the long nights when the sickies kept AJ awake. But more important and most true, this new Lovey Bear showed no signs of love. The deep kind of baby and toddler love that wore the fabric thin, turned the pure ivory color dingy. The kind of love the squeezed and snuggled so tight, the blanket actually shrunk in size. This new blanket was a shock and reminder how much time has passed since we brought AJ home from hospital and how fast the hands of time are spinning away on the clock of life. I loved our Lovey Bear just a little bit more, if that is possible, in those few seconds of realizations.

And AJ... he stood a few feet from me with his Lovey Bear dangling from his little hand inspecting the dirt and leaves in the driveway. It had taken a few days, but AJ had got use to the fact that Lovey Bear was a bit broken and not so soft anymore in a few places. He gingerly picked him up and carried him around holding him by the tag at first. He would love on the back unburned side only. But now it was as though it did not matter, he did not see the burn marks or take extra care when handling Lovey Bear any longer. Things were back to normal as he drug his little friend with him everywhere and loved on every part of his blanket no matter what state it was in. So when I called his name and lifted the new Lovey Bear up for him to see. He stood up and walked over and reached up for him. In an excited voice, he proclaimed "LOVEY BEAR!". My heart almost stopped as I thought for sure his old blanket friend dangling in his hand would drop to ground and his feelings would immediately transfer to this new and benign perfect blanket. But he still clutched Lovey Bear as he asked me to open the new one {it was tied in a bow and had tags hanging from his ear} and so I did. I handed it to him and he hugged both of them to his face. Now almost a week later, nothing has changed. AJ still prefers and wants his old Lovey Bear all the time. I have cut away what burned satin and cloth I can. AJ has made friends with his new Lovey Bear, but for the most part it stays with Snuggly Bear either in his crib or in his car seat. It is now more of a reminder of how much Lovey Bear has been and continues to be loved.

And it proves that our boy will be loyal and true to his friends, regardless of looks or new perfect friends. His love runs deep and true and with that my heart fills more than I thought possible, again.

grieving

2010-08-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

plain and simple and no other way to explain it. This post will be short. We are still coming to terms with the awfulness that occurred tragically last Friday evening. Maybe I am making a mountain out of a mole hill. Maybe I am being silly, but it does not seem that way to me or to AJ. All I will type write now, is that our poor little best friend and comrade, Lovey Bear, accidentally had an encounter with our fire pit. The results... not good... not good at all!!! We are hoping that in some way, we can salvage our little man's security blanket that has served as his best friend since he was a little bean. I will update and post more later. But in the meantime, click here and read this.

Oh sweet Lovey!!!

Lovey looking very dapper back a few months ago

sunday morning

2010-08-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Is it really August? Would someone please inform Mother Nature of this? It seems that we will have no official summer this year, unless an Indian summer rolls around. I can count on both hands how many *HOT* days we have had this year. And by hot, I mean anything over 90*. Our average temp's this summer have steadily ranged in the high 70's to mid 80's. Yeah, I know not bad and why complain? Believe me, prior to having a child, I would be delighted with the forecast. But having said child, who spent most of the winter cooped up in the house and who has a strong desire and yearning to be outside, this weather situation is not ideal. We had big plans for swimming and other water activities. Shorts and sandals and cute little "dirt" outfits. But on most days between the damp foggy mornings followed by the cool breezy afternoons, AJ spends most his time in sweat pants and jackets at the playground and watches longingly and wistfully at the pool as we drive by on most days.

We make the most of it and yesterday the fog stayed at bay and we met up with Auntie D, Uncle Mitchell and cousin Logan for a long walk in the morning. We walked the path through the fields and past the little ponds filled with ducks, geese and pelicans on our way to where the Napa River meets the bay straights. It was another cool brisk, but sunny morning and the blue skies with their puffs of white cotton clouds welcomed us on our trek.

AJ drove his stroller and hardly on a straight path. The only time he seemed to be able to keep the stroller steering straight in the direction we were heading, was when he was aiming for someone's ankles. Otherwise, he aimed for the reeds and ditches along our path and did stroller doughnuts in the dirt managing to stay several yards behind us. At times our walk came to a halt as we waited for the maniac to catch back up to us. Eventually wanting to reach our destination and back again so we could go to lunch, AJ ended up in his stroller... begrudgingly.

Some cool trees along the way. I couldn't help not to try my hand at a bit of nature photography.

Finally reaching the river mouth where AJ, daddy and Uncle Mitchell explored the beach of glass and the wrecked out boat that had washed ashore some months earlier.

After our walk, we descended on Taqueria for some lunch. Logan demonstrated his new trick by sitting upright in a highchair. It is hard to believe that this little boy is already 6 months old! Before long he will be running and playing along side his cousin, walking together on hikes and creating mischief and memories of their own.

The many faces of Loganberry...

and with his Pinning and AJ

Just another glorious Sunday morning in the life of AJ.

birthday getaway

2010-08-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

For a hardworking husband and father, Angelo deserved something special and more importantly, relaxing for his birthday. This past Friday, Angelo turned.... errrr, thirty something and we {AJ and myself} scoured the internet and racked our brains figuring out the perfect gift to give him. We decided on the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay for a nice one night getaway.

AJ's contribution was the relaxation part, he decided he wanted to hang out with his Auntie D, Uncle Mitchell and cousin Logan for the day and stay the night with his Nana and Vo, so mommy and daddy could celebrate on their own. But let me tell you what... boy did we miss that kid, THE WHOLE 24 hours we were away from him! Don't get me wrong, we had a very wonderful time... massages, dinner, sitting on our terrace with the fire pit blazing watching the waves roll in and out and watching regular television that did not include any sort of animation or high pitched annoying voices. But we couldn't help but notice how almost everything we did would be just a bit better if we had our pint sized munchkin boy squeezed between us. Still it was gorgeous and we had a wonderful time celebrating Angelo's birthday... even if his best gift of all time was an hour away playing with his cousin and going on a hike with his aunt and uncle.

Angelo enjoying the view from our room's terrace patio... the ocean and the 18th green, he was in heaven!

Our fire pit came complete with a S'Mores kit... yum! Roasting mellows, listening to John Mayer, sitting in our adirondack chairs and watching the ocean. Indeed a very happy birthday for Angelo!

happy birthday daddy

2010-08-05T19:47:00.001-07:00

A day early, but AJ wanted to do something special for his daddy. He picked out 5 of the most delicious looking cupcakes at Kara's Kupcakes and made him a huge homemade birthday card. He will smoother his daddy with kisses and hugs first thing tomorrow morning on his real birthday and spend his morning snuggle time wrapped in his daddy's arms warm under the blankets. They will share a breakfast meal together before we {Angelo and myself} depart for a special birthday celebration. So tonight was AJ's night to sing and to help his daddy blow out the candles and share bites of sugary confection.

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful daddy and husband ~ Cheers my love!

new shoes

2010-08-04T15:06:00.001-07:00

Bright and white, new shoes that lace up too! AJ's first official pair of sneakers, hand picked by the little man himself. No other pair would do, his eyes and heart were drawn to these walkers of navy blue.

Don't let the pictures fool you, though he has tried and tried and fiddled and twisted with the laces, the tying and bows are mommy made. But I like to let him think he did it all by himself. His fingers grasp and pull, his eyes intent on the job at hand. He twists the laces this way and that, crossing over and over and twisting them again. As what looks to be a mangled mess in my eyes appears on top of his shoes, his smile widens and his eyes crinkle with excitement as his gaze meets mine and he whispers in awe, "mommy, I twied my shoe!" ,while he lifts his sneakered foot up to show me. I clap with excitement and encourage him to give the other a try. With his interest fully focused on the other shoe, I can quickly retie the sneaker without him even noticing, making sure it is double knotted. A smile of pride across his face as he then lifts the other foot to show me he has tied the this sneaker too. I clap again and say "let mommy get a closer look! now how did you do this, you smart little boy? may I try it too?" He shakes his head yes and replies, "you do it now!". So while I retie this shoe, I make sure to ask, "now is this right? do I pull the laces here?" He shakes his head yes and when I finish the bow, he looks at both feet together and says "you can too, mommy!"

New shoes for a little boy who is sure to wear them out. In the sand, the mud, the grass and on hikes... to the beach, to go camping and to the playground running and climbing all about. The laces white will turn out to be not so bright. The toes will become scuffed and marked and the navy blue will fade out. But they will be loved and remembered as the first pair of lace up shoes and sneakers adorned on AJ's cute and every growing feet.

beach bums

2010-08-02T13:26:00.001-07:00

In case you haven't noticed, we love the ocean and the beach. We are lucky enough to live close enough to visit as often as we want. Whether it is down the street at our local beach or across the bridge at the really big beaches, we'll go every chance we get. Saturday morning found us on one of the rare occasions when we did not have any plans for the day. So over breakfast, we pondered and debated the different activities we could do that day. We settled on either a hike or the beach and left the decision to Mr. AJ. Without an moments hesitation he declared the beach. Now at which beach would we visit? Angelo wanted to go to Stinson Beach, where we have been before. I wanted to go to Baker Beach in the city with it's scenic views and a beach whose sands and waters our feet had yet to run through.

We packed up our picnic basket, grabbed the blanket and chairs and sand toys and headed out the door. We drove in the general direction of both beaches and about half way there decided to give Baker Beach a try. We crossed the Golden Gate and drove into the blanket of dewy fog hugging the coastline. We entered the beach parking area and stepped out into brisk winds that whipped at our faces and sent us scurrying for our sweatshirts and blankets. But the views were gorgeous and picturesque, everything quintessential of San Francisco... blue-gray tumbling waves of water crashing against the rocks and rolling onto the dark pristine sands of the beach. The majestic golden bridge in the background, stretching towards the sky and disappearing into the low thick fog cover. Families and dogs running through the sand and waves and dolphins swimming just a few yards off the coastline. This was perfect!

AJ immediately fell head over heals in love with this place. He was dry for all of about 5 minutes before the waves caught him and he tumbled into the sand surf. That did not stop him, nor us as even we became victims of the wave gods who would send a swell at us after a series of soft rollers. But it only enhanced the fun, because can you really enjoy the beach without getting soaked? Without tasting the salt water on your lips? Without feeling the wet sand between your fingers and the seaweed wrapped around your ankles? Ummmm, NOPE! We played and chased each other through the water, ran from the waves and watched the dolphin fins that glided through the waters just in front of us. A few jellyfish would occasionally roll onto the sand but would be quickly swept away by the next incoming wave never to be seen again.

This shot is for Lauren, who digs sandy feet ; )

And when it was time to leave, we had to drag a water logged and completely drenched, sandy little boy away kicking and screaming and asking for "just one more!", all the while he shivered and his teeth chattered. On the drive home, not long after departing the parking lot, the same little boy drifted off to sleep and I am quite sure he dreamed of water, sand and beach.

weekend warrior(s)

2010-07-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Weekends are amazing! The possibilities unlimited and best of all, almost everything is done as a family. As in all 3 of us together at the same time enjoying whatever it is that we are doing at the moment. While weekdays can be pretty fun too, most of the time daddy is at work and it is just mommy and AJ. Or mommy has to occasionally leave to work also and AJ gets to stay with his Auntie D and Logan or his favorite sitter and neighbor's Nicky and Zachary. But on most weekends it is mommy, daddy and AJ altogether {except on weekends when mommy has weddings}. The best plans are often the ones the come on a whim or they are mixed in with other planned events for the weekend. For instance this past weekend, on Friday evening while we sat outside on our patio enjoying cocktails and conversation and watching AJ play in the mud, we wondered when the next "Movie In The Park" was and that led to "hey, let's go to the drive-ins!!!" Awesome! It has been ages since we have been to a drive in theater and surely AJ would love it. After all who doesn't love laying the back seats down tossing in some pillows and blankets, popping the tailgate and watching a flick under the stars? We happen to be lucky enough that a drive-in theater resides about 10 minutes from us. So we checked the listings and found they were playing Despicable Me followed by Inception... SCORE! Another totally wonderful aspect of going to the drive-ins... total ticket price for the evening for 2 new release movies, $12.00!!! That's $6.00 per adult and kids under 5 are free. And if you have attempted to go to a regular movie theater lately you know that is quite a deal, even for a matinee showing the tickets are more expensive than that. Plus we are cozy in our own car, no one kicking our seats or sitting down directly in front of us and blocking our view. We brought our own popcorn, candy and drinks. We wore our sweats and pajama's. AJ loved it! But alas, we only made it through the first showing. AJ was still awake at 11 PM and Angelo was asleep. Maybe next time we can do both showings. But it was definitely worth it and we discovered a new fun family outing.

Our view

On Saturday, we were off to Lodi to celebrate our friend Nick's birthday. It was surprise for Nick and that he was, very surprised! AJ donned froggy and put in some swimming time in the pool before he found his surprise of the day... a girlfriend! Her name is Ryanne, she lives in Phoenix and yes, she is older than AJ {only by a year, but we knew he would go for the older women}! Ryanne is AJ's friend Alex's cousin. AJ and Ryanne met on a picnic blanket poolside and hit it off immediately. He was impressing her by eating her lip gloss and she indulged him by laughing like it was the most hysterical thing in the world while she passed him new tubes of lip gloss to sample. They were inseparable for the remainder of the day and evening. They played in the mud together {again AJ ate some to impress her}, they ate dinner together, they painted together and ran amok side by side. There was a clotheslines draped with beach towels on the side of the house bringing back memories of my own childhood. At one point in the afternoon, AJ and Ryanne were chasing each other through the towels and hiding from each other behind them. It was fun watching them and when I crept up to try and take a picture, Ryanne informed me that this was their play area and no adults allowed, Okay? Well okay then! Have fun! After cake and the yawns that began to follow, AJ and Ryanne departed with a sweet hug and waves goodbye.

Sunday morning we awoke early and headed over to the Schwarze's house for breakfast. AJ, Nay-Nay and Jo-Jo played video games, played trucks in the sandbox, played pirates on the play structure and when the chill of the morning had finally wore off, they broke out the kiddie pool. All the while we had a chance to catch up with our friends and watch the kiddo's frolic in the yard together. What trouble these 3 will be together when they get older... probably much like their dad's were together growing up.

Later in the afternoon after we left the Schwarze's house, we headed over to see AJ's Nana and Vo. AJ's Vo had a big surprise when we showed up... a new Harley-Davidson! Vo took it out on a couple of rides as AJ watched from the living room windows {"TOO NOISEY!"}. Dinner at Taqueria followed by a long bath and kisses goodnight... a wonderful fun weekend!

Weekend warriors!

hello friend

2010-07-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Yes, we have met previously. In fact, on many occasions. I was introduced to you a long time ago. I know, I know... I look exactly the same! I just cannot seem to change this rich chocolate brown tone that I take on when hydration is applied. It's a curse really. I am completely content, maybe just a tiny bit parched, soaking up the sun on most days. Monday's are my "grooming" days and I love those. The leaf blower blowing away the leaves and loose dust and the rake combing me back into place. All of this just in time for me to greet my best friend... AJ! Usually it's his mommy or daddy who greets me first. Often times they really are not there for me at all, come to think of it. They arrive to water the green flowery shrubs that jut out of my surface. But as they water, I magically appear and before long I hear the squeals of laughter and the patter of little feet running towards to me. My best friend has finally arrived and we are so happy to see each other that we play and play oblivious to what is usually happening around us. AJ brings his toys to share... his bucket, his trucks, his shovels to dig in the muck. His fingers and hands, his toes and feet covered in brown slime, my company is sure hard to beat! Time sprints by like a runner in a marathon and before we know it our play must come to an end. So it's a goodbye to my best friend till we play very soon, again and again.

fun.

2010-07-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

There is almost nothing better to a child then having some fun. And if fun involves birthday cake, presents and a trip to the amusement park, then the land of bliss is where they sit!

This past Monday, AJ's cousin Corbin paid us a visit accompanied by his mom, dad and the boys GV (Grandma Vickie). They came to celebrate Corbin's 3rd Birthday! We feasted on BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, GV's famous homemade potato salad, caesar salad and the main course... birthday cake! Zachary came over to help us celebrate and join in the fun, because again, what little boy can pass up birthday cake and balloons?

Can you guess Corbin's most favorite character friend?

The next day we were off to Discovery Kingdom! We skipped the really big roller coasters, even though GV and myself had a huge itching to take to the rails high in the sky. This day was about 2 little boys and a different kind of rails. Besides the cool foggy morning, it was a great day to go to the park! The crowds were light, there were no lines anywhere we went and we got the best seats in the house at the aquatic shows.

First, we got a glimpse of the African Penguins. Cute little buggers that love attention.

But our big adventure of the day and the main reason for the visit and the answer to the question above was... THOMAS TOWN!!! Corbin loves Thomas! And Percy and Harold and Gordon and Toby and basically all things Thomas {you get the idea}. So we all rode the rails of Sodor and checked out the arial views as well from Harold the helicopter.

Meeting the conductor at the station

It's Thomas!!!

ALL ABOARD!

Corbin getting a better view

Harold the helicopter must be pretty funny!

Back to the aquatic areas for more sea life fun after we had a bite of lunch. The boys got an up close look at some beautiful fish including a school of clown fish (a.k.a. Nemo's) and a big bloat fish. We arrived just in time to watch all the fishy eat their lunches.

Back to more rides and more railways! Corbin and AJ rode these rides all by themselves. The first time either of them went solo. This time the boys got to be the conductors and ring the bell at the train crossings.

They then took back to the skies as they piloted their own plane. They whizzed around in circles pulling on the levers to make their aircraft go up and down, high and low all with huge smiles on their faces.

So fun that AJ wanted to go again and this time, completely solo!

And the final stop of the day... Sea Lion Stadium for the pirate show!

A visit filled with lots and lots of fun!

daredevil.

2010-07-08T14:59:00.000-07:00

whether going down the slide {and just for clarification... AJ wanted to go down the slide all by himself every chance he got, but mommy and daddy thought it was a bad idea. We are not that ready to let him be that big of a daredevil yet : ) }

or jumping off the diving board

this boy knows no fear!

{thanks Auntie D for sharing the videos!}

red, white and blue... happy birthday to you!

2010-07-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

And being proud patriots of this great nation, we celebrated and relaxed in true American fashion. Camping, swimming, ranching, hamburgers and hot dogs... potato chips, apple pie and of course watching this nation blow out the biggest and most beautiful candles of all... FIREWORKS!

AJ began his fourth of July weekend with ranching like a real American Cowboy. He awoke early to the cock-a-doodle-do of the rooster and began his day by accompaning his Vo and daddy to the barn to begin morning feeding. Daddy and AJ rode the Gator while Vo took the tractor out to the cattle stalls.

AJ driving the Gator

And there is almost nothing more summer than a cool pool on a hot day! Tadpole AJ has sprouted his froggy legs {and vesty wings} and turned into a true water lover, just like his mommy! Looking for AJ this past weekend? Check the pool dude!!!

No fear! None whatsoever of swimming by himself, jumping off diving boards or going down slick slides. This kid was in heaven in the water. He simply loved it and couldn't get enough. He was a pruney raisin by the end of each day and the only way to get him to take his nap was the promise of more swimming when he woke up! AJ's cousin, Logan took it all in from his perch on the deck in the shade. Rolling from his back to his stomach, he would watch most intently the splashing and fun happening just a few yards from him.

From swimming to the All American cuisine of cheeseburgers and potato chips, AJ fully endulged. Even lots of room for Auntie D's homemade chocolate chip cookies and apple pie! Can I get an Amen brothers and sisters?

Hands off!, these are all mine! Yummy, my favorite... cheeseburgers!!!

Before the grand finale of the evening, the fireworks show, we had finally managed to get our little froggy out of the pool and onto a different game. But none the less, this one still involved water! Humphhhhhh.... you can take the frog out of the water but you can't take the water out of the frog. Or in this case, Uncle Sam the Patriotic monkey. This game involved running his moose scooter through the sprinklers that came through the gates of the swimming pool deck and splashing in the puddles created on the stoney surface. Water... like a duck to it, he gravitates towards all things water. He is after all an Aquarius, just like his mama!

Finally, fireworks. The show seemed to get a late start in Napa, so we lit a few sparklers and AJ waited patiently with his daddy for the show to start. But the evening grew later and darker and the yawns and fussiness started threatening another type of fireworks show altogether. So we packed up and headed home. Along the way, we saw 6 different fireworks display shows. From Point Richmond's across the water, American Canyon's, Discovery Kingdoms, Vallejo Fairgrounds and finally as we were pulling up to our house, Benicia and Martinez's grand finales! With every pop and sparkle, AJ grew more and more excited and mesmerized. His last whispered words before his tiny tired head hit his pillow... "more fireworks, mommy." I'm sure his dreams were filled with bursts of gold, red, blue and sparkles of glitter raining down on him as he floated in a pool watching it all above him with a smile spread across his adorable face!

The long weekend took it's toll on both my boys as was evidence the next day

Wondering about the bandaids on AJ's knees? Fast running and not watching where one is going will lead to a full frontal sidewalk layout that would make any batter stealing home very proud of! But he heals quickly and already declares himself "all better!" "no hurt anymore!"

Happy Birthday USA and thanks for letting us join the party and celebrate! It was a blast and a half and we look forward to next year!

out of office response

2010-07-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you for checking in and visiting my little blog! I will be on vacation for a short time celebrating out great nation's birthday. I will resume posting shortly after the fireworks have ended, the hamburgers and hot dogs have been eaten, spending hours of fun with family and friends and hours of splashing in the pool have wrapped up for this years celebration.

Have a very happy and safe 4th of July!!!

xo, AJ

movies.

2010-06-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday AJ and I met up with his buddy Alex and my very good friend and Alex's mommy, Jennifer and Alex's infant sister, Sofia for a playdate. Only this one was a bit different from our usual playground and house playtime adventures. The boys were treated to lunch at Pasta Pomadoro followed by a matinee showing of one of their favorite movies, Toy Story! This was AJ's second movie threatre experience. AJ's Vo took us to see Shrek about a month ago and to our surprise, AJ sat through the entire showing. This was no exception... the boys were mesmerized by Woody, Buzz, Jesse and the gang for 1.5 hours. AJ and Alex sat next to each other and shared a bag of popcorn along with giggles and laughter and even a few screams throughout the movie. Even I shred a few tears at the end of the movie, especially as I sat next to my boy and thought about how that would most likely be us in about 15 years. My heart melted a bit more and I hugged AJ a bit tighter and kissed him a bit harder and longer wishing time to slow down a bit. 15 years might seem like a long time, but in reality I know it will be here sooner than I think. So I will continue to soak up these memories like a sponge submerged in his bathwater. Because one day my boy will leave for college and to start his own life and I want to be drenched in memories like these.

trains.

2010-06-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

You know what they say... "give a boy a train and"

well I have my own phrases to insert after the above statement, such as

"take a shower, blow dry your hair and put on makeup"

"vacuum, begin AND finish laundry!, load the dishwasher and pickup discarded toys littering the living room floor"

"do some work and even get in a few uninterrupted phone calls"

"catch up on a few DVR'd shows"

"update AJ's blog" {such is the case now }

Throw in a few other little boy friends that come over for playdate and I can accomplish all of the above in one afternoon! No kidding! While AJ is awake!!! He along with just about every other little boy I know, is utterly and completely fascinated with trains. They play for hours and usually in perfect harmony. Assembling track systems, running trains on them, tearing the tracks apart and putting together new configurations and then running the trains on them again. Loading and unloading blocks, crayons, chalk, trucks and even books into the tiny freight train cars. Conductors and excavators all at the same time.

Meet mine and AJ's new best friend... Geo Trax! Providing hours of peace and harmony in our house.

AJ can build upon his current track and make complete cities and towns. But right now he is learning to work the remotes, snap track pieces together and build different track formations. He is in heaven... as are his buddies that come over to play with him! As he grows, we can grow the tracks with him, ensuring this toy life span for a long time.

Boys at work! Zachary, AJ and Alex the engineers