the bee hive

two

2012-02-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

just two things today:

look who got two new teeth yesterday!

(this probably explains some of our sleepless nights and grumpiness)

and i love this picture of the two of us at the zoo

a few weeks ago.

have a great weekend!

i love...

2012-02-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

those inquisitive eyebrows.

those strong hands.

that infectious giggle.

that cute button nose.

those striking blue eyes.

i love you oliver gray.

8 years

2012-02-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

oh what a difference 8 years makes.

february 2004.

february 2012.

yet even after 8 years of marriage,

2 beautiful little boys,

a few jobs

and a couple houses

we're still the same kids who

fell in love amidst the stacks of books in borders

and married our forever valentine.

"i love you,
not only for what you are,
but for what i am
when i am with you.

i love you because you

are helping me to make

of the lumber of my life

not a tavern

but a temple;

out of the works

of my every day

not a reproach

but a song."

by roy croft.

happy valentine's day

and happy 8 years

to my love.

a conversation with bee

2012-02-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

a conversation with bee...

the 4 year old.

my favorite food is: edamame

my favorite thing to do: play with jackson (his cousin)

the best show on television is: wild kratts

the coolest person on earth is: jackson

my favorite thing to learn about in school: numbers

the thing i do the most awesomely is: playing video games

if i could go anything in the world, i'd go to: mimi's house

my favorite color is: green, green, green! (yes, he said it three times)

when i grow up, i'm going to become a: daddy

my current favorite song is: tumble bee (appropriate!)

the book i'm loving right now:

"the little mouse, the red ripe strawberry and the big hungry bear"

three words that describe me are: silly, happy, hungry

when i was little, i used to: sit in the bouncing chair

my favorite season of the year is: christmas!

the snack i like the best is: nutella sandwich

one food i really dislike is: carrots

my best friend is: jackson

if i had one wish it would be: for a frog that was real

my best memory is: getting a baby brother

my favorite vacation is: the beach

my favorite toy is: spiderman

ollie at 7 months

2012-02-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

my sweet ollie is growing like a weed!

his motor skills seem to have really improved

during this past month that we've been working so hard.

he can now sit up on his own

and only topples over occasionally

when his big brother runs past him at lightning speed

and ollie's little body can't keep up with bee's!

oliver is chewing on everything

and he has a tooth just waiting to pop through.

i'm sure that has something to do with our very sleepless nights.

i know people complain about their baby not sleeping

through the night at 7 months old,

but we're taking major sleep deprivation going on.

his newest trick is to fall asleep in my arms as i rock

(and rock and rock and rock and rock and rock and rock...all night long).

i lay him down in his crib and hightail it back to my own bed,

pull back the covers and slip into my nice cozy bed.

as soon as i close my eyes to finally get some sleep

he starts crying over the monitor.

i don't know how he does it.

but i am getting literally no sleep.

the lack of sleep doesn't seem to be bothering

his ferocious appetite though.

this kid loves his "real" food.

he is quickly losing interest in nursing

(except at nap/bed time since it helps to relax him)

and would eat sweet potatoes for every meal if i let him.

i'm convinced he will turn as orange as his beloved sweet potato soon.

he does enjoy his fruit too

(as does his digestive tract....finally).

his favorites include apples, pears, bananas and prunes.

he is not as fond of his vegetables,

unless i mix it with sweet potatoes.

he is rather hit or miss with the vegetables

but he does seem to enjoy peas, butternut squash and zucchini.

he will cry for food the minute he sees me take his tiny

little bowl down from the cupboards.

he knows exactly when i'm doing.

his cries get louder and louder as i defrost his

frozen baby food cubes.

he is usually frantic,

flapping his little arms like a baby bird

whose mother has just come back to the nest with a mouthful of worms

by the time i have his bowl of food warm and ready for him.

ollie at 7 months:
loves to eat,
finally starting to sit up on his own,
always full of laughs and smiles,
still blowing raspberries,
has learned to do a ferocious roar,
has a tooth that's about to pop through on his lower gums,
has started OT (occupational therapy) to help his mobility
and work on loosening the stiffness in his joints,
has discovered he can stick his tongue out (and does it all the time now!),
starting to play with toys and interact with things/people around him.

happy 7 months sweet baby boy!

bittersweet

2012-02-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

i've been needing to go through oliver's dresser for weeks now to clean out all the newborn clothes that no longer fit him. but something held me back each time i thought about it. now with the drawers stuffed so full they won't even close properly i knew it was time.

i knew in my head, but my heart just wanted to hold on to my newborn baby a little bit longer. ollie is growing so fast. while he is still not rolling over yet, he can sit up for extended periods of time now. he is growing stronger and is no longer my newborn. he will be seven months old tomorrow. where have these past seven months gone? we've suffered through another scorching summer, through heartaches and losses. enjoyed the welcome reprieve fall brings to our valley and stomped through pumpkin patches and farmers markets. christmas surprised us in its revelry and beauty; there's nothing quite like experiencing the holidays through your children's eyes. and now we await the promise of springs bulbs and colorful flowers.

seven months we have held ollie in our arms, loved him, prayed for him, snuggled his sweet baby scent. i'm full of wonderment that he is both already seven months old and feeling like i can't remember the time he wasn't here with us. it's bittersweet. this overwhelming feeling of joy that he is growing healthy and excitement for his future but at the same time i feel a loss of his infancy. no more tiny newborn clothes or bassinets. not only a loss of just ollie's but as a family. we aren't planning on more children. of course that ultimately is up to god. but we feel our family is complete and after the health issues for both oliver and myself during this last pregnancy i can't willingly go through that again.

so as i pack away those tiny little sleepers and the blue and pink striped hospital hat i grieve for the end of oliver's newborn days. it's time instead to look forward with anticipation to his future. the joys of teething (where's the sarcasm font?) and toddlerhood. learning to crawl and stealing his big brothers matchbox cars. i smile when i think of our future household with two loud and boisterous boys; with hands dirty from digging for worms in the garden and eyes full of daring mischief. while it is bittersweet to see these days come to a close, i have many memories to treasure of my sweet newborn oliver.

happy birthday bee!

2012-02-06T03:00:00.000-08:00

our first born baby is four years old.

how in the world did that happen?

i know it's such a cliche,

but it seems like just yesterday he was

swaddled next to me with his head full of dark hair

and serious, inquisitive eyes staring ahead.

it doesn't seem possible that four years

have passed since we first held him in our arms.

first time parents to a very strong-willed child;

a baby who experienced reflux, food allergies,

and the dreaded colic in his first year of life.

thankfully he overcame those obstacles

and hasn't looked back.

bee is like a car whose engine is never idle.

he is full speed ahead. all the time.

he literally runs laps around the house every day,

racing everything and anybody.

this child of ours is speeding through life!

at times i just want to stop time,

wrap bee back up in his swaddle blanket

and keep him a baby forever.

but then i realize i would miss out

on this awesome little guy that he is becoming.

as much as i don't want him to grow up

for my own selfish reasons of keeping him close and safe,

i love to see the future he is speeding towards.

he is no longer that timid little baby

who cried at the slightest noise or startled at auntie m's laugh.

he is quickly leaving his babyhood behind and becoming

such a silly and thoughtful boy.

he loves to tell jokes,

even if they don't make sense to anyone but him.

he is fascinated by animals and wants to learn all about them.

every day he pretends to be someone new,

one day it might be mario (from super mario brothers)

the next day it will be lightning mcqueen or a peregrine falcon!

he builds the tallest towers and the most creative cities

and of course the fastest racetracks for his cars.

while birthdays are usually a time to look back

on the special memories from the day you were born,

this year it seems fitting that we look ahead to bee's future.

as fast as he is growing up, he will always be my baby. my first born son.

i will cherish the memories i have of his childhood

but also watch with joy and wonder as he speeds ahead,

one lap at a time in this race called life.

happy 4th birthday

my silly little bee.

you bring so much joy and laughter

into our family.

we love you to the moon and back.

homemade baby food

2012-02-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

in all my free time around here (ha!)

i have started making oliver's baby food.

it's actually really easy to make homemade baby food

and it's nice to know exactly what i am feeding my baby

(and it's also a lot cheaper than store bought!).

all you need is a food processor (or even just a blender)

and a few ice cube trays.

if you'd like to learn more about what foods

are appropriate for your baby at each age or which foods

you should be careful with or avoid altogether,

check out "super baby food" by ruth yaron.

it is amazingly informative,

lists each fruit and vegetable and what nutrients they contain,

and also has recipes, craft projects and general childcare ideas.

oliver is very much a little foodie already

and i have quickly learned he has his favorites.

i give him fruit (and occasionally baby cereal) in the mornings

and vegetables in the evenings.

so far at 6 months old he is enjoying

apples, pears, bananas and prunes for his fruits.

but his favorite food by far is sweet potatoes.

he also devours butternut squash, zucchini, carrots and peas.

he is hit or miss with avocados.

if i can hide it in with his sweet potatoes he will eat it,

but he unfortunately won't eat those nutrient rich avocados alone.

to make your own homemade baby food,

simply cook the fruit or vegetable of your choice

and puree until smooth.

occasionally you will need to add

a little water to get the right consistency.

then simply spoon the puree into ice cube trays,

cover with foil and freeze!

after the baby food is froze,

just run some hot water on the back of the trays

and the little cubes of baby food will pop right out.

store in a labeled freezer bag until ready to use.

oliver eats three cubes at a time,

this was a dinner of sweet potatoes and zucchini.

and after warming up in the microwave,

those little cubes of baby food turned into a

healthy, homemade meal for my baby!

that is one happy little guy who enjoys his food...
he must take after his daddy :)

super

2012-02-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

a hint of what's to come

for someone's super special

4th birthday party this weekend!

are you ready for a wii bit of fun?

happiness

2012-02-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

"hello, sun in my face.

hello you who made the morning

and spread it all over the fields...
watch, now, how i start the day in happiness, in kindness."
-mary oliver

cloudy with a chance of meatballs

2012-01-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

bee has never really been a fan of pasta

besides the perennial childhood favorite macaroni and cheese.

but the other night i made homemade

turkey pesto meatballs and spaghetti and bee inhaled it!

i have to say it was the best meatballs and spaghetti i've ever made.

this is one recipe that will definitely be going into

our recipe box (or recipe board on pinterest!).

without further ado,

the recipe for turkey pesto meatballs

(original recipe from, http://bakedbree.com/turkey-pesto-meatballs)

ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey breast

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup pesto

1/3 cups parmesan cheese

2 egg whites

directions:

1. mix everything in a bowl and combine well.
2. roll mixture into balls and place on a cooling rack on top

of a foil lined cookie sheet sprayed with pam.

3. bake the meatballs at 375* for 20-25 minutes

4. serve with spaghetti and your favorite tomato sauce!

as bee would say,

"that was an awesome dinner momma!"

lego my lightning

2012-01-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

bee has been on a major

lego kick lately.

and he actually only has

a very few lego blocks that came

in one of the kits for a mario kart motorcycle.

of course he doesn't use the legos

to make a motorcycle.

he takes it apart and reconstructs

the most creative things possible.

the other day it was a submarine that

could drive on the road and go underwater!

for christmas bee got a mega block (large legos) kit to make

the town from the cars movie, radiator springs.

he spends hours in his room each day

building and changing his own version of radiator springs

complete with mater and lightning mcqueen.

he is very proud of his town!

did you notice there is even a frog sitting atop

the garage in bee's radiator springs?

i love to see how he builds and creates

and uses his imagination with his legos.

it is also nice to not have the tv or video games on

and instead watch him being creative.

it's a good thing he's getting a big box of legos

for his birthday next month!

birthday wreath

2012-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

it's almost time for a birthday

here in the bee hive.

and in preparation for birthday season,

i spent some time on pinterest getting a few decorating ideas.

i found the cutest wreath.

a birthday wreath!

i stopped by walmart while i was out

running errands and picked up all the supplies.

came home and put ollie down for a nap

and started my project.

all you need is a 14" straw wreath form (keep in wrapper!)

about 300 balloons in various colors (seriously)

and the same amount of floral pins

then any kind of ribbon, wooden letters, etc.

you want to add to the finished wreath.

these are floral pins,

they are in the floral design area of any craft store

(i've also seen them called "greening pins").

to make this colorful birthday wreath

you need to take a balloon,

thread it through the floral pin and fold it in half

so that the pin is pointing away from the balloon like this...

then stick the pins into the wreath form,

keeping about 1/2"-1" space between the pins.

you want the balloons to kind of fluff up and fill in the gaps.

this is what it will look like at first

in no time at all your wreath will start

filling in with balloons...

i really enjoyed this craft project

and i loved all the bright, happy colors!

this is what the wreath will look like once all

300ish balloons are safely pinned into the wreath form.

i was planning on hanging a small chalkboard

in the middle of the wreath to write the birthday boy's name

but my wreath ended up a bit too full and it wouldn't fit with all the balloons.

so instead i found a wooden script of the word "celebrate" and painted it white.

this way we can use it for more than just birthdays too!

my plan is to bring out this new birthday wreath

for each family member's birthday to celebrate all month long.

i just love how bright and playful it turned out.

what a fun and colorful way to celebrate your special day!

the buzz

2012-01-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

blogging seems to have taken a backseat

these past few weeks.

hitting the elliptical machine during nap time

or painting a birdhouse with bee

seem to take priority instead.

but there have been some recent developments

after ollie's 6 month doctor appointment

that i thought i should document.

everybody who holds ollie

has remarked on how strong he is.

his arms and legs are sturdy they say.

i never gave it much thought,

that was just how my baby's body grew.

but each month we visit our pediatrician for

ollie's well-baby visits she too remarks on how stiff he is,

how rigid his muscles are growing.

she seemed concerned. and that made me concerned.

ollie also hates tummy time,

or any time that he is not firmly ensconced in our arms.

once again, i just assumed he was a spoiled baby

who enjoyed being held by his momma.

because he screams (and screams and screams) any time

i try and do tummy time with him,

or simply put him down to play with some toys,

he still is not rolling over independently.

if he gets mad enough from being on his tummy

he will inadvertently kick his legs in anger

and flip himself over. but never on purpose.

he is also not sitting.

he is so stiff that getting him to bend in half

is akin to a wrestling match with the strong man.

once i can maneuver his stiff body into a sitting position

he can usually sit on his own until big brother distracts him

and he topples over unbalanced.

apparently if you add all these things together,

his stiff limbs and muscles,

his inability to roll or sit independently yet,

they have given our pediatrician reason enough to be concerned.

and therefore, we are concerned.

our pediatrician is sending oliver to a pediatric neurologist.

we are obviously hoping he just has a slight developmental delay

in his motor skills and nothing more serious than that.

but we want to err on the side of caution,

especially because of ollie's history of hydrops while in utero.

we never found out the cause of his hydrops,

all tests concluded that he had no genetic problems

and nothing seemed obviously wrong from the amniocentesis.

so the doctors just assumed it was caused by an infection while in utero.

but our pediatrician wants to make sure that infection did not cause

any brain damage or developmental delay that is manifesting itself now.

so we are on a wait list to get into a pediatric neurologist.

i'm trying not to work myself up too much,

as ollie seems to have reached other milestones on time.

he smiles, giggles, blows raspberries and is eating solid food like a champ!

he's just having a little trouble with his motor skills.

bee too was slow to master his motor skills,

not crawling until 10 months and walking at 14 months.

so i'm hoping ollie is just taking after bee in that regard.

the stiffness is what has me more worried.

we will begin occupational therapy (OT) with ollie this week

in the hopes that it will help to loosen his muscles

and enable him to move easier.

so that's the latest buzz around here.

please keep little ollie in your prayers!

animal house

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

those of who have asked me what bee wants for his 4th birthday next month

(next month i will have a four year old?! how is that possible?)

have heard me respond with, "anything EXCEPT more stuffed animals".

seriously people...our house is over run with animals.

you'd think we had a regular ol' farm here.

so please, i beg of you, NO MORE ANIMALS!

(of the stuffed variety anyways, he does enjoy those hard plastic figurines

that he can line up and be creative with).

and if my begging and pleading aren't enough

to dissuade you from giving bee any more stuffed animals,

please just check out his bed...

there is literally not even room for him to sleep at night!

seriously, how does it get this bad?

i think we need an intervention here.

not for us mind you,

but for our ever generous family

that just can't stop giving bee stuffed animals!

oh, and in case you haven't ventured a look

into the closet in ollie's room,

it too is stacked sky high with stuffed animals.

it's official.

the animals have taken over this house.

(but they make bee so very happy)

(and yes, i realized just how green bee and his bedroom are!)

favorite finds

2012-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

it's time for another

favorite finds!

here are some of my

favorite things right now.

lollia perfume in relax.

it's a wonderful mixture of

vanilla, honey and lavender.

(sold at anthropologie)

because ollie's sleep is...well...

non-existent at this point,

i depend greatly on my

morning cup of coffee.

and i have become a coffee snob

all because of carmel valley coffee.

their foglifter makes my morning a little less...foggy.

and to drink my coffee,

my new favorite coffee mug from anthropologie.

i picked it up a few weeks ago with some christmas money.

it starts off my morning right.

"enjoy the simplest pleasures"

i am addicted to nail polish...

my favorite fall/winter color this season

is essie's "smokin' hot".

it's a deep charcoal gray with a hint of purple.

i have become obsessed with
the band perry.
i love them.
they are country music at it's best.
a little twang, a good story and a catchy tune.
"all my life" is my new favorite song.

and for the boys...

ollie got a couple duplicate christmas gifts

so i returned them to target

and picked up this new toy for him instead.

a skiphop activity dog and

he loves chewing (his version of playing?) on it!

bee got a bucket of medieval knights

complete with catapult, a jail cell and horses for christmas.

he loves to line them up and act out a battle.

(and i love that they are an imaginative toy that

doesn't use batteries and make a ton of noise)

so what are some of your favorite finds lately?

digital growth chart- 6 months

2012-01-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

somehow i've managed to take a picture

of ollie in the same laundry basket

for the past 6 months.

although some months his growth

is not very obvious

i still think it's a pretty cool idea!

so here is oliver

and his monthly growth chart

in this digital era

grow ollie grow!

sweet potato

2012-01-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

a little humor for your monday morning...

thanks to ollie and his love of sweet potatoes

this week on my list of baby foods to make/freeze:

avocado

banana

sweet potato

butternut squash

ollie is turning into quite a little foodie!

real smart

2012-01-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

ugh.

so i was the smart mom

who scheduled shots for each boy

on the same week. just two days apart.

i'll say it again.

ugh.

needless to say,

there have been a lot of

fussy, crabby, crying boys around here.

ollie got his second dose of the dtap

(only because there is an outbreak here in california,

otherwise we would be holding off for a while).

and bee got his last polio, all he needs now is the mmr

and we will be all caught up on his vaccines.

so they are both just a big ball of grumpy messes.

and apparently that wasn't enough torture for the week.

oh no...

i had to go and get sick.

my third cold in three weeks.

seriously?

i'm ready for a break.

i have a screaming baby on my hip

(who has been screaming at me any time

i stop bouncing or sit down)

so i'm just going to sign off for now.

maybe you'll hear from me again.

if i haven't run away from home after all this....

new endeavors

2012-01-11T03:00:00.000-08:00

i have embarked on

a new endeavor this year.

i was recently introduced to the amazing

scentsy products through some friends

and quickly became addicted to the wonderful

home fragrances and beautiful warmers.

so i've decided to become a scentsy consultant!

i have a lot to learn still

and trying to fit in time to work

on something other than my kids and house

is going to be a balancing act.

but i am excited for this opportunity

and hope to introduce more people to the scentsy products.

i love to fill our home with the warmth and fragrance

of each season by using the scentsy warmers and scents.

with over 80 fragrances it is easy to find something that you will enjoy.

and with two little boys around the house

i was always worried about burning a candle...

boys are not the most careful creatures around!

but what sold me on scentsy is that they are a wickless,

safe alternative to scented candles.

they use decorative warmers designed to melt scented wax

with the heat of a light bulb instead of the traditional wick and flame.

january is a special month with scentsy
because it is time for the
"bring back my bar" promotion!
for january only,
these "retired" scents are brought back
for a limited time so stock up while you can.

scentsy also has a special warmer and scent
each month on sale for 10% off.
january's warmer of the month is valentine.

and the january scent of the month is linger;
"pink grapefruit, sugared apple, lavish praline and flirty marshmallow".
perfect for your sweet valentine!

i will keep a link on the blog's sidebar

(over there ---------------------------------------------->)

for my scentsy website or you can email me

if you have any questions!

ollie at 6 months

2012-01-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

oh sweet ollie

how you've GROWN!

at 6 months old:

you still dislike the car

although not as fiercely as before.

you have tried avocados, bananas and sweet potatoes

with your rice cereal...sweet potatoes being the winner so far.

you have the best smile and laugh!

you love your big brother dearly.

you are finally sleeping in your crib,

in your own room at night.

and speaking of sleep,

we aren't getting much of that these days.

actually, momma isn't getting any sleep!

you are awake almost every hour at night and

would rather sleep in my arms instead of your crib.

which would be fine except momma can't sleep sitting in a rocking chair.

i've tried. and i've almost dropped you!

you still seem to be teething

although there are no teeth in sight!

you are getting so big.

you have quickly outgrown most of your clothes

and are now in 9 month pj's.

and i just have to say,
i've never seen a baby who can blow
raspberries like you ollie!
i think it is your favorite thing to do right now.
when you're supposed to be sleeping,
after a mouthful of sweet potatoes,
in the bath when water gets in your mouth,
driving in the car,
you are definitely the raspberry blowing champ.

happy 6 months sweet ollie!
we love you to the moon and back.

ollie

2012-01-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

i can't believe how much ollie has changed

and grown in the past (short) 6 months.

my newborn baby isn't such a newborn anymore!

he is such a happy baby and his smile is adorable.

even when he is grumpy,

bee can usually get him to smile or laugh

with a silly face or funny noise.

ollie is quite spoiled already.

i know, i know...

you can't spoil a baby.

but have you met oliver?

he hates to be put down

and would/will happily observe life

from the comfort of your/my arms.

he is alert and observant of his surrounds

especially when bee is playing video games!

he loves to "play" with bee in his jungle gym

or for a few minutes on a blanket.

his face just lights up when he sees his big brother

and that warms my soul to see them so happy together.

but ollie is growing up much too quickly for me!

he is our last baby (that we've planned anyways)

so i am trying not to hurry up and get to the next stage with him.

bee had such bad reflux, milk/soy allergies and colic as a baby

that i was so ready for him to get out of that newborn stage.

i was looking forward to him growing out of his babyness

and hopefully out of his fussiness.

obviously he has outgrown all (or most of) his troubles,

and i have learned to not constantly look forward to the next thing

but to take the time to enjoy where we are now.

so that is what i am trying to accomplish with ollie.

to be in the here and now with him.

to watch him learn about his world,

to help him when he struggles (through tummy time!),

and to cherish each moment we have with him as a baby.

even the nights he is up every single hour

and all i need is a few more moments of sleep

i know that this will pass all too quickly

and i will look back some day and actually miss it.

miss the hours of rocking a sweet, warm baby in the middle of the night.

miss the days when he actually wants to be in my arms

and not fighting to get down and be on his own.

i am amazed by ollie daily.
he was the baby we were told would
probably not survive birth.
the baby that had swelling in his abdomen,
around his heart and was under intense medical observation.
for him to be here in our lives,
healthy and happy,
and such a perfect little brother for our family
just amazes me.
god answered our prayers
and healed ollie's body.
for that i will forever be grateful
and i will cherish each moment i have with ollie.

super mario

2012-01-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

our staycation last week

turned into a massive sickcation instead.

all of us got hit with some kind of nasty cold.

ollie got his very first cold and

we have quickly learned that he is not

a fan of getting his nose suctioned with the bulb!

(although i don't know who is...)

so needless to say,

we didn't get much done around here.

instead we rested and hung out at home.

watched lots of cartoons and

played even more super mario brothers.

it was not the vacation we had planned

but apparently it is what we needed.

we didn't make it to the zoo or even to the park.

and bee still hasn't tested out his new scooter

(besides on the carpet in the living room!).

but we have time

and an entire year ahead of us.

bee is now completely

obsessed with all things super mario brothers.

he has been playing it on the wii with daddy

most every night after his bath.

and he is surprisingly good.

better than momma!

he has even started to resemble

mario a little bit these days...

his new favorite game is to make believe

his bedroom is a scene from the video game.

bee and daddy act out their parts (mario or luigi)

and they use his green laundry basket as a green pipe,

a stuffed turtle as a turtle shell, a red balloon as a fireball,

a stuffed dragon as yoshi and apparently bee even has

princess peach living in his closet!

quite the imagination he has these days.

he loves super mario brothers

so much that we are even starting to plan

his 4th birthday party as a super mario party.

i have lots of fun ideas for that and we are both looking

forward to his birthday in february!

(next month already?!)

to a new year

2012-01-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

it's that time again.

time to look forward to a new year...

and what a year 2011 was for our family.

a year of heartbreak, answered prayers,

lost loved ones and treasured memories.

as we close this chapter, we look ahead

with anticipation for the new year.

we will take with us lessons learned

and leave behind past failures.

it's a chance to change;

change our outlook,

our attitude,

our lifestyle,

our behavior.

i will look back only long enough

to remember the good times

and the obstacles we overcame.

it is important to learn from the past

yet also strive to make changes for the future.

as this year comes to a close,

i have made my own resolutions for a better 2012.

i resolve to slow down and say "no" when necessary.
i resolve to be in the here and now more often. (hence the need to slow down!)

i resolve to continue my quest for health and wellness.

i resolve to have a more optimistic and happy attitude.

may you have a joyful new year!

(i love those smiles!)

staycation

2011-12-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

we hope our family and friends

had a wonderfully special christmas holiday.

we are still celebrating here!

and daddy has the whole week off

(and lots of things on our "to-do" list!)

so we are going to take advantage of this family time.

i will be taking a little break from blog land.

see you next year!

have yourself a merry little christmas

2011-12-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

merry christmas from bee and ollie!

Its 9:43 pm

2011-12-22T22:02:00.001-08:00

It's 9:43 pm and I'm typing this on the very tiny screen of my iPod while laying in bed. In the dark. And honestly, I really need to go to sleep but I know as soon as I do Ollie will wake up. So instead I write. I have nothing very important to write. Just that today was a very difficult, trying day. I am not the most patient person (shocking, I know). Especially with a screaming baby who will not sleep for anything and a 3 year old who can't seem to make it to the potty in time. It was a frustrating day.

My house looks like a tornado hit. Toys, books, slippers, smashed goldfish crackers liter the floor. I can't seem to ever reach the bottom of the laundry pile. I did manage to scrum the bathtub tonight before Ollie's bath, but that was only because Bee was making funny faces so Ollie wouldn't cry. He will not let me put him down these days. Maybe it's his teeth or he just doesn't feel good, I don't know. I know I should be happy for the chance to snuggle him, but I really need him to start sleeping again. Ollie is only napping for about 20 minutes a day, if I'm lucky. And that makes for one miserable baby. Next week daddy took some vacation time, so we will work on Ollie's sleep situation a bit. Get him sleeping and napping in his crib, in his own room. It's about time. Maybe I'll even get a chance to workout again next week once things slow down.

Sadly with all this craziness I just want Christmas to be over so we can get back to our regular schedule. I'm sick of shopping, wrapping, baking, crowds. There is no holiday cheer today. I just want to take down the twinkling lights, vacuum up all the glitter and pack away the Christmas clutter. I think I need some sleep to chase away my Grinch attitude...

Well, Ollie is still sleeping so I will try to close my eyes too. I'm hoping I can get a few hours of sleep tonight.

the most wonderful day

2011-12-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

christmas eve has always been my favorite day of the year. it's better than my birthday, more relaxing than our hectic christmas morning and full of wonderful family memories from years past. i think christmas eve is my own ghost of christmas past. just thinking of christmas eve evokes memories of my hometown, the farm i grew up on and my grandparent's house. i can see the thick fog rolling in and blanketing the vineyards around the farm in a peaceful, serene silence. our very own version of a white christmas.

but step inside nama and papa's house and that silence is replaced with laughter and joyful christmas cheer. a patchwork quilt of family and friends that all gather together in celebration of christ's birth, reminiscing family memories and the enjoyment of good food. there is never a stranger among us on christmas eve and friends are treated with the same familiar teasing as their presents are stolen out from underneath their watchful eyes during the annual gift exchange. the laughter and noise and warmth of the evening is like an encompassing hug from a cousin you only see at holidays. no other day of the year can compare to the magic of christmas eve. it's like a thousand twinkling christmas tree lights dancing around the room, the night just shimmers and glows with holiday cheer.

but this year will be different. this year those magical twinkling lights might be dulled a bit by tears. the laughter might be a little quieter and the food missing that one special ingredient. this year papa will not be with us. the first holiday season is always the hardest after losing a loved one. their presence an obvious absence amidst the otherwise joyful day. papa was always at the heart of our christmas eve celebrations; stoking the fire, telling jokes, sneaking a taste of the food (and always offering us a bite too!), ensuring everyone's cup was full and smile was bright. papa will definitely be missed this christmas eve, as he has been every day. but he would want the party to go on, the celebration of christ's birth and family togetherness an important one.

and so this year we will cherish the past as well as look forward cheerfully; to a new year, to oliver's first christmas and to the joys and discoveries in our children's eyes this holiday season. our memories of christmas eve's past will always hold a special place in our hearts, right along side our papa.

(ollie and i stopped by the cemetery the other day before picking bee up from preschool. papa's gravestone was covered up with pine needles and the grass littered with errant pine cones. ollie sat and blew raspberries while i gathered the pine cones and placed them around papa's gravestone. i think he'd appreciate my little gift of nature.)

crafty bee

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

WARNING:

if you are a grandparent or great-grandparent

please do not proceed reading today

or you will ruin a christmas

surprise that bee made especially for you!

ok...

i'm assuming we can proceed now.

are we sure there are no snoopy

grandparents still around?

bee and i have been working on a christmas craft project.

they turned out super cute

so i thought i would share before christmas

in case our readers still needed a cute, handmade,

kid-friendly, crafty gift idea.

this craft project will probably work best

with kids a little older and in control of their hand movements

(unlike ollie who hits himself in the face while trying to chew on his toys).

all you need are some pretty ball ornaments,

some acrylic craft paint in various colors,

paint brushes in various sizes

and a kid.

yes, the kid is necessary for this project!

if you couldn't tell from the previous pictures,

the white blobs painted on the ornament

are actually bee's hand print!

we painted his hand white

and then he basically just grabbed the ornament

and made sure to press his fingers tightly around it.

the fingers from his hand print look like little snowmen!

after the white paint dried,

we just added some eyes, hats, scarves, carrot noses

and button eyes to finish off our snowmen.

they are super cute, handmade, and so easy!

bee had fun making them and i'm sure the grandparents

will love them (we hope so!).

who's who...

2011-12-17T03:00:00.000-08:00

i was playing around with some old photos the other day....

and i've discovered that my boys are all daddy.

you are the author

2011-12-15T06:22:00.000-08:00

i've always wanted to be a writer; to have that special talent of taking otherwise simple, insignificant words and creating something magical and moving out of them. to be able to inspire people by the words i weave together and the stories they create. i always say i'll start my novel some day. some day when i have free time (what is that?) to actually think about what is coming from my mind and through my fingers flying across the keyboard.

the other day i was reading another "mommy blog" (apparently we have a name!) and the writer made a point that really stuck with me. she said that we (parents, mothers, fathers, grandparents) are the author of our children's story, writing memories and elements of their character every day. as the author it's our job to make it meaningful and give them wonder.

and i realized my some day is now. i am writing my novel, through my children instead of on the pages of a computer screen. i am telling a story, a story of wonder and traditions and love. a story that is seen through the lives of my children.

holiday traditions (actually all family traditions) are so important to me because they tell the story of our past. they remind us of family and where we come from. traditions speak history through actions. that's why at the end of the night, once i've finally got the boys fast asleep in their warm and cozy beds, dreaming of tree frogs and race cars, i start working on writing the next chapter in their storybook. as tired as i usually am by then, the thought of seeing that little smile on bee's face as he calls alfie a "silly little elf" and watch his mind wonder how alfie got up on the ceiling fan to pretend to be superman makes it all worth it. to see the wonder and magic on my children's faces is enough to keep me writing their story and striving to make it meaningful.

it's our job as the author to fill their pages with wonder, with special memories. sure it takes a lot of work, a lot of effort put into making their storybooks memorable, but isn't that our job? our children are only small for a little while. they are only innocent to these magical wonders for a short time before santa becomes just a symbol of the holidays instead of the real deal living up in the north pole. but the memories that we fill their books with will live forever. their character is being made with each cup of hot cocoa on christmas eve, with each morning they hunt for their elf, with the twinkling of christmas tree lights and the celebration of family traditions.

as we write their story we are giving importance to imagination, the sense of wonder, the love of family and the history of traditions. everything our parents imparted in us and in turn our children will hopefully pass on someday. so i will continue to write their story, to make it meaningful. because this the most important story i will ever write.

digital growth chart- month 5

2011-12-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

here we grow again!

i can't imagine ollie being able to still fit
in that same laundry basket when he's a year old!

elf stories

2011-12-12T03:00:00.000-08:00

as i wrote in a previous post,

we have a new christmas tradition

that we started this year with bee (and eventually ollie).

g.g. (great grandma) got the boys their very own

elf on the shelf: a christmas tradition.

if you've never heard of this tradition

the idea is that santa sends out his elves to children's homes

to keep watch and see who is naughty or nice.

each night the elves report back to santa in the north pole

and then return to the house each morning in a new spot.

if the children misbehave

their elves will report their bad behavior back to santa

and might not be quite so playful the next morning.

our elf, alfie, has been very mischievous this year.

he made a special north pole breakfast for bee

the first night he came to town,

complete with a mini tree he decorated

and special "snow" donuts (powder sugar)

and hot cocoa with snowballs (marshmallows).

other nights he's gone fishing with goldfish crackers,

drew a red nose and reindeer antlers on the glass

front of a framed picture of bee (with dry erase markers!),

he had a snowball (marshmallow) fight against spiderman and jessie,
he stole woody's cowboy hat and took a ride on bee's rocking horse,
dressed up like superman and flew around the dining room,
camped out in the little people nativity set,
he made bee christmas cookies,
he turned the milk green and "chilled" in the fridge
and he even caught bee's cold!

we have such a silly and mischievous
little elf this year!
it takes a lot of work for this "elf" each night
but bee is loving this tradition.
every day he asks me,
"i wonder what alfie is going to do tonight?"

nutella-mallow pastries

2011-12-11T10:13:00.001-08:00

i had to share a recipe

i made this morning.

i found it on pinterest (of course).

the original link can be found here.

bee has been obsessed

(to put it mildly)

with nutella lately.

so i thought he would love these.

i was wrong,

apparently he doesn't like

the pastry texture.

but daddy and i both

thought they were amazing!

first you need a box of

refrigerated puff pastry.

roll out two sheets and cut each

sheet into four equal squares.

then take one heaping tablespoon of nutella

and spread in the middle of each pastry square.

then top with 5-8 mini marshmallows.

fold the puff pastry into triangles

and crimp the edges closed with the tines of a fork.

then brush the triangles with an egg white wash

and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

bake at 350* for about 22 minutes

(our oven runs a bit hot, you might need longer).

after they are baked,

sprinkle with powered sugar.

these were so good and so easy...

you can't go wrong with nutella and marshmallows!

now go and make them for your family,

they will think you're the best mom ever :)

5 months

2011-12-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

where has the time gone

little man?

you are no more newborn baby,

instead you have grown into a little guy

who smiles and laughs and even roars

to let us know his likes and dislikes.

at 5 months old

you are really starting to teeth.

you put everything in your mouth

and chew on your fingers constantly.

you are very interested in people food,

you stare at us at dinner time just begging

for a bite of our food!

you have started eating rice cereal

and love it so much that you cry in protest

when the bowl is finished.

you've even tried a mashed avocado

in your cereal and seem to love it just as much

as your big brother did.

you still hate the car unfortunately.

you scream and turn bright red as soon

as we start driving, especially at night time.

we really hope you grow out of that stage very soon.

you are fascinated with your big brother.

he loves to make silly faces trying to get you to smile,

and you never disappoint!

you have the sweetest smile and your laugh

is absolutely adorable.

most of the time you startle yourself

when you laugh out loud.

this month your sleep schedule is less than ideal.

you have started waking up about every 1-2 hours at night.

you don't necessarily want/need to nurse,

you just can't seem to get yourself back to sleep

because you are blowing raspberries or kicking your feet.

it takes many hours of bouncing, rocking and shushing

you back to sleep each night.

you are still napping in your swing

in your bedroom during the day.

the rocking seems to sooth you enough

that occasionally you will nap for longer than an hour.

you are just starting to tolerate tummy time.

you don't start screaming until after a few minutes now.

some times you start kicking your feet because you are mad

and have even rolled over by doing that!

you have a look of surprise on your face

and don't seem to know whether you are happy or upset

that you rolled yourself onto your back.

you still very much prefer to be held and momma's arms

are definitely getting a workout every day!

we love you to the moon and back ollie.

you are a joy to our family and can't wait to see

what adventures your life holds.

again

2011-12-06T07:02:00.001-08:00

bee is sick.

again.

momma is sick.

of bee being sick again!

bee spiked a fever yesterday.

totally abnormal for him.

he was lethargic, just laying on the couch

wrapped up in a blanket because he had chills too.

he never lays down on the couch.

he jumps on the couch or runs around

the couch but never just lays on the couch.

his fever finally broke last night.

his nose is a bit stuffy and his awful cough

is back with a vengeance.

he is missing school.

again.

and we are missing daddy.

i don't think i take him for granted.

daddy is a huge help around here with the kids.

and i (we) sure miss him when he is gone working.

bee woke up this morning and

the first thing he said,

"daddy will be home in two days?"

boys rule

2011-12-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

i'm completely outnumbered

in this household of

three loud, dirty and smelly boys.

or three sweet, kindhearted and loving boys

depending on the day.

either way,

the boys rule this home.

there are no doll houses and demure little ladies around here.

oh no.

we have castles with dragons and brave knights instead.

and i wouldn't have it any other way.

our journey as a family is still in the beginning stage.

and i'm sure it will be a rough and tumble sort of journey

with these two little boys who call me momma.

but i am lucky to have such a wonderful partner in their daddy.

he is such a hands on daddy.

one who loves to wrestle on the floor with bee

and play video games after baths.

he snuggles with ollie as he falls asleep

and can always make him smile.

i am thankful to be outnumbered in this house.

because these three boys have my heart,

now and forever.

christmas tradition

2011-12-02T03:00:00.000-08:00

i'm proud to say

that i am trying my hardest

to continue to carry on my family's

special christmas traditions.

one of my very favorite christmas traditions

involves trees, lights, ornaments, christmas music

and yummy melted cheese!

when we were younger we used to decorate

the christmas tree as a family,

with christmas music playing,

reminiscing about the different handmade ornaments

and fighting over who got to put the angel on the tree top.

after making the christmas tree perfect from every angle

and all the holiday decorations placed around the rest of the house,

my mom would make a special fondue dinner.

we'd lay out a blanket on the living room floor

right in front of the newly decorated christmas tree,

play the amy grant christmas album,

break out the sparkling apple cider,

pick our favorite color fondue stick

and eat dinner right there in front of the tree as a family.

it was/is a perfect christmas tradition

and i want to continue it for my family too!

luckily daddy would never say no to a meal of melted cheese

so we had our own little fondue night after decorating our tree last weekend.

in the end it was a pretty successful night.

bee only ate the little smokies and bread,

i overcooked the veggies in my attempt to get

everything finished at the same time,

i forgot the sparkling apple cider

and we could tinker with the fondue pot for next year.

but most importantly we made memories and

are carrying on a special family christmas tradition.

10 things

2011-11-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

10 randomly awesome things about bee the 3 year old:

10. he is loves to learn about animals.

snails, whales, squirrels...doesn't matter. he wants to know.

9. he has the kindest heart for other kids.

he misses his school friends if they are out sick.

he worries about jonah when he is put in time out at school.

he wants to hug and kiss oliver and loves cousin zoe to death.

8. i'm amazed by what i can get him to eat

simply by telling him to be more like "sam i am"

and less like the "cat in the hat" from dr seuss's green eggs and ham.

7. and speaking of eating,

bee will seriously eat his weight in edamame.

he asks to go to "sushi restaurant" at least once a week

because he wants edamame and "big fries" (vegetable tempura!)

6. he loves the great outdoors.

bee would spend all day every day outside if i let him.

hunting snails, digging for worms, chasing the cats,

picking flowers, finding the perfect red leaf, taking nature walks...

5. lately bee has become obsessed with the wii

and rocks at playing video games.

his current favorite is mario kart and he is surprisingly good.

(and much more coordinated than his momma)

4. he remembers everything!

even if he hears something just once this kid will remember it.
it doesn't matter if its the fact that monarch butterflies
migrate 3,000 miles each year from canada to mexico (seriously)
or the words to his favorite book.
he will remember and tell you later.

3. he loves to dress up and play make-believe.
bee is very creative.
he has a few boxes of old halloween costumes
that he plays with daily.
some days he's super why or buzz lightyear or toothless (a dragon).

2. i think bee is going to be some type of engineer.
he loves to put things together and take things apart.
he builds the best block garages for his cars
and rearranges his train table daily.
he just likes to see how things work!

1. he is obsessed with cars.
he knows the names of his cars.
he pretends to be cars. he races around the living room
and makes his own race tracks.
he even asked me for a mustang the other day.
because apparently all 3 year olds drive mustangs!

we love you 3 year old bee!

trimming the tree

2011-11-28T03:00:00.000-08:00

over the weekend

we had lots of good family time.

since bee was still a bit under the weather

we didn't want to do too much or be around

a lot of people.

so we spent the weekend getting the christmas

decorations up and trimming our tree.

in my usual fashion,

i found the ugliest tree at the christmas tree lot.

it was bald in spots, completely crooked

and just perfect for us!

bee and i spent all day saturday

turning that ugly duckling of a christmas tree

into a beautiful swan.

we strung twinkle lights,

wrapped it in festive red ribbon,

hung bright red and green balls

and handmade ornaments all around it.

bee kept telling me that santa

was going to love our christmas tree

because it was so beautiful.

it was nice to have some one on one time

with just him while ollie napped the afternoon away.

not only did we get the house sparkling with christmas decor

but we also got a rare chance to talk and spend time together

without me having to constantly stop him to go take care of ollie.

it was a nice weekend

of christmas cheer and family traditions.

this holiday season is starting out bright!

elf on the shelf

2011-11-26T21:18:00.001-08:00

we have a little friend

visiting our house for the holidays...

his name is alfie

and he is part of a new tradition

we are starting this year!

he's been hard at work tonight

making the house festive.

bee has a special north pole breakfast

waiting for him when he wakes up in the morning

(powder sugar donuts and hot cocoa with marshmallows!)

can't wait to see what kind of

mischief little alfie will make this holiday season.

a thanksgiving curve ball

2011-11-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

i was thrown a curve ball

when we realized bee was sick again

and we would not get to celebrate thanksgiving

with our extended families yesterday.

i knew i would be in charge

of our own small thanksgiving meal together

as a new family of four.

i also knew i had never cooked a turkey before

and i would be in way over my head!

but it was thanksgiving.

oliver's first thanksgiving and

we had so much to celebrate this year.

so i summoned the spirit of ina garten

(my hero, the barefoot contessa)

and managed to put a respectable thanksgiving

meal on the table.

sadly, not everything was made from scratch,

but i was happy with what i accomplished.

our menu consisted of:

roast (11 lb!) turkey,

mashed potatoes and homemade gravy

green bean casserole,

stuffing,

brown sugar acorn squash

rolls

and for dessert, brownies with vanilla bean ice cream

(no pumpkin pie since i am the only one who eats those!)

bee ate his weight in bread and butter (only)

and ollie sat in his highchair laughing at us.

daddy seemed to enjoy his meal

and i was just happy nobody was crying.

we hope you all enjoyed your day with family.

we sure missed our extended family

but did enjoy our quiet time together.

bee and daddy played video games and

i actually got to read a book while ollie napped.

it was a day full of thanksgiving.

thanksgiving

2011-11-24T03:00:00.000-08:00

it's thanksgiving.

so it's time for the obligatory

post about all that i am thankful for this year.

but really,

this whole year has been one long

i am thankful for... post.

it's been a year of counting our blessings

when our world was turned upside down,

of thanking god for his protection and gift of healing,

of rejoicing in the true miracle of life

and treasuring our family.

i could make a list of all that i am thankful for.

or i could just continue to live

each day as we have this year,

full of gratitude for our many blessings.

i want to learn from everything we have

gone through during this year.

learn to never take things for granted,

to cherish our short time on earth together,

make memories to last a lifetime,

and continue traditions to pass on to our children.

today i hope your heart is as full of gratitude

as your stomach will be of the thanksgiving meal!

sorry

2011-11-22T12:07:00.001-08:00

sorry readers,

but i just haven't been

in a blogging mood lately.

between a teething baby

who needs (wants) to be in my arms

all day and all night long

and a behaviorally challenged 3 year old

who has come down with his second cold

in as many weeks,

i am not left with much to give.

my body is giving out.

whether from too much exercise

and not enough sleep

or just from the general i'm-a-run-down-mom syndrome.

add in the holiday season, researching new preschools

and trying to get back in shape and i'm out of time by the end of the day.

so i'm sorry....

things will slow back down again soon i'm sure.

or someone will give me a break

and not need something for long enough

for me to catch my breath again.

be back soon!

baptism

2011-11-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

oliver was baptized saturday

at holy spirit catholic church.

i just wanted to share a few pictures...

thank you to everyone who came out

to celebrate ollie's life.

we appreciate the love and support of our family!

i know it must be getting close

to the holiday season

because i have a to-do list

a mile long.

today we are off to visit

a new preschool for bee.

he "outgrows" his current in home preschool

once he turns 4 years old in february.

it will be very sad to leave miss julie

because bee loves her and his school friends so much.

but we are excited to make new friends

and see what the future holds!

thankful

2011-11-19T03:00:00.000-08:00

we have a busy weekend ahead of us.

it might be crazy busy,

but we so much to be thankful for.

today oliver is getting baptized.

our friends and family will join us

in celebrating oliver's life and giving thanks

to god for blessing our lives with our sweet boy.

and on sunday we are celebrating

thanksgiving a few days early with nama and family.

it will be difficult this year without papa.

i've been missing papa a lot lately

with the holidays just around the corner.

but i am so very thankful for the time we had with him,

the memories that are living within us and

the traditions that are being passed down to our children.

we have so much to be thankful for this year.

a seussical day

2011-11-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

bee has developed a new found love

for all things dr. seuss.

lately he can be found with a stack

of dr. seuss books during quiet time.

his favorites are in a people house, green eggs and ham,

and go dog go!

in fact,

when i read him

go dog go! before bed at night

he usually reads it along with me

because he has it mostly memorized!

i'm so glad bee seems to have

developed the same love of books as his daddy and i.

i guess it helps that he is surrounded by them

and he sees us reading too.

i just can't seem to go inside a bookstore

without picking up a new book for him.

just last week i got him a new dr. seuss book,

oh the places you'll go.

it'll be part of a special project that will be 15 years in the making.

i'm hoping to get it started this week and i'll be sure

to post about it here too!

my little foodie

2011-11-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

we gave oliver some rice cereal

for the first time this week!

he has been watching us like a hawk

during dinner lately so i thought he might be interested.

and he was. kind of.

i think he'll love it once he figures

out that his tongue isn't supposed to push

the food out of his mouth.

ollie also needs to keep his fingers out of his mouth

if he ever wants to actually eat any food.

i think he's teething (already!).

this little guy is just growing up too fast.

next thing you know he'll be asking for a mustang

just like his 3 year old brother did yesterday...

i {heart} trader joe's

2011-11-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

it's true....

i {heart} trader joe's

oh so much!

and i'm so lucky that

there is a beautiful new store

just down the street from us.

i could wander the aisles of TJ's

and get lost amidst their healthy, organic goodness.

i'm always in search of new items to try.

so please share some of your favorites with me!

our family's favorite TJ's goodies:

cinnamon almonds (bee just ate all mine!)

orange chicken

fresh green beans

frozen edamame (for bee)

frozen fire roasted corn (for my corn chowder, yum)

hummus of every flavor under the sun

sugar snap peas

organic zucchini

fresh basil plant

crushers in apple, carrot and banana (bee loves them!)

ABC crackers

cinnamon graham crackers

peanut butter granola bars

spicy chai

and i'm stalking their frozen food section

for their chocolate ice cream made from coconut milk

(i think they might have discontinued it :( )

good thing most of what we get

is diet friendly...

or i'd be in big trouble!

asilomar beach

2011-11-13T20:37:00.001-08:00

we had a nice little escape to

the beach this weekend.

a vacation from real life for just

long enough to enjoy our toes in the sand

and the cool ocean breeze in our hair.

i think the best day we had

was just spending time at a little secluded cove at asilomar beach.

we stopped at the fishwife's for an amazing

lunch of fresh seafood and then ventured on to the beach.

bee enjoyed running, yelling and just being

a typical boy for a while

and ollie spent most of the beach time napping.

we found hermit crabs, sand crabs and lots of seaweed.

the tide was going out after the storm we had

and the beach was littered with beautiful driftwood.

i could have stayed there in that little cove for hours just enjoying

the peace and quiet of asilomar beach.

i miss our ocean view already...

rainy days in monterey

2011-11-12T06:45:00.001-08:00

we ventured over to the coast

for a few days of vacation.

it's been raining here

so we haven't done too much

other than visit the monterey bay aquarium

and relaxing in front of the fireplace

with mugs of hot cocoa.

we're hoping the sun comes out later today

so we can head to the beach!

digital growth chart

2011-11-10T06:58:00.000-08:00

we've added another month

to our digital growth chart of oliver!

i know every mother says it,

but i seriously can't believe how fast

our little ollie is growing.

he isn't quite so little anymore!

4 months

2011-11-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

our sweet oliver is four months old.

four months of infectious smiles,

listening to him giggle in his sleep,

tiny fingers grasping my own,

crazy cowlicky baby hair,

loud, piercing baby screeches,

witnessing that special brotherly love

and celebrating our incredible blessings.

ollie is the last piece of the puzzle that makes our family complete.

we are happy and so very thankful to have him in our lives.

i can't wait to watch our two boys grow up together,

dig in the garden searching for worms,

tossing a baseball to each other,

sneaking cookies when they think

i'm not looking.

it is an exciting adventure
to watch our two little boys grow up.
oliver is such a blessing to our family
and we love him so very much.
we learn more about him
and his peaceful personality every day.

his eyes are turning a deeper blue
and his hair is taking on a reddish tone.
while he lives up to his name meaning of peaceful
(like the olive tree),
he also has a fiery side to his personality.
he is loud. very much so in fact.
he is learning to test out his voice
and seems to be in competition with bee to see
who can screech the absolute loudest!
he sounds like a baby pterodactyl these days.
i'll come running because he sounds like he's hurt
and instead i'll find him giggling and smiling at my concern.
like he's saying,
"nothing to worry about momma,
i just wanted to see how loud i could screech!"

such is life with two boys i suppose.
and i wouldn't have it any other way.

happy 4 months oliver.
we love you baby bug!

ollie's 4 month stats:
14.6 lbs
25"

bee's 4 month stats:
15 lbs
26.5"

zip a dee doo dah

2011-11-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

my oh my,

what a wonderful day!

plenty of sunshine

heading my way.

zip a dee doo dah

zip a dee eh!

rawr!

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

rawr is

"i love you"

in dinosaur.

and bee sure loves his little brother.

so much so
that it has been very difficult
keeping bee away from ollie this weekend.
bee seems to have caught a cold.
i took him in to urgent care yesterday afternoon
because he said his throat hurt
and that usually means strep throat for him.
but the doctor on call said it was just a virus at this point.
nothing much we can do besides let it run it's course.
we just need to be extra careful to keep bee away from ollie
so he doesn't get sick too.
of course we would get sick right before
we've planned to spend a few days at the beach.

hopefully with some rest this week bee will be back
to running laps as lightning mcqueen again soon!

tweet tweet

2011-11-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

bee seems to have taken

after his momma in the bird watching.

he loves birds and constantly points them out to us.

so i thought he would like to make

a special craft project that he can

share with his little feathered friends!

the other day we made peanut butter bird feeders.

all you need is one empty toilet paper roll,

some peanut butter, bird seed and string.

cover your empty toilet paper roll

with lots and lots of peanut butter

don't forget to take a taste test!

then cover the peanut butter with bird seed

after we made the bird feeder,

we took it outside to hang in the tree

just in front of bee's bedroom window so he

could sit and watch his bird friends enjoy his project.

happy hunting birdies!

how do i love thee?

2011-11-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

how do i love thee, kale?

let me count the ways...

oh, you thought this was a

love note to daddy?

i'll save those for private.

no, this is my love note to that leafy,

green, nutrient rich vegetable i love so much.

kale!

i know i've written about one

of our favorite snacks (kale chips) before.

but i've been on a search for new ways to cook up

one of my favorite foods.

oh course there is the ever popular zuppa toscana soup (be still my heart).

but that isn't really the healthiest way to eat kale

since the soup is rich with potatoes and cream.

so i combed the internet, reading recipe blogs

and searching pinterest for some kale inspiration.

and i found it (and tweaked it),

a wonderful new recipe to enjoy kale.

kale pasta.

(made healthier by using whole wheat pasta)

it's super easy and so tasty,

even daddy said so!

for my kale pasta i used:

whole wheat penne pasta

mild italian sausage

1/2 an onion

some diced garlic

some olive oil

a lemon

a large bunch of kale

shredded parmesan cheese

red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

cook pasta according to package directions.

saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft,

then add sausage and brown.

add salt and pepper and red pepper flakes (if you like a little spice).

when sausage is almost finished cooking,

add the bunch of kale to the pot and put the lid on

so it steams the kale (might need to add a tiny bit of water).

the kale will wilt down to about half its size

and turn a dark green after about 15 minutes,

that's when you know its done.

then add the juice of a lemon and a handful of shredded parmesan cheese

and mix the meat/kale into the pasta.

add a drizzle of olive oil if needed.

and it's as easy as that!

a haunting

2011-11-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

we went a haunting

through the neighborhood last night...

the jack-o-lanterns were carved, candles were lit, spiced cider simmered in the crockpot,

the kid donned their costumes, the cameras were slung over shoulders,

the baby was strapped into the ergo, cousins met up with each other on the front lawn

and a sign was hung on our front door declaring,

"we took the kids out trick or treating,

be back soon to hand out candy!"

little did we know last year when we moved into this house

how awesomely spooktacular this neighborhood

is at celebrating halloween.

we crept by 2 story tall frankenstein's,

were blinded by flashing strobe lights,

walked through a thick haze from smoke machines,

greeted ghosts, witches, goblins, baseball players and even a president obama,

experienced a haunted pirate ship and multiple haunted houses.

our neighborhood rocked halloween this year!

as much as bee enjoyed haunting the neighborhood

with his best buddies jackson and zoe,

he had even more fun handing out candy with daddy

to all the boys and girls who came to our door dressed in wild costumes.

he greeted a boy dressed as superman as casually as could be,

"happy halloween superman!", as if he met superheros every day.

i expected bee to be timid and a bit scared

of such a wild and over-stimulating holiday

but he sure surprised me yesterday.

maybe it was because he had jackson by his side

but he walked right up to each house and rang the doorbell

(regardless of teenaged girls running away from the house screaming!)

waiting to say "trick or treat!" and hold out his candy bag.

bee sure is growing up quickly into a little boy.

a little boy who enjoys dressing up,

loves chocolate m&m's,

and adores his cousins.

hope your halloween was a haunting

night of sneaking chocolate, scary goblins and

making spooky memories.

happy halloween

2011-10-31T03:00:00.000-07:00

happy halloween

from our little tiger and scary dinosaur!

just shoot me!

2011-10-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

i'm so excited,

we're having a family

photo shoot this afternoon!

an old high school classmate

of mine is an awesome photographer

and we've got her booked for family pictures

in a grassy field at sunset tonight with antique crates

and a very old family traveling trunk.

i can't wait to see how

dani mac works her magic!

check out her work at http://danimacphotography.com

sit ollie!

2011-10-28T03:00:00.000-07:00

look who's sitting up!

(in the bumbo chair at least).

ollie has been struggling

to sit up on his own for a few days now.

he will even try to sit up in his sleep!

we haven't been getting much sleep lately

with the teething combined with ollie wanting

to practice rolling over and sitting up.

he will be fast asleep and then suddenly

lift his legs up and try to sit up!

that of course wakes him up.

but he apparently thinks he's 6 months old and

gets very frustrated when he can't just sit up on his own.

so i thought he'd like the bumbo chair

and he sure does!

especially when big brother

sits down next to him and tries to play with him.

now if i could just get ollie to practice his tummy time...

the cutest thing ever

2011-10-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

i love those sweet giggles!

great grandma's house and the pumpkin patch

2011-10-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

we spent some time this weekend at great grandma's house

celebrating her birthday with the family.

bee sure had fun playing with new toys

and ollie was a sleepy head.

both boys were happy to see their

extended family and get hugs and kisses!

then on the way home we stopped off

at vossler farms pumpkin patch

to let bee search for the perfect pumpkin.

he was having quite the time running wild through

the quickly emptying pumpkin field

and checking out the beautiful sunflowers popping up

between the orange and white pumpkins.

now if only it would cool off

so it felt a little more like fall around here!

a gourd weekend

2011-10-24T03:00:00.000-07:00

we had a ~~gourd~~ good weekend...

but we're off to soccer class now so i will

leave you with a sneak peek!

be back with a full post as soon

as i catch up a little around this house.

lesson learned

2011-10-22T21:08:00.000-07:00

i've been thinking a lot

about the trials we've been through

as a family this past year.

i've missed the twins we lost

and wondered what life would be like with them.

but then i remember that oliver wouldn't be here with us.

i've thought about everything we went through

during my pregnancy with ollie;

his hydrops diagnosis and how that literally changed our lives.

i've wondered why we had to go through that pain.

and i've looked back on that time of hopelessness

to see what i've learned from it;

how it's changed me as a person, as a wife, as a mother.

now that we have ollie here with us,

healthy, happy and safe,

it is easier to push those feelings aside.

but it was a dark time for me.

feeling the kicks inside your womb

of a baby that you were told would probably die

before you ever got the chance to meet them

is one of the most hopeless feelings in the world.

to feel your baby move inside and wonder

if you'll ever feel those fingers grasp your own,

or be able to look into your baby's eyes and see hope for their future.

but i learned just how strong

we can truly be in the face of such hardship.

i learned that there is nothing i won't do to protect my children.

i learned that prayer really does make a difference.

i learned that miracles can happen.

and i've learned to cherish each and every day

we have on earth with our children.

life passes by so quickly and

we rush through each day without taking the time

to really be thankful for that little voice calling for us at 5am,

or to remember the way they look as we rock them

to sleep for the 5th time in an hour,

or the endless stories they tell us when they should

be eating their dinner.

nothing is more important in our lives

than our family and children.

they give us a reason to get up each morning.

their love helps ease our own struggles.

and their sticky little hand in ours

makes us cherish these all too fleeting moments together.

TGIF

2011-10-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

thank goodness it's friday.

seriously.

yesterday was a doozy.

i was screamed at all day long by two little boys.

a teething mess of a 3 month old

and a tantrum throwing overly tired 3 year old.

despite the all day scream fest,

they are pretty darn cute.

so happy it's the weekend,

for the extra family time with daddy

and because halloween is just around the corner!

(and possibly a trip to the pumpkin patch this weekend)

hunting snails

2011-10-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

i feel bad for bee.

his life has been turned upside down

in the past 3 months both positive and negatively.

he obviously loves his baby brother

but everything we do (or don't do)

revolves around oliver's sleeping and eating schedule.

we can't just head out to the zoo for the afternoon

or take a quick walk to the park on a whim.

so yesterday after i (finally) got ollie down for a nap

i told bee we could go outside and hunt snails.

and boy, that sure made his day!

bee loves snails.

almost as much as the color green

and his beloved frogs.

just take a peek and see...

(the snails love our agapanthus plant. there were literally dozens for him to find!)

i love how he studies them...

i'd say it was a successful snail hunt!

drool

2011-10-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

oh no.

do you see what i see?

fingers in mouth.

drool on shirt.

pained look on face.

it can only mean one thing: teething.

i didn't want to believe oliver

could be teething at only 3 months old.

especially since bee didn't get his

first tooth until he was 10 months old.

but i can't ignore the signs any longer (or the crying!).

the little things

2011-10-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

i'm trying to just

enjoy the little things.

because time passes us by

so very quickly.

it's easy to remember

the big things.

a baby's first step,

a loved one's sweet smile,

the tradition of christmas morning,

the grasp of a newborn's hand,

mom's home cooked family meals.

but we don't always take the time

to enjoy the little things.

the little things that make life sweet.

the brilliant pink sunrise,

the sound of geese flying low overhead,

the giggles coming from ollie as he sleeps,

the perfect cup of coconut coffee on nama's patio,

listening to bee as he races his matchbox cars around the room,

the cool autumn air coming through the kitchen window.

it's those little things that make our

memories so special, so alive.

there will always be pictures

of the first day of school.

but what about that hug from your child

as they hesitantly walked away from your familiar arms

and into a classroom full of new ideas, new people.

that little hug and a ruffle of their hair

is that little thing i want to remember.

there is no place for that in the baby books,

or in the photo albums.

i'm going to enjoy the little things.

the stolen hug.

one last bedtime story.

a sleepy toothless grin.

because those are what make my days so sweet.

digital growth chart

2011-10-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

i saw this idea on pinterest

(i know, i know...addicted!)

and knew i had to try it out with ollie.

so here is the start of our

digital growth chart.

all it took was a laundry basket to use as a size comparison.

let's just hope i can remember

to take our "laundry basket" picture every month!

now i'm just wondering
why ollie looks biggest in his 2 month picture?

october 15th

2011-10-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

october 15th

is pregnancy and infant loss

remembrance day.

not that we need a

day set apart to remember,

that kind of loss is forever engraved

on our hearts.

we will always remember

our lost babies.

and wonder who they might have been

or what color eyes they would have had.

they will live forever,

even if just in our hearts.

adorable

2011-10-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

these two boys

are seriously adorable.

they melt my heart.

and i love how much they love

each other already.

i think they will be best buddies for life.

man in the moon

2011-10-13T10:11:00.000-07:00

"the man in the moon,

looked out of the moon,

looked out of the moon and said,

'tis time for all children on the earth,

to think about getting to bed."

to see bee quiet and calm

is such a rare occurrence i had to document it.

he doesn't slow down often these days;

he is so full of rambunctious three year old energy!

bed time is one of my favorite times of the day

(and not because they are finally going to sleep!)

because bee is usually so sweet and cuddly.

somewhere deep inside all that wild and crazy

there rests a nurturing old soul.

oh how i love my little bee.

soccer mom

2011-10-12T14:39:00.000-07:00

apparently i'm a soccer mom again.

bee started up his indoor soccer class again last week.

we had to take a little break when

i was put on bed rest and when ollie was born.

but now he's ready to get back into it!

the class he goes to is a "mommy and me"

for 2-3 year olds.

he probably should have moved up to

the next class because he

is the biggest kid there

and i think gets a little bored

because he knows exactly what they

are going to do each week.

but it's good for him because there

is room for him to just run,

which we all know he loves to do.

here is a video of bee doing the "obstacle course"

and another fun video of bee making

a soccer ball tower in class this week!

i can't wait until he's ready to playreal soccer games.

i'm sure it will be hilarious to watch!

iLove

2011-10-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

i love apple products.

my macbook was (and still is)

my favorite.

i just wish it still had room

to store all my photos.

i might have just a little problem with taking

too many photos though.

what can i say,

i have cute kids!

apparently i'm not the only
one in our house that loves their apple technology.
bee has been listening to papa's old iPod
with all his old music on it.
i haven't changed any of it.
he absolutely loves it.

so much so that on the way home
from nama's house the other day
bee was so immersed in his music he
didn't say even one word the entire trip home.
not one word!
those of you who know bee
know that that is just about a miracle.
this kid talks non-stop.
about everything.
about anything.

so thank you steve jobs
for your creative inventions and
for giving mothers everywhere just a moment of silence
in our otherwise very noisy days.

3 months

2011-10-09T03:00:00.000-07:00

i can't believe

oliver is three months old today!

he is such a sweet little boy.

much easier than bee ever was

(shh...don't tell him that!)

although the reflux isn't a walk in the park

and the "scream as soon as i get in my car seat" phase

really isn't that much fun either.

we are truly blessed to have this little miracle

in our family.

his smile lights up a room

and his giggles are heartwarming.

we are thankful that the "witching hour" seems

to have left our house for the time being

and ollie is on a better sleep schedule.

i can't wait to see what god has planned for his life.

god has already done great things through oliver

and it is amazing to watch him grow

and learn about the world around him each day.

we love you baby bug!

abc's

2011-10-07T08:33:00.000-07:00

the abc's of me!

a. age: 31 (i think? i can never remember)

b. bed size: queen

c. chore you hate: cleaning baseboards

d. dogs: after owning a couple beasts i'm no longer a fan =(

e. essential start to your day: a hot shower (tied with hot coffee)

f. favorite color: i adore color. all color. but my favorite is yellow

g. gold or silver: silver. or white gold?

h. height: 5'9"ish

i. instrument you play: i used to play piano and flute. don't know if i still can though

j. job title: momma/wife/chef/housekeeper/personal shopper/chauffeur...you get the picture

k. kids: beckett reed and oliver gray

l. live: big smoggy city central california (ack)

m. mother's name: debbie

n. nicknames: mostly just james

o. overnight hospital stays: just childbirth

p. pet peeves: stupid people. bad drivers. cre8ive name spelling

q. quote from a movie: really? so not me. i don't do movies. books now...

r. righty or lefty: righty

s. siblings: sister miranda, brother spenser

t. time you wake up: whenever the baby does. usually 3am and then 5am

u. underwear: yes, i wear it

v: vegetable you hate: broccoli.

w. what makes you run late: having two other people to get ready each morning

x. x-rays you've had: teeth, back, wrist.

y. yummy food you make: soups. especially corn chowder

z. zoo animal: giraffe. i love them. they are a lot like me. tall, freckled and awkward.

acorn squash

2011-10-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite things

about fall is the food!

but it's not only all

about the great pumpkin.

i remember my mom

used to make the best acorn squash.

baked in the oven,

each squash halved like bowls

and filled with butter and brown sugar.

oh yum!

since the weather finally
cooled down enough to feel like fall
i made acorn squash this week.

and it tasted just like
fall in a bowl.

panda bear, panda bear

2011-10-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

panda bear, panda bear
what do you see?

i see a silly bee

looking back at me!

all grown up

2011-10-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

i went searching back

through some old photos of bee.

i knew we had pictures of him

at morro bay from a few years ago...

bee and momma

2009

bee and momma

2011

bee playing on the pirate ship

2009

bee playing on the same pirate ship

2011

wow!
what a difference in just two years.

nature walk

2011-10-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

in my attempt to get more exercise

and get bee out of the house

we've started up our nature walks again.

our neighborhood really isn't

that nature-y as it's in the middle of the big city.

there are no orchards or mountains

for us to easily walk to each morning.

we (unfortunately) don't live

on a bountiful farm

with acres of countryside to explore.

no cows or alfalfa fields.

no cotton trailer jumping or barn hunting for us.

instead we have the giant oak tree

in our neighbor's front yard

which drops it's beautiful leaves for us to find.

we have snails making their slow trail along the driveway.

squirrels scampering along the back fence.

worms wiggling in the garden plot

and feathers forgotten by the side of the road.

we have our own kind of nature,

we just have to look for it.

so that's what we do

during our nature walks.

bee grabs his trusty bucket

and we walk the neighborhood

looking for that special treasure left

for us by mother nature.

last week on our walk bee found

a rock, feather, centipede, worm and a dozen

brightly colored leaves.

oliver was very excited for our walk!

we even have a special
treasure bowl that bee gets to put
all his finds in to learn about throughout the week.
(except the worms and snails...those stay outside!)

happy fall, friends!

oh october

2011-10-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

oh october,
how i love thee.

it's time to gather the pumpkins for the front porch,

enjoy the cool breeze through the kitchen window,

brush off the real cobwebs just to put up the fake ones,

pull out the pumpkin spice candles and pumpkin bread recipe,

dig through the closet to find that perfectly cozy sweater again

and most importantly, decide what the kids will be for halloween!

after reading this book to bee

every single night since we've bought it,

i thought it was appropriate that ollie should

be "the very hungry caterpillar" this year.

the name (character) fits him.

perfectly.

i've already found a knit hat

on etsy that looks like
"the very hungry caterpillar"

and i will just need to buy (or make)

some kind of green outfit for him to wear.

bee on the other hand has a mind all his own!

first he wanted to be diego, then spiderman, batman
and finally he fell in love with a green dinosaur costume
i found on the babies r us website.
recently i was there picking up some stuff for ollie
and saw this dinosaur costume in person.
it was adorable.
and perfectly bee.
and they had one left in a 4T.
so i grabbed it and prayed he still wanted to be a dinosaur.
he squealed when he saw it hanging up in the kitchen
and refused to take it off the first day.
it is now safely put away until halloween
so it doesn't get destroyed before it's even used!

so the kids are set.
i just wish mother nature would start
to cooperate with the calendar and realize
it is officially october!

children

2011-09-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

"you are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth."
kahlil gibran

may our children grow

to be strong, thoughtful and considerate young men.

may they witness positive examples from us as parents.

we love them fiercely and hug tightly

yet may we also be able to let go of their hands

when the time comes for them to make their own way through life.

for we will know that we have taught

them the most important lessons in life and

have shown our children how to love and live happily.

these children are so special to us
but they are not our own.
for god has a unique and wonderful plan for each of their lives.

sleepless in fresno

2011-09-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

oliver's having some trouble.

he's been a bit sleepless this week.

which means the rest of this house has been sleepless too.

yesterday ollie was up at 3am.

i just got him back to sleep around 5am

when bee woke up for the day.

no sleep for the weary.

i fully expected ollie

to have a good nap after the night we had.

but i was wrong.

he napped for about 10 minutes yesterday

while in his car seat.

and that was it.

all. day. long.

(totally abnormal for him!)

i was able to get him to sleep,

but the minute i laid him down in bed

his eyes would fly open and he'd grin and giggle

and that was the end of that.

at least he was in a good mood.

momma not so much.

momma was tired of spending 4 hours

rocking a sleepy baby just to get no naps all day.

luckily the baby whisperer (daddy) got home last night

from his business trip and was able to

sooth ollie to sleep for the night.

hopefully this sleeplessness

is just a sign of ollie getting ready to make

a developmental step and not a sign of things to come.

cinnamon rolls and tidelands park

2011-09-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

our last day in morro bay

consisted of cinnamon rolls on the pier,

watching the sailboats on the bay

and playing at tidelands park.

enjoy the pictures!

there was more to write,

but the baby just woke up!

our beach day

2011-09-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

a few photos

from our beach trip to morro bay...

ollie is having trouble

since getting home from the beach.

he can't sleep longer than an hour at a time.

makes the evenings fun!

so i've got to get back to bouncing/rocking/nursing him to sleep...

home sweet home

2011-09-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

home sweet home.

well, not really.

i'd much rather be at the beach.

but we're home.

and i have a mountain of laundry

i need to tackle.

so i will just give you

a quick little peek

of our beach trip.

and tell you that i have

never seen bee so happy as

when he was running wild on the beach.

seriously.

he turns into an even crazier kid

when he has his toes in the sand

and a shovel in his hand.

i have a new little beachcomber.

11 weeks

2011-09-24T05:21:00.000-07:00

guess who's 11 weeks old?

this very sleepy guy.

oliver at 11 weeks:

skips a morning nap and takes

one marathon 4-5 hour nap in the afternoon instead.

has found his tongue and can't

seem to keep it in his mouth!

also found his toes

and likes to lift his legs up in the air

to check them out.

learned how to blow raspberries.

thinks daddy is the funniest

guy in the world.

hates tummy time

and screams the whole time.

has rolled over from front to back

multiple times now.

(i'm not sure if he means to do that

or if it just happens when he kicks his legs!)

beach bums

2011-09-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

we're off to the beach for the weekend.

and we are so very excited!

we have great plans of digging in the sand,

building sandcastles with daddy,

eating fish and chips on the embarcadero,

finding seashells with momma,

putting our toes in the ocean,

and relaxing on the beach.

don't worry,

we'll be home soon.

love,

bee and ollie

the biggest loser

2011-09-22T05:11:00.000-07:00

i'm on a personal mission.

a mission to reclaim my body,

to live healthier and be a better example

for my two boys.

after two pregnancies during which i gained 50 lbs each time,

i have a lot of work to do.

my pregnancy with oliver was definitely

the most damaging to my body physically.

i don't think my tummy will ever be swimsuit ready again.

but these sweet boys are worth every stretch mark,

every pound gained, every pair of "fat jeans" i have to wear.

but now i'm ready to reclaim my old self.

i'm done having babies.

i want my body back and i want to wear

a swimsuit next summer!

so far i've lost 49 lbs in almost 11 weeks.

obviously, a lot of that was baby and water weight

from all my pregnancy swelling at the end.

but still, i'm proud of my 49 lbs lost.

i've started working out again.

i have a love/hate relationship with

my workout DVD's.

i'm sore, sweaty and tired at the end

but i love to watch the scale keep dropping.

i've also completely changed my eating habits.

no more donuts, muffins and sweets.

i don't want bee to see me eating chips,

cookies and junk food on a regular basis anymore.

instead i'm eating lean proteins like turkey,

chicken breast, tuna and white bean salad or hard boiled eggs.

i snack on fruit, vegetables and hummus or roasted almonds.

i've been limiting my sodas to once a week and only diet

so i'm drinking a TON more water.

i do allow myself one treat a day.

i save up my extra calories and treat myself

to a cup of light ice cream each night!

that way i don't feel like i am depriving myself

and i can manage my calories by eating better foods during the day.

i feel like this is the beginning of a lifestyle change for me.

i can actually see the results now

which is motivating me to continue.

bee sees me exercising during the day

(i try to do a DVD while ollie is napping and bee is in quiet time)

and wants to join in with me.

he sees me eating apples and strawberries

and wants to try them too.

so not only is this good for me

but also for my family.

i've almost met my first goal;

to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

i've got one more pound to go

and then i want to continue to lose another 20 lbs.

i want to (happily) wear a swimsuit.

and i want to start running (or jogging) again.

i have lots of plans for a better me.

i am tired of being tired.

my boys need me to be able to run around

outside with them playing catch.

i hate being so self-conscious that i won't

even put a swimsuit on anymore

and enjoy the pool with bee during the summer.

i hope to be the biggest loser soon.

i'm well on my way!

at the drive in

2011-09-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

i was looking through my pictures

in photobucket today and realized i completely

forgot to post pictures of bee at the drive in!

if you remember,

a few weeks ago now bee

made a lightning mcqueen car out of an old costco box.

he loves to drag that ~~box~~ car into the living room

and get inside it with his favorite stuffed animals

and a bowl of snacks for movie time.

it's his very own version of a drive in movie theater!

of course his movie of choice was cars!

harvesting memories

2011-09-20T05:33:00.000-07:00

last weekend was the annual harvest festival in kerman,
the small farming town i grew up in.

it was bittersweet going back this weekend.

i was so excited to go home,

but the one-stop-light town i left 15 years ago

was not the same bustling, growing city i returned to.

the only thing that remained the same

was the drive out of the big city and into the farmland.

we slowly left behind the noisy, congested city

as we passed open land and fields of almond trees,

oranges, cotton and grape vineyards.

it felt good, that drive out always does.

there is an anticipation in the wide open view

through the bug splattered windshield.

the tumbleweeds were taking over the side of the road

and the little yellow daisies were battling the sun

to see who could shine the brightest.

the browning grapevines were limp and

emptied of their sweet bounty.

i wanted to roll down the car window

to get a whiff of that earthy scent of harvest time.

when the dust clings to your soul no matter how hard

you stomp your boots.

i miss that. i miss the farm. i miss home.

the memories start flooding back in

the moment i see the "welcome to kerman" sign.

we started our day in kerman with the parade.

that same parade where i dressed as a clown with nama and auntie m

and rode my hot pink bike with glitter streamers flying behind me.

that same parade where i marched playing the flute

in the middle school marching band.

as is the tradition,

after the parade we all made our way

over to coleman field where the carnival is held.

the noisy game booths and flashing lights of the rides

bombard me with the memories of trying to get that little

ping-pong ball into a cup of blue-dyed water to win

a goldfish that will only live a day or two.

the smell of bbq tri-tip, corn dogs and cotton candy

mix with the dry grass and dust from the baseball field.

i remember as a child we only had to look

for the kiwanis food booth to find papa barbequing tri-tip.

and we could always find dad (along with the dad's of all our friends)

hanging out around the beer booth if we ran out of ride tickets.

it was small town life where you knew if you needed anything,

your sunday school teacher or best friend's mom

was just across the way to help you out.

as we walked into coleman field on saturday morning

with bee and ollie in their stroller,

i was called back by the police officer with a metal detector.

i didn't even notice him and had walked on by without

letting him look through my diaper bag.

apparently everyone is swiped with the metal detector

and all bags are checked.

that didn't feel so much like

my safe little home town anymore.

as we continued walking

i realized there was not much that remained

the same from my memories of home.

it had all changed.

much like each of us do over the years.

for some reason i thought it would all be the same.

i wanted it to all be the same,

so i could show bee how much fun we used to have.

but papa wasn't there barbequing,

dad wasn't there hanging out listening to country music,

all i saw were (mostly) strangers.
the only thing that remained from my childhood
was the family by my side.

it was sad in a way.

my childhood memories were just that,

memories.

if i wanted bee and ollie

to see the harvest festival and my hometown

it would have to be through my eyes.

i would have to make new memories with them;

time spent with family,
celebrating the seasons of life and having fun.

so we made some memories of bee and ollie's

very first harvest festival this weekend.

memories of how scared bee was of all the rides.

memories of watching the parade with our cousins while

sitting on the curb of madera avenue getting sunburned.

memories of sweet, cold strawberry smoothies

and going back to gg's house to run through the sprinklers.

so while the weekend was not

the same harvest festival that i remember

from my own childhood,

it was better.

because i got to experience it

with my own children and celebrate family.

and we got to make new memories

to cherish for years to come.

great day for UP!

2011-09-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

this morning we awoke to

giant hot air balloons soaring over

our house from this weekend's clovisfest.

it was a beautiful sight to see as the sun rose

with the colorful balloons.

they sailed right over our house on their way to woodward park.

apparently this happens every year

so we can look forward to seeing it again next year.

after watching the balloons

bee said, "that was great!"

family rules

2011-09-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

i want to frame this poster

and put it on the wall between

the boy's bedrooms.

our family rules...

i love it!

brothers

2011-09-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

"sometimes being a brother

is even better than being a superhero."

box car children

2011-09-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

on our last trip to costco

they put all our groceries into a big box.

just a few days before,

i was browsing pinterest (see, i'm addicted!)

and saw a creative way to use those big boxes.

we turned our box into a car!

well, lightning mcqueen to be exact.

daddy did a great job drawing lightning

and then bee went to town with the paint and stickers.

our box's progression from boring to lightning...

apparently the star stickers make

lightning go "super fast".

bee had so much fun with this art project.

he told me, "this is awesome mom!"

next up for our re-vamped box

is a trip to the "drive in" movie theater with bee!