Things to look forward to....
- Father's Day
- Our 9th Anniversary
- Pictures of the "cave"
- Yankees vs. Dodgers pics
- Our trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific
Sunday, June 27, 2010
What a week....
We had an awesome week full of all kinds of amazing activities. Unfortunately, I am completely wiped out and don't think I'm up for getting the blog posted tonight. I am adding the final touches and uploading the last few pictures and should have it up sometime tomorrow afternoon or evening.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Live Moore Life
Sunday, June 13, 2010 -We headed out to church today and were met with the same resistance as last week. Joel just hides behind my legs until someone comes and forcibly removes him from me. I just keep remembering all those years that the Sunday School Superintendent walked around with my brother during SS because otherwise he just cried and cried. This too shall pass! After naps we decided to make a last minute, quick run to the beach. Apparently we chose the only non-sunny beach in Southern California but the boys still had fun. They dug holes and made rivers and just loved being in the huge sandbox.
Surfer Dude
Monday, June 14, 2010 - Happy 17-months, Silas! I can't believe you are so old! It seems like just a few weeks ago I was holding you in my arms as such a small little guy. You have grown up so fast! I can't believe all the things you can do these days. Your vocabulary and understanding of what I ask you to do blows me away all the time. You just soak everything in. You've really started climbing these days..up on the couches and much to my dismay, the kitchen table! Thankfully (for me), your older brother loves to come tell on you. One of my favorite things about your right now is that you get down and up confused. I love when you walk over to me and say "Down, down!" when you really mean "up, up!" When prompted, you quickly correct yourself but it makes me smile every time. I've heard you practicing in your car seat and in your crib though..."up, down, up, down, up down..." Soon you'll have it straight and this will be just a small blip in your young life.
Ok...on to the day...Today we finally had Joel's 3 year check. Since the appt was a little later in the morning, we hit up a nearby playground before we went over there. The boys had a great time. Silas even requested to go down the slide....which was wet....but he still had fun. He's getting braver on the playground every time we go.
Joel is such a big boy these days at 38.5 lbs and 39.5 inches, both in the 90-95th percentiles. We started with a new pediatrician a few months ago after we switched to Fuller's insurance. I was very nervous leaving Dr. Schlundt, as I really appreciated the way that he's cared for both of my boys since they were born. He whole-heartedly recommended Dr. Chapman and by the grace of God, we beat the system and she took the boys as patients. Dr. Chapman said that Joel was doing great. He got two shots and didn't cry one bit. When the nurse gave him the first shot, he said, "Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow!" but never anything else. I wasn't sure then, how he would handle the second one, but he had the same reaction. She was as shocked as I was and said, "No tears! That's amazing!" I had to brag a little and told her that amazingly, he's only cried tears during 1 shot in his whole 3 years of life. I don't know how I am so blessed but so far, there is no fear of doctors or needles with either kid. On the way out after I checked out, Silas loudly yelled, "BYE" to the receptionist. All the nurses and staff looked over and he immediately started blowing kisses to everyone. What a charmer!
We stopped by Trader Joe's to pick up a few things. They boys overall did really well. We've been to TJ's enough now that when Joel sees the sample station, he says, "I wonder what they have today...." Today was grapes and bread with brie. The boys shared some grapes and I tasted some yummy brie. The boys took a gloriously long nap....almost 3 hours but woke up a little on the cranky side. I finally got them calm enough to eat snacks and then they were much better. Funny story: After being at the doctor today, Joel found his tools and using a wrench, screw-driver and one of my hair clips, Joel (all by himself and completely un-prompted) created this "tool" to replicate the light the doctor uses to look down your throat. I tried to snap a quick pic of it. Of course, he needed to make sure Silas was a-ok.
We enjoyed a fun dinner outside when David got home, joined by the Wrights and then the Kim busted out one of my favorite desserts...chocolate chip cookie pie! Oh yes...then later that night, I was in the office working on the computer and David was sitting on the couch watching TV. He yelled, "Did you feel that?" "Feel what? Oh, yes, there and there." Yep, we felt about 3 waves of the earth rolling under us as part of the small-ish earthquake on the US/Mexico border. We haven't felt many earthquakes since living here but every one has felt very different. I've learned not to live in fear of them anymore, but I'd still prefer to deal with natural disasters that I can have at least a few minutes warning....like...tornadoes!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - Well, today has been a day. I don't know if it's just one of those days or if by missing out on the terrible 2's with Joel we have signed up for the trying 3's. Either way, he has been pushing my buttons today. Not to say that he's usually a perfect angel because he's rambunctious and mischievous like all little boys but rarely is he so defiant. Since we did so great last week getting out for some exercise, and since we didn't exercise yesterday, I thought we'd head over to the Rose Bowl for some running/walking and some playground time. There was a major melt-down over spilled raisins before we even left the house. Then again at the RB over getting in the stroller. Then there was the running away to the other playground and the running away in the parking lot. Thankfully, there were a couple of really sweet moments too. We decided to walk over to the other playground and I was pushing the stroller, sans kids. I asked Joel to help Silas get over there. They walked hand in hand the whole way. At one point when Silas stumbled, Joel leaned over and asked, "Are you okay, Guy-wus?" Then Joel wanted to cut across the grass because it was more direct while I stayed on the sidewalk. He let me know..."Momma, this way..." I explained that I was staying on the sidewalk and he said, "Ok, we'll meet you over there." And Joel did so great on the playground. He's gotten especially good at climbing up the "mountains" and "ladders" and he really likes the balancing walks and the monkey bars. He can't really cross the monkey bars by himself yet, but he's able to hang there for quite a while and has learned how to let go and fall safely to the ground. (None of the ones he's hanging from are very high.) After we left the playground, we headed to the grocery store. I thought it would be ok, but by the end, they were testing me again. They each threw their snacks and cups out of the cart and by the end Joel had Silas in a headlock. Thankfully David came home for lunch so he could help me corral them!
Kim found out that there was a Street Feast happening at the Americana in Glendale so we all headed over to check it out. There were 9 food trucks from the LA area parked around the trolley tracks at the Americana. Food trucks have become a huge deal out here and the people were there to support them. The Retts and Wrights got in the long line for the Grilled Cheese truck. David was so jealous (or not) but we chose the Patty Wagon because the line was shorter and we knew the boys wouldn't last too long.
We finally ordered and then finally got our food. It was pretty good. They focus on using high-quality ingredients and serve only grass-fed beef. The sliders were good and the fries were awesome! (Well, I loved them because they were thin and crispy. David said that they would be more accurately classified as chips. I wouldn't go that far!) Anyway, the boys loved watching the fountains, chasing birds, and saying Hi to all the people. Unfortunately, we left before the others had even ordered their food! It was time though because the boys were falling asleep in the car on the way home. Oh yeah...this afternoon we skyped with my parents and saw Belle, a border collie, and Daisy, a brown mini-dachshund. Silas was enamored Dee-dee (as he calls Daisy) and wanted to see her over and over. Well, when we got on the elevator to leave the Americana tonight, he saw a small brown chihuahua who looked a little bit like Daisy. The entire way to the car and then all the way home, he kept saying excitedly (which = loud!), "Dee-dee! Dee-dee!" Joel kept saying..."That's not Daisy. But Momma, that's not Daisy." How do you convince a 3 year old it's not necessary to correct an almost 1.5 year old?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - Today was laundry day so not a lot of excitement here. The boys played around the house all morning and we went outside to play with Zoe and burn some energy. Silas has reached the age where he wants to do whatever Joel and Zoe are doing. He was very excited when they let him play "mountain monster" with them. When David got home he took the boys on a quick walk around the neighborhood while I finished dinner.
Thursday, June 17, 2010 - We met Kara and her boys (J and L) at the Rose Bowl for a walk today. The boys did great. Then, noticing a pattern of playground in the morning = especially long afternoon nap, we headed over to the playground for some fun. Silas loved the swings. Joel helped L and J "make" Kara all kinds of wood-chip food at the little table. They played a little soccer and dug in the dirt. We got ready to chase the birds and Joel got his "binoculars" out. (He puts his hands up to his face like he's looking thru binoculars. It's adorable. It was especially cute because he had dirt all over his hands so there were dirt smudges where his "binoculars" had been. Unfortunately, I didn't get a great picture.
After naps, the pool was set up so Z, Joel and Silas hopped in. They had a blast! At one point, Joel and Z were just pouring buckets of water over Silas; he just laughed! He loved it! I finally had to make them stop because even though he was laughing, he looked like a drowning puppy!
Mike came over to watch Game 7 in the NBA finals. We were all disappointed the Celtics couldn't hang on but we were apparently the only sad ones around here. LA seems to celebrate every Lakers championship like they haven't won in 100 years. It's really odd to me. Anyway, fireworks started and cheers erupted. I think it was chaos in downtown LA.
Friday - June 18, 2010 - Andrew's mom, Sue, has been in town this week watching Evie while Becca finishes her last week at work. Since she doesn't have a car during the day, Kim had the fun idea that we could take Sue and Evie to lunch. We loaded the cars and headed to Camille's. Normally a pretty slow place, it was happening on Friday. But, we had a great lunch and for the most part, the kids did really well. The boys shared a yummy pizza! We figured out soon after Evie was born that we can squeeze her car seat between the boys. They are nice and cozy but the boys love riding with her! Silas has even started saying her name!
Saturday, June 19, 2010 - On the menu this morning: Oatmeal Berry Muffins! Joel helped me mix while Silas munched on Cheerios.
Then we headed outside to eat our breakfast. When Silas saw them, he started saying "cupcakes! cupcakes!" I had no idea he really knew what a cupcake was! Too cute!
The rest of the day was spent getting ready for our Chicago-themed going away party for our dear friends, Mike and Annie. They are headed to Illinois next week so Mike can work towards his PhD at Wheaton. We are so sad to see them go but so thankful that we've had the last 2 years to get to know them.
I love a themed-party so of course, we went all out. Becca made deep-dish pizza. Kim made Chicago-style hot dogs and a turtle cheesecake. Katie made strawberry cheesecake and green Jell-o. And I made caramel corn and put together a fruit tray. Let me say...the food was amazing. We hung white socks in honor of the Sox, had Gummy Bears ala Da Bears, Teddy Grahams for the Cubs, Red Bull for the Bulls, and Wrigley gum in honor of Wrigley Field and the Wrigley Building. Chris painted an amazing backdrop of the Chicago skyline to set the scene.
We dig, dig, dig-a, dig, dig...
Monday, June 14, 2010 - Happy 17-months, Silas! I can't believe you are so old! It seems like just a few weeks ago I was holding you in my arms as such a small little guy. You have grown up so fast! I can't believe all the things you can do these days. Your vocabulary and understanding of what I ask you to do blows me away all the time. You just soak everything in. You've really started climbing these days..up on the couches and much to my dismay, the kitchen table! Thankfully (for me), your older brother loves to come tell on you. One of my favorite things about your right now is that you get down and up confused. I love when you walk over to me and say "Down, down!" when you really mean "up, up!" When prompted, you quickly correct yourself but it makes me smile every time. I've heard you practicing in your car seat and in your crib though..."up, down, up, down, up down..." Soon you'll have it straight and this will be just a small blip in your young life.
One of Silas' favorite things..."fives"
Ok...on to the day...Today we finally had Joel's 3 year check. Since the appt was a little later in the morning, we hit up a nearby playground before we went over there. The boys had a great time. Silas even requested to go down the slide....which was wet....but he still had fun. He's getting braver on the playground every time we go.
Joel is such a big boy these days at 38.5 lbs and 39.5 inches, both in the 90-95th percentiles. We started with a new pediatrician a few months ago after we switched to Fuller's insurance. I was very nervous leaving Dr. Schlundt, as I really appreciated the way that he's cared for both of my boys since they were born. He whole-heartedly recommended Dr. Chapman and by the grace of God, we beat the system and she took the boys as patients. Dr. Chapman said that Joel was doing great. He got two shots and didn't cry one bit. When the nurse gave him the first shot, he said, "Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow!" but never anything else. I wasn't sure then, how he would handle the second one, but he had the same reaction. She was as shocked as I was and said, "No tears! That's amazing!" I had to brag a little and told her that amazingly, he's only cried tears during 1 shot in his whole 3 years of life. I don't know how I am so blessed but so far, there is no fear of doctors or needles with either kid. On the way out after I checked out, Silas loudly yelled, "BYE" to the receptionist. All the nurses and staff looked over and he immediately started blowing kisses to everyone. What a charmer!
We stopped by Trader Joe's to pick up a few things. They boys overall did really well. We've been to TJ's enough now that when Joel sees the sample station, he says, "I wonder what they have today...." Today was grapes and bread with brie. The boys shared some grapes and I tasted some yummy brie. The boys took a gloriously long nap....almost 3 hours but woke up a little on the cranky side. I finally got them calm enough to eat snacks and then they were much better. Funny story: After being at the doctor today, Joel found his tools and using a wrench, screw-driver and one of my hair clips, Joel (all by himself and completely un-prompted) created this "tool" to replicate the light the doctor uses to look down your throat. I tried to snap a quick pic of it. Of course, he needed to make sure Silas was a-ok.
Say ahhhh!
We enjoyed a fun dinner outside when David got home, joined by the Wrights and then the Kim busted out one of my favorite desserts...chocolate chip cookie pie! Oh yes...then later that night, I was in the office working on the computer and David was sitting on the couch watching TV. He yelled, "Did you feel that?" "Feel what? Oh, yes, there and there." Yep, we felt about 3 waves of the earth rolling under us as part of the small-ish earthquake on the US/Mexico border. We haven't felt many earthquakes since living here but every one has felt very different. I've learned not to live in fear of them anymore, but I'd still prefer to deal with natural disasters that I can have at least a few minutes warning....like...tornadoes!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - Well, today has been a day. I don't know if it's just one of those days or if by missing out on the terrible 2's with Joel we have signed up for the trying 3's. Either way, he has been pushing my buttons today. Not to say that he's usually a perfect angel because he's rambunctious and mischievous like all little boys but rarely is he so defiant. Since we did so great last week getting out for some exercise, and since we didn't exercise yesterday, I thought we'd head over to the Rose Bowl for some running/walking and some playground time. There was a major melt-down over spilled raisins before we even left the house. Then again at the RB over getting in the stroller. Then there was the running away to the other playground and the running away in the parking lot. Thankfully, there were a couple of really sweet moments too. We decided to walk over to the other playground and I was pushing the stroller, sans kids. I asked Joel to help Silas get over there. They walked hand in hand the whole way. At one point when Silas stumbled, Joel leaned over and asked, "Are you okay, Guy-wus?" Then Joel wanted to cut across the grass because it was more direct while I stayed on the sidewalk. He let me know..."Momma, this way..." I explained that I was staying on the sidewalk and he said, "Ok, we'll meet you over there." And Joel did so great on the playground. He's gotten especially good at climbing up the "mountains" and "ladders" and he really likes the balancing walks and the monkey bars. He can't really cross the monkey bars by himself yet, but he's able to hang there for quite a while and has learned how to let go and fall safely to the ground. (None of the ones he's hanging from are very high.) After we left the playground, we headed to the grocery store. I thought it would be ok, but by the end, they were testing me again. They each threw their snacks and cups out of the cart and by the end Joel had Silas in a headlock. Thankfully David came home for lunch so he could help me corral them!
Kim found out that there was a Street Feast happening at the Americana in Glendale so we all headed over to check it out. There were 9 food trucks from the LA area parked around the trolley tracks at the Americana. Food trucks have become a huge deal out here and the people were there to support them. The Retts and Wrights got in the long line for the Grilled Cheese truck. David was so jealous (or not) but we chose the Patty Wagon because the line was shorter and we knew the boys wouldn't last too long.
I'll share with you, Mommy....
We finally ordered and then finally got our food. It was pretty good. They focus on using high-quality ingredients and serve only grass-fed beef. The sliders were good and the fries were awesome! (Well, I loved them because they were thin and crispy. David said that they would be more accurately classified as chips. I wouldn't go that far!) Anyway, the boys loved watching the fountains, chasing birds, and saying Hi to all the people. Unfortunately, we left before the others had even ordered their food! It was time though because the boys were falling asleep in the car on the way home. Oh yeah...this afternoon we skyped with my parents and saw Belle, a border collie, and Daisy, a brown mini-dachshund. Silas was enamored Dee-dee (as he calls Daisy) and wanted to see her over and over. Well, when we got on the elevator to leave the Americana tonight, he saw a small brown chihuahua who looked a little bit like Daisy. The entire way to the car and then all the way home, he kept saying excitedly (which = loud!), "Dee-dee! Dee-dee!" Joel kept saying..."That's not Daisy. But Momma, that's not Daisy." How do you convince a 3 year old it's not necessary to correct an almost 1.5 year old?
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 - Today was laundry day so not a lot of excitement here. The boys played around the house all morning and we went outside to play with Zoe and burn some energy. Silas has reached the age where he wants to do whatever Joel and Zoe are doing. He was very excited when they let him play "mountain monster" with them. When David got home he took the boys on a quick walk around the neighborhood while I finished dinner.
Thursday, June 17, 2010 - We met Kara and her boys (J and L) at the Rose Bowl for a walk today. The boys did great. Then, noticing a pattern of playground in the morning = especially long afternoon nap, we headed over to the playground for some fun. Silas loved the swings. Joel helped L and J "make" Kara all kinds of wood-chip food at the little table. They played a little soccer and dug in the dirt. We got ready to chase the birds and Joel got his "binoculars" out. (He puts his hands up to his face like he's looking thru binoculars. It's adorable. It was especially cute because he had dirt all over his hands so there were dirt smudges where his "binoculars" had been. Unfortunately, I didn't get a great picture.
Making "birthday cake"
Big boys digging...Silas to the side looking at the birds
After naps, the pool was set up so Z, Joel and Silas hopped in. They had a blast! At one point, Joel and Z were just pouring buckets of water over Silas; he just laughed! He loved it! I finally had to make them stop because even though he was laughing, he looked like a drowning puppy!
Say Cheese!
We are tough...and silly!
Playing in the boys' closet...one of their new favorite games!
Mike came over to watch Game 7 in the NBA finals. We were all disappointed the Celtics couldn't hang on but we were apparently the only sad ones around here. LA seems to celebrate every Lakers championship like they haven't won in 100 years. It's really odd to me. Anyway, fireworks started and cheers erupted. I think it was chaos in downtown LA.
Friday - June 18, 2010 - Andrew's mom, Sue, has been in town this week watching Evie while Becca finishes her last week at work. Since she doesn't have a car during the day, Kim had the fun idea that we could take Sue and Evie to lunch. We loaded the cars and headed to Camille's. Normally a pretty slow place, it was happening on Friday. But, we had a great lunch and for the most part, the kids did really well. The boys shared a yummy pizza! We figured out soon after Evie was born that we can squeeze her car seat between the boys. They are nice and cozy but the boys love riding with her! Silas has even started saying her name!
E fascinates us!
Saturday, June 19, 2010 - On the menu this morning: Oatmeal Berry Muffins! Joel helped me mix while Silas munched on Cheerios.
"Momma, what's next?"
Then we headed outside to eat our breakfast. When Silas saw them, he started saying "cupcakes! cupcakes!" I had no idea he really knew what a cupcake was! Too cute!
The Finished Product
The rest of the day was spent getting ready for our Chicago-themed going away party for our dear friends, Mike and Annie. They are headed to Illinois next week so Mike can work towards his PhD at Wheaton. We are so sad to see them go but so thankful that we've had the last 2 years to get to know them.
LB, David, Mike, Annie
We will miss you!
I love a themed-party so of course, we went all out. Becca made deep-dish pizza. Kim made Chicago-style hot dogs and a turtle cheesecake. Katie made strawberry cheesecake and green Jell-o. And I made caramel corn and put together a fruit tray. Let me say...the food was amazing. We hung white socks in honor of the Sox, had Gummy Bears ala Da Bears, Teddy Grahams for the Cubs, Red Bull for the Bulls, and Wrigley gum in honor of Wrigley Field and the Wrigley Building. Chris painted an amazing backdrop of the Chicago skyline to set the scene.
The Spread
The Snacks
We had a great evening of food and celebration of friendship and new chapters! They boys did really well. Joel ate quickly and after he got out of his chair seemed a little bored. He quickly found the water dispenser and started asking everyone if he could serve them. He would walk up to people and say, "Excuse me? You need more water?" and then he would carefully walk over and fill up their glass. Someone said he just needed a tux! Too cute!
Joel, E, LB, Silas
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Live Moore Life
***Blogger is wreaking havoc when I try to upload pictures. I'll add more pictures later this week!
Sunday, June 6 - Today was my day to sleep in. (David sleeps in on Saturdays and I sleep in on Sundays so, in theory, we both get a little extra sleep at least one day a week.) So I woke up feeling a little more rested than usual. We got ready and headed out for church, running just a couple of minutes late instead of 10 or 15 minutes, which we have been known to do. As we got closer to church, Joel decided that he didn't want to go to the playground and see Gabby (our children's director), he wanted to go to the nursery with Silas and see Mary (the nursery worker). Now, this has nothing to do with Gabby. Once he's with Gabby, Joel has fun with Gabby. But...Joel loves Mary. Joel and Mary have a very special and unique bond. From the very first time we left Joel with Mary at only a few months old, she has called him "her angel baby". Her face lights up when Joel arrives. She was the first person that Joel waved bye-bye to and the first person he blew a kiss to. So, we decided that Joel could stop by to say "hi" to Mary and then sit in the overflow room and listen to the music with us for a while. He lasted about 2 songs and then said, "Momma, I want to go to the pwaygwound." Off we went. As soon as we walked thru the gates, the wailing began. The ugly cry. I don't see it often from him, but when it comes, it's dramatic. And it was. I am so thankful for Mr. Villa, who almost every week, peels Joel off of me and carries him off to find a truck to play with, or in this instance, off to his class. And they say, that as soon as I'm out of sight, he's fine. And I know that's true, but why he can't it make it a little easier on poor Mom? Ironically, later in the day, Joel specifically told me he wanted to go back to the church and to the playground to see Gabby "tomorrow". Of course!
After church we headed out to the beach. We decided to hit up Seal Beach because it was a little closer and the southern beaches looked clearer. It was clear but the sand was nasty and the water was pretty gross too. It was a little windy but not bad at all. Unfortunately, it was windy enough to blow our umbrella all the way across the beach. Thankfully a very nice stranger chased it down for us as we were at the water's edge with the boys when it happened. David and Joel dug a huge hole and then a channel out to the ocean so that as the tide started coming in, the channel would fill with water that then filled up the hole. Joel thought it was pretty amazing stuff! Silas loved watching all of the birds scavenge the beach for food. "Tweet, Tweet! Tweet, Tweet!" He also liked digging in the sand but not quite as much as Joel.
He really wanted to get in the water and splash around but it was too cold to stay in for very long at all. We only lasted about an hour and then we loaded up and headed home. The Retts were cooking out so Andrew and David ran to the store to get some carne asada and the fixings. We fed, showered and put the boys to bed, and enjoyed adult conversation with our meal....a nice change of pace. The food was so good. I don't know what is in that marinade but the beef is melt in your mouth tender and so good! So far, I must say this is looking to be a pretty great summer!
Monday, June 7 - Back to the real world! We were in need of food so I loaded up the boys for a full morning of grocery shopping. We went to Target, Von's and Trader Joe's. I should have known that 3 long stops like that was 1 too many, especially since Von's didn't have the handy "car carts" for the boys to ride in. But, we did survive. After naps, they, as usual, wanted a snack. I learned last week that they love cherries so I had picked some up. Of course I have to pit them before they can eat them and I tried to do it by hand last week. It wasn't that hard but it was tedious, time consuming and messy! So, we picked up a cherry-pitter at Target. Joel loved it. I think he had more fun doing that than he did actually eating the cherries! Good thing too...since Silas was eating them just about as fast I we could pit them. They polished off the cherries, had a handful of blueberries, each ate a whole banana blueberry muffin, a yogurt stick and some wheat thins. You would have thought they hadn't eaten in years! How will I feed them when they are 17 and 15? Yikes! When David got home we went up to the Rose Bowl to burn off some calories. Joel thought he wanted to ride his bike but only got about 1/4 of the way around and he was done. So, David carried it back to the car while I tried to keep walking with the Silas in the stroller and Joel by my side but it didn't last long. We finally just stopped and the boys snacked...again....until David got back. Silas went on a drive with David while Joel and I strolled the rest of the way around.
When we got home, we found the Retts headed out the door for dinner. They convinced us to go eat pizza with them. It had been a while since we all went out to eat together and I'm so glad we went. We basically took over this little pizza shop in South Pasadena (Mama's Pizza) and the kids had a great time. The kids played with their cars and everything else they could get their hands on. Overall, they were really well-behaved....just a few loud shrieks that caused the other tables to turn and stare...Fun times with fun peeps!
Friday, June 11 - My new goal each week is to have all my laundry done before the weekend. Thus, we started out the day doing 5 loads of laundry. Amazingly everything was even folded and put away before we went to bed! The boys and I met Katie and Eli at Sonic for a lunch out. When Katie and Eli got in the car, Joel looked very confused and asked, "Where's Go-ey (Joey)?" He loves all of our friends so much! It was great to catch up with Katie again after her trip to Michigan. After their naps, Joel wanted to paint so badly. So, we got out the paint and Joel went to town! He painted 5 pictures and I think they were all of him. Silas tried to paint a little bit but he doesn't quite have the hang of it yet and really just wants to put his hands all through the paint so that didn't last long. After David got home, we agreed with the Wrights and Retts that we should order pizza and watch a movie. The guys went and got Pizza Hut (my favorite!) and then after the kids were asleep, we watched Couples Retreat. (We missed you Chris!) It was pretty funny but I fell asleep about half way through. (If you have never watched movies with me, my falling asleep in a movie has no direct relationship to how entertaining, interesting, or anything else the movie is. I have been known to fall asleep in the theaters.) It was a nice relaxing evening. Then, Joel decided to be up off and on from 2:00 to 6:30 so it was a long night for me.
Saturday, June 12 - After a long night, the boys and I woke up and made pancakes at Joel's suggestions. He loves to help me cook and making Saturday morning breakfasts together have become quite the tradition for us. Silas sat in his chair and ate the pancakes almost as fast as we could flip them. What an eater! He cracks me up. When David got up, we decided we'd try a family hike. He looked online and decided we'd head to Monrovia Falls. It was only 1.5 miles round trip and we knew the boys would love the waterfall at the end. I told Joel we were going on a hike and he thought I said we were going to fly a kite. He started singing...Let's go fwy a kite....from Mary Poppins. He LOVES that song! We loaded up and got there around 11:00. We had to park a little ways off so David dropped off Joel and I at the trail head and went to park the car. Joel immediately was not excited and I could tell his restless night was going to make this hike interesting. As we started out, I was trying to encourage Joel so I started singing another of his favorite songs, "Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho" from Snow White. From that point on, we would randomly hear Silas sing "Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho." So funny! Silas loved the hike and wanted to walk the whole way. (We had to carry him across some narrower/rocky parts of the trail.) He made friends with everyone we passed, offering a loud "Hi" to the fellow hikers. Periodically he would stop and point to the sticks or dirt or leaves or he'd lean down really close to check things out. I have a feeling many more hikes are in his future. Joel on the other hand, didn't think it was so great. It was nice and shady but he was so, so tired. At one point, we were dangling fish out in front of him just to keep him moving. But, he loved crossing the stream (I called it a river and Joel looked at me, confused, and said, "A baby river?") and was really excited to finally reach the waterfall. We let them take off their shoes and walk in the water a little bit but the water was really cold so that didn't last long. They enjoyed their fish and cheerios and then we headed back. Silas is a very slow walker so at one point I teasingly told him we were going on. He looked up and started saying, "Wait! Wait!" I am so amazed at how his vocabulary grows every day! I'm sure he's heard Joel say it hundreds of times but it still made me laugh! We finally made it back to car, made a quick Sonic stop (yes, twice in 2 days, but we were literally 5 minutes from it) and then headed home. The boys took a great nap so David and I did too! I haven't taken such a long nap in a really long time. It was great!
Sunday, June 6 - Today was my day to sleep in. (David sleeps in on Saturdays and I sleep in on Sundays so, in theory, we both get a little extra sleep at least one day a week.) So I woke up feeling a little more rested than usual. We got ready and headed out for church, running just a couple of minutes late instead of 10 or 15 minutes, which we have been known to do. As we got closer to church, Joel decided that he didn't want to go to the playground and see Gabby (our children's director), he wanted to go to the nursery with Silas and see Mary (the nursery worker). Now, this has nothing to do with Gabby. Once he's with Gabby, Joel has fun with Gabby. But...Joel loves Mary. Joel and Mary have a very special and unique bond. From the very first time we left Joel with Mary at only a few months old, she has called him "her angel baby". Her face lights up when Joel arrives. She was the first person that Joel waved bye-bye to and the first person he blew a kiss to. So, we decided that Joel could stop by to say "hi" to Mary and then sit in the overflow room and listen to the music with us for a while. He lasted about 2 songs and then said, "Momma, I want to go to the pwaygwound." Off we went. As soon as we walked thru the gates, the wailing began. The ugly cry. I don't see it often from him, but when it comes, it's dramatic. And it was. I am so thankful for Mr. Villa, who almost every week, peels Joel off of me and carries him off to find a truck to play with, or in this instance, off to his class. And they say, that as soon as I'm out of sight, he's fine. And I know that's true, but why he can't it make it a little easier on poor Mom? Ironically, later in the day, Joel specifically told me he wanted to go back to the church and to the playground to see Gabby "tomorrow". Of course!
After church we headed out to the beach. We decided to hit up Seal Beach because it was a little closer and the southern beaches looked clearer. It was clear but the sand was nasty and the water was pretty gross too. It was a little windy but not bad at all. Unfortunately, it was windy enough to blow our umbrella all the way across the beach. Thankfully a very nice stranger chased it down for us as we were at the water's edge with the boys when it happened. David and Joel dug a huge hole and then a channel out to the ocean so that as the tide started coming in, the channel would fill with water that then filled up the hole. Joel thought it was pretty amazing stuff! Silas loved watching all of the birds scavenge the beach for food. "Tweet, Tweet! Tweet, Tweet!" He also liked digging in the sand but not quite as much as Joel.
Silas and the sand
He really wanted to get in the water and splash around but it was too cold to stay in for very long at all. We only lasted about an hour and then we loaded up and headed home. The Retts were cooking out so Andrew and David ran to the store to get some carne asada and the fixings. We fed, showered and put the boys to bed, and enjoyed adult conversation with our meal....a nice change of pace. The food was so good. I don't know what is in that marinade but the beef is melt in your mouth tender and so good! So far, I must say this is looking to be a pretty great summer!
Monday, June 7 - Back to the real world! We were in need of food so I loaded up the boys for a full morning of grocery shopping. We went to Target, Von's and Trader Joe's. I should have known that 3 long stops like that was 1 too many, especially since Von's didn't have the handy "car carts" for the boys to ride in. But, we did survive. After naps, they, as usual, wanted a snack. I learned last week that they love cherries so I had picked some up. Of course I have to pit them before they can eat them and I tried to do it by hand last week. It wasn't that hard but it was tedious, time consuming and messy! So, we picked up a cherry-pitter at Target. Joel loved it. I think he had more fun doing that than he did actually eating the cherries! Good thing too...since Silas was eating them just about as fast I we could pit them. They polished off the cherries, had a handful of blueberries, each ate a whole banana blueberry muffin, a yogurt stick and some wheat thins. You would have thought they hadn't eaten in years! How will I feed them when they are 17 and 15? Yikes! When David got home we went up to the Rose Bowl to burn off some calories. Joel thought he wanted to ride his bike but only got about 1/4 of the way around and he was done. So, David carried it back to the car while I tried to keep walking with the Silas in the stroller and Joel by my side but it didn't last long. We finally just stopped and the boys snacked...again....until David got back. Silas went on a drive with David while Joel and I strolled the rest of the way around.
When we got home, we found the Retts headed out the door for dinner. They convinced us to go eat pizza with them. It had been a while since we all went out to eat together and I'm so glad we went. We basically took over this little pizza shop in South Pasadena (Mama's Pizza) and the kids had a great time. The kids played with their cars and everything else they could get their hands on. Overall, they were really well-behaved....just a few loud shrieks that caused the other tables to turn and stare...Fun times with fun peeps!
Say Cheese....pizza!
Joel making us laugh...as always
Tuesday, June, 8 - Tuesday started off like a fairly normal day. I decided to take the boys to Rose Bowl for a run and then a trip to the playground. Joel showed off his climbing skills and Silas had fun going down the slide! We chased the birds for a bit and then headed home. Thankfully, we didn't have too much planned for the rest of the day. We (and I use that term very loosely because all I do is say Yay or Nay to whatever David finds) have been looking to purchase a 2nd car for David. We've been a one-car family for almost 4 years now and David's patience with bike commuting has been wearing very thin. So, he found a car last week at a dealer in Montclair that he liked. He went to look at it on Saturday and was really excited about it. We had been talking it over and David called on Monday and made the guy a final offer. They negotiated a bit (why does $100 seem like so much in when it's only a small percentage of the overall purchase price of the car? I think it's either pride or principle or maybe both....) Anyway....they came to an agreement over the phone, pending my seeing the car and giving it my approval. David called just as the boys woke up from their naps (ok, he actually woke me up from my nap, too) so I threw a few things in the diaper bag, got shoes on the boys, and off we went. It should be about a 35 minute drive, but of course we were driving with rush-hour traffic at 4:00 pm so it took about an hour. Joel was so excited. He wanted to know if the new car would be orange or white. Answer: Neither! When we got there, Joel just wanted to "drive" all of the cars. David took the car for one last test drive and Joel had a melt down because he couldn't go with him. Joel sat in about 10 different cars. He really liked the "race car"...aka a Toyota MR2 Spyder. He thought that was really cool, especially when David put the top down. Sadly, there were no seats for Silas and I. At one point, while David was going through some paperwork and Silas was hanging out with him in the air conditioning, Joel and I went "driving". I asked him to take me to Disneyland to see Mickey Mouse (we're hoping to go in a couple of months). When we got to "Disneyland", Joel leaned over and picked up Mickey Mouse in the palm of his hands. I tried to explain to him that Mickey Mouse is very tall, probably taller than Mommy, but he wanted to hear nothing of it. So I am a little concerned that seeing an adult-size (or larger) Mickey Mouse may freak him out a little bit when we go to Disneyland. Back to the car....So David and I signed all of the papers, moved Joel's car seat over to the new car and we are now the proud owners of a 2001 green Honda Accord. It's a standard (which means I can only drive in emergency situations, never on the freeway, and on streets with as few hills as possible...so umm, never!) but it's ok because the car seats will easily fit in it if David needs to take them somewhere. We left the dealership and headed to Chick-Fil-A (the boys' fav) and were happy to realize that it was Kid's night, which meant the boys ate free! Considering each kid can almost eat his own kid's meal, it was a great deal. They had fun playing in the playground and of course, loved the food. Joel rode all the way back with David and refers to the car as "his" car. I didn't have the heart to tell him that the poor car will be 22 years old by the time he's old enough to drive. Who knows! Stranger things have happened. We got home, got the boys in bed, and Kim stayed with them so I could actually ride in our new-to-us car. The interior is in perfect condition and it rides very nicely. I'm very happy for David and thankful for an extra set of wheels!
Wednesday, June 9 - The morning started off a little rough when we realized that David took Joel's car seat with him to work. My normal plan of an outing every morning went out the window. I decided to get a few things done around the house since we couldn't go anywhere anyway. Fun things like cleaning out the pantry, under Silas' bed and in the boys closet. Most of what I cleaned out was stuff that nobody sees anyway, but it made me feel better. By mid-morning, the boys were sick of being inside so I finally got us all dressed enough to get outside. We played for a little while, rode bikes, etc. It was almost lunch time so I went inside to preheat the oven for chicken nuggets. Mistake! After about 10 minutes, the smoke detectors were beeping and Joel was crying again. They are so loud that even outside, they make your ears ring. I couldn't get the kitchen window open, which usually shuts them off, couldn't leave the boys outside, couldn't open all the doors with the boys inside, and by now, they've been beeping for like 5 minutes and I'm starting to think it's more than just the oven! I finally started fanning away from a specific one that seems to be extra sensitive and got the beeping to stop. Needless to say, we had macaroni & cheese for lunch instead and I won't be baking above 350 for a while. Ugh! David came home for lunch and I have never been more thankful. I crashed while he fed them and got them down for their naps. After their naps, we headed out to Target for a quick outing. Silas is so friendly to people. He is always saying "Hi" to people as they pass, which seems to make everyone smile. And Joel has started saying "Have a good day" to the cashiers as we leave each store. They only understand him about 25% of the time but I think it's really precious.
Thursday, June 10 - The Rose Bowl was calling our name again this morning so we met Kara and Levi. We were a little late because of the great shoe debate of 2010. Joel could care less about what shirts/shorts/pants I put on him, but he is highly opinionated about his shoes. He has very strong ideas of what he likes/wants to wear/needs to wear every day. Some days his choices are in line with his outfit and other days, not so much. Some days he's easily persuaded to wear something more appropriate, other days, not so much! Also, Silas loves to play the game...empty all our shoes out of the bin and leave them strewn about in our room. So, we're trying to get out the door and Joel cannot decide what shoes he wants to wear. Since he and Silas are only a couple of sizes apart these days, he kept bringing me random shoes and asking...Go-el or Guy-wus? He finally settled on some loafers that sort of kind of went with his outfit. Oh well...he was happy so I was happy. Anyway...we finally made it to the Rose Bowl, around the RB and over to the playground. There had to have been 1800 5 year olds running around at the playground, all wearing matching royal blue shirts. Yikes! They were on top of each other so we scooted over to the "big kid" playground that was empty...for about 3 minutes when one of the teachers realized it was empty. We didn't last much longer. Silas found an area with tons of pigeons so we chased those birds 'til every last one of them was gone. He loved it! He is always spotting birds when we are outside and loves to run after them. Joel really thought he was going to catch a couple of them. I thought he might, too, and I was so thankful when those birds finally got smart and just flew away! Thursday night, I got together with our "Bible study" gals. I placed "Bible study" in quotes because it's become more like a weekly catch-up on each other's lives meeting. That's ok though...I'm so thankful to have such an amazing group of friends who can share life together in every sense of the word. They are encouragement to me every time we meet and I would not survive if they were not around. Annie, we will miss you when you head East! The group will never be the same without all of your insight and wisdom! Since we didn't meet last week, we surprised Kim with her favorite dessert, "Dirt Cake"and a couple of special gifts. (Dirt cake is really yummy, easy and fun! Maybe I'll post the recipe on here some time.) Andrew tried really hard (not intentionally, but he really almost did) to ruin the surprise but I think she really didn't know. We love ya, Kim! Hope your 27th year is awesome!
Friday, June 11 - My new goal each week is to have all my laundry done before the weekend. Thus, we started out the day doing 5 loads of laundry. Amazingly everything was even folded and put away before we went to bed! The boys and I met Katie and Eli at Sonic for a lunch out. When Katie and Eli got in the car, Joel looked very confused and asked, "Where's Go-ey (Joey)?" He loves all of our friends so much! It was great to catch up with Katie again after her trip to Michigan. After their naps, Joel wanted to paint so badly. So, we got out the paint and Joel went to town! He painted 5 pictures and I think they were all of him. Silas tried to paint a little bit but he doesn't quite have the hang of it yet and really just wants to put his hands all through the paint so that didn't last long. After David got home, we agreed with the Wrights and Retts that we should order pizza and watch a movie. The guys went and got Pizza Hut (my favorite!) and then after the kids were asleep, we watched Couples Retreat. (We missed you Chris!) It was pretty funny but I fell asleep about half way through. (If you have never watched movies with me, my falling asleep in a movie has no direct relationship to how entertaining, interesting, or anything else the movie is. I have been known to fall asleep in the theaters.) It was a nice relaxing evening. Then, Joel decided to be up off and on from 2:00 to 6:30 so it was a long night for me.
Saturday, June 12 - After a long night, the boys and I woke up and made pancakes at Joel's suggestions. He loves to help me cook and making Saturday morning breakfasts together have become quite the tradition for us. Silas sat in his chair and ate the pancakes almost as fast as we could flip them. What an eater! He cracks me up. When David got up, we decided we'd try a family hike. He looked online and decided we'd head to Monrovia Falls. It was only 1.5 miles round trip and we knew the boys would love the waterfall at the end. I told Joel we were going on a hike and he thought I said we were going to fly a kite. He started singing...Let's go fwy a kite....from Mary Poppins. He LOVES that song! We loaded up and got there around 11:00. We had to park a little ways off so David dropped off Joel and I at the trail head and went to park the car. Joel immediately was not excited and I could tell his restless night was going to make this hike interesting. As we started out, I was trying to encourage Joel so I started singing another of his favorite songs, "Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho" from Snow White. From that point on, we would randomly hear Silas sing "Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho." So funny! Silas loved the hike and wanted to walk the whole way. (We had to carry him across some narrower/rocky parts of the trail.) He made friends with everyone we passed, offering a loud "Hi" to the fellow hikers. Periodically he would stop and point to the sticks or dirt or leaves or he'd lean down really close to check things out. I have a feeling many more hikes are in his future. Joel on the other hand, didn't think it was so great. It was nice and shady but he was so, so tired. At one point, we were dangling fish out in front of him just to keep him moving. But, he loved crossing the stream (I called it a river and Joel looked at me, confused, and said, "A baby river?") and was really excited to finally reach the waterfall. We let them take off their shoes and walk in the water a little bit but the water was really cold so that didn't last long. They enjoyed their fish and cheerios and then we headed back. Silas is a very slow walker so at one point I teasingly told him we were going on. He looked up and started saying, "Wait! Wait!" I am so amazed at how his vocabulary grows every day! I'm sure he's heard Joel say it hundreds of times but it still made me laugh! We finally made it back to car, made a quick Sonic stop (yes, twice in 2 days, but we were literally 5 minutes from it) and then headed home. The boys took a great nap so David and I did too! I haven't taken such a long nap in a really long time. It was great!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Live Moore Life
Welcome back! Each Sunday I am going to start doing a weekly recap of the previous week. I'll try to have a picture for each day and a few funny quips about the boys because they make me laugh every day.
Sunday, May 30 - We headed out to Simi Valley for the Cajun-Creole festival. Thanks to free tickets from David's boss, we thought it would be a fun day of something different. They had bounce houses for the kids (Joel was in heaven! He was very brave and climbed up some tall ladders so he could go down the slides with the big kids. One was a maze and we couldn't even see him through most of it. But he was a trooper and came down the slide just like the other kids.)
Joel at the top of a slide
There was a craft area for the kids to make masks and necklaces and there were two stages of live music (Cajun and Blues) so the boys had fun dancing to that. The food was good (David had Famous Dave's ribs and I had Shrimp on the Bar-b...not exactly cajun food) but after feeding all of us, it got a little pricey. They also had cars on display and Joel loved "driving" us around in them.
Sporting their Mardi Gras beads from the car dealer
Poor Silas was so hot (well, so were the rest of us!) in the black stroller. As we were leaving, he started telling David, "Hot, Hot!" It was nice time though and a nice break away from the norm. Then we drove up to the Reagan Presidential library and looked out over the valley. We didn't actually go in the library but the view was incredible. It felt like you could see Nevada. We decided to head to the beach to cool down a bit and drove to Malibu. The beach looked packed so the boys just played for a little while in the Malibu town center playground. I realized that I don't own enough white in my wardrobe to be a permanent resident of Malibu but we had a good time. Silas loved chasing the "tweet tweets" aka...birds. We drove home through Topanga Canyon and hit major traffic from the Topanga Country Fair. The boys were exhausted when we finally got home!
Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day) - After a long day on Sunday, we were happy to join the Wrights, Retts, Kibbes, and 1 Novak for a Memorial Day cook-out. (We missed you Katie & Eli!) We had a great time of fellowship with our friends and are so thankful to have such a great support group. After naps, Kim pulled out Z's new pool and the kids played in the water.
Deep conversations with J & Z
It took a little convincing to get Silas in, but once he was in, he was all in! He splashed and played and loves the water!
Pure bliss!
We drove down to Manhattan beach to let Joel ride his bike by the ocean and for a nice evening walk. Joel is such a great bike rider these days. He loves to race you and is getting so good at watching out for cars and people. Silas trailed along in the wagon and then walked the rest of the way. He loved pointing out the dogs (by yelling "Dog!" each time he saw one) and the ocean (by yelling "Wa-Wa" every time there was a break in the fence and we could see the sea.)
*Side Note: Silas has two volumes...loud, for when he's just talking to you and painfully loud, for when he's a) upset, b) wants your attention or c) is excited about something. We got lots of
smiles from all of the other pedestrians.
Tuesday, June 1 - We were honored to watch baby Evie W on her mom's first day back to work. She was so sweet and the boys just think she's the best thing ever.
Silas and E
The dote on her constantly and want to be right next to her. (see above!) I love that they love her so much. She was great and Becca even got to come home early to see her. After David got home from work, we took the boys up to the Rose Bowl to play soccer and run. On the way over, Joel told me to wanted me to "Geawr him." After asking for clarification several times, he finally said, "I want Momma to say 'Go, Goel, Go!" So sweet! David and Joel played soccer for a bit while Silas and I went for a run. About half way around, David and Joel showed up so he could "run" with me. He rode for a little bit and then ran the last quarter mile or so. It would warm my heart if he loves to run when he gets older!
Wednesday, June 2 - Evie stayed with us again and boy was she a sleepyhead. The boys had fun with her and Silas got to make an airport run with David to drop off Joey at LAX. David said that Silas alerted him to every plane that he saw. Remember the two volumes? Yeah....It was a pretty typical day otherwise. The boys and I ran to Target and Trader Joe's after their naps. Joel and I have worked out a pretty good system...if he'll behave nicely at Target riding in the cart, he can walk when we get to TJ's instead of riding in the cart or stroller. I was so proud of him. He stayed with me and walked just like a big boy. I think I only had to put back 2 or 3 items that he added to the cart on his own. I can't believe how grown-up he is!
Thursday, June 3 - Happy Birthday, Kim! My dear friend, Kim, celebrated her 27th birthday today so I just wanted to let all of cyber-space know. :) The boys and I went for a walk around the Rose Bowl with my friend, Kara, and her son, Levi. The boys were troopers and found all the squirrels, watched for dogs and ate their snacks while Kara and I chatted.
We made it all the way around!
After that we headed out to look for some summer hats for the boys. No luck! Thursday night was the first game of the NBA finals so the Wrights and Kibbes came over to watch and eat pizza. We will definitely miss the Kibbes when they leave for Chicago in a few weeks.
Friday, June 4 - We started out the morning building pillow mountains with Kim, Meme (Chris' mom) and Zoe. Soon the pillows moved to the floor and they played in the "jungle" and the "ocean". What fun, creative memories for all of them. Silas wants to do whatever the big kids are doing, which is so fun to watch. The boys and I headed out to find their hats. Success! Why did I not go to The Children's Place first? They always deliver! Now we'll see if I can get the boys to keep them on! ha! Joel really wanted to ride his bike at the park so we loaded it up and headed over there. Megan, Owen and Elias were there playing so we joined them. It took the boys awhile to get going. It was h-o-t! Joel and Owen finally ran around a bit and burned off some energy. Friday night was a monumental occasion....David played bass in the Lounge at the Key Club on the Sunset Strip. Kim stayed with the boys and Andrew, Chris, David and I headed down for a night on the town.
Look at that handsome fella!
The Key Club
David played with one of our friends, Dave Cho as part of a concert requi
red for his coursework at UCLA. It was so cool! When we got there, we had an hour or so before they played so we stayed upstairs and watched some crazy girl sing. Her band was really good but her drama on stage was over.the.top. We laughed really hard, especially when she bumped into the microphone. Then we headed down so the Dave Cho Trio could get ready to perform. The genre of the music called "Immigrant Pop" and it was really cool. I wasn't sure what to expect but I really liked it. David sounded great on bass and looked pretty snazzy in his new hat. I liked seeing him playing bass again. I miss that for him and hope he'll get back in to it soon.
Waiting to play...
I am so proud of him!
The Crew
After the show, we headed over to the original Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. It was after midnight at this point but that didn't stop us from ordering large quantities of food. Their
onion rings are amazing and they have true cherry cokes. Super good a
nd I haven't stayed out that late in a really long time. It was a great night out for us all!
Bob's Big Boy
Saturday, June 5 - The day started with Joel and I making banana blueberry muffins and setting off the smoke alarm. I can say in complete honesty it was not my fault but I don't think the rest of the house cared at 7:45 on a Saturday morning. 2 things about this.... 1. Our smoke alarms are super sensitive. 2. There was residual oil from the previous nights dinner (that also set the alarms off). So, when I preheated the oven, the smoke started back up and the beeping followed. Have I mentioned that the beeping scares Joel more than anything else that he's encountered in his short life? He threw his hands over his ears and was crying uncontrollably in a matter of seconds. We opened windows and doors and finally got it to stop. I knocked on Becca's door and she graciously let us bake our muffins over there. Whew! Crisis mostly averted. I still have no clue if the muffins were good since I don't eat banana anything. David said they were heavy on the banana but the boys ate them!
Yummy!
So good!
Joel and I also got hair cuts. He did such a great job. We had to wait a while and he "read magazines" with me quietly. He watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs while I got my haircut and then told me to go sit in the waiting room while he got his haircut. Mr. Independent! He was mostly still while Jackie cut his hair and was so proud when she was done. I don't have any pictures yet. I'm sure you'll see his new do in some of the pics next week. He looks very grown-up. Since his haircut, I've had 3 people ask if he was 4 or 5? Yikes! While we were getting our haircuts, Silas and David played in the pool in our yard. Once again...our little waterbug! Saturday night David and I were invited to a dinner party for our friend Ethan's 30th birthday. We had a great night of food and fellowship. I haven't laughed so hard in I don't know how long and we met a fellow Texan who shares David's affection for What-a-burger and sliced dill pickles. A big thanks to the Wrights and Retts for getting the boys showered and in bed. (Although, it sounds like it was easy enough that maybe we should let you put the boys to bed every night!)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Earthquake
It is official! We have now survived our first California earthquake. The shaking started at 11:42 a.m. and only lasted for 10-15 seconds. David was home and he grabbed Joel while I practiced my duck and cover technique. I never used it for a toronado in my 26 years as a Texan but have already put it to use in my 2 years as a Californian. Not a single thing fell off shelves or the walls. We did have a few dvd cases fall over on a bookshelf but no big deal. The quake originated near Chino Hills, which is east of us and had a magnitude of 5.4. We are ok and trying to resume normal life again. Our cell phones were out for a little while but the phone and internet never had any interruption. It definitely makes me thankful that it wasn't worse and is a good reminder to make sure we always have an emergency kit ready to go.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Joel
Happy Birthday, Joel!
One year ago today, you entered this world kicking and screaming. You were plucked from my womb and you weren't sure how you felt about this new world. You started moving immediately...arms and legs kicking and waving...and you haven't stopped moving since then.
Joel, you are curious and active. You are an explorer who knows no fear. You love to eat and as long as we keep you fed, you are pretty much just happy to be alive. You like to look at books and you love your baby Belle stuffed dog. You love being outside and you love the beach. You like dogs and you love watching other kids playing. Someday, buddy, you can run and play with all the other kids. You are a rough and tumble boy who knows how to give the best hugs and the sweetest kisses.
You have learned so much in your first year. You learned how to roll-over, how to sit all by yourself, how to scoot around, and how to push up on all fours. Then you learned how to crawl, how to pull yourself up, how to walk, and now, you are running! You learned how to nurse, how to drink from a bottle, how to eat from a spoon, how to drink from a cup, and now, how to eat with your hands. You learned how to smile, how to laugh, how to wave good-bye, how to clap your hands, and how to blow kisses.
Joel, you are the joy and light of my life. You have shown me how to love so much more deeply than I ever knew possible. To see you laugh and grow and learn is the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. Thank you for letting me be your Mommy. I'm so excited to see what God has in store for the rest of your life.
Always and forever,
Mommy
One year ago today, you entered this world kicking and screaming. You were plucked from my womb and you weren't sure how you felt about this new world. You started moving immediately...arms and legs kicking and waving...and you haven't stopped moving since then.
Joel, you are curious and active. You are an explorer who knows no fear. You love to eat and as long as we keep you fed, you are pretty much just happy to be alive. You like to look at books and you love your baby Belle stuffed dog. You love being outside and you love the beach. You like dogs and you love watching other kids playing. Someday, buddy, you can run and play with all the other kids. You are a rough and tumble boy who knows how to give the best hugs and the sweetest kisses.
You have learned so much in your first year. You learned how to roll-over, how to sit all by yourself, how to scoot around, and how to push up on all fours. Then you learned how to crawl, how to pull yourself up, how to walk, and now, you are running! You learned how to nurse, how to drink from a bottle, how to eat from a spoon, how to drink from a cup, and now, how to eat with your hands. You learned how to smile, how to laugh, how to wave good-bye, how to clap your hands, and how to blow kisses.
Joel, you are the joy and light of my life. You have shown me how to love so much more deeply than I ever knew possible. To see you laugh and grow and learn is the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. Thank you for letting me be your Mommy. I'm so excited to see what God has in store for the rest of your life.
Always and forever,
Mommy
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Super Bowl
In February, my brother and sister-in-law graciously invited us (and the rest of our family) to attend Super Bowl XLII in Glendale, AZ, even Joel got a ticket. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we had so much fun (even though it didn't quite turn out how we would have liked)! I think Joel and my nephew Jaxon were the two youngest fans there. They did so great! Everyone who saw them wanted to stop and say hello. Before the game, they had an area called the NFL Experience set up. There were all kinds of football drills you could participate in...throwing, receiving, and running. David (my hubby), Sarah (my sister) and I had fun competing against each other. It also included headless mannequins dressed in the uniforms of all the NFL teams that you could stand behind and take pictures and an area of NFL memorabilia and facts. It was a great place to pass the time before the game. The pre-game show with Alicia Keys was amazing and I heard the half-time show was pretty spectacular, with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. (I took Joel for a diaper change during half-time and missed almost the whole show.) We had a fantastic time spending the weekend with my family and hanging out in Scottsdale. Here are some of my favorite pics.
The Thomas clan
(less David T who was with the team, of course)
The Thomas clan
(less David T who was with the team, of course)
Joel, the Patriot
I meant, of course, Joel the Seahawk
David, the mean Seahawk
Look at that form
David returning the punt so fast that you can hardly see him
Joel sleeping with his Papa
Inside the stadium...it was pretty cool and though our seats were high, they gave a great view of the field
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