six months

Minus pregnancy, this kid has been a breeze from the get-go!  She is so easy going.  Quite the chiller, and seems to be unaffected by her brother's constant tormenting!  We love our little lu and are so blessed to have her as a part of our family!

6 months means:

- sitting up and interacting, but not mobile (yet)

- more giggles and smiles

- solid foods and less mommy milk

- half-way to a year and time is going too fast!

- old enough to attend the gym with mom!

- still no teeth

2 year-olds {x} three {=} 6 times the fun

Gotta love the playdate!
Better yet, the super playdate.
Better yet, three two year-olds with rollercoaster emotions for two hours!

We got off to a rough start, but all was made well again when the pudding painting was revealed. Nothing can make peace quite like pudding can. Especially when it's dyed red, green and yellow!


Sebastian mostly ate the pudding. (He loved it...trust me)

Jack mostly made a mess out of the pudding.

And Ezzy was mostly disgusted with the mess on his fingers and watching Jack make a mess on his face.

I'm up for it again. Bring it on...

This is a little better...

still not as vibrant as what I'm seeing.

The top row is the very subtle improved version. Still open to suggestions...



can you even tell a difference?

not computer savvy

I'm just not sure what's going on here.  I've actually made some efforts in the last month to experiment with my arch nemesis...PHOTOSHOP.

It has been frustrating and fun and frustrating and cool, but for some reason the amazing colors I'm seeing on PS and then in iPhoto are not translating to the internet or print.

These photos are the perfect example.  In PS and iPhoto they look amazing (if I do say so myself), but as soon as they go onto my blog, my kids look like dead people.  

Any techy peeps out there that can give me some advice?  Are my color settings off?  Do I need a fancy schmancy calibrator?  HELP!  

And as long as I've got these cuties up, I can't pass up the opportunity to jot down a little blip about my favorites these days...

Jack

*curls (know they won't last forever)

*he's got a mean fake cry that he can brew up at the drop of a hat

*sharing means...take a lesser toy to friend with desired toy and gently exchange for the one of greater "value"

*gobbles, and I mean gobbles, (like cookie monster gobbles cookies) all his food

*trades binky with sister

*tries to say his own prayers

*has a new-found affection for his blankie

lucy

*loves rice cereal

*is soooo ticklish 

*smiles when dad is around

*knows when it's naptime and cries at the first sign of her room

*tipsy sitter-upper

*has the juiciest thighs i've ever squeezed

Yesterday, I was a pioneer. Yes-siree!

I tried my hand at the ancient art of canning. (mostly because i was pressured into it by some super over-acheiving, homemaker friends from church.)

Last year we made peach jam. Easy. This year I upped the ante to canning. Not so easy.

It's just kind of a pain in the derriere...rear end, behind, butt, you get the idea. (i don't think the pioneers would have used that kind of language)

I was told it goes like this: You peel, pit, pack, pour syrup, seal, boil, then wah-la...you've got canned peaches. Well, it isn't that easy.

After a kitchen full of skins, pits, drippy syrup, a dozen dirty pans, bowls, utensils, a wasted naptime (i consider any naptime wasted if I don't enjoy at least 15 minutes of "ME" time), floating peaches, and the stress of hearing the "POP" to indicate a successful seal, I'm just not sure it's worth it...five hours later.

I mean, sure, I do feel a little bit warm and fuzzy inside knowing that I learned a new skill and produced a product, but the other part of me wonders if the $1.20 you pay at the store for a can of peaches just might be worth it?!?!

You can see how Jack feels about the fruits of my labor.

I guess the pioneer heritage runs deep through my veins. How could I disappoint?

Stay tuned for next year's pioneer project...skinning wild game.


**This post is in no way meant to discount the amazing over-the-phone canning coaches who helped me fumble through my learning curve**

walk on

I was on the floor, yo!  Did you all catch the "race walking" event?  I was so confused when I tuned in that I had to look it up online.  Here is some of the commentary I found on this amazing Olympic sport:

"Did they really need a slo-mo at the end?  I think it was slow enough to begin with..."

"Yes, it's real.  Real stupid."

"Moving as fast as you can without actually moving as fast as you can seems like something that should be celebrated on an international level."

"All those people look like they are trying to get to the toilet without messing their pants."

"I think they train by sticking a corncob between their "cheeks" and walking real fast."

"Just remember the mantra: Don't look like a dork"

"Arms are pumping, legs are driving and hips are confused."

All jokes aside.  Props to those athletes who are "walking" faster than I could sprint a mile!  I just wish I could pay someone to yell "quack" from the middle of the pack.  Now that would be priceless.

she's teething

touche...pronounced "too shay" for all the non-french speakers

So the other day I was sneaking spoonfuls of Rocky Road ice cream out of the container. I like to use that method often because it doesn't make me feel so indulgent if I am just "sampling" from the carton rather than scooping it into a bowl. Even though my small samples usually equal about a three bowls by the time I'm finished.

At any rate, I was trying to be sly and quick because I didn't want Jack to notice, and I didn't want to eat too much because it is Troy's FAVORITE ice cream and he ALWAYS notices when I've had a particularly tempting day. Well, just as I'm slipping the quart back into the freezer, Jack runs up saying, "Mmmmm...Yummy". I quickly tried to ignore him and hide the evidence, but no luck. He is now at my feet saying, "Mommy, share."

Immediately I start to chuckle for two reasons. For weeks we've been working on sharing...to no avail. And now he's telling me to share? Secondly, the kid only says a few words and for the first time I'm hearing, "Mommy, share"?

Reluctanly, (but secretly thinking inside how darling and irresistible he is) I pulled out the carton and shared a few more "samples" with him. We were as happy as clams!

Now fastforward a few days. Today I pulled out the quart for my daily fix. It felt quite empty and light, so immediately I start get to get worked up thinking, "What? Did Troy eat this and put an empty carton back in the freezer?" (it could happen, folks.) Then what do I see when I open the lid?

Behold...
someone really got me!

touche, BABE...touche!

a late thank you

You know you have good friends when they let you borrow their nice car to drive 16 hours because your hoopty peice of junk broke down the day you were supposed to leave on vacation!

That's the Roney's for ya! They would give you the shirt off their back and maybe even their pants, too!

Well, these same generous friends let our family stay in their Laguna Beach getaway for our anniversary. Yes, we took our kids, but that's because we like being with them. Not to worry though...our terrific friends also found us a babysitter so that we could have a romantic night out. It was fabulous!

So THANK YOU very much, friends!

This place was great. So many fun Carribean-esque colors!
Check out these pics of Lucy hanging out in the beach house.

come take a look...

at
perfection(click here)...

shall we call him ross gellar?

Remember that episode of Friends where Ross was struggling to get his leather pants up, so he tried a combination of baby powder, lotion, oils, etc. until he had created a thick, messy paste?

Well, we had a re-run of that episode right here in our own house. Except, Jack was Ross and poor lucy was the victim.

I left the room for a moment (isn't that when all the damage usually happens?) to change laundry, then came back to Jack dumping baby powder all over lucy's head. Upon closer examination I also noticed that he had rubbed lotion in with it. Then to make the mess even more pasty and cakey, he was trying to wipe it off with baby wipes.

Lucy is a champ. She never bats an eyelash at all the "abuse" Jack sends her way!

The Extended Birthday

I've always been a fan of the extended birthday. You know, the birthdays when cards are still trickling in days later, or you have multiple parties strung out over a few days.

Well, Jack got his first "taste" of the extended birthday. His real birthday was last week. Then we threw him a pre-birthday party the week before (mostly because he can't get enough of blowing out candles and singing "Happy Birthday"). And yesterday we had a post-birthday party because my parents were in town.

You can never have enough celebrations, in my mind!


Jack loved hanging out with these kids. They are like siblings to him!

Singing Happy Birthday

Blowing out the candles. We did this three times for three reasons...a.) The first pictures I got did not turn out, b.) Jack loves to blow out flames and c.) We had to get all the mileage we could out of the cake that took me hours to make!

Jack got a HUGE set of Geo Trax for his b-day. I bought them on e-bay after our neighbor let us borrow hers and Jack loved them! I love toys that don't get old after a week of use. I'm sure he will still love these 4 years from now!

Here's Jack taking notes on how the "big boys" set up the tracks.

Thanks mom and dad for sharing this day with us! We only wish more family lived nearby!

another year...

Happy Birthday

you handsome chap, you!

remember when...

...Six years ago I made the best decision of my life to marry you?

And the night before the wedding, we were up until 2 am honing in on our floral arranging skills making my bridal bouquet and you might have been better at it than me? Or how in the morning before driving to the temple you took a chop saw to my platform shoes and trimmed a bit off for me so that my dress wouldn't be too short?

Or remember when we ate at Dukes on our honeymoon and they charged us for each soda refill we got? 10 glasses later....

Or when we were hiking through a river to reach a waterfall and I dropped our camera in the water and ruined all honeymoon memories?

Remember the time we went camping and threw our stuff in the back of your truck, then drove up the canyon unaware that the breakfast eggs were rolling around in our sleeping bags? Then we tried to wash the eggs off with lake water and ended up sleeping in a rotten-egg-dead-fish smelling-still-wet-from-the-lake-water sleeping bag?

Remember when we bought our first house and it was almost as exciting as having our first child? almost...

Or when we got to spend the first four years of marriage living in the most amazing place ever?

Or when you wore this silly flower crown on your head because your cool like that and confident in your manhood?

Or when you'd take me to sporting events and didn't care if all I was doing was watching the cheerleaders or asking you dumb questions like what's a penalty flag?

And remember when you still loved me even though I looked like Pat Benetar?

And I still loved you even though you looked like the muffin man? and you still loved me with my shorts pulled up to the moon!

Or remember how smart we were to go to Costa Rica before we had kids? And how you surfed some pretty narly waves and how we almost got abducted in San Jose because we were relying on my poor Spanish skills?

Or the year we decided to get really into Halloween and had to squeeze those ping pong balls on our eyes the whole night?

Surely you remember the time you made me the happiest girl around after finding out we were pregnant? And the silly spastic dance I did around our tiny apartment waving the test around?

Remember the joy we felt when our first one arrived? Then we got scared and he cried A LOT and you sang him primary songs while I dialed every hospital hotline for advice at 3 am.

Remember how PRO we were with our second? And how it felt to have a family of four?

and to think we've got a lifetime ahead of us so that in 50 more years we can look through our tattered photo albums and still say fondly...
remember when?

happy anniversary
Babe!

No. Stop. Please don't do it.

One more inch...one day older...and you'll be in
TIMEOUT, young man!

We can't believe you're TWO. Where has the time gone?


It seems like yesterday when we greeted you for the first time. You were a big boy...9.2 pounds, with 8 of it in your sizable head!

The first 6 weeks were rough, but now I know you were just putting me through mommy boot camp. I was clueless and you needed to show me the ropes...FAST!
After that, it was mostly smooth sailing. We just watched you grow.

You breezed through 4 of the hottest summer months wearing protective gear a.k.a. a medical helmet for your torticollis.

We loved watching you reach new milestones!

We were charmed by your sweet smile and zest for life!

We shared some of our favorite places with you!

and now...

Every moment of every day we get to learn from you.
You remind us that there is nothing more important in life than family!




You are the best, BUBBY!
We love you mucho, mucho, mucho, mucho!
Happy 2nd Birthday!

(Now quit growing)