Welcome Gabriela

My cousin, Sharon, and her husband, Todd, recently adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia making Isabella a big sister. I'm in total awe of their love and openness throughout the whole process. It's very exciting to welcome a new member to our family especially one as cute as Gabriela!

The Elusive Family Photo

Yesterday was Greek Easter. We celebrate every year with Brian's greek side of the family. Some of you might be questioning, "What, Brian's greek?" I know, hard to believe by looking at him, but, yes, he's one-fourth. We got together to enjoy, not greek food, but good old fashioned barbeque. Although, there was spanokopita there. That's tradition. We also go around in a big circle and break each other's red-dyed easter eggs while repeating a greek phrase: "Christos Anesti", "Alithos Anesti". Supposedly the last egg standing brings you good luck. I wouldn't know because I never win. This year all the eggs were perfectly hard-boiled. (We had a little hiccup last year, another story for another time). Chris and Barbara, our fabulous hosts, know how to throw a flawless family get-together. We even were able to enjoy the pool/jacuzzi. It couldn't have come at a better time with the heat wave we're having. I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to capture a family photo. Earlier, I stated that our last family photo was on Christmas and we need to get better at that. So here it is:

Looks like our elusive family photo is going to remain just that, elusive.

This one came out good though.

Vacumming Sucks

I hate to vacuum. I get all sweaty and gross. It freaks Nemo out completely. He runs away in the other direction. It's not a vacuum, it's a purple monster! Even Nick gets weepy when I turn it on. But, it has to be done. My allergies are going nuts right now and I cannot keep up with Nemo's shedding. I can open up a wig shop with the amount of hair coming off of him right now. There are crumbs everywhere, of what, I have no idea, and just looking at the floors makes me feel dirty.

If anyone has $500 to spare and really wants to buy me something, a nice little Roomba makes for a great gift. Seriously, $500? That's just crazy talk.

-Jen

"Overlogging"

There is no one or nothing that South Park won't make fun of. I never thought I'd be their latest victim, but sure enough, after last week's episode...there it was right in front of me. I could not run, I could not hide. Now, of course, they take it to the extreme of which does not pertain to me; however, the basic question is, "Could Jennifer live without the internet?" The answer is NO! It's my outlet, my connection to the outside world. I'm completely addicted to Amazon, Myspace, Facebook, blogging (ours and reading others), and don't even get me started on online games. In fact, I'm shocked when I hear of people who don't check their email daily, WHAT? How can that be? I realize I don't work and the computer is in the living room staring at me each time I walk by, but looking back even when I did work, I at least checked my email. That I know. But now, now it's opened up to this whole other crazy thing. Yea, I get teased for it but that's okay. It could be worse, right? Don't answer that.

Here's the very first part of the episode. It's pretty shaky, sorry about that.
-Jen

Panda Bear, Panda Bear

Paige has a distinct personality trait. She observes the world intently, doesn't rush into demonstrating new skills (like taking her first steps, completing a puzzle, or using the potty), and doesn't typically learn by a long process of public trial and error with incremental improvement until she gets it. Instead, when she has observed enough, understands what she needs to do, and feels she is sufficiently competent, she busts out by rapidly doing the new thing quite well.

Case in point: reading. Paige has always loved books and we read to her often. Just a few days ago she started narrating story lines by memory while paging through some books.

Then she turned her focus to one of her favorite books, "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What do You See?" and "read" me her first book from memory before bed the other night. I absolutely loved it and asked if she would read it one more time while I captured on video, and she obliged. Paige is going to love watching this some day.

My dad often tells the story that I used to do this with the book, "Go Dog, Go" when I was a kid, "reading" each page fairly accurately without knowing what a single word actually was, which always makes us smile when recollecting the memory.

- Brian

On a Mission

I woke up today feeling that I am going to take charge of some of the shenanigans going on around here. I'm usually on top of these things and try to be consistent, but today, today I am going to go at it full force. Or so I'm hoping.

Paige:

• No jumping, bouncing, or walking on the couch (yea, sometimes I see you out of the corner of my eye and dismiss it, not today love).
• No "please", no "thank you", no service.

Nick:

• It's time to learn some changing table manners. You do not immediately flip to your tummy with poop all over your tush. Stay still, let Mommy handle it as quickly as possible.

Nemo:

• Stop following me around the house. You've been walked, fed, and I saw you steal some cheerios when you thought I wasn't looking.
• Sit at the door nicely when you want to go outside. No whining, barking, or giving me wild eyes and a crazy tail. This also includes when you want back in the house.

Alright, I think that's enough to undertake in one day.

-Jen

Pteronophobia

Lately I've noticed that Paige has a peculiar fear, pteronophobia: the fear of feathers or anything remotely looking like a feather, fuzz, for example. Today this fear was fully diagnosed (in my opinion) when my mom tried to give Paige a stem from one of those tall wispy plants. Paige pointed to it and called it a "cottontail". Although, I personally thought she was saying ,"cock-a-tiel". I kept telling her, "I don't see a bird there". Little did I know. Anyway, my mom, being the sweet abuelita that she is, decided to give one to Paige. Paige FLIPPED out. Tears were rolling, snot was flowing, and she was sternly telling us, "I DON'T NEED IT!" Okay. Looking back I should have seen this coming. Anytime we see feathers out and about, she walks in the other direction. Anytime there is fuzz lurking in her bed, she screams bloody mercy. Anytime there is anything feathery or fuzzy near her or her belongings, there come the tears. Will it go away? I hope so. Is this all a rouse to get our attention? More likely. I mean she did love the pink feather boa her nana gave her at Easter. Who can really tell with an irrational two year old anyway?
-Jen

Dogs Gone Wild - Earth Day Edition

My grandpa used to say, "When you assume, it makes an ass out of you and an ass out of me". I'll never forget it, because he used to say it all the time. Well, I "assumed" that my neighbor was going to put her dogs in the garage so that they wouldn't come over here. I guess I "assumed" wrong. Sure enough, neighbor leaves, Houdini is at our back door, again. No big deal, Paige runs out there, "HOUDINI!" She loves when this little poodle comes over. We move on. Then Paige comes in the house smelling like, yeah you guessed it, dosh (dog sh**). Great! Just what I look forward to, cleaning poop off my daughter's sneakers. We move on, again. Nemo is in the house not really paying attention. He's getting used to this little canine coming over. It's when the magician's assistant comes that we have a problem. Yes, he dug another huge hole today. I was not thrilled. Nick gets up from his nap at this point and I try to ignore the two invaders sniffing around my yard. Nemo decides to come down for a closer inspection and realizes Assistant is here. Barking ensues. Can't I just give Nick his bottle in peace? Apparently not. I stick Nick in his exersaucer, throw some shoes on Paige (she will certainly not miss out on any of this), and proceed to put the dogs back in their yard. I leash Nemo hoping that they will follow him over. So far, it's working! Yes! Then, they bolt down the street. You're kidding me, right? After several minutes and the help of a neighbor I manage to get the two dogs back to their house. Finally. I patch up any gaping holes as best I can and head back into the house. Not two seconds go by and there's Houdini hanging out. I hang my head in shame, for it looks like I'm the ass today.

My failed MacGyver attempt

The good part of my day

-Jen

Braces

I had braces put on my teeth this January. Never had them as a kid, and decided to finally treat myself. Here are my goals in priority order:

1. Healthy teeth and gums. I didn't do the best job of caring for my teeth in my early childhood years but have been all over it as an adult, flossing daily, brushing 2-3 times per day, and hydrogen peroxide/Listerine rinse 3-4 times per day. Despite the disciplined regimen, the combination of heavy crowding, particularly on the bottom, and genetics have been an ongoing battle. Properly aligned teeth will help keep me keep my teeth clean and healthy so I can keep them a long time.

2. A beautiful smile. I love to smile and want to have great looking straight teeth.

3. Fix my bilateral cross bite and alignment. I had my right top cuspid removed as a teenager which led to a narrow top arch and shifting of my center line. My top teeth are shifted to the right of center, bottom are shifted to the left. A better aligned bite and cuspid implant to replace the missing tooth will contribute to jaw health and goal 2 above. This will require expanding my upper jaw's arch which can only be done with surgery for adults...bummer.

4. This one is a maybe...re-align my upper and lower jaws so that my lower lips come together naturally in a rested position. My natural position, without straining, is my mouth being slightly open as my jaw angle is too big. I need to strain my lower jaw to pull my lips together. This leads to mouth breathing, not good for gum health, and cosmetically a longer nose to chin length. Fixing this can be done in the same upper jaw expansion surgery to lift the upper jaw by a few millimeters which closes the jaw angle by a few more millimeters leading to a more comfortable natural position.

So my experience so far has been interesting. I visited a few different orthodontists and they all agreed upon the goals and end result, but with very different approaches. Finally settled upon a plan and got the braces put on in January with a 2 year treatment plan. Went with the new Damon System braces (http://www.damonbraces.com/) that are more comfortable, work faster than traditional, are smaller, and are half clear/half metal.

My teeth were really sore for the first few weeks and the inside of my mouth had a lot of cuts from the metal. A lot of wax and Orajel, easy to chew foods, and smoothies. Not a lot of fun. Things got better after that until my 12-week appointment where larger gauge wires were put on, and my teeth hurt like the Dickens for another 4-5 days. They need to move through bone, breaking down the bone and regenerating as they shift, so that is what causes soreness.

My bottom teeth have already moved a lot. I have a while to decide on whether to do jaw surgery or to reduce my ortho goals. I've gotten over being self conscious about the braces and am em"bracing" this commitment remembering that I've chosen to do this myself and am paying good money (thanks in part to leveraging my company's flexible spending account and ortho benefit) to get this done.

3 months down, 21 more to go!

- Brian

Two Teeth & A Quesadilla

Today Nick is seven months old. He's been a little cranky the past couple of days. He's been crying while he's eating which is just plain odd for him. I happened to get a close look at his mouth and what do you know? I spotted two tiny little bottom teeth. I ran my finger along the gum, sure enough I felt the rough little edges. His teeth came in, duh! No wonder he hasn't quite been himself. After that little discovery, I felt a little sad. My baby has teeth now. I then saw a newborn and it really hit home. He's not that tiny little bundle I brought home from the hospital. He now has a sprouting personality and a crazy inclination to eat "big kid" food. As I was staring at the newborn in the taco shop, Nick was eyeing Paige's quesadilla. I wondered what he'd do if I gave him some to gnaw on. As I brought a piece to his mouth, his legs started kicking this way and that. His way of telling me, "yeah, Mom, bring it on!" I held it at his mouth while he sucked away, happily gumming every last bit. And I couldn't help but to squeeze him, kiss him, and soak in the moment.

-Jen

A smile for the camera.

Loved this one too.

Date Night

When did our life suddenly come to that place where we have to schedule time alone as a couple? And it's not even that simple. This requires planning, organizational skills, and top notch babysitters (aka grandparents). We attempted this last week for the first time since Nick's been born. We figured the stars had finally aligned. Nick was no longer breastfeeding, was now sleeping through the night, and had been to the grandparents' house overnight rather recently while Brian was traveling. We had run out of reasons why we couldn't leave him over night with his big sister, Paige, at Papa and Tita's. After dropping them off, I still felt a twinge of mommy guilt. I kept pushing it away saying to myself, no this is not only good for you, but good for the kids and the grandparents. It's a win-win-win. On my drive home, I cranked up the music just a tad bit louder, rolled down the window, and popped open the sunroof. I was actually able to think about whatever I wanted.


Brian and I decided to go to dinner and walk around the mall. I know, not very exciting. But, we thought if we were to go to the movies, we wouldn't even have a chance to talk to each other. And that's what I really needed, a free and clear opportunity to talk with my husband. An actual uninterrupted conversation. It was also refreshing to walk around the mall. I have not been good at trying on clothes under pressure, so going to the mall with the kids is pretty much nonexistent unless I'm doing a quick in and out trip. So, even though we both pooped out at our normal time and even though we both woke up wide-eyed and bushy-tailed at 6:23am precisely, it was so worth it!

-Jen

Thank You Dr. Seuss!

I knew Dr. Seuss was a favorite among children and teachers. It wasn't until these past few months that I realized that the man was pure genius. Paige has pretty much memorized every Dr. Seuss book we have. She has learned her alphabet from the ABC book. My favorite is when she says her abc's, "A, B, C, D, E, Feather, G..." I even enjoy reading his books over and over. It's the Dora books that Brian and I keep trying to hide. They're god awful! In honor of Dr. Seuss, I simply felt I had to give props where props were due.

-Jen

Dogs Gone Wild

We put up a new fence because our old one was filled with gnarled up vines that the rats sure loved to skitter upon at dusk. Yuck! Since then, the little old poodle next door has been digging every chance she gets to come over for a visit. As soon as our neighbor leaves for work, there she is at our sliding back door ready to play. I've tried to tap into my inner MacGyver and place bricks, flagstone pieces, and chunks of wood along the bottom and sure enough there's little Houdini not even 10 minutes later. Now, the second dog, slightly larger, becomes very jealous. He hears Houdini and Nemo playing and barks in discontent. This morning, he decided he wasn't going to take it anymore and dug a huge hole under the fence and, voila, there he was ready to wreak havoc on Nemo. Paige thinks this is a walloping good time. What, more dogs to chase?! Little does she know that it's driving her mama bananas! Oh, what fun.

-Jen

Parking Lot Encounter

I had one of those moments today when I was walking from the store with the kids when I noticed a woman staring at us. Immediately I thought, yes, my son's shirt is covered in carrots. I swear he spit up everywhere in the car ride over here - OR - sure, my daughter insisted on bringing Pinky to the store today, is that really such a big deal?
Much to my surprise, she spoke, "I'm sending my daughter off to college and I'm all torn up about it. Enjoy these times with your kids."
Oh...pause..."Thank you, I can only imagine. I'm already thinking about how I'll feel when I drop her off at preschool."
This isn't the first time I've received this advice from strangers. And, believe me, I do appreciate the reminder. What I think I really learned today was that a stare from a stranger does not necessarily mean a criticism or judgement. Sometimes it may only signify a longing or desire for a long time past. And I wonder, will I be that stranger for someone else in the not so distant future?

-Jen

Mom Top 10

The top 10 ways you can tell I'm a mother of two little ones:

10. The grocery clerk has to point out the spit up on my tshirt.

9. I carry a burp cloth in my purse at all times.

8. I have a slight crush on the blue Wiggle.

7. Taking a shower when the kids are napping or Brian is home is an absolute luxury. Shaving is a bonus!

6. I clap, dance, and cheer when there is a successful pee-pee and/or poo-poo on the potty.

5. I use the words pee-pee, poo-poo, and potty on a regular basis.

4. Instead of the likes of Led Zeppelin, ACDC, and Pink Floyd in my cd player, it has now become Laurie Berkner, Raffi, and The Wiggles.

3. My kids dress more stylish than I do.

2. Mac-n-cheese is my friend.

1. Instead of buying tickets for the Foo Fighters concert, I'm all fired up for Sesame Street Live!

-Jen

Dancing with the (little) Star(s)

Paige sure loves to dance as I'm sure most toddlers do. Although, one cannot say she's exactly "dancing", but rather jumping to the rhythm. I had a feeling she might like watching "Dancing with the Stars". Little did I know that she was going to LOVE it. She doesn't even have any patience in between couples. It's immediately, "another star Mommy!" It was especially appropriate this week when they showed four children dancing. To say they were adorable is an understatement. Paige was enthralled with what they were able to do. One of my best friends, Amy, is a ballroom teacher. I should fly her out here from New York to begin working with Paige on the Paso Doble, Brian's favorite dance. Hmmm...better yet, I should probably just let Paige be a two year old, jumping and twirling to her own beat.

-Jen

The Window of Waiting

Okay, 8-12 I was told. It's now 11:35 and I'm still waiting for the window repair guy to arrive. Ugh! I've been twiddling my thumbs all morning waiting, waiting. I've been walking by the window waiting, waiting. A lot has to take place to bring a stranger in the house:

1. Nemo needs to be on leash.
2. Nick needs to be put somewhere safe so Nemo doesn't step all over him or whack him with his tail in all his excitement.
3. Paige needs to be away from Nemo so she's not knocked over.

Notice the Nemo pattern? Oh, and all of this because a neighbor kicked a soccer ball twenty feet in the air, breaking our window and spraying glass all over our living room. How random! Well, there goes our day; used up to simply wait.

-Jen

Nick the Jumping Bean

Paige

Paige is two and half years old. It's so much fun listening to her talk and sing. Her favorite song is "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and she can sure belt it out. She's in the middle of potty training and doing very well. It's been great only having one kid in diapers. Paige's favorite activity is putting puzzles together. She has worked her way up to 12 piece puzzles. I love watching her mind at work when she's figuring them out. I've signed her up for preschool in the fall. I can't believe that it's that time already, but I feel that she is certainly ready for some more stimulation than what I can provide for her at home. Paige is becoming a sweet big sister, although sometimes bossy, but she is nurturing and loving to all of those around her.

Nicolas

Nicolas is six and a half months old now. He's finally sleeping through the night, much to our joy! He's got Michelin arms and the Thighs of Thor (as Brian likes to call them). All this because he cannot get enough to eat. He eats everything from bananas to broccoli. Right now, Nick loves to watch his big sister play and maybe even possibly get a hold of her hair. He also enjoys sitting up and grabbing everything within reach. I'm surprised by his interest in picking up toys and slamming them down. Paige was always a bit more gentle. Is it a boy thing? I'm not sure, but it certainly makes me laugh. He really is becoming an integral part of our family and we couldn't imagine our home without him in it. I love this photo of him just taken two days ago. "Go ahead, make my day."

Destiny's Touch: How Brian and Jennifer Met

Jennifer and I started dating November 4, 1996. I wasn't too sure about whether destiny was a real phenomenon until reflecting back at the touch points the universe kept initiating to get us together. Here are the touch points in chronological order:

- Early 1990's: My cousin Chris Nicholson is managing all of the labs for Scripps Health (still is today). One of his former employees and friends has a daughter named Amy that they discussed setting me up with on several occasions. We never ended up going out, but it turns out that she is one of Jennifer's very closest friends from high school. I'm convinced that if I ever did go out with Amy, it would have led to a meeting with Jennifer and a unanimous understanding that I should be dating her instead.

- 1995: I am the general manager for the opening of the new Islands Restaurant in Vista on Melrose Dr, a few miles from the Jennifer's home. My favorite regular customers are her family: parents Jay and Vera, and brother Jay. I look forward to seeing them on their frequent visits and learn about their lives and that they have a daughter named Jennifer who is away at college at Chico State. Later that year, Jennifer came in for dinner at the restaurant with a big group of friends and I came by to visit the table. I didn't meet Jennifer directly at that time, but she swears that she felt something special towards me in my brief encounter with the group.

- 1996: I transfer to become the general manager of the Islands Restaurant in La Jolla. Jennifer graduates from college. Here comes a real destiny-mind bender... Jennifer is ready to start in the work force and signs up with a temporary agency to get her first assignment. Of all the companies in San Diego, which one does she get placed at? You guessed it, Islands Restaurants corporate office, as a bookkeeper (they have a small staff in Solana Beach and rarely hire). Islands Bookkeepers were in charge of 5 restaurants each; there were 30 restaurants, so she had a 1 in 6 chance of...you guessed it...she gets the La Jolla location as one of her restaurants. Islands loves her of course and brings her on full time, so she worked only one temp assignment.

This is where our courtship begins. Jennifer and I start flirting by email and phone. I have no idea who she was, that I knew her family at the Vista location, or that I visited her table the year prior. I invited her to come down the restaurant one night in October for dinner while I'm working, which she did a few nights later with her great friend Nicole. After seeing Jennifer in person for the "first time" I was hooked. I asked her out for our first date that night.

It wasn't until that first date that the pieces to destiny's touch point puzzle began to crystallize. I'm now a believer and very thankful to be with the love of my life!

- Brian

The Official Launch

So, we've been toying around with the idea of having a family website since Paige was born. Now after 2 1/2 years, we've finally gotten around to it. My, how time flies! I recently reconnected with an old friend who has her own blog right here. I have truly enjoyed reading it for it's gotten me to know her all over again. Thus, she has inspired me to try it myself. I would like to say, however, I think Brian would probably do a much better job than me, so I plan to encourage him to write as well. This will mostly cover the trials and tribulations of raising two children and one very crazy dog, but might also include marriage, travel, work, etc. I've added a family photo as our launch. Of course, the most recent photo is from Christmas. Somehow we never seem to manage getting a picture of the four of us. It seems like either one of the kids is sleeping or having a meltdown when we finally think of it. Something to work on in the future.

-Jen