Legoland

We visited Legoland for the first time with the kids and the Loftus family today and had such a fun time. It is a great amusement park for the kids at the ages they are now. A lot of fun for each, at all parts of the park. And for us adults, we got such a kick out of seeing things made out of legos. My favorite was their exhibit of President Obama's inauguration, so cool. Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of that, but you can check it out here: Lego Inauguration

My hero, and husband, defeating Darth Vader.

Paige meets R2D2

"Nick, I am your father."

Terry, Nicole, and Peter enjoy the cruise.

Paige loved the horse ride.But, really loved driving a car.Hanging out together in a helicopter.

Airplane ride with Dad.

Oh, and here's me. I was actually more about making amends than seeking revenge.

Postworthy News

A couple things have sprung up around here. Let me start with Paige. The day I took her back to school after the new year, her teacher explained that they thought she was ready for the preschool program. She had been enrolled in the toddler program at first because of her fall birthday. The preschool program is a little different in that she would be with a new teacher, in a new classroom, and most importantly, to her, a bigger playground. I was also comforted in the fact that they were moving one of her little friends to the same class, so at least she'd have a familiar face in there with her. So, it's been a few weeks and she absolutely loves it. So much so that starting today she will be staying until three o'clock instead of the usual twelve. And, she got a new haircut.
As for Nick, his vocabulary has been exploding. Of course, none of the words are said clear as day, but being with him twenty-four hours a day, I have learned his language. Some of his favorite new words have been: jet, helicopter, gorilla, graham cracker, cheese, outside, all done, and hi. He cracks us up all the time with his constant babble.

Daily Outings

Shortly after Nick was born I had slight guilt that Paige wasn't getting out of the house enough. It was a challenge for me to take out a newborn and a potty training two year old. So, we just didn't get out much. When I spoke with my mom about it, she gave me some insight. She told me that if I did do an outing each day then Paige might come to expect it and then that could become a problem within itself, so I shouldn't worry myself about it. Since we have had a bout of good weather the last two weeks, I noticed I have been taking the kids to the park every day except when Paige was in school. So last night when Brian asked me what we were doing today, I told him I wasn't planning on going out of the house. After Paige got up this morning, she asked me, "Mommy, what are we doing today?"
"Nothing", I replied.
"But Mommy, where are we going?"
"Nowhere Paige."
"Can't we go to the park?"
And sure enough by 9:30am, the three of us were going stir crazy, I packed us up, and we walked to the park. So much for taking my mother's advice.

Boy Oh Boy

As Nick nears sixteen months, he has become much more willful and has just started throwing his version of a temper tantrum. He gently lies on the floor on his belly, whines, and then starts to roll around. It really is quite comical. He has also started boldly going places where Paige has never gone. He loves to climb on furniture, play in toilets, and dig in the trash. A few days ago, Nick and Paige were playing together at the art table, so I stole a few minutes to use the bathroom. When I returned, Nick was sitting inside our living room fireplace. Lucky for me, it was not used this winter and was recently cleaned. Needless to say, I have rigged it closed for future attempts. Paige was tame compared to him, so now we have to take our baby proofing to the next level including the oven which he loves to open. He always has an oven mitt on as if that's supposed to make me feel better.

Best Week Ever, well almost

After the hoopla of Christmas, I was very ready to return to our regular schedule. And based on the kids' behavior, they immediately responded to being on a routine. We had such a good week together. Sure there were little squabbles here and there thrown in with a quick tantrum or two, but boy, I was sure happy with our week together. I also learned something...wearing the kids out at the park works wonders.


Monday:
Gymnastics class for both kids with time at the park afterward.

Tuesday:
Preschool for Paige

Wednesday:
Played at the park overlooking the ocean and watched the trains go by.

Thursday:
Preschool for Paige and a playdate with our friends Shayne, Aidan, and baby Jamie.

Friday:
Played at the park with playgroup. Dinner with friends and kids.

Saturday:
Kids with their nana, Cathy, so Brian and I could celebrate Terry and Madeline's birthday with a wine tasting tour in Temecula. A picture of Nicole and me with her aunt, Madeline.



The cherry on top would have been a Charger win, but the Steelers outplayed us unfortunately. But, there's always next season.

Santa Barbara Wine Country Trip

Jen and I just returned from three days in the Santa Ynez and Los Olivos wine country, just north of Santa Barbara. It was an excellent trip we will definitely be doing again!

Day 1 was the picturesque drive up the coast, lunch at a really cool restaurant that was a stagecoach stop in the late 1800's, our first horseback ride together (it had been 15 years for me and 11 years for Jen since our last rides) that was a lot of fun, relaxing at our bed and breakfast, and a nice dinner out.

Day 2 was all about wine tasting. We hit 7 wineries to sample the best the region had to offer. Our favorites were the grenache, pinot noir, syrah, cabernet franc, and a surprising grenache rosé. No good chardonnay or sauvignon blanc found. Beckmen, Epiphany, and Qupé were our favorite wineries with several other good ones. Dinner at the Hitching Post II was also a highlight.

Day 3 was one last good wine tasting at the beautiful Foley vineyard and a drive home just in time to watch the thrilling Chargers win over the Colts, to see my brother Kris off back to NYC, and a Greek feast my mom whipped up.

Special thanks to Vera and Jay for watching the kids and my mom for watching Nemo so we could get away!

Here is a photo of me on Ghost and Jen on Duke at the end of the trail ride. Duke was particularly into getting distracted by eating grass on the ride challenging Jen to keep him in line; she pulled off an advanced 360 degree spin of Duke by accident that was quite impressive.

Our charming bed and breakfast in Santa Ynez Valley:

Jen at Sunstone winery with rolling hills in the background; they have a nice tasting room:
And trying to refill her glass straight from the barrel:

Outside the Hitching Post - great steaks and artichoke, both grilled over open flame of white oak logs and seasoned with their secret magic dust, and excellent house-made pinot noir.

A link to more shots from our trip: SB Wine Trip

-Brian