Tumbles

Nick had his second day of Tumbles class. Today was definitely better than last week when he acted so shy around the young teachers. I told them that this was all for show, and trust me, this kid is not shy. He loves hanging on the rings and jumping on the trampolines, but his absolute favorite is the colorful parachute. He has no qualms about running underneath it or sitting on top. I love having my one-on-one time with him while Paige is in school and I think he does too. Several times throughout the class, he would stop what he was doing just to run to me for a big hug. Now that's happiness.

Birthday at the Beach

My parents rented out a cabin at Camp Del Mar in Camp Pendleton for Nick's birthday weekend. It was the perfect place to have a relaxing celebration. Coincidentally, it was also the 67th anniversary of the assault amphibious vehicle battalion, which was my dad's crew while in the Marines. They drove in several tanks that morning and had them out for everyone to visit. The kids and the adults had a good time checking them all out. For the little boy who loves huge trucks, Nick was in heaven! There was no shortage of sand activities, playing in the water, and bonfires. Unfortunately, Nick was also stung by a bee, but he handled it like a trooper. We cannot wait to go back and spend more time there. Please visit our photos.

Nick's 2nd Birthday

I Two!

Nick turned two over the weekend and we couldn't have been more excited to celebrate. He has been singing the Happy Birthday song for weeks, so he was thrilled to hear it sung to him by all his family and friends. Nick has brought so much fun to our household. He loves to be goofy and to make everyone laugh. He adores Paige and misses her when she's at school. He runs to Brian every evening when he comes home from work. He always seems to know when I need a hug. He really knows how to make us feel special. He loves pretending to be a monster and runs around saying, "I gonna get you!" Thomas the Train has become one of his favorite shows and things to play. As soon as we're in the car, he makes a request for "If You're Happy and You Know It". One thing's for sure, Nick has a zest for all things fun.

At 2 1/2 months.One Year Old

Now Two, Oh how you've grown!

Three Little Birds

My mom asked me if I would make a few cards for her to send to her aunts in Costa Rica. I immediately said yes because a) I love making cards and b) I would walk across hot coals for my great aunts. I knew right away that I wanted to use my three little birds image (now should pop in a Bob Marley song). They are so fun to color and can be used for many occasions. This was my first time using chipboard which I found both fun and tedious. Seriously, I need to cut around these tiny corners? I'm happy with the way they turned out, and if I can bring a little smile to mis tias then my job is done. Then being my frugal self, I used the rest of my paper to create these scrapbook pages for our trip to Dallas. We joined Brian on a business trip in the spring of 2007, so that Paige and I could visit my cousin Sharon, her husband, Todd, and their sweetie pie, Isabella. They had a blast playing with each other and we're so excited that they are visiting us this weekend, yay! We're also going to be meeting Gabriela who is only one month younger than Nick. I can't wait to see what those two will get into.

We are about to celebrate Nick's second birthday. I look forward to posting pictures from our birthday weekend at the beach.

Future Reading Teacher

While I was getting ready this morning, I heard something peculiar coming from Nick's room. When I peeked in this is what I saw. I immediately grabbed the camera and tiptoed back to capture it. Looks like Paige might have the teaching gene. Not sure if she's picked this up from me or from her teachers at school, but she's got the pausing to ask questions down to a tee. And, most shockingly, she has Nick's full attention!

Couch Calisthenics

Over a week and no post...it's because I've gotten sucked into my crafts and virtual farming. Farm Town and Farmville on facebook have totally kidnapped me. Those games are so addicting! With the start of school and our extracurricular activities, I've become Taxi Mom again and I've been sewing, cardmaking, and scrapbooking. It's been so great to immerse myself in these creative endeavors. The couch continues to be a big jungle gym for the kids. Everyday they are finding new ways to climb, build, and jump. Here they are, the dynamic duo, rolling over in sync. Maybe they should make this an Olympic sport.

For Mom & Dad

Today is my parent's 39th wedding anniversary. This picture really takes me back to how I most remember them as a kid, always gaga over each other. I was never embarassed about that. In fact, I loved seeing my parents happy and affectionate. It made me feel that all was right with the world. I hope that they have a romantic, fun day together.

Paige's New Class

Paige woke up the nervous nelly today for it is the first day of a new classroom and a new teacher. She said, "Mom, I want to stay home." I told her about how I was always a little bit nervous about starting a new school year too, but it was so fun once I saw my old friends and made new ones too. That seemed to help a bit. But, then came the teary eyes when she wasn't able to wear her new long sleeve polka dot dress. It's 85 degrees today, I couldn't bear to send her out in a warm outfit. She was appeased when I told her she could wear her new polka dot shoes. When the time came to drop her off, she happily met her new teacher, Miss Jodi, who she recognized from being in her old class from time to time. As she walked away, I welled up with tears. Is this how I'm going to be every first day of school? Thankfully, I had my sunglasses on and little Nick at my side.

A look back at her first day last year...boy has she grown!