Happy Birthday Max!

I can't believe my adorable nephew is already 1 year old. Here he is with his Happy Birthday pancake this morning. We are all looking forward to his big birthday bash on Sunday! Hugs and Kisses!

Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3, Toy Story 3, Oh My Goodness, It's Toy Story 3!!!

The anticipation was intense! We were as excited about the release as Jack. We were anxious to see how he would handle his first theater experience. It was fantastic! Both the movie and his reaction were super! After talking about the movie for several hours this morning (and the last two months) he was ready to put his Buzz Lightyear shoes on and get out of the house on the first request. He literally ran from the car to the theater as if he knew where he was going. When he saw the movie poster he knew he was in the right place. So up the stairs, over to the popcorn machines, past all the candy bins and into the dimly lit theater. He loved everything about it! The popcorn, the Crunch candies, the previews and of course, the main feature! He did get a tiny bit fidgetty for the last 30 minutes, but shifted to Daddy's lap and remained tranfixed to the screen until the last credits had run. He joined the entire theater in applause at the end of the film, "Good movie, good movie!" he cheered. Rob and I both loved the movie, as well as sharing the theater experience with Jack for the first time. I am such a hormonal mess, that the scene when Andy was leaving for college did me in! I know Jack is only 2, but I swear my life flashed before my eyes during that scene! What a wonderful day. And as a bonus to us for being good parents, Jack fell asleep in the car and is now napping peacefully in his bed! NICE!

New Ink

Summer has officially begun. Yesterday was our last day of school. Except for packing up the rest of my room, I am off for the next two months. Jack has swim lessons for the next two weeks, so you can expect some posts on that. He loves the water, but it remains to be seen if he loves it when my friend Karena is in charge! Tomorrow we will kick off Father's Day Weekend with Jack's first movie theater experience, Toy Story 3! He doesn't really understand what we are talking about, but he is looking forward to popcorn and candy! This morning he also got a new tattoo of Ironman! Let the summer festivities begin!

Peek-a-Boo

Jack was on a roll today in the cuteness department! All day long I kept getting tickled by his funny antics. It started this morning when he covered himself in pillows on the couch and then sprang forth like the surprise of the century. He was having a blast! All of his little activities were adorable today. He locked Gracie in his room with him again and they played in there while I took my shower. He has been super agreeable and easy going. We went to the garden store where he got to see the Koi pond and helped me pick a few herbs for the garden. Then a quick stop at Trader Joe's where he got an organic lollipop (who knew such a thing existed) for being such a nice boy. He ate a great lunch, we read a few books and then he helped clean up his toys before nap time! (Who is this kid?) After a 2-hour nap (can you hear the angels rejoicing?) he quietly came out to the kitchen and his first thought was "posisle?" He must have had sweet dreams about his Ironman popsicles while he napped. And after a 2-hour nap I would've given him a Mercedes if he'd asked for it! So we went out to the yard for popsicles and planting. I am anticipating an equally pleasant evening with a well rested, happy little boy! As ordinary as it was, today may have been one of the best ever.

Feels Like Summer

Another beautiful day for us here. We started off with a bit of overcast this morning, which was perfect for a quiet morning at home with homemade buttermilk donuts topped with warm maple glaze! I can't believe I'd never made homemade donuts before! The only problem is that it makes a LOT of donuts. So, we shared with any neighbors who were awake! Not many at 8:00 in the morning!

This afternoon after Jack's "No Nap" we cut up some watermelon and hung out in the backyard with Gracie. Jack is finally getting the hang of eating only the red part of the watermelon. It was such a yummy melon that it was dripping all the way down his elbow. He managed to throw Gracie's toy a few time between bites.

We are really enjoying our quiet weekend at home, especially with several busy weekends ahead of us. Between graduations and birthdays, June looks like it'll keep us on our toes!

Ups and Downs

Jack and I met my class for lunch at the park today on the CB Navy Base near our school. We brought Subway sandwiches, chips, soda and cookies. The kids were on their way to a fun afternoon of bowling with my teaching partner. Don't get me started on the craziness trying to get on base! The bowling alley managed to get the kids names on the list, but not me or my partner! And the guys at the gate were total jerks! They wouldn't call the bowling alley to confirm my arrival, nor would they give me the phone number! Miraculously they were able to call for my partner (chaperoning 20 kids), but not for me (chaperoning a 2 year old and all of the LUNCHES!) Well, needless to say, we finally made it in and I bit my tongue when I pulled back up to the gate 20 minutes later to find the guard on the phone with the bowling alley. Karma can be killer, I'm sure he'll get his.

After taking NO NAP (Lord help us please in this department) Jack and I went to my doctor's appointment. He got to hear the heartbeat of his little sister, but couldn't care less! He was more impressed with the lollipop and fishtank in the lobby. Great news, the amnio results showed NO abnormalities and the baby is looking great. I am nearly half way baked at this point and feeling great. The baby is a real mover and shaker, so now that I can feel her I hope she learns to sleep at night.

On a sad note, we learned tonight of the death of legendary coach John Wooden. I feel so honored to have met him and feel so grateful for the impact he has had on my life. His wisdom has helped me on my journey and I will continue to consider his insights as I tackle future obstacles which lay ahead. There was something purely magical about being in his presence, perhaps it wa the simplicity by which he lived that was so marvelous. Rest in peace Coach Wooden. I know you are with Nellie again, finally.

Mohawk Boy

With his shampoo mohawk and Buzz Lightyear tattoo, you might wonder what kind of little hell-raiser we are raising...but he is just as sweet as always!

I apologize for the lengthy gap in posting. You'd think with 6 weeks of bed rest I'd find a little time to post something! Yes, but with Jack going to daycare everyday so I could rest, there was little going on to post about.

Well, the good news is that I am back to work and back to life. Officially 18 weeks pregnant now, so nearly half way there. At our last ultrasound everything looked great, so we are just awaiting the amnioscentesis results to be sure. Another exciting detail is that we can paint the nursery PINK! We have had two different ultrasounds confirm that it is without question a girl. Jack does not understand what is coming up for him. "Baby in Mommy's tummy, uh-huh." Say the words all you want little boy, but you have no idea what they mean to you yet! You will soon enough!

On an unrelated topic, today at the grocery store we had an Ironman incident. Jack is so fascinated with Ironman that when we walked by the superhero popsicles he HAD to have them. And let me tell you that the manufacturer knows this, so they don't put Ironman on the box of 8 pops, NO, I had to buy 24 frozen rocketpops that take up half of my freezer shelf! But at $4 I figure it is a small price to pay for peace and happiness. Besides, summer is upon us, so I know we'll use them up fairly quickly.

My little angel is now up from his "No Nap" so I am off to curb the chaos. Have a great day!