Month in Review

Seriously, A MONTH!? I have been trying for weeks to upload an adorable video of Jack singing a song, but it's just not working.....ugh! So, here are several cute photos from the last 4 weeks. I'll keep trying the video.

Lauren is finally getting big enough to really interact with Jack. They have started playing together and it is adorable. Who knew Jack would still love playing with baby toys?

Last weekend we attended Junia's 5th birthday party. Although the photo here is of Jack with Eden, who is Jack's age. It was a princess party, but Jack made it clear that he was a king. Not a prince! A king. He wore his sports coat and handsome shoes to prove his point.

The Hock's parties are always fabulous and this was no exception. They had craft stations where Jack made a felt crown, a treasure chest (not a jewelry box), and a king's wand (not a pricess wand). But Lauren got a princess wand! It matched her pink tulle skirt beautifully.

Additionally, they had ponies again, so Jack got to work on his equestrian skills.

The horse

liked him, too.

The day was filled with so much fun.

And we all had a great time.

Oh, and did I mention the fact that the cupcakes were gorgeous and delicious :-)

Over the last week, Lauren has

been outdoing herself in the adorable department.

She scoots and rolls everywhere, and very quickly when she wants to. Here she rolled over and wound up with her sheep on top of her back. She knew it was silly and we both laughed at how she managed to get in that position.

And my favorite shot of the last week came while we cuddled in bed last weekend. Lauren cuddling Daddy in bed. She was patting her hand on the iPad and I got lucky enough to catch it in midair so it appears as if she is waving "hello." She is always this happy folks. Aren't we lucky!? BLESSED!

Flying Lessons

Lauren must have taken flying lessons because 7 months have now flown by in the blink of an eye! She is a professional eater now with cereal, fruit and veggies in her repetoir. She rolls over at her leisure, sometimes turning two or three times in the few minutes it takes me to step out of the room and return. She almost sits up on her own and is constantly doing abdominal crunches (unbelievably cute) in order to strengthen her core. She is mesmerized by anything I put in my mouth, anything Brother touches and....you had to know it was coming, TECHNOLOGY!! Seriously, the iPad and my laptop have become fascinating, forbidden items to her. The greatest new trick is that she has started saying, "Mama." Of course, she could be refering to her binky, a toy, the dog or the refrigerator, but it's a start and I'll TAKE IT!! Teething is still her nemesis and as you can see from the photo we are no closer to a tooth now than we were when she started teething 3 months ago, ugh. But adorable for sure, sweet for sure and the apple of Mommy and Daddy's eyes.

Pa and Grandma Laura

Pa and Grandma Laura visited for a couple of days last week. Jack especially loved having a slumber party with Grandma. Lauren especially loved playing trampoline on Pa's lap. I especially loved having extra hands while Rob was in San Francisco. And perfect weather Saturday meant that the adults got to enjoy cocktails on the patio after the kids were snuggled in bed. Thanks you guys for coming up :-)

Ordinary Week

Another week and another cute photo. Just wanted to share some highlights from our otherwise ordinary week. Jack's Lego characters are getting more elaborate all the time. This one had shoulders, feet and even knees.

Lauren continues the Fredericks Family tradition of cuddling in bed every morning. Caught Jack mid yawn :-) You should see us, all four in a row every weekend. Won't be long before we need a king size bed.

And my favorite of the week, Lauren and Rob. This was Lauren's first day with a hairbow. It was desperately clinging to about 5 strands of hair, but it managed to stay on all day.

It was an ordinary week for sure, but I recently saw a comment about what a blessing it is to have an ordinary week. TRUE! No car troubles, financial problems, medical mishaps or general drama. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of the kids, errands? Yes, but what a blessing, indeed.

Meet and Greet

We had a fantastic time at our Trani (et al) Family get together last weekend.With cousins stretched out all over Southern California, it is rare that we all sit down to a meal together.

Like my dad said, it was nice to have a party where no one died or got married.

We had aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and in-laws. A true modern family gathering if I've ever seen one.

The little cousins all had a blast playing together. Brenden and Max (both 2) and Jack (3 1/2) raced around the empty dining room, tried on football helmets and sat at the bar...reminded me of when I was a kid growing up in the restaurant. Of course times have changed some, they also spent time watching cartoons on the iPad! But in a nod to nostalgia they viewed Felix the Cat :-)

While the three little muskateers wore themselves out, our baby Lauren was just

soaking it all in. She managed to stay awake for the entire party without a nap! She was perfectly content to be passed around all day from one adoring auntie to another. And even after we left, she was so excited that she continued to chatter away in her car seat half way back to Ventura!

Spring Concert

Jack had his first school concert last Thursday. We were WAY more excited than he was. I kept asking, "What are you going to sing?" But he didn't want to discuss it. Finally I said, "Hey, tell me what you're going to sing about...or else!" He responded, "OK! Jesus loves me. NOW can I watch my movie?!" Ugh. It's like he's 17 years old already. Anyway, he looked adorable. Singing, not so much. There are 12 boys in his class, not one girl. So you can picture the line up of mostly stoic expressions. The music came on and the boys just stood there. I don't recall even one of them moving their lips. OK, so teachers got out rhythm sticks for the second song. Now picture all the boys tapping their sticks together, still no singing. Finally it was time for parents to take pictures of them, so the boys all started untucking their shirts and showing bellies. Yep, that's my boy :-)

After the concert we had snacks and an art exhibit in his class room. It was a much longer evening than we had expected, but Lauren was a trooper through the entire thing. Even the most seasoned parents were squirming in their seats by the end of the performances, but Lauren just soaked it all in happily. What a doll!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, grandmas and tutus in our life. Thank you for your love, support and guidance. WE LOVE YOU! Have a fabulous day :-)