Horse Tail Falls Hike

Yesterday, we made our way toward Tahoe and spent the morning trekking along a trail up towards Horse Tail Falls. It's been on our dream list for years and we finally decided last week to just go for it. Thank goodness we did. We had a perfect morning. The weather was absolutely lovely, the boys really enjoyed themselves, and we both felt terrific playing outdoors in the fresh, mountain air.

A gracious hiker took this picture of us as we started at the trail head

It's a nice picture for the memory books, but come on what was I thinking when I bought that hat??

our first of many snack breaks

it's all about the journey for us, not the destination

i love this photo and this spot

i spent many minutes of our hike thinking about how wonderful it would be to take an annual family photo here

Kris trying to capture Owen and I at the spot (a few feet over) without the sun-glare

our little hikers

we made it to the first big swimming hole before turning around

Strong Daddy!

I'm sure it's not hard to believe that Owen was asleep before we left the parking lot & that Tucker stayed asleep through the car seat transfer!

Happy 8th Month Birthday Tucker!

Tucker,

In the last month you have really become a mobile baby! You absolutely love to scoot all over the place and boy oh boy, you are one fast kiddo. You also started to pull yourself up on into a standing position and you started to cruise along tables, ottomans, and couches. You have started to wave and we know you have also found your way into a sitting position all on your own at least one time! My favorite new trick of yours is your "ma ma" sound. It's so cute. Technically, it's your second sound as you started off with "ba ba" but most often you say "mmm" and "ma" "ma ma"and most of the time it appears as though you are making the sounds when you want me. Whether you are extra tired, in need of a hug, or are hungry it's usually the sound you make when you are on the hunt for me or once I get you in my arms. I love it!

You also really like food and are now at three servings a day and so far you have enjoyed everything you have tried. Applesauce, pear sauce, peach sauce, green beans, peas, bananas, mangoes, oranges, squash, carrots, and many mixed medleys to name a few. All of your food still comes in the form of a puree - except for smashed bananas which you loved. No doubt, this next month is going to be a great deal of fun as we introduce more and more food!

You are a joy to be around, Tucker, and we love you so much!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Owen

Happy 3rd Birthday Owen. We love you so much!!

Time always flies faster than we can imagine, but this last year has been quicker thank quick! In the past year, Owen's changed from a little toddler to a little boy. He's gone from few word sentences to telling stories and joking around. The amount he comprehends and the stories he tells are often mind-blowing and very entertaining. He's become a big brother and taken on that role gently and proudly. Like most other kids his age, there are rough moments where we bump heads, both figuratively and literally, but most of the time, those moments even bring a giggle or a smile to our face. The kid knows what he wants and usually a tv show is at the top of the list; luckily for us we can still distract him out of a fit or two without too much struggle (most of the time anyway!). Owen continues to be one that needs his daily nap and food at regular intervals, but the signs are clear and there is some degree of flexibility. He loves to play beach ball baseball, memory, read books, lots and lots of books, do the robot dance in the car to Tucker's favorite car song, make Tucker laugh, ride his balance bike, play all types of ball, ride trains, race his cars, build legos, play on swing sets, go to the park, play in water features at the park, eat food, fall asleep hugging mommy after 3 stories, eat more food- especially candy, run, make faces, play tricks, build forts, do the alphabet, negotiate for 3 more, snowboard, jump, or skateboard down the couch cushions if positioned like a mini-slide, play home-living at school, dance, sing songs, play on car toys he can ride and push around, play with his friends and neighbors, and today he found out that boat rides are fun! He doesn't love to have his hair or face washed, though is pretty good about brushing his teeth and usually loves the bath once he's in. He doesn't ever want to get his head wet in the bath or a pool, but will happily frolic in a pool or at the beach up to his knees. He loves the television and most cartoons and movies- Cars, Toy Story, Ice Age, and lately Land Before Time are on definitely his top 10 list. He looks out for his little brother, regularly telling Tucker which toys are dangerous and which ones are good. He's slowly potty-training - and bribing with candy is somewhat effective, note somewhat is being applied very loosely. Generally, he's a very happy and fun little boy who runs like a cartoon character and melts my heart.

Some shots from today

Owen practicing his "are you serious" face

Owen practicing his "pout" face

Owen laughing between his "faces"

the birthday boy enjoying his first boat ride -"this is fun!"

some shots from earlier this year

Tucker's 2 weeks, Owen 2 1/2 (Jan 25 2010)

Owen (February 2010)

Tucker & Owen (Feb 5, 2010)

classic Owen face (Christmas 2009)

Owen working on his first bike (July 2009)

Easter 2009

Owen 12 1/2 months (Sept 14 2008)

Owen on his giraffe (April 2008)

Owen days after birth

Owen's 3rd Birthday is Tomorrow!

My first born turns 3 tomorrow. 3 years ago at this very moment I was in labor, intense labor, and full of excitement and awe. I'm feeling awfully sentimental; maybe it's because a little while ago, while his mommy and daddy were busy putting around, my (big) baby Owen sweetly walked over to my little baby and gave him a big hug and said "I love you Tucker"followed by a big kiss. Or maybe I'm feeling extra sentimental because after he readied himself for bed with fresh PJs and clean teeth, he came up to me and gave me a big hug and said I LOVE YOU MOMMY! It could also be because earlier this afternoon, Owen & I played a very fun game of Memory and almost followed the rules. My talking, walking, running, playing games, helping to cook dinner, entertaining his baby brother, laughing, training to be a big boy with the "potty"baby boy is not so much a baby any more. He's a small kid full of love and a warm personality. He makes me smile on a daily basis and I love him so much it hurts, the good kind of hurt - like belly "pain" after a full blown laugh attack. Maybe this extra sentimental feeling stems from legacy postpartum hormones or maybe it is because it is the first time my little baby really truly understands that his birthday is tomorrow and that with this upcoming milestone he will be turning 3 - which means it will be time to hold up 3 fingers! Whatever the cause of these feelings, I will relish my opportunity tonight to snuggle with my little boy, who much prefers to be called a big boy, as he falls a sleep hugging me. I love you Owen. Happy Birthday.

Owen's 3rd Birthday Party!

Owen's 3rd birthday party was very special and a lot of fun. We tried to keep it small and focused on his good buddies from school, the neighborhood, and a couple of family friends' kids in his age group. We wanted a simple, low-key event that would give Owen the chance to play and give us a chance to just enjoy the festivities. We had perfect weather and a wonderful morning.

the kids played bean bag toss

practiced with the hoola-hoop and played soccer and catch

they also played "adventure"

in fact, one of our neighbors had to chase Owen down because he started to explore up the big hill on his own and out of sight (thank you Cameron)

the kids played on the playground and found a super fun firetruck to entertain them for awhile

and they took turns launching the "safe" rocket

they gathered for the rocket launch demonstration and chanted a countdown and cheered when the rocket successfully launched high into the sky (3 times!)

they sang happy birthday, ate a picnic lunch, and chowed down on a very weirdly decorated birthday cake... does this look a beach ball to anybody???

the babies even cooperated and performed for the camera

could they be any sweeter?

All in all, we had a great time and will forever remember the smile on the birthday boy's face

we love you Owen

Rockets

This past weekend, we threw Owen a birthday party with some of his good pals. Before I get into the details of the party, I have to share a background story about rockets!

On Thursday evening, my Dad and Gianni arrived for a weekend visit. As I explained in a previous post, we celebrated Gianni's 13th birthday and Owen's 3rd birthday in OC a few weeks back. But like everything else I did this summer, I planned that party at the last minute and didn't give my Aunt Donna any time to shop for presents (of course I tried to say that gifts weren't unnecessary, but she wasn't having any of that!). So, soon after they arrived on Thursday night,the gifts were open. 3 year olds only have so much patience when presents are involved. My aunt gave Owen a couple of great toys (thank you!) and gave Gianni a model rocket kit!

We needed a few more supplies in order to build and launch the rockets, so Kris made a list and we purchased the goods on Friday afternoon. Friday night Kris and Gianni built a big rocket and on Saturday we had a test launch.

We had light winds on Saturday which made for an extra exciting test case because they had to "study" wind patterns and try to pick a strategic launch pad location (on the nearby elementary school field) with the hopes that the rocket would float back down on the field. They picked pretty well. We did two launches and both were successful. The rocket easily went 300-400 feet in the air and the wind carried it away from us by at least 300-400 yards. In fact, it landed outside the school grounds, at the park next door. The fun continued as Kris plotted out the best way to jump the fence to get the rocket back. The boys were luckier the second time as the rocket landed inside the park (barely!).

Because the launch was so successful, we thought we'd do a demonstration at Owen's birthday party. Our birthday party plan was pretty simple and basic. A couple of hours at the park with a picnic lunch, playground time, and cake. We figured we'd try the rocket launch and found cute and fairly safe foam rocket party favors to add to the theme. We weren't really sure how it would go, but we were pleasantly surprised. I'll save those details for the next post, and end this post with this final thought -thank you Aunt Donna for Gianni's great gift, thank you Gianni for sharing your rocket!

Family help- Part 2 (aka A Shout Out to Kristin!)

My sister Kristin is wonderful. She signed up for a month of "nanny" service and the day after she arrived she had to immediately help us as we came down with the nasty stomach bug. Sure enough she also had to personally endure the bug and also witness her husband and son (not to mention our step-brother Gianni) go through it. She could have gone home early and enjoyed a much easier, less demanding summer; instead, she warmed our home, entertained three kids on a daily basis, fed my baby his daily new food and patiently helped him with his sippy cup, made us many yummy meals, and helped keep us organized. One night she even gave me, ME, a neck massage when I complained of a headache. How could I be so lucky?!

Within a few days she understood Tucker's needs thoroughly. She was able to rock him to sleep quickly and anywhere.

She took the boys all over the place -the library, the zoo, the grocery store, on train rides, and to a bounce house gym- just to name a few.

She doted on our friends' kids during swim lessons and a birthday party.

She shared in our joyous adventure in San Francisco

and accompanied us on a camping trip (her first)

On a "free" evening without my boys, she took Charles for his first climbing experience, which "rocked" (thanks Renee!)

To help keep Tucker away from small toy parts, she happily tolerated many Lego and Bionicle building sessions on her bed.

With Tucker and Charles in tow, Kristin ventured to Santa Clara with me so that I could attend a critical business meeting without interrupting and impacting my ability to nurse Tucker. She worked all day and all evening every day to ensure we were well taken care of and well loved. She managed through the kid's bad moods, Owen's melt-downs, and the inevitable fighting that will occur with young siblings/cousins. She watched as I made multiple "to-do" lists and meal plans and helped with the grocery shopping and of course she was the brain behind the cute shirts for the boys that we purchased for the so-cal birthday celebration. She read to the boys, helped put them to bed, helped with our laundry, helped with bath time, and helped with the dishes- day after day. This list isn't comprehensive, but it is amazing; I'm still trying to figure out how she also made her way through the first three Twilight books.

Kristin - we love you - we thank you- and my oh my- we miss you!