Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Monday, May 01, 2006
Happy 3rd Birthday, Mason!
My little baby is no longer a little baby. He is quite the young man now. We have these awesome conversations every day and we have so much fun playing together. I was trying to get a full-time job for awhile so we decided to keep Mason in school full days, 3 days a week. I wasn't sure how he'd take it but I should have known he wouldn't have a problem. He napped there and woke up and played with his friends and was happy and ready to come home when it was time. Normally, when I pick him up at lunch, he starts crying and doesn't want to come home. "I'm not ready yet, mama-bear."
We had a small get together yesterday and I made him a special cake that he could eat. It had raspberry filling in the middle and chocolate on top. The whole thing was wheat, dairy and egg free. And it tasted pretty damn good.
Today we kept it simple. He wanted tacos, his favorite, so Grandpa came over and we barbequed some skirt steak and ate outside in the beautiful weather. And, of course, had more cake. He had opened all of his presents yesterday and he made out quite well, I'd say. He got a beautiful real acoustic guitar from Uncle Nickel, a perfect Mason sized radio flyer bike from his Aunt Molly, some walkie-talkies from us, and a helmet from Grandpa. And his honorary Grandpa Larry and Grandma Kathy gave him a fishing hook and fish for the bathtub which he proceeded to play with for the next 2 hours. In some of the pictures you will see him wearing a shirt that his Uncle Isaac and Aunt Carrie made for him that has his name on it. Morgan got one for his birthday too.
All in all, I'd say he's had a good birthday. And we're not even finished yet! This Saturday is his real party, the one where all of his friends are invited. It will be at Art Start on 4th St and I think it is going to be a lot of fun. We couldn't invite everyone, sadly, but we tried to get a good balance of play group friends and school friends. It should be a lot of fun. I will post pictures from that later. Meanwhile, here are some from the last couple of days. Enjoy!
I love you, Mason.
We had a small get together yesterday and I made him a special cake that he could eat. It had raspberry filling in the middle and chocolate on top. The whole thing was wheat, dairy and egg free. And it tasted pretty damn good.
Today we kept it simple. He wanted tacos, his favorite, so Grandpa came over and we barbequed some skirt steak and ate outside in the beautiful weather. And, of course, had more cake. He had opened all of his presents yesterday and he made out quite well, I'd say. He got a beautiful real acoustic guitar from Uncle Nickel, a perfect Mason sized radio flyer bike from his Aunt Molly, some walkie-talkies from us, and a helmet from Grandpa. And his honorary Grandpa Larry and Grandma Kathy gave him a fishing hook and fish for the bathtub which he proceeded to play with for the next 2 hours. In some of the pictures you will see him wearing a shirt that his Uncle Isaac and Aunt Carrie made for him that has his name on it. Morgan got one for his birthday too.
All in all, I'd say he's had a good birthday. And we're not even finished yet! This Saturday is his real party, the one where all of his friends are invited. It will be at Art Start on 4th St and I think it is going to be a lot of fun. We couldn't invite everyone, sadly, but we tried to get a good balance of play group friends and school friends. It should be a lot of fun. I will post pictures from that later. Meanwhile, here are some from the last couple of days. Enjoy!
I love you, Mason.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
The Sun Shall Shine
As most of you know, it has been extremely unhealthily unhappily raining here in CALIFORNIA for the past like 600 days straight. But today, this afternoon, the blessed beautiful warm sun decided to grace us with its' presence.
Life is good today. I don't think any of us really realized just how much of a funk we have all been in. And it truly is amazing what just a little bit of sunshine can do to a person's overall happiness. People were smiling, laughing, waving, using manners, giggling, bouncing and seeming to come out of the woodwork.
We sat outside in the driveway, eating spaghetti and letting the boys run up and down the driveway. It was warm and peaceful and what life is all about. It will probably rain again for the next bazillion days, but this was a much needed break.
Life is good today. I don't think any of us really realized just how much of a funk we have all been in. And it truly is amazing what just a little bit of sunshine can do to a person's overall happiness. People were smiling, laughing, waving, using manners, giggling, bouncing and seeming to come out of the woodwork.
We sat outside in the driveway, eating spaghetti and letting the boys run up and down the driveway. It was warm and peaceful and what life is all about. It will probably rain again for the next bazillion days, but this was a much needed break.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Happy 1st Birthday, Morgan!
My little baby is all grows up. I can't believe he is a year old already. He is so much fun and watching him with his brother is wonderful. For the most part they get along great, although Mason is almost 3 and has the attitude to go with it. Morgan is getting into his stuff and wants to do what Mason does and Mason's not so sure he likes that. But I think, I hope, that they will be good friends and good brothers.
We didn't do much today for Morgan's birthday. Molly says it is the curse of the 2nd child, which it probably is, although I would like to think it isn't. Maybe it's the realization that a 1 year old really doesn't give a hoot about parties and presents. Maybe it the realization that there are going to be soooooooo many parties each and every year that it's okay if this one isn't a big deal. Maybe it's the realization that I am utterly exhausted most days and just didn't have it in me to plan a big party. Or maybe it's the realization that our house is already full of so much crap that if we got any more presents we'd have to rent out storage space in which to sleep.
Morgan is walking now and has been for about 3 weeks. He started with a few steps and within the week was fully walking. He even pivotes on one foot. He falls a fair bit but he's getting better at catching himself. He's had quite a few bumps and bruises on his head already but that's to be expected. He loves to clap and if you put your hand out he'll give you 5. If you ask him a question, he will nod yes or shake his head no. And sometimes he'll actually get it right.
Happy birthday, sweet boy.
We didn't do much today for Morgan's birthday. Molly says it is the curse of the 2nd child, which it probably is, although I would like to think it isn't. Maybe it's the realization that a 1 year old really doesn't give a hoot about parties and presents. Maybe it the realization that there are going to be soooooooo many parties each and every year that it's okay if this one isn't a big deal. Maybe it's the realization that I am utterly exhausted most days and just didn't have it in me to plan a big party. Or maybe it's the realization that our house is already full of so much crap that if we got any more presents we'd have to rent out storage space in which to sleep.
Morgan is walking now and has been for about 3 weeks. He started with a few steps and within the week was fully walking. He even pivotes on one foot. He falls a fair bit but he's getting better at catching himself. He's had quite a few bumps and bruises on his head already but that's to be expected. He loves to clap and if you put your hand out he'll give you 5. If you ask him a question, he will nod yes or shake his head no. And sometimes he'll actually get it right.
Happy birthday, sweet boy.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Bodhi's 35th Birthday-The Bashing of the Chili Pepper
Bodhi being tied up (for the pinata, of course)
Monday, February 20, 2006
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Sweet Sundays
I spend the week looking forward to Sundays. It is a day when a bunch of us get together and enjoy each other's company. We eat, we talk, we laugh and poke fun, and we do it in the most wonderful of environments. It is a safe and comfortable gathering of people, one in which I always feel like I fit in, always feel welcome and always feel accepted. 3 or more of the people Wolf has known most of his life and to me, that is amazing. I have moved so much in my life that I couldn't possibly remember any friends from when I was a child, although I do still have my best friend from high school, Molly, who has been a part of my life for 20 years this year (happy anniversary McKee).
We don't get together every Sunday and it isn't always the whole group, but we do have so much fun. Locations change, menus change and the weather changes, but never the love, support and sense of family that I get when I am with these people. They are such good people and I am so glad that my children will get to grow up around them, will get to learn from them and will hopefully get a sense of a large extended family that most of us these days don't have. I look forward to many more Sundays.
We don't get together every Sunday and it isn't always the whole group, but we do have so much fun. Locations change, menus change and the weather changes, but never the love, support and sense of family that I get when I am with these people. They are such good people and I am so glad that my children will get to grow up around them, will get to learn from them and will hopefully get a sense of a large extended family that most of us these days don't have. I look forward to many more Sundays.
Milestones
Time goes to quickly. Days zip by in the blink of an eye. My first born is almost three and has taken to calling me Mom. This is only strange because I have always been Mama or Mamabear, as Wolf has always been Dada or Dadabear. He too has graduated to just Dad. This afternoon it was time for Mason's nap and he was frustrated because he couldn't get his "damn shoe" off. His vocabulary is growing in leaps and bounds and he says things every day that just put me in awe. I should be better about writing them down, I suppose, but again there is that issue of time. I'll get to it in a minute, I think, and before I know it, it is 10:00 and past my bedtime.
Morgan crawls and pulls himself up and is finally cutting his first tooth (the bottom left). Today Jess learned how sharp even the littlest sliver of tooth can be when she didn't pull her finger out of his mouth fast enough. Don't get in the way of a boy and his food. My nickname for Morgan is Hoover. There truly isn't anything he won't eat. It's crazy.
Mason's diet has been going well. We discovered, about 4 weeks ago, that he has major food allergies. We had suspected for some time but finally decided that we should go ahead and have him tested. These days they do blood tests and although they aren't fool proof, they do give us a good idea of what he shouldn't have. In Mason's case, it's pretty much everything. Grains, gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and garlic are the big ones. And because we've worn his intestine and his immune system down, if we give him too much of one food he becomes allergic to that as well. I panicked when I first found out and wasn't sure how I was going to manage coming up with a diet that contained NONE of these things. But amazingly it has proven to be a most excellent thing. It has forced me to learn to cook better and to expand my repetoire of dishes. It has brought me back to the basics, to the idea of a simple dinner, with very few spices and very easy meals. Shopping can be hard, as I feel like I'm in one of 3 grocery stores every day, but we've managed so far. It's not cheap but it's been worth it.
The differences in Mason weren't apparent right away because we started this when he had a cold, but now that he is healthy I really can see how much he has improved. He is less whiny, less grumpy, less clingy and overall has a far better disposition. The dark purple circles under his eyes are still present but the doctor says that they are usually the last things to disappear. He eats more at each meal, even with the snacks, and it makes dinnertime so much nicer. I must say I was dreading those moments when he would ask me for some pretzels or a cookie or something else that he could no longer have, but all in all he has proven to be quite a champ. We just tell him that it will hurt his tummy if we give it to him, then we proceed to find something else that he can have and likes and it all works out. Tonight at our Sunday gathering we celebrated Bodhi's birthday and Jess had gotten some cupcakes. Mason immediately began to ask for them, of course, but it was very easy to persuade him that watermelon would be far better. Crazy.
I could keep writing and would love to, but it is 10:20, again with the time flying, so I must be off to bed. Wolf is playing a playstation game and and since he will probably be up for awhile, and since it is my turn tomorrow to get up with the kids, I must sign off. My writing has been a little scattered tonight but it felt good to write again.
Morgan crawls and pulls himself up and is finally cutting his first tooth (the bottom left). Today Jess learned how sharp even the littlest sliver of tooth can be when she didn't pull her finger out of his mouth fast enough. Don't get in the way of a boy and his food. My nickname for Morgan is Hoover. There truly isn't anything he won't eat. It's crazy.
Mason's diet has been going well. We discovered, about 4 weeks ago, that he has major food allergies. We had suspected for some time but finally decided that we should go ahead and have him tested. These days they do blood tests and although they aren't fool proof, they do give us a good idea of what he shouldn't have. In Mason's case, it's pretty much everything. Grains, gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and garlic are the big ones. And because we've worn his intestine and his immune system down, if we give him too much of one food he becomes allergic to that as well. I panicked when I first found out and wasn't sure how I was going to manage coming up with a diet that contained NONE of these things. But amazingly it has proven to be a most excellent thing. It has forced me to learn to cook better and to expand my repetoire of dishes. It has brought me back to the basics, to the idea of a simple dinner, with very few spices and very easy meals. Shopping can be hard, as I feel like I'm in one of 3 grocery stores every day, but we've managed so far. It's not cheap but it's been worth it.
The differences in Mason weren't apparent right away because we started this when he had a cold, but now that he is healthy I really can see how much he has improved. He is less whiny, less grumpy, less clingy and overall has a far better disposition. The dark purple circles under his eyes are still present but the doctor says that they are usually the last things to disappear. He eats more at each meal, even with the snacks, and it makes dinnertime so much nicer. I must say I was dreading those moments when he would ask me for some pretzels or a cookie or something else that he could no longer have, but all in all he has proven to be quite a champ. We just tell him that it will hurt his tummy if we give it to him, then we proceed to find something else that he can have and likes and it all works out. Tonight at our Sunday gathering we celebrated Bodhi's birthday and Jess had gotten some cupcakes. Mason immediately began to ask for them, of course, but it was very easy to persuade him that watermelon would be far better. Crazy.
I could keep writing and would love to, but it is 10:20, again with the time flying, so I must be off to bed. Wolf is playing a playstation game and and since he will probably be up for awhile, and since it is my turn tomorrow to get up with the kids, I must sign off. My writing has been a little scattered tonight but it felt good to write again.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
A whole nother year
As the year draws to a close I am struck once again at how quickly time passes. I look at my baby and I see a little boy. I look at my little boy and I see a big boy. And I look at my biggest boy and I see the man I have loved all of my life. My heart swells and threatens to break on a daily basis and I thank my lucky stars that I have been so blessed.
There are these moments when Mason looks at me and I can literally see the love in his eyes. He pauses for a minute and just looks at me, then he smiles this sweet, precious, real smile, puts his hands on my face and kisses me. "I love you so much, MamaBear. You're my best friend." It makes me feel so good to know that he has learned what love is, that he understands the words and knows the feelings behind them. He may only be 2 1/2 but I can see the man he will become and I am so very proud. I am happy for the woman who will finally win his heart for she will have a good man who will love and honor and respect her. He may only be 2 1/2 but I know his heart and know that he will be a good person, which is all that I can ask. He will be a man like his father and that is a beautiful thing.
And my beautiful baby, who grows more animated and more sure of himself every day. Just yesterday he hit a new milestone, a new developmental stage that is only noticeable to us. His actions are more controlled and purposeful. He is able to express his wants and needs much better. And his eyes shine more brightly than before. My little baby who is growing into a little boy. I will not miss the baby stage, as I have found it is not my favorite. I will miss, however, watching these fundamental changes that will become less and less visible as the boys grow older. The major leaps and bounds are so apparent, so huge at this stage of development and it's quite amazing to watch.
I hear the thump, thump, thump of Mason running towards me. He is wearing his striped pj's that remind me of old jailhouse uniforms and I can't help but giggle. It is time for me to go play, I am told, so I must be off. The force of nature is not to be ignored.
There are these moments when Mason looks at me and I can literally see the love in his eyes. He pauses for a minute and just looks at me, then he smiles this sweet, precious, real smile, puts his hands on my face and kisses me. "I love you so much, MamaBear. You're my best friend." It makes me feel so good to know that he has learned what love is, that he understands the words and knows the feelings behind them. He may only be 2 1/2 but I can see the man he will become and I am so very proud. I am happy for the woman who will finally win his heart for she will have a good man who will love and honor and respect her. He may only be 2 1/2 but I know his heart and know that he will be a good person, which is all that I can ask. He will be a man like his father and that is a beautiful thing.
And my beautiful baby, who grows more animated and more sure of himself every day. Just yesterday he hit a new milestone, a new developmental stage that is only noticeable to us. His actions are more controlled and purposeful. He is able to express his wants and needs much better. And his eyes shine more brightly than before. My little baby who is growing into a little boy. I will not miss the baby stage, as I have found it is not my favorite. I will miss, however, watching these fundamental changes that will become less and less visible as the boys grow older. The major leaps and bounds are so apparent, so huge at this stage of development and it's quite amazing to watch.
I hear the thump, thump, thump of Mason running towards me. He is wearing his striped pj's that remind me of old jailhouse uniforms and I can't help but giggle. It is time for me to go play, I am told, so I must be off. The force of nature is not to be ignored.
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