Ahhhh Spring!

It's true we haven't been pummeled with ice storms and blizzards this winter, and we don't need to bundle up in three layers just to go outside like we used to, but we do get weather here and it isn't sunny all the time. In fact it has been quite rainy and overcast since November. Our backyard has been a bleak, wet puddle, and temperatures are low enough that its, you know, uncomfortable to be outside.

Just lately though there has been a dramatic change in the weather. Its' a bright and sunny land once again. The children go to school with sweaters on and come home sweaty. Spring's warm blanket is on us and we are drawn outside - loving every flower bud and sun spot and fragrant breeze.

Chris and I both had very stress-filled work weeks, so we used the weekend to cocoon at home and bump around our house. Except for that birthday party I forgot about, we had no plans, just watched some sports on t.v. - Giants beat the Dodgers and then (sigh) Kentucky lost the Final Four.

I could not stop taking pictures of my minis this weekend, perhaps it was the dappled sunlight, the green green grass, or just their pure beauty. I don't know but sometimes I'm obsessed.

Athena declared it "the best day ever" but we didn't do anything, just played outside, and oh yea, got Tangled delivered in the mail as part of our Disney DVD membership.

And speaking of mail deliveries...Chris' early Father's Day present arrived (I know, three months early - but there was a 20% off sale) and he spent the better part of the day putting it together. He painstakingly documented every step so that I could blog about it, but I can't find the chord to his camera, so I'm not putting the pictures here (sorry, my love!).

Beer, barbeque and baseball - what else does a Chris need?

Chris is raising his son to appreciate the three B's of summer. The little Dude insisted on wearing his SF Giants hat today to, seeing his Daddy wear one and the guys on t.v. At just two, and with very little prompting on our part, he can recognize the differences between Bee Ball (bastketball), Bay Ball (baseball) and Foo Ball (football). He's such a Dude.

While the scent of grilling steaks filled our backyard, the girls played hopscotch and the setting sun cast long shadows everywhere.

The only thing funnier than watching my awkward baby giraffe play hopscotch is watching her hula hoop - seriously needs to be captured on video.

Athena's jumps were quite graceful and accurate.

Welcome warm and lovely Spring!
We'll enjoy you until the heat drives us back inside again.

Boy Trifecta

Spiderman
driving a bulldozer
dozin' some balls...

...trifecta of awesomeness!

Toothless

Guess who's a member of the lost tooth club?

A Playdate of Her Own

Zoe has been the tag along little sister at many a play date, which she thoroughly enjoys, but until today she hadn't been to one just for her and her friends. Zoe is four, and that is just the right age to have your first best friend. Lucky for her, she has two. And lucky for us, her BFF Kendall's Mom likes to have lots of little girls running around her house. We arrived at noon and she shooed me out of the house and told me to come back for Zoe at two. Imagine that!

I hear the girls played princess dress up, had a picnic outside, although it was a little damp, and got milk with chocolate chip dunkers. Kendall's Mom texted me the picture above. When two o'clock rolled around, Zoe did not want to come home with me, no matter that I tried to bribe her with going to the car wash (didn't work). Luckily, Kendall's Mom said she can come back again anytime.

Today, I was very proud of my sweet, shy little Zoe and simply adore her sweet, shy little friends who are so like her!

You Don't Know Jack

"What? You think you know me?

There is not nearly enough stories about Jack on here lately
and we need to fix that! Here's an update on our growing boy.

At just two, Jack is the strong silent type. Unlike sister Zoe who was speaking in paragraphs by 18 months, Jack is still a boy of few words. But the words are steadily increasing so there isn't any worry. Some of his latest words include "wow" and "sticky" and "kitty" and "meow" - he even says "I love you" and "thank you" however it is all in Jackanese and those unfamiliar with the language might not get it all. Of all of us, Mimi is the most fluent in Jackanese and often translates.

He is a truly darling boy, easy going and charming. He eats everything we give him, sleeps from eight to eight and takes a three hour nap. But he does not like being told "No!" and often has a fit when he is. It is unfortunate that our cat is named "Dash" which can often sound like "Jack." And sometimes when the cat is scratching the couch and we yell "Dash! NO!" Jack will stop whatever he is doing and burst into tears.


He is a total daredevil and loves to run on the couch or throw himself down a playground slide meant for much bigger kids - the girls were so much more tentative at this age. He is also really attracted to helmets, and likes to wear them around the backyard for no particular reason. I suppose an affinity for safety paired with no fear is a good combination for his future pursuits.

God help me if he chooses football as his sport of choice - I'm not sure I could survive that. Even at two he loves his football. If he's holding it in his hand and catches your eye, look out. He will soon yell "football!" and run at you, fully expecting you to grab him and tackle him and throw him to the carpet. He doesn't quite get the concept yet and thinks that tackling is the fun part.

He is all boy, almost as if he read the manual on how to be a boy. He loves dinosaurs, and playing with his fire engine with a fireman's hat on (cutest thing ever), he loves Batman and Elmo and Buzz Lightyear and zooming cars and anything that has a ball. When college basketball is on t.v. he will stop in his tracks, transfixed as if it were Batman singing with Elmo on Dinosaur Train.

In true boy fashion, he likes to figure things out, take toys apart and put them back together again, or at least have me put them back together again. There are some toys that are soon either going to "disappear" or be hot glue gunned together.


He is slowly but surely destroying all our stuff. There is marker on my couch, my walls, highlighter on my carpet, crayon under all the tables. Yes, I know, we need to lock up our art supplies, and we do, for the most part, but I have two forgetful little artists who are forever leaving their pens, uncapped and within reach. Perhaps we should have considered renting.


So far his sisters are "meh" - sure he likes them, he appreciates their dance parties and messing with their stuff, and it's certainly much more fun here with them around.
But it's his Daddy that hangs the moon, and he loves him above all others.

So, there you go, now you know a few things about our sweet Jack!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick's Day Pictorial
A Story told in reverse...

Earlier...while the girls were at school...

Happy John Patrick's Day!!!!

Tworiffic

So far Jack thinks two is pretty two-rrific.

When Zoe turned two she said "I two much!" and Jack, well, he hasn't said anything (he doesn't speak) but he certainly enjoyed all the fun this weekend. We didn't have a big party (Jack doesn't have any two-year-old friends) but we did celebrate at home with family, presents and cupcakes - a day much like any other day just more awesome.

Stu and Jen drove down from San Francisco on Saturday. They brought fake mustaches and their sweet puppy Loulou. We all fell instantly in love with Loulou. Jack loved her so much he decided to become a puppy and followed her around on all fours.

Loulou learned that there are some pros to having little ones around - lots of hugs, multiple doggy treats and breakfast sausages that just happen to fall to the floor.

The girls were happy to have Unca Stu, their favorite living play thing, around again. However, by the weekends end "Jenny Jen" was the preferred one (its true).

With a "mustache" Stu looks exactly like my Dad in the 70's with which is really creeping out me, Mimi and Jen.

The next morning we all got up at the crack of 9 (time change) for a birthday brunch for the little Dude. Mimi made baked eggs with fresh herbs and garlic butter (which we now call "Eggscargot") served with my homemade blueberry and yogurt muffins and mimosas and we were all quite happy. No mimosas for the minis, however.

Jenny Jen brought special hats for the occasion.

She fits in well with this family.
After brunch, the girls helped Jack open up and play with all his presents.

He said "whoa" and "oooh" and "ahh" with each new toy.

While Jack sweetly played with all his new toys

Stu went to take a nap and Jen and the girls snuck in

and painted his toenails pink.

(See how she won them over?)

Meanwhile Mimi and I were making some Martha Stewart worthy cupcake creations.

These were as delicious as they were beautiful.

After naptime, Baba arrived bearing gifts, specifically a UK basket ball game

and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon in the backyard.

Baba was even allowed a cuddle or two.

Athena really really wanted a pinata for her birthday, but the place we held her party didn't allow it. I promised her we would get one for Jack's birthday. Athena went at that thing like she has been waiting to attack it. Jack and Zoe got a few swings in as well, but unblindfolded and without having a two-swing limit, Athena demolished it with a few very satisfying whacks.

And the leftover pinata points made excellent party hats.

What will our little Dude remember from his second birthday? Absolutely nothing. I can only hope that he may have a vague sense of being around lots of people who not only love him but enjoy him and that feeling lasts throughout his childhood to feed and nurture him in his adult life - not only on this day but at all our friend and family gatherings. These kids are truly blessed to have a whole village of people who love them- thank you to everyone who helped us spoil Jack on his birthday!

Springing Forward

Last Wednesday came and went marking my sweet boy's official second birthday, but he wasn't truly two until a few members of his village could come together to celebrate and spoil him. He is leaping forward into boyhood - no longer a toddler!

Much more later as I'm still going through the hundreds of pictures taken!

Shhh don't tell...

This little guy is going to be TWO tomorrow.

After the mega-celebration weekend we just had for Athena, I'm ashamed to admit I have very little planned for my sweet Dude tomorrow. We're postponing celebrations until the weekend, when Baba and Nana and Stu and Jen will be visiting, and tomorrow will just be a typical Wednesday. He's only two, he has no clue that tomorrow is his birthday.

But I do, and on the second anniversary of the wonderful day John Patrick came into our lives, I can't help but want to wallow in the past and try to remember when he was so so new and tiny...

Oh, my heart skips a beat.