September 17, 2008

Happiest Place on Earth

Last week, I was a brave mom and took the boys to Disneyland by myself. It was a pretty last minute decision so I didn't get a chance to call any friends to join us.

Even though Dylan panicked on every ride, it was actually a pretty nice day. We rode on about 6 rides in 2 1/2 hours, watched the Jedi Training show (seriously the cutest show they have and deep down, I wish my boys had the guts to participate in this one), did not have any major meltdowns and returned home in time for their afternoon naps.

Now that I have survived my first solo-Disneyland trip, I think we will have to go more often.

One of the problems with going alone is that there are very few opportunities to take fun pictures. So, here is the one picture that turned out:

P.S. I just realized Dylan is wearing bright red t-shirts in the previous 3 posts. We actually have 3 of these shirts, they fit him perfectly, and so he ends up wearing at least one of them every week. So, although it may seem that he wears the same thing all the time, it is not quite the case.

September 15, 2008

1st Day of School

Last week was Tyler's first day of preschool. This year was so much easier than last year since I gave him a positive incentive (bribe) of Jamba Juice after class. Although, he was a little hesitant, he walked right in and got to work playing with the cars.


When it was time to pick him up, he was sitting nicely with the class participating in the activity lead by his teacher (a big improvement over last year).

Oh yeah, and the sign in this picture is not actually lopsided. It used to have the name of his school, but for safety reasons I edited that out..


You would never know that by looking at these pictures how things quickly changed. If only I had a picture of the major temper tantrum that ensued just after Tyler realized that the Pirate Booty was gone! Let's just say that after a miserably failed attempt at giving him a time-out, the Jamba employees were not sad to see me clean up and rush the screamer/shoe-thrower to the car.

Well, at least I got a Jamba Juice out of it all!

September 12, 2008

Having Cake and Eating the Candle Too

Here is a little video from Dylan's birthday. It is pretty funny because

1. Tyler freaks out and demands us to stop singing until the cake is on the table
2. Dylan freaks out because the cake is not directly in front of him
and 3. Dylan take a bite of a candle and refuses to spit it out



Happy Birthday, Big-D!

September 11, 2008

Meeting the Del Martians

Last week, the boys and I visited my friend Bindi, in San Diego. She and I met 6 years ago while working at LMB and have many funny stories working at an internet start-up company. From sitting at fold-up tables instead of desks, being relegated to the basement, and taking control of the weekly massage sign ups, we have our share of laughs.

If you are ever in Del Mar, you will have to check out her store, Bathe Shop, for some great bath products. We did a little shopping, laughed at the local "Del Martians" and then ate lunch at a park on the beach. The train runs right along the coast in this area, so the boys came up close and personal with a huge commuter train during our lunch. I think Tyler had second thoughts about trains being his favorite after hearing how loud a train whistle really is. Thank you, Bindi, for a great afternoon! Even though it is less than 2 hours away, it really feels like a vacation when we go to San Diego.

September 10, 2008

Tyler's B-Day Pictures

So, here are pictures from Tyler's birthday. In the morning he woke up to his door being decorated and balloons all over the floor (an idea I stole from my friend at East Coast Bosleys). At church, the primary kids sang Happy Birthday to him. What was funny is that our usually shy in public little boy was standing in front of all the kids proudly and actually sang to himself with the group. I love that kid! After church, we had to rush with the cupcakes and presents because Arthur was leaving for an out of town work conference that afternoon.

I am not exactly sure why, but he has adopted this funny pose when taking pictures. I suppose it is better than before when I had to beg or trick him into looking at the camera.



Happy Birthday Ty Ty!

September 9, 2008

31 Already?

Last month, I turned 31 YEARS OLD! Wow, even the type looks old. Arthur continues to be the greatest gift-giver and arranged to have my mom (who was in town redecorating my house) watch the kids while we spent the night at the Grand Californian at Disneyland. The hotel is fabulous, but you will have to check out their website for pictures because the ones we took won't do justice. After dinner, we rushed outside to watch the nightly fireworks display that Disneyland puts on in the summer. In the morning, we walked around Downtown Disney, ate breakfast, and bought some light sabers for the boys.

Thank you, Arthur! I love you so much! Thank you, Mom, for watching the kids!

Star Shaped Fireworks (my personal favorite of the night)


September 8, 2008

Summer Field Trip - Travel Town

It has been a very busy couple of weeks, so I am going to try to catch up.

Toward the end of August, we had our final Summer Field Trip to Travel Town. It is a train museum located in Griffith Park. I wish I had more pictures, but I don't! It is a great place to explore old locomotives and climb in and out of train cars. You can take a ride on a miniature train around the park - which is always the highlight for everyone.

Here are the kids on the train at the end of the day. It is nearly impossible to get everyone looking and smiling at the camera at the same time, so that is why I have 2 pictures that look about the same. Perhaps one of you other Moms have better pictures (hint, hint!!)??

Dylan is 2

Last week, Dylan turned 2 years old! My baby is no longer a baby!

Here is a post strictly devoted to Dylan. Please stop now, unless you are a sucker for personal touching stuff. But, don't worry - after 2 sappy posts in a row, I will follow up with some good pictures next time!

Dylan, you are the most thoughtful and loving boy I know. I treasure your cuddles and your desire to make peace in the house. When kissing you, I don't always love the slobber, but I appreciate that you are not satisfied unless you plant a good wet one directly on the lips.

You wish you could do everything your big brother is doing. Lately, you have started to slide down the legs of the dinner table, while saying, "Wire Pole (Fire Pole)!" You have begun to walk up the stairs without assistance and are very tempted to walk down them.

I love your deep quiet voice. If I listen well, you say some really great stuff for a 2 year old. You are thoughtful and share your toys without much fuss. You are sensitive and kind to others. A hug from you will brighten anyone's day.

You are not the fastest kid around, but watching your bow-legged-hop-run is one of the funniest things. When we take walks, I have to constantly yell, "Come on, Dylan!" because you prefer to smell the roses and enjoy your surroundings.

You enjoy dinosaur rides with Daddy, playing elevator with Tyler, and reading books with me. You do not like messy fingers, and request multiple washings at each meal.

You are afraid of swings, costumes, and the nursery at church. When it comes to the pool, though, your fear disappears. You are an excellent swimmer. You jump into the water without hesitation and wish that I was not around sometimes to hinder your training!

As you have approached 2 years old, your independence is starting to grow. No longer do you sit next to me at the park quietly playing in the sand. You are now a wanderer, with places to go and things to explore. You voice your opinions well, and don't back away from a fight with your brother.

We have been amazed this past week watching you basically potty train yourself. Remarkably, in 9 days, you have had only 3 accidents! In fact, as I have been writing this, you walked yourself to your little potty, did your job, and got up to tell me to come look. Then, you asked me to dump the goods into the big toilet and waved goodbye as you flushed it down.

It was a big year for you as you learned to talk, walk, run, and use the bathroom. You learned to fall asleep on your own and take long afternoon naps (phew!). You are learning your shapes and can spot a circle anywhere now. Your are learning your colors and can count to 3. You sing songs as best as you can, and offer great smiles to just about anyone.

I am so proud of you in so many ways, Dylan. You have grown so much and have surprised us in so many ways. It is a pleasure and honor to be your Mom. You will always be my Little Bub!

September 2, 2008

Tyler is 4

Last week was Tyler's 4th Birthday. Why must children grow up so quickly?


This post is all about Tyler as I do not want to forget these things. I am sure it will bore everyone else, though, so feel free to stop reading now!

Happy 4th Birthday, Tyler!

You are the most spirited little boy I know. I love you for your determination and spunk. You never cease to surprise me and have such a range of emotions. You can be energetic and rambunctious one moment and totally quiet and nervous the next. I feel completely in awe that you are my little boy and I will get to love you forever!

In your honor, here are some fun facts about you:

This was a big year for you, Tyler! You started preschool and learned to sit still and listen to your teacher. You became more confident in working at the craft table and learned to pedal a bike. At home, you learned to write your name and most of the other letters. You also surprised us all when you started reading!

You love clocks and are starting to learn to tell time. When we are at Grandma and Grandpa's house, you are obsessed with their clocks and run to listen to the chime at every quarter hour. You get mad at us if we dare to talk during this time!

I love your energy and your zeal for life. There is nothing better than listening to you giggle and squeal!

Your most favorite thing is to run as fast as you can. Chasing and racing have become favorite games. Even walking takes a lot of energy as you tend to stomp very loudly to announce your arrival. When you are not running or stomping, you are very serious about playing with your cars or trains. You will sit quietly for long periods of time and stare at the wheels and analyze them moving and then suddenly, you will crash them with such vigor and force. You know all the Thomas trains by their number, color, and wheels. Although you don't watch too much television, your favorite movie is (surprise, surprise) Cars.

You are obsessed with garages and traffic lights. We cannot go anywhere without you taking note of which neighbors have their garage doors open or closed. You demand to wait and watch garage doors close when one of these neighbors pulls out. You even like to pretend that our central vacuum inlet cover is a garage and many hot wheels cars have been stuck inside! When we are driving and a traffic light turns yellow, you make sure to tell me to slow down and stop. While we sit at the red light, you can be heard saying "turn green! turn green! turn green!"

One of your favorite places is Kidspace because you can ride the bikes with Dylan and climb the tower. You also love the arboretum because it is a place where you can run wildly.

In church, you are in the Sunbeam class and this year you said a scripture in front of the entire Primary. Your favorite song is Called To Serve and have been known to belt it out in grocery stores and museums.

You have become a tremendous help at home this year. You often run to retrieve a plastic bag for Dylan's messy diaper changes, help clean up your toys, and teach Dylan many words and phrases. You also love to help Daddy bring in the trash cans from the street.

As I am writing this, you are sitting on my lap with a car in your hand pretending the table is a road. You keep trying to take over typing and I have to remind you that it is my turn. I know moments like this will soon pass so I hope I can remember them forever.

I will love you forever, my little buddy!