Today I took Alex to his one-year well-child check up. I left the appointment feeling the worries of a concerned mother. I've learned through many experiences that it doesn't matter the situation, if one of my boys has something going wrong, I want to fix it. I don't want them to suffer, or be hurt, or struggle. I just want them to be happy little boys that love life and their surroundings. After the appointment I felt like the doctor I met with threw a wrench in the mix for my little Alex and me.
Alex is amazing. He's always had this mild manner about him. It seems as though he just watches what's going on around him and takes it all in. Long story short, the doctor was concerned about Alex's gross motor skills and asked me to meet with some health agency to review his progress and check things out more. I have no idea right now what this all means. I keep telling myself this little guy just wants to take his time to do things; its no big deal. I'm sure that's all it is.
But, whatever it is or is not, I know for certain, that I love the way he smiles when he sees me. I love the way he flaps his arms when he's excited, and I love that he is part of our family.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Party Baby!
Since I had mutual tonight, we celebrated Alex's birthday with his two sets of grandparents a day early. And boy did we party!!
We had dinner together. Three words -- MarketStreet Clam Chowder. Yum-mo!! I love that recipe! It's a family favorite. At least Mark and I could live off of it.
Next we let him "open" his presents. I was a little confused at this whole part. Usually this kid goes crazy over paper. He wants it all the time, but not this time. He wasn't having much to do with the whole idea of seeing what was behind that paper. Luckily he had two big brothers that took care of him. Before I knew it, Ethan and Aaron were tearing into the box wanting to put his new walker/bike together.
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How many men does it take to put together a baby walker? One daddy, two grandpas and two big brothers.
They finished the toy and Alex was in business.
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We had dinner together. Three words -- MarketStreet Clam Chowder. Yum-mo!! I love that recipe! It's a family favorite. At least Mark and I could live off of it.
Next we let him "open" his presents. I was a little confused at this whole part. Usually this kid goes crazy over paper. He wants it all the time, but not this time. He wasn't having much to do with the whole idea of seeing what was behind that paper. Luckily he had two big brothers that took care of him. Before I knew it, Ethan and Aaron were tearing into the box wanting to put his new walker/bike together.
They finished the toy and Alex was in business.
Here's Alex checking out the goods.
By then I knew this kid needed to have his cake and eat it too. I'll go ahead and say it, I was rather proud of my cake effort.
My cake decorating class is actually coming in handy. We of course sang "Happy Birthday" and then slide the cake close to see what he would do with the whole candle thing. He was the normal one-year-old and stared at it for a minute before trying to grab at the flame. We laughed and then before I knew it, he had grabbed at the the cake and swiped a handful of icing off the edge. He gave those fingers a lick and then wanted to go at it with both hands. I wasn't sure what was more funny, watching Alex eat the cake and ice cream we gave him or listening to Ethan and Aaron laugh at how messy their little brother was.
But that's not the end of the cake story....there's more.
Friday, is my dad's birthday. So we cut grandpa a piece of cake and put the candle in it and surprised him when we starting singing to him. Once the cake was placed in front of him, he dipped his fingers in the icing and smeared some on both cheeks. Looking just like Alex. What a guy!! Love you, Dad!!
Another Milestone
Is it true? Why, yes it is. I am now a mother of a one-year-old. Alex you are certainly a keeper. I wasn't sure what to think when I found out you were on your way, but there's no way I would change a thing about having you in our family. You bring a peace to our home that I often long for. Your mild manner is soothing to us all. We often wonder how you'll ever fit into this crazy home of ours, but you've certainly gone and made your way into our hearts. You have two big brothers that adore you and often times drive me crazy because they want to be RIGHT THERE with you, BOTH OF THEM, at the same time. They argue over who gets to sit next to you and who gets to make you laugh. Yes, they love you, Alex.
I know you make your daddy's day when you see him walk in the door and you flap your arms up and down in your little excited way. You make our hearts smile, Alex. We love you to pieces.
Aaron took this photo of us.
I know I look like a big cheeser, but hey, this is my baby on his first birthday - October 13, 2009!!!
Look how far we've come!!
Love you, Skooski!!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Good Cup of Cho
Nothing could be better than a cup of hot chocolate in the morning. When we woke up this morning and it was colder than I wanted it to be; we had hot chocolate all around. Aaron, after taking his first sip said, "That's a good cup of cho."
I thought for sure he was trying to say, a cup of joe, like they say on The Polar Express. Then I thought he was maybe just abbreviating chocolate and just using cho.
When I asked where he heard about cho, he said, he didn't know, he just likes making things up.
So here's to fall, colder weather, and a good cup of cho.
I thought for sure he was trying to say, a cup of joe, like they say on The Polar Express. Then I thought he was maybe just abbreviating chocolate and just using cho.
When I asked where he heard about cho, he said, he didn't know, he just likes making things up.
So here's to fall, colder weather, and a good cup of cho.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Mindy and the Boys
Step aside, here comes Mindy and the Boys! (This is how I always sign my cards, notes and such, but don't you think it would make a great name for a rock band?)
Tonight we played Guitar Hero with some neighbors. We don't have a wii, and I think I have played this game all of about two times before. I've never been much of a gamer when it came to video games; that was always Cameron's department growing up. But after playing tonight I think I could play me some music and rock it!!
FYI - I finally finished my trip log, posted below. You may need to clear some time in your calendar to read it, it's a long one!
Tonight we played Guitar Hero with some neighbors. We don't have a wii, and I think I have played this game all of about two times before. I've never been much of a gamer when it came to video games; that was always Cameron's department growing up. But after playing tonight I think I could play me some music and rock it!!
FYI - I finally finished my trip log, posted below. You may need to clear some time in your calendar to read it, it's a long one!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
In Search of Chocolate
While searching the freezer for some hidden chocolate I found Mark's newest electronic gizmo that had obviously made its way from off the top of the fridge down into the freezer door.
Do I
a. wake him from his Sunday nap to tell about it.
b. grab the poor thing and try to warm it up in my armpit.
c. leave it there for him to find and keep looking for some chocoate.
Not knowing how long the poor thing has been hiding beside the orange juice, I just hope it still works. I'm just upset because my raid of the freezer left me high and dry -- no chocolate here, baby!!
Do I
a. wake him from his Sunday nap to tell about it.
b. grab the poor thing and try to warm it up in my armpit.
c. leave it there for him to find and keep looking for some chocoate.
Not knowing how long the poor thing has been hiding beside the orange juice, I just hope it still works. I'm just upset because my raid of the freezer left me high and dry -- no chocolate here, baby!!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Sunny San Diego
After nearly 1900 miles, 74 Slugbugs, and more pit stops than I wish to recall, I'm finally ready to document our trip to California.
Warning. This really isn't a "quick recap," that would be impossible for me.
Thursday night - Sept 3 Mark drove home our rental van - a 2009 Toyota Sienna. Two words - Storage Space. This rental van was a lifesaver. I couldn't believe how much more room we had compared to our 97 Honda Odyssey. We drove to Mesquite and stayed the night in a cheap hotel.
Friday - We drove to San Diego, checked into our condo and stocked up on groceries. Costco and Albertsons, I felt right at home. The boys went swimming at the pool there which was filled with salt water. Never heard of such a thing and not sure I'm a fan.
Saturday - Legoland.
Big hit with the boys. They LOVED checking out everything. They were amazed at the first thing they saw made out of legos and had to just run up and feel it and make sure it was really made out of legos. They loved Miniland, USA. They got to play in the water too. Fun time for two little boys!!!!
Needless to say, they spent their vacation money at the Lego store and our condo became Legoland that night. They spent nearly 3 hours putting their new toys together and then playing with them.
Sunday - We needed some down time and that's just what we did. The temple was beautiful!
Monday - Sea World. Another big hit with the boys! How great to see and touch such things as star fish and bat rays. Although Ethan didn't think sitting in the Soak Zone was such a great idea, in fact he was crying about having to sit there. Granted, it was 8:30 at night and getting a little cold, but it was a funny moment watching Mark carry Ethan down to the soak zone and Ethan crying that he didn't want to get wet.
Tuesday - Beach Time. Mark's friend Matt lent us some boogie boards and before we knew it, we had two surf bums on our hands. It didn't take too long before they were hitting the waves. I learned that an 11 month old either loves or hates the sand. Alex had a love/hate relationship with the beach and I soon realized I did too. Walking in the sand is one thing, having it in places it shouldn't be is another. Try nursing a crying baby in your swimsuit when you are both covered in sand -- another great adventure for me and the little guy!!!
Wednesday - San Diego driving tour compliments of Mark and Callie (we named the GPS system my parents' let us borrow, another must have for long road trips). I also learned that with boys, shopping is definitely not on the itinerary. Pretty sure I didn't step foot in one gift shop except for the Legoland one. Seaport village was a quick walk through to the harbor where we checked out all the boats and cool sculptures along the walk way. We drove over to Coronando played on a cute playground with the beach and bridge as our background.
The boys really just wanted to hit the beach again, so we did. This time we went to La Jolla Cove. They were quickly disappointed when we were told they couldn't use their boogie boards. So, out came the snorkle gear. Both the boys did great, I guess I wasn't surprised; they really like the water. We also checked out the tide pools and saw little fish, crabs, and such. It was a beautiful area!!!
Thursday - Our last full day and I bet you can't guess what the boys wanted to do? BEACH DAY!! We spent more time boogie boarding this time at Torrey Pines State Beach. Again, they same story: sand, sand, and more sand, no more happy baby, no more happy mom. I loved watching Mark and the boys play out in the water. They were loving it! Holes were dug, bridges were made, feet were buried.
Mark also got to go on a 14-mile bike ride with Matt that afternoon. He did take a spill or two but couldn't stop talking about it afterward. I was glad he had such a great time.
The condo we stayed at had a nice club house with grills out by the pool too. Mark cooked us up excellent dinner that night, we watched us some Sandlot in the clubhouse and even played some pool and pingpong. I must say I was pretty good at playing pingpong with the boys while holding Alex in one arm.
Friday - We packed up and headed for Las Vegas.
It wasn't too bad of a drive. We got there and checked into our hotel and went out to dinner. Mark and I thought it would be fun to just drive the strip. The boys did enjoy looking out the windows and seeing the big buildings and lights and such. We all loved the fountain at the Bellagio and the ships at Treasure Island. Of course, a trip down the strip wouldn't be complete without a little spice. Needless to say, Aaron thought the scantily clothed girls on the truck next to us were a little funny and fun to look at. What better time to have a little lesson on modesty and respecting women.
Saturday - The final leg of the trip. We were getting anxious to get back home, and I know Alex was ready to be OUT of that car seat. We pretty much drove straight through, stopping only for ice cream in Beaver, this of course was on my scheduled itinerary.
It was great to pull into our drive way and know we were finally home. Whenever I am gone from home for an extended amount of time I always come home and find myself walking around and just staring at everything. It is hard to explain, but it always seems to happen.
My other favorite part of coming home from a long trip --- unpacking and laundry. Now that the boys are in school, I'll add HOMEWORK....Ethan and I are just barely catching up on all the homework his teach sent home to him the day he got back to school.
Warning. This really isn't a "quick recap," that would be impossible for me.
Thursday night - Sept 3 Mark drove home our rental van - a 2009 Toyota Sienna. Two words - Storage Space. This rental van was a lifesaver. I couldn't believe how much more room we had compared to our 97 Honda Odyssey. We drove to Mesquite and stayed the night in a cheap hotel.
Friday - We drove to San Diego, checked into our condo and stocked up on groceries. Costco and Albertsons, I felt right at home. The boys went swimming at the pool there which was filled with salt water. Never heard of such a thing and not sure I'm a fan.
Saturday - Legoland.
Big hit with the boys. They LOVED checking out everything. They were amazed at the first thing they saw made out of legos and had to just run up and feel it and make sure it was really made out of legos. They loved Miniland, USA. They got to play in the water too. Fun time for two little boys!!!!
Needless to say, they spent their vacation money at the Lego store and our condo became Legoland that night. They spent nearly 3 hours putting their new toys together and then playing with them.
Sunday - We needed some down time and that's just what we did. The temple was beautiful!
Monday - Sea World. Another big hit with the boys! How great to see and touch such things as star fish and bat rays. Although Ethan didn't think sitting in the Soak Zone was such a great idea, in fact he was crying about having to sit there. Granted, it was 8:30 at night and getting a little cold, but it was a funny moment watching Mark carry Ethan down to the soak zone and Ethan crying that he didn't want to get wet.
Tuesday - Beach Time. Mark's friend Matt lent us some boogie boards and before we knew it, we had two surf bums on our hands. It didn't take too long before they were hitting the waves. I learned that an 11 month old either loves or hates the sand. Alex had a love/hate relationship with the beach and I soon realized I did too. Walking in the sand is one thing, having it in places it shouldn't be is another. Try nursing a crying baby in your swimsuit when you are both covered in sand -- another great adventure for me and the little guy!!!
Wednesday - San Diego driving tour compliments of Mark and Callie (we named the GPS system my parents' let us borrow, another must have for long road trips). I also learned that with boys, shopping is definitely not on the itinerary. Pretty sure I didn't step foot in one gift shop except for the Legoland one. Seaport village was a quick walk through to the harbor where we checked out all the boats and cool sculptures along the walk way. We drove over to Coronando played on a cute playground with the beach and bridge as our background.
The boys really just wanted to hit the beach again, so we did. This time we went to La Jolla Cove. They were quickly disappointed when we were told they couldn't use their boogie boards. So, out came the snorkle gear. Both the boys did great, I guess I wasn't surprised; they really like the water. We also checked out the tide pools and saw little fish, crabs, and such. It was a beautiful area!!!
Thursday - Our last full day and I bet you can't guess what the boys wanted to do? BEACH DAY!! We spent more time boogie boarding this time at Torrey Pines State Beach. Again, they same story: sand, sand, and more sand, no more happy baby, no more happy mom. I loved watching Mark and the boys play out in the water. They were loving it! Holes were dug, bridges were made, feet were buried.
Mark also got to go on a 14-mile bike ride with Matt that afternoon. He did take a spill or two but couldn't stop talking about it afterward. I was glad he had such a great time.
The condo we stayed at had a nice club house with grills out by the pool too. Mark cooked us up excellent dinner that night, we watched us some Sandlot in the clubhouse and even played some pool and pingpong. I must say I was pretty good at playing pingpong with the boys while holding Alex in one arm.
Friday - We packed up and headed for Las Vegas.
It wasn't too bad of a drive. We got there and checked into our hotel and went out to dinner. Mark and I thought it would be fun to just drive the strip. The boys did enjoy looking out the windows and seeing the big buildings and lights and such. We all loved the fountain at the Bellagio and the ships at Treasure Island. Of course, a trip down the strip wouldn't be complete without a little spice. Needless to say, Aaron thought the scantily clothed girls on the truck next to us were a little funny and fun to look at. What better time to have a little lesson on modesty and respecting women.
Saturday - The final leg of the trip. We were getting anxious to get back home, and I know Alex was ready to be OUT of that car seat. We pretty much drove straight through, stopping only for ice cream in Beaver, this of course was on my scheduled itinerary.
It was great to pull into our drive way and know we were finally home. Whenever I am gone from home for an extended amount of time I always come home and find myself walking around and just staring at everything. It is hard to explain, but it always seems to happen.
My other favorite part of coming home from a long trip --- unpacking and laundry. Now that the boys are in school, I'll add HOMEWORK....Ethan and I are just barely catching up on all the homework his teach sent home to him the day he got back to school.
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