Remembering 9/11

I wrote this entry over a week ago, but but for some reason wasn't ready to post it just yet...

I am so grateful that every single day I am reminded about how amazing and precious life is. This just isn't something you think about all the time, and I think our kids are definitely a constant reminder of this. We go through our daily lives and emotions, and get busy and wrapped up in an every day chore. On my drive home from work, I often feel tired and sometimes overwhelmed by my "to do" list, but always try to think about the positives and look forward to spending the evening with my kids. I feel grateful to have this feeling every time I get home. I've been thinking about this a lot more this week because of 9/11. How quickly 10 years have passed. How much we realize now, and how much more appreciative we are for the gift of life. We have overcome this event, but it has changed everyone and everything. Everyone remembers this day, what they did, how they found out about the horrible events in NYC. I was 21, going to UCSD... still pretty naive. I didn't have school that day, but I was getting ready to go to work at the bank where I was a teller. I remember turning on the TV while getting ready, and watching in disbelief. I couldn't take my eyes off what I saw, I think I was even late to work and it usually took less than 5 minutes to get there. Once I got to work, my coworkers and I had the TV on in the tiny little break room where we sometimes ate lunch, I remember running into the break room every chance I got along with the other tellers, to keep watching for updates on what's going on. I don't think I understood the full gravity of the situation, but I knew things just wouldn't be the same.

Yes I look at the world differently now after having children. I think about how to raise them, are they safe, how will they survive in this crazy world? Those questions are always in the back of my mind, and I always have hope that things will work out, and that the world will be a better place for our kids.

I don't do many of these type of posts, but I felt like I wanted to remember this day. Write about what I was feeling at the moment. I couldn't begin to imagine what some of the people who have lost loved ones are feeling on this day. It makes me feel sad, angry and helpless when I think about all the lives that were lost that day. Humans are pretty resilient creatures, and are able to overcome a lot of things and still have hope. So on a day like this, I am glad to say that I still have hope.

A view of the Twin Towers Memorial that was opened on the 10th anniversary of 9/11

Cameron - 10 months

What an exciting month for you! For the last few weeks you have been tirelessly trying to crawl. You get on all fours, you rock back and forth, then sit back or get on your tummy and roll on your back. On September 10th, you actually moved. Yay! I remembere Sascha army crawled for about a week, but you didn't go through that. Although a few times I saw you inching backwards instead of forward. Also the day before you turned 10 months, I heard you say "Mama" for the first time, and now you say it non stop. Oh how long I have waited to hear you say "Mama". That made me even more happy! It also seems that you have learned how to say "oh - oh", at least that's what it sounds like. So now that you're on the move, we are on our way to babyproofing the house once again.

You are starting to pick up food with your hands. It doesn't quite make it to your mouth very easily but you are working on it. :) Generally you have been a pretty good eater, you like just about everything that you are given. Some things you definitely eat with more enthusiasm than others. Usually the veggie or soup mix you are not super excited about but you still eat them without too much fuss. You're really starting to love your sippy cup and drinking water out of it. Sometimes you just want to hold it and teeth on it. Speaking of teeth, you still only have one! I keep thinking another one is coming, but it hasn't made it's way out just yet, so we'll keep looking out for it.

I love your little face, your big round blue eyes, your face expressions, your giggles and smiles. You bring us so much happiness. Mommy and Daddy love you so so much!!!

On your 10 Month Birthday we happened to be out and about with our friends Erin & Abtin who we haven't seen in a while, and we ventured out to Old Town as well as Mount Soledad for sunset. It was a gorgeous day out, and we got to take a lot of pictures on the grass. We even got one of the 4 of us at the top.

Such a Happy little guy!

Just the 4 of us

Phone post update

It's been a busy few weeks. Sascha started another year of her preschool. Daddy and I celebrated our 6th year anniversary over Labor Day weekend. Once again he managed to totally surprise me with an amazing day at the Grand Del Mar. We had the most relaxing day at the Spa and dinner there. Funny how this place is actually less than 15 minutes away from our house and the whole time I was there, I felt like I was on an island someplace. It felt like a little get away, and just what we needed. How did I get this lucky? Daddy has got to be one of the most thoughtful husbands in the world!

We had a super fun night of camping in our friends back yard, although I cheated and walked home pushing a stroller with a sleeping baby in it in the middle of the night and actually slept in my own bed instead of the tent. Sascha however really enjoyed sleeping in a tent and daddy took one for the team and slept next to her. She had so much fun playing with her friends, planting, going on a scavenger hunt, hikes and of course eating smores.

The night before camping, we had one of the biggest blackouts in the city. All of San Diego lost its power for over 10 hours, and we braved the dark with our lantern, flashlights and candles. It was out of the norm, and actually pretty fun. The TV and the computer was off, our phones were dead, we just went outside without any distractions, had a BBQ and hung out with Baba & Deda. Good times!

Recap: Reading a book in a chair at a furniture store, eating raspberries off her fingers, wanting to drive, camping with his babies, hanging out with Erin, going to Funbelievable indoor playground, sporting an FSU onsie, listening to da BEATS, holding a flashlight during a blackout, bedtime, anniversary night & dessert, grand del mar pool and a moody baby

Phone posts

So I have taken a ton of photos on my phone, because lets face it I don't always have my camera on me. I don't usually end up doing anything with them, so I thought why not do a post every week or two where I put the pictures up from my phone. It will most likely capture things that I have forgotten to mention. Plus it makes me take more pictures and yes I am still addicted to modifying all of them with an app called Instagram. Without it, they just aren't as cool.

So here is my first one.

They don't need much commenting... just every day kind of stuff, with a few fun things in between

Bath Time, Beach Time, Playing in the back yard & Bed Time

End of Summer Fun & Play Dates

Where had the summer gone?

Well besides the weekend fun, just about every Friday we attempted to do something fun! We hosted a playgroup at home... sadly I have no pictures from it, I guess we were having way too much fun or I was way too busy to take any. We went to Kidding Around, The Zoo, The Wild Animal Park which they are now calling Safari Park, we went to friends houses for play dates, RB Swim & Tennis Club, Moonlight Beach and Sea World. Saturday mornings were spent going to Little Kickers soccer, followed by a trip to the 7-11 for a special treat. An ICE that had to be a specific color, whatever color favorite of the day - a request from Sascha. One weekend, we planned a play date with her good friend Sadie from preschool. We went to a pond to feed the ducks. Another weekend, while daddy stayed home with Cameron and had his football draft, Sascha and I had a date at Sea World. I have not been there for Summer nights where they have special night shows and fireworks. We had such a great time together! It was nice to have great company too since we met up with Marjeri and Kingston there. We tried to frequent the pool as well, and for some reason every single time Sascha wasn't thrilled about going, it would take her forever to finally get in (unless we just forced her in) and then finally after 20 minutes in the water she would actually swim and have fun. Of course by then she is usually shivering cold and we have to get out. This was pretty much the trend every time we went swimming. However when she gets a lesson at Floaties from Mr. Josh, she has no issues with the pool. Go figure!

We had a bunch of birthday parties to attend as well. Sascha is now very much aware of what "party" means. When I told her that we are going to stop by a work party before going to Sea World, she quickly posed the question : "Will there be a jumpie there?" I had to break the news to her and tell her that there was no jumpie at this party. :)

We have really been enjoying our back yard! Sascha is getting really good at swinging, she has masted the leg pumping, and gets up pretty high (almost dangerously high ... especially if Baba is watching). She loves her playground, water table, and all the different ways of transportation out there. She is starting to get much better on her princess bike, she's super fast on the plasma car. We often have races around the "track" - the small paved road that goes around the back yard! It started to get dark earlier, which is too bad, we got pretty used to playing out there after dinner till 8pm.

Sounds like a pretty fun summer doesn't it? Oh what I would do to be a kid again... why is it that I remember how badly I wanted to grow up when I was a child. I dreaded nap time, and now I would give anything for a quiet 20 minutes where I could put my head down and rest.

And that sums up our summer. Sure we both had to work. Sascha enjoyed going to preschool and having splash days every week, while Cameron was at home with the Nanny. But we really tried to make the most out of our time together. I only wish I would make a separate blog entry out of each outing we had, and if I had all the time in the world I certainly would. Instead it's going to be crammed into this one blog post. I also wish that I had more pictures with me in them. I am usually the one taking them, so pics of me with the kids are rare, and I feel like I should have more.

Saturday mornings - playing soccer

Our Beach outing - we only went a few times, but Cameron loved the sand. Sascha refused to go near the water, and played in the sand the whole time as well.

Zoo, Safari Park with Ethan, and a date with my baby girl to Sea World

Hanging out in the back yard. Sascha really enjoys pushing Cameron in the swing

On a train ride at Old Poway Park for Cillian's 3rd Birthday

Playing Dress up at home - this is a dress she wanted to wear ...something that you may see a Flamenco dancer wear, it was brought to you from Spain by Baba & Deda