Trip to Fresno

Christmas evening we arrived in Fresno to visit with Mommy's cousins Michael and Edna and their families.
Sascha has been asking on when we're going on a trip for months now. She was excited! The kids did great on our very smooth 6 hour drive, so we were off to a great start.

When we arrived we were greeted by Mike & Amy's 3 dogs (besides Mike, Amy and their 5 kids). Sascha and Cameron are not used to dogs... there were tears... scared faces... I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out... but slowly with each day we were there the kids adjusted to them and actually really liked them. Sascha became almost obsessed with the smaller dog "Jack" and went looking for him so she could pet him and be near him. It was really amazed at how they took to them.

Our first day there we took everyone to a trampoline place. The kids had a BLAST! It was us, 7 kids and their nanny to help... wow craziness! But it all went well, and we even stopped by and had pizza on the way home. Total success!

The next few days we just chilled out and the house, played tennis, relaxed. It was just nice to get away for a little bit and catch up with everyone. Edna and her family arrived the next day, so we got to hang out with them for a bit as well. Its been over 3 years sine we saw Edna's family because they live in Connecticut and they have never met Cameron before...

The kids were so well behaved while we were there, Sascha really enjoyed playing with the girls, and Cameron was just easy going as he usually is. On our last day there Cameron got sick with a fever so I was really dreading our drive back. We decided to leave a bit later than we originally planned and it actually was the best decision ever. We got home late, and were of course tired (especially daddy who drove the whole way back) but it was a very peaceful drive. We all had dinner already and only had to stop once for gas and bathroom, and hit almost no traffic. I gave Cameron some medicine which I had hoped would last 6 hours and it did! So we just transferred the kids to their beds once we got home and they hardly fussed.





 ( More Pics to come...)

Winter Dance Recital

It's hard to believe that we are on our 3rd year of dance lessons. This is definitely an activity you look forward to each week. This year we weren't able to stick together with your other dance friends, but you still had a few familiar faces, including your good little friend Sadie. You also had to adjust to a new teacher. The first few times you kept asking why it wasn't ms. Jackie, and I had to explain to you that she no longer teaches your class, and now you will have ms. Julia... it took a while to warm up, but I think you are liking it just as much as before. The class does get a bit too crowded at times, and I don't think you do too well in that environment, but when you are focused on listening and learning, I can definitely see a lot of improvement. This year your recital routine was a lot more complicated than the previous, and you weren't really willing to practice much at home... that could have been our fault for not encouraging it more too, but either way you learned it and were excited to perform.

We were very proud to see you on stage... I think I was even a little less nervous this time around than the previous few, and you seemed to be a little more apprehensive about it than the last few times. But you did great, and greeted us with a huge smile when we came to pick you up backstage. Baba and Deda of course came to your recital as always, and enjoyed watching the Nutcracker with us too. It's so touching to see Baba watch you dance, I can tell how much she enjoys seeing you dance and how many memories it brings for her because of all the years that she danced as well.

Daddy thinks that you might be getting bored of ballet, and we may try something a bit more upbeat for you next year if the schedule works out.

 Here are a few photos of you in the angel costume... so sparkly and cute!

This was at the rehearsals... since we are not allowed to take any photos during the actual recital


After your performance


All smiles with Sadie, Mae and your current teacher Ms. Julia as well as your last years teacher Ms. Jackie

Sascha turns 5 ... and a little party at Pump It Up

I am pretty sure we say this every year... she's 1,2,3,4,5... where did the time go?
We don't really realize how much the kids change until we play an old video or a see a photo where they just look so small compare to now. 5 seems like a big milestone... although every birthday seemed like a big milestone to us. So many things to look forward to, and also so many which are now behind us... things that we can't experience again... it's those things that make me a bit sad and weepy on every birthday, but then I remember about all the wonderful things I have to look forward to and I begin to feel normal again... Yes it's an emotional roller coaster .. especially on a special day like your child's birthday. To see that excitement on their face when they wake up, it's hard to describe the emotions! She could hardly fall asleep the night before, i think we heard movement in her room until past 10pm. She's really been looking forward to turning 5!

We got to go to Sascha's preschool to bring little treats for the kids and see their traditional celebration that they do for their kids birthdays  where they light a candle which represents the sun and they carry the earth around the sun 5 times (= 5 years old). She proudly carried the earth while Ms. Heather showed the class her photos and talked about her year. We brought a treat for the kids, took a few photos. That evening Sascha requested Hawaiian food for dinner and Pinkberry Yogurt. We enjoyed both and then went home to have a little cake that we had for her along with a couple of gifts. She could hardly wait for the weekend of her Birthday Party to come.

A few months ago we started asking Sascha where and what she would like to do for her birthday party. She picked Pump it up, after we've gone to 2 parties there, and was set on it, no changing her mind. She also requested a theme for her party. This changed from Hello Kitty to Strawberry Shortcake.
Since it was at Pump it up, there was really not much planning involved. We did go to Party City where she got to pick out a few decorations, balloons, and lollipops to give out as party favors. She really enjoyed running around the store looking for things, making suggestions, and gathering stuff to put into our basket, it was a lot of fun for both of us.

 I can honestly say this is the 1st party of hers where she really enjoyed herself. I think she was super overwhelmed by the previous parties she had... but not this one. It was fun for the kids and adults as well. She was thrilled to see all her friends and jumping, sliding and everything else that Pump it Up had to offer. Oh and the gifts, she could hardly wait to open her gifts once we got home and brought them all out.

Definitely a successful Birthday Bash for our big 5 year old girl!

As for her favorites well there was a list made:

At the moment Sascha really enjoys letters and books. She is starting to put sounds together and read short 3 letter words which is so cool to watch. She loves dance class, and Tumble bus and Music class.
She has also started Rhythmic Gymnastics in fall, and is doing well in it. She attempts cartwheels and does all sorts of stretches that she couldn't do before. Baba especially loves watching her because she is the one taking her to the classes on Mondays. On the playground her absolutely favorite thing to do is to go on the monkey bars. In fact if the playground doesn't have any monkey bars she starts to complain. It's crazy how fearless she is on them, going all the way through and then turning her body around and going right back.

She is doing well in her Kindergarten class. It's fun to watch her take an interest in writing and reading. Sometimes she will see words written on something like a yogurt bottle and she will sit down and start copying the letters on the paper asking me to read it back to her. She also really likes signing Birthday cards as well as making them. She has figured out how to get Cereal from the pantry, by pulling up a chair to grab the box as well as the bowl and although the milk carton is pretty heavy for her to tip over and pour out of, I am pretty sure if we had it in a container that was smaller she would be able to have breakfast ready for her and Cameron on her own. May be soon...

She is really starting to get into some pop songs, she requests to hear One Direction and Katy Perry songs while riding in the car with daddy because she knows he can play anything she wants in his car.

Majority of the time she plays very well with Cameron. Of course there are fights over things, but in general, she loves to show him new things, or teach him, or play ball with him. On rare occasions, they will go in the room and play quietly together where we get at least 10 or 15 minutes to finish our dinner and look over at them and enjoy their sweet interaction.

Happy Birthday sweet girl. We love you to the moon and back!

Cameron - 2 years old

Well it's that time of the year. Yes, the time where things get a bit crazy for us with everyone's birthdays and the holidays. First up - Cameron! Our big guy turned 2 years old. He's hardly a baby anymore... even though he'll always be my baby boy.

We decided that we are going to skip a party this year, so we headed to The Old Poway Park for a train ride. A few friends decided to join us.

Your stats (Yes you're a skinny little dude):

Weight - 24 lbs - 17%

Height 35.5 inches - 64%

We didn't want to have a big overwhelming party for you this year, but just wanted to enjoy time together as a family, so we decided to take you to Old Poway Park for a train ride. It ended up to be a super cold day and even rained all night the day before, but we bundled up and went on with the plan. I mentioned this  to a few friends of ours and they decided to join us as well, so we even had a few friends on board. You had a great time, and couldn't wait to get on the train. We played a few games and ran around the big grassy field and even had little mini-cupcakes that looked like little baseballs.

A little more about you...
I love your happy and outgoing personality. In the last few months you have really started to be a little chatter box. Repeating just about everything after us and especially Sascha. The only thing you were not willing to say is your name... not sure why that is, but a few weeks after your birthday you saw a picture of you and Sascha and I asked you who that was and you finally said "Cam" in your adorable little voice. You now even use a few Russian words like "Smatrie" to tell me to "Look". Or the word "dye" (means "give") which I remember Sascha used to say very well too at a similar age.

Your favorite birthday toy was a car that you absolutely love. When you push a button, it starts going on it's own and even does a wheely. You sit down and ask us to play with this car so it can go back and forth between the 2 of us. You were also excited about your balance bike and spider man helmet. You tried to ride it at home, but it seems you are just a little bit too small for it. I think in a month or two we can give it another try.
You are super fun and loving little boy. You get super excited when you see school buses on the way to get dropped of at your daycare, so now I always point them out and you say "Oh school bus, fun", "more?". You always want more.
Also as soon as you get up, you ask for "cereal?" It's like an expectation, you get up, get dressed, eat cereal, and may be even watch a little elmo on the weekends.
You have also gotten very independent. Everything I used to do for you, you now yell with authority "MY TURN", and insist on doing it yourself. It started with eating: I have relinquished all control in trying to feed you. If you are going to eat, it's going to be you feeding yourself with a fork or spoon.
You are obsessed with baby beluga, the story and now the animal too. After daddy took you to Sea World and you picked out your white beluga toy, you now go to sleep with it (yes along with the doggy blanket, the giraffe we got you at the zoo, and now a beluga). You give it hugs and even rock with it on the chair attempting to sing the baby beluga song which you insist on us reading/singing every single night.
We've had a a few trying moments with you hitting, mainly it happens when you get frustrated at Sascha because she took something that you wanted and isn't willing to give it back, but we always get you two to kiss and make up. You are actually very giving - when you are being asked nicely to give something back, to our surprise you listen 9 out of 10 times. You have already learned the meaning of the word "share" and yell it out loud all the time when you want Sascha to give you something that she has. It's a lot of fun to watch your relationship together. You definitely look forward to seeing her every day when you guys both come home, and you look up to her so much, trying to do just about everything your big sister does.
What fascinates us the most is you throwing. Mostly I am talking about you throwing a ball, however you like to throw other objects around as well. The ball throwing is getting really fun, you aim and you throw pretty well for a little 2 year old dude. You also try to catch. Throwing and catching is by far your favorite thing to do.

Thanks to Sonya we have a few photos from our outing to the Old Poway Park!

Love this photo she got - it really captures your little boy personality at the moment

So excited to blow out your candle and eat a cupcake

Halloween Party

The Smith's hosted their annual Halloween bash, and we finally came in full costumes. Yes it was a bit last minute, daddy was still working on putting his costume together right before we left, and even though it may look impressive in the picture, we didn't do a very good job of making it comfortable for him to walk in... or even stay put, so most pieces came off shortly after the photos were taken. It was so fun for the kids to see us dressed up, and I think will definitely do our best to try and dress up with them at least while they are small. It was also fun to have a family theme this year. Daddy definitely encouraged it to Sascha by having her watch the Wizard of Oz. She also had a good time walking around Party City to get accessories for all of our costumes. I had a hard time finding red sparkly shoes for her, and ended up ordering them online and luckily they came right in time for her first dress up at the School Festival so all worked out in the end. Sascha was Dorothy, Cameron  was a little Scarecrow, Mommy was the Wicked Witch, and Daddy was the Tin-man. I was not planning on putting the green paint on my face, but of course was encouraged by Tin-man himself since he was putting silver paint on his face. I put some one and showed it to Cameron to make sure he wouldn't get scared and he just laughed pointing at my face. I think Sascha was more scared of my green paint than Cameron.

Before we left our house for the party Cameron managed to open a mini snickers bar and shove the whole thing in his mouth. Once I noticed it was too late... so this is how we find out that he is NOT allergic to Peanuts like we thought he was. So yay, we didn't end up in ER and got to enjoy our evening at a friends house and going trick or treating. Definitely a huge relief to not have to worry about a peanut allergy!

So all ready to go we joined our friends at their house which was decorated even more this year than the previous. Their inspiration came from the tv show "The Walking Dead". It looked pretty awesome! There were a lot of kids this year... what a challenge to try to do a group photo, but of course we attempted anyways! After taking photos of all the kiddos and the families, we were off to go Trick or Treating.

I am always a bit strict with the candy and was worried the kids will want to eat all their candy right away, but it really wasn't a problem. I let both of them eat a few out of her bucket and told them they can have the rest on another day. I did go through the buckets once they went to bed to sort the good stuff out, and get rid of the not so great candy, but they pretty much forgot about it the next day...so not much to worry about.

Grandpa David, Baba and Deda came to see us walk around in our costumes. Cameron went to all the same houses, he did not want to be carried around, and wanted to go everywhere by himself. He did fall a few times, but dusted himself off and kept on moving along... seriously? Like a little man that he is... he didn't get scared and did not want our help with anything, even carrying his bucket which was getting heavy from collecting all the candy. (More pics to come)

Pumpkin Patch and other Fall Festivities

Our annual tradition of going to the Pumpkin Patch continues. Instead of Bates Nut Farm, we finally made it to Oma's Pumpkin Patch this year. I actually ended up up taking a day off work to take the kids w/a friends playgroup. Once again we went on a HOT October day, by no means did it feel like fall, but we made the best out of it. The kids weren't thrilled to take many photos, but I managed to get at least a couple. Our hay ride went right through the farm and we got to see a 2 day old little cow.

We followed up that visit with another visit to the Pumpkin Station, full of rides, and jumping fun. The kids had just gotten hair cuts right before we came, so of course I had to a lot of photos. Cameron was even willing to get into the jumpies this time, he is no longer scared. The giant slide was Sascha's favorite, she had a grin from ear to ear going down every time. They loved the train ride as well as the rotating swings. They had just gotten their hair cuts before we got there, so they looked so pretty cute with non-messy hair and matching pumpkin shirts.

Another fun outing we had was to the Del Sur Festival, I think this is our 3rd year that we had come, and every year we have such a good time enjoying all the rides and hanging out w/the Slavin Family. Sascha and Matty were now old enough to ride a few of them on their own or together which was a lot of fun for them. I took both kids on the Ferris Wheel. Cameron got impatient and tried to get out, and I must say he could have totally slipped under the bar so I had to hold him tight and keep asking him to wait... patience is not something an almost 2 year old has much of, but I think he did enjoy the ride and the view from the top. You also got to pet a few bunnies and ride a pony.

Pics from the Pumpkin Patch with my friend's playgroup


 

I just liked this serious expression on your face (taken by a photographer at the festival)
 

Family photo

Palm Springs - our post Summer getaway with friends

Shortly after our trip to Florida we already had another trip to look forward to, Palm Springs with 4 other families. We somehow were able to book a weekend when everyone was available and got a pretty good deal to stay at Las Palmas resort for 1 night. The main attraction there is Splashtopia... awesome place for kids complete w/Sand, lazy river, splash park and multiple pools. Unfortunately there was construction going on and the slides were not open, but we still had plenty to do.

We got there nice and early Friday and enjoyed 2 days in Splashtopia. We even rented a Cabana for Saturday which was really nice to have for the kids to take naps in.

The weather was still HOT, I am pretty sure it hit 100, but we hardly even noticed being in the water most of the day.

The kids were troopers in the hotel, dinner and in even in the water. Sascha got braver and braver, even took the floaties off at one point to practice her swimming skills.

We went all went to dinner at the Spaghetti Factory on Friday evening. The kids had their own table (except for the little ones who sat with us - Cameron & Isla) and Sascha sat there the whole time. It was a bit crazy with 10 small children - all under 5, but everyone did so well!

It was a really nice little get away and we'll definitely be back next year! Unfortunately I brought my camera without a memory card so all the photos I thought I was taking were actually not there (big Ooops!) Luckily our friends took a few :) so no memories are lost!

Summer fun

Well it's nearly October and I am just now looking back at our summer. Once again we blinked and it was behind us. I do love the summer months. I love taking a day off here and there and spending it at the beach, or just having a lazy night at home, watching kids run around in the back yard. I always do wish I could do that more often then I actually get to. We are so lucky to be able to play outside in the warmer weather and the longer days which we tried to enjoy to its fullest.

Sascha stayed at her preschool and did 2 summer sessions where she had a lot of fun. On the weekends we were busy with Birthday Parties, going to the beach, pool, or parks. A few times we went to the splash park in 4S Ranch which the kids loved.

We even attempted a 1 night camping trip in Carlsbad. I am pretty sure I spent more time packing, and unpacking and cleaning than the actual time we spent camping, but all worth it! We were able to wake up and just go to the beach and spend the whole day having fun in the sun with friends.

We checked out a padres game, thanks to a friend of daddys we got some awesome seats pretty close to the field. Cameron was in awe of everything going on, so he definitely enjoyed his very first Padres game. He started goofing off towards the end so we moved up a bit higher where we had the whole row of seats to ourselves so he could get up and walk around whenever he wanted.

We took Aaron Paddle boarding for his Birthday. It was so much fun. We got lots of photos because my dad stayed behind and took them of us. Luckily I stayed on the board the whole time, and we had an awesome time.

(Pics to add...)

First Day of Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten

We didn't have much time to "prepare" for our first day because we had just returned from our vacation the day before. We hadn't even adjusted back to real life yet, work, school, making lunches... but it wasn't going to wait for us... it was time to go back to school.

Sascha was pretty excited to be a "Kindergartner" this year. Not much changed as far as the school, her classroom or the teacher... all of that has stayed the same since they keep the Kindergartners in the same class as the Primary Students in a Montessori school. I am so thankful for the loving environment that she feels comfortable in where she gets to learn and thrive so well for at least another year. So we didn't have to worry much about adjusting to a big school, new teacher and new students, she ran right in, just like she always did... yet something felt a bit different. She seemed older, more mature, excited to be called a big kid... I don't know what it was, but my heart ached a little bit. It didn't seem real to me, my first little baby? a Kindergartner  Sure we may repeat the same for next year since that's when she'll officially be of age, but it's still pretty difficult to swallow... wasn't she just born? a tiny little munchkin at 6lbs that came home with us... yes that was almost 5 years ago!
Here are a few photos on her first day of school before we left the house.

The night before... we read a special book

Family Vacation to Florida

We have been looking forward to this trip for a while, as most of our trips. This one was the longest yet, 9 nights away to visit Jeromey's side of the family. Sascha had a week off school so we were very excited to all get to spend time together and away from home. This was the kids first trip that required us to fly and Sascha was beyond excited. Ever since we booked the tickets in June, she's known that she will get to be on an airplane and fly to Florida to see aunt Sarah. I knew she would do fine on the plane, Cameron on the other hand I worried about. We didn't have to buy him a ticket, so I knew he'd be sitting on our lap the whole time, and somehow we'd have to entertain him for 3 and half hours and then again for another hour and half, not to mention the layover. We totally survived. It wasn't super easy or anything, but totally doable. Cameron   didn't want to get in the stroller as we were getting ready to board the plane, and Sascha gave him her little bear and he instantly calmed down, then when it was time to get out of the stroller and walk into the plane, he freaked out too. So I had to pick him up, and carry him in. Yes I totally felt like "that" family getting on the plane with a crying baby, having everyone stare at me. Luckily once we sat down and got settled into our seats, I quickly searched for the pacifier (no we haven't weaned him yet! I purposely decided to wait till after the trip... and I am really glad that I did!) he calmed down instantly and never really cried again. We were pretty well prepared with snacks and goodie bags for each one and it kept them busy just about the whole time.

We landed safely in Panama City where Sarah met us at the airport with a "Lewis Family Sign" and we were on our way to aunt Maria & uncle Mike's house in Niceville a little more than an hour away. They had just finished moving into their new big house and were gracious enough to let us stay with them. It was kind of a home away from home because of how comfortable they made our stay. We had a home cooked  dinner 4 or 5 nights in a row. Sascha especially loved how everyone sat together at the table. I didn't realize it until she asked one of the nights when we didn't all eat dinner together, why we're not all sitting at the table. It's amazing how kids pick up on these great little things. We hardly get a chance to all eat together every night, so I think this was definitely a special treat for them. The kids did great sleeping in a new place. The time change couldn't have been better, and allowed us to stay out till 10pm (8pm our time). Cameron even took great naps in the pack n' play if we happened to get back in time. So we really didn't have to adjust much to the time change there or when we got back.

The nine days we spent away went by too fast which is a great sign of having so much fun. We got to visit with family including Jeromey's other cousins Josh and Michael John, grandma Dottie. We did come a few days right before hurricane Isaac - yes just our luck to come during a hurricane. By the time it got to where we were, it was reduced to a Tropical Storm, so it really wasn't too big a of deal. The only trouble was things were closed, so for about 2 days we couldn't do too much stuff around the city. We made the best of it, hanging out with family at home, and still doing things outside like setting up 4 slip'n'slides together, or putting rain boots on the kids and letting them run around the deck outside.

Sarah was with us the whole time, taking us all over Destin (pretty much our personal tour guide and driver) : we visited the beach, the Gulfarium, and the parks. We went on a few nature walks which the kids especially loved and for a swim at Josh's in-laws house while briefly visiting with Josh's wife Sally. Over the weekend we got to do all sorts of fun activities like zip-lining and paddle boarding. We got to go to Tallahassee to where Sarah lives and experience an FSU football game. Our last day was actual Labor Day, which also happened to fall on our 7 year anniversary. The whole family went to the beach where we rented a few paddle boards and everyone really enjoyed paddle boarding (even the kids tried it out!), It was followed by a delicious lunch with everyone, after which Jeromey whisked me away for a couples massage and a super romantic dinner at the Beachwalk cafe in Destin. It was really one of the nicest, most romantic dinner places we've been to. I was once again surprised. I should already know that something is coming, but somehow every year he still manages to surprise me. So the family took the kids home, while we had a nice afternoon and evening to ourselves to celebrate the 7 happy years we've been married. I felt like one lucky girl!

Before we knew it we had to pack up and get ready to head back to San Diego. The morning we left we drove through some crazy rain... pretty common in Florida. I don't think I've ever driven through a downpour like that. Pretty scary! Roads were getting flooded, and  The weather itself was pretty darn hot, and sticky! I don't think the weather agreed with me, especially on the zip-lines! I was very happy to get back to San Diego weather, although for some odd reason we had a few very humid days shortly after we came home. Strange how it followed us home.

It's always sad to leave, and we all had such a wonderful time together making many memories that we will surely remember for years to come.

We had a ton of awesome pictures, and I hope to make a Vacation book of them soon, but here are a few favorites.

Sascha - 4 1/2

So you actually turned 4 and half in June, so this post is a bit overdue... as most of my posts are lately.

I am definitely seeing a big difference having you be 4 and 1/2 years old. You are getting more mature, you understand so much more. You are much more independent. We'll ask you to put your PJ's on and get ready for bed while we are busy with Cameron and you will cooperate. Or in the morning if you're not too grumpy and tired (big IF), you will get dressed yourself, go potty and brush your teeth. You're not a morning person by any measure, and this you definitely took after your parents, since neither one of us likes to wake up early. You are also able to buckle and unbuckle yourself in the car seat. Yay independence!

You love working on projects and crafts, and you are so proud to show them off after you're done. So much that we've dedicated a whole wall with little clips for you to display the things you'd like to show. You like writing your name and can do it without any help, and now even ask how to spell things out. You wanted to make a card for your aunt Sarah, and you asked how do I spell "I love you Sarah!"?. So I spelled it out, and you wrote it on a card for her to take to Florida when we come for a visit. It was pretty cute. You have a bad habit of writing from right to left, so I usually remind you where to begin, and you take it from there. You're also doing very well with numbers, counting to 30, 30, 50 and on, and I am starting to see some worksheets at school where you're doing some simple addition. You're not as interested in doing worksheets at home. I bought a book of them, and while the first few times you seemed excited to work on them, the novelty quickly wore off. Which is fine, I am ok at doing fun stuff at home, especially since it seems like you're working your little tush off at school. Montessori is no joke. You come home and tell me  "Mommy, I worked really hard today", "Miss Heather was very proud of me".

You did get lots of fun playtime this summer. You got to take a music class every Friday, along with Tumble Bus on Wednesdays. Every thursday the school had splash day, and on Fridays there were lots of special guests like the magician, or pony rides. Pretty fun stuff!

We are super excited for you to be considered in "Kindergarden" this year. After much discussion with your teacher, we came to the conclusion that it will be a good challenge for you, and since there is not a huge change as far as the classroom or teacher, it wouldn't be a difficult transition by any means. We do have a decision to make for next year to either continue on with the Montessori 1st grade or repeat Kindergarden at a public school, but we decided that we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now I think you're pretty happy about it.

The things we love...
We love watching you be gentle and caring with your little brother. Yes those sweet moments, when it gets really quite in the house and I go to check on your guys and get to peek at you playing together so nicely.
When you ask us to pick you up from school. Or when you notice that daddy is not home in the morning, and get sad that you didn't get to see him before going to school. How you reason and negotiate with us. How you want to be a part of the conversation, and you want everyone to be involved. How you love dancing and goofing around. How you love making Cameron laugh even if we ask you to stop doing what you're doing because it might be dangerous.
We discovered you in Cameron's room at 9:45 at night, lights on, and you're reading to him on the floor while he's standing up in his crib happy as a clam. We were downstairs relaxing and had no idea you two decided to have a late night party until we heard noises. Pretty funny stuff! Walking out of his room, you said "I told him that if he doesn't go to sleep he will be very tired". As if this whole thing was his idea!

Here is a favorite photo that I took while you were looking up at the big fish in an aquarium.
We love you little munchkin!

4th of July Festivities

We started off with a mini-neighborhood parade.
Then we were off to swim lesson for Sascha and her little friend Lauren, a quick nap, and were were off to a BBQ at Beegley's house with your friend Nathan and Sadie.
Busy and fun day! We actually watched the fireworks the night before so that we wouldn't have to stay up too late trying to find a place to watch them on the actual 4th of July considering that it fell on Wednesday this year. We still got to watch it with our neighbors and lots of our friends and their kids. Both Sascha and Cameron loved them. Cameron sat on my lap and didn't move the whole time.

Considering we had no plans for the 4th until only a few days before, it turned out to be a very fun filled day for our family. A bit sad that we didn't get a family photo of all of us, but I did get a few at the parade :)

Back yard campout with friends

This June was our 2nd annual Campout at the Smith's place. Such a great idea, so much fun for the kids, and great memories were definitely made. We ended up sharing a tent with Amber's family since their tent was huge, so we didn't even have to break out ours. The kids started off by making "pet rocks", played at the water table, hiked up the back yard slope and searched inside the treasure box filled with gems and fake bugs, which was at the top of the hill. We had a delicious pot luck dinner, followed by s'mores. Both Sascha and Cam loved the s'mores. It was Cameron's 1st s'more and Sascha had 2! It was time for Cameron to go to sleep which he did without much trouble, while the older kids put on head lamps and went to "explore" on a night hike.

Sascha had her sleeping bag and went to sleep without any problems (such a big girl!). She wasn't scared like last year when we had to convince her that it would be fun. This time around she was excited.

A few of us stayed up and chatted around the fire before calling it a night. Good times!
Cameron woke up unusually early, probably since he's not really used to sleeping outside. We enjoyed breakfast and a nice swim in the pool before heading back home (less than a mile away from the Smith's).
Always so much fun, and after this Sascha has asked so many times "Daddy, can we go exploring today?"

Somehow I failed to get any photos of us as a family, must remember to do a better job next time.

But Here are a few of all the kiddos and our tent set up.

Cameron enjoying a piece of pizza with Kingston and Kasia in the wagon


Sascha and Paloma sitting on a bench inside the garden


Kids patiently waiting around the fire to get their turn at making a s'more


Here is one of all the girls and the kiddos around the camp fire


Here is an awesome video that our friend Herbie made

Enjoying the small things

I have been following Kelle Hampton's blog for some time. Something draws me to it, I get inspired to go out and do more things with my kids, to be more creative, more patient, to live each day to it's fullest. Yes it sounds a bit cliche, but it's true in so many ways. It's no secret I feel guilty to be a working mom, the fact that I don't always get to pick up my kids from school, and do all the things I want to do with them on a daily basis, but I think we do our best, and make the best of the time we do spend together.


I read this article today written by Kelle, and I decided I must have it on my blog TODAY. It doesn't matter than I have about 5 or 6 unfinished blog posts waiting for photos or just time in general to sit down and finish them. I had to do this one now. I want to remember these 6 things to follow.


1.Create Mantras!

I create new mantras every year and I repeat them to myself whenever I need to hear them. After Nella was born, I owned the word "Capable." I whispered "You are capable" to myself, I wrote about it, I believed it, I lived it. This year, I remind myself to "Breathe Compassion." I practice it with my husband, my children, my friends and when I'm ever faced with negativity, it helps so much to know that I am in control of my own response, and I can always be compassionate.

2.Give Room for the Low Points!

As a naturally positive person, my first response to feeling sad or discouraged is often to push those feelings away. But then they just dwell and build. I've learned to give a little hug to all of my emotions, to be aware of what I am feeling and take ownership of what I can do about it. Crying is good sometimes. So is sharing a vulnerable moment with a friend. And then, I move on.

3.Tell What-Ifs to Take a Hike!

Dwelling about all the bad things thatcould happen in life is pointless and destructive. I am a far more productive person when I believe the best and when I don't waste time worrying. Do challenges lie ahead for all of us? Most likely, yes. But I know I am equipped to handle them. My dad always tells me, "Don't let your worries for tomorrow rob you of the joys of today." There is so much truth in that statement.

4.Enjoy the Small Things!

It started as the title of my blog for me, and it's become a way of life. I am very aware of all the things in our life that make it rich, and I make time to think about them, talk about them, write about them. We tend to think big and flashy for the rock star phrase "Rock your life," but really it's about the little moments. Make time for fun and friends. Drink good coffee, cook with the good dishes. Find a signature perfume and own it, splurge on flowers. Let your kids help you bake and don't worry about the mess. Tell people you love them. Read to your kids. Sleep under the stars. Plan trips. Don't ever be too old to skip.

5.Dream Big!

Talk about your dreams—places you want to go, jobs you'd love to have, people you want to meet. My friends and I play a game called the "If" game, based on a book called "The Book of If." I used to take that book everywhere, pulling it out and asking questions like "If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?" "If you could have any job, what would it be?" Not only is this a fun way to learn more about people, but it makes us realize "What are we waiting for? Who says we can't do these things now?" Write your dreams down and look at them frequently. Find ways to create action plans for the ones that are important to you.

6.Do Something for Someone Else!

Always. Think about others and find ways to help, encourage, be there for people. It's life changing. It's empowering. It affects you just as much as it does the person you are helping.

Obviously these aren't my ideas, but they ring so true for us. I agree 100% with every single one of them, and want to remind myself everyday to live by these simple principles. 

So this Saturday we "Enjoyed the small things" and loved every moment of it. We had a spur the moment idea to grab the kids and go to the beach. Yes it's less than 15 minutes away from us, and we just don't do it enough. The kids didn't even have dinner. I quickly sat them down with a few random things to eat, and some packed snacks and we were headed out the door! My parents joined us too. I am pretty sure they had just as much fun as the kids. 

We set up our blanket and a few chairs and walked barefoot for as long as we could with running in and out of water. At first both Cameron and Sascha weren't too excited to be touching the cold water, but then it became fun! We'd run towards it, and as a wave would come in, we'd start running away. Both of them were wearing clothes and they both got wet. 

Sascha, Baba and I collected fun shells and pretty rocks and put them into a mason jar until there was no more room. We got back to our blanket, had a quick snack and it was time to head home. I loved every minute of it, their sandy dirty feet, messy hands, all totally worth it. 

I love that they are holding hands here... even though it lasted a few seconds and they couldn't' wait to get free to run around

I love this photo of Cameron's sandy feet, even though his face is funny in it because I had just given him some crackers to snack on. I love our San Diego weather and living so close to the Torrey Pines beach. I love to watch and enjoy these sweet times between daddy and Sascha (she wanted to hold his hand or my hand while we walked), I love her sweet innocent smile and the hair in the wind, while she holds on tight to a jar full of shells. We went home and spent another hour washing and organizing them the next day. I love, love, love my  family and these precious little moments we get to spend together.

Picnic at the Poway Lake, PQ hike and Birch Aquarium

Even though I have to admit to being a big fan of planning things out, and very often get frustrated when we don't have a  plan, at times our spontaneous little outing are the most fun. This was the case with all 3 of these outings.

We wanted to get out of the house, so Daddy looked up a concert that he thought was happening at Poway Lake, but once we got there we discovered that nothing was going on. A bit disappointed at first, especially Sascha who was looking forward to music and dancing (promised by us), we made the best out of our time there. The kids played on the little playground, ran around,, had our picnic dinner followed by rolling around on the grass, (obviously daddy's idea to roll down the hill) and playing hide n' seek. 

These pictures are just pure joy, and make my heart all warm and fuzzy when I look at them...

PQ Canyon hike was a last minute decision as well, and even though we didn't make it very far because Cameron started to get tired and cranky, it was still enjoyable. After our little picnic at the Lake, Sascha was very fond of the idea and asked if we can have another one, so we set up a little blanket off the trail and had lunch. A ranger actually stopped by to check on us to make sure we weren't around any poison ivy. Luckly none was right next to us, however right behind the tree we sat by, she pointed out the shiny 3 leave plants. Sure enough it was poison ivy! Glad we didn't let the kids run around too much. :) We packed up and headed out on the trail. I am hoping next time we get an earlier start so that we can make it to the waterfall. 

Cameron loves being outside, and Sascha is really liking hiking. Not sure how long she would last before starting to complain about walking since we didn't get very far, but I do see a lot of hiking in our future!
(only had my phone while hiking... pictures to come soon...)

Birch Aquarium - it's been over a year since we've been there, and we wanted to meet up with our friends who proposed the aquarium which I thought was a great idea. It was a gorgeous sunny day outside, and after the kids explored the inside there was also plenty to do outside. Sascha loved looking at all the underwater creatures, and wasn't afraid to get up real close. Cameron was much braver this time compared to when we took him to the Sea World aquarium on his first birthday. He pointed and talked, and didn't mind standing on the ledge where the rest of the kids were. We also got to hang out with Luka who is just a few months older than Cameron. Once we got outside, the little guy fell asleep so we let Sascha play in the tide pools and some of the water play they had set up for the kids. Seemed like she would be happy to stay there for hours!

Sascha's Summer Dance Recital

It was a tap number this time, to a song called "Stupid Cupid". The choreography was really fun and sassy. The girls looked adorable in their red dresses with red ribbons, and their tap shoes. Sascha cooperated with putting on her costume unlike last year, she did complain that the arm bands were itching her, but we told her she wouldn't have to put those on until right before she goes on stage.

She was in absolute awe watching other dancers rehearse when we did a test run at the rehearsal. They did the number twice and the second time she did much better than the first. I noticed that she was getting very distracted standing next to her friend Sadie the first time, so on the actual performance day I asked Miss Jackie if she could separate the two of you which she did.

We got to the Center of performing arts right on time, and Sascha watched the whole first half and was mesmerized by the older dancers. She never complained and while sitting on Baba's lap. During the intermission I took her back stage, helped her et dressed and left you with the rest of the girls to color and have snacks while you all waited for your time to perform. Cameron was a total trooper, the first half he just watched and didn't make a peep. The 2nd half, he got ansy, and I had to distract him with snacks and water, and anything else we could think of. I didn't have to get up with him once to take him outside, he endured the whole thing. I once again felt so nervous for Sascha, I just couldn't help it.

Sascha did great, although she did look a bit frightened while on stage, she danced her little heart out. When we talked to her, she said she had fun doing it, and that's all that matters. She makes us proud every day!

 The performance photos are from the rehearsal

A few after shots taken w/her friends and Miss Jackie

Muchkin and one proud mamma

Proud Baba and Deda

Family Photo