Little Soccer Shots - Cameron's 1st Soccer experience

Cameron got to start soccer practices at a local park ran by a few soccer coaches. Deda insisted that we enroll him for a session because he seems to really love balls and kicking and throwing, so it gave us a great excuse to get out early on the weekends and take you to this little activity just for him which started in January and went on for 6 -8 weeks.

Cameron was our little Soccer star. He was in a group of 5-6 kids, and right away he had no problems listening or following the coaches directions. Every Saturday morning he really looked forward to going to soccer, and coming back he would proudly declare "I Play Soccer!" He especially liked the lady coaches... such a boy! Of course a sticker at the end of the session was just a bonus.

It was nice to do something that he really looked forward to. I have a feeling he'll love playing sports just like his daddy. 

The Winter Holidays - 2012

Oh the holidays... the busiest time of the year! Not only do we have the holidays, but we have 3 birthdays to celebrate in the month of December and a dance recital. All great things, and we tried to enjoy them as much as well possibly could.

My birthday was spent in LA this year because Jeromey's good friend Martin was getting married that day, so the kids stayed at the-in-laws and we headed out to celebrate Martin & Jacy. After the wedding, everyone went out to LA Live area where we spent most of our evening. The next day J once again had a few plans for us, but the rain put a little damper on things. We still went out to hike to the top of the Hollywood sign... and we kept hiking and hiking... still couldn't see it because it was terribly foggy and sprinkling the whole time. We got to the top to see a few letters, and absolutely no view. A bit disappointing to go all the way up there and not be able to enjoy the view, but we tried. 

We went to a few places like Christmas Card lane and a few streets in Poway to check out the Christmas lights which the kids loved. It reminded me of how magical this time of the year is for them. How much they believe in Santa...and how fast that will change in just a few more years, so we better enjoy it now. 

We brought out the Elf on the Shelf this year... and it was MAGIC. J put it up on the clock and both the kids stood there and awe staring at it for good 5 minutes. The next 25+ days were all about coming down the stairs to see who can find the elf first! They LOVED the elf... who's name is Troy. Sascha would talk to Cameron and tell him about the elf, and Cameron would come to me and ask about the elf. It almost started to feel like the elf was part of our family in some way... that's how much attention it got. Of course every night we'd have to get creative and find a good spot to put him in to still keep him out of reach. The elf had a fun run at our house.

Daddy's birthday was a bit uneventful this year... as most years since it falls on Christmas Eve... but he seems to like it that way, so his birthday morning was spent with us having breakfast out, and doing some last minute Christmas shopping/wrapping, then had a few fiends over for a playdate to celebrate and before we knew it Christmas day came. 

We left carrots and cookies with milk out for Santa and the kids were in bed. Sascha even drew a cute little pictures for Santa. Daddy rang the bells and stomped on the roof which actually woke up Sascha. I went up to her room to check on her while he did it and she pretended to sleep, I gave her a kiss and said do you hear that? She opened her eyes wide and said "Yes mommy, it must be the reindeer  I have to be sleeping so that Santa can come in the house!" and she hid under her covers. Oh my heart melted just a little bit more when I heard her say that. 

In the morning the kids slept in... yes... slept in! They did not rush down the stairs, we had to wake Sascha up.We woke up, then Cameron, and then we got Sascha up (she really likes to sleep... and to no surprise was not waking up early since going to bed late the night before) But she was sure eager to get downstairs to the tree. 

In a matter of 10 or 15 minutes the living room looked like a tornado went through it, but it was pure joy to see their eyes light up while they opened their presents and looked inside their stocking. We didn't go overboard this year. They each had a gift from Santa (Sascha kept asking for a Princess Helmet, and Cameron didn't ask for anything but Daddy found this blow up guy to aim and throw balls at). I am pretty sure they would be happy with any gifts!

Every year we realize that we only have a few more years where we see this holiday magic in your eyes... we take it in, and try to capture it in photos and videos because we realize oh how quickly you both are growing up.

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