Oregon

Saturday was our day to check out the great outdoors of Oregon. We had actually planned on taking a few hikes to the waterfalls in the area but each stop was so crowded. With two young children we decided to hike around in a less crowded area and look at the sites that way. The weather was beautiful by this time and we had a great time exploring a new area.

Children's Museum

The children's museum was practically next door to the Oregon Zoo and we were tempted to check it out on the same day but decided against that plan due to William's nap schedule. So, bright and early the next day we headed to the museum. They had so many interactive centers for the kids. They had an area with baby dolls, high chairs and baby beds. I casually mentioned to Alan that he should take William over to the area because he likes baby dolls. After 10 minutes of chasing Briana around I noticed William and daddy still over in the baby doll area. William was very much into the dolls. "Baby go sleep, Baby awake." It was a little too repetitive for Alan, so I took over for the remainder of William's time with the dolls. We actually left the museum for a short time because there was a huge school group and it made all of the areas very crowded. We decided to head out for a while and try back after lunch. The minute William saw the museum he said, "I want to go see baby!" It was such a great place. I really wish they had something like this in my neighborhood!!

Children's Museum

Oregon Zoo

Oregon Zoo

Click on this image to see more pictures. :)


We couldn't resist the opportunity to visit the Oregon Zoo. I was impressed by all of the interactive centers they had set up near the animal exhibits. They also had many employees set up along the paths and near the animals with skulls, bones and fur samples for the kids to touch and interact with. The way they designed their exhibits you felt as it you could reach out and touch the animals. Compared to the living desert less than two weeks prior to this visit, it was cold and rainy. This was great for crowd control. There were many times it felt as if we had the place all to ourselves. However, it wasn't so great getting rained on from time to time. Overall, it was a great visit and definitely a fun place for the kids to explore.

Airplane!

We decided to take a vacation to Oregon before the new baby arrives on May 22nd. We decided to leave the RV behind and get on a plane. For William this would be his very first airplane ride ever. For the most part he did very well. Daddy had his laptop loaded with the Chipmunk movie. When that died, he got out the iPod and his phone with games for the kids. William did stress out during the landing. It was particularly rough and I know I was having a hard time with motion sickness myself. I felt so bad for him because he was crying and trying to turn the airplane off by pushing the button on his seat. A nice lady sitting in front of me handed him a large bracelet in order to try and distract him and it actually worked. Briana has been on a plane a few times in her life, although I don't think she really remembers those earlier trips. She of course did very well. She loved the drink and snack service and to look at her you never would have known the plane was going through any kind of turbulence during the landing.

Looking at those happy faces, it was definitely a positive experience for both. They were even more excited when they found out we were going on the plane again to come back home!!

Visit with Great Grandpa

The kids love to visit their great grandpa. William is starting to form a very strong attachment. He talks about great grandpa for days after our visit. Briana loves the ice cream she gets at every visit.




William is opening a late Birthday gift. :)

Fire Station Visit

We had a great time visiting the fire station. The kids love watching fire trucks drive by on the road and they loved the opportunity to climb inside and talk to a real fire fighter.

William loved going inside one of the rooms inside the fire house. I had a hard time getting him to leave.

Cousin Lexi was able to join us on this particular field trip.



We can't wait to go back next year!!

My Little Man

William is going through such a cute phase right now. The other night I was getting ready to go out for a few hours and was working on striaghtening my hair. I had just placed a large clip on top of my head when I hear him crying to get up from his nap. I walk into his room and he starts to smile at me. He then tells me, "mommy you are a princess!" He loved the clip on top of my head and it took me a second or two to realize what he was talking about. It was so precious.

The Living Desert

My mom's group was taking a field trip to the Living Desert in Palm Desert. Normally I would shy away from a trip that takes just over an hour to get to from my home but I was feeling ambitious and wanted to get out of the house. I know we'll be home-bound for a while soon enough. It was HOT!! 97 degrees but we managed to have a great time anyway.

I managed to get at least one picture with all three of us!

William was absolutely fascinated by this butterfly.

If I let him, William would have slept on this goat.

It was so difficult to get a picture of Briana because she was running to each animal, trying to pet them all.

Family Pictures

We try and do family pictures every six months. It is amazing to see how much the kids have grown in such a short time!

William is in Love

with a bunny!! We went to a birthday party recently for a 5 year old little girl who has a pet bunny. William absolutely fell in love with this animal. He spent over half the party over by the cage watching the bunny and trying to pet him. It is defintely not something we will be getting any time soon. But I'm glad he got to spend some time with an animal he enjoyed so much.

My Clever Little Boy

My baby boy never ceases to amaze me. We were out running errands today and at one point I had to go get some money from the ATM machine. As soon as I got back into the car I told the kids that I had the money so we could go. William then tells me, they make the honey and we make the money . . . . he then starts to laugh. If you don't know that is a quote from the Bee Movie. William has probably seen it 4 or 5 times. Barely two and he now quotes movies . . . . maybe he watches too much tv ??!!

William is Turning 2 Today!

William’s 2nd Birthday (3/31/08)

You are definitely my little man and all boy. You have one of the brightest smiles I have ever seen. My heart melts every time I see that beautiful face all lit up. I am amazed at how much you have grown and learned this past year. It’s seems like yesterday you were just a newborn baby. Now that you are turning 2!! I look forward to another great year together!

One of the biggest changes we noticed this year has been your increasing ability to talk and communicate. You started just after your first birthday and your vocabulary has been slowly increasing ever since. Some of your early words included manu (your word for Nemo) danu, wawa, baba, bubble, mama, dada, dirt, backpack, Nana (your word for Briana), jes, and no. Early on, you would use a combination of gestures and words to express yourself. You became increasingly interested in getting on the couch and sitting like a big boy. You learned very early on that if you patted the seat of the couch we would help you climb in so you could sit down with the rest of us. At 15 months you added please, thank you and welcome to your vocabulary. Often times you say "welcome" and then expect us to say thank you again, not quite grasping the concept. A few months after that you started to tell us, “I love you” even though it came out more like, “ups you”. It was still very cute!! We often get comments from other people about your ability to speak. Not only that, the closer you get to the age of 2 you were able to sing the entire alphabet song and count to eleven. Advanced skills according to Dr. Lao and not asked of children until the age of four!!

It goes without saying that you seem to be growing up so fast. When I think of all the places we have already taken you, it amazes me. Of course you have been to the Zoo more than a dozen times. Each time we go you are becoming more and more interested in the animals. At this point you are still confined to the backpack for most of the trip but it actually gives you an excellent view of everything. We have also taken you to Disneyland several times. Your favorite ride in Small World but you would never know it because you are always singing the pirate song. Yo ho, yo ho a pirates life for me!! We had a chance to go to Goofy’s kitchen back in October and that was all you needed to form a long lasting attachment to the Goofy character. I hear from so many parents that they want to wait until their child is older to go to Disney so they will get more out of the trip but I can’t think of how you could love it more. We also had a chance to take you to Lego land back in August. Your absolute favorite part of that trip was the water area. We have even taken you to see your first movie on the big screen, Horton Hears a Who. For the most you did very well. You spent most of the time in daddy’s lap and waited until the end of the movie to ask to go home.

During the past year your love for certain television and movie characters has grown immensely. The very first show you fell in love with is Dora the Explorer. Swiper is by far your favorite character and when given the line, “swiper no swiping!” you always reply, “oh man!” Of course there was what you called manu and what the rest of the world knows as Nemo. As you got older, the little boy in you took over and became very interested in Cars and Toy Story. Your aunt Justin gave you Michael’s old Woody and Buzz Lightyear dolls and you must have them in your crib every night or you won’t go to sleep. Not to mention how many Lightning McQueen cars we now have around the house. Of course if it weren’t for big sister I think we would have been watching Toy Story and Cars just about every day!!!


Speaking of your big sister, you take so many cues from her that at times it’s almost absurd. I remember one time after lunch I was giving you both a cookie for dessert and Briana happened to still have her napkin so I placed her cookie on it. You took one look at that and started to yell for a “nakin”, “nakin like Briana”. Not realizing right away why you wanted it, I handed you the napkin and watched as you placed your cookie on it. Of course with Briana being your constant role model you stopped calling her Nana at about 18 months and have called her Briana ever since. (In my experience young children have a difficult time with the name Briana but you hear it everyday) In reality your persistence to imitate Briana has actually made my life 100% easier. I know that’s why you stay in your stroller so well during stroller strides and why you can sit for 30-45 minutes at a time during a meal. On occasion, it does break my heart when you get disappointed at the prospect of being separated from Briana. I was dropping you off at the church daycare one Sunday morning and you hesitated for a moment an asked me if Briana was coming. When I told you no, you began to cry. You apparently got over it quickly enough because I was never called back in. It just makes me realize what a close bond the two of you have been able to form since we are home together everyday.

I am truly enjoying this opportunity we have together. I am definitely getting to know such a sweet, loving, intelligent, and caring little boy. I look forward to each and every day we have to spend together. I am definitely looking forward to what you have in store for me next. I know I will always be impressed with the things you do and say. My love for you grows deeper with each new day and I know I will always look back at this time with the fondest of memories. Now on to 2 and hoping for few temper tantrums and continued good times!!

William's 2nd Birthday Party

William's 2nd B-day

(Click the photo above to see B-day Party Pics)

We decided to have a small home party for William this year. Just the grandparents, aunt Justin and cousins Michael, JoJo and Lexi. I decided to make the theme Toy Story and William absolutely loved it. I had purchased a small plastic Buzz Lightyear for the cake topper and he took one look at that and had to have it! He actually spent several minutes liking the chocolate from Buzz Lightyear before he got to his cake. I think William really enjoyed his party and of course his big gift . . . . a new bike! Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!!

Phantom of the Opera

Hubby and I headed down to the Orange County Performing Artscenter for the Phantom of the Opera. (The kids had grandma and grandpa day back at home.) Alan has wanted to see this performance for so many years. I have only recently began to get into musicals and performances. It was definitly not something my parents ever did with us. So of course I was also excited to see the musical and have a day off from being a mommy.

It was a beautiful performance and great to have a date day with my husband. We even managed to get a bite to eat and still make it home to spend a few hours with the kids before bedtime.

I always tell myself that we need to get more date nights in. However, this is always so much easier said then done. I know that I just have to make more of en effort and be more willing to drop the kids off with grandma and grandpa. I think they also enjoy the time away from us as well!!

Disneyland

This is from one of our many trips to Disneyland. We happen to be there for an hour or so and walked by the Aladdin show just before it was scheduled to begin. Briana had been watching Aladdin practically every day up to this point and absolutely loved the show. Afterward, Aladdin and Jasmin were available to pose for a picture. Briana couldn't wait to share her elephant with them.

Briana's 4th Birthday

For Briana's 4th birthday I decided to host a large party with many of her friends. She had such a great time with the bounce house, pizza, and cake. Her favorite part was when everyone sang happy birthday. She loved her unicorn party!! I'm still not sure I'm going to do another one next year . . . .

Briana's 4th B-day

Click on the picture above to see more. :)

Briana is Turning 4 Today

Briana’s 4th Birthday (1/9/08)

I love you so much with all of my heart. There are so many fun things to look back on as you turn 4. I’m always amazed at how much you have learned and how far you have come in such a short time. I love your kind heart, lively spirit, your sense of curiosity and your good sense for what’s right and wrong. You have such a deep love for your family. Not just me, your dad and William but also grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles. I am always amazed by you and will always be one of your biggest fans and supporters as you grow into a young woman. Looking back at 3 years old is so much fun. You and I have spent many hours together at parks, play dates, stroller strides, and here at home. I have gotten to know a truly remarkable young lady.

One of your favorite places to go as a family has been the San Diego Zoo. You went this year from riding in the backpack behind daddy to walking part time to eventually walking the park by yourself. However, we can usually tell when you have had enough because you whine to be picked up and carried. Your love for animals has only grown stronger this past year. No matter how many times we go to visit the animals you never grow tired or bored. Instead you ask to see your favorites. “Daddy can I see the elephants; “Can I see the snakes?” And “where are the zebras?” We have tried to nurture your love for animals and have encouraged you to continue you interest. You have even expressed the desire to become what you call an “animal doctor”. You manage to tell just about everyone you meet that you will be an animal doctor one day.

It goes almost without saying that your love for Roxie and Rowdy has continued as well. I should say that the love is far greater for Roxie than for poor Rowdy. You have figured out how to lock the doggie doors and on several occasions have poor Rowdy locked outside while you shower Roxie with love, attention and snacks. As you have pointed out many times Rowdy is William’s dog and daddy’s dog while Roxie is your girl.

Speaking of boys and girls . . . . you love to point out the fact that you are a girl and William is a little boy. More specifically, you have explained to me that you, me and Roxie are girls and we all match. You continue to explain that William, Rowdy and daddy are all boys and so they match. One of your favorite things to do is to climb in my lap or lie down next to me and give me a really big hug and say, “Mommy, we are girls all together!” Not to mention your insistence that mommy was going to have a new baby girl in May of this year. I really didn’t want you to be disappointed just in case the new baby wasn’t a girl. So, occasionally I would say, “What if the baby is a little boy?” You would then look at me, point to William and say, “The baby boy is right there already!!” So, when we finally did go in for our first ultrasound in December, you were actually the one who asked, or rather told, the technician that mommy had a baby girl. It just so happened, that you were right! You were so excited to view your baby sister’s first ultrasound. You were able to sit on the examine table and look at the computer monitor during the exam. Several times, you would whisper to me, and to be honest I didn’t catch most of watch you were saying. You love to “whisper” but you don’t really understand how to do it correctly. So you either end up talking much too loudly or mouthing the words so they can not be heard at all. At one point in the ultrasound exam you exclaimed very loudly to me that baby girl is cute!! Even the technician looked up and laughed a little. This made you a little shy but the whispering continued until the exam ended.

One of your favorite places to go each week is grandma and papa’s house. Although most of the time it’s to play with Michael and Joey and not so much about visiting your grandparents. This only becomes obvious on the rare occasions when Michael and Joey are not at home. As soon as we arrive you run off to find them and I won’t see you again until it’s time to go home. Occasionally, you have informed me that you don’t want to leave and instead insist on staying at grandma and papa’s house. On one particular occasion you stubbornly insisted on staying and refused to leave the garage where you had been playing. So, I picked up William, said goodbye and left the garage. I hadn’t even walked out the door for a minute before you came crying after me and begged me to take you home. I guess we’ll have to wait a few more years before you’ll be ready to spend the night on your own. Recently, you have become interested in one of Michael’s favorite computer games, Piñata. You and Michael both share a love for animals. Often times you fight over the same toy animals. Piñata involves creating a garden with plants and animals that you then “take care” of and interact with. You don’t really know how to work all of the controls but with the help of papa you make it through the game. It’s actually one of the first things you ask to do once you walk through the door.

Another favorite place for you to go this year has been Disneyland. It’s a Small World is by far your favorite ride. You have been on it several times now and enjoy singing along with the characters. You also have an adventurous side. You and daddy go on the tea cups, Matterhorn and a small roller coaster in toon town together. One of my favorite rides is the Pirates of Caribbean. We basically drag you on this ride every time we go. As soon as you get off, you tell us how much you don’t like the pirate ride. Same thing happens with the haunted mansion! Recently, you discovered the princesses. Daddy took you to visit and you had a chance to talk to Belle, Aurora, and Mulan. You talked about your experience for the next week you were so excited to have met them. I haven’t really been able to get you guys to pose with other characters as they walk by . One time while at the park, Aladin came out and we were the only ones around which would have been a great time to get a picture. You and William walked up to him briefly and by the time I grabbed my camera, the two of you were next to me. I couldn’t get you to stand next to him no matter what. I’m hoping with a little more time, I can get some good character shots in.

Your love for animals also takes the form of various “babies”. You get attached to a stuffed animal for a while and insist on taking that animal everywhere you go. You formed the longest attachment to a stuffed elephant that was originally meant for William. It was purple and was actually a small, soft book about animals. You took that elephant everywhere! The other animal that you also formed a long attachment to was an anteater and it also came with a baby anteater. I was amazed that the baby didn’t get lost because you also dragged those babies everywhere. When we asked you what sound an anteater made, you would imitate an elephant. To you, an anteater had a “trunk” and so of course it made an elephant sound. There have been many babies this past year, all animals, and all have been carefully kept out of William’s reach.

We have also taken up camping this year after the purchase of a new travel trailer in May. You were so excited from the moment you first saw it. Your favorite part is the bunk house where your bed is. We have gone to many places so far this year including Big Bear, Silver Strand Beach, Salton Sea, and Mammoth. You absolutely love roasting marshmallows at night with daddy. On one particular night both you and William got into the marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers. The two of you were so hyper I thought you were never going to get to sleep that night. Now when we roast marshmallows we make sure and keep and eye on the bag and make sure your not sneaking too many. You are always disappointed whenever it’s time to leave. On one occasion while daddy was packing to leave; you sat stubbornly in your chair and told us, “I’m still camping!”

I have enjoyed every moment of this past year, even your growing desire to do everything for yourself. The most convincing argument you have for me is to say, “That’s what I can do!” You have grown and discovered so much in such a short time. I look forward to the next year and can’t wait to see what new surprises you have in store for me!!

Christmas 2007

Family Pics