Two!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Xavier!

I can't believe how cute he is! He is such a ray of light in our lives. Xavier continues to be a sweet, gentle boy. He loves animals, airplanes, and playing soccer. His adores his sisters and is always hugging them especially when they are sad or hurt. He likes to keep things neat and tidy (gets that from Cap, not me!) and has two special stuffed animals he cuddles with in his crib: Bear, which Cedars Sinai gave each of the kids when we took Eliza to the ER for her bee sting and A-ta-ta-ta. This is his word for chicken but it's actually a pigeon throw pillow. I had given to my pigeon-phobic brother. So happy to have it as a much loved companion for Xavier. With a menagerie of other stuffed animals, he chose those two.

When I went into Xavier's room in the morning to wish him happy birthday, his first words were "cupcake." We let him open up one present from GranJanne otherwise he had to wait until after school for his egg-free, nut-free, cupcake. I got stuck at work in a meeting and raced home in time to grab some balloons from the supermarket and enjoy some cupcakes. I had thought about filling his crib with balloons when he woke up. I am so glad I didn't do that because it turns out he is terrified of balloons. He wouldn't touch the helium ones or let them near him.

Sunday we leave for two weeks (yes! two whole weeks!) on a road trip to New Mexico where will be staying at my cousin Elizabeth's place. I am looking forward to seeing family and just plain relaxing. I think this is the longest vacation we have taken in maybe 5 years. What?!



Anticipation






Cupcake Monkey


Of course at our house the new soccer goal is now a play tent



No balloons!

Xavier Runs and Eliza Sings (some more)

A quick video so I don't forget how cute toddling is. Xavier turns two in a few weeks.


Eliza sings "Call Me, Maybe." An impromptu performance on a hawk walk in our neighborhood

Zoo Videos

The kids feeding the giraffe



Xavier sliding down the "ant hill" for the first time

Happy Camper

Addie has been looking forward to sleep-away camp all summer. Gran and I dropped her off Monday and I'll pick her up on Friday afternoon. Addie had a few moments where she said she was going to miss us but overall she was grinning ear to ear with excitement. The camp is awesome - all girls just about eight miles from our house put tucked up in the pines of the Santa Monica Mountains. She will get to do archery, crafts, swimming, hiking, ropes course, sing camp fire songs, and perform skits. I'm excited for her.

This is her third of four different camps this summer. Last year we did the same camp and I promised Addie we would do something different. This, while being a planning nightmare, will expose her to different places and activities and we can see what she wants to do next year. The next two weeks she is going to another awesome camp in a different part of the Santa Monica mountains. It's a day camp and she will get to ride a school bus that picks her up and brings her home daily plus she will get to go horseback riding - a first for her (not counting pony rides). After that we all hop in the minivan and spend two weeks in New Mexico visiting family. And then, Addie will be in second grade; school starts August 13!


Addie and her friend Danika. They will be at sleep-away camp together plus camp the next two weeks as well. They don't go to the same school so this is a fun way for them to spend time together.



When Addie is away her siblings play. and spin and fall down.

Sunday

Rounding out our four day weekend, we shopped and got frozen yogurt in the morning and then spent the afternoon at the beach. It was a quick trip as I had to be back for Girls Night - dinner and The Heat (yes! more movies for Mommy!). All kids had a great time, even X-man who continues to be very distrustful of the water but liked playing in the sand and pointing out helicopters and seagulls. I even spotted a sea lion.




Eliza in her sand blanket as she called it






Check out Eliza's jumping prowess

Movies and Missions

On Friday, we took Xavier to school and then the five us, Me, Cap, Gran, Papa Mit, Addie and Eliza, snuck off to see Despicable Me 2. Loved it! In case that wasn't enough movie time, we invited our friends Danika and Kieran over to watch My Neighbor Totoro and eat pizza. Yay for friends!

Saturday was our adventure in Santa Barbara. We stopped off first at the Santa Barbara Mission, a first for us. Pretty cool place but after an hour Xavier was ready for lunch and a nap (lunch he got, a nap he didn't). We ate a hurried lunch (note previous sentence about X not napping) at Los Agaves and then drove over the zoo. I adore that zoo and it was a treat to show it to Xavier and Gran for the first time. Xavier forgot he was exhausted and was enamored of the whole experience. All three kiddos got to feed Aubrey the giraffe and see two 1-month old baby giraffes plus a whole gaggle of other animals.


Exploring the cemetery at the Santa Barbara Mission


Cap took this photo of lovely Miss Eliza


Condor watching

Happy 4th!

Four day weekend. Yay!

We kicked-off the 4th at Kenneth Hahn Park, followed by a BBQ at home with Cap's homemade BBQ sauce and ending with fireworks seen from the outfield at a local park. This is our first time seeing great fireworks in LA and I was super impressed. Addie said they were "awesome!"


After some hot weather, the temperature dropped to 75 and Eliza and Addie both had on winter parkas and hats for our al fresco dinner. Geez.

Eliza had been at Gran Camp for two weeks while my Mom is visiting and Addie joined her for the second week. Lots of baking, reading, painting and a little media time to let Gran take a well-deserved nap. This was extraordinarily helpful as it saved us over $900 in camp and school fees. We had to give Gran giant hugs today when she flew back home.

And a Happy Birthday to my Dad (aka Pop-Pop) who is celebrating in Chicago.


Pigeon chasing


Geese, ducks, and even some baby coots. Cute Coots.

I'm a Belieber!

Thanks to my office, I had the chance to take Addie Justin Bieber's Believe Tour. I didn't consciously realize this was her first concert, forever to be noted as such from here on out. But I guess Bieber is a pretty good one.



He was playing on a Monday night so after camp and work, we drove down to Staples Center leaving a sad Eliza at home. Addie loved the first two bands (Mike Posner and Hot Chelle Rae) standing up and dancing at her seat. We got orange Fanta and pink cotton candy. Then we waited. The Biebs didn't go on until after 9 and it was horrifically loud where your whole body is harmonically tuned to the bass. I wadded up napkins and put them in my ears. After maybe half his set, Addie curled up and went to sleep. So sweet. There was another little girl asleep as well in the aisle over. I, too, can sleep anywhere, especially in a loud action movie, like when we saw Star Trek last weekend. Oops.



I thought Justin Bieber was great, even with me earplugs. I'm impressed. I guess that makes me a Belieber.