Ski Buddies

Last week, Brad had his quarterly meeting with his nerd tax folk. We tagged along and hit the slopes. It rained on Saturday and it was absolutely gorgeous. The kids had some fresh snow to ski on. Sam had a blast with his instructor, Valentin. Izzy liked it as well but she really missed her big bro. I decided to hit the spa and get a pedicure. I also took TWO baths in the pool-sized bathtub in our bedroom. It was a glorious time for all!

Preschool Daze

Scotty recently started going to the preschool Izzy currently attends and the one Sam graduated from several years ago. The first day went really well. His big sister walked him in and showed him where to put everything in the toddler room. The next few days were tough: lots of crying and tantrums when I would leave. I'll take that as validation that I'm his favorite even though he doesn't let me sleep and he yells at me when I don't give him exactly what he wants.

This little guy is Cuban, for sure.

Scotty-Bear Turns 2

Scotty turned 2 on December 1st. We decided not to have a big party for him because (a) we were tired and (b) his friends are all of Sam and Izzy's friends. We're going to milk "a" and "b" for as long as possible. Here are some stats for the little man:

1. He weighs 37lbs. and is 37 inches tall.
2. He loves Z bars, in all flavors, and will viciously hurt you if you try to take a bite.
3. He is super possessive of his brother and sister.
4. He climbs every surface in the house with the help of a chair or a sibling.
5. He loves to cuddle, kiss, and hug.
6. He loves to argue, yell, and "stand his ground" with kids at the park.
7. He likes toys-especially if they belong to Izzy or Sam.
8. He thoroughly enjoys climbing the bunk beds, even if he's not supposed to.
9. He DOES NOT like the naughty step.
10. He throws everything he gets his hands on: balls, blocks, legos, and more.
11. He will sit down and read a book for hours on end.
12. He is very, very mischievous.
13. He enjoys taking your food.
14. He has enough energy to run the entire United States and several auxiliary continents.

Happy 2nd birthday, Scotty B!

Every Little Thing She Does is Magic!

Izzy's 5th birthday party took place a month ago. She had a wonderful time. It was extra special to plan her birthday party this year because she asked me to surprise her. Sam and I talked about a few themes for her surprise birthday and we thought she would love to have a magic themed party. We knew it would be a big hit with her.

Over the course of November, Sam and I went to a few websites and found some stuff we thought her friends might like. He picked everything that went in to the magic box the kids parted with: a magic coin trick, invisible ink, Hershey's kisses, finger traps, magic cards, lollypops, and an invisible pen. We also bought some magic hats, trimmed them with silver and lavender ribbon and gave them to the kids. I thought they could use a magic wand as well and so, "poof," the magic was in the air. The night before, Sam helped Brad and I prepare the hats as well as the magic boxes. I prepped the stickers that went on the cups for "Izzy's Magic Potion."

Up until the day of the party, Izzy had no idea what we were planning for her. She was super excited once she saw everything being laid out for her friends. She had chosen the colors for the party so I kept everything in silver, black, and lavender. We decorated the back room with some lavender polka dot balloons as well as some other nice decorations. Her friends arrived around 3pm and received their magic hat and wand. A short while later, Magic Dan arrived and the kids were mesmerized. I've never seen Scotty bear sit down for so long. It was a really wonderful party-one of my favorites, by far.

Despite all the work and exhaustion, what made it totally worth it for me was that Izzy thanked me for her surprise and told me she loved it. My little lady is the best.

Farewell, Summer Time

Wow. I can't believe summer is practically over for me. I return to work tomorrow and I'm suddenly sad that the time I had with the kids is coming to a close. I guess that's why summer is so much fun. It has an end and a beginning. It gives us time to nourish our "selves" by not adhering to schedules, demands, or expectations. I really enjoyed the "ordinary days" we shared as a family this summer. We visited Monterey, played in parks, went on tons of bike rides, went to Science camp, explored Mother Nature, frolicked in the lake, bathed in sunshine, and were totally and completely lazy at times. It was bliss: very full and very fun.

Well, Summer, I'll see you next year. I'm looking forward to seeing you already!