SOMEBODY's getting chunkaaaaay

We went in for Isabella's 9 month appointment and "little missy" is weighing in at 24lbs and measures 29 inches. She's in the 95th percentile for height and weight and is in excellent health. Go Izzy B and her rockstar status!

Arrrr....Scurvy Pirates: BEWARE

For the past few months, Sam has been channeling his inner pirate. I asked him what he wanted to be for Halloween and he said, "Arrrrr, Mami, a pirate!" Not one to deny the child much of anything, I promptly ordered a pirate costume and he adores it. It has a sword that makes a swooshing sound, a hook, a skull and bones hat, an eye patch, and the regular pirate regalia. He mentioned to me today that he plans on defending our family from the scurvy pirates.
Here he is, preparing for battle, performing his pirate calisthenics:

And here is the hook he will use to "scratch out their eyeballs":

Keeper of the Front Door

Now that Sam is one of the "oldest" kids in preschool, he has acquired his "big man on campus" status. As such, he's turned it up a notch in the "social butterfly" domain. Below are some pictures of him harassing our neighbors into conversation....It usually begins with something like the following:
Sam: Hey Neighbor or Hey _____________ (insert neighbor name)
Neighbor: Hey Sam! (This is done cheerfully because they all know him)
Sam: You know what?
Neighbor: What, Sam?
Sam: Well, let me tell you something.....(This is when Sam rambles on about something or other and our kind neighbors indulge him by asking pertinent questions).

Here is a picture of his typical "Hey Neighbor" stance:


This is his "high interest" stance...notice the body position as it attempts to get closer to the neighbor:

Only 308 Stairs to the Lighthouse

A few weekends ago, Brad took Sam to visit the Point Reyes lighthouse. They had a blast. Here's what Brad knew: there was a lighthouse in Point Reyes....Here is what Brad didn't know: there were 308 stairs that needed to be stepped on in order to reach it. Regardless, the boys persevered and Sam LOVED visiting the lighthouse. Here's a shot of the lighthouse on the horizon, raising Brad's hopes that they will get rest soon: Sam and his favorite lighthouse (even if it is a little rusty...it is by the sea, after all): The absolutely stunning seashore at Point Reyes: The next two videos capture the magnitude of the staircase to the lighthouse as well as Sam's love for the sea....Kuddos to Papi for taking him on the adventure!

El Cubanito

In true Cuban fashion, Sam has taken a renewed interest in his bongo drum. This drum comes courtesy of Elan, his older cousin. Try not to be distracted by the noise he makes and just focus on his attempt to make rhythmn....that's what Isabella is doing :)

More bongo drum fun....

Happy Birthday, Papi!

Last week, Brad turned thirty-something. Sam and I celebrated his thirty-something birthday by making him a chocolate cake from scratch! Scratch, people! If that's not love, then I don't know what is....

The Ingredients:


After opening the box, Sam decided that this was his favorite ingredient:


Step one: Flour


Step Two: Sugar


Step Three: Vanilla extract, oil, vinegar and chocolate:


Step Four: Mix together


Step Five: Lick the bowl with all five fingers to ensure adequate amount of chocolate on hands....


Step Six: Repeat step five


Step Seven: Bake, cool and add confenctioner's sugar to create masterpiece...


Daddy with his offspring (none of which are paying attention to me trying to get a picture):


Daddy and his favorite baby girl....

Happy Birthday, Papi! We love you with all our hearts!