A friend suggested I blog this, so before I forget here we go

Around 6-8 months ago our little music man started singing, "Memeno". That was the only word and he would sing it to a tune that was completely unrecognizable. Each week I would try to remind myself to ask his preschool teachers because surely it was a song they sang in class. Each week would go by and I would forget to ask. Soon he started to vary the lyrics singing, "Memeno Cars". Cars, huh? Of course this was about the time that everything in his world began revolving around transportation - cars, trucks, trains, planes - you name it! It was also about the time we started letting him watch the Disney movie Cars as well. So who knew, really.

As the holidays approached I finally remembered to ask his pre-school teachers. We walked in like we did every day, dropped off his lunch box, hung up his coat, and then it happened. There I stood in front of all the teachers singing, "Memeno Cars" and they stared at me blankly and then began to laugh. They had absolutely no idea what I was singing. Embarrassed? A little, but really I was just more perplexed then anything. What was Memeno?!

We began to clue in that it had something to do with the Cars movie. But we've had the fortunate of listening to the soundtrack over and over again and there is not one song that sounds anything like "Memeno". And then he began asking for the Cars movie by saying, "I want to watch Memeno Cars". Watch?! He went from strolling around the house singing to now wanting to watch? Confused.

Christmas Day our friends Dave and Karolina joined us for a joyous holiday meal and not only did they get to hear the story of Memeno, but if memory serves me right they got to hear E sing it live and in-person. What I thought would be just a happy memory for our dear friends became a healthy obsession. Dave went home and spent hours (possibly slightly exaggerated) combing over the Cars Soundtrack finally settling on this one by Hank Williams. Nope, not it. I put Elliot on my lap and played song after song via You Tube from the soundtrack and each one he would agree with me when I would say, "Is this Memeno?". Drat!

But alas, as days and weeks went by he would begin asking for Memeno race (which we quickly figured out was the first race in the movie) and then we'd be in the car and he would ask to listen to Memeno Real Gone which happens to be the song that is played during Memeno race. And sadly today he mostly just asks for Real Gone. Memeno has almost left his little vocabulary. He's moved on to bigger words and other songs from the soundtrack, as seen here in his facebook debut of "Life is a Highway".

Labels: Feeling, Kid-ing, Thinking

I get tired of waking up at 6am,
Yet I never tire of watching my little man as we walk back to mommy's bed after getting his milk

I get tired of 'picking up'
Yet I never tire of finding the little treasures Elliot leaves behind, like a car at the bottom of his laundry basket or a truck in the tupperware drawer

I get tired of the long trek back and forth to school & work
Yet I never tire of listening to my bear talk about all the trains, planes and garbage trucks he wants to see along the way

I get tired of rushing to get dinner on the table
Yet I never tire of sitting, eating, talking with my dear husband and watching Elliot chew so deliberately

I get tired, but it's the good kind of tired...

Labels: Kid-ing, Thinking

with friends!

at home!

...with Dale's side of the family!

Labels: Eating, Feeling, Kid-ing

Note: I am aware that 'Where's your fingers/hands?' is not gramatically correct, however when you start with 'Where's your nose, mouth, etc.' you are just on a roll and 'Where's your fingers' comes out. I had to caption it truthfully!

Labels: Eating, Feeling, Kid-ing

Last Year:

Last year I had a plan. Well before December I had ordered Elliot some green-striped pajamas, red booties, got lucky that his favorite toy already happened to be some sleigh bells, bought some fake snow at the nearby craft chain and viola it was the cutest darn Christmas card!


This Year:

This year I had no plan. As Thanksgiving weekend came to a close we picked up our pug from his weekend away (boarding at the vet). When we arrived at his hotel (the vet) there was a photographer in the lobby (the waiting room) offering to take photos Christmas photos of your pet at a nominal fee (totally overpriced). I made the mistake of asking if children could be in the photo and in a moment of desperation (knowing I did not yet have a plan for Christmas cards) I said I'd leave the pug here to have a bath, take the baby home for a nap and come back to take their pictures. So we did. And they were not quite what I imagined they would be in my last-minute overly optimistic state of mind.


Notice the cheesy chaise lounge, the curtain for dramatic flair, the fake presents and the stupid scarf on Thomas (they put these on the dogs after baths and I forgot to take it off!). We didn't decide immediately that we were not going to use this photo as our card, but we didn't go straight home and start assembling either.

Almost two weeks ago we took Elliot to see Santa. While he napped in the morning I brought up the brilliant idea of us taking the photo as a family and that could be our Christmas card. Dale agreed and we got busy trying to find any clean clothes that coordinate but didn't look too matchy-matchy. We decided on gray and though it was matchy-matchy, I do believe it was understated. Unlike last year, the photographer elf was rushing and didn't really give us an opportunity to take a good picture and of the ones they took she gave me all of 5 seconds to decide on 1 pose for a nominal fee (extremely overpriced). And again, they were not quite what I imagined they would be in my last-minute overly optimistic state of mind.


Though I must say this Santa is the real-deal (though his elves were off their game this year!) due to our unseasonably warm weather he was wearing this "interesting" shirt instead of his snugly warm coat. But I don't blame Santa, it just didn't work out. Again, we didn't decide immediately that we were not going to use this photo, but we weren't "pulling the trigger"on making the cards either.

Last weekend we decided to do what we should have done all along, what we did last year, to take our own Christmas photo. We started out thinking we would set-up the tripod and take a overdue family photo in front of the tree. As usual we were/are behind on everything and it was just going to take too much energy we didn't have to pull-off the family photo, so the family part was not going to happen AND the tree wasn't exactly decorated yet (except for the lights) so I quickly looked around and realized the fireplace would work perfectly. And viola, the Christmas card was born.

Labels: Adventuring, Kid-ing

Our little baby bear started walking today and it is CUTE! He has been walking holding on to furniture for quite some time, so I didn't expect to enjoy it so very much! I would imagine that by next week he will have abandoned the crawling altogether, sad and exhilarating at the same time. I have been in denial for quite some time that he is a "Toddler" but I guess there is no denying it anymore. I just had no idea that my baby would only be a "baby" for such a short time. Some dear friends were in town this weekend so they got to share this with us and it gave us something extra to toast over dinner.

Labels: Feeling, Kid-ing

Last weekend we took our first family trip to Santa Cruz. We actually took Friday off of work and had three almost-full days there. I am a Westside girl, so we found a great little place to stay not far from the Lighthouse. I spent most of my summers and spring-breaks in Santa Cruz as a child. We had a vacation house just steps away from the best beach in the whole wide world (maybe a slight exaggeration), it is known as Natural Bridges to most people.

As a child we really lived in Santa Cruz, so I didn't really get to know the town the way a tourist or a local would. We would spend most of our days lugging our buckets, shovels, boogie boards and other beach accoutrement to the beach, along with a some sort of white bread sandwich and chips that always ended up with sand in them - ick! Occasionally we would roller skate to the 7-11 to buy mounds of sugary candy and a slurpy to wash it down with.

As we prepared for our trip, I started making a list of all the things I wanted to do with baby-bear that I did as a child, and these made the cut for our first trip:

*Natural Bridges (of course)
There is so much to love about Natural Bridges besides the beach. During the fall or winter you must take the easy-breezy Monarch Butterfly walk. When you are not with a baby in a stroller or that needs carrying, you must walk along the tad pools, and if you are so inclined you could crawl around in the bushes and pretend it is a fort. My dad still has a few photos that show the first bridge connected.






*Ferrell's Donuts

Elliot had his first donut! And as you can imagine, he loved it! Though I am pretty sure this was not my first donut ever, it is in fact the donuts I have the earliest memory of eating. They don't stick in my mind simply because they are the best donuts ever, but because my Dad would always go out before any of us were awake to get the Sunday paper and Ferrell's donuts. As we made our way to the kitchen for breakfast that pink box with a powdered jelly donut (or two) would be waiting for me and my Dad to share as we read the paper (I read the comics mostly), always put a smile on my face (one that resembles E's above).





*Clam Chowder at Stagnaro's

If you like clam chowder, it's some of the best. I had a brief period from about 12 until my mid-twenties where I wouldn't eat the stuff because I had discovered it had clams in it, go figure!







Sadly there were some places that no longer exist like Lip Smackin' BBQ or The Junker (known to others as Paul's Diner).

I also wanted this trip to be the first of many we have as a family and for us to start new traditions, so we added some new things:





*Tacos Moreno




They call it a corn-quesadilla, but it is really a taco...with Al Pastor, pinto beans, cabbage, salsa, queso - yum! This was baby-bears first meal in Santa Cruz, he had the flour quesadilla which is just like a quesadilla we are used to seeing, it was his first of many fried things he ate during the trip.













*Marianne's Ice Cream

We we certain we needed desert after our dinner at Stagnero's as they are only known for the clam chowder. We wanted ice-cream, did a little web search and came across an ice cream spot that I then recalled a friend mentioning. I don't recall every visiting this fine establishment, though it has been there right on Ocean St for over 50 years. Maybe it is because we always had cartons of ice-cream in the freezer, so who needed to go out! It was truly delicious, though when we got home we learned it is up for sale! Hopefully someone worthy snatches it up and maintains the quality.



*Engfer Pizza









This was Dale's pick because as a good wife I had to let him pick something! It was a yummy new pizza place on the East Side (which I mildly objected to patronizing) but it was well worth it. Great selection of beers on tap, wood-fired pizza and ping-pong. We ordered a pizza with jalapeños because I like almost everything spicy (except ice-cream), but it was a little too spicy for even me. Elliot had his second fried item, his very own giant slice of cheese pizza.











*Westside Farmer's Market









Whenever we stay somewhere with a kitchen I like to hit up local farmer's markets to feel local and have at least one fresh, local-fare meal at "home". Elliot tried his first tamale, love it! OK, just the masa, not the spicy chicken filling.










We are already planning our next trip, but from the looks of real estate we won't be buying our vacation home anytime soon.

Labels: Adventuring, Kid-ing

I didn't know what to write or what to say after we lost Dale's Mom, I still don't. Then on my sweet Elliot's Birthday I began writing his Birth Story, and for days after I would add a bit here and there. And as another "milestone" hit us, I decided I needed to talk about that "in the now" so I will get back to his Birth Story some other day. Elliot had pneumonia back in April (not life threatening, and I realize not "in the now" but necessary background) and since then has had to take a pulmicort treatment twice-a-day via a nebulizer machine. Also at that time he decided he didn't want "Mommies Milk" anymore, so we started formula. Though I often joke about him "not wanting me anymore", I really was ok with the transition because I knew I would be a happier mommy not stressed about pumping and getting enough "food" for my little guy.

On July 7th we went to the doctor for Elliot's 1 year exam - a Well Check is what they call them. At this appointment the pediatrician asked if we were ready to move him to whole milk...and before she could finish I said, "Of course, we were hoping you were ready". Heck, I already had a gallon of whole milk waiting in the fridge at home!

Starting that same evening we began blending the milk and formula in his bottles (and sippy cup) starting with a 70/30 split of formula/milk and by day 3 we were on a 50/50 and as our last can of formula was empty yesterday I made his first bottle of plain old milk. From Mommies Milk to rice cereal...to mushed up fruits and veggies...to bites size pieces of real food...his last connection to baby food was his special baby milk. And as I was giving him his evening treatment and getting ready to make his bedtime bottle I realized I would also need a new "routine".

This is the part of the post where I tie it all together - HA! You see, Elliot insists that we sing and do silly dances while he takes his medicine and if we don't he will pull his mask off. Each night in an attempt to multi-task, I would make his bedtime bottle while he was having his medicine (and if you have made formula you know the importance of shaking the water and mix together quite vigorously). To appease him I would sing and shake (you know the tune, sing along)...

Shake, shake, shake
Shake, shake, shake
Shake your milk up
Shake your milk up

I know I could "shake the plain ol' Milk up" too, but it's not the same! Too many changes all at once, my little boy is growing up, and I will have to get some new material!

Labels: Kid-ing

Labels: Kid-ing

Just when thought Elliot was 98% over a bad cold, he goes and develops Hand, Foot & Mouth! Poor little bear! Thankfully he has not developed blisters in his mouth (OMG - can you imagine!) and he is in great spirits (if it weren't for the spots on his itty bitty hands and feet you wouldn't even know he was sick). It just kind of sucks to get sent home on your first day at your new daycare (a spot openened up at the original place we were hoping for...more on that decision another time). We new as working parents that we would have to take "sick days" to care for our little one, but as my dear hubby said, "I just didn't think it would happen so soon". We didn't even have a real "disaster plan" set up yet...but thankfully Grandma can take tomorrow, Dad will take Thursday and I'll take Friday...hopefully Elliot will be ready to start his new daycare next week.

Labels: Kid-ing, Thinking

Hugs are great! There have been many days over the last 14 (yes, I said 14!) years that Dale has made me stop in my tracks to get (&give) a hug. All of a sudden the stressed, rushed feeling would melt away and everything would be peaceful and wonderful, if only for one magical moment. In the last few days Elliot has learned to hug and it feels SOOOOO good that I don't want to let him go! I bet this means he'll be ready to snuggle in no time! Give someone a good long hug today!

Labels: Feeling, Kid-ing

Elliot and his BFF Vivi...

Labels: Feeling, Kid-ing

This makes me so happy!






What I Ate Today:

~Cereal
~Soy Mocha
~Dbl Tall 1/2 Caff 2-pump Soy Mocha
~Yummy Spinach Salad from Specialties
~Chickenless Nuggets, BBQ Sauce, HF Tortillas with LF Celtic White Cheddar
~A long week glass of red wine
~One carefully measure portion of Chocolate Chip Snackimals

Labels: Feeling, Kid-ing

The first two months of Elliot's life whizzed by like a flash. In fact, it was only his 3-month birthday that we were alert enough to actually celebrate. Everyone tells you how fast they grow up, how quickly they change, but you just cannot believe until you see it for yourself! Now he is 5-months old - wow!

Elliot's first month was marked by cooing and discovery of his first toy - The Whoozit.



He slept a lot the first month, but when he was awake he loved to stare at this thing. We discovered a chip-clip effectively hung it from the side of the co-sleeper. Month 2 we were seeing him smile his gorgeous gummy grin (that I am sure you are tired of hearing me talk about). He began to roll-over from his tummy at the tail end of month 2, but it was really more about him disliking "tummy-time". Is it mean to enjoy this picture so much?



His hands amazed him in month 3 and moved into his mouth on a regular basis by the time we hit month 4. We thought smiling was the greatest thing on earth until we heard him giggle in month 4 - we do everything we can to elicit multiple giggles each day (sometimes he really makes us work for it!). Rolling over was what made month 5 stand out from; back to tummy to back again, generally with a dramatic finish.



Every little bit that he grows & changes, every little discovery he makes is so special, so fun to watch, so exciting to experience. Sometimes I catch myself sit just quietly staring at him, what amazing little creatures! What will month 6 bring?!


What I Ate Today:

~Cereal with no-sugar added Soy (TJ's refrigerated version is best. I have come to really dislike everything about non-refrigerated versions of soy...packaging, taste, texture)
~A clementine
~Soy Mocha
~Mini-handful of TLC Cheese Crackers
~Apricot Fiberful
~Soy Mocha (to go in my new favorite travel mug purchased at an SB in Hawaii)
~1 serving of TJ's prepared chicken salad split between 2 high fiber tortillas stuffed with arugula
~A clementine
~TJ's Frozen Chickenless Nuggets (long time fav, you must try!) with spicy ketchup (a few splashes of Tabasco). I was devastated to discover we were out of TJ's BBQ sauce which is what I ALWAYS eat with my nuggets!
~2 High Fiber Tortillas (not sure if I get enough fiber each day, what do you think?) with one serving of cheese split between the two and nuked until nice and melty and then rolled like a taquito.
~A clementine

Exercise: Nada

Labels: Kid-ing

Wednesday I got some bad news...the basket where all of my proverbial eggs were lying is booked until March. In order to have gotten into this daycare center in January I would have had to put us on the waiting list before I was even pregnant! I am now forced to activate Plan B. I am not willing to place Elliot in home daycare unless someone I know and trust has or does use the provider. After the bad news I called a provider where my friend sends her son and I was thrilled to know she had an opening. Yesterday morning I went over to her home to check things out and to discuss her caring for Elliot. She seemed nice enough, her place seemed clean enough, the kids seemed happy enough, so why was I not happy? Because no matter what, she will never care and love my son the way I do. It is beginning to break my heart that he is going to spend more of his day with this person (a relative stranger) then with me (or Daddy). I am going to hold him even closer this next month, get in as lots of extra smiles and giggles, sing extra songs, read more stories, take more walks, and snuggle in bed just a little longer because today I made the deposit...it's official.

Labels: Kid-ing, Thinking

Saturday: Elliot's First Flight

We awoke at 5 am, Elliot ate breakfast, we got dressed (sans coffee) and the shuttle arrived promptly at 6am to take us to OAK. So far so good. We got some Peet's at the airport (I love airports with good coffee) and we got settled at our gate and waited for our plane to board. I fed Elliot at 5, so he would be wanting to eat again right as we were ready to board the plane and I was happy about this because I heard that nursing your baby during take-off and landing can help with the ear pressure and aid in a happier baby which equals happier passengers traveling near baby. The plane lifted off right on time and we landed in hot and sticky Honolulu five hours later...what about Elliot you ask? He was AMAZING! He ate, played and slept the entire flight! I don't like to brag, but more than one person remarked at what a great baby he was (insert proud mama glow here).



Saturday Evening: The Grocery Store

When we finally arrive in Kauai we dropped Elliot, Grandma and all of our luggage off at the hotel and headed for the grocery store. Thanks to Papa and Grammy we were staying in beautiful two-bedroom condo equipped with a full-kitchen that only lacked some fresh food from the market. Dale and I headed back to Lihue to Star Market. We picked up some salami and cheese for lunch/snacking, yogurt and cereal for breakfast (yummy haupia, liche, papaya and mango flavors), beer, diapers (too big to pack), milk, ice cream, bread and water...all for the low, low price of $165.00 and I did not leave anything off the list! Ouch! A 1/2 gallon of milk was $6.00! Mid-way through our shopping excursion we called Grandma to inquire about flavors of yogurt she would like to eat when we learned Elliot was having his first Hawaiian breakdown...so we grabbed the last few items and jetted back to the hotel. By the time we arrived our sweet boy was fed and fast asleep, whew!




Sunday: Elliot's First Swim

This was our first whole day on the island and we chose to acclimate ourselves at the pool. I slathered my son with chemical free sunscreen, put a hat on him and we headed for the pool. We cannot say that he loved the water...but he didn't hate it.



After a long day at the pool (long day in baby time = about 2 hours) we explored our dinner options and tried Tomkats Grille in Old Koloa town. The food was good, not great. We headed to a more "economical" grocery store after dinner to pick up a few items so we could BBQ our own dinner the next night...BIG SAVE market was another 100 bucks for a few steaks, some PB, sandwich bread and not much else...so it wasn't quite a BIG SAVE.

Monday: Hawaiian Farmers Market

We awoke bright and early I drove Daddy to the golf course (so we could have the car to go out and about), came back to the lovely condo and by the time Elliot ate, Mommy and Grandma had coffee and breakfast, Elliot decided to nap and then eat and then before you new it, it was almost time to pick up Daddy...the space time continuum is quite different with a baby. I read about a Farmers Market in Old Koloa Town and thought it would be great to experience and also to pick-up some produce for the dinner that night. Grandma and I drove over, I put Elliot in the Bjorn and we walked towards the market. Though it was fun to see and buy some of the unique local produce, it left a little something to be desired when you are used to California Farmer's Markets. They had some HUGE (and tasty) avocados, wonderful sweet cucumbers, yummy Apple-bananaas, super-sweet pineapple and fresh cold coconut juice (served in the coconut). We loaded up and then went to meet Daddy for lunch at the golf course. And that night Daddy grilled some mean steaks, we microwaved some potatoes, sliced up the yummy cucumbers and avocados and had a wonderful minimalist dinner (condo's don't come with a spice cabinet).


Tuesday: More Pool Time

We got up, drank our coffee, ate our breakfast, etc., etc. and finally made it to the pool around lunch time. I packed us some PB&J's and some other goodies. We got Elliot back into the pool; we certainly enjoyed it more than he did. I must admit I was feeling a little blue about our trip at this point. I felt like time was moving so quickly and here we were on this beautiful island and most of what I saw up to this point were the walls of the condo and the hotel pool. I had pre-vacation fantasies of putting Elliot in the Bjorn and taking long walks along the beach...not realizing the beach was not very long and babies shouldn't be in the sun (especially tropical sun) for too long. Things were about to look up as we had a special activity planned for Wednesday.

Wednesday: Horseback Riding & Pineapple Upside Down Cake - Oh My!

For the last 14 years I have been dying to go horseback riding with Dale someplace special (Wine Country, Hawaii, you get the idea). So my dear hubby finally made reservations for us. We got up bright and early and headed to the northern side of the island (Princeville). We were on the road about 10 minutes when I realized I forgot my tennis shoes (flip flops are not appropriate attire for horseback riding). This little slip-up put us a bit behind. But thinking quickly on my feet (as I generally do), when I grabbed my shoes I grabbed a bottle and the pump too. My original plan was for us to arrive a 1/2 hour early so I could nurse Elliot and then Grandma would have a happy baby for the 1 1/2 hours we would be riding. Now we would arrive just a few minutes before the ride, so when we were about 20 minutes from the stables I pulled out the pump and got down to milk-making business and by the time we were there I was done and ready for the ride.

Dale rode a really slow horse named Big Blue and I rode a sweet obedient guy named JJ. The ranch was about 2500 acres and was home to some sweet cows as well. We rode to the edge of a cliff with breathtaking views all along the way and altogether had a wonderful time. As we took our final steps back to the stable I heard the faintest sound of my sweet son crying his eyes out. We are not 100% certain, but it seems that he sensed us riding in because he was the happiest little boy until Mommy was within reach. He settled down and had a little nap for the ride home.

After the ride we cleaned up and headed to the Poi Pu Shopping Center to have dinner at Roy's. I was skeptical of this chain-like restaurant, but was so glad I gave it a chance. I had the Short Ribs which were so tender and mouth-watering that I am salivating just writing about them. The Pineapple Upside Down Cake was amazing, it is one of my favorite deserts and I commend Roy's for a job very well done. The cake was a tab bit crispy, the pineapple was sweet and a little caramely (yes, caramely is a word)! Mr. Graham talked and giggle (no crying) during the whole meal and even though we new he was tired (rubbing eyes and ears constantly) he wouldn't sleep out of a fear of missing something and he hung in there like a trooper and let us enjoy our wonderful dinner.


Thursday: Honeymoon (Round Two)

The day started out early with me driving Daddy to golf up in Lihue. I got a little lost on my way back so luckily Grandma had a bottle for Elliot. Time once again got the best of us and right as we were into Old Koloa Daddy called and needed to be picked-up. We headed back up to Lihue, came back to home base to so Daddy could rinse off, we had a snack and then finally made it to Old Koloa town. A cute touristy town with Shaved Ice, a candle shop, a few restaurants and plenty of "Hawaiian attire" for sale. We then headed back to get ready for our special dinner. Roughly 2 1/2 years ago Dale and I honeymooned on Kauai and had a very special sunset dinner at The Beach House. When Grandma offered to baby-sit so we could have dinner out, we decided to re-visit The Beach House. The first time we ate there the dinner was just okay...but we think they got a new chef in the meantime because not only was the sunset amazing, so was the food! I know it doesn't sound very tropical but we had the best blueberry tart for desert!










Friday: Our Day Out

Our last full day, so we decided that some site seeing was in order. I know my dear husband sensed that I really needed to get out so he planned a lovely little day for us. We headed northwest to see Spouting Horn. I saw it as a child and though it is not that big of a deal it was still fun to experience with hubby, grandma and baby. Next we headed to Hanapepe which has a ton of galleries that were ALL closed (typical Kaiser-Federighi luck). But we did make our own fun...we happened into a bookstore where I found they had a wonderful selection of used cook books. I bought a wonderful 1940 copy of The American Woman's Cook Book and I kick myself for not buying Island Recipes for your Microwave Oven. I seem to remember having a cookbook like this when I was growing up, I will have to do some research. I know have a new hobby...collecting old cookbooks! Dale and I also played on the swinging bridge which seemed like a cheesy thing to mention as a tourist attraction but when we got there it seemed to entertain us well enough. It does swing quite a bit when you walk on it, so much so that neither of us were brave enough to walk all the way over. We ended the day by picking up pizza at a spot recommended by locals - Brick Oven. For Kauai I am sure this was great pizza, for how hungry I was it was decent pizza. I judge a pizza by its mushrooms and if they are canned...no good. The rest of the pizza was pretty darn tasty so I won't take as many points away this time.

Saturday: Almost Home

Don't fly ATA! I have never had so little leg room on a flight, not to mention it felt like the temperature was set to 80 degrees! I was sweaty, my baby was sweaty and even though we arrived 30 minutes early we spent 40 minutes waiting for a gate (though this was more of a fog issue than an ATA issue). Not to mention the only seat with 2 oxygen masks (necessary for person who holds the baby) was the window which meant every time I need to change his diaper I had to have Dale and Grandma get up. It then took the baggage another 1/2 hour to arrive. We should have been home around 12 and we didn't get home until almost 1:30 in the morning. I have to give props to our shuttle company for being on-time when we departed and waiting for us when we came home. Elliot was the least cranky of us all - another successful flight with my happy baby!

Mahalo Mucho if you actually read this whole damn thing!

Labels: Adventuring, Kid-ing

One of our weekly adventures is Music Class. Elliot and I go every Thursday morning and we sing silly songs, play instruments and we dance like camels. We all know that music in and of itself is good for children (brain development, etc., etc.). I realized that it is also great for our babies to see us Moms and Dads being silly and having fun too! I am often stuck in this way of thinking about what is good for Elliot and forget sometimes that what is good for Mommy is also good for Elliot. So we danced around like camels and I experienced extra joy in this special time with him (only 2 1/2 months until I go back to work) and as I danced around him he reflected that joy back at me with a huge gummy grin!

Here is a picture from class...Elliot would be the one without the Mommy or Daddy :) We'll try for an action shot next time (dancing like camels, playing instruments).

Labels: Feeling, Kid-ing