My Guy...

... is the dad who will eat the manta ray shoved into his face by an overzealous toddler.
... is the guy running his first half marathon this weekend (Go Daddy!).
... is the husband that takes out the garbage every week without any nagging.
... is the friend that is the "help desk" for computer problems.
... is the chef that cooks complicated recipes and they turn out well!
... is the philanthropist who is riding "The Big Bike" for the Heart and Stroke Foundation on May 11th

Follow This Link to support his efforts on The Big Bike! Thanks!

Flash Back!

... 8 months pregnant with R - photo by Noriko Vickerson

...R's birth announcement photo

...B's 20 week ultrasound photo

...B's birth announcement photo

Just reminiscing...what is a mommy blog without sentimental pictures of those very early days! Turn on your speakers for sappy music accompaniment. Leave a comment with your best mommy tip. Here are a few sentimental ones and a few practical ones I've received:

...soak it all in (cliched but true)

...consider yourself successful if only one is crying at a time (for moms of 2+)

...use a straw with a yogurt tube for an on the go snack (props to Housworth)!

...put your tea in a travel mug even when at home (then you don't have to nuke it 50x)

...keep a dustbuster in your car (I think I have to credit hubs with that one)

...and of course --> take lots of pictures!

Toast n' Jammies

....the doting big sister

...the basking little brother

...brutha n' sista love sealed with a kiss on the forearm!

R & B really do go together like...toast n' jammies, salt n' pepa, brutha n' sista! Who knew that early morning bedhead could be so cute?

Seventeen months...

Today was one of those random days when I had to go to work. I missed this little guy. Of course, I missed his sister too but for some reason when I am working it is my littlest one who I think about most often. Maybe because B is not yet able to tell me about his day. I know he was having a great day spending time with Daddy and R. He even got a little visit in with his beloved Grandma! It is hard to believe that he is already seventeen months old. In just seventeen more months I will be back to teaching full time. Park days and play dates will be more seldom...but we will always have the summer!

Flash Forward

Something about this picture makes me see forward ten years into the future when R is a teenager.

She may no longer have daily gems like:

"No, I am'pt!" (which means "No, I'm not!")

counting: "...thirteen, fourteen, five-teen, sixteen..."

very sincerely to B: "I love you, brother!" (and then squeezes him and kisses his head)

But at thirteen, R will still be hilarious, and keenly smart, and loving. She will probably still love music and dancing and dressing up. Her vices may still be "treats" and "T.V" but I am sure that she will have a lot more self-control. I bet that she will continue to be confident and outgoing and that people will be drawn to her. It amazes me at age 3 what a strong personality she already has. She truly is our "little gem" and always will be.

Seattle

We spent the weekend in Seattle and hit all the hot spots for the under 5 crowd (the Children's Museum and the Seattle Zoo). Traveling with kids is always an adventure...long car rides, lots of walking, junk food and late nights. Our kids were troopers though and we had a great time. It was nice to have Gma and Gpa there to help wrangle the kids - especially at the zoo when B just wanted to jump, run, and climb. Here's B and Gma in a face to face meeting with a penguin!

Airplanes

B is at the way too cute stage where all it takes is an airplane flying overhead to make him happy. Helicopters make him ecstatic...Dogs riding in the back of trucks parked beside us at a red light totally get him pointing. He loves walking down our street to look at the excavators that are parked there. When a truck came and dumped a load of dirt off at our house he thought it was so exciting. For him it is the little things that matter - especially when they are really big and noisy!