Life with Alexander

Watching little kids play basketball is awesome.

2012-01-29T16:35:00.000-08:00

What is it about ~~our kid pulling up his shirt~~ organized sports that makes us smile?

What is it about a kid telling others what to do during warm up that makes us smile?

What is it about a little kid shooting a ball that makes us smile?
What is it about a kid running down a court after passing the ball to his teammate that makes us smile?

Oh, that's right.

THAT face makes us smile!

Someone is learning to read...

2012-01-26T19:47:00.002-08:00

...and is pretty dang proud of himself!

It Feels Good to Turn 5!

2012-01-21T14:11:00.001-08:00

In keeping with family tradition, the birthday boy was woken up at midnight to open his presents.

He was so excited to play with the new gifts, he was up by 7AM.

After a fun-filled, snowy winter wonderland birthday, Alexander blew out the candles on his brownie cake.

It really makes me laugh to think about how a kid who doesn't like brownies or cake, chose a brownie cake for his birthday!

He just likes blowing out the candles.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Happy 5th Birthday, Alexander!

2012-01-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try to type as fast as I can so I can post this at 12:56 - the exact time you were born. Well, that's the time the doctor lifted you out of my belly and you cried.

Let's see, what should you know about 5 year old self?

You're about 42" tall and 40 lbs (give or take).

You are in your second year of preschool. You know your letters, numbers, colors, shapes, etc. You are working on math equations with your dad and are able to do simple ones. You are working on reading with your mama. I can't tell if you are learning phonetically or visually, but we're figuring it out.

You love, love, love puzzles. And not small ones but only those that are 750 pieces or more.

You continue to be a train fanatic. When asked what you want to be when you grow up, you immediately answer "train conductor". Or "own a big hotel with a train museum".
Right now, our living room is covered in your latest GeoTrax train track creation.

For a kid who didn't start stringing words together until you were 2 1/2, you talk non-stop. And you talk fast. You ask a lot of questions.

A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

"What would happen if blah, blah, blah?"
"What if this happened blah, blah, blah?"
"Why did blah, blah, blah happen?"

You are curious and full of imagination. You have two imaginary friends - your cousins Mary and David. They go everywhere with us and when you get in trouble, you typically tell us, "Mary and David wanted to do it".

Your best friends are Addie and Logan.
And all four of your grandparents.

You say really funny things that makes us laugh outloud but are also very polite. You insist on using manners and will call out anyone who uses bad words.

Your favorite activity is swimming. Kid, you LOVE to swim.

You are playing basketball right now and I do see the same level of excitement.
Just as long as you're playing an indoor sport, I don't care which one you choose.

You are a picky eater.
You still take long naps (thank you).

You are thoughtful and caring of others around you and want to be the best helper ever.

Overall, you're a really laid back, easy going, easy to love, playful kid.

I have three minutes to wrap this up.

There are not enough words to tell you how much your Daddy and I love you.
You are our miracle.

Happy 5th Birthday, sweet little man.

We love you.

To the moon and back.

Snow Day!

2012-01-17T13:09:00.000-08:00

What kid doesn't love a snow day?! There is simply something so magical to staying home, while snow falls all around you.

Yesterday, we stayed indoors and rested from the birthday party adventure.
But not today.

While Daddy hit the grocery store, Alexander and I hit the slopes.
I mean, the front yard.

Bundled up and ready to go!

Have I mentioned how grateful I am to have friends, with a son who is a few years older than mine? When it started snowing on Sunday, we realized we didn't a winter jacket! I had the boots (handmedowns), snow pants (ebay), and hat and gloves (on sale at Rite Aid).
But no snow jacket! Thankfully, our friends found one for Alexander, which should last him another two winters!

We enjoyed a snowball fight.

Built a snowman.

And then decided to call it quits when the snow started to fall heavily from the sky.

It sure was fun while it lasted!

A 5 year old's Bouncy House Birthday Party...with loads and loads of pictures.

2012-01-16T13:41:00.000-08:00

For the first time, we took the birthday party to a location.
After attending a birthday party at a bouncy house a year ago, Alexander set his heart on having one of his own. With one phone call, it was done. We picked a pirate theme, sent out invitations, and couldn't believe how easy it was to put this year's party together.

It was SO nice to be able to worry about nothing more than making cupcakes the night before!

Sad faces for Jo-Jo, who couldn't be with us this year due to the weather.
But we did our best to carry on without our cupcake expert!

TA-DA!
We woke up on the day of the party with snow coming down with a fury!
But we were bound and determined to have this party so after much debate, we jumped in the car and headed out.

Within minutes pf arriving, the kids were in bouncy house heaven!

Adults even got in on the fun!

Auntie Kimmie and Alexander loved the big slide.

After an hour of jumping craziness, the kids were ready for cupcakes and presents!

We sang Happy Birthday to the cutest 5 year old I know!
And then the kids dove into cupcakes. Except the birthday boy.
He doesn't like cake but wanted everyone else to have a treat.

Who doesn't want a birthday throne!?

I love how happy this kid is.
But wait...there's more! We invited everyone back to the house for pizza and football games. Despite watching it snow ALL morning, when we got home, there wasn't much snow available but the kids sure gave it their best!

Bouncy House Slide - 1 Auntie Kimmie - 0

Eventually, the snow started up again so, like all good things, the party had to come to an end.

Thank you to all our friends and family who ventured the winter weather to share this day with Alexander.
At the end of the night, he said it was the best birthday ever.

Basketball is so fun!

2012-01-13T19:48:00.000-08:00

Alexander told us, out of the blue, that he wanted to play that game where *insert pantomime of dribbling of a basketball*. We inquired with Addie if she wanted to play and voila, the kids were signed up and Jeff was assigned as their coach. I thought I would have the chance to be the assistant coach but if you read this post, you know that's not an option.

So, I took advantage of the first practice to take a lot of pictures!
Best friends, ready to go!

"Take a knee team"

Alexander learned to dribble by playing Follow the Leader.
No surprise that he played the role of caboose. And never once dribbled.
He did a great job following the leader, though!

He learned how to shoot the ball.

Believe or not, he made the basket!

He listened to Coach Jeff.

Learned to play defense.

And figured out where to go during a practice game.

When we left the gym, Alexander exclaimed, "that was SO much fun, Mom!" I knew he was hooked when he practiced dribbling at home, in the dining room, for close to a half hour when we got home from practice. The only other time I've seen that level of excitement is after the first swim lesson.

His first game is Saturday. Eric promises to take a lot of pictures as I will be with Jo-Jo as she tries on wedding dresses.

And the conversations just keep getting better and better...

2012-01-11T20:03:00.001-08:00

Alexander: "Mama, it's going to SNOW next week!"

Me: "It is? No way. Who told you that?"

Alexander: "Mrs. G. And she knows everything. She's a teacher, ya know."

Me (feeling a little put out at not being the hero of the story): "Well, I'm a teacher too so I must know a lot, right?"

Alexander: "Mama, you USED to be a teacher. Now you're the bad guy who puts kids in time out."

This conversation followed the one where he told me I couldn't coach his basketball team this season ...

Me: "Alexander, Jeff asked me to help the basketball team. What do you think about me coaching your team? Wouldn't that be fun?"

Alexander bursts into tears and yells, "NO! NO! NO!"

Me (in a state of shock): "Why not? Didn't you enjoy me coaching soccer? I was a PE teacher and I know how to play basketball. It would be so much fun."

Alexander: "NO! I don't want you to be a teacher or a coach. I just want you to be MY mommy and help ME! No one else should get you. Just be my mom and cheer for ME!"

Me: "Ok, ok, Buddy. I'll keep my mouth shut and watch."

Eric (from the other side of the house): "Like THAT'S going to happen..."

Skype, Skype, Skype!

2012-01-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

Today was the best day.

Alexander had the chance to skype Umma and Big Papa and then we skyped Uncle Patrick, Auntie Lissa at their baby shower!

skyping on the big screen!

Grandma and Grandpa are loving it.
It never fails to amaze me what technology can do.

We gathered in the living room and enjoyed the fun...from afar.
Patrick gave us a tour of the baby room.

Crib, dresser and changing table is ready to go!

This kid's closet is filled to the rim!

Love this!
Lissa shared her niece Piper with us, who is the super adorable.

And Patrick snuck away to spend some time with us, too.

So, even though we couldn't be with them in person, we had the next best thing.

Their heads on the big screen, grinning back at us, sharing this time with them.

We love you!!

And we'll see you in June.

Storytime

2012-01-05T16:52:00.000-08:00

I asked Alexander to tell me a story the other night.

Alexander: "Chapter 1. There was a Mommy, a Daddy and a little boy who lived at the train station. They had a lot of work to do switching out the 844, Challenger, and Thomas for their adventures on the Rocky Mountain Express run. So, they worked and they worked and they worked."

Mommy: "Are there more chapters?"

Alexander: "Yes. I will tell the next one to you at naptime tomorrow."

A day passes...

Mommy: "Ok, I'm ready for the rest of the story."

Alexander: "Chapter 2. They worked so hard they retired. The End."

Mommy: "So, that's it? The story just ends at retirement?"

Alexander: "Yes. Cause when you retire you move to Arizona."

Big Changes in 2012

2011-12-31T14:01:00.000-08:00

Alexander has NO idea that the rest of the world is on the brink of 2012.
He just knows he is on the brink of some big ol' changes to his world!

Remember when we chanted his room to this? And this?

Well, my parents want to clear out the twin bed they have in the extra bedroom so we said we'd take it. Naturally (Mommy being who Mommy is), this means a whole new bedroom theme.

New Bed

New Bedding

picked out by the young master himself.

A couple of new posters

And a train track border to finish it off!

Looking Back

2011-12-30T08:12:00.001-08:00

Last night, I was ~~lamenting the fact~~ explaining to Eric that I don't know why I keep updating the blog. With only 25 followers, it seems like I'm doing a lot of work for nothing. I have never complained about this before but last night, Blogger was NOT being my friend and I was frustrated.

"Nothing?" Eric said. "Really?"

"There are people who read the blog, like our parents and his aunts and uncles, who would be sad if you stopped. There are people who read the blog, like Neighbor Ann and your friends, who don't comment but would be sad if you stopped.

There is our SON, who doesn't have a baby book, who would be sad if you stopped."

I gotta admit, he got me with that last one.

So, I decided to go back to the beginning and remind myself WHY I take the time to update the blog.

As I was looking through old posts, Alexander asked me what I was doing. After I told him, he wanted to look so he climbed up on my lap. He and I have spent the past 1/2 hour looking at old posts. I shared stories with him, told him why I chose the pictures I posted, and laughed over his little boy antics. I don't know if I would have been able to capture the same memories without this blog.

Looking back, I'm really thankful I have done this blog.

I'm not done blogging.

Not by a long shot.

Alexander and the Puzzle Club

2011-12-29T09:29:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, Alexander met a Puzzle Expert. Her name is Dorothy. She is one of Umma's close friends and is a co-worker of mine.

She was so impressed with Alexander's puzzle skills that she invited him to her puzzle club. Turns out there is a local puzzle club that has been meeting once a month for years. Who knew?

Alexander and the club diligently worked on a train puzzle for over an hour and was a rockstar with great manners and terrific behavior.

Watching his face light up as he worked with others who love puzzles as much as he does was a true delight. They talked about all the different puzzles and shared a tip or two.

Thanks Issaquah Puzzle Club, for inviting us to join you!

And thank you for the 3000 piece puzzle you gave us.

We're looking forward to working on that big boy next summer!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-28T10:37:00.000-08:00

Well, we were quite spoiled this year by Santa and all our family!

Alexander woke up on Christmas day around 8AM. He ran upstairs to wake Daddy and I up and then ran downstairs to bang on the basement door to wake Jo-Jo and Zak up. Then he patiently waited for ALL of us to join him in the living room to watch him open presents. I don't know that I was ever that patient as a kid! He was super thoughtful and wanted us to enjoy the morning together. Once we were together, the unwrapping began!

Santa brought Alexander a couple of train puzzles, a couple of Leapster games, a Candy Land game with a train, and a new train set!

Alexander was very happy to discover that Santa found Jo-Jo and Zak at our house.

AND this year, Santa brought presents to Mommy and Daddy! Daddy scored a new 3D movie and a Western sweatshirts while Mama got a new pair of boots! Alexander scored a bunch of other great gifts too and should have plenty to keep himself busy the rest of this winter.

The rest of the morning, Alexander played with his new train set, played a game of Lego Star Wars Clone Wars (xbox) with Zak, as he waited for us to leave for Ho-Ho Papa and Umma's house.
Finally, we arrived at my parents house where more presents awaited us.
Another little treat was also in store for us - a giant windstorm knocked the power out!Fortunately, my parents have the super duper generator so we had heat and lights. We couldn't cook the prime rib, though the boys certainly tried to be creative and cook it on the grill.

Had there been propane, I bet they would have got it done! Instead, we decided to freeze it and get together on New Year's Day. Not a bad Plan B, if you ask me.

Finally, the time arrived and Papa started handing out the presents. The squeels of delight were endless!

Uncle Patrick called in the middle of all the chaos so we took a break to ~~scream above the noise~~chat with him.

While we were on pause, more pictures were snapped.

Auntie Kimmie found this AWESOME Disney Christmas train at an antique store. It was a sweet find and we are thrilled to add it to our holiday decorations.

The big score was the Batman GeoTrax cave. He played with it all afternoon.
Finally, the last of the gifts were opened, garbage thrown out and we settled in for an afternoon of play time.

Lorelli and I took a few more photos.

Ho-Ho Papa and Daddy each took a little nap, kids played with toys, the adults played a couple games of Rummikubs, and then we all packed up and headed home.
It was a very merry Christmas, indeed!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-26T12:23:00.001-08:00

Presents were wrapped. Food was ready. Bring on CHRISTMAS!
All we needed was one last picture in front of our tree before heading to Grandma Great's house.

Well, we tried.
Merry Christmas Eve!!

This year, the group was smaller than ever at Grandma's house so Jodie and I grabbed a photo opportunity with our lovely grandmother, early in the evening.

From the noise level, you sure wouldn't have known there were less bodies in the house. We missed Steve, Candy, and Beth and her family but thought of them often throughout the night.

Lorelli and Alexander helped Grandma Great with the last of the ornaments before they set themselves into play mode.

I love that she always leaves a few out for them to hang up on Christmas Eve.

Once that job was over, Alexander settled in to play with the wooden trains.
which are his favorite things to play with at Grandma Great's house. I lost count of the number of laps he made around the pool table that night.

Lorelli and Auntie painted our nails.
She loves helping me to be more girlie.

I like how it looks!

Marigold the Princess and her Grammy (the Queen) spent their time reading a book.
I think that is the court jester hanging on the back of the couch.

The kids worked in their new coloring books, compliments of Umma.

And we killed some time snapping goofy pictures of ourselves.

It was about this time that I set down my camera and couldn't find it for another few hours. I am blaming those several hours of a missing camera for the reason as to why we didn't get a family photo this year.

After dinner, I went on a camera hunting mission, though, because it was time for stockings and presents. This is where the true chaos and fun of Christmas begins!

Alexander and Papa work out who will receive the first gift of Christmas!

Opening his first gift of Christmas.

I love how happy Jodie is in this picture!

Naturally, the two of them need a picture together, right?

Look at me in Papa's pajamas. I don't think they fit me, Mama!

Before long, we moved our chaos to the back room for the big tree and white elephant exchange.

~~Hopefully~~ Sadly, this looks to be the last year of the white elephant exchange. It seems to have lost its luster so next year, we may be back to drawing names - a good ol' fashion Christmas tradition.

Alexander gets right to work on his presents.

Our family was very spoiled on Christmas Eve.

But it was Eric who scored the best gift of the night.

Snuggie Pajamas. With a hood.
Best. Gift. Ever.

Don't you agree?

Santa 2011

2011-12-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

This may be my favorite tradition.

Ever.

Countdown to Christmas!

2011-12-20T20:23:00.000-08:00

I've been spending a LOT of time with Mommy since she started winter break.

In Dad's defense, he is playing his computer game that Mommy bought him for his birthday and he did warn us that he was going to disappear for a few days. When we miss him, we simply run upstairs and give hugs and kisses.

In the morning, Mommy slowly wakes up by curling up the couch, drinking her coffee and reading a book. The one thing about me is that as soon as I jump out of bed, I'm ready to go! I spend my mornings working on my new puzzle and watching TV.

After a few hours of this ~~lazy~~ behavior, we get ourselves together to run a few errands. Although, I think on Sunday we didn't leave the house but that's ok; I LOVE pajama day! Our Christmas shopping should be completed tomorrow and then Mommy says she is going to use my nap time to wrap, wrap, wrap! I don't know why she needs me to be asleep while she wraps but I trust her to get it all done without me. Most evenings, we watch a movie or two or play more xbox Lego Star Wars. I'm pretty impressed with how much Mommy and I have improved!

Before too long, we'll be in the full rush of Christmas so, for now, Mommy and I are taking it easy as we countdown to Christmas!

Make sure you slow down to enjoy all your people, too!

8+5=

2011-12-20T07:19:00.000-08:00

Eric started teaching Alexander math last night.

Alexander definitely grasps numbers better than he does letters (watch him put together a puzzle and this won't surprise you).

Eric is good at math. However, when he was in high school, he and his father would go round and round as Big Papa tried to teach him math concepts.

Did I mention Big Papa was a math teacher?

The irony that Eric is now teaching his son is not lost on either of us!

Naturally, Eric being the computer guy he is, he used this website to help him with his lesson plan.

Where was this website when we were growing up?

Moving up to the Big Time!

2011-12-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

This little fish

is moving up to lessons with the big kids!

Ready or not...here he comes!!

Daddy Turned 40!

2011-12-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

In keeping with family traditions Daddy woke me up at midnight and asked me if I wanted to help him open presents.

I said no.

Daddy walked away and then decided he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

I think he knew he was getting a couple of new games!

I love helping people open presents.

Even though Mommy wasn't very awake.

Later in the morning, Mommy and I drove out to the gluten-free bakery so Daddy could have a gluten-free feast on his big day!

A delicous cinammon roll for breakfast.

Nummy pizza for dinner.

And a lemony goodness cake (with red writing, of course!)

Happy Happy Birthday to the best daddy ever!

We love you!

Santa Train Surprise!

2011-11-27T14:13:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we were asked if we wanted to join our friends on the Santa Train. Uh, yea we do! Tickets were purchased and we decided to keep it a secret until today. In hindsight, the day after a big Apple Cup party may not have made for the best timing because it meant we had a crabby, whiney AND super excited 4 year old on our hands. For anyone who has had a kid, you know we were in for one heck of an adventure.
I didn't think to capture his face when we told him the news but let's just say there was dancing and yelling involved. By all of us!

We boarded at the North Bend Train station and headed to the Train Depot on the other side of town, where Santa was waiting for us. The rain was pouring on us but it didn't stop these kids from enjoying a train ride!

Look at our little man fight back his tears when he didn't get a window seat.
We ended up distracting him by drawing on the windows.

And checking out the scenery

After a short train ride, we waited in line to see Santa! The kids did a great job keeping themselves entertained as the rain just coming down on us.
There was a coloring table.

And dancing in line.

Before we knew it, the moment had arrived!
SANTA!!

p.s. Alexander asked for puzzles.

Once we left Santa's workshop, we enjoyed cookies and cocoa.
In a tiny, little train car.

At least one of us enjoyed ourselves in that little car.
While one of us pretended to enjoy himself.

Finally, we boarded the train for the final ride back.
Addie and Alexander were total goofballs.

Right now, the little guy is sacked out.

We had a great holiday weekend and are sad to see it come to an end.
Thank goodness Christmas break is only three weeks away!

Thanksgiving Day at Grandma Great's

2011-11-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

Thankgiving has always been at Grandma Great's house. Always. This year had one of the smaller groups in memory but just as much love and laughter was felt through the house.

While we waited for the food to cook, we kept ourselves busy.
Grandma had her tree up so a little 18 month old spent most of her time, pointing at lights with her daddy.

Alexander spent most of his time playing with the wooden trains my grandfather made years ago.

Zak liked the trains, too.

I spent most of my time sitting on the couch, chatting with these favorite girls.

Or taking pictures with them in the kitchen.

I am SO thankful for them.
And good camera angles.

The daddies were superstars.

I'm starving!

Joanne and Grandma announce it is time to eat!

Casey, Marigold and Fidelia are ready.

Uh Zak...I think you're supposed to remove the foil...?

At least that is what Casey says.

During grace, Alexander settled in nicely between Jo-Jo and Zak.

After a delicious meal, we hung out

and laughed some more.

Played with Grandma Great.

Took more pictures.

There were many loved ones who weren't with us this year but they were in our thoughts. We missed them but look forward to the next time we are all together.

After spending so much time editing these pictures, I've officially decided I want a new camera.

Fall Feast 2011

2011-11-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

Last year's Fall Feast still remains one of our favorite memories. Alexander signing songs and singing the lyrics at the top of his lungs, finishing each song with blowing kisses and bowing to the crowd.

2011 Fall Feast certainly didn't disappoint us. The preparations began a few weeks ago when Alexander brought home his vest to decorate. "Mama, I don't care about my vest. Let's just use last year's". WHAT? No sitting down to a arts and crafts project?

Thank you, son!

This year, I was more focused on taking video so I don't have a lot of pictures to share.

I did capture this super cute face.

Once the kids participated in a little skit to "Twas the Night before Thanksgiving", Alexander proudly held the flag and led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance!

He took the job very seriously.

His performance during the songs had us laughing the entire time. I wouldn't say he wasn't 100% THAT kid (you know, the loud obnoxious one who steals the show), he was about 90% THAT kid. I don't think I can download the entire video as it is over 15 minutes long.
Soon after the performance, there were photos.

They are so grown up!

Family Photo!!

We're very thankful for such a caring preschool staff who cares about our son and has introduced him to school in the best way possible.

Mommy and Alexander date

2011-11-23T15:14:00.000-08:00

Even though I'm dying to post about Alexander's fall feast program at preschool, I'm that weird person who wants her posts be chronological. So, I have to post about our date and THEN the preschool program.

A few weeks ago, Gypsy and Addie invited us to join them for a playdate. Since we have had a playdate every year since he was old enough to take in public without taking everything in his bedroom with us, we have had a winter date.

Oh, the fun we had!

The story was pretty cute but really loud. Alexander kept asking when Mickey Mouse and his friends were going to show up. Note to self: find Disney on Ice for the boy.

I don't know how old he will be when he decides he is too old for our dates but I'm willing to milk it as long as I can!

Cuddling vs Homework

2011-11-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

Cuddling with Mommy

is WAAAY better

than doing my homework!

A Day at the Pacific Science Center

2011-11-14T19:43:00.000-08:00

What better way to spend a day off from school than playing with our friends?

On Friday, Alexander, Daddy, Jeff, Cole and Addie took a trip into Seattle to visit the Pacific Science Center while Mommy spent the day with Jo-Jo at the mall. Gotta love a day off of school!

For our little adventurer, the best part was...you guessed it...the train ride!
Seattle Light Rail rocks!

Once they finished playing in the leaves,

there was a big surprise in store for them!

A train movie on the IMAX screen (thanks for the free tickets. Jeff!)

And then it was time to play, play, play!!

Alexander and Addie explore the Gemini capsule.

The kids taking a look at the butterfly exhibit.

Pretty butterflies

Alexander really liked making this beach ball fly!

It was a great day for all!

Every morning

2011-11-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

Cat meows to be let out at 4:30AM

Furnace kicks on at 5:00AM

Alexander starts talking to himself at 5:10AM

Mommy turns off alarm, climbs out of bed, walks to Alexander's room to whisper "good morning" and sees this...

"I love the warm air from the vent, Mommy."

What a silly boy!

TA-DA!!

2011-11-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

1500 pieces in a puzzle.

Less than a week.

We rock.

Game Night!

2011-11-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite family activities is game night. One night last week, while Daddy napped, Mommy and Alexander played games in his room. Oh, the fun we had!

First, we had to line up all the games so we could decide what to play.

We decided on Operation. Mommy may or may not have chosen this one because it was suggested at the conference that a certain little someone needs to work on his fine motor skills.

Look at the concentration!

We moved on to Yahtzee - kid version.

Another favorite!

Sometimes you win.
Sometimes you lose.

And sometimes you throw a pretend tantrum in hopes of getting Mommy to play Chutes and Ladders for the 100th time.

What you don't know about me

2011-11-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know...

1. I hate to lose. Ever.
2. If I don't like the smell of your food, I will gag. If you don't move quickly, I will throw up. And I won't stop.
3. I put pepper on all my food. Including potato chips.
4. When I meet someone I don't know, I start to sing. It sounds like gibberish but it's the theme song from "Mighty Machines". And it's just because I'm nervous.
5. I love to ask "what if this happened?" and then give you a crazy scenario that you have to answer before I can move on.
6. My favorite ride at Disneyland is California Soaring. Or Go-Go Gadget Roller Coaster.
7. I like to look into the mirror, or any reflective surface for that matter, and watch myself carry on a conversation with you.
8. If I ask you, "can you help me?" what I really mean is "will you do it for me?". Since I'm pretty cute, most people fall for it.
9. I can't ride my bike. In fact, I never ride it so I'll probably be 7 before Daddy can take off the training wheels.
10. I'm going to have a bouncy party for my birthday this year. And it's gonna be AWESOME!
11. I'm in the middle of a growth spurt.
12. My favorite TV show is "Jake and the Neverland Pirates."
13. I sleep with three blankets and Mickey Mouse.
14. I don't want a younger brother or sister because we only have two bedrooms and the baby can't sleep downstairs because we have mice traps. No, I'm not sharing my room.
15. Ever since Mary and David came out to visit, they have become my pretend friends who do everything with me. Even make me make bad decisions. But they never get time out.

How many did you get right?

Story Time

2011-11-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

Alexander: "Mommy, who is your Papa and Umma?"
Mommy: "Well, my Papa died before you were born and is in Heaven and my Umma is Great-Grandma."
Alexander: "Oh, he died? What's Heaven?"
Mommy: "I think Heaven is where people we love go when they die."
Alexander: "Oh."

Pause

Alexander: "I know where retired people go."
Mommy: "Where's that?"
Alexander: "Florida."

Pre-K Conference

2011-11-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Daddy met my teacher today. My teacher is having a baby so they had a fun time talking about preschoolers fascination with a belly growing. I think it's pretty neat too but Mommy says I can't call my teacher fat.

Mommy says academically I could do better. She's a teacher so she's ALWAYS going to say that. Probably for the next twelve years. I think in middle school, I'll forget to turn in homework just to watch her head spin. That will be funny. I am only four so I don't write very well and I think I get pretty bored and don't stay on task. I KNOW what to do; I just don't always want to do it. I really just want to tell stories to my teacher. She's pretty smart though and makes me work first and THEN I can tell her a story. I know my letters, my numbers, my colors, most parts of the body, and a couple of other important things. Whatever. I'm four.

Daddy says that the whole reason they sent me to preschool was for social skills. My teacher says I'm always happy and excited about everything. From the minute I show up until I leave, everything is exciting and new and I am always on the go. She says that other kids in the class often come over and show me what they are doing because I get so excited for them. Of course I do! I mostly play with Addie but sometimes, I think my teacher splits us up on purpose so we can play with other kids. I don't like it when things deviate from our daily routine but once I wrap my head around it, I'm ok.

It's a good thing both Mommy and Daddy went to my conference today. They learned they will each reinforce different things I need. Mommy will always make sure to keep an eye on the academic side of things and Daddy will always make sure I'm happy and fun.

If only they knew that all I want to do is play, play, play!!

Happy Halloweeeeen!

2011-11-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

Halloween began just like any other Monday. Mommy leaves for work. Daddy and Alexander are left at home. And then Alexander goes to pre-school.

Sometimes, throwing a kink in the weekly plan isn't a bad thing.

We don't live in a neighborhood so, after a short afternoon nap, we packed ourselves into the truck and headed out to meet Addie and Co.

I have 4 pictures that look just like this one. He gets it from his father's side.

Daddy made a surprise trip to Logan's house.

The look on Logan's face was priceless when he realized his buddy, Alexander, was standing at the door.

His hug was so big it knocked Alexander right off his feet.

After that short and fun visit to Logan's house, we hurried on our way. Once we arrived, we immediately got to trick and treating business. I wish I could show you loads of pictures of the kids but they were moving so fast from house to house, it was all us parents could do to keep up!

I did make them stop at one house for a group photo.

Despite his dislike of candy, Alexander had a ball and loved collecting as much candy as he could...especially ALL the peanut butter cups he grabbed for his daddy!

Proud Parent Moment of the Night:

It was survival of the fittest out there but the kids did well. It was crazy watching them run from house to house and they were very caught up in where they were headed and didn't always pay attention to what was around them. Typical kid behavior. We are proud to report that our kid was the ONLY one who waited to cross a busy side street until he had an adult with him. The pride wasn't that he waited for us as much as it was he didn't do what everyone else was doing.

Eric says he gets that from his side of the family, too.

Halloween Sneak Peak

2011-10-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today's Halloween pre-funk was held at Ho-Ho Papa's and Umma's.
Gotta practice for the real deal, ya know.

Someone willingly stood for this year's picture in front of the door.

Someone had to practice his trick or treating skills.

Yes, his hat is on sideways...the boys insisted it was better to wear it that way.

Someone LOVES his cousin....Dotsy the Clown!

Someone may have been overheard telling his Papa, "I don't really like the candy. I just like getting it and giving it to my mommy. She REALLY likes it."

He sells me out every time. Every. Time.

Carving pumpkins

2011-10-28T19:32:00.001-07:00

NOT!

Maybe next year!

Merry Christmas...kinda...

2011-10-24T17:55:00.000-07:00

What happens when Big Papa and Umma leave our hometown for warmer fields during the PNW winters?

Christmas...in October!

Alexander hasn't even received his Halloween costume and he's already received Christmas presents. Oh, you want a sneak peek to the Halloween costume? Auntie Kimmie has it at her house but here ya go...

Super cute, right?
At least he isn't a conductor...again.

"Christmas" started with Alexander putting together a puzzle, Daddy surfing for Christmas music, and Mommy pushing photos.

Alexander is the master of all things part-ay so he kept insisting that we open presents before dinner. We compromised and told him "before dinner" could be Christmas Eve and he could open one present. Naturally, we chose one from us.

Man, this kid looks like his dad.

Hmmm...what could it be?

Under the Sea Dinosaur Train!

Dinner came and went, more cocktails were drunk and soon we found ourselves opening even more presents. Even Auntie Liz, Uncle Jeff, Mary and David got in on our Christmas fun. We were quite surprised and very pleased to see gifts from them.

Like this uber-cool Butterfly Habitat.

And Mommy's favorite gift of a giant picture frame that holds wallet sized school pictures from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Love. It.
THANK YOU!!

Daddy opened a gift Umma and Big Papa found months ago at a garage sale.
A marshmellow shooter!

After being hit in the cheek, I can attest the thing hurts.
Kinda like that time Eric was riding the lawn mower and it shot a rock into my face.

You'd think the guy would have learned his lesson, right?
Nope.

Umma liked her gifts, too.
A new scarf.

And a LED lantern.

Clearly, she's SUPER excited about the lantern.

Alexander helped Papa open his presents - a couple of long sleeved shirts for Arizona...which makes perfect sense for 80 degree weather, right?

ETA:
I just got shot with a marshmellow as I sit here, updating the blog.
According to the boys, Christmas before Halloween is awesome.

After being shot at a dozen times tonight, I'm not entirely sure I agree.

Field Trip to the Pumpkin Patch!

2011-10-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Alexander's preschool took a field trip to the pumpkin patch. Daddy was a super star and chaperoned the trip, along with Addie and her daddy.

Alexander at the pumpkin patch last year.

Here he is, a year later.

It was a rainy day but the kids were determined to have a good time.

So was Daddy!

After exploring the farm with the preschool class, the kids were let loose to pick out their pumpkins.

"I want THIS one, Daddy!"

His sweet little girlfriend picked out her pumpkin, too.

Two happy preschoolers at the pumpkin patch!

This may be the last year of preschool for these two but not the end of their adventures!

Flashback

2011-10-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

One of my co-workers came in to my office today and complained of being sleep deprived. She has five month TWIN boys. She should be tired, right?! Me, being the comforting soul I am, said all the right things and then I told her to suck it up. She had to use IVF to have the babies and she's lucky to have them. I was probably a tad bit nicer than I'm letting on but hey, kids are a gift. It isn't easy being a working mom and sometimes, working moms just need to talk it out.

It made me start thinking about Alexander at 5 months old.

So, naturally, I decided today's post would celebrate 5 month old Alexander.

The best gift we've ever received.

Happy Birthday to Everyone!

2011-10-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Big Papa and Umma leave our wonderful hometown every winter. They park themselves in Arizona from November to April, which makes for a long six months for everyone.

In order to celebrate winter birthdays (Alexander, Daddy, and Umma), we gathered a few weekends ago.

Someone ordered a big cookie cake!

And lots of presents!

Alexander was the most excited to celebrate his 4 3/4 birthday!

He often tells us he isn't very good at planning a party but is REALLY good at celebrating!

Daddy got in on the excitment, too.

And Umma loved her bestest bookmark, made by The Alexander.

Happy Birthday to Alexander, Daddy, and Umma!

Monkey Business

2011-10-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

Someone wanted to try on Mommy's new hat.

I love this kid.

We don't like losing.

2011-09-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

See this little face?

This is last year's school picture. I'll explain the significance of this later in the post.

This little face HATES losing. Part of that comes from genetics since Eric and I are both competitive individuals. Part of it comes a little game we play all the time with Alexander to get him moving. Simply put, everything we do is a competition. Getting dressed. Putting on shoes. Brushing teeth.

You name it. We compete it out.

We weren't very surprised when Alexander announced after a game of Candyland last week, that he HATES TO LOSE.

Now this may be controversial for some but we aren't parents who let him win. At anything. We believe the world is full of winners and losers, that there will be people better than Alexander in certain things, and he has to learn how to lose graciously because it is good for him. The idea that everyone on a team should win a trophy is ridiculous to us. It doesn't work that way in the real world and it sure doesn't work that way in our house!

Anyhow, there is a competition at Alexander's preschool students bring in box tops and the student who brings the most in the class wins free school pictures.. Each boxtop is worth money to the school but let's be honest; we don't care near enough about the money piece as we do about winning the competition. The child's school pictures paid for by the school is another thing we don't really care about because we can afford the pictures.

We simply want to win.

Er...I mean, Alexander simply wants to win.

Last year, we were happy when best friend Addie won. This year, it's OUR turn.

This is what we've collected in the past year.

We think we need more!

If you want to help us out, we'd LOVE IT! All you have to do is look for products with a box top on it, buy it, cut the box top out, and send it to us! I promise to send you a thank you note and a school picture from the little guy. Contest ends October 14.

Thank you!

Somebody doesn't feel good

2011-09-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

Back-to-school colds suck.

Cuddle time

2011-09-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

This past week was the first full week of school for Mommy and Alexander. Five days for Mommy and three for the little man. Neither were expecting to feel so tired.

Or grumpy.

We decided cuddle time would help our attitudes.

It was just a matter of time before both were smiling again.

How a 4 year old pulled a fast one

2011-09-10T08:47:00.000-07:00

Friday morning, my mother-in-law sent an email to me at work, describing that mornings garage sale adventure with Alexander:

"There was a $5.00 train that Alexander wanted. We told him you do not have enough money. He got a little sad so I told him to negotiate with the lady. Well, he told her he only had $3.50 and then he started to walk away. She asked him, "are you a sweet boy?" He said, "yes, I am." She called him back and whispered in his little ear, "you can have it for free." After a huge hug and almost tears Alexander walked away, happy as can be.

A man at the garage sale watched the whole exchange. As Alexander walked away, he turned to him and said, "Alexander, you negotiate for me?"

Alexander's First Day of Pre-K!

2011-09-07T18:37:00.001-07:00

Despite not feeling well,

our pre-kindergarten hero set off to school today,

armed with a belly full of mac-n-cheese,

he tired himself out by "being line leader, listening to the teacher and sitting next to Addie-Roo. All day long".

Another school year has begun!

Action!

2011-09-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

Alexander: "Remember when you took movies of me when I was a baby?"
Mommy: "Yes."
Alexander: "Let's do that today."

Enjoy our Q&A/play session!

Play Ball!

2011-08-31T19:24:00.000-07:00

Seems like ages ago that Alexander and Mommy drove to a ball field to watch Lorelli play baseball.

Seems like ages ago that Alexander and Mommy were spending summer days together.

Seems like ages ago since I updated this blog.

In the middle of August, we went to watch Li-Li play softball.

Kim and I kept saying how strange it felt to watch one of our children playing ball, rather than watching each other playing ball.

Kim and I grew up playing softball and have a deep love for the game.

Lorelli seems to share that same love.

I happen to think this little guy would make a really cute ball player!

2011-08-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

May you always listen when Auntie encourages you to climb new heights.

Even when Mommy wishes your feet to remain firmly planted on the ground.

all good things must come to an end

2011-08-12T15:41:00.000-07:00

As promised, I have one last post for Mary.

Mary and David left today, after a 19 day adventure in the PNW. The weather was pretty agreeable for a local but to a couple of kids used to Illinois, it was down-right chilly at times. They don't exactly enjoy plane flights but they were pretty excited to get home to warmer weather.

What wasn't so chilly was the three of these kiddos playing together. Oh, the fun!

For us, the evenings they spent at our house were the highlights of the trip. Eric would start a blazing fire for us to roast marshmellows and make smores.

Mr. Picky-Eater doesn't like smores but he does like graham crackers and marshmellows so he made do.

Mary and David, on the other hand, are expert marshmellow roasters. Light 'em on fire and serve 'em up!

Once the sugar rush hit, the kids would play in the dirt/mud, play a game of chase, or start screaming "Guybrush" at the top of their lungs (big thank you to the neighbor who responded, carrying our cat home to us) for at least a good hour or so.

Our last grand adventure was a trip to Coulon beach yesterday. We had lunch at Kidd Valley, played on the playground and dug trenches in the sand.

Alexander was very sad when he found out it was Mary and David's last day.

Ok, he was actually sad about leaving the beach but he didn't like learning his cousins were leaving.

We want to thank both Mary and David for being so good with Alexander and his four-years old antics. We love you very much and look forward to the next visit!

P.S.
Auntie Chelle is looking forward to the next Pink Poodle Parfait!

A great day for a ferry boat ride

2011-08-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

We haven't had very nice weather this summer. When we saw the forecast included a few sunny days, we decided to take Alexander on his first ferry boat ride. Imagine our excitement to find out Umma and Big Papa were planning the same trip for Mary and David! Needless to say, we immediately invited ourselves along.

After swim lessons, we packed two cars and headed to Edmonds. Once upon a time, Eric and I spent our afternoons in Edmonds (years ago, I lived up there) so it was fun to bring Alexander to one of our favorite spots.

The kids played on the beach while we waited for the ferry boat to arrive.

Once it arrived, Alexander lead the way.

All Aboard!

Naturally, I took advantage of the opportunity to take family photos.

The kids loved the ride over and the adults loved soaking up the Vitamin D.
The ferry took us to Kingston. And another beach!
Oh, how the kids loved playing in the sand.

It was the best family adventure!

The Three Amigo Adventures continue

2011-08-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Once the great weekend sleepover ended (three days, two nights and NO naps), the entire family came over to celebrate Big Papa's birthday.

Alexander introduced David to his Geo-Trax train set. David instantly fell in love. Imagine Alexander's delight to have a fellow train conductor in the house! They were both super stars when it came to sharing and the two of them had the best of time. David even declared he was done with Legos and moving on to Geo-Trax. Good luck packing all that up in the next big move, Auntie Liz!

In the meantime, Mary was loving on our kitty. Guybrush was loving the attention.
I was loving the sound of all the kid voices in our house.

With a little help from helping hands, Papa opened his gifts.

The evening ended with promises that they could return to play Geo-trax and dig in the giant dirt pile outside.

On Monday, we filled two cars and headed to the Point Defiance Zoo. It was a gorgeous day (although cooler than what our east coast family members are used to) and just right for a visit from these three little monkeys.

I tried to take a family picture but Alexander insisted on being in it.
Amazing what the crop tool can do...

Alexander lead the way (as he does on most adventures) with map in hand so we wouldn't get lost.

The best part of this zoo is that it is just the right amount of walking distance for little kids. And the aquarium is awesome - with local fish and sharks from the Puget Sound. If you live in the PNW and you haven't been to this zoo, we highly recommend it.

Our favorite part is the fish/shark tank and we saved it until the end.
Mary, Alexander and I plopped ourselves down in front of the shark tank as we waited for the rest of the family to find us.

We had a grand adventure at the zoo!

Next up...a ferry boat ride!

It's all about Mary and David

2011-08-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

With cousins in town, Alexander is all about "Mary and David". They are all he talks about and spending time with them is a hot priority.

Whether it is painting rocks

Working on a puzzle

Enjoying swim lessons with Mary

Or listening to Umma read a book

It doesn't matter what the three are doing.
As long as they are together.

We have a good excuse for our absence

2011-08-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

This face

plus this face

equals fun and busy summer days.

Cousins are in town and we are on the go.

Be patient...more posts to come soon!

Thomas the Train!

2011-07-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, our good friends Mindee and Jason asked if we wanted to join them for a train ride this summer. And not just any train ride. THOMAS THE TRAIN! Their two year old, Kieran, loves trains as much as Alexander. Since you can only buy tickets if you are a member (which they happen to be), I immediately said YES! We bought two additional ones so Ho-Ho Papa and Umma could join us. Umma ended up staying home but Ho-Ho Papa was a trooper to join the adventure.

The big day arrived last week. Naturally, I forgot my camera. Naturally, Ho-Ho Papa remembered his camera.
Naturally (as before) I stole their camera.

Waiting for our friends and the train to arrive.

"There's Thomas! There's Thomas!"

Someone was very excited to see Thomas!

Let's go! Let's go!

The train depot had many booths set up for the kiddos.
Alexander and Kieran immediately headed for model trains.

From there, Alexander and Daddy visited a real live train cab.
What is it about boys and gadgets?

Next up? More model trains, run by butane.

Alexander would have stayed at this booth all day but the man in the picture who was setting up the trains, was also eating peanuts and spitting the shells everywhere. So, we did what every parent of a highly-allergic-to-peanuts-parent does and got the heck out of Dodge, by calmly distracting him by telling him it was time to line up for the train ride.

And the timing was just about perfect. We had time to snap one picture before boarding the train.

Once we found our seats, we took a few more family photos.

Alexander was not having any more pictures.
So we turned the camera on ourselves.

Once the train was moving, someone was back to his cheery self.
Throughout the entire ride, Alexander and Ho-Ho Papa chatted.
And chatted.

And chatted.

The train took us out to Snoqualmie Falls. Alexander didn't want to miss a thing.

In the end, the boys stood in line for a final picture with Thomas.

And a turn in the bouncy house.

We're so glad Ho-Ho Papa could join us for the day.
And a special shout out to Mindee, Jay and Kieran for making the day possible!

Sleepover and A Dance Party

2011-07-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

Friday night, Auntie Kimi, Uncle RJ and Lorelli were planning to come over and help Mommy finish prepping the house for the family reunion on Saturday. I knew all about their visit and couldn't wait for them to play with me!

What Mommy DIDN'T tell me or Daddy was a surprise visitor was on her way...

JO-JO!

When I woke up from my nap, Mommy and Jo-Jo were chatting on the couch and I didn't know what to do with all my excitement.

After opening a bottle of wine, pouring a sippy of milk, and cleaning a bit, we headed to dinner where Auntie Kimi, Uncle RJ and Lorelli were meeting us. Mommy forgot to take pictures but Lorelli and I played pretty well together in the restaurant...considering dinner took 2 hours!

After dinner, we headed back to the house for the rest of the cleaning. And celebrated the end of the night with a dance party!

Ho-Ho Papa's Birthday Recap

2011-07-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we celebrated the Big Guy's birthday.

I forgot my camera but Mom used her camera to document the day.
So I did what every good blogger does. I stole her camera.

Here are the results...including my limited Photoshop skills.

Happy Birthday, Ho-Ho Papa!
We love you!

Guess who is FULLY potty trained?

2011-07-14T15:19:00.000-07:00

Last night, this little guy went to bed
without a pull-up for the first time.

This morning, this little guy woke up
dry and accident-free!

Good job, big guy!

(I'm certain when he is older and reads this blog, he will hate this post)

Jump, Jump, Jump!

2011-07-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Jumping into the pool is good.

Jumping into the pool, but turning back towards the wall mid-jump, can be bad.

Fourth of July Celebration

2011-07-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

I know. I'm a few days late with an update. Our front door has been revolving with visitors and this is the first time I've had a chance to sit and look through pictures from the 4th of July. Every year, Eric has woken up Alexander to watch the neighborhood firework show from our living room. This year, Big Papa and Umma came over, the boys had their own mini-show in the yard, and we all watched the neighborhood show. Well, until about 10. That's when the grandparents left, I crawled into bed, and the boys kept watching the show.

We started out in the driveway with a few firecrackers and a sparkler or two.

At 4 1/2, the kid totally gets firework fun.

By this point, the fire pit was roaring so we moved to chairs and waited for the darkness to arrive...and played with a few more sparklers while we waited.

Finally, the sun set and show began! Eric lit what we had so we oo'd and ah'd up close.

And then the neighbors went nuts...for close to 3 hours! Snapping fireworks isn't very easy on the point and shoot camera but I tried. They had a huge display that was very entertaining. The best part about this show is the location - about six blocks away (and we didn't spend a dime to enjoy it)!

Alexander is already talking about next year's show!
Hope you had a happy and safe celebration this year!

Auntie Kimi and a Bike Ride

2011-07-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday was spent at Ho-Ho Papa and Umma's house. We helped them clear out their garage and clean off their deck by taking a HUGE load of ~~crap~~ stuff to the dump. While we were loading, Alexander and Ho-Ho Papa stayed inside and waited for Auntie Kimi to arrive. She was coming over after work. Since Uncle RJ and Lorelli were on their way to California, Alexander was very excited to have his auntie all to himself. And even though Ho-Ho Papa had a list of errands for the two of them to run, he was not budging until Auntie Kimi had arrived.

Oh, the excitement and joy when Auntie showed up!! They had to kick off their shoes and spin and spin and spin on Ho-Ho Papa's new lawn!
They fell down, got back up, laughed, and did it all over again!

Finally, they both got too dizzy so Alexander and Ho-Ho Papa left for their errands and we all got back to cleaning.

Now, let's talk about the bike ride. To do that, we have to back up a few hours. Alexander and Mommy went for a bike ride because Ho-Ho Papa's road is relatively flat but there are a couple of hills. Alexander likes to go fast. Can you see where this is going...?

Yup. One hill too many for a little man who forgot how to use the brakes. There was nothing I could do but chase him and hope he wouldn't run into the parked car, there would be no broken bones, and was thankful he was wearing a helmet. He landed forward onto his bike and then skid on the road so his hand and knee look about the same as his face. Talk about Mommy guilt. Especially when her crying little man told her he would never ride that bike again.

Oh, how quickly they forget.

By the time he and Ho-Ho Papa returned, he was ready to show off for Auntie. Except for the hills. He says he won't try that...until he is 5.

"Why do we fall down sir?"

"So we might learn to pick ourselves back up."

2011-07-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

When you're promoted to the next level in swim lessons...
...you should totally sit around in your underwear.

Visit with Melinda

2011-07-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

Last night, Mommy's best friend came over for dinner. Mommy woke me up from my nap so I sat on the couch and waited and waited and waited for Melinda to show up.

When Melinda got here, I really didn't know what to do with myself. So, I did what every 4 1/2 year old does...I sang, danced, and talked non-stop. And then I showed her my puzzle.

She and Mommy kept talking and talking and talking. I never thought they were going to stop.
So Dad and I got out my tent and we had a cookout.

It was a good night!
Come back soon, Melinda!

Busy like 1, 2, 3!

2011-06-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

1. Swim lessons at 9AM
We're working on swimming with goggles so he won't burn his eyes in the pool at Chelan this year. Standing on the edge of the pool is about as far as he is willing to wear them but he wears them with love.

"You should use your big arms when you swim"

"Like this..."

2. Cars2 movie at 10:45AM

We headed to the theater right after lessons so we could get the best seats...I think it worked!

We took a lot of family pictures to kill time. You can decide which photo you like best.

(yea, me too)

THAT killed all of 5 minutes so out came the ipod puzzles.

AND THEN...MOVIE TIME!

Our review: Not terrible. Especially when you had free tickets.
Wait for it on Netflix.

3. Nap by 2PM

For everyone.

Witty

2011-06-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

In the car:
"Mom, no one is coming. You can take your free right now".

In the yard:
"Can't talk now, Mom. Boss man (dad) put me to work and I have to move ALL this dirt."

In the house:
"I can't help clean now. I'm in my pajamas and on vacation."

At the store:
"How about you buy me a puzzle, Mom? Come on. You know you want to make me happy."

At swim lessons:
"Well, my new teacher doesn't know how to swim. I'm gonna have to teach her a lot."

About friends:
"We're going to have five playdates at our castle. Otherwise, she's going to miss me too much."

About summer:
"Summer is the BEST because my mommy stays home with me while Daddy works outside."

With grandparents:
"I'm sorry, Ho-Ho Papa. You were right about that piece. But I've been right about all the other ones."

"I wake up early, but Big Papa wakes up REALLY REALLY REALLY early."

On the phone with Umma:
"Hello, Umma. Goodbye, Umma."

Click.

Prince of Puzzles

2011-06-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that Alexander is mad about trains. His second love (after his mama, of course) is puzzles. The bigger the puzzle, the better. And watch out, if there is a train on the puzzle! The screeches of joy can pierce an eardrum.

Most puzzles are purchased at garage sales, purchased by the Puzzle Prince himself.
Sometimes, the pieces are all there. Sometimes, they aren't.

Since this one was bought in Arizona, dragged all over the trailer park, and then driven home to WA, eight missing pieces was pretty darn good!

Fortunately, Eric and I enjoy doing puzzles as much as Alexander enjoys them. Many nights we have spent, huddled over the island, finding puzzle pieces so Alexander can "couple" them up. It's a very interesting process. The boys look at the picture on the box but the girl doesn't. The adults find the pieces but the toddler has to be the one to put them in the puzzle. And sometimes, one of the parents is banned from the building site because Alexander wants one on one time with the other parent. This can happen to either parent at any time.

As if that isn't enough, he has two additional puzzles going at his grandparents homes. For Father's Day, he wanted to buy them ~~card~~ puzzle tables so his Papa's could work on the puzzles if he wasn't around. He's nice like that.

He makes our guests work on puzzles.

Alexander and I worked on this one in his room. We eventually moved this to the living room as it was 1000 pieces as too big for the mat in his room. I think this one was a Santa puzzle.

He finished this round train puzzle with Dad.

The latest project, completed by the boys, with no help from the girl (remember that, "banned from the building site" rule?)

Umma and Papa, Alexander needs to go garage sale-ing soon.

The Prince needs a new project!

Binky Free!

2011-06-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

It was a big weekend for our little man. Mom is finally home for the summer. Preschool picnic was Saturday. Alexander turned 4 1/2. And today is all about Dad.

With all that going on, it was time to BREAK THE BINKY.

We have tried to break our kid of this habit before but have been met with stubborn resistance and our hearts haven't really been in it. Alexander has been a binky baby from day three of his life and that self-comfort isn't something that is easy to break.

A few weeks ago, we broached the idea with him about the same time he started talking about his friend, L. Remember the new friend? Anyhow, L doesn't use a binky so we decided to play upon that idea and push for a change on Alexander's half birthday. Plus, Mom would be home and if it went poorly, she could nap to catch up on the sleep. The little man knew this day was coming and actually went into it, fully admitting he was ready to let go of the bink.

Fully ready...until the moment actually arrived. And then he cried and cried. Finally, Mom offered the choice of a stuffed animal to help him sleep. He chose Bear. Excuse the poor quality of the picture as I used my cell phone.

Today, when he woke up, we had a few presents to ease his pain. Who doesn't love a reward? He was eager to open the box.

A couple of Mo Willems pigeon books! If you haven't read these books, you HAVE to. Immediately. And then you'll know why we have taken to calling Alexander our little pigeon.

Finally, we discussed how a boy who could go without a binky, was responsible and ready to play with the marble game that he received for his birthday.

But let's face it, the storage plastic bin is way more fun.

He didn't fight us at nap today, either. He just kept hugging Bear while saying, "it's gonna be a struggle, Bear. It's gonna be a struggle."

And then he fell right to sleep.

Good job, big boy. We're proud of you!

Celebrations!

2011-06-18T17:33:00.000-07:00

First year of swim lessons. Check.

First year of preschool. Check.

First night without binky. Stay tuned...

Alexander has a friend

2011-06-09T19:02:00.000-07:00

Alexander has friends. Don't get me wrong. Evan and Addie have been friends since birth and we love what they bring into his life. But ever since Alexander started preschool, I have wondered if he would ever make a new friend. HE DID!! Alexander has a new friend from preschool and he made this connection all on his own. For weeks, it has been "L this" and "L that" around this house. Turns out L was saying the same thing at home about Alexander because last week, Alexander was invited to L's birthday party. And no, it totally wasn't a last minute acceptance because I didn't check my email so I didn't find out two hours before the party and call L's mom to ask if it was too late for us to come. Sheesh. I would never be that mom.

Anyhow, Eric and I decided we would go along for the ride. We weren't certain if parents would be allowed to stay but you know us, if Alexander is having a new adventure, we are going to do whatever we can to be a part of it. When we arrived, as complete strangers walking into a strange home with no familiar faces but our own, all we could do was laugh. This was so out of our comfort zone yet, if it was for Alexander, we were going to go for it. Eric and I did a pretty good job of not clinging to each other while our son ran all over the place with the other four year olds. We soon found ourselves making ridiculously awkward small talk with others. And now we are officially known as "Alexander's mommy and daddy" by a group completely outside our social circle. Weird.

I didn't take any pictures of the birthday party because...well, that's just awkward. But Eric and L's dad hit it off so I imagine there will be future play dates, which means we'll be able to ask before posting pictures of their kid in cyberspace.

Even better than going to L's birthday party and watching a whole new world open up for our kid was finding out they live three blocks away and will be in elementary school together...in two years. I think etiquette would say we need to extend an invite for a playdate since they invited us to the birthday party. Right?

Crazy new world. Crazy.

Little Swimmer Man

2011-05-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, we started Alexander in swim lessons. After a six week session with Kinder Swimmer (thanks, Pam!), we moved over to the local pool. Since that point, Alexander has been swimming, with the exception of occasional family vacations. One of my greatest fears has always been Alexander around water. So much so, that I HATED giving him baths as a baby. Just one of those irrational Mommy fears, I guess.
After his last session, I posted here.

Anyhow, I can honestly say, all my fears have been washed away.
I am SO proud of our little swimmer man!

At the end of every session, there is a safety lesson. The kids strap on life jackets and swim alone. They jump into the deep end and swim, swim, swim.

Alexander has just about mastered P-2 and should be in P-3 by the middle of the summer. This summer, I plan to enjoy the lessons, rather than perch myself on the edge of my seat, preparing to jump in and save my kid everytime the instructor takes his eyes of my kid.

Alexander's wordless world

2011-05-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

Bouncy House

2011-05-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

Alexander was invited to a birthday party at a bouncy house on Saturday. For those of you who have no idea what a bouncy house is, it is the home of several inflatable toys, where kids...bounce. Having never been to one, I predicted Alexander would fall in love.

I was right.

My apologies for the terrible pictures. I forgot our camera and had to use my phone.

It started with a 20 foot high slide. The kids went up and down this thing at least a dozen times in a row.

I took 2 year old Kieran up it and man, that climb is a work-out! Between the toe holds being the size of toddler toes, the steep climb, or the fact that the 2 year old kept sliding back down the ladder, we had a heck of a time climbing it. But we made it...but I only made that climb one time. Alexander must have done it 20 times or more.

The little man spent quite a bit of time tackling the obstacle course.

He would reach the top and be in such a hurry to do it again, that he slid down head first.

Every time.

He spent quite a bit of time, trying to tackle the slide, climbing up the middle section.

Having a birthday party here, is not a bad gig. The kids play for about an hour, and then they herd the group into a side room for cake and presents.

At the end, as predicted, Alexander was worn out and started crying. He couldn't understand why we weren't opening the birthday presents to play with and why we were leaving the bouncy house. As we left, one probably overheard this conversation:

Alexander: "Mama, can I have a Bounce It Up birthday party?"

Mommy: "Of course. But I thought you wanted a pool party."
Alexander, sobs, "NOOOO! I love Bounce it Up."
Mommy: "Ok, ok. We can have a Bounce It Up party. And maybe we can have a play date this summer with Addie and Maya at Bounce It Up, too".
Alexander, with a deep sigh: "Oh, I hope so, Mommy. We should come back here twice a day this summer."
Mommy: "Sure, buddy. Twice a day."

We went to the zoo, zoo, zoo!

2011-05-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

Mommy and Alexander went on a field trip today. It was the last preschool trip of the year so how could Mommy pass up a chance to play with preschoolers? Typically, Eric and Gypsy chaperone and have one or two kids added to their grouping.

Not this time. This time, we scored a sweet deal and it was just Gypsy, me, Alexander and Addie. By 9 AM, we were packed up and ready to go. Within 10 minutes, we experienced what would be the first of several meltdowns. But after a quick stop at Starbucks, the mommies ~~stopped crying~~ were ready for anything.

The sun was shining and it was the perfect day for a trip to the ZOO!

Little Monkeys!

Alexander immediately took off running to see the penguins. Unfortunately, these penguins aren't near as exciting as others we have visited so he quickly moved on to the next exhibit. And the next one. And the next one.

Within the first four exhibits, Mommy was reminded just how quickly Alexander runs/walks/climbs. Fortunately, it didn't take long for her to re-adjust and she soon matched him, stride for stride.

We finally contained him the bird house, where he and Addie took time to feed the birds.

Addie loved feeding the bird.

Check out her cute leopard-print leggings, selected specifically for a day at the zoo. Too cute.

Alexander did not love feeding the bird.

Before he could drop the feeding stick, Mommy grabbed it and all was well again.

After watching a bit and finding his brave self,

Alexander fed the bird.

I wish I had pictures to show of the frollicking tigers, playful polar bears and swinging monkeys we saw at the zoo.
But I was too busy chasing a busy monkey of my own.

After four fun-filled hours, we headed home, curled up on the couch for a rest and enjoyed our evening at home.
It was a good day.

You make the mess

2011-05-14T20:09:00.001-07:00

You clean it up.

F me....

2011-05-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

So today Alex and I are doing a puzzle....

And he starts practicing his "An F says...." sound....

After several minutes of "FFFFFFF's" Alex ads a "uuuuuu".

I look up from the puzzle....

"What are you saying?"

"fu..."

I have to confess, I didn't read this chapter in the book yet... I don't quite know how to respond.

He then says something into his arm.

"Where did you hear this word?"

"From PJ at school. Mrs. Stromberg said it was a bad word."

"Yes... yes it is. We don't say it until we're 15." I reply.

"Fu... fu... fu."

"Yes. That one. If you say it you're going to lose something you like."

I'm sure Alex will be bringing home many other treats from school over the years. I don't know if I was ready for this one.

More Family Photos? Yes, Please!

2011-05-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

The other night, we were just hanging out, finishing puzzles, reading books and lovin' the family time. Alexander decided we needed to take family photos.

You're welcome.

anyone know tips for photoshopping out dark circles and baggy, tired eyes? Sheesh!

Family photo!

Easter Family Photo

2011-04-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

One goal for 2011 was to take more family photos. And even though we are a tad behind on Alexander's four year old pictures (likealmost5monthsbehind) in which we take our annual professional family photo, I have tried to remember to take family photos at events. So far, we're three for three...which is exactly how many times I have ~~begged~~requested the boys to take a family photo.

Alexander's birthday party

Disneyland

Easter Sunday

Dang, those are some cute kids.

Easter Recap

2011-04-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

So, the last couple of posts have had some weird spacing issues. As in, HUGE spaces between words and pictures. I haven't quite figured out how to fix it. I figured I'd post a lot of pictures and write captions and see if I can re-adjust, if necessary.
Anyhow, we had a wonderful time at Grandma Great with loads of loved ones around us. Auntie Kimmie was called in as the substitute bunny and did a fantastic job, hiding our plates.

It was a very Happy Easter (and the kid collected enough to pay for six months worth of binkies)!

Baby Marigold makes the cutest Easter Bunny, wouldn't you agree?

Cousins

I love how much these two love and laugh together.

The Egg Hunt begins

After the hunt, the kids play and play and play.
And Alexander eats chocolate...for the first time.

Needless to say, it was hilarious to watch a four year old, running around with a chocolate-high.
Hilarious.

I tell ya, I love Easter at Grandma's.

Always have.

Always will.

Easter Fun - 2011

2011-04-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

In a few hours, we will arrive at my grandma's house. We'll hang out, eat too much food, and proceed to the Easter egg hunt (you can read about last year's adventure here). I've never experienced an outdoor egg hunt, with real eggs. Instead, big and little kids, race through Grandma's playroom, searching for plastic eggs filled with my dad's poker winnings (thanks, Dad!). Living in the Northwest means unpredictable weather and once upon a time, a brillant someone decided on an indoor egg hunt. I've never complained.

Obviously, with a single child, the arrival of the Easter bunny is rather anticlimatic. We don't hide eggs. I do, however, pack bags for the boys and make the special delivery from the Easter Bunny. Let's face it, it's really just another excuse for me to spoil the boys and I love it.

Eric is the harder of the two to shop for and usually ends up with candy. Alexander, on the other hand...

knows exactly what bag is his.

knows exactly how to dig into the gifts.

knows that a cool monkey towel for swim class is awesome.

and knows that I'm going to ask for a photo of the new doctor gear (playing doctor is his latest obsession).
Being a doctor is serious business.

Just between you and I, I look forward to Easter at my grandma's house more than any other holiday. Even more than Christmas.

That's saying a lot.

Happy 1st Birthday, Marigold!

2011-04-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

One year ago, we posted this...
Today, we celebrated this...

It was a beautiful sunny day. It was almost like Marigold ordered sunshine for her very own day!
We had a terrific time, playing at a local park.
After playing on the toys for about 45 minutes, Alexander moved on to bubble blowing.

Eventually, he did blow plenty of bubbles. And chased them all.

Finally...it was time for presents! We've been working with him on realizing when we give present, the presents STAY with the person who receives them. AND we let the birthday boy/girl open the present. Not an easy concept for an eager four year old. Fortunately, Fidelia didn't mind busy hands helping her out.

Happy First Birthday, Marigold!
Thanks for letting us join your party!

We love you!

EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!

2011-04-19T11:49:00.001-07:00

Umma came over to walk this morning and told us a train had been derailed in Seattle...

We pulled it up the news on the internet and took a look at the train. Alex grabbed his 'noculars and told us he was ready to go take a look in person.

That's serious business.

The nice people from the railroad let us stand on their property and take a few photos then we went on to running a few errands.

Ballet is a sport, right?

2011-04-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Seriously.

5T

2011-04-14T19:10:00.001-07:00

Alexander is built like his dad. Fast metabolism. Long legs. Skinny bean-pole of a kid.

When we were at the park, I noticed that his sweats no longer touch the top of his shoes. In other words...high waters!

OH NO! Not MY kid!

I immediately started thinking about exchanging out his clothing for larger sizes. However, my thought is we can hold out on 5T clothing until fall. It will be summer soon (not that the endless rain is any indication but hope springs eternal). He'll be in shorts and short-sleeved shirts all summer so why spend the money on clothing that he may outgrow in six months? Thus, I convinced myself to wait until the fall or late summer.

Today, I walked in the door and he ran to me.

In jeans that are short enough to be capri pants.

OH NO! Not MY kid!

Fortunately, we have wonderful friends who have passed on clothing to us. I've purchased items on sale in larger sizes. All these items are in a bin in his room.

Today, that bin was cracked open and all 4T pants has officially been replaced.

I've always enjoyed replacing his clothes because it's as close as I get to flooding him with a new wardrobe. Like his dad, he simply doesn't care about his clothes.

I thought I'd shop online sales for another pair of jeans for him.

I went to The Children's Place (their jeans are perfect for bean-pole boy), clicked on the Baby Boy tab and... there IS NO 5T! Apparently, baby boy ends at 4T.

WHAT? My son isn't a BABY BOY anymore?

When the heck did that happen?

Playing at the Park

2011-04-12T15:58:00.001-07:00

Yesterday's sunny skies demanded a trip to the park.

A ride on a slide.

Who am I fooling? There were MANY rides on a slide.

A ride on a swing...notice it is the BIG kid swing. No baby swing for this kid anymore.

Actually, Alexander started in the baby swing but after a full swing, he decided...well, it just didn't feel good to him. I'm sure you can read between the lines.

Springtime. Sunny days. Playgrounds and Parks.

Nothing better when you're four years old.

Thank you, Big Papa and Umma!

2011-04-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Nothing better than finishing a 550 piece puzzle...unless you're sitting on the dining room table to put in the last piece!

Hurricane!

2011-04-08T13:19:00.000-07:00

Remember the post about a train surprise this week? Well...things didn't turn out quite like we planned. We were hoping to take Alexander to a REAL train yard, where a friend works. He offered and we jumped at the chance. However, his boss was on site Thursday so we had to cancel. Turns out live train yards have liability issues, blah, blah, blah...

However, our resilient little man didn't melt down in disappointment. Instead, he looked at me and said, "I KNOW! I'll make my own train yard right here." (apologies for the blurry photos. The kid doesn't exactly slow down for photo these days.)

So, he built...

and built...

and built.

Eventually, he had to come up for air so we went walking with Umma at the mall. Mommy rarely has the chance to join the group so Alexander led the way. And apparently, today was Mommy's lucky day to enjoy a hurricane!

So, the wind blew...

and blew...

and blew!

This may be the best vacation ever!

What a day!

2011-04-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Two big events today, people. And, lucky you, Mommy was home to capture them for the blog. And how much do we love having Mommy home on spring break, so you could enjoy all these entries?

You're welcome.

SWIM LESSONS

Mommy hasn't seen her little fish swim for several months. Naturally, I had to take about million pictures. And videos. Ya know, for those days when he is an Olympic swimmer and I need to sell footage of him as a little swimmer so we can live ~~off our kid~~ happily in retirement. Oh, don't judge...you know you'd do it, too. There are a couple of videos so be patient as they load...the last one may be my favorite.

FIRST TRIP TO THE DENTIST

After a very short nap, Alexander and Mommy had dentist appointments. Mommy dislikes the dentist, as it is.

Imagine how fun the car ride must have been with a SCREAMING Alexander in the back seat. FOR THE FULL 20 MINUTE DRIVE TO THE DENTIST.

AHHHHHHHHH!!!

Anyhow, there must be special air flowing in the dentist office because the minute the kid walked in, he was just FINE. Eric and I may have been a bundle of nerves but thankful the tears had stopped.

The little man was great. Daddy sat in the room to keep him company and I could hear them chattering away.

I don't know why he has sunglasses on but if it works, wear the glasses, kid!

Teeth were cleaned, the dentist gave us both the stamp of approval, and Alexander is happily spending the evening with his grandparents.

While his parents de-stress with cocktails at home.

just sayin'

BEFORE and AFTER pictures...and a visit with Jo-Jo!

2011-04-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

When Alexander's hair grows too long, it lays every which way and is a mess. I wish it had more of a shaggy, surfer boy look but instead, he ends up looking like a hobo.

A REALLY cute hobo.

So, out came the Flo-Bee and Daddy got to work. It amazes how much he looks like his daddy after a hair cut.

Of course, turn around is fair play, right?

All of this was in preparation for a visit with Jo-Jo. Kid can't look like a bum when one of his favorites is coming into town. Alexander put her right to work on the puzzle making.

After awhile, the puzzle making grew tiresome so we headed out to Torero's for dinner.

A couple of cocktails and chips and salsa was just what we needed!

When we returned home, Alexander HAD to show Jodie his favorite movie, Unstoppable. He also had to tell her which bad words she couldn't repeat.

Naturally, a Jo-Jo visit wouldn't be complete without chocolate chip cookies.

Thanks for spending part of spring break with us, Jo-Jo! We love you!

Big Plans This Week

2011-04-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

And I bet they have something to do with a TRAIN!

(doesn't that smile just melt your heart?)

Happy Birthday, Addie Roo!

2011-04-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

Last night, we celebrated Alexander's bestest friend's, Addison's 4th birthday. Technically, she turned 4 last week but celebrating this weekend simply allowed Addie to celebrate day after day after day for a full week.

She chose a Buzz Lightyear, Tutu, Chocolate, Smore themed party. How very diva-ish!

These two have been best friends since birth. Being two months younger, sweet Addie couldn't wait for her turn to turn 4. She is the youngest of the group but you sure wouldn't know it. We love watching these two together.

Happy Birthday, Addie Roo! We love you!

Spring Cleaning

2011-04-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Someone's best little helper was busy cleaning...

wiping dust off his dresser,

off his bed,

and even ventured into our room and dusted our dresser.

I sure hope he wants to help me clean out closets this week.

You want to what?

2011-03-26T00:47:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about Alex is his independence. He likes sleeping in his own bed. He has only slept with us twice when his nightlight wasn't working when the power has gone out. So tonight when I jokingly asked him, "Do you want to sleep with us?" and he replied, "What time are Big Papa and Umma picking me up tomorrow?" I didn't quite get his logic but replied with, "Nine, why?" he looked at mommy and myself then exclaimed with four year old exuberance, "I better go get my blankies and pillows so I can sleep with you guys. Oh oh oh! And my binkie. I need my binkie!"

We both looked at each other, mommy then said, "You do realize this is a special event, you don't get to sleep with us every night."

He quickly agreed. While I tried to figure out what was going on. Then it hit me. "You want to sleep with us so you can see the clock Alex?"

He looked at me with his cutest and most serious look, "Yea."

Needless to say, after mommy fell asleep and him asking her what time it was for the 15th time, I asked him if he wanted to go back to his bedroom if I woke him up in time for Umma and Papa, he quickly agreed.

Lucky for mommy she will only have to deal with Guybrush's and my snoring tonight.

At least he is consistant

2011-03-20T20:04:00.001-07:00

On the phone today with Big Papa and Umma.

Umma says, "Yes, we will be home from Arizona tomorrow."

Alex replies with, "So maybe we could have a sleepover then."

I'm starting to wonder if maybe he doesn't like us....

Ladies Man

2011-03-19T19:52:00.000-07:00

Mommy: "Alexander, do you want to go to my high school with me?"

Alexander: "YEAH! Will Jordan be there?"
Jordan is one of my students who plays with Alexander whenever we are at ASB events. Jordan even went on a few rides in Disneyland with us so he is definitely an Alexander favorite.

Mommy: "No, Jordan won't be there."

Alexander: pauses and responds: "Will the ladies be there?"

Mommy: "Yes...there will be about 30 drill girls in the gym".

Alexander: "Oh good. I love the pretty ladies."

He is his father's child.

Wednesday

2011-03-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

As stated in previous posts, Alexander spends Wednesdays with his grandparents. In his four year old mind, just about every day is a Wednesday. However, last week, he showed us that he really does understand the days of the week.

Alexander to Ho-Ho Papa at Swim lessons: "What day is today, Papa?"

Ho-Ho Papa: "Why, I think it is Wednesday, Alexander".

Alexander: "WEDNESDAY! I go to your house on Wednesday!!"

Umma and Ho-Ho Papa made eye contact and one of them replied with: "Yes, yes you do".

And he did. Whether anyone else wanted him to go or not.

The kid is no dummy.

Neither are his grandparents.

Disneyland Recap

2011-03-16T18:23:00.001-07:00

While Alexander is away at his Wednesday night playdate with Ho-Ho Papa and Umma, we're watching a movie and updating blogs. We're watching Kingdom and frankly, I could use the distraction as it is a pretty intense movie.

If I thought Disneyland was magical last year with a three year old, I had no idea the type of entertainment what would occur with a four year old in tow.

Alexander was so much more aware of "Disneyland" and knew EXACTLY what he wanted to do. He was also much more adventurous. Along with his favorites (Dumbo, Go-Go Gadget Roller Coaster, Casey Jr Railroad, Autotopia and the Monorail), Alexander rode the Matterhorn, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Peter Pan. He refused to ride any of those a year ago so our big boy has become very brave. He was also very patient in lines. Of course, he had three people to hold him most of the time...or carry him around.

Add knowledge with short lines on early admission days and you've got a kid who LOVES Disneyland.

Matterhorn

Big Thunder Mountain
(Sorry, Umma. This was the only picture of us on the ride. You could have ducked like Jordan)

Dumbo

Casey Jr Railroad.

Ridden approximately 48 times. In. A. Row.

Peter Pan (mommy's favorite)

Pre-show to The Muppet Show

Carousel ride with Mommy

Go-Go Gadget Roller Coaster
Also ridden about 48 times in row.

We love It's a Small World!

But if you ask him, he'll tell you his very favoritist ride was California Soaring in California Adventure. We must have done it 5 or 6 times (poor Umma). And each time, Alexander screamed louder and louder. And we laughed and laughed.

Ready to take off! Umma doesn't like to fly...

We walked and walked and walked. We ate and ate and ate.
And at the end of each day, we slept.

It was a magical vacation!

2011-03-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Dad: "Alexander, what do you want to do today?"

Alexander, while jumping on our bed: "let's go to lunch."

Dad: "Lunch? Where do you want to go to lunch?"

Alexander, still jumping: "let's go to mexican food."

Dad: "Why the mexican restaurant?".

Alexander stops jumping, tilts his head, grins and says: "because they love me there."

New Bloggy Design!

2011-03-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! Don't you just love the new blog design!? We sure do!

Jen, over at A Daily Dose of Davis, created it for me. She's actually created the last two blog designs (or is it three?) for Alexander's site. I don't have an inch of the creativity she does so I was thrilled when she said she would help us out.

Normally, I have the blog design coincide with the big reveal of his annual professional picture. Ehmmm...~~we haven't had them done yet~~ we're a TAD behind schedule. So, instead of a new fancy-pants professional photo, I chose his first preschool picture. It seemed right to use it since 1) he's so stinkin' cute in it and 2) preschool was a huge change and 3) change is good for everyone, especially when it is a fun blog design.

My uber-generous friend won't accept anything (believe me, I've tried) as a thank-you gift so a cyber THANK-YOU shout-out will have to suffice. A shout-out may not adequately show my excitement of having a new layout, but believe me, Jen...I LOVE IT!! Thanks, my friend!

The post mom will never read

2011-03-08T18:40:00.001-08:00

He won't pose with Mickey or Handy Manny at Disneyland, but yet....

Our Vacation

2011-03-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Mid-Winter Break has come and gone. And I'm way behind on posting.

Like last year, Alexander and Mommy spent the first half of the week in Arizona, in the house on wheels. The weather wasn't terrific...but it was warmer than home!

Here we go!

We took walks with Umma and Big Papa.

Someone got a haircut because we had a greatly anticipated event ahead of us...

A BOAT RIDE!

Like a good captain, Alexander had to yell for everyone to come ALLLLL ABOARD!

Rosie and Cal presented Alexander with his boat award (the boat won 1st price in the Holiday parade).

Umma and I enjoyed the presentation.

And Alexander enjoyed driving his boat!!

Every boat ride needs a cuddle with a Big Papa.

Finally, we arrived at the Road Runner. And Mom wanted pictures.\

The remainder of the week flew by.

We played with puzzles (the kid was OBSESSED with this 1000 piece Santa train puzzle), fed ducks, and soaked up as much sun and relaxation as we could in anticipation of the second half of our vacation...Disneyland!

Updates Coming Soon!

2011-03-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

A heart attack, a vacation in Arizona and Disneyland, Mommy going back to work, and nasty head colds have all been responsible for the lack up updates to the blog (you didn't think I'd actually admit that it was MY fault, did you?).

However, the weekend is clear of any commitments.

Hang in there, be patient, and...before you know it...an update will be posted.

Here's a photo sneak peek...