And the Award Goes to...

Hopefully my big sis! I am so excited for my sister. I just learned that she was nominated for "Teacher of the Year" in her district. I am awed, but not surprised. Some people are born to teach, my sister is born to shine (which includes her talent for dazzling her students, inspiring other teachers,myself included, and her long ago passion of vocal performance)! Hey Li if you combined your singing with your teaching skills you definitely have this award in the bag! I just am so glad to see someone who dedicates themselves to enriching the curriculum, the meaning of community of learners, and their student's lives and love of reading and writing getting some much deserved recognition. Lisa you are, as I've always said, "Super Teacher", and this nomination just proves that I'm not the only one who noticed. Congratulations!

Tuesday Night Fever!

Zach is always a little more tired in the evenings on the days he goes to school(a name affectionately given to his daycare),in comparison to the days he spends at Grandmacare and home because at school he only gets one nap in of two hours instead of his usual two naps of the day. So I was a little surprised when Zach mustered up the energy to bust a move this evening! Seriously people this boy loves to dance. Tonight Zach started dancing to a commercial he heard on the tv, so Wayne flipped to the all music stations and Z rocked out in front of the tv. Listen I know these pictures aren't great, but it tough to capture a one year old in motion especially when they're swaying to the beat:




I was able to capture Z's dance face as well:

I know I know, we'll have to work on a better look, but he's got the basics down, and he really enjoys performing! After his workout, Zach gave us the classic tell that he was ready for bed, he went to the couch, pulled the pillow off, threw it on the floor and laid down on it...you can see he had just enough energy to reach out for one last toy to play with(It's sort of funny how his sippy cup looks tossed aside in a stupor, the picture looks eerily like some I took in college!)

Too bad he didn't have the energy left after his dance-a-thon to help Mom clean up the toys he had strewn around the room! Oh, well at least I got an invitation to the dance party!

A Series of Firsts!

Aside from getting his haircut on Saturday, Zach also had another few firsts. On Friday Dad came home from work and decided to take Z and I to get our first shakes of the season. They are absolutely delicious and this pregnancy the thing I crave most is a cool chocolate shake. Zach was pretty thrilled about having his cravings met too:

He even sported his shades for more than 5 seconds, just to look like Dad:

It was a lovely surprise for a Friday where I had stayed home because Zach was sick. Look at this baby, I think he pulled one over on me, after 5 a.m. his phantom fever disappeared and we spent the day playing!

On Saturday we ventured to the park to meet up with Grandma and Jack. Aunt Lisa called to invite us, and even though it was windy, I couldn't resist an opportunity to see the boys playing at the playground. This was another first, as Z has never been to the playground before. Here is a picture of the boys swinging, sorry Li you and I don't look too hot in this pic!

After our adventures on the windy playground we sought refuge in the Library. Yes another first for Zach, and he loved it. Aunt Lisa entertained with a story...I love when those teaching skills come into play in real life:

We finished up at the library, after I helped Jack pick out some books. Although I thought "Roberto The Mouse Architect" looked intriguing, Jack really loved the book about a "farting dog". Go figure!

With all these firsts out of the way, I have some spaces to go fill in again in Z's baby book! All in all, it was a glorious weekend!

Z Man's 1st Haircut!

For the last few weeks I've been thinking that Zach's hair was getting too long...I know I know, he looks practically bald in pics, but trust me the back was starting to look crazy. Here is a shot I took of it this morning:

So Wayne and I packed him up at 8 am and heading to Bob and John's Barber Shop. I think I was more excited to see a barber's shop than Z, since I've always wondered what one looked like. It was classic...except for the stuffed, once living, creatures they had hanging on the walls...gross! Actually Z loved that part...he kept looking up at them as Wayne tried to snap a picture of us waiting:
After awhile, Zach's turn finally arrived and Daddy volunteered to hold the wiggle worm as the haircut commenced. Zach was very lucky, one of the owners "Bob" cut his hair. Here they are getting started. Bob the old pro, decided to distract Zach with a Sponge Bob toy:
Zach decided to take a little nap as Bob worked, by cuddling with Dad:

Zach started to really enjoy his time at the Barber Shop:He kept handing his toy to Bob and then taking it back from him:
All the while, pieces of my baby's duck fluff hair was being snipped off:
Like the great father he is, Wayne didn't complain once, even though he was covered in Z's hair...Bob even said that Zach sits better for his haircuts than Wayne :), but I thought they both were well-behaved and patient! Here is the final look to compare:
Zach got some great souvenirs from his trip. He got a really cute big boy cut, some of his curls for Mommy, and a certificate that states he is no longer of the "uncut" population. How sweet is that!
Look at how he's even sporting the big boy attitude! Please guys don't smile for the picture, that would be uncool! It was a fabulous day today to mark yet another milestone is Zach's life!

Introducing...

Baby X:

For my readers this news does not come as a surprise, since you've all known since mid-March, but this is the first time I am going public, so to speak, with the great news that we are in fact expecting Baby #2! I think it's taken me awhile to really connect to the knowledge that in a few months I will have two kids under the age of 2! I may be slightly mad, but I am so thrilled that we are adding to our family. And this baby is very lucky...they have the best big brother in the world, the most dashing Daddy, a loving Lennie, great Grandparents, adoring Aunts, unbeilevable Uncles, and Cute cousins!! Just look at how Z celebrated the news:

I don't know if he quite understands the big brother thing, but as the youngest of three I understand how important "big brother" and "big sister" is and I tell you its a pivotal role in any kid's life. Well...the cat is out of the bag, or unto the internet now. Lets just pray for another healthy, happy, and dimpled little person!

Just Another Maniac Monday!

Today I went back to work after 11 days off! Not that I was counting or anything! And although the kids were pretty well behaved and semi-conscience, I missed my Z man. I swear it is the greatest Catch 22 this parenting gig. Some days you feel like you can't make it through one more minute and others you're longing to chase the little guy around the house for the hundredth time.

I did have a pleasant surprise today though, I got to see my parents and brother and sister in law for dinner. It was so nice of my parents to treat us for watching Wolfie, but it's the least I can do for the people who spoil me daily! We went to the OG(Ok, I know I was there last week, but I've already explained that it's my favorite place) and it was a wonderful meal. I love taking the little man out to restaurants, he really enjoys seeing people and trying new foods! Actually today he enjoyed throwing new foods, but hopefully this is just a phase! All in all it was an eventful day that went unfilmed. However, since the pics are my favorite part of the post here are a few shots of Zach's new favorite game...it's called "boating in my bristle block container":

That pile of toys are the bristle blocks that Z dumped out in order to sit in the container...later he thought, hey boating in fun, but maybe surfing is better:

I tell you the things this kid thinks up are truly amazing! Isn't life beautiful, even on a maniac Monday?

Another Playdate!

Thursday was a really full day all around. It began with a visit from cousin Jack, who stayed with me while my sister ran a musical rehearsal. We entertained ourselves by reading books, playing in the play kitchen and eating Chips Ahoy! We took some time to act like the monkeys that we are as well:

This is a better shot of the actual Jack in my opinion, but I'm not sure what he's staring at:

After a quick couple of hours with Jack, Z and I headed to visit my friend Kim and her son Brayden and my friend Missy and her daughter Shona. Shona is a little older than the boys, so she kept doing two and a half year old things while the boys climbed, chewed and ran around. I did manage to capture one shot of the three of them playing:

Trust me with three active kids I am surprised I got this shot. I swear I don't know how my parents ever took a shot of the three of us without at least two of us being a blur! Kim's house is gorgeous! She renovated her kitchen and sun room a few years back and I'm ashamed to admit this is the first time I've gotten to see it, but you can catch glimpses of its beauty in some of the pics. Here is one of the only non blurry shots I have of the two boys:

The two of them took turns climbing and sitting on the rocking chair. Z was a little dangerous standing on the chair, but like I've said before the boy loves to climb! Brayden was a great host who really enjoyed playing in the sun room! I was so impressed by how he got up and down the stairs! Here is a pic of the cute little guy:

And here is a pic I snapped of Shona:

The star of the day was Lola, Kim's new puppy, here she is:

Zach really is a dog boy, look at this boy, he's in his element:

It was a great playdate!

Luck Be A Lady!

This is just a little shout out to my parents who are spending their days in sunny Las Vegas! I hope that you get many Royals and that Dad and Nick enjoy golfing! Mom...enjoy the atmosphere and Elton John. I am so jealous, I just love Elton John's music! I will talk to you all soon and everyone here is doing well.

As for us, today Aunt Penny came over and we all went to the OG! That's the Olive Garden for those of you who don't know the lingo. After lunch we went for a stroll around the neighborhood and talked. It was nice, I don't get to see Jenn nearly enough anymore. I think tomorrow will be another eventful afternoon as we have another playdate planned!

The Best Part of Spring Break!

It's amazing how differently one views Spring Break after having a child. It is no longer about lunches out with the girls, or which bar to hang out at...it's all about play dates! There is no better way to spend a day than with a friend and their child...who also happens to be the same age as your child! Ok...there may be many ways to spend "better" days, but this brings a lot of joy to everyone! Fortunately many of my favorite people are also teachers, like my sister and my best friends. So when Jo called today to see if she could come over with her youngest, Aaron I was all for it! Little did I know she was also planning on bringing me Mighty Taco too...so yummy! The boys had a great time even though Zach decided to take a marathon nap of 3 hours and missed a lot of the visit. Here are some pictures of the day:

The boys just thought the ball popper was awesome. Aaron even used it to shoot his new shampoo commercial. Look at all his luscious hair blowing in the wind. Zach was really jealous...don't worry buddy bald is beautiful too! Aaron made fast friends with Z and Lennie. Like Zach I think Aaron also thought the coolest toy in the house was Lennie. So much for all the money I've spent on Fisher Price! After they were done running after the dog and the balls from the ball popper the boys then decided it would be fun to crawl through the play tunnel. Zach's an old pro, but Aaron was a first timer! He did really well and really enjoyed the experience...he wasn't fast enough for Z though who was hot on his heels most of the way through.

After his daring feat, Aaron took a moment to snuggle with his Mommy. I swear these two are just too cute. If Alex had been there too this picture would have had cute factor overload, as it is it is one of my favorite shots from the day:

And just when we thought the afternoon couldn't get any more exciting, Aunt Lisa and cousin Jack stopped over. Jack, being the oldest in attendance decided to orchestrate story time. I have the best nephews!

All too soon the afternoon came to a close. There were some tearful goodbyes:

And a great big hug, which even Lennie got in on!

All in all it was a wonderful play date...let's do it again soon. By the way, Happy 1st birthday Aaron...on Thursday!

Easter Recap!

Zach's 2nd Easter was so much fun. He started the day out by spending some quality time with Dad as Mom slept in and then when I got up, he "found" his Easter Basket. I'd post the picture of him running towards the basket but he was a blur, needless to say he was pretty psyched to have such a gift!

Oh what the hay...Here he is in route to his basket:
Zach's first gift of choice was his new crayon buddies, but after a quick once-over he selected his sports eggs to focus on. Here he is trying to get his football egg open
Note that look of intense concentration...it's the same one his Mommy gets when there is a Twix bar that needs opening. After, Zach spent the morning playing with his new toys and eating some Easter chocolate, all while Lennie looked on in envy:
Later in the day, after a morning nap, Grandma Alice stopped over with lots of goodies. Zach was so thrilled to see her and he particularly enjoyed the blue bunny she brought for him. Mom particularly enjoyed the Starbursts, and Dad the caramels too!

After another quick nap, we were off to visit Grandma and Papa at their house. Z was so excited to participate in his 1st Easter egg hunt...unfortunately he didn't wait for cousin Jack so some of the eggs had to be hidden again. Zach really enjoyed the truck basket he got from his grandparents and all of the great company and food! Here he is celebrating with Grandma:
I don't know what was so great...but Zach is clapping and my Mom is in a full fledged laugh...so it must have been pretty cool. After dinner Zach had his special egg cookie...I think I see a theme:
and so did Daddy:
Mom...those cookies are the best! While I'm on the subject of awesome desserts, just look at the cupcakes my sister made. Li you are one talented baker and decorator...wow...I love your talent and creativity!

Aside from the culinary delights, playing with his family, and egg hunting, Zach took a moment to be reflective:
He quickly decided however that it was much more fun to play with his Uncle Nick:
All in all it was a very lovely Easter Day! Although I am pretty sure this post is picture overload...here is one of me and my big baby cuddling up on Easter together.
Hope you enjoyed your day as much as we enjoyed ours!