Mother's Day weekend

Wow. This was the first weekend in ages that we have actually been in town for the whole weekend. No packing bags for long drives and overnight excursions. It was nice to be home.

On Friday night we went to see a play for Family Fun night. Alameda Children's Musical Theater out on a darling performance of The Wizard of Oz. Gabriela was so excited to see Glinda. It was a great experience since she knew the story from reading the book. It is also one of Gabriela's favorite movies and the play had all the same songs, interlude music and even the same dialogue for much of the play. Easton even paid close attention for much of the first act, clapping and everything. But he had to get get up and run around and then fell asleep during the second act. Gabriela was thrilled to meet the actors after the show. Every time we see a play she asks when she can be on stage. I am not going to lie, I can't wait either. I think she would do great.  But I don't know how I would do. I was practically in tears at some parts of the show, watching these talented kids who worked so hard to put on a show. I was so proud of them and I have never even met them. 

As we laid in bed on Saturday morning, I thought about how we haven't been home in ages to make a big yummy weekend breakfast. Gabriela must have read my mind because she asked Daddy if she could help him make pancakes. Lane made pancakes and eggs and breakfast potatoes and melon. What a breakfast!  Gabriela made a birthday card for her friend and then we headed to the most over the top amazing birthday party we have ever attended. 

I just hope Gabriela doesn't think we will be hosting parties like this for her. Everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly.   We arrived at noon, left at six, bathed the  kids and they were out for the count. 

Sunday was Mother's Day and while we were in bed, Lane informed me that I had a massage appointment later that afternoon. It was heavenly relaxation   I felt amazing afterwards. What a wonderful Mother's Day gift. I also received the cutest drawings, some flowers, and a husband-made dinner. 

Sunday was also Easton's half birthday. my

baby!!!  So we had a cake, put his birthday crown on him, sang "happy half birthday to you" and Easton surprised us all by gracefully blowing out his candle on the first try. 

A new haircut for my big girl.

Last Thursday, while we were having a drink at coffee shop, I casually suggested to Gabriela that we take her for a little haircut. Technically, this would be her third cut. When she was one, she pulled out  nearly all the hair on one side of her head so Lane evened it out. More than a year ago, I gave her an uneven trim, long enough to make all those sweet baby girl ringlets disappear and for me to cry about it (thank goodness I saved one).  But this would be the first time someone else would cut my baby's hair. Gabriela immediately agreed and announced she wanted her hair cut thiiiiiiis short, putting her hand straight to her chin.  I admit it, I got a little woozy.

After some deep breaths and asking her a few more times, I realized Gabriela had her mind made up. As much as I wanted to convince her that she didn't really want short hair, I decided to respect her decision. Let me just say it wasn't easy.

We walked to the beauty college and I started panicking a little. I envisioned Gabriela shrieking while having her hair washed and brushed, questioning the qualifications of the lady about to cut all my baby's hair off, and wondering if Gabriela would change her mind half way through her haircut.

Gabriela was perfect. She felt like a pampered princess and couldn't have been more excited when her long braid was chopped off. All that hair that she had since she was at least two fell to the floor and I was left with a super excited big girl. She couldn't stop checking to make sure her hair was still short. And, this may sound strange, but I totally noticed a change in her behavior. Gabriela was somehow so much more grown up. I feel like she took a lot of pride in making such a big decision, going through with it, and then enjoying the results. Later that night she told daddy that she decided to cut her hair short so she could be like Ramona Quimby. How cute is that?

Gabriela has truly transformed in so many ways over the last year from how she acts at school, to the loving, helpful big sister she has become. She proudly proclaims that she is 4 and three quarters to anyone who will listen. As soon as we finished reading the Ramona books, she begged for us to start over. It's hard to believe she has been riding a two wheeler and has had her own library card for a year now.

I don't know how much longer she will want to be my baby, her haircut made me feel like she is heading into this new big girl phase. So right now I will take what I can get. Just tonight, as I tucked her into bed, Gabriela wrapped her arms around me as tight as can be and very sleepily hummed along while I sang her You Are My Sunshine as she drifted off to sleep. That was my most favorite part of the day. Oh baby girl, you are turning into a beautiful young lady, and I love you to the moon and back.

18 months old

It seems like Easton started truly trying to talk the day after turning 17 months old. Before then, he said just a couple words, but mostly signed a lot. In the last month, Easton started saying more, cheese, ball, book, moon, hot, auntie, apple, please, keys, I love you, and Gabriela. Although it sounds like "Allah". It is so precious watching him say her name or call out to her. Easton will say mama and dada over again when he wants our attention. And he doesn't stop until we respond appropriately. Usually, I hear  him from the other room on repeat, when I go check on him, he is pointing to a picture in a book and eagerly waiting for me to name the object for him. 

We haven't really taught Easton more signs this month, apart from strawberry, which he uses often. Easton did make up two new signs this month. One is for sneeze or nose blowing. He puts his hand to his nose and scrunches up his nose and forehead. The other is hug. Easton folds his arms and squeezes them close to his chest. 

Another new thing for Easton this month is that he is constantly reenacting things with sound effects to tell us what is going on. So my whole life is basically a long game of charades, or better yet soundstage from Cranium. Like after the garbage truck leaves,  Easton quickly jerks his hands up high overheard with a dramatic grunt and then brings them down again with a different sound effects. 

Easton's newest thing is spotting interesting vehicles on the road. Gabriela helps point out the garbage trucks, street sweepers, school buses, deliver trucks and other exciting vehicles. When Easton sees them, he gets a big grin and asks for more. He says Mama or Allah over and over again until he sees the next one.

I am glad about this distraction, because earlier this month Easton figured out how to unbuckle his car seat buckle and he just wouldn't stop. He isn't really doing that anymore now, but he loves to fasten and unfasten his high chair buckles and any others he can get his hands on. 

Easton still loves basketball and will point out any hoop he spots, but that's not his only sport. Easton is a football fan too! He really has quite an arm and can throw things to with excellent aim. Not only that, he's a pro at catching the football as well.

It makes me so happy to see Easton excited about spending time with other family members.  He leans over to his uncles and aunties, ready for them to hold him and play with him when we are together.  Lately, Easton is so excited for Daddy to come home at the end of the day. He sometimes stands in front of the window yelling Dada! Dada!  And then when Lane arrives, he immediately wants Lane to chase him through the house and give him pony rides.  

This month, I've started trying not to nurse Easton at bedtime.  So Daddy has been putting him down for the night.  It's not nearly as easy as Mommy putting him to bed, but we are trying to ease up on a little of the nursing, starting with that feeding.

Easton still isn't really much of an eater.  He just isn't interested.  So when he does feel like eating, I will just keep giving him food until he's done because I don't know when he will eat next.

Easton also recognizes when people are hurt, does his hurt sign, and offers kisses to make the owies better.  Sometimes, he is the one doing scratching.  He will stop, reenact the scratching, sign gentle, and give a kiss.

We love our growing baby boy so much and can't believe today he is one and a half!  Happy Half Birthday, Easton Michael.  We love you bunches!

Gilroy with the fam

When I found out that Grandma was going to have Grandma Chaney visiting over her spring break, I couldn't pass up the chance for a two for one grandma visit. And, lucky us, Auntie Ann and Nolan were in town too. It was just too bad Lane couldn't join us for our midweek day trip. 

I had the timing planned perfectly- to leave just as Easton tired for his morning nap. Well, that didn't work out as planned. Easton napped early for some reason that day and woke up just in time for the drive. We ended up making an emergency Petco trip to break up the drive. Oohing and aahing at the rodents, birds, fish, and kitties and watching some doggies get groomed was just what we needed to recover from being in the car. 

Grandma was happy to be with her boys.

Easton got his Auntie Ann snuggles right away.

And then got busy with playtime!

Just look at this sweet daredevil.

The boys picked lemons for Grandma.

Easton is such a blondie in our family, but  his hair looks brown compared to Nolan's.

Doing some yard work for Grandpa.

Ann, Gabriela, and I left the boys with the    Grandmas so we could do a little shopping at Mango Street Kids. The grandmas were happy to have their special time and we were glad to do some baby-free shopping. Easton looks like he enjoyed his snuggles from Grandma  Chaney.

Later that evening, Uncle Noal and Auntie Elizabeth came over. We, of course, had to stay long enough to visit with Grandpa, and Uncle Ian was in to for work so we got to see him as well!

What a wonderful day trip!  Days like these are exactly why we moved back to California.  We love spending time with our family!

Easter Sunday

Gabriela was so excited for Easter. In fact, we made an Easter countdown banner out of Easter bunny and egg shaped cookie cutters and colored each one. We wrote the date on the back of each one so she could check to see how many days were left.

The Easter Bunny did not disappoint Easton or Gabriela.  

 We decorated eggs this year using natural dyes.  I was so impressed with how they turned out - I wasn't expecting the colors to be as vibrant as they were! We are totally doing this again next year.

 Our egg dyes included 100% cranberry juice with some added raspberries, onion skins and paprika, turmeric, spinach and basil, red cabbage, and beets.

 That army looking green egg was dyed with the spinach and basil. I wasn't too hopeful about this dye, so I mixed some of the yellow and blue dyes together.  The actual dye didn't change to green, but it sure made a beautiful green color on the egg. I still can't get over the fact that the red cabbage makes such a blue color. 

 So, I am pretty sure I had more fun during this process than Gabriela. The trick to getting the colors to be so bright is to refrigerate the eggs in the dyes for at least a day.  The process was a slow going one, but it was cool for Gabriela to watch the water change from clear to the deep colors we got. 

Next year I want to do some drawings with wax crayons before we dye, or imprints of flowers and leaves before we dye.  I can't wait.  I saved my onion skins and glass jars for ages in preparation for the big egg dying festivities.

Oh, and I baked the eggs instead of boiling them! It totally worked. Have to remember that technique ;)

Back to Easter, that sneaky Easter Bunny hid eggs all over our dining and living rooms for the kids to discover.  They had bunny gummies, bunny cookies, yogurt covered raisins, and some chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels.

 Whoa, the Easter Bunny got a little carried away this year.  Gabriela got Hello Kitty gardening gloves, some stationary, lip gloss, new coloring pencils, a fairy coloring book, and a Tiptoes Lightly book about spring and Easter. We are loving the Tiptoes Lightly books. The stories are so cute about the fairy Tiptoes Lightly and her two gnome friends - Pinecone and Pepper Pot. She got some other fun stuff too, like bandaids and a little basil growing kit and some radish seeds.

 Easton got an Odwalla cereal bar, a super bouncy ball, some animal crackers, a board book about spring, and some Eric Carle swag - some flashcards and an opposite book.

After the Easter basket exploration, egg hunting, and treat eating, we got ready for Heather and Serkan to come over for brunch. Heather brought the cutest felt Easter eggs that she sewed by hand and we feasted on gourmet BLTs, a quinoa beet salad, a fruit salad, an herby potato salad. 

They left for a little while, but then came back and we spent the evening together also since they were getting ready to move out of town. We needed one last hoorah before they left town.