I'm 2!!!

Actually, W is now 3 years old.  Sigh.  So soon.  Too soon.  We have been prepping for his party for a while now.  It's great because I didn't have to come up with a theme myself.  He's his own person now, with likes and dislikes.  Sometimes they are one and the same.  Don't ask.  But he LOVES Thomas the Tank Engine.  So naturally, we were going to have a train party.  I wasn't going to do anything fancy.  I don't have time for that, right?  But if you've ever gone on Pinterest, you'd know that there are just too many cute ideas out there that you cannot deny your little boy.  Even if he can't acknowledge or appreciate it now (which he totally doesn't)  I hope that one day he'll look at pictures and know that all this effort made out of sheer celebration.  There are are people out there (who's names I won't say) make their birthdays out be be some sort of week long mardi gras fest.  I never understood that because that's a little more attention than I prefer.  And you'd think someone with a birthday 10 days from Christmas would like a little celebratory recognition.  But again, too much focus in the wrong direction.  It's embarrassing.  So birthdays were never a big deal to me.  Not something to ignore, but not exactly blimp-worthy either, you get what I'm saying?

Well, I feel completely different about birthdays now.  Because the day my first son was born will always be a reason for me to celebrate my ass off.  I was soooo excited.  I could barely sleep the night before.  I kept thinking..."I hope he likes it.  I hope he likes it."  And, thank God, he did.

That isn't to say it went off without a hitch.  It started off bumpy.  Grandpa ruined the cake.  Not completely, but it was right in the middle  and in the front.  Not the side that you can hide or the back.  But the front.  I was upset because it was a Thomas the Train cake I had special ordered.  It was the first cake other than our wedding cake that I had special ordered.  I didn't even do that for his first birthday.  You couldn't be more MOM than ordering a train cake.  So I was quite bummed it got smushed.  And I got blisters on my feet before the party even started because I had to make a lot of trips to the car to get everything.  I had lots of help... but time was not on my side.  You see, they don't give you much time to prepare.  We rented out a train for 3 hours.  And you get to designate your prep time out of those 3 hours.  That's like...nothing.  Three hours will zip by at a party! (which it did.)  So I only gave myself 30 mins to set up the party, which is like a blink of an eye.  We got it done.  Barely.  And all I remember was eating for a few minutes, saying hi to a few friends, and then it was time to clean up!!!  Of course, most of the parents had taken the kids to ride the train so there were only a few of us left to clean up.  We were like a tornado ripping through a town, leaving nothing but debris.  I was actually quite proud of us.  But I was also sad because I didn't even get to see my son hang out at the train station.  I was too busy.  I felt like Steve Martin at the end of Father of the Bride, when he doesn't even get to dance with his daughter on her wedding day.  But everyone finally came back in time to get their favors and strollers and I DID get to ride the train with my beautiful son!  I got to just enjoy his birthday for a few minutes on the train while holding him.  And I started to cry.  And I was so glad I was sitting in the front row so no one could see.  He was a just a baby a moment ago.  And I realized that all of his birthdays will be bittersweet because it will always mark how quickly time passes.

I find myself looking at his face, searching for those round chubby cheeks he once had.  His hair is thicker and no longer whispy.  He's got all his teeth now.  His feet look huge!!  It's getting harder and harder to see the "baby" in my baby.  Don't grow too fast, sweetie.  Mommy is having a hard time with it already.

In true W style, he was afraid to come into his party train.

A graciously helped us set up and tried to get W to come in.

These favors were so fun to make.  

All that prep.... and yet not as big a bang as I thought it would be.  Oh well. LOL!

P made these.  Check out the wheels!

Still won't come in!

The smushed yet yummy cake.

We had California Chicken Cafe cater.  Twas YUMMY!!

The birthday boy waiting for his friends.

Look at all the grand-love N is getting!

Besties.

Okay, now he's getting excited!

M, his bestie from school.

Even his first love came.  Kekekeke.

The two biggest train lovers you'll ever meet.

Waddup, B!  This guy is ready to walk!

This is W's favorite thing to do at Traveltown.  Walk the tracks.

"Mommy, I want the train!!"

I think the icing was too irresistible.  These guys just ignored their parents and kept dipping. LOL

Photobombed by A. LOL!!!

Practicing 3's with his fingers.

A was the only one to put on the party favor accessories.  Cute, right?

My happy train ride with my W.

W had fun!  Phew! It was ALL worth it!

Happy Birthday, W!

Growing Traditions

For the most part, summer sucks.  Yeah, I said it.  I do not do well in the heat at all.  Why I live in Sunny California is beyond me.  Trust me, there isn't a day that goes by where I don't picture myself in a kelly green peacoat, sipping a hot latte as a watch my breath on a cold morning.  Sigh.  A girl can dream, right?  But there is one thing I love about summertime.  It's fair time!!!  I think I've been going with P since 1999. That's when we started dating.  And we've been going every year since.  Last year, it was the three of us.  Me, pregnant with N, and spending most of my time waiting in long lines for the restroom.  Not fun.  Who was pregnant this time around?!  Who cares!?!?!  I wasn't and that's all that matters.  For the first time, we hung out around the kiddy area of the fair.  It's actually quite large and they had a lot of rides and games for W to enjoy.  N is still too little and can't even sit up.  So he was stuck in the stroller once again.  

I love that P and I get to pass along some of the traditions we have to our boys.  There's no possible way they could understand how much love we feel for them and how their happiness is all we care about.  It's like a thirst you can't quench.  I can't hug or kiss them enough and yet, I try all the time.  I don't remember this kind of stuff when I was a child, but my memory is shamefully awful.  One can only hope that all this smothering will linger somewhere in their memories and they'll remember that they were loved.  If not,  I wrote it here! so don't you boys forget how much I love you!!

Note:  I wanted to include the photo booth pics and N's silhouette, but I can't figure out our new scanner.

Look at my baby, watching the pigs.

We didn't see any piglets this year, which is like the best thing ever!!! Such a bummer.

He refused to get closer to the cow.  

It wouldn't be right if A didn't join us!

Photobombed by a juicebox.

W, lovin this obnoxiously loud car ride.

No, we don't know who that passenger is.  His dad just stuck him in the car.

W's first carnival game!!!  How do you play?  You pick up a duck and throw it. Anywhere.

Winner! Winner!  Chicken dinner!

Here he is...apparently not understanding that his turn is over.

Not what I imagined for W's first fishing trip.

He got one!!!!

He picked out a pink pig.  Which he promptly gave to N.

Big brother did it.  Now, it's your turn.

So cute!

Can't believe he wasn't afraid of the butterflies.

Look at the concentration.

Here, he's demonstrating how a butterfly's wings flap open and close.  

Nom Nom Nom

My mom predicted that baby N would grow up to bigger than W.  I couldn't understand why she thought this.  He was born smaller, first of all.  He was a poor eater for the first few months and he lost a ton of weight when he was jaundiced.  But I guess she saw something in him that I didn't.  Because let me tell you, he's more than a chunky monkey.  He's a gorilla!  A delicious, juicy, squishy, nibblelicious ball of love.  And he is already wearing clothes that W didn't wear until he was a year old.  Yup.  Ya heard me.  And it's not because he eats a lot.  I would say that W was still a better eater at this age.  It's a mystery as to why he just packs it on.  Genetics.  Mama's genetics.  

N finally has teeth!!  Unlike W, this kid was not happy about his new chompers.  Fever, pain, and drool, drool, drool.  But they finally cut through and they are so dang cute!  

Go ahead.  Bite me.

Green beans and broccoli.  Gag

Cookie.  That's much better.  Hmph! 

Happy Trails

I can't wait until we can go camping as a family.  Some of my best childhood memories are of camping with friends and family.  Pitching the tent, the smell of charcoal, the crackling fire....all of it.  I daydream about it all the time.  Not only do I blog about my life but I follow many, many blogs as well.  And I noticed that I tend to enjoy the ones of folks who live in the midwest, so close to nature, where their children get to have the great outdoors literally right outside their windows.  I envy that.  How nice it must be to experience all four seasons and hear the sound of gravel under your shoes wherever you go.  Perhaps one day we'll live in a place like that.  

Until then, a hiking we will go!  It's the next best thing and it's a little difficult to do right now with a young baby.  But we got our dusty carrier out and I gotta say, I think N is going to be an Eagle Scout for sure!  He was such a trooper!!  Didn't hear a peep from that little guy the entire time.  He was just staring at the wonderful scenery the entire way!  P had hiked this place before and failed to mention how rocky the terrain would be.  I guess he didn't remember it that way.  But it was a bit of challenge trying to make sure W didn't trip and kill himself!  We had to cross streams and walk on slippery rocks over and over again.  It didn't help that W kept stepping in the stream water on purpose!  Needless to say, I was stressed out the entire time, but it was amazing to see my little man hike the entire way and back!  I live with a bunch of outdoorsmen, apparently.  Awesome!  The reward at the end of trail was a beautiful enclosed waterfall.  W really enjoyed it.  And of course, it's always great to see your kids happy.

Papa was awesome carrying N the whole time on his back.  And he had to help me with W a lot, too.  The map says it's a half mile but...that's bullshit.  I know what a half mile feels like and that was waaaay longer, map!  Way longer!  Well, it was a good workout and I gotta say, it makes me feel like our family can get through some tough stuff when we stick together.   

So adorable, right!?

Still hard to believe we have 2 boys!  Will I ever get used to this sight?

W gets so giddy when we go walking.  

My babies look even smaller amongst these grand trees.

W, your shadow is taking a picture of you!

He was so ready to enjoy the water after that grueling hike.

Um, mommy didn't bring a change of clothes dear.  Sigh.

Isn't this kid awesome?

The road back.

Glorious pudginess at it's best.