So Darn Sweet

I just had to share this one picture of our sweet baby girl! Gus took both kids up to his parents' house yesterday so that they could see the family. Gus' sister spent Christmas with her fiance's family, so the two of them hasn't seen the kids yet or exchanged gifts with them. Anyway, the kids had great fun (as always) and our living room is now taken over by the really cool tent and tunnel that Maria and Bill gave them.

Anyway, Bill's parents were sweet enough to send gifts for the kids. Really, how nice are they?? These are their son's future niece and nephew-- kind of distant relatives for them-- and yet they are always sending them sweet little things. Like this dress for Maya, which is absolutely GORGEOUS! I wanted to take a picture to show to them, but I loved how it turned out. So, without further ado, our baby girl in her beautiful new dress from Bill's mommy and daddy! :)

Jump Around

Just wanted to share this video from earlier... I'm impressed with how Maya actually gets both feet off the ground almost half the time! It's probably because she is my fearless child, and has no problem falling on her butt. Love that kid! And listen to her talk, too ("jump!" "again!" "bye-bye!")

Aquarium!

WARNING: Prepare for truly awful photos (quality-wise). We were halfway to the aquarium before I realized I hadn't put a memory card in my camera. And my cell phone was practically dead. Way to go, Briar!!

Anyway, poor photo quality aside, we had a great morning together! Gus had purchased a Groupon a while back that was basically two adult aquarium tickets for the price of one. And today was the perfect day for a visit! Gus is off work all week, plus the weather was absolutely gorgeous. The aquarium is located on a cliff in La Jolla overlooking the ocean. It was clear and sunny and just a fabulous day to be near the beach.

The aquarium itself was really nice, too. It's not the biggest place, but it had a lot to offer. First, we went through the classic aquarium section-- dark hallways, tank after tank filled with fish and sea creatures mostly native to the California coastline. Some highlights of that part included the eels (which were HUGE and scary!), the jellies, the seahorses, the giant kelp forest aquarium (similar to the one in Monterey, but a little smaller), the lionfish, and a man in a wetsuit cleaning one of the tanks. Actually, this is the only part where Nikos got scared. He didn't know that the man was a man-- I guess because of his snorkel gear and wetsuit? He didn't want to get anywhere NEAR that tank. He even asked, "Is that a gorilla in there???" haha! Silly boy!


After that, we went through the hands-on exploratory section. Half of it is dedicated to seahorse research, and the other half is about reducing carbon emissions, conserving electricity, etc. There were lots of buttons and dials for the kids to mess with, which they enjoyed. And when we got to the end of that hallway, we found a door leading outside to the shark reef exhibit! Awesome!! There were also some water tables outside where you could use plastic panels to control the direction of the current, then race boats across. Both kids loved this part! There was also a nice shark photo op, which we had to take advantage of...

When we were done in that courtyard, we found our way to a different one which housed the tidepools. One of the workers asked Nikos if he had touched a starfish yet, and he said he hadn't. So, she got a small plastic box, filled it with water, and removed a starfish from one of the tidepools. Nikos stuck his hand in the water, but couldn't quite bring himself to actually make contact with the starfish. Maya touched it twice, and then thanked the worker several times. It was too cute! If only I'd had a camera, DOH!!

Anyway, we got home just before lunchtime, and I think Maya was tired... We all ate lunch, then relaxed in the living room for a bit. One minute, she was snuggling in my lap as I checked my email. The next minute, she was sound asleep. Luckily, I had another crappy camera (my laptop's webcam) handy to take a picture:

Aside from the whole not-having-good-pictures thing (which bothers me endlessly!), we had a great time together. And now we know what a hidden gem this little aquarium is! I think another visit will be in order... maybe even with a camera!

Friends!

First, before I forget, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANT!!!! I find it hard to believe that my LITTLE brother is 31 today. I think that means I must be old!

Anyhow... We met up with some of my mommy friends this morning, and had so much fun! The original plan was to leave the house around 7, drive to my parents' house, hang out there for an hour or so, and then drive to my friend's house (who lives about 10 minutes away from my parents). The reason for the early departure was that our cleaning lady was coming today, and we needed to be out of the house! However, the plan changed, since my mom was up all night with some sort of nasty stomach bug. We still left pretty early, but went to get some coffee and then shop for a bit. I got new underwear and socks for both kids-- I know, it's thrilling! Maya doesn't even NEED underwear yet, but she was begging for the Minnie Mouse pack and I figured, "Why not?" It probably won't be too long before she's potty training, and she will eventually use them! So there you go.

We did have a total meltdown in the store, though. Nikos kept insisting that he needed a treat, and I disagreed. I actually caved for a minute and told him he could get something from the dollar bin, but that wasn't good enough for him. So, I dragged my tantrum-throwing-child to the cashier, paid for our stuff, and got out of there as quickly as possible. Only to find out that Maya had completely FILLED her diaper. Ugh!!! I took care of that in the back of the car while Nikos wailed and wailed in his carseat. I was about ready to throw in the towel right then and there!

However, we persevered, and actually had a ton of fun! It was great to see my friends again, and the kids all played together nicely. We left right at lunchtime, and the kids ate their peanut butter sandwiches and crackers on the road. Both of them fell asleep before we got home, though-- they must have worn themselves out playing! Anyway, we spent the rest of the day at home, except for when Gus took Nikos to the store to buy a new video game for the Wii. We don't play video games very often, but had a blast playing this particular one with Grant and Melissa the other day. So, now we have it! SO FUN!!

How about a few pictures?




P.S. My friend Sara is in the process of bulding her own photography business rght now (she took our family portraits in September!), and we had a chance to talk shop this morning... I've saved up a decent chunk of change, and couldn't decide what my next purchase should be. A lens? The one I want is well over $1,000. A new camera? Well, the one I REALLY want is $2,500. So, she convinced me to get a Speedlite (an off-camera flash) and accessories-- so I did! I got the top-of-the-line Speedlite, a lighting stand and an umbrella mount, a 46" umbrella reflector, and the various things I need to trigger the flash. I played with Sara's this morning, and I am SO excited. It should all be here the first week of January! And I'm so happy that it's all coming out of my photography account! Woohoo!! :)

Christmas Overload!

I've been delaying posting about our Christmas yesterday, because it feels like such a daunting task! I took so many pictures! I decided, though, that I should just edit a few to share and get it over with already. I'll probably share more later on. So here goes!

Nikos woke us up yesterday morning at just after 6am, climbing into our bed and insisting that we go and see if Santa had come. I told him that I knew for a fact that he had come, since I had heard the reindeer and their jingle bells on our roof. Nikos instantly shared that he, too, had heard the reindeer. And Rudolph was there, too! It was so cute!

Anyway, we managed to keep him in bed with us for another ten minutes or so before he simply HAD to get up. I quickly got myself ready, and left him in the room with Gus so I could go and turn on the Christmas tree, grab my camera, preheat the oven for breakfast, etc. Then I woke up Miss Maya, who would have gladly slept longer if only her brother wasn't chomping at the bit! Nikos RAN down the hall to the living room, instantly descending upon the train set that Santa had left for him. He kept saying, "This is what I wanted! Santa brought me a train set!!" It was SO sweet! Maya, being a little groggy still, had to be carried to the living room. But as soon as she saw her baby carriage, she was in love. She and Nikos both had to examine each other's gifts, and they could have played with them all day!

Then the present-opening madness began. Of course, I got the kids a lot of useful things (like clothing and shoes), mixed in with some fun things. Some of the highlights included a firefighter dress-up kit, lots of shoes for Maya (she loves them... go figure!), some cool new puzzles, and, well, everything else! When it was all said and done, it looked like a toy store had exploded in our living room. But they were happy as can be!

Even Charlie got into the Christmas spirit, sticking close by as we opened gifts (and he got one too, of course!)

When the present-opening extravaganza was done, we sat down to a yummy breakfast of homemade maple-cinnamon rolls (heaven!!), caramelized bacon, and fresh fruit. The kiddos had chocolate milk (a rare treat) and Gus and I had mimosas. I repeat: heaven!

Once we had finished eating and had gotten things somewhat picked up, we got dressed and headed up to my parents' house for the rest of the day. In addition to my parents, we were joined by my grandma, my brother, his wife, and their son, Colton (who is now three months old!!). We opened presents again, receiving many more wonderful and generous gifts. Seriously, we were all spoiled rotten! And after that, we hung out, snacked on yummy crackers and dips all afternoon, and (by some miracle) enjoyed a period where ALL THREE kids were asleep at the same time! We used this time to test out my brother's new multi-player game on the Wii, and I literally laughed so hard at one point that tears were streaming down my face. I can't even explain why, because it would sound stupid. But Gus and I were both DYING laughing. Oh my gosh. I guess you had to be there!

Later on, we had an awesome dinner prepared by my mom, which included her world-famous scalloped potatoes. Well, they may not be famous, but they should be, because they are THAT good! And once we were done, we bathed the kiddos, loaded up the car, and headed back home. All in all, it was an excellent Christmas,and the kids really enjoyed getting to see their great-grandma, aunt, uncle, and COUSIN! Nikos kept announcing that Colton was his favorite cousin, which cracked me up. And both kids just wanted to hold him and snuggle with him all day long, like he was some sort of living doll!


Anyway, it was fun, but I am wiped out! And our backyard is just loaded with empty boxes and wrapping paper that we need to recycle but don't have room in the can for. And to think, Nikos asked if Santa was coming again today! Sorry, kiddo, but I'm pretty sure you have enough.

Hope everyone had a good one!

Merry Christmas!

I'm setting this up to post in advance... So most likely, we are opening presents right as this is being posted. Yay! I hope you all have a WONDERFUL holiday! I'm sure I will be posting a million and a half pictures tomorrow! :)

Santa Was Here!

Exhibit A:

And Exhibit B, which has since been appropriately nibbled on. Santa even left the kids a thank you note for his cookies and soda (Nikos' choice, since he thought Santa would like it), hehe!

Anyway, magic is in the air, and both kids seem pretty amped. Of course, that could be because they opened presents with their yiayia and pappou this afternoon and were spoiled rotten! Nikos insisted on sleeping with every single toy he received. Even Maya, in a move made famous by her big bro, tried to drag her dollhouse into bed with her (I managed to convince her that putting it next to her bed was just as good). At any rate, they had fun opening the first round of presents this afternoon. Here are a few photos from Christmas 2010-- take 1!

Movie Time!

I have lots I could post about, but am tired, and would rather let the kiddos speak for themselves. They are pretty darn cute, if you ask me!


(Oh, and the reason I'm saying "No" in the last one is because Nikos announced that he was going to go "jump on Mommy's bed." A great unsupervised activity, ha!)

Rainy Day

It never rains in Southern California. Except sometimes. And then you have a deluge.

Take the past few days, for example. It hasn't stopped! I finally gave in and braved the weather to go to the grocery store this morning, and that was not fun. Well, okay, it kind of was. Only because I had made up my mind that I was going to get soaked, and that it was all part of the adventure. But MAN, getting two kids (and groceries) into and out of the car when it's pouring rain is pretty challenging!

Other than that one small adventure, we have stayed close to home. I made cinnamon rolls from scratch yesterday, then froze them (they are for Christmas morning). We have played countless games of Hide and Seek. We've played with cars. We've baked (today: brownies). I experimented with making caramelized bacon (success!). We've cleaned. We've wrapped presents. We've watched Christmas movies. You name it, we have done it!

Nikos' big project earlier was coloring with watercolor pencils, then painting over them with plain water. The results are pretty muddled and messy, but the process was fun! I really wanted to take some tempera powder, sprinkle it on a paper, then set it out in the rain, but that didn't work out. For one, I don't have tempera powder! But then I also realized that there is just too much water out there right now, anyway-- everything would get washed away! I also thought about doing a mini chromatography experiment with a coffee filter and a marker, but realized that I don't have any markers except for Sharpies lying around. (Note to self: buy some craft supplies once this rain stops!).

Anyway, I have these cool watercolor pencils, and he liked them just fine. I wrote his name in permanent marker, and he decorated it:

Then, he painted it with a wet brush:

He liked that part, hehe!

Then he was done...

So why not play under the barstools pretending to be farm animals in stalls? Even Maya was mooing, haha!

And one last picture, of the cutest little girl cow I know!

Cooming up this afternoon: Forts made out of couch cushions. Stay tuned! :)

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa!

I meant to blog about this yesterday, and I still have MORE to blog about today, so I had better get my act together, huh?

Anyway... On Saturday, while talking to my dad on the phone, it occurred to me that it would be fun to go and visit them, now that I am off for two weeks. So, we did! We drove up Sunday morning and left Monday morning. We might have stayed a little longer on Monday, except that it turned out that I had Gus' car keys (both sets!) in my purse. OOPS!!! Luckily, he was able to work from home until we were able to get there and hand the keys over! But I digress...

The kids had a blast! It was too wet and rainy to do anything outside, but they were perfectly happy to play indoors. Nikos made and decorated sugar cookies with my mom, and we demolished a pizza for dinner. It was all fun and games until Maya pooped in the tub (doh!). But even then, it was still kind of funny (unless you were my mom, who was scooping it out while I hosed the kids off). :P Anyway, here are a few pictures from our mini-vacation:


And finally, a picture of Maya in THE rocking chair. This chair belonged to my mom as a kid, then me, and now Maya! I think I did the most damage to it, though. I remember that it used to play music when you rocked back and forth. I also remember playing with the music-box piece after somehow separating it from the chair (maybe it fell off?). Anyway, it's the perfect size for a little toddler body, and she loves it already, calling it "MY chair! MY chair!"

Bethlehem!

So, we went to Bethlehem tonight! Well... sort of. :) There's a local church that puts on a Bethlehem-themed Christmas festival every year for two nights, and we decided to go this year. And it was really neat! The church itself is situated on a large, rambling property along the creek, and it was set up with all sorts of kid-friendly activities in different areas. One area had a well-stocked petting zoo, another area offered llama rides (the lines were too long, but Nikos enjoyed looking at them!), and other sections offered crafts for kids, face painting, carnival games, a puppet show, etc. You get the idea! It was incredibly kid-friendly, and a lot of fun!

Anyway, it was getting close to bedtime, and the kids were a little on the tired side, but they enjoyed looking at the animals and watching a puppet show put on by some of the congregation members. At the end of the show, which was about the symbolism of a candy cane (shaped like a "J" for Jesus), they passed candy canes out to everyone and told them to hold them high in the air. As we walked back to the car, Nikos rode on Gus' shoulders holding his candy cane in the air because "Ernie" told him to. Really, that was NOT the puppet character's name... but I guess he did bear a striking resemblance to another puppet we know and love, hehe!

At any rate, here are a few quick pics from our little adventure. I barely had the chance to even pull my camera out, but this will have to do!

Operation Big Girl Bed

...is underway as we speak!

I don't really know what came over me this morning, but I thought I'd just convert Maya's crib to a toddler bed and see what happened. This is something I have hemmed and hawed about (mentally) for the longest time. I mean, Nikos was in a toddler bed at around 14-15 months, and did great! I know Maya would be just fine. At the same time, I selfishly liked the crib because it kept her out of trouble in her room. A big part of me, though, thinks it's better to just give her the freedom earlier on so that she doesn't go crazy later. It makes sense in my head, okay? At any rate, her crib now looks like this:

She's napping in it right now, and so far, so good. I'm a little worried, though, because I can see on the monitor that she has somehow wiggled her way down to where the "exit" is, and is fast asleep near the edge without a rail. I hope she doesn't fall out! Even if she does, it's not very high up, but still! I hope this experiment isn't a total flop!

And, just because they're cute, here are a few pics I took of the kids after I finished working on the crib.

Pajama Day!

Today was Pajama Day at school, as well as our last day before the winter break. And, since it was already going to be a crazy day, I thought it would be really fun to bring my babies in for a bit to meet my students! Gus was able to stay home from work long enough to come and collect them at just before 9am and bring them to daycare. And they had so much fun!

Nikos, of course, went into super-shy mode the moment he was swarmed by well-meaning but very large and intimidating fifth-graders. At one point, he went from sitting in a chair to hiding under a table, staring out at the kids (who thought this was hilarious). Maya was her usual outgoing self, and instantly started dancing. After a few minutes, she began to point at random kids and start laughing, so that really cracked my students up!

After about half an hour, the tables turned... Maya was starting to get a little tired and clingy, whereas Nikos discovered the microphone. Oh yes, the real Nikos came out just as soon as he laid eyes on it. He turned it on, and proceeded to tell all the kids to "Be quiet and get to work!" haha!! They were laughing SO hard, and it just egged him on (he also thought it was funny). He told them all, "I'm the teacher! Be quiet!" He then proceeded to wander around the room and crack the whip as needed. One of my students later pointed out that "he really is your kid, huh?" He was having SO much fun!


Not long after that, Gus arrived (another Major Event in my classroom), and the three of them went on their merry way. We spent the rest of the day doing a variety of fun activities, and now I am officially on vacation for two weeks. I can't wait to spend some quality time with my family! HOORAY! :)

And in honor of the upcoming holiday, here is how Nikos sings "Jingle Bells." hehe!!
Jinger bells
Jinger bells
Jinger all the way!
Old McFun it is to ride
In a sleeeeeeiiiigh! Oh! (repeat)

My Sweeties

This video, from last night, is pretty self-explanatory. Best. Kids. Ever. ♥

Curses!

Well, it seemed inevitable that I would get the same stomach bug that the kids had, and it happened around lunchtime today. I could not keep anything in my stomach, not even water! Anyway, it was miserable, but I think I am past the worst of it now. I've had some water and some cereal now without incident. My whole body hurts from the heaving, and I am still really wobbly, but at least my stomach is calming down.

Anyway, I sure hope Gus doesn't get it! Bonnie came over to chat with Gus while he was hanging Christmas lights yesterday, and I ended up talking with her for a while. She had the bug on Friday night, followed by her 20-year-old son, followed by her husband (who they think actually broke a few ribs from throwing up! He has a long medical history, though). I am fairly certain that everyone from daycare was sick this weekend. It's crazy, though, just how quickly it spread! My coworker even sent me a message earlier saying that she has the stomach flu and won't be in tomorrow. Insane!!

So I am hoping that this is short-lived. As soon as I feel confident enough that I can keep more things down, I am going to take some vitamin C and elderberry. I do not need another two-three weeks of illness, thank-you-very-much!

Christmas Spirit

It almost seems too good to be true, but the kids bounced back 100% today. It was like yesterday's "yuking" incidents never happened. Well, except that Nikos keeps talking about it. But they have been playful, happy, and have had relatively good appetites. It's amazing!

And so I wanted to make the most of the day. With only two weeks left until Christmas, I felt like getting into the spirit! Especially since I was so sick over Thanksgiving... I really missed out, and it's been kind of hard to kick-start my holiday cheer. But I really am SO excited for Christmas this year. Both kids will be old enough to really LOVE it! I can't wait to see their little faces on Christmas morning!

With that in mind, we went to the market and got supplies to make both rice krispy treats and frosted sugar cookies today. They are all SO good! Nikos won't even try a rice krispy treat, though, having deemed them "yucky." Maya, on the other hand, thinks they are the best thing ever, and is constantly asking me for more (I give her little tiny pieces). Nikos loves the cookies, though, and we had fun mixing the dough, rolling it out, cutting the shapes, cooking them, and decorating them (I did frosting; he did sprinkles). My little guy loves baking so much! Here are a few of our finished products:

After dinner, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision to forgo their nightly baths and go check out Christmas lights instead. There are two neighborhoods around here that are famous for their light displays, so we drove to the closer of the two. It really is impressive, and both kids loved looking at all the crazy light displays! Nikos already told me that he wants to go there again. It was fairly early in the evening, but the traffic was already starting to back up. And some of the homeowners had actually set up tables in their driveways to sell things like hot cocoa and s'mores. We all had a lot of fun. I think we need to check out the other neighborhood, too... Maybe some night this week! In the meantime, here is a pic of just one of the houses. Multiply this times about 50, and you see the appeal!

And here are our two little munchkins in the backseat, enjoying the view:

Back at home, Gus finally got our lights up today, after struggling with huge sections of dead bulbs. It was an all-day task! Our lights might not be as impressive as the ones we saw tonight, but I love them. And I also love our electric bill, haha! :)

TWO MORE WEEKS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!! YAY!

A Little Bit of Everything!

Too much to blog about! Too little time!

First, a story... I had to use the restroom the other day, and wanted to have some privacy (for once!). The kids were playing together peacefully, so I sneaked off and locked the door behind me. No big deal. Well, Nikos instantly realized that I had disappeared, and came running to try and open the door. Next thing I knew, he was walking into the bathroom. I thought MAYBE I had forgotten to lock it, or perhaps hadn't locked it all the way. I pushed him outside, told him he needed to wait for me, and locked the door again. Moments later, I watched as the locking mechanism slowly rotated, and then he walked in again!! WHAT?? Anyway, I was finished at that point, and was washing my hands. As I walked out, I asked him how he had unlocked the door. His answer? He found "some money" and turned it "like this." That's right. The little booger found a quarter and managed to use it like a screwdriver, fitting it into the narrow slot on the outside of the doorknob. I was really impressed! He is such a little MacGyver! Way to problem-solve, buddy!

Next up, last night... I picked up the kids about an hour later than I usually do, because I decided to stop in at my staff holiday party for a bit before heading home. As I walked up to Bonnie's door, I could hear Maya crying. Both kids were stripped down to their skivvies. Apparently, BOTH of them had thrown up just moments before. Oh no! Craig (Bonnie's husband) told me that he thought maybe Nikos had thrown up simply because he had just watched Maya do it, making him gag. When we got home, I started to think he was right. Nikos seemed to be completely fine, while Maya kept throwing up (poor baby!). I changed both of our outfits at least four times, and went through countless towels. I held her in my lap with a towel on her (like a blanket) for most of the afternoon and evening. This contained the damage a lot, but there was still some spillage.

Anyway, Nikos seemed fine. He wanted dinner, and specifically asked for spaghetti. I was full from the appetizers at the holiday party, knew Maya wasn't going to eat, and figured I would just make him whatever he wanted. So spaghetti it was! He happily chowed down on it while I held Maya in my lap. Gus got home from work, and immediately took Maya to have a nice warm bath while I stayed at the table with Nikos. Once he finished up, I cleared the table and we played for a bit. A few minutes later, he rushed out of the living room, but couldn't tell me where he was going. Then he threw up all over the hallway (hello again, spaghetti). Yuck, yuck, yuck!! Maya threw up again a few more times, too. But, by some miracle, they didn't throw up at all during the night, and seem to feel 100% better today. At least it was short-lived!

And, for the record, Nikos learning the verb "to puke" yesterday. However, he calls it "yuking." And he is very apologetic when he "yukes" in the hallway, all over Mommy's socks.

Fast forward to this morning... we went grocery shopping and made some rice krispy treats. While at the market, I found these cute red-and-green antlers for $1.99! Maya loves them. And I think she is the most adorable reindeer ever!

And here's another (slightly less adorable) reindeer. I don't like pictures of myself, but was impressed that Nikos actually took this one! He has a tough time actually getting his subject in the frame, and having the focus hit the right spot. I think he got lucky this time, hehe!

Finally, one of my boy. He did not want to wear the antlers, but was more than happy to laugh at us. Just not while this photo was being taken, when he became Mr. Serious.

And how about a video? Why not, right? It's hard to believe that these kids were so sick last night. I love them so much!!

Photos, Anyone?

Between being sick, working hard, getting Christmas taken care of, and doing photo sessions, I feel like I haven't been taking enough pictures of my own kids lately. And it makes me sad, because I think they are the two most adorable and incredible children in the whole world! So, without further ado, some recent pictures! You can really tell just how much Nikos loves having his picture taken, haha!






Also, we went to see Santa at the mall. I was uncertain about how Nikos would react, mainly because his plan seemed to be constantly evolving. First, he wanted to see Santa. Then he said he didn't want to sit in his lap, but would stand next to him. Then he didn't want to do. Then he did. Then he didn't want to go, at all, and said that he didn't want anything for Christmas. He just wanted to ride the glass elevator at the mall. And so on and so forth.

Anyway, Maya was also a wild card, since she is going through a sort of clingy phase and can be incredibly stubborn (just like her brother!). Still, life is short... why not try? So we went. Maya actually sat in Santa's lap, though she didn't smile and was very wary of the whole thing. Nikos wouldn't get within ten feet of Santa, but he didn't cry or throw a fit or really do anything. It was like he was completely frozen and speechless, just gazing at Santa like he was both awesome and terrifying. It was pretty funny, though I wish he'd been in the photo! At any rate, here is our official 2010 mall Santa photo. It's the same Santa from the last two years, which is kind of cool! (2008 photo, 2009 photo)