Pumpkin Patch!

We went to the pumpkin patch today! In what's quickly become our annual tradition, we made our way out to Bates Nut Farm (not Nate's Butt Farm, which is far funnier) in Valley Center. They have the best pumpkin patch for miles around, along with pony rides, a petting farm, a corn maze, tractor hayrides, horse-drawn wagons, and a large section of booths run by local crafters. Oh, and it's a working nut farm, which means they also have a huge store with a huge variety of nuts and candy and Christmas goodies. It's pretty close to the happiest place on Earth!

Anyway, we met my parents there this year. It's actually right in between our houses, and it was fun to have four more hands to help manage our two rambunctious kiddos (especially Maya, who is the crazier of the two!). Nikos had been talking about the trip for days, making plans about what he wanted to do. He wanted to pet the baby animals first, then go on a tractor ride, then look at the BIG pumpkins. This was his plan.

So we got there, met up with my parents, and headed to the petting zoo. I went in with the kids and my dad. Maya went bananas-- she chased little chickens around, touched goats, and didn't get too disturbed when some of the larger animals bumped against her. Nikos did better this year, but quickly decided that some of the animals were scary and that he needed to be held. He did enjoy looking at the animals, and proceeded to talk about them all afternoon ("The pig was my favorite!"), but he was a little shy about the whole experience.

Later, he announced that he wanted to ride on a pony. Sure, no problem! Except that he changed his mind, decided it was too scary, and Maya ended up going instead. This just illustrates the key difference in their personalities, doesn't it? They get along well, love each other, and they do have a lot in common. But oh my gosh! Nikos tends to overanalyze things, and fears the worst. He is so shy, and reluctant to try anything new. Meanwhile, Maya is completely outgoing and unafraid. I'm actually hoping that having such a wild younger sister might help Nikos come out of his shell a little bit. And it wouldn't be a terrible thing if some of her brother's cautiosness rubbed off on her, too!

At any rate, they both had a blast, and promptly crashed when we got them home and into their beds. How about some photos? :)




Finally, three years' worth of wheelbarrow pics! I just think it's fun to compare how things have changed since October, 2008! :)

Little Chatterbox

I can't believe I haven't posted about Maya's language lately! Holy cow!!!

Anyway, she appears to be going through some sort of a language explosion, and it's just amazing! All of a sudden, she is really starting to communicate with us. And her receptive language, which has been strong for a long time, seems to also be going through a growth spurt. For example, I can tell her to go in the living room and sit in her chair, and she will do it. Or go give her brother a hug, and she'll do it. And she picks up on things really quickly. If Nikos so much as mentions that he needs to go potty, she is the first one to the bathroom (in hopes of brushing her teeth/washing her hands/playing in the sink). When Gus says, "Who knows what time it is?", she goes running for the bathroom to take her bath. She's a trusty little messenger ("take this to Daddy"), and just so adorable!

In any event, I thought I would try to record all of her words here for posterity. I am sure I'm forgetting some, but this seems to be the general list. I love listening to her little voice!

I want that
All done
Yeah
Uh-oh!
Meeee!! (in response to "Who wants dinner?")
teeth
Peek-a-boo ("Pee-boo")
ball
baby
book
bye-bye
duck
quack-quack ("wack-wack)
dog
shoes!
please ("ees")
milk ("mik")
mommy
daddy
kitchen ("itchy")
trash (tash)
choo-choo
and various animal sounds: chicken, cow, monkey, wolf, etc.

And finally, how about a quick snapshot of my two favorite kids, snuggling on the couch this weekend. Are they not the cutest??? ♥


edited on 9/30 to add: fish, hi, I want down, clean up (the Barney song), cookie, and probably more-- ha!

Pickin' Apples!

So we did something this weekend that we had never done before-- we picked apples!! Honestly, apple-picking has always sounded like fun, but it never even crossed my mind as an activity that could be enjoyed in San Diego County. I knew there was a place up in San Bernardino County, since we used to go on a field trip there with the 5th graders, but that was quite a drive. And really, I thought that most apple-picking must be reserved for the northern climates-- the Pacific Northwest, New England, etc.

And then it hit me. There is a place nearby called Julian that is known for its fresh apple pies. So... the apples must come from somewhere, right? It turns out that Julian has lots of apple orchards, and several of them are open to the public for picking.

Anyway, this whole picking-apples thing was quite an exciting prospect! We loaded up the kids this morning, and made the hour-long drive through the winding countryside. It's actually only about 35 miles away, but it's all on narrow country highways that wind through farmland and beautiful hills covered with oak trees, etc. Such a pretty drive! Nikos was in heaven, looking for all the cows/horses/barns/tractors/etc. along the way (he is sort of on a farm kick right now).

We finally made it to the orchard, which was run by quite a colorful character. He was covered in tattoos, had a fairly strong Irish accent, and seemed like he might have done a few too many drugs in his lifetime. Still, the place was packed! He has over 8,000 trees, mostly dwarf species, and lots of flavor variety. The kids went NUTS! Nikos instantly wanted to eat one, which was fine, and Maya quickly joined in. They were picking with one hand and eating with the other, and it was too cute for words! What really surprised me was Maya's apple-eating ability. She barely has four teeth (more like 3.5), and I had never given her an apple for this reason. I didn't think she could chew it! Wrong! Man, does she love apples! Good to know, right?

After we filled our bag to overflowing, and had snacked on enough varieties, we packed it in and headed home. We stopped at a small country cafe for some lunch, which was nice, and made it home just in time for both kids to take a nap. All in all, it was a fantastic day!







Now I just have to figure out what to do with all these apples... I'm the only one who eats pie, and Nikos wanted to bring treats to share with the other daycare kids (who are actually going to be learning about apples this week as part of their preschool program). What to do, what to do...

Just a cool picture!

I liked this one... It's a full moon tonight! And not just any full moon, either, but a Super Harvest Moon! To get the full effect, I really needed to get outside and take photos right at sunset. And I tried... but found that the moon was hidden behind our neighbor's large tree. Doh! So instead, I got a regular-old full moon picture. Oh well... Maybe in another twenty years? :)

Anyhow... the days are still pretty warm and sunny, but the nights and early mornings are starting to feel like fall! Gus and I are going to take the kids apple-picking one of these weekends. I can't wait!!

Big Girl Food

Today marked an interesting milestone, which I didn't even think twice about until it was nearly over: Maya had her first actual meal off of a menu! Up until now, Nikos has ordered something off of the children's menu, and we have brought food for Maya and supplemented with whatever we had on our own plates. She'd never gotten a plate all her own. But we didn't bring food with us today when we went out to lunch, and I knew she would be hungry, so I started looking at the side dishes on the regular menu. There were a few things she'd like, but if you added them all up, it would have been more expensive than just ordering off the kid's menu. So I figured I would check it out.

Lo and behold, the very first thing was all of Maya's favorite foods on one plate! We got her a Junior Grand Slam, which had scrambled eggs, a piece of sausage, and two little pancakes. It was perfect! Here is our big girl enjoying her first actual plate of food at a restaurant:

Anyway, she loved it. And we had a blast, since the kids (BOTH of them) had to greet/say goodbye to every single person who walked by. And we were seated near the door, so there were a lot of people! They made lots of friends today. :)

Exhibits A & B

I just thought that these videos were funny, when viewed together! We went to our town's annual parade this morning, which Nikos had been babbling about for DAYS. He was SO excited! Even as we got out of the car and into the stroller, he was asking where the parade was, and the firetrucks, and the horses, etc. Very, very excited.

So we got to the parade route and found a spot to sit just as the Grand Marshall was driving by. Perfect timing! But, within seconds, Nikos was DONE. He wanted to go home right away. He was especially upset when the local high school's marching band went by. He spent most of the parade sitting in Gus' lap looking very, very serious. Meanwhile, Maya enjoyed herself immensely, smiling and waving at everyone who went by, babbling happily in the stroller, and eating Goldfish crackers. Refer to Exhibit A for video evidence:

We managed to stay for the entire parade, which was over an hour long, despite a grumpy almost-three-year old and a sixteen-month-old who was getting antsy and had missed her morning nap. But what cracked me up was that the SECOND we started walking back to the car, Nikos began chattering on and on about all the things he saw in the parade, and how much he LOVED it, and how he wanted to go again next year. I recorded this when we were driving home:

What a funny kid!! I really think it's just his personality. Maya seems to be much more of a spontaneous, live-in-the-moment type of kid, while Nikos is more cerebral and has to have some time to process things before he can really enjoy himself. But in the end, both kids loved the parade. So hooray for that!

I decided to push my luck further, though, by cutting both kids' fingernails (which they DESPISE) and then taking Nikos to get his hair cut this afternoon. As is par for the course for us, he screamed and threw a fit. But we went to a great place that specializes in kids and even has a few private rooms for kiddos like him who do NOT like having their hair cut. And while it was a miserable experience for all involved, I think his hair looks great! Just in time for our family photos tomorrow-- hooray! :)

Introducing: Colton Jeffery!

AKA-- my NEPHEW!!!!

I can't even tell you how excited I am to be an aunt. I feel like it couldn't come at a better time. Our kids are still young, so they will have a cousin that is close in age. And while I am perfectly content with our decision to stop at two kids, it is SO NICE to have a little baby to hold... and then hand back! Anyway, it seriously brings tears to my eyes to know that I have this new little flesh-and-blood family member to love. Grant and Melissa are going to be great parents, and I look forward to getting to know Colton's personality as he gets older!

Without further ado, how about some photos??




Now to the nitty gritty!

So yesterday, right after lunch ended, I got an email from my parents that sent me into a tailspin. Melissa's water had broken that morning, and she had been admitted to the hospital! Instantly, I changed gears in my classroom. I told the kids that the baby was coming, and that I'd be gone the next day. I assigned different tasks to various responsible kids, ensuring that the next day would flow smoothly. And during our P.E. time, my coworkers watched my students while I called for a sub and quickly wrote down some plans. It was go time!

I got home, made some phone calls, packed, and made dinner. As soon as I tucked my own babies into bed, I hopped in the car and made the three-hour drive up to Ventura County. By the time I got to my parents' hotel to retrieve the key to my brother's house (where I was crashing for the night), Melissa was ready to push! Holy moly! I figured that there would be a baby within the next hour or so!

Wrong!

It took over two and a half hours at that point, but when the doctor threatened to get the vacuum out, Melissa dug deep and did some super pushes that got him out (and did some damage to her). He was 7 pounds, 3 ounces and 19 inches long-- and just perfect!! Seriously, Melissa is my hero now. As someone who has had two c-sections, I just sort of stared at her in disbelief that she actually got a baby out the other way. I am pretty freaking impressed.

Anyway, there you go! He is a complete doll, and the new family of three will be heading home tomorrow. I can't wait until they are ready for all four of us to come visit-- both kids are SO excited to "hold the baby," and I'm so excited to take pictures of that moment!! :)

Alone Time

Gus went to the UCLA v. Stanford football game yesterday, and brought the kiddos along with him to spend the weekend at his parents' house (where he spent the night, after the game). Anyway, I have had an entire kid-free weekend! And while I do miss them terribly, I have been incredibly productive. Allow me to brag about what I have accomplished!

Yesterday: got kids packed, got myself dressed, and did a maternity photo shoot for my coworker. Went straight from there to the mall, where I successfully rounded up the missing articles of clothing needed for our family photos next weekend. Ate lunch. Got a haircut. Drove to Ikea to pick up a few things. Stopped at Walmart on the way back to get some necessities (baby wipes, etc.). De-cluttered the entire house. Did a load of laundry.

Today: Slept in (yay!). Got up, washed dishes, cleaned out the fridge, took a shower, and headed out to run errands. Returned a shirt I bought last weekend and decided I didn't like, bought some photo gear using a gift card, and bought Nikos a few books using another gift card. Went to the bank to deposit checks. Went grocery shopping. Grabbed a smoothie for lunch (another gift card!). Made it home for about an hour, then headed out to get a one-hour reflexology massage (another gift card!). HEAVEN! Picked up a few things at Trader Joe's. Came home, took out the trash, and washed the floors (the trash bag leaked!). Finally sat down, ate some yummy chicken enchiladas from Trader Joe's, and decided to blog. :)

Anyway... It amazes me just how much I can get done in a day without kids! I think back to the days before they were around, and how much time I must have WASTED! I mean, I was SO efficient this weekend. Like a machine! I don't think I would have ever gotten this much done in my former life as a non-mom. But I guess I appreciate it more now, knowing how much easier it is to get things done without two toddlers in tow.

Still, I am looking forward to my little toddlers coming home in an hour and a half. I hope they had a blast this weekend! :)

My Big Girl!

I came to a few realizations today.

For one, Maya is a big girl. Not physically, because she really is a teeny little thing, but mentally, yes. What's funny is that Nikos was only two months older than she is now when she was born. Instantly, he went from being my baby to being this HUGE kid. I never realized just how big he was (or how advanced, or anything like that) until I suddenly had a newborn to compare him to. Overnight, his small hands suddenly seemed bigger and rougher, his hair coarser and thicker, and he seemed so much more mature and responsible.

With Maya being our second (and final) child, there is nobody coming after her to force us into the realization that she isn't a baby anymore! And with that in mind, I've decided lately to really start paying better attention to the things she does. Of course, I pay attention anyway, but by making a focused effort to do so, I have picked up on a bunch of amazing things. For example:

-She DOES have a lot of words. At this age, Nikos had at least 20 words that were recognizable and clear. While Maya's words may not be as clear or as loud, they are in there. And it even seems like she tries to string them together into sentences pretty often. Just recently, I've noticed that she can say "milk," "baby," "all done," "clean up," "want that," "what's that," "thank you," and "book," in addition to her old standards (Mommy, Daddy, Yeah, No, and various barnyard animal noises). she doesn't say them very loudly, but she SAYS them. And she means them. And she gets upset if you don't listen!

-She also understands just about everything we say. If I ask her if she wants her diaper changed, she will nod her head, hop down off the couch, and run to her bedroom to stand by the changing table. If Nikos whines (to me) that he wants his blanket and bear(or any other specific toy), she will run back to his room and bring them to him. If he says he got an owie and needs a kiss, she will run over and kiss his head (in her unique Maya way) or give him a hug. She knows EXACTLY what we are talking about!

-She gets how things work. If she wants to climb something, she will move other things (chairs, stools, etc.) into position so that they can give her a lift. She will even go in search of a stool if one is not readily available! She has mastered several of her pop-up books, and can make them "do" things without ripping the book. She also understands routines. Today, I went to pick the kids up from daycare, and she was the one who saw me first. She instantly turned away from me and ran for the back yard (where Nikos was playing) yelling, "Mommy! Mommy!" It was like she was getting him and telling him it was time to go. As he walked inside, Maya ran past me, grabbed our bag (from the many bags that were sitting there), walked over, handed it to me, grabbed Nikos' hand, and headed for the door. She knew the drill.

-She can walk backwards! While this seems like an odd thing, it obviously takes a certain amount of coordination. And she thinks it is absolutely HILARIOUS to exit a room in this fashion, waving goodbye to us all the while. She's pretty quick at it, too!

Anyway, it hit me that my baby is really not a baby, but a Big Girl. I decided to finally stop giving her bottles. Cold turkey. She drinks water from a sippy cup just fine, so I knew she would be okay, but the problem has been ME. I am so used to making bottles for her, and it's so easy to think of her as this little baby! But I did stop giving her bottles, and she didn't complain at all. She was ready.

sigh. What happened to my little newborn? Seriously, I would like to know. I have no clue how she became so big, so quickly! :(

How About Some More Pics?

Too tired to write. Had a fun weekend at my parents' house. Today stunk (not because of the kids, but because of other things). Need sleep! Enjoy these cuties!

A Weekend in Photos

We stayed close to home this weekend, which was very nice after a busy first week of school. We filled the time by going out to dinner, going to the park to enjoy the gorgeous weather-- that sort of thing! And, in the midst of it all, I was determined to get some portraits of my babies. I even broke out my 50mm lens for the occasion, and fell in love with it all over again. It may not be as expensive or as versatile as my fancy new zoom, but it sure does let me take some pretty pictures! I will have to remember it more often!

But without further ado... a whole bunch of pics!

Thoughts

Before I get too far into this post, let me just assure you that Maya's hives are almost completely gone now! After hitting their peak on Saturday, they have quickly subsided. All that's left are a few faded spots on her upper thighs-- otherwise, she looks great!

Anyway... the real reason I am posting tonight is because school starts again tomorrow. While I am so fortunate to a) have a job at all and b) have one that I enjoy, it is a bittersweet moment. Being a teacher, and having a summer vacation, gives me a taste of what being a stay-at-home mom would be like. And while I definitely know it wouldn't be easy, the idea of staying at home becomes more desirable every year. Especially now. Both kids are at ages where they can be so much fun, and I just love them to pieces. It makes me sad to think that, during the school year, I spend more time with other peoples' kids than with my own (on a typical day). That just doesn't seem right. The thought of missing so many "firsts" just breaks my heart. :(

At the same time, I AM excited. I think it's going to be a great school year, and I think I have a pretty nice bunch of kids. And, like I said, I like my job. And I LOVE my coworkers!

I don't know. I'm hoping that one day I can stay at home and focus on my photography as a part-time business. That would be ideal... But until then-- back to school I go!

And a quick picture of my sweet girl, after a late nap today. I will miss this view, SO much!

Hives!

Well, that's something new!

Having been alive for 32+ years and a mom for almost three of those years, I can honestly say I have never seen hives before! It started yesterday when I picked the kids up from daycare. Bonnie said that Maya had a little bit of an interesting rash on her arm, and it was also on her trunk. We ruled out food allergies, since she hadn't eaten anything unusual, and thought it might just be a reaction to the heat (because it is most definitely HOT). It wasn't too bad, and didn't appear to be bothering her, so I just kept an eye on it.

Well, I went to take her jammies off this morning, and saw this:

The bumps were not there the night before, and they were really unusual. In the photo, they look more like bug bites, but they were not the right shape, They were flattened on top, there was no sign of an actual bite mark, and they had sort of a puffy appearance. So I took the photo, we got Nikos off to daycare, and then Gus called to make an appointment with the pediatrician.

Half an hour later, those bumps had morphed into this:

I could not BELIEVE how quickly the rash had changed! And I was scared, too, though she was still acting fine. Luckily, the pediatrician was able to see her very early, so Gus took her in. It turns out that these hives are most likely viral-- meaning that Maya has been sick (which is true-- she's had a cold all week) and that part of her body's immune response this time is to break out in hives. It's fairly common, I guess, but nothing Gus or myself had ever experienced before!

Anyhow, she should be fine. They should go away pretty quickly, and we can give her Benadryl to reduce the inflammation and any itching she might have.

In the meantime, I have come down with something, too... Let't just hope I don't break out in hives right before the first day of school! That would be bad!

Brush Brush Brush!

Ok, so to fully understand the title of this post, one must familiarize themselves with the "Yo Gabba Gabba" CD that is in heavy rotation in my car. Or just listen to a clip of the one song I am referring to, here. :)

Our little girl is a brushing machine. We have to keep the bathroom door closed when it's not in use, because we have caught Maya in there brushing her teeth all by herself. She literally climbs up on the stool, grabs her toothbrush (she knows hers is the pink one), turns on the water, and does her best tooth-brushing impersonation. And while it's incredibly adorable to watch, it's not exactly safe when unsupervised. So, we close the door.

Since then, Maya has discovered that when Nikos announces he needs to go potty, it means she can BRUSH HER TEETH! So she runs towards the bathroom even faster than he does! Today, I decided to grab the camera along the way. She is grubby and wild-haired from a long, fun day at daycare, but I think she is the cutest little girl in the world!

(oh, and the reason she was crying at first was because she had already turned the water on when I was ready to record-- so I turned it off. She was not a fan!)

Busy Weekend!

I feel like I am just now recovering from my weekend enough to post about it... and, ironically enough, this is my last day of summer vacation. Back to work tomorrow, and all the insanity that comes with that! AACK!

Anyway, my weekend started at 5:30am Saturday morning, when I rolled out of bed and hit the ground running. I loaded up the truck with tons of food, tons of baby gear, shower gifts, camera gear, and my own personal effects, and made the three-hour drive up to Grant and Melissa's house to host a baby shower. I was hosting it with Melissa's two sisters, and I think it went really well! I was in charge of the food and favors, and I was really pleased with how both turned out. I mean, look!!

And my favors (I made everything myself-- including the lemon cake balls inside, which were covered with white chocolate and a swirl of dark chocolate. They looked really fancy!)

All in all, the turnout was good, and they got a lot of gifts which will really help them out. I was EXHAUSTED, though. It was a ton of hard work, especially transporting everything, but I think it paid off. Here's one last pic from the shower-- me, Melissa, and her sisters (basically her and all the aunties-to-be!).
Melissa also let me take a few belly pics before the shower, which I posted over on my photography blog. She is seriously ALL belly. It is amazing that my little nephew will be here in a month-- possibly even sooner! I am so excited to meet him!!

After the shower, I spent the night at my old friend Wendy's house, which was the highlight of my week! We had so much fun catching up that I didn't realize how late it was until my eyes started to droop. :) It was so nice to see her again after all these years. Wendy and I both started teaching at the same time, at the same school, so we have one of those bonds like what soldiers form in the trenches. It was a long-overdue meetup, that's for sure!

The next morning, I got back into the truck to drive to Gus' parents' house. His sister recently got engaged, and her fiance's family had driven out from Las Vegas to "meet the family," so to speak. Gus had driven the kids up on Saturday, but I obviously had the shower to throw. At any rate, I arrived, and then we all went to brunch together at a fancy local place (think white tablecloths and carpeting... I felt bad for whoever had to clean up under Maya's highchair!). It was nice and delicious, although the kids were definitely getting antsy. They were excited to get back to the house and play! Here are a few pics from the afternoon... The nice clothes were actually gifts from Bill's parents (Bill is the fiance), which was so sweet! I have to say, the kids (especially Nikos) really liked Bill's family. And I am pretty sure the feeling was mutual!


Later on, they changed to more casual comfy clothes, but (of course) continued to play...


And at bedtime, we made the drive home with both cars and I slept really, really well, haha!

15 Month Stats

Well, we had Maya's 15 month checkup this morning, and it pretty much went how I thought it would! She has hardly gained any weight since her last appointment-- a whopping 6 ounces. BUT, she has gained two inches in height! Holy cow! So our little girl measures in at (drumroll, please!)

20 pounds (11th percentile)
31 inches (69th percentile)

Our little monkey is stretching out! The lack of weight gain was the main topic we discussed, but our pediatrician decided that it wasn't an issue. Clearly, she is still growing (taller!). We know she is still eating plenty. And she has become a full-time walker (and runner) since the last appointment, which also means she is burning a lot more calories. And, well, Nikos was the exact same way-- he didn't gain weight again until his 18 month appointment. So the pediatrician wasn't concerned, and neither am I. She is just perfect!

Maya took her shots like a champ, crying for a grand total of about two seconds, and dazzled the doctor with her repertoir of animal sounds and her knowledge of where her bellybutton is (and other body parts). Her receptive language is far ahead of her expressive language, but the doctor said she was doing just fine. She is an awesome kid!!

Nikos did well, too, sitting patiently in the chair and chatting politely with the doctor. One can only hope that he will be this well-behaved when we come back for HIS appointment in October, ha!!

My Mom

I took the kids up to my parents' house this weekend, only to find that my mom had pulled a handful of her childhood photos out of storage someplace. And I can see why! She had told me a few times that Maya reminded her of herself, as a toddler, but I don't know that I ever really believed her. I mean, the mom I know is a grown-up! And in my head, Maya looks like a combination of various people. I see a lot of Gus in her, and sometimes my Grandma Patty... it changes! And aside from the hair color (which is also mine) and the eye color (which is on both sides of the family), I didn't really see the resemblance.

Until now, that is. I mean, just LOOK. My mom is a little older than Maya in these pictures-- probably closer to Nikos' age-- but still! The curly hair! The big eyes! The facial expressions! I couldn't find a good picture of Maya for a side-by-side comparison, but it is SO her. It blows my mind!

It also amazes me just how much kids change over time. I mean, I would have never seen this resemblance 6 months ago. And who knows what the next 6 months will bring? But for now... Wow! I TOTALLY see it!


(the top picture is of my mom with her dad, my Grandpa Lee. And the second one is with my Uncle Kerry, who I also have a tough time imagining as a helpless little baby, haha!)

Finally!

Gus' sister and her fiance came down this morning and took both kids to the zoo, giving Gus and I some (gasp! can it be true?) FREE TIME! Woohoo! So, we did what anyone with free time would feel inclined to do-- we went to the nursery and picked out a bunch of new plants for our front flower bed, haha!

A few months back, Gus really made it his mission to clear out and fix up the two flower beds in our front yard. He got one completely finished, but we were kind of stumped when it came to the other. Literally. Because there was a huge stump just below the surface at one end of the planter, which would make it really tough to plant anything there. And we couldn't really figure out what to plant, without it looking weird and lopsided. So we just didn't.

A few weeks ago, I had a brainstorm. I suggested building that end of the planter up, creating a second level and allowing us to actually plant things there. So Gus did it! And we finally got the plants in there today!

The plants are pretty young right now, but it should look really nice when it all fills in. And you can't really tell, but there is a creeping vine planted around the edge of the upper planter. Over time, it should cascade down over the edge, giving it a softer look. I am excited!!

Crazy Kids!

Lately, I feel like there is just SO MUCH that doesn't ever make it onto this blog, and I hereby vow to do better. Between being a full-time mommy to two very mobile, very active kiddos and starting up my own photography business (which is doing pretty well, I might add!), I am WIPED! Not to mention all the other commitments we have going on. It's all fun, but it just doesn't leave much time for blogging!

But I digress.

Back to the point, indicated by the post title: my kids are nuts. Even on the most trying days, they can always make me smile and laugh. Take today, for example. I didn't feel well this morning. Nothing specific, just generally tired and blah. I had NO energy. And when Maya went down for her morning nap, I wanted to take one, too. Nikos was playing with his cars in the living room, and I laid down on the couch and closed my eyes. Two minutes later, without saying a word, Nikos ran back to his room, got his blanket, bear, pillow and "Plablo" (really Pablo, a cute stuffed penguin from a show he likes), and climbed up on the couch with me. Then he got off, grabbed the remote, brought it back, and asked for The Wiggles. So I put it on for him... and then I slept!! He only woke me up when it was over, and just wanted me to start it again. So I did. And I managed to get an hour nap this morning, snuggled up with my boy. That NEVER HAPPENS! But I am not complaining.

Still, that's not really crazy, just sweet. Here's some crazy for you: After Maya woke up, we went grocery shopping. Much like Nikos used to, Maya LOVES holding random food items before they actually get into the basket. Today's top item was a can of frosting, which she carried with her for almost the entire trip. Better yet, she would hold it up in front of her face, like a camera, and say "CHEEEEESE!" I mean, she was YELLING this all through the market, at top volume, pointing her can of frosting at random passers-by. It was so funny! She has this new Elmo camera toy that my parents gave her, which I think is where she got the "cheese!" thing, but it is just hilarious! Meanwhile, Nikos kept telling her, "Maya, no yelling in the market! Shhh!" And you should've seen the look on the checkout lady's face when I asked to get the can of frosting back right away after she scanned it (Maya was crying for it). haha!

Then, back at home, the kids were playing nicely while I was washing dishes. I always close off certain rooms when they are wandering, mostly because Maya gets into trouble. She puts things in the toilet, pulls dirty diapers out of the pail in her room-- that sort of thing. So we close those doors. And Nikos doesn't usually mess with them, because there's nothing in those rooms he really needs or cares to mess with anymore.

Anyway, it got quiet. REALLY quiet. Too quiet. I thought they were both back in Nikos' room, and went to check, but they weren't there. On a whim, I opened the door to our bedroom. Yup. Nikos was very-quietly-but-very-excitedly jumping like a madman on our bed, while Maya ran around in circles on the floor with my bra on her head and one of Gus' dirty socks in her hand. I wanted to be annoyed, really, but I couldn't help laughing. It was seriously like a scene out of a movie! And I WISH I had gotten a picture!!

So later on, I went to look for a bag of craft-type supplies I had purchased a while back. Things I needed to make the favors for Melissa's baby shower next weekend-- you know, kind of important? But they weren't where I thought they were, and I couldn't find them anywhere! I was tearing the house apart. Nikos thought this was great fun, and was crawling around, looking under things and calling, "Baaaaag! Where aaaaaare you?" After about 45 minutes, I found it. It was in a dumb place. But I felt much better.

After dinner, Nikos was in his "songwriting" mood. Here are a few new ones (set to the tune of "The Elephant Song," as always!)

"Maya, I like Maya, I like how she wears her new shoo-oooes, I like Maya!"

"Daddy, I like Daddy, I like how he eats his pizza, I like Daddy!"

and, my personal favorite,

"Mommy, I like Mommy, I like how she finds the bag, Mommmy, I like Mommy!"

God, they crack me up. And don't even get me started on the completely irresistable cuteness that is Maya dancing (which she does ALL. THE. TIME. lately). But that deserves a video, so I'll save that one for later.

I love my crazy kiddos!!

Just another day at the office... (x2!)

So, we met Daddy for a lunch date today! We went inside the building, hoping to see his boss (who hasn't seen the kiddos in a long time), but he was stuck in a conference call. Still, the kids had fun (though they had MORE fun at lunch... but I didn't take pictures then). So, without further ado, a few photos from my cheap camera, in low lighting, with moving subjects (haha!!).

Sitting in Daddy's chair...


Feeling shy (his usual M.O.)


Investigating Daddy's laptop bag


And Maya's first time on the Controlled Neutron Analyzer, hahaha! (Don't worry, it's nonoperational-- it's a floor model). I took a similar one of Nikos, back in the day...