Happy Halloween!

Man, am I tired! And I am REALLY ready for Gus to come back home tomorrow!

Anyway, my parents drove down this afternoon to have dinner with us and help me out with the whole trick-or-treating thing. It was nice to have two more pairs of hands available, especially since one of those pairs made Maya's costume and knew how to tie the bow properly!

So we ate an early dinner, cleaned up, and got the kids into their costumes to head out right at dusk. Our first stop was Bonnie's house (our daycare lady), where her daughter Renee gave them oodles of candy and they basked in the attention. From that point on, Nikos seemed to put careful thought into which house to visit next... He didn't want to go anywhere with scary things in the yard or music playing. But at the houses we DID visit, he would shout out "Trick or treat!!" get candy, say thank you, and just generally act adorable. Maya followed behind him, mostly due to being sleepy and a wardrobe malfunction (her shoes kept slipping off). She was as cute as can be, but would shake her head "no" when offered candy. It was hilarious! She would try to put it back into the giver's bowl!

After four houses, Nikos announced that he was ready to go home. When I asked him if he wanted more candy, he pointed out that he already had candy in his bucket. So, we went home! He had a BLAST the rest of the night, distributing candy to the other kids that came by. He did NOT want to go to bed!

Anyway, I am beat (being a single mom for a week will do that to ya!), but here are a few pictures from this evening... They aren't the best, because I put my camera on "auto" mode for convenience. I generally shoot in "manual" mode these days, and have so much more control over what I get! But the lighting was bad, I needed my hands, and had very little time to take pics... So, it is what it is, right? I tried!

Fall!

Ok... to be honest, fall (the season) doesn't really exist in San Diego. I mean, our front lawn is still green, our flowers are still blooming, and most of the trees and plants still have their leaves. Which is why it's so cool to see a place that actually has SEASONS!! :)

Gus has actually been gone most of this past week, on a business trip to Massachusetts. And he had time today to drive around some of the smaller towns and enjoy the fall color. He sent me a bunch of pictures, and I couldn't help but play with a few to make them pop a bit more. Isn't it gorgeous??? It has me all excited for our own mini-vacation to Boston in two weeks. Hopefully, there will still be some leaves on the trees!

One last birthday post...

So yesterday, my baby turned THREE! I still can't believe it! We had a fun afternoon at home, just playing with his new toys, playing the piano, snuggling on the couch, cooking dinner together, etc. It was a Very Nikos Birthday (=low-key). I made his favorite dinner (chili and corn muffins), and we decided to see if he would blow out his candles this time. And of course he did! He blew them out with one big puff, and later told me that it was "the best birthday EVER, Mommy!"

Anyway, since his birthday cake was already pretty demolished, we put his candles in a corn muffin. I just love this face!


And later, I got this picture of a very-sleepy Maya, minutes before bedtime. Much to my surprise, she has recently gotten really into her baby dolls! She is such a girly-girl, which throws me off (since I am NOT one). But she loves her babies, her purses, her shoes... you get the idea. This one is going to be trouble! But for now, she is just pure sweetness. How can you resist this face?

3 Year Letter

Dear Nikos,

I know it's been a year since I wrote your last letter, so I should have plenty to write about, right? Well, that is exactly the problem. There is too MUCH to write about, and I'm not even sure where to begin! So I will just do my best to recap the year-- bear with me!


This time last year, I remember thinking what a big boy you were! You were actually able to open some of your presents, though you were far more interested in playing with the ones that had already been opened. You celebrated your actual birthday by a) breaking my 50mm camera lens (doh! my fault, though, for leaving it in a bad place) and b) going out to brunch at our favorite local restaurant (which has since closed down). Your sister was in the baby carrier, if that tells you anything. We had a great time together, though, as we generally do when we go out to eat. It never ceases to amaze me how comfortable you feel chatting with restaurant staff. Maybe you inherited some of the restaurant bug from your pappou? Who knows!


Anyway, we made it through most of the year without major incident. Daddy and I worked, you went to daycare, and we made the most of our time together. On my Spring Break, I worked it so that I would have solo time with both my kiddos, and you and I had a BLAST together! We went to the beach, the park, the zoo, you name it. Just the two of us. It amazed me to take you these places and really have conversations with you about what we were seeing, without the distraction of a baby to attend to. And don't get me wrong, I loved my solo time with your sister!! But it was nice to reconnect that week, and was one of the highlights of my year.


When summer rolled around, I made it my mission to fill your days with exciting and memorable activities. I couldn't maintain this every day, naturally, but I did my best! We learned about the pleasures of U-Pick strawberries and blueberries. We went to the zoo, to visit friends and family, and just generally enjoyed getting out of the house every day and soaking in the sunshine (or lack thereof... it was sort of a gray summer!).


A BIG highlight of your summer was when we did our three-day potty training boot camp. I shouldn't have been surprised (since you always surprise me!), but you picked it up so incredibly quickly. Within weeks, you were even potty-trained at night, and any accidents you have had after the initial three days have been few and far between (and usually small). It was a huge success! I was SO PROUD!!

Since then, you have repeatedly amazed us with your sense of humor, chattiness (with people you know), and imagination. Lately, you love to tell us how you want to be a firefighter when you grow up. You go on to explain how you will live in the fire house, wear fire clothes (boots, hat, and jacket) and eat fire food (which, when pressed for detail, is chili). You love driving an imaginary fire truck around and ringing its imaginary bell, and are always off to rescue someone. Or, when you aren't being a firefighter, you are a doctor-- using Daddy's headphones as a stethoscope and listening to Maya's heart, all the while gently explaining to her what you are doing ("Hold still, My-my, I'm just gonna listen to your heart. There, all done!").


Really, just about everything you do these days is beyond cute. You have your stubborn moments, of course, but are generally a pretty pleasant little guy to be around. You are a great brother, too, and your sister absolutely idolizes you (she calls you "Geeko"). We are so lucky to call you our son, and wouldn't have it any other way. To steal a line from you, we "love you a million!" Happy Birthday, sweet boy!!

All our love,

Mommy and Daddy (and Maya)

Party on!!

So, our baby boy doesn't turn three until tomorrow (at 12:09pm, to be exact), but we had his party today. And after getting to know our little guy these past three years, we have come to realize that he hates (HATES) big parties where he is the center of attention. So, with this in mind, we invited only the core group: both sets of grandparents, both sets of aunts/uncles, Nikos' godparents, and Bonnie (our daycare lady/next-door neighbor). This turned out to be just the right size for Nikos, who was happy as a lark for the majority of his party (the only unhappy part being when we brought him back inside to blow out candles and open presents... but he recovered quickly).

It was so much fun to watch him open his presents this year, now that he is really old enough to "get" the whole process. He opened each gift, announced what it was, thanked the giver with a hug, and moved on. Maya was happy as can be to help clean up the wrapping paper. And both kids were thrilled to meet their baby cousin, who made the three hour trip to visit with us for a few hours (and we really loved it!). Honestly, it was a great party, for a great boy. Here are just a few pics from this afternoon's celebration!

Sneak Peek!

Ok, ok... so Halloween isn't for another week... but I couldn't help myself! Maya needed to try on her costume to see if it fit, and of course I had to take a few pictures! Her bow is sloppily tied (sorry, Mom) and her pigtails are messy, but isn't she just the cutest Dorothy you have ever seen?? Nikos is going to be a monkey, but we've already tried on his costume. And in lieu of wearing it again, he opted to demonstrate his monkey climbing powers. Gotta love these kids!! ♥


Thanks to my mom for making Maya's dress. It's perfect!!! :)

I Love These Kids!

I know it's not surprising, seeing as how I grew them and all, but wow... we are so lucky! There are certainly moments of difficulty, but they are nothing compared to the joy that these two little boogers bring to our lives. What's that? You want video proof? Ok, it's a deal!

First, a quick video of Nikos showing off his hidden talent: somersaults. I had no idea he could do this, until he announced, "Hey Mommy, watch me do a somersault!" Next thing I knew, he was doing one... then another... then about 200 more. My little tumbler!

Then the two kiddos were playing together (as they usually do), and I caught this little snippet. They really do adore each other, but I don't usually get it on camera! In case you have trouble hearing him, Nikos declares that Maya is a good friend, and that she plays toys with him. He also says they have a lot of fun together. And you know what? It's true, and the feeling is absolutely mutual. I love them so much!!

Odds & Ends

In the interest of staying on top of things, I figured I had better post! So many things happen on a daily basis where I think, "Oh, I should TOTALLY write about that!" But by the time the kids go to bed and I finish up whatever else I happen to be working on, I have very little energy lately for blogging. And it's so sad, because I LOVE blogging. LOVE it! It's so therapeutic, and I just adore being able to go back and see how my babies have grown!

That being said, work has been pretty intense lately. I have a huge class this year, and a huge group of students with learning disabilities and/or behavior issues. Today, I had a student call me a word which should not be repeated on here. But let's just say I have never had a student dare to call me anything so bad before, and was really shocked. I'm sure that was the intent, and this particular student has a pretty notorious track record, but it stung nonetheless. It was not fun.

And so, in times like this, I find so much joy in being a mom to my own wonderful kids. :)

Maya, sadly, is covered with spots. It's not any of the obvious things (roseola, hand, foot and mouth, etc), and it's definitely not chicken pox. Our pediatrician thinks it's just some sort of viral rash. Maya is officially our Rashy Child, I've decided. While Nikos is much more prone to respiratory illnesses, our baby girl tends to have more sensitive skin. She is as happy as can be, and not acting sick in the slightest, but she is covered in these spots. Here are a few pictures I took this evening... You can see her spots best in the first one. And the second one shows just how happy she is, playing Peek-A-Boo in her highchair at dinner time!



For his part, Nikos continues to amuse us with his ever-expanding vocabulary and fantastic sense of humor. He has recently decided to assign numerical values to his love for us all. For example, if I ask him how much he loves me, he might answer with, "I love you FIVE!" or "I love you THREE!" Five seems to be the max, since he also accompanies this proclamation with a display of fingers. It cracks us up to ask him how much he loves the cat, the fish, etc. He really thinks about it, then assigns a number. It generally seems to match up, too, with the humans in his family getting higher numbers than the pets. Whew!

He has also started to get excited about his upcoming birthday, though we have had some disagreements. For one, he does NOT want people to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. He has, however, decided that we can sing the ABC song instead. He also argues with me when I tell him how many days are left. Today, I told him that there were only 11 more days left until his birthday, to which he replied, "NO! No, Mommy, my birthday is OCTOBER TWENTY-FIFTH! NOT ELEVEN!!" haha! He is also insistent that he gets a "farm animal cake," and wanted it to be "animal-flavor" for the longest time. Now, he wants vanilla, which should be much easier. Still, he makes me laugh every single day.

One more prime example... Last night, we watched the final miners get pulled out of the San Jose mine in Chile. It was mostly for me, since I was riveted by the entire thing, but Nikos had a lot of questions. In the end, I told him that these guys were trapped in the cave, and that they needed to ride in the little elevator so they could see their families again because they missed them a lot. When Gus came home last night (late), Nikos was eager to recap the entire event. He started to tell Gus about the men being trapped in the cave, but the story took a drastic turn when a robot flew in to rescue the men (complete with sound effects). Yes, Nikos was holding a Transformer toy at the time. It was HILARIOUS!! His little imagination just took off, and he spun this elaborate yarn for Gus that cracked us up. Love that kid!

Anyway, both kids (the spotted one and the non-spotted one) are just so darn lovable these days. We are so lucky!! :)

Productivity!

You know, I was pretty productive before we had kids. I mean, I single-handedly painted most of our house, refinished all our kitchen cabinets, built our kitchen island, built our rose garden, installed drip irrigation, etc. That being said... having kids has changed things in this area. Instead of Gus and I working full-force on different home improvement projects, it tends to be him doing most of the projects, every now and then when time allows for it, while I hang out with the kiddos. And it's not bad, just different!

This weekend, however, the kids went to go and spend some time with Gus' parents. We decided to focus on some projects that have gone unfinished for too long, and it is just CRAZY how much we got done! Before kids, I don't think we would have gotten this much done, because there wouldn't have been a deadline. But all weekend long, we pretty much only stopped to shovel food into our mouths and refuel.

So, without further ado, here's a list of what we accomplished! I would include photos, but that will have to wait. It's too dark, and I'm too tired!

-We installed crown moulding in the ENTIRE HOUSE (this was what Gus spent most of his time on... I just helped him hold it in place when it was time to nail it up. This stuff has sat in our garage for years!!)
-I caulked all the crown moulding and baseboards and filled in all the nail holes
-I cleaned out/organized all the kitchen cabinets/drawers and Nikos' closet
-I replaced most of the old outlets/switches with new ones, so now they will match.
-I installed a new doorknob on the hallway bathroom door (so now it matches the others)
-I caulked the wood paneling in the hall bath, making the whole thing look much, much nicer (there were holes/gaps in it before).
-I installed a shelf above the refrigerator
-I replaced the batteries in the smoke/carbon monoxide detector (that picked an excellent weekend to die, when the kids wouldn't be freaked out by its squawking!)
-I put up a wire across the wall in Nikos' room to display some of his artwork.
-I removed the vertical blinds above our sliding glass door, then spackled/painted over the screw holes
-I walked around touching up the wall paint

Anyhow... it looks GREAT in here!!! There are still a few things that need to be done, but the bulk of it is out of the way. The house looks so much more polished than it did before! I love it!!!!!

Of course, I DO miss my babies. While they may hamper my home improvement productivity level, they are so totally worth it. I can't wait for them to come home on Tuesday and see the changes we've made!

Depressing Day

Without going into too much detail (simply because it's probably boring to the rest of the world), today was kind of a downer. For one, it was rainy and dreary. Normally I would have enjoyed the change, but it just kind of emphasized all the other bad things that happened. My students were in fine form (well, one in particular), and let's just say I was really, truly DONE once the bell rang for the day. Add to that a dysfunctional computer that sucked up most of my planning/prep time, and a late meeting that I had to attend, and I was just in a really rotten mood when I got home.

Then I got online and logged into my mommy message board. I have mentioned this group before, but these girls have really become my friends over the past few years. I have met many of them in person, and just adore them. Anyhow, one of the mommies, Lacey, has two little girls named Jillian and Aubrey. Jillian is 3, and Aubrey is 14 months... They are almost the same ages as Nikos and Maya. Not even two months ago, Lacey found out that Aubrey had leukemia, and she underwent her first round of chemotherapy. While this treatment is effective for 95% of young leukemia patients, Aubrey wasn't so lucky. She went through a different, more aggressive treatment... and it didn't work, either. And somehow, in the process, she developed what appears to be an infection in her brain, and was put into the intensive care unit today.

Anyway, it just makes me want to cry. I can't even imagine someone Maya's age (or younger!) battling this horrible disease. It seems so incredibly unfair! Fortunately, a lot of my friends are working together to raise money for the family (to help cover hospital bills) and help send them things to make life easier while they are spending so much time in the hospital (meals, toys and books for both girls, etc.). If anyone wants to help, you can check out their Facebook page. My friend Jesi is also hosting an online Tastefully Simple party (host name: Aubrey Deno) where 100% of the proceeds and hostess gifts will be sent to Aubrey's family. I placed an order tonight. Nobody should EVER have to go through this-- EVER!

Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day... and Aubrey will be out of the ICU. Fingers crossed!!

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!