Happy 33rd Birthday to me!

Today is my 33rd birthday. Nick, Ellie and even Cal went out if their way to make sure that I had a special birthday weekend.

Saturday Nick and Ellie headed to Universal Studios with their annual passes for some rides and water play at the new water feature area. They went prepared to play in the water armed with towels and bathing suits. This have me three hours to myself (while Cal napped) plus some Cal time while they were out. I spent the morning sewing in peace and quiet where I made a couple bins for Calvin and a skirt for Ellie from one of Nicks old shirts. Cal was pretty happy with his new bib.





















Today the first one to wish me a happy birthday was Calvin at just after 1am. Although he was very hungry I did get a big toothless grin from him, which I understood to be his birthday greetings. After I got to sleep in for a while we headed out to Old Town Pasadena to the creperie that we went to on Fathers Day, as we had all enjoyed our meal there. Again we all had a great meal and a good time. Then Ellie and I headed out to get pedicures while Nick and Calvin went on a walk around Old Town.



When we got home Ellie helped me make my cake. She and Nick later decorated it (without me seeing or helping). After we went to dinner we then had cake and presents back at the house.










They family made sure that I had a great relaxing birthday and let me have the free time to do what I wanted to do (I even had an hour where I got to read!). Being back at work and with two kids it was great to have quiet time to myself to sew and read, just what I wanted. And they got me gifts! My necklace now has a 'C' charm to go with my 'E' and the diamond!















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Happy Fathers Day!

What a day we have had. It started out amazingly well when we made a slight detour and found a creperie for breakfast. Ellie had her first crepe (stuffed with Nutella) and Nick ate two! Well of course he needed a savory (sausage and potatoes) AND a sweet (apples and cinnamon).










Then we headed to Ellies third favorite playground (behind the pirate park and the one by our house) so she could show off her mad money bar skills. Cal and I enjoyed some relaxing time on the grass in a shady area.





After a small lunch at home we headed out to get Cal's 3-month portraits done. We were successful until I attempted an outfit change, and then he decided he was done.

Dinner...BBQ what else! It's only the second time of the year Nick doesn't have to beg or convince me to go eat BBQ with him.








Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there, especially to Nick who is one amazing dad! Never afraid to be totally hands on with diaper changes, playing doll house with Ellie, running to the park while Ellie rides her scooter, helping with showers/bathes, reading stories every night to Ellie, washing bottles, being a master at changing doll clothes, and giving Cal endless cuddles. He is always present with the kids, except when his phone is turned on...just kidding!!





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Last Day of Preschool for Ellie

Today was Ellie's last day of preschool at Meher Montessori. Although she does start summer school on Monday...kinda anticlimatic. After summer school and a couple weeks of camp, she will be starting kindergarten at our neighborhood school, Webster Elementary, in August.



Just over two years ago, after we moved from Boston, Ellie started at Meher. Immediately we knew this place was perfect for her and for us. She has thrived in the environment at Meher and with the teachers. She went from a kid who didn't like to color to one who was writing her name within less than two months once she started. Now she's reading, writing full sentences in cursive (by sounding out the words), knows all the provinces of Australia (and other geography trivia), doing addition, subtraction, and multiplication and is in love with school and learning. I can't be more proud of her.



Today at school they had a little graduation ceremony. The "graduates" were some of Ellie's friends who finished their kindergarten year at Meher and will be starting in first grade. As Ellie is doing kindergarten at Webster she technically didn't graduate from the school's Montessori primary program. So we celebrated her last day as a Moving On Day.



















The ceremony was really cute. The program started with the kids who took an extracurricular music class playing on their recorders or singing Mary Had A Little Lamb (link to video if not working below). Ellie had been a bit nervous and earlier in the week had declared that she didn't want to play her recorder. But she asked to practice with me and then she decided she wanted to play. And she did a great job.

After the music class played, all the kids in the school moved to the stage and they sang four songs. The theme of the ceremony was Shining Bright. All the kids did well (even the young 2 year olds!). Ellie, however, carried the singing. She knew every word to every song and was VERY enthusiastic. Nick leaned over to me during the singing and said, "She sings like she's a trumpet player" meaning she was over confident, loud, and rushed every beat. After the ceremony all the parents came up to us and told us how great, energetic, entertaining, and awesome Ellie did. In the video below (or link if not working) you can hear me and Nick giggling...not a total parent win for us, but we are so proud of Ellie and how well she did.

We are really going to miss everyone at Meher. Its a good thing that she will have summer school starting on Monday. If today really was the last day I doubt Ellie would have done so well. She loves her teachers.


















She really has grown from a little girl to a big girl.

Calvin is 3 Months Old!

Calvin is three months old today! Half the time he's such a serious little man and the other half he is a 15 pound pile of smiles!





















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