Gavin - 1 Year!

Hooray! It's Gavin's birthday!!! Since our party is this weekend, we celebrated in a simple way with ice-cream and presents from GG and Great-Grandma Sally. Gavin got a few licks and loved it! Kyle thoroughly enjoyed helping Gavin celebrate with his own cup. Speaking of Kyle, don't he and Ru look so much a like in this picture?

Birthday BOY!!!

"Reading" his birthday card! Too cute!

The birthday boy even started singing "Happy Birthday" to himself after a round by his parents. I tell you, he copies us and our words all the time! It was too cute to realize he was actually trying to sing the birthday song! We video taped him walking last week though we've yet to get his "talking" on video. It's a must! His voice is too cute. Driving in the car, I'll start to make sounds or say words and he'll copy me time and time again. We'll go back and forth with each other. I love it.

At ONE year old, Gavin:

• says: Dada, Mama, Kayak (Kyle), No, NoNoNo (while shaking his finger at us!), Wow, Woah Woah Woah (copying Kyle), and his version of "What's that?" (was-dah?)
• has his own language and talks all.the.time!
• has 8 teeth, plus a molar that's halfway through!
• gives the BEST hugs, ever!! (squeezes, lays his head down on our shoulders, pats our back and holds there for many seconds and loves to wrap his arms around our necks!)
• walks from point A to point B (or like halfway across a room)
• loves music and moving to the beat
• enjoys being outside
• still dislikes the car! 
• loves playing with balls and match box cars (he makes the motor sound while he drives them on the ground)
• is climbing onto anything he can
• loves to rip paper/magazines and throw/watch things drop
• likes to wrestle
• LOVES Daddy
• keeps us very, very busy!!!

This year has flown by. Hard to believe that it was a whole year ago we were anxiously awaiting his arrival! He's been just too precious for words. While singing the birthday song to him today I couldn't help but tear up. There was once a day where we just had Kyle and ached for him to have his brother...and now we look at God's answered prayer in Gavin. God is so good. So, so good.

Happy 1st Birthday, Gavin!! 

Kyle's 1st Day of School!

We did it! Kyle had a great 1st day and both Rudy and I made it through without shedding a tear! :) 

Kyle woke up to a special pancake breakfast and a new book for his first day of school. He was so cute, excited, BIG, fun, happy, obedient and all around adorable! I love little Gavie in the background adding more happiness to the already exciting occasion. He clapped with us as we sang "Happy 1st Day of School to You..." to Kyle. 

 And here's the classic "first day with the sign" shot just before we got in the car!

 Kyle was ALL SMILES picking up his name tag from his cubbie.

 And he was very serious while decorating his crown.

 Though this picture looks silly with Gav's t-shirt up and him halfway sliding down Kyle's lap...it's just precious to me. My mom took a similar picture of me with my brother on his first day.

While Kyle was in school, the parents attended a 2 hour parent orientation meeting. I am so pleased with what I see and hear. SO PLEASED!! Kyle and I both left with huge smiles on our faces!!! Hooray for a great day and a great school. 

Meeting the Teacher

So my camera battery died shortly after we arrived at Kyle's preschool's "Meet the Teacher" event today. I know, I know, what kind of a mother am I?! ;) Still, I couldn't resist posting this adorable (if I may say!) picture of Kyle just before he gave his teacher some roses he had picked out.

Being a teacher has some advantages, as I know that any token of appreciation goes a long way to building a positive relationship with his teacher. Some may call it "brown-nosing" but I prefer to think of it as simply making a positive impression and showing his teacher we are thinking of her! In other words, you hope your child stands out for (only!) positive reasons.

Kyle was adorable when I suggested the idea. He was super excited (I've got a little gentleman in the making!) and immediately thought of the Mercer Mayer book where the Little Critter brought a bouquet of flowers for his teacher and then accidentally left it on the bus! Kyle giggled with me and said that he wouldn't be leaving his on the bus! :)

He was cute and sweet and made me proud. We can't wait for his first day on Monday!! :)

Honoring Grandma

My Grandma H. passed away two weeks ago on August 17th, 2013. Today, we honored her life with an intimate graveside service. It was beautiful. So very beautiful.

My Grandma loved miniatures, the color pink, and gourmet jelly beans.  I put together all three of these to give to guests as they arrived. That, and bottles of ice-cold water as it was over 100 degrees and quite humid. 

We were so thankful for the family and friends who came to pay tribute to her.

My Grandma was a beautiful, amazing woman who was so very talented at so many things. It was an honor to speak about her and show off her talent by sharing some items she had sewn or crocheted over the years. Here, I was reading a card sent in by a very dear friend of hers.

I loved that everyone there could nod in agreement about everything that was said about her. She was loved and appreciated by so many people. It was a beautiful service. I think she would have been very pleased.

Just down the hill in the same section of land are my maternal grandparents' graves. My family and cousin Mark were glad to be able to clean up their graves and pay our respects to them as well.

 So much love to my 3 grandparents! You are loved, honored, and missed.

A Date with my Man

My sister mentioned she'd like to earn some extra money for something and after the last few weeks we've had, I was only too happy to help her out and take my man out for a date! We decided to go cycling around the Back Bay and then out for a kayak trip in the harbor. We only had 3-4 hours, so we got absolutely everything prepared ahead of time, and by 3pm we were ready to go, baby! You should have seen us, you'd have thought we were a couple of kids we were so excited!! It was amazing to do some of our favorite things together, without kids! Freedom!!!!!

Before kids, the neighbors called us "the bike people" because we rode a lot. A LOT. After kids, well, not as often, fast, or far. So with total glee, we took off at an aggressive pace and rode just over 12 miles. It felt great!!

The bridge at the far end of the picture, that divides the bay and the harbor, is where we cross and head back inland.

After a nice, sweaty ride, we showered and grabbed our lunch bag and hopped in the car to go to Rudy's fishing spot by that bridge. We paddled out and toasted to the second phase of our date: relaxation!! Ru set up his fishing gear and I broke open one of my favorite magazines. Bliss.

Ru wasn't having much luck but when he finally got a bite, he graciously passed the pole over to me to start reeling it in. I did, but then thought of the half eaten bite I had in my hand and didn't want it to get wet/fishy, so I ate it. Sadly, that second of pause gave the fish time to get away...and we lost it! A Duffy full of people passing by noticed and a lady yelled out, "Honey, you can't fish and eat at the same time!!"  Man!! Fortunately, just before we called it a day, Ru brought up this little guy! :)

After such a fun day, Ru and I decided that we need to make this a regular thing. Maybe just a couple of times a month, but it needs to happen! It was SO fun to work out/play and relax with my man! Novel idea, right?!

Gavin - 11 months

ELEVEN months?!?! I can't believe our baby is almost 1. He's grown up so much in the last month, too. He's got his own language made up of so many different sounds and cruising around with one hand! Gavin is a silly, silly boy. He laughs, giggles, and smiles at everything. But more than that, he likes to joke, play games, wrestle, etc. He's a feisty one. The boys are really playing together more and more. Just today, Kyle was playing chase with Gavin, and the two were crawling all over the house giggling and wrestling and chasing each other. Precious.

At 11 months, Gavin:

• still has all those nicknames we've listed before. I think we've added "pelon" (with an accent mark over the o) even though he's actually growing more hair! 
• talks and talks, having true conversations and attempts to communicate!
• says, DaDa and Mamama
• knows his and Kyle's name 
• loves to try new food and will put whatever is in front of him in his mouth!!
• loves pickles and blueberries
• enjoys bath time with Kyle
• likes to rip paper and take things down/out
• loves to be in water
• drinks from his sippy cup
• loves riding in his red car and walking/pushing his firetruck
• likes hot wheel cars 
• loves his family :)
• smiles at you ALL.THE.TIME 

This morning, Gavin was playing peek-a-boo with me and after a little while, I got out the camera to see if I could get it on video. It's not the best quality, but it's a little something that made me smile today. ;) 

Happy 11 months, Gavin!

Kyle's 1st Surf Session/Swimming Videos

We can definitely see Kyle being a surfer one day. He has the desire, father role-model, and natural ability (his balance is amazing!). Someday, he'll ask and probably be asked when he started surfing. After watching him out there today, I'd have to say that today was his very first session. All by himself, August 10th, 2013.

The boys and I were meeting Rudy, who was already out fishing, and since I would be carrying everything we needed, I told Kyle he could either bring his boogie board or his sand toys, but I couldn't carry both. Without hesitation he said, "I want my board." 

When we met up with Ru, Kyle suited up and walked right out into the water. With it being high-tide he could practice a ton without going too far or too deep. And so he did. Over and over again, he paddled turned and rode the white water in all the while kicking away. He's so eager to stand, and mostly did, so Ru had to remind him that most kids learn by riding waves in on their bellies. There's a lot to learn about those powerful waves. He took a few spills but got right back on his board without a complaint. People walking by were so impressed and I have to say that we were pretty amazed. Our little boy is growing up so quickly. 

This is him at the end of a little wave he rode in standing up!!

We couldn't get him out of the water until he got too cold to go on. Our marine layer is pretty thick in the mornings and though the water wasn't too bad, the air and wind made it cold. So, after a good 30 minute session, we took the little surfer to Cappy's for breakfast and a mug of warm chocolate milk!!

Later in the day, we finally got some video of Kyle swimming in the pool. (Just please turn your volume down so my voice isn't blasting in your ears!! :)


And another tiny clip of Kyle swimming to Rudy...

Water, Water, and More Water!!

This was the summer of being in water. We spent countless hours in our pool, at the beach, at the peninsula, going to swim lessons, and visiting other friends' pools. Because we spend so much of our time in or very near water, a goal this summer was to see Kyle become water safe. At the beginning of the summer Kyle loved to be in water but didn't like submerging his head under. About a week into his swim lessons and he was jumping (sometimes head first) into the pool! ;) It was awesome to see him cross that threshold. Oh the power of peer-influence! When he swims with more competent/confident swimmers he amazes me! He has come so far this summer and I am so glad to be able to say that he is now water safe! As for Gavin, he giggles and giggles when we swim together. He loves the water and I'm glad we've gotten him in so much during the past few months. You simply can't take Kyle swimming without getting in with Gavin, too! :)

Kyle and Holden jump over and over and over!

Love snuggling my bundled up kids. :)

Morning trips to the beach...

...have a way of turning into all-day events! :)

Kyle "sleeping" with his brother. Yeah, for all of 3 seconds!

Fun with daddy.

Our future little grom! :)

At "Baby Beach"

Gavie loves every bit of this.

He always seems to notice when he's being left out! ;)

We'll have swim weather for at least a couple more months, but I go back to work next week, so the daily trips to the pool will sadly come to an end. Still, tons of fun and memories were made this summer. :)

GG was here!

GG's work brought her by for a visit. Love her job. Kyle always loves, loves, loves to pick his GG up and especially enjoys her hotel!

His favorite thing about the hotel? The ELEVATOR!!!! We could go up and down all day and I doubt he'd tire of it. :)

GG's pool is also a hit.

Back at our house, we eat and do the bedtime routine. Now GG has two boys loving and enjoying her. :)