Boy-centric pre-birthday outing

The day before The Boy's birthday we took him to the Kids Space Museum in Pasadena. I've been meaning to go forever but never got around to it so used The Boy turning 2 as an excuse.

So here are my boys as we arrived.

Here's the Birthday Boy on his favorite part of the museum. Seriously, he went back to that car 500 times. He wasn't remotely interested in bugs or rocks, just that car.

He quite liked the "construction area" as well.

Lunchtime was okay. It was really hot, but food makes us happy.

And last but not least, the play room. Resembles Gymboree a lot, but that's fine by The Boy.

It was a good day out. I'm not sure it was such a hit that we should pay to become members of the place, but was a super fun way to let my boy be a boy :)

A 2 year old's conversation wth himself

The Birthday Post

The big day was full of awsomeness. It started out with the trike Mom and Dad got The Boy

Followed by our requisite trip to the cafe with Grandpa. Then a regular day of playing, reading and trouble making.

Then Grandma, Grandpa and their respective spouses came over for even more presents, fried chicken and cake.

The boy giggled like crazy when we sang "Happy Birthday."

He wasn't so pleased when he was interrupted from his cake-eating by a kiss from me.

Then we opened more presents - a laptop, hats, gardening tools and a tea set among other things, none of which to be outdone by our car

It was a good day, and The Boy was beyond happy.

The Boy is 2!

My sweet love, the light of my life, my pride and joy turns two today.

He loves piggy back rides, grapes and Peter Rabbit(Peta Bunny). He says "Mama helps you," when he needs help and "The Boy helps you," when he can do something himself.
He likes reading his books himself because he knows what happens by now, but sometimes he lets Hubs or I read to him. He loves cars and trucks and all things that move but seems less impressed with bugs and other boy things. His best buddy is his kitty and his favorite thing to say is, "Hey kitty, whatcha doing?"

I could write forever about the wonderfullness that is my son. I am so grateful to have him in my life and cannot believe it's already been two years since he came into it.

Happy birthday my love!

The Grass Is Always Greener

We live in the super hot desert to the east of Los Angeles. During the summertime The Boy and I get out and about in the evening and early morning, remaining mostly housebound between 10am and 5-6pm.

Two years ago, swollen, heavily pregnant and incredibly cranky I noticed very little of the outside world.

One year ago I observed a reealllly pregnant woman using the relative cool of the mornings and evenings to walk a toddler - a year, maybe a year and a half older than The Boy - and a baby/toddler - approximately the same age as The Boy. She was huge, much bigger than I was when pregnant with The Boy, and struggling with maneuvering a trike and a stroller beyond the bulge of her massive belly.

She's now a svelte, gorgeous thing who I look on with massive amounts of envy instead of the pity I felt last year. Here I am, my gimpy self wanting another baby but barely able to manage the daily tyranny of The Boy whilst this gorgeous creature manages 3 kids under 4 with such aplomb. Grrr...

Anyhoo, this morning The Boy and I were out for our daily coffee with Grandpa. They had gone off for their walk/daily meet-n-greet when I saw my super-fertile, super-capable neighbor pull into the parking lot of the neighboring supermarket. She loaded up the two youngest into a stroller while the oldest, who's still pretty young, held onto her hand.

They ran into the store and re-emerged a few minutes later with a case of diapers and a tiny shopping bag. She strapped the kids into their respective car seats then turned to her stroller and diapers. Just then a guy was passing by in front of me and I saw him look around as if something concerned him. I then heard what was concerning him; a baby crying. Maybe even the cacophony of several baby's crying. He moved along then my thin, pretty, supermom neighbor looked up at me. At first I thought she was trying to place my face from afar but then, as her head lowered kind of dejectedly, I realized the look on her face was something else. Was she envying me ? Was me sitting there enjoying my cup of coffee in peace while my dad walked my only son enviable? It just might have been.

So now here I am, hiding from the heat with my one and only Boy, appreciating all that I have and harboring a new found respect for our neighbor.