Celebrating A Marriage With Softball

My friend Caroline, from my crochet meetup, got married in the most fantastic way. They eloped at City Hall in San Francisco then stopped by various friends and families' houses to announce their great news. Wouldn't that be fun to open the door and find a bride and groom (in a tux and white wedding dress) grinning from ear to ear?

The groom's mother threw a great wedding reception at Holbrook Palmer Park in Atherton this past weekend. The invitation stated "BBQ and Softball Game" so I dressed very casually, but the event ended up being very classy with its great food, beautiful reception area, and yummy dessert spread. This was all a surprise for Caroline and she loved the fact that everyone was so casual to take the stuffiness out of it. It worked!

After the reception, most of us headed out to the baseball diamond in the park for a game of softball. Chris is on softball leagues so the game was full of talent. Andrew hung in there and played along with the big boys.

Blake watched in awe as the game he watches so frequently on ESPN3.com came alive:


Andrew hitting a grounder:


Blake got to run the bases with Andrew:


Chris showing his wife how great he is:


Much love to the happy couple and I can't wait to see what their future holds. Okay, truth be told, I can't wait to hold their baby when that day comes.

On The Outside

We are home from Sacramento and are getting back to our old routine. My grandfather bounced back from his heart attack and has been moved to a skilled nursing facility. His kidneys are failing so he is receiving minimal intervention, as he is considered "hospice" or "comfort care" at this point. I tried to spend as much time with my Nana as I could. It is so fun watching Reade interact with her. He gets into a special happy place that only two kindred spirits, who share the same birthday, can get into to. It kills me to be far away from the family and reminds me of a kid longing to get into a candy shop. So is life and I pray the transition my grandfather is going through is peaceful and uncomplicated.

Wash of Emotion

I am in Sacramento so I am not sure how often I will be able to blog. My grandfather had a heart attack and is in intensive care. Most likely he will be moved to hospice in the next day or so where he can spend the remainder of his great life surrounded by family.

My mother finally got her new, Bosche dishwasher. Boy am I happy we don't have to hand wash all the dishes that are piling up! I am an appliance junkie and just finished reading the manual cover to cover (in true American fashion I only read the English part). I have always dreamed of being an appliance salesperson.

Ain't she pretty:


My mom laughed at me when I tried to memorize the "seating chart" for the silverware. Do they really expect us to memorize where each utensil should go? If I didn't have small children I would have been all over that. Just remember that everyone's serving fork has a special place in every dishwasher!:

She Did It!

Ellen competed in her first sprint triathlon this morning. She was strong, happy, and inspiring. Andrew finished in 1 hour, 2 minutes. Ellen finished in 2 hours, 15 minutes. They swam, biked, and ran/walked their hearts out. David was an excellent co-cheerleader (he even watched Blake for most of it). What can I say, they are a great team. Ellen looked like a million dollars when she finished and is talking about doing another one sometime soon. We are so proud of her and can't wait to cheer her on again.

Getting ready:


Showing their support:


Future swimmer:


Andrew's transition area:


Ellen's transition area:


She finished! Eating snacks:


Don't they look great for having just completed a sprint triathlon:


Here is a video compilation:


All of us looking a bit crazy at dinner (notice my first restaurant salad):


I knew all along Ellen would do great, but I had no idea she would shine like a star when she was finished!

Up Too Late

Nothing like preparing for a fun event the night before. Here's to waking up at 4:15am!

What $20 Gets You

Here is my new $20 craigslist cabinet:


To my surprise, it was pink inside. The pink makes me happy. I need some estrogen in a house of testosterone:

Reade (Three Months)

Will you be mad at me baby? Will you be mad that I took your 3 month photo on the day you turned 4 months? Will you be mad I did the photo shoot at night instead of using natural lighting? Will you be mad that I broke the cycle by using a yellow sheet for the backdrop because your older brother was upstairs asleep on the blue and green one? I hope not because I still love you as much as a mommy could possibly love her baby.



At 3 Months I:
* Can hold my head up
* Am wearing 6-12 month clothing
* Got my brother's cold resulting in another chest X-Ray to rule out pneumonia
* Find my mother and father completely entertaining
* Wake up without crying (sometimes I make cute squeaking noises)
* Try to laugh, but only a little gag sound comes out
* Let everyone hold me
* Can grasp toys for a couple of seconds
* Love to chew on my burp cloths (not so much on toys)
* Have good and bad nights (waking approx. 1-7 times per night to feed)
* Still hate the car seat
* Went overnight beach camping and slept in the VW Eurovan
* Will tolerate stroller rides now
* Don't mind when my brother sticks his face in mine
* Went through a long period where I barely ate anything and slept all day
* Still have a hint of red hair

Check out my Two Month photo.

Weekend Wrap Up

Everyone was plugged in this last weekend. If someone wasn't on their netbook or looking up things on their cell phone, they were using Ellen's new iPad to stay connected. I am sad that the iPads don't support Flash since I tend to visit websites where Flash is needed:


Mia and her other half Kasey:


Blake being a brave swimmer:

Back Again

Originally, we had planned to visit Oakhurst to swim in Andrew's parent's pool, but an impromptu party was in tall order once we got there. Andrew's cousin Allen proposed to his girlfriend Angie. Time for a party! We celebrated the couple's new news and Karen's birthday. Family and friends gathered and we all had a blast.

I got to make them a faux wedding cake:


Angie's hand can stop traffic now! Allen hand picked the diamond and spent months designing the ring. What a nice guy:


I couldn't help but hit up Diddams for some party accessories (by the way, Diddams has the largest selection of PlayMobil toys I have seen in a long time. Shop there so they don't go out of business!):


Sandy graced us with her wonderful buffet. Notice the alligator watermelon:


The happy couple (a bit stunned by my enthusiasm) enjoying their moment:


I love the hustle-bustle of this family:

Big Boy Bike

I finally found a decent, used bike for Blake off of craigslist. I don't do themed toys like Spiderman or Spongebob so it took some time before I found a non-themed bike. He loves it and is ready to "ride to work" like his father:



Live Action:

Sacramento

What an action packed trip to Sacramento! We squished as many friends and family as we could into a three day period. My grandparent's neighbor told us about a Mommy & Me day at Raley Field in West Sacramento. They provided a free day (and parking) with tons of activities for the kids like: bouncy houses, jump ropes, mascots that played the drums on top of the dugout, construction cone batting practice, and snack bags for the kids. It was great and I am sad I didn't get pictures of Reade & Grammie. I forgot my camera so these are from my cell phone:

One half of the field:


Blake owning second base:


Checking out the dugout:


Blake pitched the ball to Dinger, the River Cats' mascot:

Blake had tons of fun while I ran after him apologizing to other mothers for his "boy energy" behavior.

Here is Reade enjoying the exersaucer at my parent's house. Cell phones don't do well with movement:


I hope my parents recover from our stay and want us back again. I not only litter their house with kid stuff, but the noise level increases tenfold.

Read (pronounced in the past tense)

These are the books I have read since Reade's birth.

My mother bought this book for Andrew, but I think I enjoyed it the most. It taught me that I am a complete surfer poser. The ocean is way too cold for me so I vicariously life the surfer lifestyle through my husband. I also learned I am 100% wannabe and should NOT be parking in certain parking lots in Santa Cruz (sorry locals!). Anyways, it is a fun read and worth it if you are a surfer in the area.

Jaimal Yogis

This book is about a divorcee who moves to the beach and raises her teenage daughter and chickens. Substitute in an intact marriage and two boys and the book explains the life I dream of living. She left suburbia for the coast where her experiences are a bit more raw and fulfilling. Fun and light.

Amazon.com (what author doesn't have a website?)

This book is a great insight to the modern father. He knows where he stands in society and isn't afraid to admit it. Cracked me up in parts and explained what Andrew probably is really thinking about raising small children. Heaven help us!

Wikipedia (again, why would he not have a website?)

I bought this book for Andrew's mom because of his interview on The Colbert Report. I thought it would have good "life coach" material, but I had no idea what I was getting into. I know little about The Nation of Islam and this book opened my eyes. I tried really hard to understand the principles and see life through a different perspective. Lots of deep thought and messages for all of us.

The RZA

I am taking the boys to Sacramento to hang out with the fam. I probably won't be able to blog. See you soon.

Growing Up

What are some rites of passage when you live in a suburban place like Palo Alto?

Sitting next to your brother in Costco:


Swinging by yourself at the park:


My husband wouldn't let me download any programs to rotate the video (I swear they are virus free (ha ha)) so you are just going to have to watch it sideways for now. This will also help date us. Reade will say, "Wow, you guys took that with your cell phone and you couldn't even tell the phone to rotate your video? Prehistoric man."

Updates:
1. Reade is sleeping through the night now. He goes to bed around 9pm and wakes around 12am for a feeding and then is good until 7am. He even slept from 11pm until 6am the other night. Good job guy.
2. I am breaking out in a rash of itchy bumps all over my body. I wonder if it is all that salad?

Salad

I eat salads now!


This may come as a surprise for some of you who have known that I am allergic to raw fruits and vegetables. After my first pregnancy I started eating bananas, which used to make me break out if they merely touched my hands, and now I can eat salads too. I love them. Vinegar is the root of all evil in my mind so I am sticking to olive oil and a bit of salt to dress my greens.

Some blogs with salad themes:
Sweet Paul
The Salad Girls Blog
The Blonde Salad

Nautical Theme

My grandmother went on lots of cruises and I am so lucky to have inherited some of her cruise pieces. I loved that she would dance the night away with captains and always dressed to the nines for spirited occasions. She was given one of the life preservers from a cruise ship and I have never found a great spot to showcase all it stands for. The other day it popped into my head while I was staring at our blank fireplace. I didn't want it to feel kitschy and once I hung it I knew it found its place. I have no idea how long it will last in that spot, but it brings me a smile every time I look at it. It is great when inanimate objects possess such spirit:


It would be great to walk around the house wearing this:

and these shoes:


Dress (Talbots $149), Shoes (Harajuku Lovers $79.99)

Pfui

Don't you hate it when this happens?

Green Beans

Andrew's garden is growing. Some things better than others! His green beans are growing great, but I recommended training the stalk back down around itself so I don't have to get out a ladder to harvest the plant:


High in the sky:


From backyard to table:

All Things Come To An End

Here are the things I miss from my vacation:

1. Being able to read a book while someone else entertains my child.


2. Relaxing in a hot spring (okay, we did get kicked out seconds after this photo was taken because they don't chlorinate the hot springs).


3. Babysitters, err I mean family.


Most of all, I am going to miss the wonderful sleeping routine. Reade went down around 10pm and didn't wake up until 5am. We would then fall back asleep right after he finished feeding until 9am. Oh, how great that was. I don't have the luxury of someone watching Blake in the morning so sometimes I only get an hour and a half extra after the 5am feeding. I now think Eurovans have magical powers and can train any child to sleep through the night! Do you think neighbors would call CPS if I let Reade sleep in our front yard with the baby monitor on?