Monday, April 30, 2012

Bride-To-Be

My mom threw a wonderful bridal shower for her close friend's daughter.  The food, weather, and energy was just perfect.  Good job mom.  Just weeks away from the wedding and I am praying I get to make it to the wedding before baby comes.
Cake, yum!






Team #1 for Toilet Paper Bride

Team #2 for Toilet Paper Bride

Team #3 for Toilet Paper Bride

Adorned toilet paper brides.  Melissa (bride's sister), Lisa, and my sister Amy

Ann & my mom (co-hosts) presenting the adorable mini ice cream cones.



Fun gifts.
Wild gifts.

The bride with her bow bouquet.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Eats

Some morning fun before helping my mom throw a bridal shower.



Friday, April 27, 2012

Prints

My dining room wall has been blank since we moved in.  I never could find the right thing to put there.  I wanted to put up some surf pictures, but I seemed to have misplaced two, 16"x20" prints since we moved.  Who loses pictures that big?  Where on Earth could they be?  Their loss inspired me to print out new photos in the frames.  I love the architecture of the Westlake homes in Daly City so I thought I would crop photos from the internet and get them framed.  They have such character and I love that the car in the photo on the left is an old Volvo.  My first car was a 1978 Volvo so I have a soft spot in my heart for them.

On the wall.
Like my own little mid-century modern diner nook.
Who wants to meet me at the Westlake diner for breakfast sometime?

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Rousseau

 Education time.  Blake's preschool showcases new artists each month.  His drawing was chosen to be showcased on the front office window.  We are proud parents.  Now, time to educate myself on the artist.

Learn about the artist here.
Blake's rendition.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Spun

Not glamorous, but one for the baby book!


Monday, April 23, 2012

Alias

Okay, I am letting you guys in on some more names.  I am keeping my favorite name quiet, but Andrew has fallen out of love with it so I am waiting to see if he will come around again.


Parasol Hallie Kay Hurst
Photo



Owl Hallie Kay Hurst (Andrew says "NO")
Photo





Sundae Hallie Kay Hurst (I can't believe how well received this one has been.  I was telling Andrew's family about how I don't like ice cream, but this baby has made me eat gobs of it.  If she is born on a Sunday then I might contemplate it.)
Photo






Rodeo Hallie Kay Hurst (I liked this one a lot until Andrew said "ride the rodeo.")
Photo

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Monterey

We piled into the RV for a beach day trip to Monterey with Ellen and David.  Despite Ellen and David catching Reade's cold and someone sideswiping the RV when we were parked in town, things went great!  The air was fantastic.
Ready to roll.

Blake loved those waves.

Father, son, and grandsons.

Camp mom wearing camp mom shirt.

Soaking up the rays.

Exploring the tide pools.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Dentist



Blake's first dental appointment was at a normal dentist's office with a dentist who also sees children.  Talk of the town is that there is no need to do that.  

My friend sends her kids to Dr. Rabitz.  He is out-of-network for us so we won't be experiencing his wild office:




















The customer service rep at Delta Dental got me to the right place on their website and I found that the bells and whistles pediatric dentist offices listed website addresses in addition to their phone number and address.  There were two to pick from and this is how the conversation went:

Me: Hello, I am trying to find a pediatric dentist that has all the bells and whistles.
Front desk: That would be us.
Me: Does each child get their own movie screen while in their chair?
Front desk: Of course.  There is also a video game console station in the lobby while they wait for their appointment.
Me: I just want to make sure that he gets a movie since his friends have been talking about it.
Front desk: We do everything we can to make them comfortable and he won't even know he is at the dentist.
Me: Should I leave his brother with a sitter?
Front desk: Oh no, there are so many games and toys that he can play with.  It also helps establish his relationship with the dentist so he will be comfortable when it is his turn in the chair.
Me: Great, let's schedule an appointment.





















Am I a complete Bay Area snob now or is this how all pediatric dentists offices are now?  Andrew laughed at my demands so I am going to chalk this up to me being sucked into the Silicon Valley.

***Blogger completely changed its format and sent me back into Word hell to write this post.  I thought things were supposed to get easier?***

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Patio

I hung up some prayer flags in the backyard and have been itching to make the back patio more like an outdoor room:


I have a sailcloth from Ikea, but the only problem is that they look the best on tall houses (and ones with pretty vines growing on them). We have a low roof and low fences so it will be interesting to try and work different angles to achieve my vision:

Photo

I also envision stringing solar lanterns along the edges or middle of the sail for ambiance (I will never get that beach scene in the background though):

Photo

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

He's Two

It is Reade's second birthday. So what do good moms do? They leave their crying birthday boy with a sitter and meet a friend for a belated birthday brunch. Quite relaxing and overdue:


Reade got my camera and started taking pictures of me. I love how I look like a complete monster. We told the kids there is a baby in my tummy last night and they are both excited. Cats out of the bag now:


The cake is made and I just have some vacuuming/kitchen clean up to do before dad & grandparents show up for a mini party:


I've enjoyed Reade's birthday. I hope he has too.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Twos

My sister threw a great birthday party (a few days early) for Reade and his Great Nana at her house in Sacramento over the weekend. Her house is so cute and it was great to gather to celebrate a day when two of my favorite people were born.

My uncle mugging the camera:


Grammie doting on the birthday boy:


The photo editor cut off the bottom, but Reade and Great Nana are holding hands:


The lawn mower present was one of many fabulous gifts:


A video:


Reade's birthday proper is tomorrow so I am trying to figure out something low-key and fun for him.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Discoveries

Happy fun Friday to all. Here are two, great discoveries...

1) Triple a recipe for muffins and you will have enough batter left over to pour into ramekins for some mega muffins. I am going to demand coffee shops serve me muffins out of ramekins from now on:

Recipe from the smitten kitchen blog.

2)Drinking wine during a morning play date with other mommies and kids. Why have I never done this before. My past neighbor told me it is good to drink wine during pregnancy because it creates beautiful skin for the baby. Now that is the type of lore I can totally get behind. This wine was bought at Trader Joe's and tastes just like grape juice. Very mild without much bite. I hope they stock it at my Trader Joe's:


Tonight I will pack Reade up for a early birthday celebration trip to Sacramento so he can spend time with his kindred birthday partner, my Nana. Let the festivities begin.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Sharing

My boys now share a room. It is now the boys' room with two, twin beds (I can't wait for bunk beds someday). It was really hard for me to remove the owl/gnome/mushroom tree picture from above the crib since both boys have shared the same nighttime routine story, but I have plans for baby #3.

Last night Reade slept the whole night through without freaking out in his new surroundings:


I am pretty sure Transformers sheets mess with a bedroom's Feng Shui, but the child really, really wanted them:


The crib looks so empty now that I have stripped it of its sheets. Andrew reminded me that it will be very full very soon:


Blake asked who was going to sleep in this room now. I asked who he would like to share it with and he replied, "Another Reade."

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Same

These days are the same. I am truly in a pregnancy fog and am having a hard time getting around it. I know my children are safe and life isn't that bad, but mom guilt is getting the best of me. It pains me that I won't remember these days. Blake and Reade do great things and I try my hardest to praise them in those moments. This pregnancy is easier than my first two in so many ways except that my body seems to be giving out on me. My pelvis feels like it has separated in every which way and is only being held together by rubber bands and one, big sciatic nerve. I pray to the sciatic nerve Gods every time I stand up in hopes I will be able to make it to the kitchen or bathroom without exposing my children to new obscenities. Pain with a purpose, right?

Blake doesn't complain. He just draws action figure after action figure with insatiable thirst:


Maybe I need to start praying to the Marvel Comics Gods instead:


Iron Man stands above Blake's bed. I have always wanted to put a photo of Blake there so I call it "Self Portrait of a Soul" right now:


I am really debating whether or not I should catalog how many peanut butter & jelly sandwiches I feed my children. Thank goodness they ate some taco meat tonight. Bless their little helpless souls:

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy Easter

The Easter Bunny left eggs at Grandma's:


Fun bunnies leave bugs inside of eggs:


Family photo op:


Family and friends:










How we left the place:


Ellen created quite the spread and I am sad that I didn't capture that on film.