Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! We had such a busy holiday! Last night we celebrated with our families and this morning we had to ourselves.

Santa came during the night and Ben and Hannah were so excited with what he left for them! As soon as they woke up (6:45am) Ben said "I wonder if Santa came" he peeked his head out of the room and said "He did!!!" because he could see some of the toys. He got up and tiptoed out with his hand on his mouth and eyes wide open. Hannah wanted to be carried out to see. Santa left their toys out this year without wrapping them so they started to play with them immediately. Hannah got a new pink stroller for her baby doll (exactly what she asked for) and Ben got a couple of Bob the Builder machines and a real tool set. He loves it!

After their naps we went to Grandma Rosalie's house for another wild present opening and wrapping paper fight (kinda like a snowball fight but with wrapping paper). The kids like going over there and get wild with the bigger cousins.

(This picture was taken at our hotel in Virginia after the funeral.)

Our trip home...

We enjoyed our trip to Virginia very much. The kids were sick most of the time and they couldn't shake the cough and stuffy noses. They were glad to hear that we were headed home. I think they were getting run down from all the travelling. They did good on their first official trip away from home. We have gone camping but we drive there and the car is familiar. This trip was far from home, the car was unfamiliar (the carseats were theirs-yes, we took everything!), it was cold out and they wanted to sleep in our big bed at home. The were tired of hotels. I am sure they will remember something of the trip...at least the airplane ride!!

The trip continues...

Tues., Dec. 20, 2005
We checked out of the hotel and headed to the Smithsonian Aerospace Museum. Benjamin is really into airplanes and spaceships these days so he LOVED it. He got to 'drive' an airplane and see rocketships, spaceships and helicopters... There were lots of things to see and do there, not enough time for everything because we were in a hurry to get to Williamsburg. Virginia has horrible traffic (like LA) and no one was kidding! It was horrible!! By the time we found the entrance to the carpool lane (HOV lane) Noah woke up and was shrieking so we had to stop for a bit. We had been following my parents and so at this point we split from them. We caught up with them at the hotel later that night after their dinner.
























Wed. Dec. 21, 2005
Colonial Williamsburg. We walked around for a little bit and did some shopping. What an incredible place! This is somewhere we will have to come back to when the kids are older and able to appreciate it more. This trip, however, they were a bit unimpressed with it. We did find some things that they enjoyed though.

Arlington, VA

Mon. Dec. 19, 2005
We went to Arlington National Cemetary for Grandpa's funeral (the reason for the trip) and what an awesome experience. It was a terrific way to say our last good-byes. He was buried with full military honors. Here is the link to his obituary. Here are some pictures of what we saw:

The chapel

Part of the eulogy by my Dad

The platoon awaiting outside after the ceremony

Horse-drawn carriage pulling the casket

Driving to the burial site:

21-gun salute

The Marine Corps band (in red):

Folding the flag



Presenting the flag to Kae

Our trip to Virginia...the first 2 days

Dec. 17, 2005
We went on the airplane to go to Virginia. It was Benjamin's second airplane ride and Hannah and Noah's first time! They had so much fun. We travelled with Marissa, Heather, Ryan (his 1st plane ride too) and Chris. They looked out the window and checked out everything on the plane within their reach. Here they are reading the airplane emergency pamphlet from the seat pocket:

When we got to Phoenix, AZ for our layover the kids ran around and around after we raced to the next terminal to catch the next plane. Our next flight was 4 hours long so they needed to get their energy out. We landed at Reagan National Airport that night and while we were waiting for Corey to find the rental car and pick us up Ben and Marissa went riding on the wheelchairs and Hannah and Noah fell asleep.

Sun, Dec. 18, 2005

We toured Washington DC today. We went by the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam and Korean Memorials and went for a brisk walk around! It was a beautiful day. Here they are near a bare tree on our way to the Lincoln Memorial.

We drove to see if we could see the White House and found 2 parking spots immediately! We got out and walked over and Ben and Marissa went right to work on a snowball fight while we all gazed at the White House! It seems that they were obllivious about the big white building next to them! After that they were freezing (notice Marissa in her t-shirt?!!! and Ben without gloves?!!!) as the sun was going down and it was getting cold quickly! We ran to the car and turned the heat on full blast!! Then we set on a search for hot chocolate but never found it. Instead we discovered that our rental minivan had a flat tire so we headed to the nearest gas station (which was NOT an easy thing to find in DC!!)!

Dentist appt...

Today was Hannah's first trip to the dentist. She has been before but she hasn't been the patient before. She loved it! She sat in the chair and opened her mouth for Kelly (the hygienist), she cleaned her teeth and had a conversation with her. All the while she was watching Blues Clues on the TV monitor on the ceiling, very cool. They handed her a bag of goodies (floss, new brush toothpaste) and an award that we taped to the wall. She had such a great experience today, I hope she remembers it forever!

Here she is!

Here is Ben, watching TV and waiting for Hannah to be done.

Dentist...

Today we went to the dentist. Ben is a pro at being a dental patient. He sits with his headphones on and opens his mouth. Our dentist has headphones for the TV that is on the ceiling! Hannah was a bit scared of the dentist and didn't want to go. Ben went first, Hannah watched and by the time he was done she was very comfortable with it. She got in the seat and opened her mouth. She didn't want the headphones. She didn't watch much TV but she was a very good dental patient! She loved it and is already talking about her next visit in six months!

Potty update...

Ben has been successful for several weeks with the potty!! He has occasional accidents but overall he has done very well!! I am crossing my fingers that there will be an end to the accidents soon. Today he ran to the toilet twice! And this is good because he had an upset tummy...and no accident!! Hooray!

Old Fashioned Christmas...

Well we went on a search for Santa tonight. We went to La Mesa's Old Fashioned Christmas. It has been something we do in December for about 4 years now. The kids love to go, there are so many things for them to do there! Ben and Marissa went on a huge slide that looked like a tsunami, Hannah wanted to do it too but got a little frightened at the last minute. Then we went looking for Santa...but found a puppet show, they watched for a bit and then off to find Santa again. We found another puppet show. When that was over we headed towards the llamas, the kids got to ride them last year and were excited about doing it again this year. Hannah decided that she didn't want to do it, but Ben and Marissa went riding on their llamas. They loved it. Then they found a jumper with a big llama on it, that was fun for a while. We were still looking for Santa when we realized that everyone was packing up for the night. They wanted to tell Santa what they want for Christmas and we had rehearsed the whole thing all day. They were really looking forward to it! We never found Santa, so sad. We'll have to find him somewhere else!

the cable guy...

We have been having such a hard time with our internet and cable system around the house that we finally got a call in to the cable people. The repairman came this morning. Benjamin is just fascinated with repairmen! He went to get his work belt on and put his tools into it (hammer, screwdriver, pliers~all plastic toys). He followed him around and kept asking him questions. He didn't know what a cable is and kept calling it a 'mable', so I took him to the back of the TV and showed him what it was. It cleared it in his head because he looked puzzled when the man went out back and worked under the house, then out front to the cable box, then to the back of the TV and then to work the remote to check out the channels. Then when he brought in a giant box full of cable, Benjamin was so excited he wanted to pull it all out and play. His mind is soaking up all the wonders of his world.

Hannah's bike ride...

Corey and Ben went for a bike ride together today. They took their bikes in the car so it was pretty nice for them to spend some time together. Hannah woke from her nap and wondered where they were. When I told her that they went for a bike ride she was upset and wanted to go on her own ride. So I put Noah in the stroller and she got her helmet on and off we went around the neighborhood for her own bike ride! She can ride pretty fast on her trike so it wasn't a leisurely walk for me but she was having so much fun! We went around 2 blocks and she wanted to keep going so we went around a couple more. I thought is was a pretty big bike ride for her but she still wanted to keep going! When we got home we didn't have to wait long for the guys to get home from their ride. Hannah was so excited to see them, she told them all about her bike ride in the neighborhood with me!

The Park...

We went to the park today. We were supposed to meet with our playgroup but only one other person showed up. That was OK because we got there late and it had been raining. We didn't expect too many people there anyway. Benjamin and Hannah got busy playing on the slides and climbers while Noah hung out in Daddy's arms. They always get hungry at the park and want to have snack. We brought some snack and they shared with their friend Van. Ben and Hannah also brought their bikes to the park and Van wanted to ride the trike around all over the place. Hannah doesn't mind sharing her things so Van took off with the trike and almost made it out of the park! Maybe we'll have more people come to the park next week!

First hike...

Today we went on a short hike with Noah. We went to Mission Trails. As we parked I spotted a car that I knew from our playgroup. We hiked around and found a hut, the kids played in it for a few minutes and then we kept walking. We found some sticks and they used them to poke the bushes, there were some flowers that looked like they were growing on a dead branch coming out of the ground...very cool stuff in the wilderness! As we got to the end of the hike we found the street and we also found our friends from the playgroup! They saw Benjamin first and then Corey with Noah and Hannah and I brought up the rear. Benjamin and Hannah were so happy to see Athena and Porter and their moms! What a treat! They stopped and had snack with us by the visitor center. Maybe we'll see them again tomorrow at the park!

Princess...

Hannah knows she's a princess. She wears her princess pj's and she puts dresses on and says "I'm a princess". She walks around knowing just what she wants and how she's going to get it. Today she put a tie-dye summer dress on and annouced that she was a princess, so cute! I think it is because the dress has a little bit of flare at the bottom and it poofed out when she twirled around. So cute! She is our princess and always will be.

Noah's growing!

We went to see Barbara (our midwife) today. We went to her office in Encinitas and got a tour of it. We really enjoyed it there! We talked about how things were going with the baby in the family, among other things. Then we weighed Noah...he was born at 8lbs and 8oz and now he is 10lbs and 3oz!!! Woah! He had a little shirt on with his diaper but still we figure he was probably around 10lbs if he had been naked! I am not surprised since all he seems to want to do is nurse and sleep.

Happy Birthday BEN!!

Today was Benjamin's 4th birthday. We had a party and everyone came over. Benjamin has been talking about his birthday for about 6 months! He has been asking about it and wondering when it was coming. He was so excited this week to know that it was very close! He knew it was getting close because the baby was born and Halloween came and went, he knew it was after those two events.

He had so much fun with all the kids and adults that came over. He got a giant red ball from a neighbor down the street and the kids (and even an uncle) took turns jumping and bouncing on it throughout the evening. They ran around with each other and had a good ole time.

He got so many nice presents from everyone who came too. He loves them all. There are many favorites, he keeps jumping from one thing to the next. He even got some money to put in his piggy bank! Ben loves birthday parties and can't wait for Hannah's to come around...next April!

Footprints and first bath...

Noah is 11 days old today and in our house that means that the person who does the First Impressions comes to our house and does a hand and foot print of our newest family member. Noah was sleeping and slept right through the footprint. When it came to the hand he just didn't want to be disturbed so he squeaked a bit but nothing serious. Benjamin and Hannah both got their done when they were 11 days old too. We can see the difference in sizes. Hannah is definitely the one with the biggest hands and feet! They are treasures to be kept forever.

Today we also gave Noah his first bath. He loved it! The water was nice and warm and relaxing for him. Benjamin and Hannah were so excited about it and wanted to see him get his bath. They didn't want to miss it. We set the tub up in the kitchen sink and filled it up with water and set Noah inside. The kids watched and were so happy to see that their baby brother can take a bath too. He didn't make a peep the whole time he was in it!

Pictures...

Here they are! T-Rex and Pink Kitty, Marissa was a Black Kitty and Noah was a little ghost. We went trick-or-treating around our neighborhood and they got lots of candy. After each person put some candy into Hannah's bucket, she inspected it to see what they dropped in. Then she looked up and said "Thank you, Happy Halloween!" and walked away. At one house Ben banged on the door a few times, and when the lady came to the door she said "You don't have to bang on the door, you could ring the doorbell" Ben looked around and said "I couldn't find it!" everyone got a little chuckle out of that. Granny watched Noah at the house while we walked around. His first time being babysat!

Halloween...

We'll be trick-or-treating tonight! Ben finally decided to be a T-Rex (he really wanted to be a crocodile-but couldn't muster it together) and Hannah is a pink kitty, Noah will be a little ghost. Pics are on the way!

Welcome Noah!!

We have been so busy these last few months that I haven't had the time to get to bloggin!

We welcomed Noah into our family on Sunday, October 23rd. He is such a doll. We love him so much. We can't wait to show him off!

Daddy's birthday...

Today is Daddy's birthday and the kids (they love parties~especially birthday parties) were so happy that it was his special day! They jumped on him and gave him his presents. We went to dinner with Nanny at the Olive Garden.

Beach...

Today is Chris's birthday and we headed to the beach. We joined him, JP and Marissa in Mission Beach for a little sand and water play. The kids love going to the beach and today was a perfect day to go! We sat on the beach, jumped in the waves, built sandcastles, made birthday cakes... Oh the possibilities were endless it seemed!

4th of July...

Today is the 4th of July! We went over to Coronado with our bikes to get to the parade without walking the entire way from the car. It was great! The kids enjoyed seeing all of the floats and clowns, bands and horses, mini cars and bikes... We saw Delaney walking in the parade with a friend of hers. They got to eat donuts, ice cream and loads of other junkie stuff that was around. They loved it. Afterwards we went over to the Lunas and they played hide-and-seek with the girls. They love this game...even if they hide in the same spot every time. The excitement is great for them! We came home as everyone was getting ready for the fireworks and Benjamin and Hannah were tired out!! We looked for some fireworks on our way home but only saw some as we pulled into the garage. The kids loved it. Maybe next year we'll get to see them up close!

Party...

Tonight there was a surprise birthday party for my uncle Ramon at my parents house. The kids were so excited about it all because they love parties! We got all dressed up and went over there a bit early. Hannah didn't want to go into the pool when we got there so she and I stayed out. Benjamin and Corey went in and had a little fun before the party started. Some other kids came and they were off playing together on the hammock. They hung on it in all kinds of ways. They had their spot to play and were there for a good part of the night. Hannah really liked Madison, a cousin from LA, and Benjamin hung out with Marissa. They had a grand ole time running around the party with each other.

Dr Seuss

Once a month Benjamin and Hannah get a package in the mail. It's their book club from Scholastic. They get 2 books that are usually a good level of reading for them to sit through. They get a bunch from Dr Seuss but also from other authors. Today they got Snug Bug House and Six Sticks. They want to rip open the package when they see it in the mailbox and sit down to read the books as soon as it is opened! It is so exciting for them because it is for them!

excited...

Benjamin and Hannah are getting ready for a little brother or sister coming in October. We talk about it every day. They love to feel my tummy and have to baby kick their hands. They get tickled when it happens. Today Benjamin came up to me and said "I'm so excited!" and I didn't know what he was talking about so I asked hime why. He said, "I'm so excited for the baby to come!" I was so happy because it shows me that he is really thinking about the baby and connecting how he feels about it. They both will be a great brother and sister to the baby.

New pool...

Today we had to get a new pool for the back yard. It has been so hot here lately and the last pool popped. This new pool is so much bigger than the one we last had and the kids can really move around in it. It takes longer to fill but in the end they get in a splash around for a long time! They jumped in, dove in and swam around today. Of course this was all in the nude. They don't like to wear swim diapers or suits... I guess they're just natural babes! They had so much fun!!

Dogs...

When their cousin Marissa comes over to play and play she introduces many new games and things to do to our kids. They love having her over (as we do) and love to play her games because she is older she has more experiences. Today she came over and they pretended to be dogs. They crawled all over the place and barked and climbed around the house and back yard. They had so much fun. After Marissa left, Benjamin and Hannah continued to be dogs. They took apart the couch and pulled the beds apart...because I guess that's what dogs do (according to them)!

Ben's hammer...

Benjamin always seems to have a hammer in his hand. If it isn't an actual hammer it is something that he can use as a hammer. He bangs all over the house, the walls, the windows, the couch, the floor, the table, Hannah, the bed...anywhere! He would love a real hammer but we are afraid that he might seriously break something if he did! Come to think of it it isn't just hammers that he loves...it is tools (shovels, scoops, drills...)!!

Hannah's barrettes...

Hannah has to choose her barrettes every day. She loves to pick them out and have us put lots of them into her hair. She has a nice collection of barrettes; some clip and others snap together. She has plastic crayons, clips and metal ones that fold her hair in and...well you get the picture. She won't let us just put one in (which would be fine) but she wants all of them (which is fine too). She goes around to everyone and shows off her hair barrettes. Such a little girl!

Playdate...

With Connor and Aidan! We went over to their house today and Emily (their Mom) filled up the pool. Connors parents built a playhouse/castle in their back yard and the kids got to explore it! They loved it! There is a slide and a rock wall and a lookout point. There were wooden swords and rifles to play aroun with too. They jumped and splashed around in the pool and had sooo much fun!! We were treated to lunch and then we went home.

Father's Day...

Today is Father's Day and we had such a fun time! We went out to breakfast with Grandpa and Myrlene. The kids really love to see them. We don't see them very often but when we do the kids warm up to them pretty fast and aren't shy. We played around the house with Corey. Tonight we went to dinner with GranDad and my family. We went to a restaurant in La Jolla and the kids got stir crazy. They started to run around and cut crayons with knives. It wasn't a very relaxing time for us but they had fun. Today was also Uncle JP's birthday! So it was just a big party day for everyone!

Del Mar Fair...

We went to the Del Mar Fair today. We haven't been since the kids were born. It was quite fun! We went to see the farm animals first and then we went to watch Marissa dance in her folk dance. It was great! Then we went over to the carnival area for the younger kids and they got to do a few of the rides. They were so tired when we got home. But it was really fun and I think that they will remember it the next time we go!

Pooh video...

We bought the Heffalump movie today and the kids are glued to the TV. They love it! I sit with them and comment on it for them to understand the story a little better. There are a few scary parts but they don't seem to be affected by them. I'm sure this will be like the Little Bear videos and there will be some re-enactment soon.

Soccer...

Benjamin started to take soccer lessons today. He seems to like it. There are 4 or 5 other boys and a couple of girls in the group, so it's a nice little group of kids. There are 2 coaches who seem to know about teaching younger kids. Today they did some warming up and then some relays. They ran from one end of the field to the next and back again. He is just learning the basics and then at the end they have a 'game'. It should be a good experience for him.

dirt...

Well we finished the raised bed for our little seedlings but the kids LOVE to play in the dirt! They think it is a big sandbox to play in. I do have to remind them to be careful and not get any in their faces/mouths/eyes... They love to dig and toss the dirt to the side like we do with our shovels. I hope they don't get into it too much when the veggies are in it!

Little Bear...

The kids love to get the Little Bear videos at the library. They will watch them every day (if allowed) and re-enact the scenes for several weeks afterwards. They are the same scenes over and over that they re-enact. There are at least 10 videos available but they always choose the scenes that are acted out.

raised bed...

Today we have been building a raised bed for our little seedlings! They are growing soooo fast that they will need somewhere to go soon! Benjamin loves to build things especially when it comes to hammers and nails or screws and drills! We were busy getting it all together and the kids were helping to put it together too. They love to have the big box...they can use their shovels and it is OK to do that there. We need the soil tilled anyway so they might as well help with it!

This afternoon we are going to the nursery to get a truckload of topsoil to put in the big box!

(they like to work without shoes...such little workers!!)

YMCA...

We went over to the YMCA today to sign Benjamin up for soccer lessons. He was so excited to get to do something with other kids his age! After signing him up we went over and looked at the soccer field. This will be good for Benjamin because he will be in the lesson all by himself and he'll have to listen to the coach (not to us!)...kind of like a pre-cursor to school! Hannah was very interested in the field and soccer lessons too. She knows that she isn't old enough this year but that next year she will have lessons too!

seeds are growing...

The seeds are growing already! They are poking their little leaves out of the soil and reaching for the sky! Benjamin and Hannah are so excited! I don't know if they realize what this means...but they sure are excited about doing it! Since they are growing so fast we are going to have to have a place to put them!!!!

Here is a picture of the seedlings growing!

planting seeds...

Today we planted lots of vegetable seeds. Benjamin and Hannah got to put the soil into the tiny pots and then we waited for Daddy to come home from work to help us put the seeds in. They were so excited to do it! They were jumping around! Some of the seeds are only supposed to be 1/2 inch into the soil and others are put in an inch so we had to measure and poke holes into the dirt and put the seeds in carefully so that we didn't miss the hole! They loved doing it...now to watch them grow!!

Birthday party...

Today was Isaac's birthday party. They love going to the Lords house because they have a trampoline. Hannah is shy and doesn't go near it but we have to peel Benjamin out of it. He loves to jump on the hard floors in our house, so jumping on a trampoline is 100's of times better.

Playgroup...new friends...

As you may know I run a playgroup. This has been a hard thing to start and keep going and get people to keep coming to the park to play. Last week I set up a big meeting spot for all potentially new people. We had a nice turn-out and I hoped that they kept coming. This week, more newbies came and Benjamin and Hannah had a ball! They ran around with all the kids and didn't want to leave. It was as if they knew each other for a long time and were best friends! It was nice to have that kind of day after so many weeks of not having anyone show up!

Elmo...

Elmo is Hannah's constant companion these days. We cannot leave the house without bringing him along with us. We sleep with Elmo, we play with Elmo, we change Elmo's diaper (even though he really doesn't wear one) and we take him for walks in the stroller. We are never without him. Hannah left Elmo at the Home Depot the other day and...well, needless to say it was a sad night. He did have his blanket with him and we did find him the next day but boy that night was sad.

The potty...

Another post about the potty training. For the last couple of days, Hannah has been sitting on the potty after she gets out of the bath. Tonight she sat and sat and sat and sat for a long time...she went!! This was her fist time! She was so excited that she jumped around and sang about it! It was so cute, we all danced around the house with her. Let's just hope she keeps trying!!

the zoo...

Today we went to the zoo. We try to go once a month and see the animals. We walked all over. As we left we stopped into one of the stores. We usually stear clear of the stores because the kids will pull everything off the shelves. But today I was feeling daring and we went to look around. Benjamin found a stuffed snake and Hannah found a little panda bear that they 'couldn't live without' so we bought them. They love them! They have named them Panda and Snake! They sleep with them. They take them everywhere and play with them all day...it's all good until something else comes around that is better!

computer games...

Benjamin and Hannah love to play the computer games that we have for them. They play them together. Hannah usually watches and Benjamin usually does the work with the mouse. They take turns where each wants to go in the game. They love to re-enact the beginning and ending of the games. They play Reader Rabbit with his friend Maddie. We will have to get them some new games soon as they are flying through the ones we have for them.

new trees...

We got some free trees from the City to compensate for the underground utilities that were installed last year. The kids love to water them. They grab their buckets and fill them with water and splish-splash them all the way down to the trees. The trees only end up getting a few drops from them but Benjamin and Hannah have so much fun knowing that they are helping them grow!

Mother's Day...

All the days leading up to Mother's Day were exciting for the kids. They love to give presents because they realize that it gives people joy to get presents. They went shopping with Daddy and bought me a present but it was so hard to keep the secret because their present was so big! They had to help Daddy find places in the back yard to hide it. It was a half barrel for a water fountain. They wanted to set it up right away and show me what it was! So cute! I love the gift and think of them every time I go outside and hear the water falling.

My fountain...for now. We may get a new liner for it!

Family pic...

After Mother's Day brunch at Il Fornaio in Coronado.

running naked...

The kids love to run around naked. They love to be free. They do all sorts of things naked that they would also do with clothes on! They garden with the shovels and dirt, water, play with their babies and strollers, hammer on the house, kick balls or play volleyball, watch the butterflies fly in and out of the garden, listen to the birds sing... They don't notice that they are naked until we remind them that they should put some clothes on before they go out front or to the garage.

Hannah's party

Today we celebrated Hannah's second birthday at home with our family and friends! We got everything ready, put up decorations together and Nanny brought balloons. She was so happy to have everyone over for HER birthday, and she knew that everyone was there for her! She had fun running around with Benjamin, , cousins Marissa and Levi, her friend Connor, and neighbor Ryan. Grandpa brought them a motorized Jeep and they cruised around in it all afternoon. She got lots of presents too~lots and lots of clothes! Perfect for a little girl. As she opened each gift, she would dance around the patio and say what she got. So cute!

Hannah is 2

Today is Hannah's birthday. Now she is 2. She is so happy to be 2. We went to the zoo today and saw lots of animals. We went to the petting zoo and she was terrified of the goats just walking around freely. Benjamin was pretty comfortable until the last one head-butted his hand and scared him half to death. He was pretty crushed after that. We found the snakes and then everything was OK again. We went on the sky ride...boy that is a hit! They would've gone on it over and over again if there weren't any animals to distract them! Corey met us there for lunch and a little animal viewing. Next time we have to see the monkeys, 'cause we missed them today!

This afternoon Granny came to visit with a present...Silly Parts Elmo, she loves it! She wanted to sleep with it but he is too hard, so we put him in another bed. After dinner we went to Cold Stone for a little birthday ice cream with sprinkles, yum!

Her birthday party will be celebrated on Saturday with most of her family and friends.

the alligator...

We went to Kaiser to visit Grandpa in the hospital today. He had surgery on his foot today so we were going for a visit to see how he was doing. We were walking around looking for the right elevator (hospitals always have several of them taking you to different parts of the hospital), and Benjamin and Hannah were looking for it also. As we walked down the corridor Hannah said "Mommy, there's no alligator around here!" We thought it was cute!

Markers...

This morning I got busy in the kitchen for a few minutes while the kids watched one of their favorite shows on TV. They are usually glued to the TV in the morning, maybe it helps them ease into the morning and wake up. Well this morning was a little different. We were going to go to a playgroup at the park at 10 so we had to eat breakfast and get dressed to go.

So when I was done in the kitchen I found that they weren't watching TV anymore (it had only been 10 minutes) so I went looking for them. I found them on our bed with 2 markers...marking up the bed sheets, pillowcases, walls and themselves! The markers (purple and brown) was all over the place! Benjamin was saying "Hannah this is a triangle and it's for you. This is a rectangle and that's for me." In the 10 minutes they decided not only to re-decorate the bedroom, but themselves as well! They had drawn all over their faces (like indian-warrior paint) and arms, legs, hand and even the bottoms of their feet! Even though I freaked out...everything came out in the wash!

Bike trailer...

Yesterday we got a bike trailer. We have been talking about getting one for a long time and we finally got one. It is really easy to hook up to my bike and go. Until we got it, Hannah would not let us get one foot close to her with a bike helmet...but now she knows that she needs to wear one if she wants a ride! Since yesterday, life has been all about the bike trailer. They want to take a ride in it all the time! We are so happy because if they hated it...what a bad investment it would've been! But they do like it and now we can all go for a ride together!

Video...

Hannah and Benjamin like to watch TV. They have a small collection of musical videos that they watch. When they get their video time they have to take turns picking one out and they always remember who's turn it is to pick one out. When Hannah feels like watching something she says "I want to watch a movie-o" (a combination of video and movie!) Funny, I thought I share!

Tent...

Yesterday Nanny gave Benjamin and Hannah a tent for our house so we had to put it together today. They had fun jumping in and out of it while we worked in the back yard. Benjamin wasn't interested in putting his sleeping bag or any other stuffed animals in it though. They just jumped in and out for a long time. We're thinking that it would be fun to camp out in the back yard some day!

Swimming...

Today Benjamin and Hannah went to Nanny's house for a couple of hours. They LOVE to go over there and play with her. Today they went swimming at her pool. Benjamin is a fish at heart and just jumps right in. He is actually diving in and landing on his belly...only a matter of a couple months and he'll be swimming! Hannah was not into it today. She was much more interested in picking leaves up and throwing them into the pool. Then Nanny would have to fish them out for her. I think she'll like it better as it gets warmer and we go swimming more often.

Pirates...

Marissa introduced a pirate game to the kids the last time she was at our house. They went around hiding from pirates and imagining that they were in the back yard (coming to get them). They would peek outside and jump when they 'saw' them and race inside to get away and hide. So now that is their game to play! They love to pretend that I am the pirate and (as I walk around the house picking up things) run away as I get near! Aaahh the screams and screaches I get when I get close!

Marissa...

I guess we owed Marissa a sleep-over from a few weeks ago, so we took her home last night and she spent the night. Benjamin and Hannah LOVE it when she comes to play with them! She finds all kinds of different activities for them to do. When she is not here, then they have 'new' games to play! This time it was all about "Kids Fun Town" where they take all of the pillows in the house and lay them on the floor by the bed. All of the sheets and covers come off the bed too. There is now padding on the floor so they can slide off the bed and into the big pillows and do it over and over again! What fun to be a kid!

Easter...

Happy Easter! We went to my parents today for our traditional Moroccan feast and Easter egg hunt. Benjamin, Hannah and Levi were the only kids in their age category so they had lots of eggs to find! They had so much fun running around finding their eggs in the pots and plants. Everyone got prizes for the eggs they found. Marissa found the golden egg, so she got a special prize! No one fell into the pool but almost everyone ended up in the jacuzzi for some swimming!

Egg dyeing...

We went to the Barnabes house to dye eggs today! We took Marissa too. The kids sat at the table and got right to work. Hannah loved to drop her eggs in the blue dye and then grab them out with her hands (not with the spoon). So she ended up with blue hands and blue speckles all over her face, hair and shirt! Benjamin was on a mission to get all of his eggs the same color. He couldn't wait for the next mug of color to come his way so he ended up with a lot of light pink egss! It was a true test of patience! No one could wait better than Eddie though, all of his eggs were bright and dark (perfect like the pictures)! Afterwards we were treated to lunch and lots of play time!

Biking...

Benjamin has really been into biking lately. I think it is because we got him a new helmet and it fits better. Well, today he decided that he wanted to go for a bike ride while Corey was doing yard work. By the time Corey realized that Benjamin was taking a bike ride, Benjamin had almost made it to the corner. Corey ran down the street after him and finally caught up with him. Luckily he had a bright orange shirt on that (hopefully) people could see. We got him back safe and sound...no harm done...except for a few missing heart beats!

Eggs...

We went to Granny and GranDad's house today to help get ready for Easter. They had a bunch of plastic eggs that needed to be stuffed with candies for the egg hunt on Sunday. Benjamin and Hannah went wild with the candy! Benjamin ate so much chocolate and Hannah dove into the jelly beans (she loves them!) They had fun putting the candies in the eggs too.

GranDad took all of the kids and Corey for a hike to "look for rabbits". They hiked all over the property and even took a net to catch one if they found one. They found lots of holes but no rabbits. Maybe next time!

the car...

Benjamin and Hannah have turned the space underneath the kitchen sink into a car. They take it all over town. They get in and tuck their stuffed animals inside with them and go for a drive. Many times they take a trip to Parkway Plaza to go to Play Town! They go shopping at JCPenney or go to Starbucks...so funny!

Easter egg hunt...

Today we went to the Bread Basket restaurant in Alpine for an Easter egg hunt and some fun! We joined Andrew, Emily and their two children and Heather and Marissa. It was raining and the restaurant had a power outage so it wasn't very busy. Benjamin and Hannah were so excited about it but they stayed in line to wait for the hunt to start! When we finally got the "go ahead" we ran around looking for eggs, they found a lot of them and didn't want to stop. They looked on the grass, in the bushes, on the fence railings, in trees...there were eggs everywhere! As a prize for finding eggs the restaurant gave out cookies to everyone. Like I said it wasn't busy and they had plenty of eggs and cookies! There was also face painting and hair coloring and a raffle where everyone who was present won! All in all everyone had a good time!

Mast park...

This is a new park for us. It is in Santee. We went and met up with some other friends. Today was the first time that all of the children played together! Benjamin and Hannah usually just play together and hang on me but today it seemed that they were into doing the same things as the other kids. They built sandcastles and had "tea" in teacups, they ran around on the play structure and rode their bikes around the walkways together. Most of the kids brought their tricyles or their push cars so they were all on the same "wave length" today! Kinda cool when that happens!

Library...

Today we went to the library story time. Hannah likes songs and stories and was excited about going today. She sat on a carpet square and got right into it, they started out with a familiar story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. Then they sang some songs and did some felt stories, she loved it. No, I didn't leave Benjamin behind...he was with Corey looking at books.

Painting...

Today Benjamin and Hannah did some painting. This activity never seems to lose their interest. They always get a couple of colors on their palette but they always mix the colors up and end up with brown. We have lots of paintings around the house and they are all a different shade of brown or orange. It really doesn't matter because it is the process not the product that matters!

Birds...

Today we made bird feeders! We had a few pincones in our backyard, that we had picked up from a walk one day, so we put peanut butter all over them and rolled them in birdseed. Benjamin and Hannah took great pride in their pinecones. They hung them in the tree for the birds. They talk about them all the time and call for the birds to come and eat their food!

Sledding....

We went sledding over the weekend with my parents and Marissa. As we left Big Bear we stopped on the side of the road and got the sleds out. Hannah hadn't gotten to ski (she's too small) and I got the feeling that she was feeling left out. She knew that we stopped to go sledding for her. She had a blast! Her smile was ear to ear. We have a sled that fits toddlers, that can be pulled around. We would pull her to the top of the little hill and let her go. GranDad would catch her at the bottom, where her smile was so big!

Skiing...

We took a trip to Big Bear Mountain over the weekend. Benjamin went skiing for the first time! Marissa took ski lessons (her first time on skis too!) They had so much fun! We drove up in the RV with my parents, spent the night and went skiing the next day! Benjamin was so excited since, up to now, the only skiing he had ever seen had been in books. We rented skis and boots for him. They were so small! Corey and he skied together all morning and then all afternoon~until the lifts were about to close! They also made a snowman.

Valentine's day...

Today we went to a Valentine's Day party! Benjamin and Hannah enjoyed themselves. There were crafts to do and they did a few for Daddy for Valentine's Day. They got to play with other kids and met some new parents.

potty training...

Well, if you have been following our potty saga with Benjamin from the very beginning...it sadly continues! I spoke to my cousin (Claudia) and she told me that she was potty training her son, Levi. We have been potty training Benjamin since he was about 18 months old...well not seriously doing it but that is when he first asked to go on the potty. We have been pretty lazy about it. Leading up to his 3rd birthday we repeated "When you are 3...no more diapers!" When he had his birthday he complied for a day or two and then it was too stressful for him so we went back to diapers.

Well...to make a VERY long story short we are on a mission now. We haven't put a diaper on him since Tuesday afternoon. He only has had a few accidents and he seems to be in a pretty good place with it. He doesn't seem stressed about it (I think we have relaxed about it too-so that helped) and maybe a little excited!? He does know that Levi is also wearing underpants so he might feel like they are learning it together...but apart. We are still initiating his going and hopefully with time (not too much) he will start going/running to it on his own. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he is [finally] going to do it!!

Jumping...

Hannah has been practicing jumping lately. She loves to follow her brother and seems to know her limits in what she can do. They run after each other at the park and around the house all the time. Jumping is one thing that she has been watching Ben do since forever. He can jump off the playground structures, the couch, the front steps, chairs...etc. She has been experimenting with it lately though. She manages to jump with both feet off our front step (just one of them). She loves to hold our hands and make a giant leap off a retaining wall or the playground structure or something. She could (and would) probably do that all day if we allowed it. She is so happy that she can jump off of the step stool with her big brother now! What fun!!

Computer...

Benjamin is trying out the computer. He will want to do some activities on it every day for a week and then he won't think about it for a month. We downloaded some activities for him and he seems to like it (Hannah LOVES it). We bought some new software for him to try and he really likes it. One of the CD's is Reader Rabbit for Toddlers. He doesn't have to figure out the button on the mouse because when he hovers over the part he wants to do, it goes! Kinda cool! He loves to do the alphabet matching part with the train...he is really into trains and this one moves across the screen and there's a little catchy tune to go with it. So he's working on his computer skills and sooner or later he will be better at it than any of us!

umbrellas...

Benjamin and Hannah love the rain! They get so excited about it and want to go jump in the puddles! Today we went to Toys R Us and bought some kid sized umbrellas. They couldn't wait to use them. We barely made it out of the store with them still closed. Luckily it was raining as we left the store so they could use them immediately! Benjamin got a purple one and Hannah got a fuschia one. They are bright colors on purpose...in case they need to be seen. It will be raining here for the next few days so they will get to use their umbrellas a lot! What fun!

Play Town...

Today it was raining and I didn't want the kids to get stir crazy in the house so we headed out to the closest indoor mall. There aren't too many around San Diego so we had to drive a bit. We walked around looking for the play area and found a carousel! Boy that was fun!! Hannah rode on a zebra and Benjamin rode a horse. They loved it and want to go back soon with Daddy.

Afterwards we found the play area called "Play Town"~funny because yesterday we were at Kid City. They had to take their shoes off because the structures were vinyl-foamy (soft) and I guess they don't want the structure to get punctured? Anyway the theme was a town and they had some little convertible cars, a store, a bridge to climb over, funny mirrors and a big turtle to climb on. Benjamin quickly found a little boy to play with and they followed each other around the entire time! They would go over the bridge and slip/slide/fall down it and giggle! It was really fun to watch. Hannah is not into playing with anyone other than her big brother so while he was off playing she ate her cheerios and drove one of the cars near me.

Kid City...

Today we went to Kid City at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park. Marissa was with us and we met up with Andrew and Connor. It is a kid section that is set up for them to explore: computers, books, magnetic letters and numbers on a huge board, a factory and a grocery store with a conveyor belt. They had a blast! The highlight was the conveyor belt in the store. There were shopping baskets to push and hand held baskets of fruits and veggies. The kids got right to work with putting the food on the belt and turning the wheel until all the food dropped into another basket or bucket at the other end. Then they would run to the other side and start all over! Another great part was the factory. It had a conveyor belt also but they liked playing with balancing the buckets and pushing the foam shapes through the holes, and dropping the little balls into the tracks and watching them roll down to the bottom. They loved it! We will try to go back on a free entry day!