We are back, and we are exhausted. It was a great trip, in the way that must be our new normal in terms of traveling with small kiddos. Things have improved significantly since our first forays with baby Mateo, and since we first tried to travel with the two of them. On both this trip and our recent weekend in Washington, we did get to sleep throughout most of the nights. The kids did nap on their regular schedules. And the process of getting to and home from our destination was actually pretty smooth. The days of wanting to do some primal screaming upon returning home seem to be behind us, at least for now!
And, we had a lovely time with my parents. The basketball game was really fun and we got to see Cal win (at least a share of) their first Pac 10 championship in 50 years! There was confetti coming down from the rafters and it felt like something you might watch on tv. My mom's willingness to babysit for that was much appreciated! Despite Mateo's under-the-weather-ness, we made it out to a local wildlife museum for a little while on Friday, and also went to a toy store in town earlier that day. Sacha made it down to us safely, and she and I got to go out for dessert on Friday night (thanks, Mom and Dad!), which was nice. My parents made sure we had as many treats, delicious dinners, and designer coffee as we could possibly handle. We had lots of quality time with both of my parents, and we even hit the steam trains in Tilden Park this morning before going to the airport.
Simultaneously, Mateo's behavior was really difficult the whole time we were there. He wasn't feeling well, as he informed us about ten billion times. He whined incessantly and wanted to be touching me (or Sacha, once she arrived) at all times. This was especially true when I was holding his sister, who also wanted to be held or paid attention to AT ALL TIMES. Mateo wasn't interested in leaving the house, didn't want to eat anything, didn't want to drink anything, didn't want to do anything, and so on and so forth. The kids woke up at night more than usual, which gave me less sleep and less patience during the day. To add insult to injury, once he finally started to recover from the stomach bug, he woke up last night with a barking cough and wheezing breathing that I thought must be croup. Thank goodness it resolved into only a regular cough in the morning.
Anyway, I suppose my point is that our trip was both very good and extremely frustrating! I guess that's the way things are just going to be at this point in our lives. I think that had Mateo not been sick, things would have flowed much more smoothly for all of us. And, the fact that, even with our illness and behavior struggles, the plane flights went as well as they did must mean that we're heading in a good direction overall in terms of traveling.
Of course, this morning, the kids finally got that they could run around in my parents' backyard and play mostly on their own. And, they rode the steam trains with just their grandparents and not a mommy or mama in sight. Maybe we should have stayed for a week instead of a long weekend? Anyway, we had fun overall and will cross our fingers that the preschool stomach flu spares us on our next trip!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
Traveling mercies
I had the above title in mind for this blog post as we touched down on the runway in California on Wednesday, having completed my first solo plane flight with our two kids. The night before, Mateo had been up and puking and we thought we'd have to cancel the trip, but he made a seemingly miraculous recovery and was fine the next morning. So, off we went to the airport! Especially given the way our night had gone, the kids did amazingly well at the airport.
Apa dropped us off on the way to work, with three hours to spare until our flight. We played all over the airport - at the indoor play structure, on the moving walkways, by the Coffee People where I got some coffee, and at our gate. The flight, although I like I was stepping into the great unknown as we were boarding, went great. Mateo napped while Talia and I watched a video. Then, he woke up and we all had some snacks before watching another video. We started our descent, we read some stories, and then we landed. Piece of cake!
We had a good evening with my parents, who sprung me so I could go running. The weather was nothing short of glorious and I felt like I was running through paradise. Everything was green and it smelled like spring.
I noted Mateo's seemingly miraculous recovery above. It was miraculous in a sense, because it enabled us to get on the plane and get down here. However, it was not a complete recovery, as we discovered yesterday morning, when he woke up and started throwing up again. Baffled by the 24-hour gap in his virus, we kept him quiet and he and Natalia watched videos for most of the morning. By the time naptime was over, he was feeling better again, and seems to be fine today. Being unsure of what germs Tali and I might be carrying around, we opted not to seek out social plans on this trip, and just to stay close to home base instead.
Sacha's coming down tonight, after finishing up her work week up north. We can't wait to see her! If everyone is feeling up to it, we're planning to visit a park in Berkeley that I and my siblings went to as children with our grandparents. And, my mom has offered to babysit so Sacha and I can go to a basketball game with my dad. Even with Mateo's stomach virus, it has been wonderful to be on vacation for a few days and to spend some time with my parents. Yay for vacation!
Apa dropped us off on the way to work, with three hours to spare until our flight. We played all over the airport - at the indoor play structure, on the moving walkways, by the Coffee People where I got some coffee, and at our gate. The flight, although I like I was stepping into the great unknown as we were boarding, went great. Mateo napped while Talia and I watched a video. Then, he woke up and we all had some snacks before watching another video. We started our descent, we read some stories, and then we landed. Piece of cake!
We had a good evening with my parents, who sprung me so I could go running. The weather was nothing short of glorious and I felt like I was running through paradise. Everything was green and it smelled like spring.
I noted Mateo's seemingly miraculous recovery above. It was miraculous in a sense, because it enabled us to get on the plane and get down here. However, it was not a complete recovery, as we discovered yesterday morning, when he woke up and started throwing up again. Baffled by the 24-hour gap in his virus, we kept him quiet and he and Natalia watched videos for most of the morning. By the time naptime was over, he was feeling better again, and seems to be fine today. Being unsure of what germs Tali and I might be carrying around, we opted not to seek out social plans on this trip, and just to stay close to home base instead.
Sacha's coming down tonight, after finishing up her work week up north. We can't wait to see her! If everyone is feeling up to it, we're planning to visit a park in Berkeley that I and my siblings went to as children with our grandparents. And, my mom has offered to babysit so Sacha and I can go to a basketball game with my dad. Even with Mateo's stomach virus, it has been wonderful to be on vacation for a few days and to spend some time with my parents. Yay for vacation!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Munchkins
As I was bathing the kids last night, I got inspired to take some photos. Now that they both zoom around all the time, it's harder to document every second of their lives than it used to be!
Anyway, here are some photos of them. They were having a great time splashing and playing. Also, below are some photos of Tali around the house and a great shot of the kids with Bubby and Poppa in Washington.
Blankie is Talia's most prized possession...
This one is my favorite!
Chillin' with the grandparents...
Happy sunny Monday!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Sun
We have had a glorious weekend, thanks in large part to the sun. Although I have to agree with the kids that it is a little bright after so many weeks of clouds, everything seems better when the sun is out and there's not a cloud in the sky. And, when the daffodils are blooming and the trees are budding and even flowering in some cases. Despite my guilt about enjoying something that must have some connection to global warming, I am loving it! I just tell myself that it's just an El Nino year, like the weather people say.
Anyway, it feels like spring. In fact, it feels more like spring than spring usually feels. Spring in the northwest is often my hardest season, because it seems like the sun should be coming out more and it usually doesn't until about July. This year is my kind of year! (As I write this, I am knocking on wood because I'm sure there must be an epic stretch of clouds and rain headed our way...)
So, we went to church today - the same Unitarian one, which we continue to like - and as we were leaving, it was so beautiful outside that we decided to go and get some plants. You know, because our garden doesn't have enough of them. The previous owners of our house crammed the lot so full of plants of all kinds that we can barely deal with them most of the time...but we have a few bare spots in the front, so we figured we would fill them. We ended up getting two blueberry bushes! Or, more accurately, some sticks that will eventually become blueberry bushes. We bought one "bush" that is slightly more mature than the other, so we may actually get a few berries this year!
By the time we planted the blueberries, we were on a roll, and the kids were still having fun, so we tackled our strawberry plants next. We've had them in containers on our front steps since we moved in, but they were getting overcrowded, so we moved them to our square foot garden planter on the other side of our front yard. The front is the only place that gets enough sun to grow fruits or veggies. Now we have (what will become) a beautiful strawberry patch out there. We have been blasting through our fruit reserves from last summer, so hopefully we'll have a bit more home-grown fruit to start off this year with when summer gets going.
The rest of the weekend was great, too. We started off with a family dinner at my grandma's house on Friday night. The kids stayed up way past their bedtimes, but for a good cause. We all had fun socializing and running around and shrieking at the tops of our lungs. Well, they did, anyway! It was fun to watch them playing with everyone.
Then, on Saturday, we had brunch in the morning with old friends and a playdate in the afternoon with new friends. Both were lovely. Sacha and I both had time to go running yesterday, and we watched some 30 Rock in the evening, which is always fun. Then, today, we capped off the day with dinner with Apa (steak!) after he and the kids took a trip to the park.
It's a good thing we're all refreshed and recharged, because we're going to have a big week! The kids and I are flying to California on Wednesday to visit Grammy and Grandpa. Sacha's going to join us on Friday evening, and then we'll all fly home together on Sunday. It will be my first time flying alone with both of them, so wish me luck!
Anyway, it feels like spring. In fact, it feels more like spring than spring usually feels. Spring in the northwest is often my hardest season, because it seems like the sun should be coming out more and it usually doesn't until about July. This year is my kind of year! (As I write this, I am knocking on wood because I'm sure there must be an epic stretch of clouds and rain headed our way...)
So, we went to church today - the same Unitarian one, which we continue to like - and as we were leaving, it was so beautiful outside that we decided to go and get some plants. You know, because our garden doesn't have enough of them. The previous owners of our house crammed the lot so full of plants of all kinds that we can barely deal with them most of the time...but we have a few bare spots in the front, so we figured we would fill them. We ended up getting two blueberry bushes! Or, more accurately, some sticks that will eventually become blueberry bushes. We bought one "bush" that is slightly more mature than the other, so we may actually get a few berries this year!
By the time we planted the blueberries, we were on a roll, and the kids were still having fun, so we tackled our strawberry plants next. We've had them in containers on our front steps since we moved in, but they were getting overcrowded, so we moved them to our square foot garden planter on the other side of our front yard. The front is the only place that gets enough sun to grow fruits or veggies. Now we have (what will become) a beautiful strawberry patch out there. We have been blasting through our fruit reserves from last summer, so hopefully we'll have a bit more home-grown fruit to start off this year with when summer gets going.
The rest of the weekend was great, too. We started off with a family dinner at my grandma's house on Friday night. The kids stayed up way past their bedtimes, but for a good cause. We all had fun socializing and running around and shrieking at the tops of our lungs. Well, they did, anyway! It was fun to watch them playing with everyone.
Then, on Saturday, we had brunch in the morning with old friends and a playdate in the afternoon with new friends. Both were lovely. Sacha and I both had time to go running yesterday, and we watched some 30 Rock in the evening, which is always fun. Then, today, we capped off the day with dinner with Apa (steak!) after he and the kids took a trip to the park.
It's a good thing we're all refreshed and recharged, because we're going to have a big week! The kids and I are flying to California on Wednesday to visit Grammy and Grandpa. Sacha's going to join us on Friday evening, and then we'll all fly home together on Sunday. It will be my first time flying alone with both of them, so wish me luck!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Why do you say why?
Natalia has a new favorite word.
Why does she have a new favorite word? Well probably it is because she has an older brother who loves to say the word why. She started saying it about a week ago, and, although it's hard to tell if she exactly understands the meaning, she does use it appropriately most of the time. She's also picked up on the usefulness of saying "why?" repeatedly, just like her brother does!
Why? Maybe because when she says "why?" people talk even more to her!
Today, when we were driving in the car, she was trying to get me to take off her sock. I told her that she could do that herself, and she said, "Why?" We then asked her why she was trying to take off her sock. Her response, " 'Cause."
We try not to say "because!" too much to either of our kids, but after the zillionth why in a row, it does sometimes come out. Can't imagine how she would have picked up on that!
She is also starting to say some phrases. Some favorites include: Have a good day, bye bye, there it is, thank you (which she sometimes says unprompted), I do (ie, I want that), and lots of other mimicking of phrases. We're having a lot of fun listening to her tiny little voice!
Why does she have a new favorite word? Well probably it is because she has an older brother who loves to say the word why. She started saying it about a week ago, and, although it's hard to tell if she exactly understands the meaning, she does use it appropriately most of the time. She's also picked up on the usefulness of saying "why?" repeatedly, just like her brother does!
Why? Maybe because when she says "why?" people talk even more to her!
Today, when we were driving in the car, she was trying to get me to take off her sock. I told her that she could do that herself, and she said, "Why?" We then asked her why she was trying to take off her sock. Her response, " 'Cause."
We try not to say "because!" too much to either of our kids, but after the zillionth why in a row, it does sometimes come out. Can't imagine how she would have picked up on that!
She is also starting to say some phrases. Some favorites include: Have a good day, bye bye, there it is, thank you (which she sometimes says unprompted), I do (ie, I want that), and lots of other mimicking of phrases. We're having a lot of fun listening to her tiny little voice!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Road tripping
We took a trip up to see Sacha's parents this past weekend. We went up to (belatedly) celebrate Sacha's dad's birthday and to spend some time with both her parents at their home, which we hadn't visited for quite some time. The drive to get there takes about three hours and has, until this trip, been something we did not look forward to. We've always tried to time it to coincide with the kids' nap schedules, but even then, the drive has never been exactly fun.
This time, for no particular reason, we threw the nap thing out the window. We brought along our new portable dvd player (as well as the usual books and snacks and toys and such). Sacha and I fueled up with fully caffeinated coffee drinks (as opposed to our usual decaf). Something about the extra caffeine got us through the first part of the trip just fine. Then, after we stopped for a quick dinner, the dvd player did the rest. It was sooooooo awesome. Whenever we get our next car (which will probably be a minivan), I pledge here and now that it will have dvd screens installed in it. We'll only use them for road trips, I promise!
Anyway, having our drive time go smoothly made the rest of the trip go smoothly, as well. The kids slept well and had fun with their grandparents and played copiously with all the toys in Bubby and Poppa's house. One of the best things about having kids of these ages is that other people's homes are like brand new playgrounds to them. That, plus a visit to a local children's museum, a trip to the little downtown area, and a visit to a park on Sacha's parents' island, made the time there very fun. If the new easy driving thing holds up, it will be much easier to visit more often in the future!
Also, speaking of new things, Talia has been wearing underpants during the day for almost a week. We've even taken her out and about sans diaper. Today, she made it through our whole morning in big girl pants, with only one accident, which was only the second one she's had this week. Obviously, since we've been working the potty into her daily life since birth, getting to this point now isn't shocking...but what has surprised me is how liberating it feels to not worry about diapers during the day. It is the greatest thing ever. We've been changing diapers for nearly 3 and a half years, so to mostly give them up feels GREAT! Wahoo!
This time, for no particular reason, we threw the nap thing out the window. We brought along our new portable dvd player (as well as the usual books and snacks and toys and such). Sacha and I fueled up with fully caffeinated coffee drinks (as opposed to our usual decaf). Something about the extra caffeine got us through the first part of the trip just fine. Then, after we stopped for a quick dinner, the dvd player did the rest. It was sooooooo awesome. Whenever we get our next car (which will probably be a minivan), I pledge here and now that it will have dvd screens installed in it. We'll only use them for road trips, I promise!
Anyway, having our drive time go smoothly made the rest of the trip go smoothly, as well. The kids slept well and had fun with their grandparents and played copiously with all the toys in Bubby and Poppa's house. One of the best things about having kids of these ages is that other people's homes are like brand new playgrounds to them. That, plus a visit to a local children's museum, a trip to the little downtown area, and a visit to a park on Sacha's parents' island, made the time there very fun. If the new easy driving thing holds up, it will be much easier to visit more often in the future!
Also, speaking of new things, Talia has been wearing underpants during the day for almost a week. We've even taken her out and about sans diaper. Today, she made it through our whole morning in big girl pants, with only one accident, which was only the second one she's had this week. Obviously, since we've been working the potty into her daily life since birth, getting to this point now isn't shocking...but what has surprised me is how liberating it feels to not worry about diapers during the day. It is the greatest thing ever. We've been changing diapers for nearly 3 and a half years, so to mostly give them up feels GREAT! Wahoo!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Weekends (past and future)
It seems like a long time ago now, but we had a great weekend! I thought I'd jot down a few thoughts about it. You know, for posterity. On that note, we're working on putting the last two years of this blog into book form through blurb.com. It's been very interesting to go back through the last two years and see what we wrote about and what photos we took and all that good stuff. Since Natalia's birth, the number of photos we've taken has dropped dramatically. I've (successfully, for the most part) tried to take similar numbers of photos of both kids, but the sheer volume has really dropped. Now that they're both mobile and all over the place, it's a lot harder to get them on camera at all!
Anyway, the weekend. While my poor sister was stuck in Snowmageddon in Washington DC, the weather was close to pleasant where we are. Sacha and I both went to acupuncture on Saturday morning, and then both went for a run (not at the same time) after that, which made it quite the morning of wellness activities! This was much needed after the week of sickness that three of us had had. After naptime, my brother and his girlfriend came over to spend part of the afternoon with us.
We reprised a favorite activity and went out for coffee and cookies at our favorite bakery and then to the park right across the street from it. Mateo and Natalia kept Galen and Megan busy by repeatedly leaping off the play structure into their arms. Thankfully, both kids seemed to understand that one could only jump off if there was an adult standing right there, and didn't ever attempt it when it wasn't safe. And, the adults all had fun catching up and such.
Since becoming a parent, and then since having our kids get old enough to need behavior management on a regular basis, I've learned to appreciate a quality in friends and relatives that I had never thought about before. That is, the willingness of said friends and relatives to help out in setting expectations for our children when they are with us. It is so nice to spend time with people who understand our expectations for our kids' behavior and feel comfortable setting limits with the kids without our help. Galen and Megan (as well as Apa, my sister and all of our parents) fall into this category and that it was nice to hang out with them for this reason, among many others!
Anyway, on Sunday, we did something new to us: we went to church! All of us! We had been wanting to check out the local Unitarian church, and Sacha had gone last week by herself to see what it was all about. She liked it, so we all mobilized to get there on Sunday. We really talked up the kids' program to Mateo, emphasizing how much it was like the preschool he goes to during the week, and he LOVED it. Talia did pretty well in the nursery, too, especially since she's never been in a setting like that before. They had to page us once during the service, but she calmed down before Sacha even got there. All in all, it went well, and we really liked the experience. There was a nice message, a great choir, and nice people all around. It's a large and very active congregation. We think we'll go back!
After that, we had naptime, saw Apa, watched the Super Bowl, and helped celebrate my cousin's 12th birthday. It was supposed to be a weekend to recharge from being sick, but it ended up being busy and we all had fun. We may still be hacking up a lung (well, I'm speaking for myself here) but at least we had fun!
Suddenly, here we are at Thursday! Poor Natalia has begun yet another cold - or perhaps is still in the throes of the old one? - and has been coughing and coughing in her room. Someday, in a very, very, very long time, she'll be old enough for the miracle that is codeine cough syrup! In the meantime, we're supposed to leave for Sacha's parents' house tomorrow afternoon, for the long weekend, and I suspect we'll be bringing at least one humidifier with us.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!
Anyway, the weekend. While my poor sister was stuck in Snowmageddon in Washington DC, the weather was close to pleasant where we are. Sacha and I both went to acupuncture on Saturday morning, and then both went for a run (not at the same time) after that, which made it quite the morning of wellness activities! This was much needed after the week of sickness that three of us had had. After naptime, my brother and his girlfriend came over to spend part of the afternoon with us.
We reprised a favorite activity and went out for coffee and cookies at our favorite bakery and then to the park right across the street from it. Mateo and Natalia kept Galen and Megan busy by repeatedly leaping off the play structure into their arms. Thankfully, both kids seemed to understand that one could only jump off if there was an adult standing right there, and didn't ever attempt it when it wasn't safe. And, the adults all had fun catching up and such.
Since becoming a parent, and then since having our kids get old enough to need behavior management on a regular basis, I've learned to appreciate a quality in friends and relatives that I had never thought about before. That is, the willingness of said friends and relatives to help out in setting expectations for our children when they are with us. It is so nice to spend time with people who understand our expectations for our kids' behavior and feel comfortable setting limits with the kids without our help. Galen and Megan (as well as Apa, my sister and all of our parents) fall into this category and that it was nice to hang out with them for this reason, among many others!
Anyway, on Sunday, we did something new to us: we went to church! All of us! We had been wanting to check out the local Unitarian church, and Sacha had gone last week by herself to see what it was all about. She liked it, so we all mobilized to get there on Sunday. We really talked up the kids' program to Mateo, emphasizing how much it was like the preschool he goes to during the week, and he LOVED it. Talia did pretty well in the nursery, too, especially since she's never been in a setting like that before. They had to page us once during the service, but she calmed down before Sacha even got there. All in all, it went well, and we really liked the experience. There was a nice message, a great choir, and nice people all around. It's a large and very active congregation. We think we'll go back!
After that, we had naptime, saw Apa, watched the Super Bowl, and helped celebrate my cousin's 12th birthday. It was supposed to be a weekend to recharge from being sick, but it ended up being busy and we all had fun. We may still be hacking up a lung (well, I'm speaking for myself here) but at least we had fun!
Suddenly, here we are at Thursday! Poor Natalia has begun yet another cold - or perhaps is still in the throes of the old one? - and has been coughing and coughing in her room. Someday, in a very, very, very long time, she'll be old enough for the miracle that is codeine cough syrup! In the meantime, we're supposed to leave for Sacha's parents' house tomorrow afternoon, for the long weekend, and I suspect we'll be bringing at least one humidifier with us.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!
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