Eliza at 11 months

A quick Eliza update.  She's pulling up on everything and can get up and down on her own.  She's taking a few steps from person to person.  She wants to explore everything and is especially attracted to all things dangerous (the opposite of J).  She loves electrical cords, drawers, tvs, and any large object that can be pulled over.  We've had to add to our already baby proofed house for Mei Mei.  She's a wild woman.  She loves to dance -- and eat.  We started off slowly with the eating, testing each new food for 3 days.  We've abandoned that because she wants whatever we are eating (and she is loud).  Today she ate tofu and rice at Korean BBQ.  And she and J are the perfect team -- he eats the pizza and she eats the crust.  She has 2 new top teeth but not a complaint while they were coming through.  She is strong, willful and spirited.  We are going to be in trouble when she turns 3. 

Birthday Week Pics

The Never Ending Birthday Celebration (aka Birthday, Part 2)

The beach party (see below) was a huge success.  I highly recommend skipping the big party and doing something special that your kid will love with just a friend or two.  Birthday, Part 2 was a family affair.  Everyone came to Ojai to celebrate.  It was a great time.  Swimming, a trip to the water park, a day at the beach, lots of bbq-ing, and special gifts for the birthday boy.  Jackson got his dream gift.  He's been waiting months for the thing he's wanted most of all.  And his cousins, Auntie and Uncle delivered the goods -- a drum set.  The gift all parents dread.  Special thanks to Uncle Ed who put the drums together without any instructions and about 1000 pieces of hardware.  Jackson also got a new garbage truck that does things none of his other trucks can do.  GG and Grampy came through big time.  Then we all went to San Diego. Sea World and Legoland were on the itinerary.  Eliza rocked the entire trip.  All smiles all the time.  Jackson had a harder time off his schedule.

ONLY 3 weeks until Eliza's birthday.....counting down the days.

Double Birthday at the Annenberg Beach House

Eliza turned 11 months today and Jackson celebrated his 3rd birthday with a get together with his best friends at his favorite place, the beach.  Eliza was as happy at the beach as her brother.  She tagged along with the guys and had a fantastic day.  Everyone is exhausted in the best way possible. 

Jackson's 3 & Eliza Adores Him

The birthday festivities continue....GG is in town and spoiling Jackson rotten.  He's having "the best day ever" to quote J.  Some highlights -- He woke up to a Happy Birthday "Lightning" balloon and a Mickey Mouse Pez dispenser.  Then GG and Grampy got him more mini garbage pails for his trucks.  Poppa made him special peanut butter and jelly pancakes.  Luchy decorated his entire room with balloons and fantastic gifts like a whoopie cushion.  He went to the toy store and GG bought him a gigantic special garbage truck.  Eliza inherited some old garbage pails of Jackson's and is thrilled (so far she only likes to bang them together or we'd be afraid - 1 garbage fanatic in our house is enough).  We had a wonderful homemade cake courtesy of the chef.  All in all a pretty great day.  Tomorrow we head to the beach to spend the day with Jackson's best friend.

Really, I'm 3

Birthday wishes from N.Y.

I love trash

Happy birthday J!

Catching Up

I've been doing my best to try to keep the blog up to date but misplace one thing - like my phone which has everything on it - and things grind to a halt around here.   We've been having a great summer and the onslaught of visitors for Jackson's upcoming birthday has begun.  Grandma just left, and we all really enjoyed her visit.   We exhausted her and she left saying what I ALWAYS say - "parenting is for the young."  She brought lots of hugs, kisses and BUZZ & WOODY.  We swam, went to a fantastic birthday party, ran all over Ojai, went to the county fair, and ate some delicious food Pappa cooked for us.  Eliza ate some pasta in red sauce and seems to love new textures.

Today, after Grandma left, we went to the park.  Jackson rode the bike that he has shown no interest in for 6 months, and didn't once put it down.  Eliza played on the swing.  Jackson has been making Eliza laugh -- and he crawls on the floor and gets her to chase him, giggling, through the house.  There is nothing better than the sound of them laughing together.

Pics to follow