Kirsten and Mark

Wow, already 18 months old! I can hardly believe how the time has flown. His personality is so much fun and we have a great time together. He loves his daddy and is always so excited when he gets home–always runs over and gives him a hug.

Here is a random assortment of pics we’ve been meaning to post, but I’m super behind…

With these he brought me my camera, handed it to me and then posed. We have a cheeser on our hands.

He gets soooo messy when he has spaghetti, but loves it!

He woke up from his nap after church, and apparently wasn’t too happy about it.

We went to the park for a little photo shoot:

Walk with me...

Playground

Huh?

I don't think so!

So funny

And, his stinkin’ cute pics from the RockerRoos photoshoot

We’re all really excited for Sunday when he gets to go to nursery at church. He looks longingly at the kids playing in the courtyard every week, and he’ll finally be able to join them!

Lately he’s trying to say every thing and comes out with new words all the time. Like purple, yellow, cookie, book, bubble, water etc. Finding Nemo is his favorite movie and called him “MoMo” He still loves Signing Time, and we got a few more this week at the Expo–Thanks Erin!  We’re now practicing drinking from a cup. He does pretty well, but definitely needs help still.

When we read stories he always remembers if we do special actions–like reaching our arms out wide or our toes in the air, or giving Mommy hugs. It’s so cute. Right now we must read his Alphabet book with the animals/touch and feel every night. He loves the Bee and says it by name.  Maybe that should be his costume this year.

We just love our little guy. He’s soooo sweet and gives great hugs. Happy Half Birthday Baby!

For the last night of our trip we had to get a hotel because our time share time ran out. We found a place just south of town. Here’s the view from our room looking toward the city.

To get there, we took our 3 suitcases, laptop bag, diaper bag, toy bag and stroller with Baby from the hotel to the tram stop about 100 yards away. Rode the tram, unloaded said items with a great amount of help from the super friendly Aussies and dragged our stuff to our new hotel, about 50 yards away. We promptly decided not to do that again and take a cab to meet the bus for the airport.

Anyway, we spent the early part of the day looking at the War Memorial. It was built to honor the soldiers who fought in WWI, but has since grown to include the other wars as well.

Mark and Britton on the steps

Daddy helping

Ceiling of the rememberance room

I’m not sure what the official title is, but in the center of the big memorial they have a square room built to honor the soldiers. There is a stone cut out, so that on 11-11 at 11 a beam of light from the sun rests in the center of a memorial in the center of the floor. At certain times of the day, everyday, they hold a mock ceremony with an artificial light. It was pretty cool.

Balcony View East

Balcony View North/East

The odd-shaped thing in the middle-right is the entrance to the visitors center.

View North

It was sooooo windy up there! Brit was pretty excited about it though.

After that we went to the Botanic Garden. No, not botanical. It’s botanic, because it has a herbarium with it.

It is a really large area, with many walkways and differing landscapes. It was started just a few years after Melbourne itself was settled, so it’s about 150-160 years old or so. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the plants and the garden itself. She’s owns a landscaping business, so she knows a lot. This first part is by the children’s garden. It was inspired by a children’s fairy tale that take’s place under the sea–no, not The Little Mermaid. These are the seaweed and kelp

Under the sea

Lakeview Terrace

Where's the bird?

This bird just kept squawking and squawking, really loudly. It definitely wanted us to know it was there.

That's another lake

The terrain and foliage was varied. Sometimes you felt like you were in an English garden and others in the tropical forest. We saw people with picnics and just hanging out and we were sad it was our last day for touring.

After the tour, we got some food. Brit was pretty tired…see, he does cry.

Noooooooo! I hate it all!

But, then he found birds…

Oh my goodness! Birds!

Hi Shadow, nice to meet you

But, then he found a new friend and they followed each other everywhere.

That night we went to St. Kilda, a beach town a couple of miles south to see what we could see.

Sunset

After walking down their ridiculously long pier, we made it here to the rocky harbor and fishing area

Pretty boats

Harbor

Yes, I am cold. It was really windy and pretty much freezing. The only reason I don’t look miserable is because I have my hat. And, don’t worry, Brit is fine because he has some of Mark’s strange genes that prevent him from feeling cold. See, still smiling. Strange boys I have. =)

It is a really cute area with cute houses and apartment buildings. We ate dinner at a Thai place and then headed back to this view:

We had a few hours to kill after the market, so we headed back to the Southbank to Eureka Tower. Here you can see our hotel. It’s is the white building by the Victoria University, and you enter from the back, far side for some reason.

Hotel and other Melbourne buildings

Eureka Tower is the tallest residential building in the Southern Hemisphere (by floor-the spire on another one is higher).  It has 92 floors and there is an observation deck on the 88th. The following pics were taken from there.

Melbourne and surrounding area

Fascinating!

Woah, it's moving!

Brit seriously loved this! He followed it around for so long.

Woooh, we're in the air

Mark and Britton went out on The Edge! It was basically a box that had  clear walls and floor that moved out from the side of the building.

Windy!

There was also a balcony that was exposed that anyone could go on, and man was it windy and cold!

Eureka Tower from the ground up

Another random art piece

It was fun seeing the city from so high. We could really see for a long way.

Brit loves to snuggle up with his daddy and watch him play his computer game

Here he’s in his “art shirt” from a painting session and then had to watch “baby time” which he now signs.

When he gets his glazed look and juts out his chin, we know he’s in the zone. I’m really trying to only let him watch it a couple of times a day, but he gets so mad when he can’t watch “baby” anymore. At least he’s learning another language, right?

He really loves his pasts and tomato sauce

And look at that cute long hair he had…it’s so funny how different he looks with it short.

I know I should maybe just pick one or two pics when he’s doing the same thing, but his expressions are so varied and so hilarious that I can’t help it…

His I’m trying to smile, aren’t I cute face

His real, genuine smile…He LOVES these paint things. Me, not so much. They’re really like water paint and soooo messy! He was colored for days. But, he did have fun.

We got some big crayons and a pad since he’s really into coloring lately. He’s quite proud of himself I think.

demonstrating his skills.

See mom, I have yellow and purple. They’re great!

He’s still switching constantly between left and right hands, but I’m thinking ultimately he’ll be a righty. Bummer!

A few weeks ago I got an email from my friend Paige basically asking if I wanted to drive to Utah with her, then up to Idaho to see our friend Ashley and her hubby perform in a play. I’ll admit, I wasn’t super gung-ho at first, but figured, why not? What’s the worst that can happen? Famous last words? Not so much.

We left last Tuesday night, and after a couple of stops to make the babies (Brit, 16 mo and Mav 18 mo) comfortable, we made it into Vegas to stay with friends Val and Tracy Smith.

This is most of what we got the rest of the trip…nice happy boys, or nice sleeping boys. We did stop in Cedar City for lunch, a nice playground romp and a visit with my friend Angie and her daughter Lexie–we didn’t get pics this time Ange!

Thursday my mom and I went to a conference for women with businesses, and it was pretty helpful. Pretty soon, our products are going to be available at their site http://Createdbymom.com.

Friday we drove up to Burley, Idaho to surprise Ashley with our visit. We made sure we got there after they’d already left for the play. Here’s a pic of the cast of Paint Your Wagon. She and Jason are the leads, which is nice to be able to do in a small town. We were so excited the whole time. They both did so well, and it made me miss doing theatre so much! Maybe once I leave LA. Anyway, after the curtain call, the cast passes the audience and goes outside to greet people. We stood up and shouted to get Ash’s attention and her expression was PRICELESS! It made the whole trip worth it. Her thoughts are here on her blog. We hugged outside and it was so fun to see her, and how excited she was.

We visited for a long time that night of course, and in the morning we did some more. The kids played outside, which is always a happy thing too.

Brit, Hudson and Hailey. Brit looks bigger than Hudson in this picture, but he’s not really. Maybe he just has the longer torso.

the boys all playing “together”

We tried to recreate a picture we got of the boys as little babies all lying on the couch together…I can’t find it. Anyway, they were not having it. First Mav cried, then Brit cried (hence the binky) then Hudson cried…so we moms joined in. It was so great to visit! We’re really looking forward to the Hulls coming down this way soon.

On our way back Brit and I stopped at my grandma’s house for a while and he loved playing with all her toys. Many of them are from when I was little. It’s cool to see how kids love the same things no matter when it is. I also discovered Brit’s love of blocks…I guess I’ll be getting some soon.

My mom always loves to get her picture with Brit, and apparently he likes it too.

So you don’t have to ask…yes they’re twins. Brit can tell them apart, can you? Just kidding.

We were sad to leave, but happy to come home the next day. The drive back wasn’t quite so uneventful as the drive up, but we were attempting to make them stay in the car all day long, what did we expect. Though, if they’d actually napped more than an hour they might have been in better spirits. In the end, we just put Nemo on for the third time, and there was happiness again.

So, are we crazy? Maybe. Are there more road trips in the future? Quite possibly.

So, this weekend I’ve been thinking enviously of small towns across America (and Independence Days of my childhood) celebrating the 4th with parades, parties and pomp while I’m here in Los Angeles where that is in limited supply. As a tradition-fanatic, this has been hard for me. But, as it turns out, it doesn’t take a block party or a parade to make the holiday, you just have to make it your own and appreciate what the holiday means.

So, what did we do to with our holiday? Mark found album art for his vast music collection, Britton read books and played with his toys and generally kept us running around all day. Good thing we have a small place! I caught up on housework and made my obligatory “holiday sugar cookies” since I have a Star cutter now. (See, it’s that tradition thing coming out again, though the 4th is a newly acquired holiday. I’m usually too busy or not around or didn’t have a cutter for it.) Brit thought it was an excellent time to practice his drums though. He can even do it laying down.

We had burgers for dinner from our Dream Dinners, I made beans and corn on the cob. Then we headed out to Culver City for fireworks. We’d debated going downtown near USC, but Brit was already acting tired, so that was definitely a no-go.

They were at Culver City High School and we set up our blankets outside the bleachers and all the “stuff” going on inside because 1. I knew Brit wouldn’t want to sit still and I’d worry about him falling through the bleachers (and Mav) 2. We had a perfectly good view where we were, and 3. Mark said it was crowded in there.

A band was playing and Brit couldn’t hold still

With Wondering Awe….

What to do with a 3-day weekend when you’re not going out of town? For us this time it was off to Huntington Library near Pasadena.  It is a vast garden with different themes, coupled with art galleries and exhibits. It’s been on our “To do in LA” list for a while, and I love to check things off.

The gardens are expansive, but interesting and beautiful.

Brit thought we were  being slow, and could hardly wait to get on the road.

The white cacti are called “Old Man of the Andes”

Brit looking at the Koi in the lily pond. They were big!

Yes, I did mean expansive. He loved every minute.

The Chinese Garden…my desire for a better photo of me to be inserted here was denied to give you the readers a better view of the garden itself. Oh, the sacrifices I make for you!

Just as we were going through the Chinese garden, Brit decided it was time to take a nap.

We were so disappointed, because just after that was the CHILDREN’S garden…but, he woke up…YAY!

No, this photo isn’t blurry. They are being misted. Brit came out with white hair–from all the water drops.

Water is so much fun!

We quickly saw some American Art and then a Gutenberg Bible they had on display as well. Very cool place. We thought we’d have too much time, but unfortunately they kicked us out before we were through!

I guess it’s just the nature of LA, but people move a lot! Since we’ve been married, at least 10 of our friends have left the state. It’s always sad to see them go, and we miss them dearly.

This past weekend it was another couple’s time to go…and we’re really going to miss them. Moving clear across the country doesn’t really lend itself to quick–or frequent visits. Maybe that’s why it’s a big deal…We hang out all the time, and I know they’re not coming back here, and we’re not going to be able to go there, so it’s a big change.

Now who am I going to make treats with?

Now who’s going to tell everyone Brit is her child and I’m the nanny?

Now who’s going to be in photos and make people think it’s Mark?

Now who’s going to do my hair?

Now who are we going to play Guitar Hero with until midnight? (or later)

We’ll miss you!

Brit and I had a fun little outing Monday down on Balboa Island. I was in the area picking up something for Mark (Guitar Hero Drums–we have a full set now) and decided it would be fun to take him.

I love crossing that little bridge onto the island and being greeted by the old-fashioned-looking shops and adorable beach houses. It brings fond memories of my childhood rushing to mind and I could wander around for hours. We found a great parking spot and took the semi-short walk to the beach/docks. There really isn’t much sand or beach there, with all of the small private piers and the ropes anchoring small craft. But, we did find a place where he could touch the sand and the water.

He was so excited he just stood there for a couple of minutes looking at the water and trying to decide what to do. Once he figured he wanted to touch the water he walked down the incline with pretty good balance, till this:

He looked around trying to find a way to stand back up without touching the sand with his hands. After a moment he “snow-angeled” his legs and started to touch the sand, but still didn’t like it.

When he got to touch the water he started splashing. It is his water activity of choice, so there was a lot of that going on. But, he did have to drive an hour in those clothes, so it didn’t get too out of control.

As we walked back to the main street–well, I carried him this time because there was sand in his shoes and he didn’t like it–we searched for a place to grab a little lunch. A sit down place? No. $7 for a basic turkey sandwich? I don’t think so.

So, this became lunch:

I have to say, he quite enjoyed it. We did have something healthy too–an APPLE, RAISIN, OATMEAL cookie…no really, it had a whole layer with chunks of apples and raisins in it. It might have been the best cookie like that I’ve ever had.

I really enjoyed our little afternoon outing. Spending time with Brit is so fun because he has such a fun personality and is learning so much all the time. Even though I’m with him all the time I sometimes feel like I don’t spend the time with him like I should since I’m trying to get work done.

But, lately I’ve been trying to just spend those minutes engaging with him and playing. He’s so funny and makes so many faces–he started doing “O” face again and saying “Ohhhh” when he’s excited about something.

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