This is for the Birds

My friend Karin called us Wednesday morning to see if we wanted to go to the zoo. It's was her little girl's first birthday, and it was great to have a fun day out with them.

We went to the Reston Zoo, which was our first time there. It was a VERY small zoo- more like a petting zoo really. You could feed the pigs, goats and lambs. They had a few zebras and kangaroos.  Our favorite part was the Aviary--a small enclosure filled with birds. The kids held sticks with bird seed stuck to the end of them. The birds swarmed all over them, and they were mesmerized!

We didn't stay long, because it was a chilly day- but it was fun to get outdoors. We are so ready for Spring to arrive!

Easter Egg Roll at the White House

Jack "knows a guy" that was able to get us some tickets for the Easter Egg Roll at the White House. There were thousands of people there, and it was very crowded, but it was awesome to be there nonetheless.  The Obamas spoke to the crowd from the balcony, and Leo got to roll his Easter egg on the White House lawn, which was pretty cool.

 Jack and Leo before the "roll" began.

There were some celebrities and other famous people there too, including Al Roker, who accidentally ran into Leo and almost knocked him over. But he was very nice and patted Leo on the head.  Leo's first brush with fame, I guess.   (We happened to catch it on video too.  And yes, it is sideways. If I knew how to rotate it, I would)

Passover

We started a family tradition a few years ago of celebrating Passover.  We are Christian, not Jewish, but we love the history and symbolism of this ancient holiday and it has become an important part of our Easter celebration.

This year we invited our friends the Hansens over, and enjoyed a lovely meal together.  I tried a new Lamb recipe this year (thank you Martha Stewart) that was truly amazing!  We braised the lamb in some wine for over 3 hours in the oven, and then reduced the liquid down to a thick syrup which made the most incredible sauce.  This recipe is a keeper!

The boys played while we read from the Haggadah, but they loved searching for the Affikomen.  It was a great evening, and it was wonderful to reflect on the beautiful symbolism of the Passover.

Snow Day!

We got a few inches of snow yesterday, and we were actually home to enjoy it!  It was fun to wake up to a beautiful white landscape.  Leo and I bundled up in our snow gear, and headed to the back yard for some fun in the snow.  We threw snowballs at each other, and built a snowman.  Leo loves singing "Frosty the Snowman", which he sang the whole time.  We gave him a carrot nose and some hair made from pine needles.  Leo called them "wire" so I explained that some trees had needles instead of leaves, and pointed out our pine tree in the corner of the yard.  (So now he calls it the pine needle tree)  We had so much fun!  Too bad Daddy had to go to work, and couldn't stay home to play with us!

Big Boy Pants

Last Wednesday Leo potty trained himself.  As I was getting him dressed that morning he proclaimed "I want to wear big boy pants."  So he wore his 'Tow Mater' underpants that day. There were a few mishaps in the morning, but by the afternoon he had figured it out, and the timer on the kitchen stove helped us remember to go each hour. A little bribery helped too.
The next day he went to preschool for 3 hours, and I wondered if I should send him in underwear, or be safe by going with the diaper.  I emailed his teacher... and she said to go for it. So that was day 2 in underwear!
We've had to use some bribery to get the larger 'exports' into the toilet. And a new pirate movie was just the trick!  We are now on day 5 of underwear, and and I really can't believe it happened so fast.  I had heard that "When they're ready, you'll know"... but I was still a little surprised.  (When we tried 6 months ago it was a battle)   I guess Wednesday was the day- and he was ready. On his own time.

Caribbean Cruise

Jack and I just returned from a 7 day cruise in the Caribbean.  (I earned two free tickets from doTerra, the company I've been working with for the last year and a half.)  It was dreamy!

My parents flew out from California, and took care of Leo while we were gone. We flew to Puerto Rico, where we spent a couple days before the cruise.  We stayed in a hotel right on the water in San Juan.  We laid in a hammock suspended between two palm trees, watched the waves splash on the rocks, and enjoyed the warm tropical breeze and clear blue water. It was lovely. We had to keep reminding ourselves that it was January. 

 

The weekend we were there was the Festival de St. Sebastian.  Half a million people descended on Old San Juan that weekend for parades, dancing, food, and lots of drinking.  The old narrow streets were packed, many of the main roads were blocked off, and police officers were on every corner. But we were able to see the old forts- San Cristobal and El Morro- even with all the traffic obstructions. 

We ate some delicious local dishes- Monfongo (Fried green plantains that are mashed, then shaped into a bowl and filled with chicken and garlic sauce), and Churassco (Marinated skirt steak) served with yummy rice and beans. We loved it.  We also sampled some food from street vendors- some meat on a stick with, tostones (plantain or breadfruit fritters), and a deep-fried corn meal batter with chunks of garlic and herbs.  It was all delicious.   It was interesting to learn about the roots of Puerto Rican food-- with its influences from Spain, Africa, Latin America, and the native Taíno Amerindians.

 

Day 1: We boarded the ship, Adventure of the Seas, on Sunday. There were about 350 other doTerra people on the cruise with us. It was fun getting to some of them, and meeting people from all over the country.  (Can you tell how massive this ship is?)

Day 2: The second day we arrived at St. Thomas, a US Virgin island. We did a scuba diving trip in the morning.  The first dive was on a corral reef, and the second one was a wreck dive.  After that we returned to the ship for lunch and a shower. We spent the afternoon walking around the tourist shops, looking for some gifts for Leo.  (It was hard to find something that didn't have rum in it)  We finally found a cool little pirate store, where we found a few things that Leo would love.

Day 3:We arrived at St. Kitts, one of the British islands. We did a zip-line tour excursion in the morning.  They drove us across the island, where we stopped at their office. They trained us how to use the gear, and then we all put on our harnesses and helmets. We climbed into a big vehicle, and they drove us up the mountain. It was fun driving through the rain forest, and we even saw a few monkeys. When we got to the top, they hooked us onto the cable, one by one, and we zipped our way down the mountain. We got to do 4 different lines.  It was amazing!  It felt like you were flying-- over the rain forest, with the sparkling blue sea in the distance.  What a thrilling experience. We loved it! 

We returned to the ship, had some lunch, then took a cab to a beach (Friar's Bay) on the other side of the island. We rented some equipment and snorkeled in the crystal clear water.  There was a small corral reef that ran parallel to the shore, in about 6 feet of water. We saw tons of colorful fish, a sea turtle, and a baby octopus. It was so fun!  (We actually saw a lot more fish snorkeling than we had diving the day before.)

Day 4: Day at sea.  We napped and relaxed by the pool.  DoTerra threw us a party, and we also had a short training meeting.

Day 5: We arrived at Aruba, a Dutch island. DoTerra had set up a volunteer day for us. They split us into groups, and we went to some of the poorer schools on the island, where we did some service. Our school was led by this wonderful woman who had become the principal there a year earlier. She told us how the school was so run down when she arrived, and how she has slowly been able to fix things up, and get assistance from the government to help pay for it. This week she was getting a new roof, so we packed up everything in boxes, and moved out all the furniture. We painted bookshelves, and and played with the kids. DoTerra also donated a ton of toys, and some money for a new computer. 

 

The principal was so grateful for our help, and we were so happy to be there!

She told us: "They say we are the poorest school in Aruba, but I think we are the richest! Look at these children-- they are precious diamonds!"

 

I was amazed at how well the kids spoke English. Their native language is Papiamento (A creole language with roots from Portuguese, Dutch and English. It originated as a means of communication among slaves and slave drivers) In Aruba (and the other Dutch islands), as soon as they start school they start learning Dutch, English, Spanish. They are fluent in all 4 languages by the time they are 12-- they can read, write and speak them all perfectly. Wow.

 

After that we hopped on a bus and they took us all to a resort, where we had a huge lunch, and a fun afternoon at the beach. There was beach volleyball, snorkeling, some waterslides, and lounge chairs under cabanas. It was so fun! We snorkeled, and saw even more vibrant fish than we had before. There were these HUGE blue fish with big mouths- it looked like they were wearing big white dentures! We snorkeled for a while, and then played on the waterslides. We felt like a couple of kids! We were sure missing Leo, and wishing he was there to play with us. 

 

We spent the rest of the evening lounging on some chairs, reading, napping, and meeting some new friends. We watched the sun set over the ocean, and then headed back to the ship. What a fun, relaxing day. *sigh*

Day 6:  We arrived at Curaçao.  We were booked on a catamaran trip with snorkeling that day, but when we woke up that morning, we were beat.  After 3 full days in the sun, we wanted to do something more low-key.  We switched to a tour of the island.  Our van driver/tour guide was funny and informative. It was a great way to see the island, and learn more about its history and culture. 

He taught us about the historic buildings in the bright, cheerful colors that Curaçao is known for. They were built from limestone, covered with plaster, and painted in bright colors. (allegedly because the original mayor got migraines from bright white buildings-- so he mandated that colored paint be used instead)  The problem is that every time it rains the limestone absorbs a lot of water. When it stops raining the limestone dries quickly in the hot sun, causing the plaster to blister and crack.  They call it "Wall Cancer".  These historic buildings, by law, cannot be altered.  They must also be maintained to look their best-- this requires a complete replacement of the plaster 3 or 4 times a year!  And painted even more often than that!  Because of the expense, only lawyers and tax offices can afford the upkeep. And if they don't, the government takes the building back.  Pretty interesting, isn't it? 

This is the pedestrian bridge that floats on pontoons. It opens up throughout the day to allow ships into the harbor. An orange flag means it will be open for 15 minutes. A blue flag means it will be open for an hour and a half... so if you see the locals running, you better run too!

 

Day 7:  A day at sea, on our way back to Puerto Rico. It was good to have another relaxing day on the ship. We saw an ice show (yes, they have an ice rink),  sat by the pool, and took a long nap.  We felt the ship rocking and rolling a lot more this day-- they tell us its because of the currents that come together there, where the Atlantic and Caribbean meet.

We ate breakfast in the dining room for the first time. (usually we were headed out on an excursion, so we had to eat at the buffet)  It was nice to have a more leisurely breakfast that day.  Speaking of the dining room... our nightly dinners there were pretty spectacular.  We made some great friends- Lisa and Lacey, Janet and Chad, Jeff and Trish.  We ate together almost every night, and had a great time!  Jeff would always order 3 or 4 appetizers, and a couple of desserts... so we all started doing that. It was fun to try so many different things.  (and for free!)  We were in the "late" dinner seating, which meant dinner started at 8:30, so we didn't finish until 10:30.  For a couple of early birds like us, that was tough. We had to take naps in the afternoon, and have a snack about 4:30, so we could hold out until then.

Day 8: We arrive in Puerto Rico. Our flight isn't until later that day, so we took a tour of Puerto Rico. We were the only ones in the group, so we had a private tour.  Our guide was great. He took us around Old San Juan, which seemed totally different to us without all the Festival crowds.  He also took us out of San Juan, and we saw some of the beautiful beaches, and areas that we hadn't seen before. It gave us a totally new perspective of Puerto Rico.  We had an amazing lunch at a restaurant he recommended, and then he dropped us off at the airport.  We flew home, and my mom picked us up at the airport. It was pretty late, so Leo was already in bed- but I was sorely tempted to wake him up!  We missed him so much.  We couldn't wait to hug and kiss that cute little face!

"It's a FIRE STATION!"

For Leo's birthday we decided to build him a fire station.  For the last two weeks Jack and I would sneak into the basement after putting Leo to bed, and work tirelessly on our creation. First Jack built the box, then we added trim and doors and a shiny silver pole.  I kind of got obsessed with finding miniature accessories online.

Finally, his birthday arrived, and it was ready.  When Jack got home from work we were going to wrap it in a large box, and let Leo tear it open!  We couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he saw it!

About an hour before Jack got home, Leo was downstairs in the basement playing. Apparently he snuck his way into the storage room, because all of a sudden I head a sweet little voice say:   "It's a FIRE STATION!"  

I ran down the stairs and found him there, with his eyes wide, carefully examining the fire station.
I called Jack and said "I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that Leo found his fire station. The good news is that he loves it." 

So I carried it upstairs, and Leo has loved playing with it.  Our cute little fireman!

Fireman birthday

 

For Leo's third birthday he wanted to be a fireman.  We bought fireman hats and moustaches for all the guests.  Nothing says "PARTY" like a fuzzy black moustache.

 Leo enjoyed having some friends over, and new presents of course, but the cupcakes were the highlight for him. 

Actually, it was the frosting on the cupcakes that he really liked. He ate the top layer off one cupcake, and then helped himself to another, and another...  leaving a trail of cupcake stumps behind him.

 

It's the Most Wondeful Time of the Year

We love this time of year! We love teaching Leo about Baby Jesus, decorating our house with lights, spending time with friends, holiday baking, and all the fun things there are to do and see at Christmas time.
We went to "Posada" at Catholic University in Washington DC with a few friends. Based on a Latin American tradition... they dress the children up as Mary and Joseph, and then lead them on a procession from building to building, where there is no "room" for them. Finally we reach the final building, where we are welcomed in with beautiful songs, and yummy food- taquitos, pupusas, rice and beans.  The children decorated cookies and took took a whack at the pinata. Then we went outside to see a reenactment of the Christmas story. The stable was filled with live animals- sheep, donkeys, and an ox.  The Wise Men even arrived with a camel.  (Leo loved the camel!)  It was a wonderful evening.

We went to see the lights at the temple, and attended a Bell Choir concert there.  The lights were spectacular- we loved all the different colors. 

We went to our Christmas Party at the church last night. Leo joined the primary kids on stage to sing a song, even though he's still in nursery.  He stood right up front, and channeled his inner Elvis.   We were loving his smooth dance moves. 

 

I took Leo to the mall to do photos with Santa.  This was our 3rd year with this Santa, and Leo was cute and friendly as usual.  He told Santa that he wants a Fire Engine for Christmas.  (apparently the two he has aren't enough)

 



The Happiest Place on Earth

We flew to California for Thanksgiving, where we spent a week with our extended family at the beach. Our usual campground in Carpinteria (where we've been going for 30 years) was closed for renovations (so sad!) so we stayed at a place in Newport Beach instead. We also bought a 3 day pass to Disneyland, and took Leo to the Happiest Place on Earth for the first time.
My sister and her family, and my parents went to Disneyland with us too. It was great that Leo had his cousin Bridger (who is just a few weeks older) to play with during the day. They were able to entertain each other while waiting in line.

Leo loved Pirates of the Caribbean... he waved to all the Pirates and said "Hi Pirates!" with great exuberance.  He also loved "It's a Small World, which was all decorated for Christmas. He also loved the Dumbo ride, and Autotopia. 

Two of the best rides, which are new, and had the LONGEST lines... were the Midway Mania   (3-D video laser shooting game with Buzz and Woody from Toy Story)   and the new Cars ride (with Lightning McQueen and Mater).  In fact, they have a whole new Cars land, which was incredible! You really feel like you're in Radiator Springs.






The first two days at Disneyland and California Adventure were great- it wasn't too crowded and we hardly spent any time at all in line. Then we relaxed for two days, and went back for our 3rd and final day of fun.  We didn't realize that the schools were out by then, so the park was packed!  We spent way too much time waiting in line.  And poor little Leo was so exhausted by that 3rd day- he actually started running a fever, so we left about 2:00.  He fell asleep as soon as we got to the car.

The rest of the week we spent with our family at the beach. Leo got to play with all his cousins, dig in the sand, and have a great time running around! It was a fun trip.

Autumn Camping

We have discovered that the best time to go camping on the East coast is in the Fall!  The summers are too hot and humid for camping, but in the Fall the weather is just heavenly, and perfect for camping!  Our friends, the Hansens, invited us to go camping last weekend- they found some little cabins for rent at Patapsco State Park in Maryland, about an hour from here. The campground was awesome, and the little cabins were cute and cozy. Two other families came too, so we had a nice little group. Leo loved having so many friends to play with.

 

 

 

 

Leo was thrilled to sleep in a bunk bed, and in a sleeping bag. 

This was his first night in a big bed, ever! 

 

 The leaves on the trees were just starting to change color.  It's a lovely park.

Campfires are so much fun!  We cooked all our meals over the fire, and roasted marshmallows, of course.  There was also a small playground adjacent to our camp sites- the kids loved that.