Keller's New Skillz

No, no, no, no, no. Okay, I realize that is not phrasing we want him to learn. But, the little head shaking back and forth, love it!



Clapping!

Little Monkey

Just when you think that you have childproofed your house and it is safe for everyone involved...a monkey finds its way into your house and starts climbing. What am I supposed to do now? He keeps climbing to the top and then forgets he is up there, turns around to smile, and CRASH! Well okay, he falls into my arms, but it might have been a crash if I had taken just one more photo.

Before having one of each sex I scoffed at the idea that boys and girls were so different. Hmmm...

Photo Time

Vera's new bike. There is something about the combination helmet + actual bike that makes her look so old. Where is my baby? I can't believe that she is old enough to ride a bike (with training wheels of course). Right after this was taken she took a little spill and we have had a tough time convincing her "to get back on the horse again."

Keller's weekly eating shot. Orange slices are his new treat and my new way of keeping him from screaming if we need to finish dinner. He slowly gnaws his way through each slice until the entire orange is finished.

On the matter of his screaming/screeching...hmmm...ear piercing is a nice way to describe it. Ear damaging is another way.

Because I don't feed him enough, he had to eat raw sweet potatoes.

The New Children's Museum

A trip to the The New Children's Museum in San Diego completed our weekend plans. Posting this just a little bit after the weekend. :) We lucked out in that it was the second Sunday of the month that we visited, which happens to be a free day. Yeah! We do love free. Have to say, walking up, the place was a party. They had an art activity out front for the kids (and parents) to create, a dance marathon happening on the balcony and a funky vibe in the air. Yes, I did just say funky...in a good way.

The museum is rad, not what you typically think of as a children's museum. The only one we had visited before this was in Carson City, Nevada. Very cool in its own way, but it was more a series of activities that mimicked real life. The rooms inside the SD one are inspired by different artists.


Keller Monster!

Keller: "An entire room filled with long piece of wood for me to stick in my mouth...heaven!"


Keller and J peering into the rain room. It was a house inside the museum where it was raining all the time. Or at least water spraying down on a tin roof to make a cool sound.


J and my favorite activity. You had to walk backwards on the top set of tires to move the scooter forward...it was work and a little nerve wracking when you actually started to move.


Vera and Keller's favorite area. J would wind up these large foam beads for Vera to jump around in. Keller just kept pretending to nap.

Diaper Cake II

I am getting better at the cakes. This one was finished in one night. Although there are little things I would change (the cardboard showing on the top tier), pretty happy with the way that it turned out. There have been a run of baby showers lately...plenty of crafting opportunities.

Keller and Leroy

Lizard Love

Do you remember the snail that Vera loved? Well, chica has a new pet, this one found scurrying around our house when we came home for lunch. I would love to be able to say that I have matured since her last obsession and I handled it very calmly. Uhm...yeah, no! Instead, I grabbed the kids and ran to our neighbor's house to ask him to come and catch it.

Once it was safely in the tupperware I still felt no great urge to approach it. Vera didn't have the same reservations. As Adam took the photo she felt good about putting her foot near it to help give a size comparison. Tell me you wouldn't be a little nervous...it has to be a good 6-7 inches. I still believe it would have had no trouble clearing the lip of that container.

Then, although you can't see it here, she started petting it!

And, felt confident to carry it over to the creek to release it. Again, are we sure this is my child? She is fearless with the creepy crawlies. She has smartened up a bit though and now asks me first whether or not a bug bites before she goes in for the hold.

Pink No More

What do you do when you want to pass a pink helmet with bunnies on it down to your son? Cover it in skate and surf stickers of course!

Before:


After:

Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe

This recipe is so easy, I make it every other week at least. They are good plain, with frosting, or I like to put a thumbprint in them and add jam. One time when I was feeling ambitious I dropped in a cherry and then covered that with Nutella.

Sugar Cookies (Wilton Recipe)

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix baking powder and flour, add one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be very stiff; blend last flour in by hand (if dough becomes too stiff, add water, a teaspoon at a time). Do not chill dough.

If rolling the dough and then cutting shapes, bake for 5-6 minutes. If rolling into balls, bake for around 10 minutes. My advice, always underbake!

Being a lazy baker, I use the machine for everything...forget the "last flour in by hand" stuff.

Big Boy

Lately Keller is looking more like a little boy and less like a baby. The hairstyle in these picture probably adds to that, the more I study them the more it looks like a comb over. And yes, I take way too many pictures of him eating. It just seems to be when he makes his funny faces. He is also the happiest when he is stuffing his face full of yummy goodness.

Horse Needs a Ride

Vera had her 2nd dentist's appointment today and I was again amazed at how calmly she handled the whole thing. I don't know if it was the promise of a new toothbrush or the prize at the end, but kid handled the whole process like a pro. Her prize, the grey horse above, got treated like a baby for the rest of the day.

Been Meaning to Post

Did I mention that getting a picture of the two of them together is hard?



What we make our neighbor do when he stops by on his lunch break to say hi. In case you can't tell, the kids are riding in a boat.

SeaWorld Friday

When we drive from Santa Barbara to Ventura for shopping trips we always talk about the different animals that live in the ocean. We have books where Vera has seen and asked questions about the pictures of dolphins and whales. So, SeaWorld has been on our list of to-do items. J and I both thought Vera would love it and would be enthralled with the large sea animals.

Nothing could have prepared the two kiddos for our first show...it didn't help the situation that Vera and Keller were in the soak zone as the dolphins waved their flippers at the crowd and ended up with saltwater in their eyes. J still swears he "accidentally" used Keller as a shield. They were more freaked than awed. Later in the day we went to a pet show and that was Vera's favorite. All these amazing animals and we have about 20 photos of Vera petting a couple of different dogs.

Find the Mazzettas waiting for the Dolphin Show!


The feeding exhibits and viewing areas fit our family better. J and I were thrilled when Vera wanted to feed the seals. We are still questioning, does she realize she was holding dead, whole fish in her hand?


My favorite area was the Artic Circle. There were polar bears, beluga whales, and a HUGE walrus. When J took this photo it was just Keller and him by the window and I guess Keller kind of toppled backwards trying to get away. He was okay Nonni.


One of my good friends, Red, joined us for the day. Having another person come with the family is great because you have an extra set of hands (especially when parents forget to bring a stroller and are too cheap to rent one). However, how do they feel? Was she bored? Being with our foursome is not easy. Keller screeches pretty much constantly now and Vera was off her game from staying up too late in the car ride. I wanted to just explain to Red that they are really happy children...and yet they are children. It is always a roller coaster. Red put on a very brave face and we loved hanging with her.

One of the best parts of the day was feeding the stingrays at the very end. They were enormous and you would hold the little fish up to their mouths and they would vacuum it off your hand. Both Vera and Keller got to pet them...made the day.

10 Month Comparison

Here we go again. Keller is 10 months now and here is a little comparison between Vera and him. It was harder this time to find two where the poses were similar. This picture of Keller just cracks me up and for some odd reason reminds me of the baby in Outside Over There (a book given to my sister and me by our Aunt Stephanie).

Sick Sunday

Sick Sunday...and Monday...we are finally better now that Tuesday is here. It looks like I staged this photo, but this is how Vera and J spent the weekend. Keller went down on Thursday night with a stomach virus and then Vera and J got sick on Saturday night. That would be right after Vera had the opportunity to infect everyone at CC's baby shower. YES! Why does that always happen? Fingers crossed, I am still healthy and the worst seems over.

CC's Baby Shower

Baby S is almost here and so we celebrated both her and her mom today. Vera and I left Keller with Daddy and headed to CC's shower. I love the fact that V is old enough to go places and not need constant parent guidance.

Diaper cake that I made...it will only take the mom-to-be 9 years to unwrap each individual diaper.

Sweets tray. The cookies were supposed to look like flowers, but ended up looking like pink and white blob things. Oh well, next time I will try something new.

The glowing mom-to-be:

Our group of Santa Barbara girls. I am so glad that CC is joining the mom group. Also, love this photo of Vera.