oakland zoo adventure

spontaneous. zoo. adventure. with auntie=a fun blasting day!

even though these pics are splattered on fb and instagram...there are some nice ones 'with the nice camera' at the bottom....thanks hubby :)

(it is diff. to pull out the camera with lucas in the ergo...he likes to grab...thankfully hubs was on camera duty)

 

anyway. we had a spontaneous zoo trip this weekend. jenny was at the delta in Sacramento with cameron and his fam and we decided to meet up. can i just say taking an almost three year old to the zoo was a lot of fun? this is caleb's second zoo trip (lucas' first) lucas was really into the monkey exhibits. caleb was really into every single animal exhibit. and if you ask him about it...he'll tell you about it (stopping every now and then to breath) he's really all about animals right now....

so here are some pics from our fun day!

 fun just arrived in the backseat, in the form of auntie.

 cozy in the backseat.

 let the fun begin! we're here.

 elephants. (very cool. they were eating tree branches with their trunks...this is very fascinating to watch. especially if you are three years old! and in case you didn't see the entire thing...you can hear all about it at bedtime when we re-hash the day's events!)

 this is jenny's favorite. the giraffes. always have been...probably always will be! i love them too. they are so pretty. those stripes! those necks. caleb loves them too. there was a baby giraffe that caleb hasn't stopped talking about since he saw it.

 this was the most hilarious picture attempt. the camel got a lil close so jenny started backing away real quick while holding the camera. probably a had to be there...it was funny though. trust me.

 the baboons. what can i say? lucas was beyond excited. he was making monkey sounds right back at them...they are very interesting looking. be glad i didn't capture their butts on my camera. it is a sight that stays with you (even though you don't want it to!)

 now that is nice hair. (it's okay lucas, don't mind what other people might say. mama likes it!)

 the alligator. very exciting. (caleb's still unsure about this one...he got pretty nervous when it moved closer to him and opened up a huge jaw of teeth...he gets quiet whenever alligator is mentioned) but i was excited! it was my first time coming face to face with one :)

 luckily for caleb, he was pretty safe up on daddy's shoulders!

 this was my favorite. the monkey exhibit. they were brothers i think? maybe...whatever. they were bffs and it was hilarious to watch them interact! i could have sat all day and stared hard at these two lil guys.

 smiles

 more smiles. it was a very happy day.

 dave captured these sweet moments! thanks dave :)

 this is my favorite. melt.my.heart.

 pretty cool i think. dave was playing around with the camera.

 more cheesy smiles :)

 zebras. another favorite for caleb of course.

 love them.

 can i admit something here? i really want to ride a camel in Greece. there i said it, okay? sisterhood of the traveling pants can be thanked for that.

 family photo opt. cause we're corny like that :)

 sisters/brothers photo opt. missing lor!

 i had to throw in this one. caleb's leaning in to auntie for a closer look at those giraffes

well we had quite a day! thanks jen for inspiring this outing :) and if you made it this far..thanks for scrolling on through all these pics. (cause i have a very hard time narrowing down my picture selection. thank you)

fun. fun. zoo. day.

a skip and a hop kinda friday

Friday. Three day weekend. Warm weather. And nothing but relaxation and family time to do this weekend.

It is a good friday.

 

so in honor of friday here are a couple videos of the boys today.

caleb likes to say his prayers...all through the day...so while I was cleaning up lunch I caught him in the corner with his head down, hands clasped together ever so sweetly, eyes closed, and praying. "Our Father" "Hail Mary" "Glory Be" he only knows bits and pieces but gosh does it melt my heart to hear him pray!

Almost everyday during lunch clean up this is where you'll find lucas....climbing/sitting/chatting/playing...under the table. I'm not sure what the draw is...but he seems to really enjoy himself under there! He likes going up and down on the poles but I didn't catch it on camera....I think we have ourselves a climber.

a couple other random pics from this morning.

 caleb really likes to 'pretend play' he has quite an imagination and spends most of the day using it! on our walk I looked down and he was chatting with tiger giving him some cracker snack.

i tried making play dough today. something went wrong :( i have so many recipe failures! so my goal is to try again  this weekend (when dave's around to make sure i don't mess up again!)...and some other cool stuff. goop, diff. types of play dough texture recipes, etc." i found a great website that had a ton of ideas. I'm feeling inspired in the 'playdough' department.

just signed up for this. my first 1/2 marathon. ever. deep breath. deep breath. and to think i would have laughed out loud had anyone told me i would run more than 1 mile. ever in my life. haha. never say never right?!

colds are lingering. I hope they can clear up and the boys feel good as new for this long weekend. Do you have any fun plans for this weekend?

Happy Friday!!

warm winds and questions that linger.

the warm breeze beckons us on early morning walks this week. backyard playing in the morning. naps and cold air conditioned breaks inside as the temperature climbs through the day.

climbing

                                                                 an early morning walk

frazzled. that's how i've felt this week. two sick little boys with colds. one gets better just as the other wakes up with drip. i've been knee deep in tissues and snot wiping this week. humidifiers hum through the night. vicks pour through my nose. thoughts make my mind confused. no answers. just questions. i try and let go. give them up to Him. Only he can hold my worries in a safe place. I hold close to Dave in the dark night hours. His warmth and strength bring me comfort and peace. How will we do this? How will we make it work? We still have a long road ahead with our sweet first born. An initial evaluation with the school district in October. His ped. endocrinology apt in Sep. The OT consult in mid Sep. I want him to feel better. To not be so tired. All day...'mama, i'm tired. i'm gonna take a nap' "okay baby boy, i say. you rest your head". he's sick with a cold. but i know it is more than that. I hold him close against me and whisper, "I love you always." We are walking, not sure where our steps will lead. I'm trusting...but I'm scared too. What will this journey bring? Where will it take us? I cried big, warm, wet tears yesterday. My mom couldn't hold me and hug me, but the static on the phone and her calm words were enough. "he's going to be fine" "everything will be okay kimmy" and I hiccuped and breathed in her words. His going to be fine, and we are doing everything right. We're getting him the help he needs." Dave called his mom, and she listened with only the wisdom a mother could know. "We're here. and we'll help." These mother bears of ours; so strong and so wise. Protective and caring. I find comfort in their knowledge and their warm wisdom. They've been through twists and turns and winding roads. They found a way...and so will we.

 

 

reflections from our day

first of all. i'm not sure what is going on with my pictures!! so hopefully i can get that figured out soon :)

I wanted to reflect on the day Caleb and I had. My sweet boy. Oh how proud I am of him always. Today we had his OT evaluation. Sweet and wonderful hubby stayed home to watch Lucas so that I could take Caleb alone since the evaluation was from 9-12. I knew I would possibly need to be in there for the eval so it was not do-able with Lucas. Oh how the boys missed each other though! They were so excited to see one another when they reunited. Melt.my.heart. Love them.

The drive over provided just what I needed. Some heavenly wisdom. We were listening to KLOVE  on the radio and they quoted scripture "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you" (Psalm 55:22) just what I needed to hear at that moment, for that morning, and for this new step/journey/season we are in. I imagined God holding us gently in his palm. I prayed for my sweet boy that he would feel safe today. I prayed for my heart to be filled with peace. I imagined God being there already, waiting for us. I prayed all through the evaluation as well.

We arrived. I waited outside for part of the time (they prefer to have the child alone but if need be, we can be in there if the child is distressed. She said I could be in or wait outside...so I chose to give Caleb a chance to try doing it without me there beside him) This was the first time Caleb would be alone (without a family member watching him) He pulled out his classic but very real, nervous pout. I don't think I'll forget that pout easily. It broke my heart in a million pieces. I mustered up the biggest smile I could find and tried my hardest to cheerfully say "I'll see you soon!" while inside I was about to fall apart. I then held my breath for about an hour on one side of the door....while Caleb held himself firmly planted to the other side of the door. He never budged. I ended up back in the room and we did the rest of the evaluation (she called me back in the room....since he wouldn't do anything without me) He did fine. She definitely saw areas of need and thought he would benefit from doing therapy. Gross motor, fine motor, muscle tone...which basically is all sensory related. (just like we thought). We have a consultation at the beginning of September. She'll go through everything with us...his needs...treatment...what they'll work on with him, what we can do at home. Basically as they help him by giving him 'sensory input' he will be able to better self regulate and his 'symptoms' (drool, melt downs, gross motor, fine motor struggles, social anxiety, etc.) will improve.

I drove home and I cried. I cried for my sweet baby who is sometimes misunderstood, but who has the most loving family surrounding him. I pray he'll have friends through life who 'get him' his shyness....he sweetness...he gentleness...he sensitivity...and his goofy side too.

I cried for what this will mean...twice a week therapy (30 minutes away)...trying to do this with two little boys who still need naps (as well as their mama)...how lucas will fit in to all this...

I cried for how much this will cost. We have good insurance but the 2x weekly speciality co-pays will add up to a lot each month. And trying to work that into our budget is going to be interesting.

I cried for what it all means....it isn't a clear picture...sensory stuff....muscle tone...gross motor...fine motor....and for all the questions whirling around in my head.

I cried because I was right. There was something more going on than just 'typical toddler tantrums'

But-I also cried in relief. And I then I stopped crying because I knew that God already has this all figured out. He will carry us through this.  I don't need to know everything right now. My questions will be answered in time...tomorrow...next week...next month... I thought about what a blessing it has been to have new friends come into my life...friends who  have already been through this...they have brought me comfort and wisdom. I can already see how God has His hand in all this...and He will continue to hold us through it.

There are so many unknowns...still more questions. More doctor visits. More follow ups. But my mind is at peace.

I feel weak. I feel exhausted. And I know I can't handle it all alone.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9) and I'm so glad I don't have to.
 
So this is what we know for now.
Our sweet firstborn is going to be in good hands getting the help he needs.... We are setting him up for success by giving him all the tools necessary to brave the big and sometimes scary world.

And we'll be with him, guiding him and supporting him. Just as He guides us and supports us.

Those are my thoughts and reflections, on our very big day. Nothing but backyard bliss planned for tomorrow with my boys. We need some quiet time to recover and to just be playing silly.

?

hm. where did all my pictures go??

monday mud bath

ever had a mud bath? i'm sure you can imagine what that would look like...but just in case...

 here is what it looks like with a one year old and almost three year old!

i can't say it is a pretty sight. but the 'water bath' that followed and the fresh lotion that was put on...well that was pretty. and we stuck to the inside after that.. mama didn't want a round 2.

lucas is down for the count with a nasty cold :( and just when we were all getting some good sleep at night! i'm glad he is still nursing and hope he recovers quickly. i'm having dejavu to caleb's first birthday party followed by a nasty cold turned croup (let's hope it stays at a cold!)

happy muddy monday :)

birthday celebrations part 2

happy birthday sweet lucas!!

on your very special day we celebrated you and your first year of life. we had a relaxing day with family. here's what we did.

we had a delicious french toast breakfast! pioneer woman recipe found here. mmm. it was so good i'm going to dream about it every single morning for the rest of my life. yum.

 

 next you opened up some presents. caleb got some presents too (for taking such good care of his little brother this year!)

 i think your favorite was the rocking horse uncle craig made you!

 the only person missing here is carlos :( i had a hard time taking pictures of everyone together!

 our beach plans failed (major traffic) so we relaxed and hung out instead. we had a yummy steak dinner and cupcakes for dessert.

 oh, i almost forgot. you got your first 'hair trim' from grandma. just around your ears. mama could only handle so much for one day!

 you were a trooper. and it was nice and relaxing, not too overwhelming for a first birthday.

 i didn't get very many pictures ;( but maybe that's because i was trying so hard to soak you up on your last day of your first year. it was a sweet, sweet year. and i can't wait to watch you continue to grow and learn and explore your world. we love you so very much lucas!!

your one year check-up
31inches (80th percentile for height)
23lbs (60th percentile for weight)

other stuff going on your 12th month:
play-you love playing with everything big brother is playing with! :)
sleep-you are finally sleeping 12-13 hrs at night and nursing only during the day 3x
food- you love everything and eat everything we eat at the table now
we love you so much sweet lucas!!!