a few more pics...

The year of the wedding

K's second wedding of the year. And completely coincidentally both were Indian weddings which meant a lot of festivities... So fun and beautiful to be a part of... Here are a few shots from the second wedding which

took place this weekend.

So this is what it is like

Ok, so  now we know what it is like to have an eater... we have never had this issue with K as she has always been too busy to eat, but now we are quickly learning what it is like to have an eater, basically you need 10x the snacks you thought you needed and really just always have food ready.

Months ago I learned that sometimes if I needed a moment to get something done, and in the earlier stage of mobility where we needed to watch C like a hawk the best thing to do to keep her occupied was cut up a piece of fruit and put her in the highchair... even a few os could give you a moment to do dishes. I tried this again this morning when I needed to wash dishes before heading out... just pushed the highchair up to the sink and washed dishes between bites... here is our watermelon lover.

Week one

Week one was a smashing success... K loved it, loves her teacher, her new friends and is soo proud of her new school. We are, whoops I mean I am very relieved. It is so great to see her so excited and so big! We are impressed with her. Teacher's feedback... after week one, very bright, very social and well the last part is so true to her nature but about a little boy she is apparently taken under her wing as her charge... translation.. she is letting him know who he should play with and what games he can play... Her role as big sister is very very perfect for her... All in all we are proud if not a bit embarrased that she is a bit bossy... I guess the flip side is she is very positive and umm assertive. Some pics of day one.

A new era...

Today was the start of a new era... sorta... K began her first day as a kindergartner... So amazing. She was thrilled and could barely wait to get in the car. I wasn't quite sure I wanted to let her go... ok I was sure... this day came too soon. Our beautiful tiara wearing baby girl has grown up. Looking at her it was clear she was ready for this next stage and really excited. Her new backpack and lunchbox thanks to Gma S were pulled off her back so she could get in the car seat and she really ran in to the new school. She sat down, got right to work and enjoyed circle time..

When I asker her how the day was she said "fun, fun, fun, fun. But I only made two friends" She is in love and can't wait to go back...

We are not sure we are ready to let her go, but are so proud of her. K is a beautiful girl, a loving sister and has such a good heart. Our house has not had a moment of quiet since she arrived and we feel so blessed. Now another adventure begins! She is ready, but are we.

Swimming

DACA is doing an awesome job turning K into a swimmer... we are so impressed! She resisted swim lessons for so long that we really let her take it at her own speed... the good news is she has the bug now and tries to spend every day in the pool... her skills are really improving and she is going to enjoy beach holidays even more now than ever!

K hanging with her family...

T's sis and two kids came to visit and spent some of their around the States tour at our house... K was thrilled to have so many people to boss around  play with. She loved it, especially as it meant lots of time with Gma C who has moved out and in with Aunt J. K had everyone playing princesses, star wars and singing songs from their schools. It was quite cute to watch her as she loves being with them so much and completely idolizes her older cousins. T took the kids to an A's game which K really enjoyed especially as she got to eat a bag of skittles... and we all had a lot of yummy meals and even went to SF for the day. K kept up with the rest of us and did amazing. C stayed home as it was just too long of a day for her. She was pretty excited to hang with Gma C as she is now at Nelly's most of the week.

Our first road trip!

So although we had been talking about going to LA no hotels were booked and there was still a big what if in the air... what if the kids scream the whole way down and what if the road trip goes horribly... C and K have always done a million times better in an airplane but we decided to do it... Monday we booked everything and left a few hours later...  Both girls loved it... chattering and laughing for about two hours until we finally made them go to sleep... got to LA around 1:30 put the kids to bed and were so thrilled the trip went so well...

The rest of the trip went the same way... a lot of smiling, some great attitudes from the kids and adventures... We spent the time down there wandering the Santa Monica pier and beaches, 3rd street Promenade, visiting the Getty, Rodeo, Robertson, trying to squeeze in mommy and daddy moments like drinks at the Ritz in Marina del Rey the moment failing desperately and leaving for a kid friendly dinner after drinking our wine while chasing two monkeys... GOING TO THE HOLY GRAIL... Disneyland... surviving mostly... lots of glowing from K as she is in full princessness right now... spending a few nights on the Newport Coast taking them to Laguna, Monarch and Crystal Cove... So overall a lot of beach time, a lot of fun, quality family time, a considerable amount of driving and even a bit of shopping. The overall trip was very successful... it was hard to find time for naps, getting enough meals in and doing other things, but for the most part everything worked... and we are considering other road trips... so it was a success!

a few pics

Two drop offs down

C made it through two two hour runs at N's.

Drop off one: C was very nervous and cried.. a lot! K was sad and stuck with her little sis the whole time... When T picked her up she was still fussing and crying while being pushed around in a little car normally the same car we have at home brings her great joy... Both girls came home exhausted and tired... K was amazing.

Drop off two: C was more open to getting down to look at toys and playing... she cried when T and I left...  but she was much more calm while we chatted.. When we picked her up she was near her sister playing outside... pretty happy and content but happy to see us and ran to T... As we came at ice cream time K was waiting for her ice cream... We decided to wait for her to finish before leaving... C also thrilled with the treat was happily snacking and walked past me while eating... no big deal.. until she walked over to one of the teachers and asked for her to hold her.... Good bye mommy!!! And she continues on her path to being a big girl.

A new room

C finally moved into her own room... very exciting!!! So far it has gone really well and she has had a few minor wake ups but otherwise survived the experience quite well... We are still setting up the room, but she's got her two favorites binky and blankie to get her through the night.

She is also about to start at N's where K went for many years... Also exciting but very worrisome... Thanks to Gma C we were lucky to be able to keep her home for over 14 months, but now it is time for a new adventure... I am very nervous... she is even more so. It is a part time thing for now and K is going to go with her for some of the transition so that she can regain some Spanish and help her sis... We are so proud. Today was the first day... the drop off was as expected... tears and more tears!

At brunch at a park the other day a black lab got away from his owner... He was headed straight for C... K without thinking ran up grabbed her sis and had her in her arms before T and I ran over... She loves her role as a big sis... we are so proud! Sharing toys are still hard but sharing her love is never a problem... when C is asleep she can't wait for the opp to go in and wake her up. C follows K around as the adoring little sis always!

C is still nursing in the morning and night... just the perfect amount for now... figuring out how to cut these two out will probably take some thinking.

Both girls are loving summer. C carries her shoes wherever she can... One day T went upstairs to change out of his work clothes with the promise of outdoor time.. C made it up the stairs and presented him his flip flops... gotta keep the parents focused!

K is doing great with her swimming lessons... we put them off and so she was very reliant on her vest... last weekend she was in the pool without it... totally our fault for the late start but DACA is doing amazing and getting her on track! We are beyond impressed... She is growing leaps and bounds and so tall... She is able to reach the kitchen sink to pour her own water and is so big... hard to believe!

Both girls love lady gaga... K sings Poker Face whenever she can and is a huge fan. Yesterday T and I were in the car with C solo when we heard a lot of noise from the back... we turned around to see C motioning at the radio and waving her hands in the air... she too wanted a turn with Lady Gaga and a chance to dance.

Really... can life be this good...

This week is the first week of no classes, no grad school apps, no grad school tests in umm years!! And I am as madly in love with the concept as is K... Knowing all I need to do is work.. is the most amazing feeling... Since most of our holidays are crammed in one - three week breaks between school to just be home is incredible... so far nothing crossed off my growing to do list, but we are enjoying some great family time doing very exciting family things..
walks in the evenings with my wonderful and amazing husband
playing with the kids in the neighborhood
art projects
visiting with the gmas
ice cream treats after school (yes, that is right... it is true I DO let K get ice cream before dinner sometimes... if she reads this years from now she will know I am not always a mean rule abiding mommy after all it is written here as proof)
bath time...
Very exciting family moments that I am getting to enjoy and have the privilege of enjoying all summer long... next week begins the summer of boot camp at the gym, but that is also very exciting... Hurrah for a summer break with my girlies and honey!

The crib

We are trying to reuse most of our baby stuff from K with C... and luckily it has been working out pretty well... if C had been of the opposite gender there would have been a lot of metrosexual pink blankets in his life... luckily this conversation whas been avoided!

K has loved to hop in C's crib since she moved out of the bassinet... They have sat in there together playing, giggling and just being wonderfully cute together.

One night when T was away and I was flying solo I got up to find the binkies that had fallen between the wall and the crib and all of a sudden a wheel came off in my hand... at 1am! Feeling really growly and especially bummed that I couldn't call T to come over and take care of his required duties... clearly crib fixing is the dad's job in our house... I had to try and fix it myself... so there I was lifting the crib with C in it and putting the wheel on... she was startled by the whole thing and so I imagine looked quietly at me in the dark... I couldn't see this but the silence was suggesting she was baffled by the event.. I found the binkies returned them and went back to bed.. not even thinking we could have broken the crib in the moving of the crib. T returned home the next day and I asked him to figure out the wheel situation...

The problem... turns out you can't really have a five year old jumping in a crib with a one year old... must be past the weight requirements... I have to confirm this with Pali as it turns out the wood split.... and the wheel can no longer go into the crib... so now the crib is without wheels.. still functional, but I am seeing a faster transition to the big girl bed.. just hoping it will last another year.

K has been banned from getting in the bed... much to her chagrin.. it was an extension of a gymnastics routine she normally performs on the floor. So I saw her looking at the crib this morning... still dreaming of getting in with her sis... still being a doting big sister... as long as it doesn't involve her little sister touching her stuff or destroying her towers with a single second of exploration!

Jasmine...

Still Jasmine.. K sang happy bday to Jasmine for my bday... why would she say Mommy if my name is Jasmine the princess... made me a yummy ice cube cake which we had in the form of delicious icy water.. and made beautiful placemats... mine had a pic of a girl with a bday cake... She picked a twirly skirt for me... only way I can truly be a princess is if I wear dresses everyday... So still working on making mommy a princess..

our girlies.

The girlies... heading home after picking K up from school

snack distributor...





















still holding on to the cc while snacking after hitting the store with Mom.

on the way to pick up my sis...