Happy Birthday Garrett

Happy fifth birthday son.  Wow - how time flies.  I can't believe you are five already - you're growing into such a big boy.  Starting the ELL t-ball team soon, going to kindergarten in the Fall . . . .

I am so proud of you.  You are strong willed like me.  Stubborn, but determined.  You feel everything very intensely - joy and happiness and anger and frustration alike.  You are smart and observant. You are wildly funny.

I watch you at gymnastics, running around the Oak Tree at WHPS, playing at the park, running around Oakdale, riding your new big boy bike, laughing and rolling around in the grass, playing with Brady, and the countless other things we do together on a daily basis.  Sometimes I watch you as if from afar, almost as a stranger.  I can't believe you are mine.  I think of all we have done over the past five years and I am flooded with memories.

You are a newborn.  I cradle you in my arms.  I sleep with you.  We do mommy's milk around the clock.  I am nervous, but amazed by every moment with you.  We walk around the neighborhood and Lake Balboa.  We go to parks and just sit outside together looking up at the sky - watching clouds and the trees swaying in the breeze.  We spend lots of time together in the still of the night.  You smile, laugh, roll over, sit up, crawl, stand up, walk, run.  As time moves on we go to mommy and me classes and mommy and me swimming.  Oakdale becomes a very special place for us.  You play and start to explore on your own.  We go to Exploring Minds too, but you prefer a less structured environment.  Don't worry - I do too.  We do so may things together over the next few years - My Gym, art classes at Art Rebel and Make Art, music with Ms Ellen, swimming with Teacher Jennifer and Teacher Ailee, park playdates, reading at the library at WHPS. . . .

We go so many places as a family.  Places like San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Laguna Beach, Santa Barbara, Washington, DC, New York, Palm Desert, Ventura/Ojai, Palos Verdes, San Juan Capistrano, Lake Arrowhead, and Seattle.  We go to museums, concerts, sporting events, beaches, parks, go camping and hiking, go to plays, zoos, and aquariums.  So many memories from so many adventures wash over me.  I hope you continue to have a zest for adventure and explore your world and the world beyond your everyday.  I watch you soak up new experiences like a sponge.  I watch you look and learn and love all of your questions and observations.

We start and end every single day telling one another how much we love each other.  We go over the day at bedtime and talk and laugh.  We read a lot.  We sing a lot and listen to a lot of music.  We dance.  We make up stories and you wear lots of costumes.  We work to have patience with one another and respect one another's feelings and needs. We laugh. We cry.  We hug each other a lot.

I love you with all of my heart and always will.

I wish you so many things for the next year - happiness, a zest for adventure, new friends and deeper friendships with those friends you have now, good memories, new experiences, the conquering of fears, laughter, a lack of pain and sorrow, curiosity, contentment, and joy.  These things will play out in ways I can't even imagine yet, but I can't wait to be there with you every step of the way.  Thanks for all you give me and for bringing such joy to my life.

Sometimes you drive me crazy.  But I would be crazy without you in my life.

I love you G. 

Happy, happy birthday my special boy.

From the Mouths of Babes

Garrettisms:

Added After 7/12/14:

Mommy: "Your skin is light Garrett"
Garrett: Maybe that's why I am so fast!"


Added previously:

Step in Time, Step in Time (said more like steppy time, steppy time)
Can we go visit grammy and poppa
But, I have a plan
When are you going to be available for the cozy bed
I love you so much I am going to kiss your head
I love you all the way to Jupiter and back (his spin on Guess How Much I Love You)
Let me whisper a secret in your ear and it's not fuzzy . . .  fuzzy (whispered in my ear followed by lots of laughter - I don't get this by the way, but it cracks Garrett up)


Bradyisms:

Added after 7/12/14:

I like to move it, move it (singing)
Who you gonna call?  Ghostbusters (singing)
Brady, Brady jump up and down, jump up and down, jump up and down, Brady, Brady jump up and down, turn around and touch the ground (singing) (Notice a theme here - B really likes singing)

Added previously:

Wipe my tears
Hey . . . I wiped my own tears . . . I am a big boy
I need to throw up in the sink
Thank you momma
I want you to hug
Can I try your computer
I love puppy statute of liberty new york city apple
Mommy, come lay with me
I fart in your face
That's OK to me
I love you bunches

I Love You So Much Garrett

From the mouth of Brady Kai -

"I love you so much Garrett.  I like doing things with you - like playing on the play mat in the living room and stuff."

Happy Birthday Brady Kai

Happy birthday Brady! 

Where else would we have Brady's second birthday - Oakdale holds so many fun memories - and has about every toy known to man - what else does a 2 year old boy need - water, paint, trucks, dirt, sand, shovels, cars . . . .

Where Are the Curls??!!

Can you tell Brady is mommy's last little boy?!  We kept his hair long for quite awhile (just like G), but have to cut it sometimes . . .

At least Romina is still around.

Super cute.

Brady's favorite part (besides sitting in the cars and getting to watch Thomas the Train while he gets his hair cut), is rocking out at the end with one of their super cool guitars - and even better - rocking out while playing with trains.

Eyes Down, Mouth Shut, Legs on Top of the Water

Swimming lessons with teacher Ailee continued to be fun throughout the summer . . .

B was making great progress (and having a blast).

Mom even started to get in better shape too since I was in the water for almost every lesson (it was always both boys and teacher Ailee and I for each session).  Good excuse to splash around on a super hot day in the Valley.

This day G was a little under the weather, so I got to sit by the pool and watch B have fun (and of course, take a million photos, as mommy is known to do).

Happy Birthday Mommy

We went to Terranea Resort for my birthday - a weekend of relaxation, good food, swimming, hiking, and a lighthouse and a cave to boot (plus some fun baths).