Down on the Farm

Leo and I headed to a little farm in the county open preserve with a few moms group friends. I was a bit worried that Leo would be wary of the birds after the whole peacock incident, but he happily chased around a chicken and seemed unfazed by his previous encounter. Oh, and if you wondering why Leo is dressed for arctic weather it's because it was very chilly today, which is strange and annoying at the end of April in California (especially after a mini heat wave last week).

Doug and Leo take a peak at the goats and sheep.




Doug, Sophia and Leo outside the cow's pen.
Back to the car and ready to head home for a big nap.

Spending time in So Cal

Leo and I had a great trip to Southern California. Traveling down there went really smoothly and Leo did great. The way back was a different story. Visualize the stereotypical toddler terror on a plane - screaming, kicking, arching his back - and the harried mother that you feel a mix of pity and resentment towards for bringing that little beast on the flight, well then you pretty much have our situation.

Leo immediately recognized his Nana and became very attached to her right away. Any time she was in another room, he wanted to find her. Her house was really nice and Leo loved being there - interesting toys he hadn't seen in months and lots of fun things to explore. She lives right down the street from a great little park too.

On Friday, we visited my mom's office so she could show off Leo. He was a little shy, but gave high fives and was generally adorable. One woman asked for a hug and Leo emphatically nodded no.

After, we headed to the L.A. Arboretum. It was cool and overcast; the perfect weather for exploring a vast amount of park in the LA Foothills, which can get brutally hot. The park (and some of the area's neighborhoods) are known for peacocks that roam free. Right when we walked in we were greeted by this glorious display.
Leo was impressed.
A little further up the path, this one posed on the Peacock Cafe sign. How fitting.
We were so charmed. So my mom and I pushed the stroller a little further to find another peacock making its way across some grass in our direction. He was right at eye level with Leo and we ohh-ed and ahh-ed until it opened it beak and let out the most horrific squawk you could imagine. It scared me, it scared Nana and it really scared Leo, who responded with a wailing cry. Who could blame him? We spent the rest of the visit avoiding peacocks, which was a little tricky since there really are a ton of them wandering around.

Nana and Leo take a moment to recover on a bench after their traumatic encounter.
"Check out these cool orchids, Nana"
Some lovely, less-threatening water fowl.
Leo's still not too sure.
All those plants wipe a kid out.
Leo's trip highlight was definitely Nana's washer (mine was a pedicure...and spending time with family, of course). It was small, located in the kitchen, and at toddler eye level to watch the clothes spin round and round.
He loved peeking in and seeing what was going on.
On Saturday, we headed to Seal Beach to see family. An added bonus was the annual car show on Main Street. Leo got to see plenty of classic cars, but was most impressed by the fire truck that was there on official business.

Aunt Sheila and Aunt Mary Ellen's house always holds a lot of fun surprises. Leo was so content just playing in their yard.
Here he is checking out a fuzzy puppet.
And a fun school bus.
"Hey, this chair looks like it is just my size."
Relaxing with Nana, Uncle Gene and Digna.

Helping Mary Ellen with her crossword puzzle.
Cousin Sarah gives Leo's hat a try.

Bug-ee!

Every night before bed, Tom brushes Leo's teeth while singing this song and reads him some books. One of their favorites is On The Moon. In the story, the astronauts go exploring in a moon buggy. For a number of nights, Tom tried to teach Leo how to say buggy. From the other room I could hear Tom say, "say bug, now say ee, now say buggy". Leo didn't really follow along at first and then a couple days ago, he started saying buggy, but with extra emphasis on each syllable, so it sounds like bug-ee. It's pretty much the only thing he's been interested in saying and says it all the time. Today his fascination with bug-ee combined with a desire to spin in circles until becoming dizzy. Kooky kid.



Leo and I are headed to Southern California to visit Nana at her new pad and hang in Seal Beach with the fam. It has been a long time since I've flown with Leo by myself, but I think we'll handle it. Thankfully it is one of the shortest flights ever. By the time you're in the air and get a beverage, you on your way down again. I'll take lots of pictures and post when we get back.

Elijah and Earth Day

Our friends Rich and Julie just had their second baby, Elijah Lee. We got to meet him on Saturday.

Here's Leo saying "hi" to his new friend.
Elijah is a very easy going baby and is happy to hang out in his Moses basket. I'm thinking I need to get one of those in case my new baby is willing to do the same.
Tom refreshes his little baby skills.

Sharing isn't easy, but neither is giving up the bike.
We plan to get a similar water table for our house. It was nice to try one out first to make sure it held Leo's attention.

Julie and her latest offspring.
Headed home after a fun day.
Even though we had a great time and it wonderful to meet little Eli, Leo had a bit of a rough time. He fell down the steps of the patio twice and shortly before leaving, he stumbled and caught the edge of a big toy truck with his eye. It was all just typical toddler tumbles, but happening back to back to back was a bummer. I think if I hadn't seen him bounce back from surgery in less than 12 hours, I might have been more upset by it all, but I know this kid is tough. Like, really tough.

Here's baby's first shiner.
This morning Leo and I headed down to Full Circle Farm (our CSA provider) for an Earth Day celebration. He was a little too young for most of the activities, but we had fun (until mom got too hot and decided it was time to head home).

Meeting some chicks.
"Look at this cool truck, mom."

Exploring the "wild area".
The petting zoo was pretty crowded, so we didn't go in. Leo still got some good pets in through the fence.


The main point of interest for Leo was the tractor, which was parked in a roped off field. He kept going over there like a moth to the flame. Fortunately, it's often available for a close up look when we pick up our weekly basket.
All that fun was tiring and he fell asleep (with his cup in his mouth and a rock in his hand) on the walk home.
Thankfully, he took a good afternoon nap despite this little snooze. I laid down when he did and had a nice nap too. The only thing I truly crave during this pregnancy is sleep, though I did run to Coldstone Creamery after putting Leo to bed. Very tasty stuff.

Fun in the Sun

The weather has improved and is downright amazing. I think we spent more time outside than inside today - farmers market, long walk to the playground, wandering the cul-de-sac before dinner and back outside after. When we headed out after dinner and the big kids were riding their bikes, so we got out Leo's tricycle. The kids always take great interested in Leo and played with him for a while. Then they declared him "King Leo" and pushed him on his trike while they marched around him chanting King Leo. It was hilarious, but the worried mom in me didn't want to go inside for the camera.

Here some pictures from our early playground visit. A very generous kid let Leo and Doug both try out his little car.



Leo and Doug having fun. For the most part they still ignore each other, but their interest is increasing slowly.

Sidewalk Chalk Playdate

I invited the moms group over for a sidewalk chalk playdate. I wasn't sure if the kids would want to use the sidewalk chalk or even be willing to stay in my yard. Toddlers move sort of like chickens - quick, erratic movements with no rhyme or reason. But everyone stayed pretty close and had fun. It was a bright, sunny day with strong, frigid winds (clocked at 45 miles per hour in San Jose).

Hanging in the driveway.
Dougie with a mouth full of banana.

Addison thinking about what masterpiece she'll create with that piece of chalk.
Leo sharing his truck...it wasn't easy.


James looking happy in the lawn chair shortly before he got his feet stuck and tipped over.
Daisy takes a seat on Sophia's lap.
How many kids can we fit in a chair?
Three. And they won't be all that happy about it.
I'm twenty weeks pregnant! Half way there. Here's the gut I'm currently sporting.