An extra set of hands...

And Mimi's hands at that! We loved having my mom come for a visit while Jeff was in London last month. This way I only said my favorite phrase 'I think I'm losing my mind' (Which is my mantra when Jeff travels) a couple times a day rather than all day long!!

We hit the museums while Mimi was here as its easier to do man to man at this stage with Charlie & Max. The Bay Area Discovery Museum and the San Jose Children's Museum were such fun things to do.

Mimi & Charlie on the Golden Gate Bridge


The real Golden Gate Bridge

Happy 34th Birthday Jeff!

34 things I love about you....

1 Your smile

2 you were the first boy I totally fell in love with (for real)

3 you make me laugh

4 you like to cuddle

5 you'll shop with me and not complain

6 Charlie & Max

7 your smarts

8 you like my friends

9 you always think I should buy that little something

10 your love of kitchen gadgets

11 your hugs

12 the agony of green vs brown birkinstocks (its been a few years:)

13 moving me to London TWICE

14 you're a listener even when its tough to listen

15 your adventurous spirit

16 you rarely say no

17 cutting flowers for me from our garden

18 buying Gned

19 letting me get a kitten

20 eating my cookies

21 telling me time and time again who shot Martin Luther King Jr

22 Watching 'Love Actually' with me

23 Fanning my face for an hour when I'm in labor...and only complaining after the fact:)

24 not thinking we were too young to be married at 24 & 22

25 your blue eyes

26 that you married me....

27 camping with Charlie in the back yard

28 always looking for a challenge

29 keeping me up to date on the latest styles

30 getting up with Charlie every morning at 6am

31 that you were the first to say I was beautiful

32 you buy me maltsers

33 and champange

34 that you love your brothers so much

and me even more.

Happy Birthday Jeff!

Monkey see, Monkey do...

In our other pre kid life...we called Jeff 'monkey' on our sailing trip to BVI. Now Max is the little monkey in the family! Thanks Suzanne for such a perfect gift to remind us of such fun memories! Maybe someday we'll be sailing together again....

I always say...It evens out in life.

So good ol' Uncle Alex is getting his due....sweet as he always is and was, he did put us all thru a ringer or two in his toddler days...or 10 year old days...and now his teen days...

Charlie is keeping him busy. We had to remind Charlie that Uncle Alex was NOT going to be part of his potty training experience when he visited. We reminded Alex that someday when Charlie visits as a teenager to Alex's young children he has to return the favor.

Here are some photos of their visit together earlier this month. They ventured to Half Moon Bay, Pescadero Beach, and a Giants game. And honestly Charlie was not happy unless Uncle Alex was in arms reach.

Embrace it!

When Jeff spends time with his brothers (Nick 25, Alex 14) there is some regression in age and attitude on Jeff's part. Some of it good, some not so good... at least for me:) There are more movie lines quoted, more tennis, golfing, site seeing, lots of late night tv watching, and always some teasing of the 'responsible' wife! For this visit from Alex, Jeff redeemed himself by regressing back to his romantic self as well.

I discovered the absolute best granola when we had brunch a few weeks back at Costanoa with friends. I've been trying to find something like it ever since.


Jeff, Alex & Charlie, while spending the day on the coast yesterday, drove further south and went to Costanoa to pick up some granola and convince the chef to pass on his recipe!!! Wow, did I ever feel loved when Jeff presented me with his surprise. Who would have thought the way to MY heart is granola?

It's a grand 'ol flag....

We missed Lakeside this year and Yankee Doodle Dandy. But we managed to find the 'spirit' of Lakeside in this adorable kids parade in nearby Menlo Park. Uncle Alex was here visiting for the long weekend which helped to make it feel more festive. We bounced at the bouncey castles, won prizes at the bean toss, bbq'd and finished off the day with fireworks. Charlie said on his way home, riding high on Daddy's shoulders....'I'm tired'. Good answer at the end of the 4th of July day!

Can we say.....compulsive?

Really, the kid doesn't have a chance with a Mom and Dad like he has. It's Charlie's favorite thing to do with his cars and trucks!

We all live in a yellow submarine.....

This is the song we sing while hanging out together in a our ONE little bathroom. There are times when's it a BIT crowded, especially with a third person using the facilities now! Yea, Charlie!

Here's what we've been up to the last week....

And here's what Max has been doing during all the bathroom excitement...hanging out in his bath seat!

Happy Father's Day!

What a gift to each other they are...a father and his sons. Jeff is such a hands on Dad. Loves to make memories and savors the little moments in each day. He says his favorite time with Charlie is the running hug Charlie has for him each evening when he returns from work. Jeff has been so proud and excited to have Max join our family. Nothing better than another boy, another son.

I am blessed to have two gorgeous sons being raised by such an amazing Dad. Happy Fathers Day Jeff!

Nail's on a chalk board

OR.... a college graduation....
What in the world prompted us to voluntarily attend Stanford's graduation today?

OPRAH!

Jeff was sweet in humoring me in hearing Oprah speak even though it was Father's Day! Three main points to her speech, do something you love, give back, and.....hmmm... must have been nursing Max or wrestling popcorn from Charlie for the third point!


We had a great time reminiscing and spending the day on campus. We had a nice picnic lunch at the art museum.


And hung out by Jeff's contemplating spot (the fountain) from his business school days.

Memorial Day at Lakeside

We had a great weekend in the midwest for Memorial Day. Both families gathered at Lakeside for the long weekend. It was four days of ice cream, walks by the lake, lots of snuggle time with Max, and watching the boys run free, get dirty (SO dirty:) and have fun together. Here's a few highlights from the weekend!

Max & Mama snuggling on the porch swing


The Thomas Family with five boys under five!


Lakeside cousins on the porch swing....its getting crowded!


The boys with Great Grandpa


Sweet Max

Loved to bits and pieces....Mr. Teddy Bear

Charlie has a favorite Puppy, Teddy, and Teddy Bear. In that order of preference. You can just imagine how Puppy and Teddy look about now...3 years and counting. Sadly Teddy Bear has not been faring well in the love department. We've mended him several times....one more try but this might be the last go at patching him up.

How many Dutchmen does it take...

Apparently two to change a diaper....


Our good friends Floris, Carol and Tommie from Amsterdam came to visit this weekend. So sweet to see the boys become good buddies despite the language barrier. Floris summed the boys up nicely by nicknaming them "Mayhem and Collateral Damage".

A Happy Mothers Day

A fun day with both my boys...

Whenever I see your smiling face....

Trying out my new smile on my biggest fans.

Happy 3rd Birthday Charlie!

A new picnic table, a play airport and lunch with Daddy. Makes for a happy 3 year old!

Where's Daddy? (He's at work, Charlie) He'll be back Mommy.

Instead of 'why, why' like most toddlers. I get 'Where's Daddy? He'll be back, Mommy. I hear this all day long.

This is Charlie watching Daddy leave in the morning for work.

Happy One Month to Max!

Do you like my cubby one month old belly?