Not a baby anymore...

He was put a fork in it DONE with this photo session

.. but will always be my baby. Lucas had his two year old well baby appointment. To my surprise he was put on an actual scale to weigh him and measure his height.I don't remember Caleb being put on the scale at two but I just checked back in this blog and he was also put on the scale. Just goes to show you how much you forget in a short time. He supposedly weighed 26 pounds but I don't believe this because every time I've put him on the scale at home he weighs around 25 pounds. Also I didn't have a chance to change his diaper before his appointment and it was pretty full of pee. He is 34.5 inches tall. Two inches shorter than Caleb. He's got some growing to do before he gets to go on a lot of the rides at Happy Hollow or other amusement parks. (Ironic that the kid that is tall enough to go on rides needs a lot of convincing and the other one throws a tantrum because he can't go on and probably won't be able to for at least another year)

26 pounds (maybe)

34.5 inches

I really don't know how Lucas can be two already. But he definitely is showing signs of the terrible twos. He is a force to reckon with when he doesn't get his way. He is mischievous and has stolen candy at the cash register and tries to sneak onto his scooter without wearing his helmet. At the moment he can't go to bed without reading "Goodnight Moon" and "10 Little Finger and 10 Little Toes". Because he doesn't like wearing any type of sleep sack and has thrown a blanket out of his crib, I've put socks on him prior to bed. His favorite ones are his red Elmo socks. He insists on climbing in the car himself, getting in his car seat and snapping in the shoulder straps so it takes FOREVER to get him buckled in. I really try to avoid taking him on any errands that involve multiple stops. He still loves music and sometimes putting on some music will calm him down or maybe it just distracts him. He loves to jump, jump off things and is beginning to jump over things. He is my little frog. He is beginning to show preferences for what he wears and likes to wear pajamas. I'm sure one of these days soon I will give in and he will wear pajamas outside of the house. Every color to him is green. He can eat yogurt and fruit all day. He is a rambunctious little boy and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Funny Lucas story of the week
These days he does not like wearing a onesie underneath his shirt. And further he hates wearing a jacket which leaves him with just one layer of clothing. Well the other day I managed to get a onesie on him. When I put him down for his nap he was gesturing for me to take off the long sleeved T-shirt he had on so I did. Well he didn't take a nap for long and I could hear him making a lot of noise. When I walked into his room to get him he was N.A.K.E.D.! He managed to remove his pants and wiggle his way out of his onesie without unsnapping the snaps. The pants, onesie and diaper were thrown over the crib and I found him standing. When there's a will there's a way and this one has a lot of will!

CuriOdyssey

Another mom in Lucas' Parent Observation class mentioned her kids enjoyed CuriOdyssey. I was intrigued and have never heard of the place before.

It was a really cute place filled with science and nature focused activities. There were insects and animals that the boys enjoyed seeing. Lucas got excited about the tarantula. He also liked the coyote. Both boys went nuts over the otters and we stayed at that exhibit for a while watching them swim and play. They were pretty cute yet we didn't take a single picture. It was a fun place and would go back again.

The wind tunnel

Bees! The Queen Bee is marked with yellow paint.

Caleb said, "They didn't build the house big enough to fit him"

Raccoon

Lucas trying to get a better view of the bird and ducks. I guess he didn't notice the warning sign.

Blue heron

Koi fish

Jamie looking curious and a tired Caleb

Wild Rumpus Party

For Lucas's 2nd birthday we decided to have a Where the Wild Things Are themed party. He is a fearless, doesn't take no for answer, tantrum thrower kind of guy and so we felt the theme fitted his personality. We had his party at My Gym so the kids can run around and get their energy out.The staff did a fabulous job and I didn't even have to stay by Lucas' side most of the time. At one point he was put into a sled and pulled along the floor. I don't think he knew what to make of that. He looked around and looked a little bewildered. Normally during cake time, they put the birthday child in a swing while everyone sings. Lucas was too into his bowl of fruit to go in the swing. Instead he just stood in front of his cake while everyone sang Happy Birthday to him. The last activity for all the kids was the zipline. He got to go first and I think he enjoyed it a lot.

Since his party was on Earth Day I got a canvas book bag that contained either Eric Carle's "The Tiny Seed" book (for younger kids) or a Planting Kit (for older kids).

I found this tutorial online on how to make a Where the Wild Things Are wolf hat. I thought it was so cute but I don't own a sewing machine nor can I sew. Luckily I was able to get it made by a friend's sister. I also requested a crown to go with it. They came out SOOO cute! Lucas really loves wearing the crown. 

Like last year I also got T-shirts for the whole family. Lucas only wore his for a little bit. I think he liked his other Where the Wild Things are shirt better because it had one of the wild things on it.

Our Wild Things t-shirts

King of all Wild Things

C and S enjoying the ball pit

M enjoying the climbing structure and slide

Circle Time

Bouncy chair

Sled ride

Family picture

Zipline

For food, we made it simple. Mini bagels, cream cheese, lox, fruit salad, and cake.

The food

The Max doll is sitting on some plastic wrap and served as decoration for the cake.

I stole this idea from our friends the GVZs - I got a new copy of the Where the Wild Things Are book and put a sign out to leave a message for the birthday boy.

Lucas had a fun time and really enjoyed the party. My Gym did a great job helping set up the food, keeping the activities age appropriate and fun, and best of all clean up! (I may never host a kid birthday party in my house again!) Lucas was so worn out that he took a 3 hour nap!

Lucas's 2nd birthday

Two years certainly has flown by fast. My baby Lucas is certainly no baby anymore. His 2nd birthday was filled with lots of fun. We were up early and decided to go to the Pancake House for breakfast before picking up Jamie's dad at the airport. After picking up Jamie's dad we headed to Deer Hollow Farm at Rancho San Antonio. To get there you have to walk a mile from the parking lot. It took a while considering we didn't have a stroller and Lucas wanted to be carried a lot of the way. There happened to be a farm tour that day so Jamie and the boys got to go inside the pens and pet the kids (baby goats). On the walk back to the parking lot Caleb slipped on the dirt path and scraped up his knee pretty bad. Jamie and I had to take turns carrying him for most of the way. It made the 1 mile walk into a bit of a workout carrying an extra 35 pounds.

Holding up two fingers!

After Deer Hollow we stopped at a toy store so Jamie's dad could get Lucas a present. He got an awesome green Mini Kick scooter. We had Lucas try one in the store and he hopped onto it like he had done it before and scooted around the store.

We had lunch at Palo Alto Creamery downtown. Jamie told the waiter that it was Lucas's birthday so when he brought over the food he stuck a candle on a plate and we got to sing Happy Birthday and he blew out the candle.

mmmm chocolate shake

By that time it was naptime. The morning really tired him out because he didn't wake up until almost 4pm! After naptime Lucas tried out his scooter. He didn't even protest when we put a helmet on him. Yipee! We decided to invite family and Lucas's godmother over for a casual dinner and cake. We ordered takeout from Chef Chu's and because it was such a hot day I got a Baskin Robbins ice cream cake. When it came time for his birthday cake he knew the routine and waited patiently until the singing was over to blow out the candle. It took him a few tries and we had to put the cake closer to him but he did it. And he loved that cake!

In addition to a scooter Lucas also got a Plasma Car from his godmother. It also was a hit and I'm sure both boys will love playing with it. Since there was still a little daylight left after cake we went outside to play with the Plasma Car and the scooter. All the kids had fun taking turns with the new toys. Lucas got to stay up a little later than usual and so by the time he was put into bed at 8pm he fell right asleep. It was a wonderful day.

Sooo not prepared

Today Caleb and I had a late lunch and afterward he wanted to go to the toy store to play with their train set. When we got there I asked if he needed to use the bathroom since I thought I caught him doing a little potty dance. He said no and I let it go. In hindsight I should've used my better judgement and taken him to the bathroom. I left him to play with the trains and was browsing through the store. Then I heard him calling, "Mommy... Mommy... MOMMY!!!" Then I saw him holding his crotch and the puddle forming on the floor. We went to the bathroom where I grabbed paper towels and some bathroom cleaner to clean up the mess. Caleb took off his underwear and pants and so I chose to take off his shirt and tell him to put it on like a skirt and I tied the long sleeves. I couldn't let him walk out the store wearing no underwear and pants, right?

I'm glad that we were close to home and didn't have any plans to be somewhere. This incident also taught me that I should have an extra pair of underwear and pants in my car.

Happy Air

When Caleb had his first dental visit, the dentist mentioned that the enamel on his back molar was weak and not fully formed. She said I need to be really diligent at brushing. And I honestly tried but at his teeth cleaning appointment last month I mentioned to her that it seems like it's getting worse (more discolored). She took some xrays and determined that he should get a cap. We made an appointment for a few weeks out to have the procedure done.

Getting the cap involved cleaning the tooth and fully covering it with stainless steel. They would need to give him a shot to numb the tooth and so in order for him to be relaxed they would also give him laughing gas or "happy air". When this was mentioned I had visions of Caleb being all giddy. This wasn't the case. Soon after the gas mask went on, his tooth was numbed and the dentist quickly went through the rest of the procedure. I think it lasted 10 minutes total. I was a bit embarrassed about taking pictures so I only got two. He did incredibly well and stayed still the whole time.

Happy Air

Prepping the tooth

Lucas did a good job at waiting and occupying himself with a Highlights magazine

All done! Looking a little groggy.

Passover and Easter

This year the first night of Passover and Easter fell two days apart from each other. It was a busy weekend for us. For Passover I volunteered to make the matzoh ball soup. By now I've done it a few times and felt pretty confident but I had never made it for 25 people so I was a bit nervous. I did have help from Jamie the official taste tester and Jamie's Aunt Sherry who gently reminded me to check the soup every so often. It came out a success and a lot of the guests gave me compliments.

Making matzo balls

Caleb is a little young to understand what the Seder is all about but maybe in time he will. He did a really good job at sitting at the table next to Jamie's dad during the service part. After dinner, the kids found the afikomen and brought it to Jamie's dad. They were so cute trying to negotiate.In the end each kid got $2.

On Easter Sunday we went to church with my whole family and then back to my parent's house for lunch and Easter egg hunting. My older niece and nephew opted to hide the eggs this year and so four little kids got to hunt for 100+ eggs. We had so many eggs that the kids had to empty their baskets into bigger containers and continue hunting. After the hunt, the kids opened up their Easter baskets. It was a fun family filled day.

 

New driveway

Our driveway is asphalt and probably wasn't maintained very well by the previous owners. When we first moved in there was a small pothole that over the past two years became quite large.The asphalt was also cracked in a lot of places. We thought it was time to redo the whole thing.

Tearing up the old driveway

Smooth!

Different alphabet

Caleb was playing with the iPad and said, "hey Mommy the letters are not in the right order". He was referring to the letters on the keyboard. I told him that on the keyboard the alphabet is different. He started to sing the ABC song but going in the order of the letters on the keyboard and still ended with the letter Z. Then he sang, "Now I know my different alphabet..."

Such a funny kid.

fearless Lucas

There are many great things about Lucas but probably one of the "funnest" qualities about him is his fearlessness. He has no reservations about running towards the ocean, jumping in pools, jumping off things, and climbing play structures geared toward big kids. He basically has the attitude, "If that kid can do it, so can I and Mommy can't stop me!"

A sampling of my little Evel Knievel.

My Sous Chef

Caleb likes to help cook. He will pour noodles into the pot, crack eggs, mix ingredients. I love that he likes to help cook. I just wish that it would also help in getting him to eat the things that he cooks.