


Last week we earned the “enjoyed a family vacation with toddlers” badge. It was our first excursion just us four. It was last minute, low budget (low pressure), low expectations and quite fun! I found a fantastic lodging deal on my favorite travel website, Travelzoo, it helped that we stayed Sunday and Monday nights. We brought one pack-n-play for one kid, and made a...

We’re celebrating family! Whitney has this next week off from school so we decided to kick off an adventure. Today we shared the morning with my brother’s family, then lunch with my cousin, a visit with Aunt Vicki, and topped it off with just us four enjoying beautiful views in Lake Tahoe, and an ice cream. Fantastic. Hotel with toddlers (note the door-they already...

Family fun at the park… The wonderful world of Dylan Boy: And then there’s the really truly sweet side: Cheering squad. (Dylan demonstrating the baseball “Charge!”) Enjoying the light through my kitchen window… It’s been a busy week with lots of photography, a new membership at the YMCA, and toddler wrangling. I really hope to do some more writing to share...

Two Highlights from today: Dylan figured out how to make noise on the Harmonica and is now obsessed: DylanHarmonica (hint: if you want to instantly sound musically talented, try Harmonica). And then, when I picked Whitney up from school a little girl from the class next door saw us and yelled “Bye Whitney!” and ran over to give her a hug. Whitney said “bye” back. And...

We all know showing love to someone sometimes involves sacrifice. Sometimes it looks like driving 56 mph on the freeway to conserve energy for the “perfect” driving score your husband currently has on the tank of gas in the car. Yes, it’s the efficient driving way to say “I love you.” I knew I would be cutting it close with a round-trip just at...

It seems Whitney is thriving at school! I’m especially appreciative of how her communication is improving as she attempts to speak more words. She loves singing along to songs with the few words she can remember. Today she had two fairy stickers on her hand for successful pee pee in the potty. Woo hoo! I get along with her teacher very well. I’m contemplating...

THE GOOD Kids and park Fountains—summer at its best. Our neighbors brought over a tub of Dinosaurs that have been bathed and introduced to the rest of the toys. Amusing communication: Whitney’s “potty” sounds a lot like “daddy” and “doggy”, she says “ra-raff” (Giraffe). Dylan says “perkle” (purple), “I love beers” (I love bears), and has been requesting “one horse open sleigh” (Jingle Bells)...

What Dylan doesn’t realize in his 22 month self is that his mommy is trained to be a therapist. Because of this training a lightbulb went on this past week and now Dylan is getting personal communication training on how to be direct. Let me explain. Dylan’s new favorite phrase is “I don’t like ____” (everything from spiders and carrots, to ice cream and...

There is something magical about sleeping children. I can guarantee you that millions of parents have crept up on their sleeping babies tonight to take in a few moments of perfect peace. It’s a way of recharging the parental batteries and basking again in the miracle of life. Look, it’s a real person! Look how much he’s grown! It’s one of the only moments...


For some reason I’ve been neglecting the big camera lately. Nevertheless, I’ve taken a bunch of shots with my phone…so here are some of the latest phone strips… A Dylan-Mommy Date to Starbucks. I’ve enjoyed this sweet time just him and I when Whitney is at school. I marvel that he can’t stop talking about her… Whitney likes bus. Whitney’s asleep. Whitney wants pino jelly....