Easter Egg Hunting 101

1. To maximize candy consumption, crack open and devour the candy immediately upon finding the eggs.

2. Once consumed, leave the empty plastic eggs behind so you have room for more eggs in your basket.

3. If it's taking too long to remove the wrappers, simply pop the candy into your mouth with the wrapper still intact. (It all goes to the same place, right?)

4. When your parents tell you no more candy, hurry and shove a couple more pieces in your mouth before they can stop you.

5. When caught in the act, simply act surprised and yell, "Yeeeeah!"

Read more...

Spring Training

Taking our 20-month old to spring training on a warm spring day sounded like the perfect afternoon...in theory. In reality...not so much.

Since Ryan is a huge Mariner's fan we figured that an afternoon at spring training would be a great way to spend time together as a family. What we didn't consider was that the game was an hour away and started right at "nap time." While the weather was in fact great, Maeli's disposition was not.

Luckily I took some pictures right when we got there while she was still mesmerized by the whole experience. Hopefully with some more strategic planning, next year's game will be a bit more enjoyable for us all.

Read more...

Baby Love

Yesterday we babysat Maeli's cousin, Reece for the afternoon and Maeli was in total heaven! When the baby was sleeping I tried to run upstairs for a few minutes and Maeli refused to come because she didn't want to leave him. She loved giving him hugs and kisses and handing him his toys. While the excitement wore off after awhile, it was kind of surreal to think that she would be a big sister soon. Where did my baby go?!

Read more...

Zoo Days

Read more...

Silly Girl...

Read more...

Interview With "Our" 18-Month-Old

Oh, and it's a...BOY!!

Read more...

"Zoo Girl"

Since starting his MBA program a month and a half ago, Ryan has not been around much for us to spend time together as a family. Because he had the day off of work for President's day, we figured it would be the perfect time to hit up the zoo as a family.

Those who know Maeli know that she is absolutely OBSESSED with animals. She has gotten great at making animal sounds and loves being close to them every chance she gets. She loved looking at all the animals and mimicking their sounds. And of course, the best part for Ryan and I was just getting to watch her reactions to the animals. I guess it's a good thing we finally got a zoo pass because I have a feeling we'll be having regular playdates with our animal friends at the zoo.

Read more...

Won't Dad Be Proud

Those who know Ryan know that he is a total Lego enthusiast. He may be "all grown up," but as soon as you give him Lego's he turns right back into a kid. In the past Maeli has never shown much interest in Lego's other than knocking down the things that Ryan builds. But lately she has actually begun stacking them herself. Today she played with them for over an hour and broke down crying when we had to put them away. Won't her dad be proud. ;-)

Read more...

Obsessed

Now that the weather is perfect here in AZ, Maeli is completely obsessed with parks - specifically SWINGS. If I let her, she could probably swing for hours at a time. Let's just say that I am developing some serious arm muscles. Anyone know of a good swing-pusher for hire?

Read more...

Just Cruisin'

Last week we went on a weekend cruise to Ensenada with friends. Although the weather wasn't quite what we had hoped for, it was so much fun getting to hang out without the kids for a couple of days. Some highlights of the trip included:

• Going to the flee market and enjoying Costco-like samples from the vendors
• Late night comedy shows with "DJ Lance"
• Embracing our indecisiveness by ordering multiple entrees & appetizers including crocodile fritters and duck
• Ryan being able to eat all the seafood he wanted
  
• Our romantic suite complete with bunk beds
  

Our cheesy prom pose

Read more...

Killing Time

What do you do when you have an hour to kill before bedtime?

Give your toddler a bouncy ball on the tile floor and let the fun begin!

Read more...

Eat THIS!

The new trend at our house? Eating ROCKS! Go ahead and try it - all the cool kids are doing it!

Read more...

Spoiled Rotten

This year Maeli got completely spoiled for Christmas! We celebrated Christmas several days early with my family since Ryan's family was going to be in town on the actual holiday. Maeli's favorite toy from my parents was a Rock 'n Roll Elmo. She was so excited when she saw it - she immediately laughed and hugged it!
Maeli's favorite gift on Christmas morning was a big red wagon from Ryan's parents. The wagon has now become Maeli's primary form of transportation. And since it was advertised as having "off-road" tires, we of course have had to test it out on some pretty rugged terrain. Since we bought Maeli a kitchen set several months ago, we decided to theme her gifts around accessories for the kitchen. Between pots and pans, utensils, play food, and aprons I think her kitchen is now more fully stocked than mine.

Read more...

Christmas Eve 2012

On Christmas Eve my dad took the kids horseback riding. Have I mentioned that Maeli is completely obsessed with horses? Every time we go over to my parents house, Maeli insists on going out to see the horses multiple times. She recently began riding them with my Dad and now cries every time she has to get off.


Later that night the kids did a live nativity for the whole family. Being the flashy girl that she is, Maeli was awarded the role of a wise man. The nativity was a little chaotic but was the perfect way to end our Christmas Eve.

Read more...

All We Want For Christmas...

Read more...

Parade of Homes

Looking for your gingerbread's dream home? Well look no further! This year's gingerbread parade of homes is sure to offer a home for every taste and style!

The Haunted Mansion

Adorned in orange, yellow, and black lights, this mansion is the ideal home for any gloomy gingerbread man or woman. Towering into the sky, this 3-story home features low maintenance landscaping, simple buttercream trim, and absolutely no front entry. But you better hurry up, this one will have every Debby-Downer up off their feet!

Rapunzel's Tower

Located in the middle of the woods, this historic tower was built to ward off even the most heroic of heroes. This home's most unique feature is undoubtedly its two long braids of hair providing instant access to the tower's penthouse suite. With its minimalist landscaping and restrained decor, this tower would make the perfect home for any long-haired gingerbread woman.

The Candy Cottage

This chic cottage home makes an idyllic retreat. The cottage is candy-clad with a radiant exterior which blends beautifully with the tin foil base. Floor-to-ceiling graham cracker walls, an original wood burning fireplace, and a gorgeous candy walkway make this cottage prime real estate for the busy, on-the-go gingerbread man/woman in need of a weekend getaway.

The Love Shack

This gorgeous home (often referred to as "The Love Shack") is an intimate getaway for the gingerbread couple who love simple luxury in a private, natural setting. Adorned in red and pink decor, this home is sure to create ambiance and set the mood for any romantic rendezvous.

The Modern Flat

This sleek home is a beautiful example of blending shapes with the latest in candy-building technology. This home was designed to increase sugar consumption and sports spacious interiors with contemporary design. It’s simple, stylish and edible architecture.

Read more...