Halloween Fun

We celebrated Halloween yesterday in downtown Martinez. Sara was Raggedy Ann .

Sara loved looking at all the kids dressed up in their costumes. She also thought the box of candy the nice lady from Home Depot gave her was the best thing ever...she loved shaking it.

We came home and carved pumpkins. Sara wasn't too sure of all the goop.

Then we made Sloppy Joes with cheese faces...

Drank pumpkin ale....

and enjoyed our handy work...Brian drew the faces free hand. I think he did a great job!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

We hit the road to Monterey and spent the day at the Aquarium. We fueled up with a picnic along the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail and then headed into the aquarium. Sara enjoyed splashing in the touch pools and the Splash Zone area the most. She loved being able to look at the fish swim by. The jelly fish were a definite hit! We enjoyed the picture perfect weather in the afternoon with a walk along the trail to Lover's Point. Sara snoozed while Brian and I strolled.

Still waking up from the car ride nap...

Waking up and Checking out the fish....

Splash Zone...

Splish Splash....

Penguins....

Exploring the Clam Shell...

Jelly Fish...

Happy Girls!

Tide Pools....

We are so lucky to live close to such beauty....

Strolling along the Trail....

Lover's Point

And I'm done.....

Thankful Thursday...a day late...

This week I am grateful for:

Life. A beautiful mother I never had the chance to met in real life passed away this week from cancer. She was a member of an on-line Infertility support group I frequent. Her story really touched me. She was a teacher. She was a mother to 3 IVF miracles....triplets born 1 year ago today...2 boys and a girl. She lived in a beautiful house, had a supportive husband, a loving family, and many, many friends. She was too young. No child should ever be left without a mother.

This week I had quite a few times when I felt overwhelmed by trying to balance working and mothering. I worried after Sara's well baby appointment, I felt inadequate after I grew frustrated at a work project I couldn't get just right and needed to leave unfinished so I could race home to spend some time with Sara before bed, I felt deep sadness after I dropped off Sara off at school and she cried when I left. Am I doing enough, giving Sara the exposure to art, books, and stimulating her developing mind? Can I really balance a demanding job while being the mother I want to be? Do I have what it takes to make good decisions, and help Sara learn how to make them also?

And then I am reminded that this-whatever this holds- is life. Every day is precious whether it is spent with tissues, with preoccupation, with frustration, with sadness. I get to experience it all-I get to figure it out, day by day, hour by hour. I get to see Sara grow up, I get to cram a 60-hour work week into 40-50 hours until my brain feels jumbled. I get to make endless lists, I get to drop Sara off at school, I get to work through hard days.

What would so many trade for just one more day whether it was hard or easy, happy or sad?

So this is what I am grateful for this week: every day I get to spend on earth.
Life is precious.

Letters to Sara: 1.3 months

Dear Sara,

You are 15 months old today! You are quickly growing into a toddler and you continue to be such a content, happy girl. You are tipping the scales at almost 28 pounds (27.14 at the doctor today) and you are 32 1/4 inches tall. Here's what you are doing at 15 months:

• You love your dinosaur. You have mastered rolling forwards and backwards. You have been going backwards for quite some time now, but forward motion is new.
  
  



• You are getting more vocal about your likes and dislikes. You really don't like having something taken away from you. But, I can't blame you....who does?!?
  
  




• You love to blow kisses and wave "Hi" and "Bye". You are pretty funny when I pick you up from daycare. You grin the biggest grin when you see me and race to wherever I am standing. Once I pick you up, you look back at your teacher and wave "bye" without any prompting. You are so smart!

• You are obsessed with opening and shutting things.
  

• You love the park and anything that rocks. Your Grampa Parker re-did Grammie's rocking chair from when she was a little girl for your birthday. You love to sit in it and make it rock. You love the froggy at the park and the seahorse at school. You will just rock your little heart out!

• You have started walking all over the place with your push toys. You also like walking with mommy and daddy. We call you Frankenstein because you throw your legs out to the side. You are getting faster and faster.

• You are exploring E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G these days. You are so curious and don't miss a thing. Your current favorite is Belle's bowls, in particular the water bowl. You love to splash in the water!

• You continue to be an easier sleeper. We can tell when you are ready for a nap because you stop what you are doing, suck your thumb, and twist your hair. I love watching you sleep. Most of the time, you get yourself into some crazy position that doesn't look remotely comfortable. But, you seem to like it.

• You discovered tunnels. You love the one at the park and this one below at Studio Grow. So, I bought you one for home as an early Trick-or-Treat gift. You love it. You enjoy playing Peek-a-Boo with Belle. You will enter one side and Belle sticks her nose into the other side to wait for you. Then you spin around causing Belle to run to the other side. It goes back and forth, back and forth. It drives Belle crazy and you laugh and laugh.
  

Oh Sara Sunshine, you fill our days with happiness and laughter. Yes, some days still hold their fair share of rainclouds, but we have been blessed beyond measure and God is good every day, despite our circumstances. And even when things look dark, it's easy to see God's grace in you, my sweet Sara Grace. It fills my heart and brings the sunshine back every time. Your daddy and I love you and nothing will ever change that, sweet girl.

xoxo,

Your Mommy

Farm Day 2011

We headed to Winters today to Terra Firma Farm's Farm Day. Poor Sara was just getting over the stomach flu and was C-R-A-N-K-Y. So not like her.....we ended up taking her to the doctor this evening and she has a ranging ear infection. Now I feel like a crappy mom dragging her all around today.

Despite all that, we did have a nice day. We had a great lunch at Putah Creek Cafe and then headed to the farm. We hung out for a bit, took a tractor ride, and then headed for home. The drive down Hwy 128 is so pretty....beautiful ranches, deer, turkeys, and lots of baby calves.

Here's some pictures from the day....

Sunglasses were her favorite part of the day....she kept grabbing everyone's!

Pre-tractor ride meltdown

Hiding from the sun in the orchard....it was 85 degrees.

Pumpkins

Rosy cheeks

Sara's 1st Year

I finally finished Sara's 1st Year Slideshow....

My original plan was to have the slideshow playing at Sara's birthday party. But, our computer crashed, I got busy and never finished it. So, I decided it was high time to get it done and share. It has some of my favorite pictures from her 1st year.

Enjoy!

Clayton Valley Pumpkin Patch

We headed for the pumpkin patch over the weekend. It was a warm 77 degrees....but, Sara had fun patting the pumpkins, checking out the straw, and staring down the farm animals. I think she's going to have a ton of fun next year when she is running around. We hit up a park on the way home in downtown Clayton. The toddler swings were in the shade, so it was perfect. Sara laughed and laughed while we pushed her. This girl loves her swinging time!

Fun bongo drum at the park

Swings are fun!

Checking out the Straw

Pumpkins....

On the move....

Sara is getting the hang of this walking thing. She loves pushing the chairs around at daycare. They put tennis balls on the bottom of the chairs and the toddlers push them around. We've been practicing with her Dino and her stroller at home and today she went solo with the stroller.

Studio Grow

Brian had today off....so, we decided to have a much needed family fun day. We went to lunch at Chow Food Bar and then headed to Studio Grow. Sara had a blast and we enjoyed having the place pretty much to ourselves.

Tickle time with mommy in the reading nook



on your mark....get set....

Go!

Lego Table...

I want to walk to the next stop....

This place is fun....

Perhaps her favorite spot...open and closing the door

Santa is bringing her a play kitchen for Christmas....so excited she liked this one.

Cars...

Rocking is fun!

Sara was all tuckered out and asleep before we pulled out of the parking lot. I think this will become a great spot for us, especially on days when it's too hot or rainy for the park .