Perfect weather!

YAY!! Since the little guy is an official walker, we can head to the beach (I refuse before they are walking...how annoying is sand everywhere including straight to their mouths??)! He loved it! He just walked down to the water and dipped his toes and turned back and then did it again...a hundred times! The water is still pretty cold so we just put our feet in but the overall weather was perfection!! Not a cloud in the sky, Soft breeze, 75 degrees...this is the weather that makes me love living here!!

Since the water was cold and our little fishy couldn't be in it the entire time as usual, she decided to make sandcastles...Gavin had other ideas. Godzilla!!!

The Edison Festival of Lights Parade

This weekend we went to the annual Edison Festival of Lights Parade! It's always fun and one of the few times I feel a sense of community in our huge land mass of a city! The streets are filled with onlookers as local high school bands, parade officials, organizations and the court come by...

We met some friends and braved the cold temps. Gavin stayed home with Papa since the parade started right at bedtime (not to mention he refuses to sit still these days so it's a bit of a challenge taking him anywhere he may potentially get  run over by Clydesdales :)

The Guttery's let us use their golf cart so were able to get to our spot quickly and lug friends and all of our junk easily. Thank. God. For. That. 

Maddie and her friend Madelyn were entertaining us with their sassy dance moves when any form of music would come by (to include bagpipes...weirdos). They also managed to collect 50 zillion pieces of cheap jewelry and glow-paraphernalia. Yay, can't wait to find that everywhere. 

It was a great time...hopefully next year the little guy can join in again! 

The day of love!

We had a great Valentine's Day! Maddie and some friends had their monthly craft date creating toilet paper roll butterflies (genius!). Our host, Jen had a karaoke machine that, well, got put to good use...

 Maddie and Madelyn gave us quite the show. Let It Go, from Frozen was screamed  sung 

for a cringing palpably excited room full of spectators.

 The whole gang had a great time...the kids that is. Mommies trying to make this photo happen...not so much.

 Ahhhh. The Valentine Box. I never understood this phenomenon. We didn't do this as kids. We just threw them in our Trapper Keepers...ooooh, just aged myself. Anyhoo....I made the mistake of asking Maddie if she wanted it some kind of animal (I mean, God forbid we just have an actual box like normal people). She immediately said "I want a Unicorn!". Um. A wha..?? How does one fashion a unicorn out of a Kleenex box?? Once again, Pinterest saved the day...there was ONE unicorn box and I copied it. Phew. Maddie was in charge of stickers. Obviously.

 Maddie had her annual Grandparent's Day at school on Valentine's Day and Yaya snapped the pic on the right. I love that she looks shy (yeah, right.). My friend Leslie theorized she's likely rolling him for his lunch money then asking him out on a date. Sounds plausible.  

We don't usually make a big fuss, just little gestures of our love...

    We parents did get to go on a date! It's honestly alllllll I wanted....being fed and having dishes done for me. Ahhhhhh....Garret took me out for sushi and cocktails. Perfect night with the perfect man!

Also, this week, a high school friend's son, who has been battling Leukemia relapsed and is likely out of options barring a miracle. I love being part of this community of families but it can sometimes weigh on my heart so heavily. I took this pic the day before Valentine's Day....my babies clutching hands, being the best buds they are. I just welled up behind them. All I could think was thank you God. For my life, my blessings, my healthy children. Ultimately, that's what this day represents, just taking time to do a little extra to show how much your people mean to you. And they mean the world....if I could, I would give it to them....

It's official...

 ...the boy is a walker!! I suppose when they walk more than crawl this can be assumed?? He does, all over, clumsily, mind you! (hence the shiner). Poor buddy...face planted right onto a platic school bus. Hurt Mamma more than the baby, I'm certain....

Still smiling...God love him! Sweetness.... 

Yo ho, yo ho, the pirate's life for Maddie!

We were invited to the coolest party. And I mean, totally awesome. I am, in no way, one of these weird pirate obsessed people, but I AM obsessed with my daughter and a gaggle of like-aged kids, in adorable pirate garb! It was precious and so much fun!  

The gorgeous girl on the far left is the birthday girl, Olivia. Her mom and I became friendly at a mutual friend's kids' gathering. Such nice people who know how to throw one heck of a party! I better pick up my party-planning game ;)