Disneyland.

For Cayden's third birthday this year, we thought we'd "keep it small" and do a simple first family visit. A trip for three grew to a trip for five when the grandparents decided to come along, and soon after Uncle Timmy from New York decided he time his trip west perfectly for the date. We were happy to have everyone together, and by the end of the weekend (yes, we booked a hotel for the night) I decided there is never really enough time, money, or toddler stamina to do everything at Disneyland.


Of course, no trip would be complete without the ceremonial "first pair" of Mickey ears. Not only do you have to get the ears, but you have to also wait in line to get the "It's my Birthday" button.
Without even a walk down Main Street, we managed to bump into Mickey at the perfect time and didn't have to wait long for our picture. The amount of screaming, swarms, and cameras going off would have you guessing that someone far more important was there. But he is THE Mickey Mouse after all. By the time we drove, got in the gate, and sat down on the train, I could tell that Cayden was tired, overwhelmed, and in a serious need of a nap. Poor guy had 5 adults kept pestering him about wether or not was having the time of his life.

What's funny is that in the end, the happiest moment for me wasn't documented, or posed, but was dinner and drinks with my tired family in the hotel lobby miles from Main Street. There was laughter to the point of tears, and everything just felt so good in those moments. Cayden won't remember it, but I know it will be the story of the trip that I tell him.

Fast forward three months later, Cayden says to me from the backseat of the car, "Mommy thank you for taking me to Disneyland for my birthday. That was so fun." Awww, makes me want to go back again.

The Great Outdoors.

Thom's job has led to some pretty special opportunities that I'm sure many other little boys would love! I guess you can say that have a zookeeper as a papa definetly has some perks! Earlier this year, he went with Thom down to Chula Vista Nature Center for a catch and release of some endangered birds. First things first, you got to wear your boots!

Cayden's job was to stand watch over the aviary and be on the look out for any run away birds. He was given a net, and took his little job very seriously.




When he wasn't bust helping his dad catch birds, a lot of time was spent this year just hanging outside our little house.

We also learned how to ride a scooter! Still can't beat the kids next door in a race, but he has a blast rolling up and down the streets of North Park.

Spring Break

One of the things that I've marveled at this year is how Cayden has completely transformed from a baby with two doting parents into a little boy who is really at the heart if our family. With that has come the opportunity to turn him onto the world more and start sharing more experiences together as a family. This Spring, we took our first road trip to San Francisco and showed him the sights and sounds of the city, well at least the ones appropriate for kiddos. One of our first outings was a trip to the Natural History Museum. Cayden roamed the floors looking for the dinosaurs, and turns out they only really had one made of bones in the lobby. Just the same, he loved it!

Later in the week, we took a train ride through the redwoods in some back part of Berkeley I never knew existed. He loved it so much, we had to go twice. And at 3 bucks a ride, how can we argue that?


Our trip was full of family time, and a quick visit from Auntie Jeanette. The woman is so creative , she came by with this very Maxish hat saying, "Oh I just whipped this up last night!"

Papa's highlight of the week was snagging a lunch reservation for Chez Panisse, or as he explained it to me: the birthplace of California Cuisine. With all the kid events planned, I thought we could at least throw Papa a bone and try to make it through a quick lunch. Thankfully they have crayons and butcher paper in fancy restaurants, and Cayden played happily with Auntie Deb, while Thom sat star struck. Alice Waters was working in the kitchen that day, it made his whole trip!


And of course, no trip to the Bay Area is complete without a ride in the BART!

Missing Links.

It's been over a year since I last updated this blog. Life got busier, and the few moments that I've managed to grab for myself are filled with a quick Facebook check, and a glance over Huffington Post (just so I feel informed). An old teaching friend asked me the other week why I hadn't put anything up in so long. I have readers?! You mean someone else besides grandparents and my best friend, who occasionally drop in? So for her, and possibly one other reader, I dedicate this post to you, and will try to fill in some of the gaps of our year together.

Pu-kin Patch!

For the first time in months, we had a Saturday with nothing to do but spend some time together. The weather has finally started having a bit of fall crispness to it and I was ready to harvest! We drove out to Oma's Pumpkin Patch in Lakeside, which was a nice alternative to the long haul we've drove to Bate's Nut Farm in the past.


One of the fun things about Cayden being two is that you finally really get to share holidays and other little moments with him. He was pretty into his pumpkin and seemed really excited to run around.


For a few dollars, all kids get to go on a hayride, get snacks, and take home a pumpkin (a really cheap outing!) Cayden rode home with his pumpkin on his lap, but after dropping it several times & Thom having to pick it back up, it was missing its stem and had a ripe hole on the top by the time we pulled into the driveway. Papa was very thoughtful and picked him up a fresh one later at the store, which then negated my thrill about a cheap afternoon.


Just like Papa, he flocks to the "am-mi-nals" and is so comfortable with them. There were a few sheep though, that weren't quite as cool with his comfort...

Unwrapped Gifts.

A few days after Cayden's birthday, we took a little family time to go unwind in the park. One of Cayden's big gifts this year was from Grandma & Grandpa "Choo Choo" (Thom's parents). We originally thought that we were going to buy a bike for his 2nd birthday, but when they also inquired about it we thought, "Nah...grandparents are more likely to buy him a much better tricycle than we ever would!" The certainly delivered!


I'm not sure if Cayden has the gross motor skills quite yet for peddling. Much of his bike riding consists of pushing or scooting himself across the sidewalk. Doesn't matter though, he loves it!

Birthday Blues...

Poor Cayden. He doesn't know that his mama is a teacher, and that his birthday falls precisely at the end of the busiest week of the year for me. This goes both ways; I will likely always be scrambling to pull his parties together for the years to come, but, he also is my constant reminder of why I need to slow down sometimes and remember that he is my most important student of all.


First birthdays are a big moment for the whole family. Everyone comes back together to celebrate the first year of the baby's life; it's a huge moment for parents and grandparents. But, Cayden's second birthday seemed much more for me. I intended for it to be small, but I think there were almost twice as many people there as last year! It was a milestone for our family; Thom and I have been parents for two years. The baby memories are already starting to fade away. I can't stop looking at Cayden and thinking about the amazing little boy he's turned into. And there on that afternoon, despite all the phone calls I don't return, or passes I give to nights out were the people (with the exception of two) that love me and my family, just as much as they did on the day Cayden was born. This whole circle was celebrating two years of our family's journey. That felt amazingly good.


Unfortunately, when it came time to celebrate the big occasion, Cayden didn't feel the love we did. He was terrified!

Our little monkey, he played so hard that day, and I scheduled party time smack in the middle of nap time. He was pretty worn out by the end of the day, but I secretly loved it because when the guests were gone, and the tables were cleared, he settled into the ever-so-familiar place in my chest to sleep. The same exact place we spent our first night together two years ago. Happy Birthday Monkey.