Reconnected

This month is flying by and will be gone before the week's end; atypical May behavior in my experience. Too many doctor's appointments, a nasty computer virus and a more-scheduled-than-normal few weeks have left me neglectful of blogging (hello, Mother's Day post which was started 2 weeks ago yet never finished?!). It's times like these where I question whether it's even worth the effort to go back and document what has been happening or just look forward. But then I remember why I keep this whole thing going and remind myself it is of little importance when it happened, but of the utmost importance to document that it did happen.  March/April double birthday party post to come. Ha!

A little broken

I had been keeping up with my running and, well, actually enjoying it (seriously, did I just write that?) and then this (a fracture, no a sprain, no a sprain that I then stress fractured). Whatever it is, two weeks later I still can't bear weight and the doctor tells me it will be at least 2 more weeks before I am out of this boot. I have yet to even ask about the running as the thought is simply excruciating at this point. No doubt the reason my my un-fractured foot now has a stress fracture is due entirely to my inability to take it easy so my goal is to mind doctor's orders, wear the boot except for when in bed, and stay off my foot a much as possible. Right.

Duck

We followed this mama and her duckling all the way down the street the other day and surely the boys gave her quite a fright as I haven't seen her back since. (I'm pretty sure at one point Anderson asked to get his bug net to capture them.) Ducks drive me crazy, but ducklings are pretty much perfectly adorable.

Anderson's birthday adventure

Anderson turned four a month and a half ago, yet I am only now just getting around to uploading the pictures. Seriously with the time passing so quickly. It needs to stop already.

When Anderson celebrated his first birthday we started a tradition of birthday adventures. The boys may never remember what they received for any particular birthday, but the hope is that they carry with them always the memories that were created and (hopefully) captured. It's certainly not an original idea, but it makes for a special day. I have learned over the years that the best plan is to not have any at all and this year was no exception. Perhaps in the future entire birthdays will be spent at Disneyland or some other attraction, but for now just just hitting up a few favorite places for fun and treats all in one day seems to be just our speed.

This year began as all the others, with balloons and presents before the sun even thought about coming up. Anderson received his very own light-up light saber as all good jedis should. (Jedis? Ewoks? Stormtroopers? I have no idea, but he does and that's all that matters.)

After saving the planet (really, I have no idea what Star Wars is about, but I think they live in space, right?) all morning the boys and I (Gabe was working for  a few hours) hit up the bagel shop and Jamba Juice for a late breakfast/early lunch. Anderson was sure to tell every single person that crossed his path that it was his birthday. That's my boy.

After bagels we realized we had just enough time to get to Shipley Nature Center before they closed for the day. Why they close at 1:00 I will never understand, but at least it makes it more of a treat, I suppose.

They held hands as they walked around and I swear my heart was about to burst. That just doesn't happen everyday with these two.

Beck learned how to spear a fish and Anderson learned how to throw a boomarang thanks to some handy guides.

 We identified bugs and spotted lizards

 and got entirely too close to the edge of the pond.

 Inside, we identified leaves and trees

 and matched bird calls to their taxidermied bodies.

 Beck played with bugs

 and Anderson read us a story and put on a puppet show.

 and I tried, unsuccessfully, to to get them to sit still just long enough to get just one picture where they were facing the same direction.

 I'm not sure it will ever happen.

 Anderson had taken off at this point.

We went home for a dinosaur break

and wouldn't you know the ice cream man came down our street.

After a sugar re-fuel we went to the park to burn it off.

And then we went for birthday burgers and sundaes on the pier



It was another perfect birthday adventure for a perfect little birthday boy. Beck's adventure was just two weeks later and was strikingly similar! Don't mess with a good thing, right?!