celebrating christi

to know her is to love her.
- song by john lennon, 1973

happy 21st birthday christi! the boys and i wish we could be with you to celebrate your special day, to give you a BIG hug, and to eat some cake with you. *smile*

here is a little b-day wish from finn and scout. i would have joined in, but i literally have no voice right  now. i'm a lil' under the weather.  like the quote above says, to know you is to LOVE you.  we love and miss you - lots!!

xo the gerber clan  

two faces only a mother (& christi) could love

my neat-O nieces

what a FABULOUS and FUN day i had yesterday with maddy and anna!!  these girls are just the cutest & coolest of cousins and they kept me laughing. anna lives in germany but is in the states for a year attending high school. she is living in minnesota with other cousins but was visiting cousin maddy and her family for turkey day weekend. you can imagine how much she was LOVIN' san diego's warm(er) weather.  it's a bit nippy for us locals with temps in the mid 60s, but a long-sleeved tee with shorts was enough clothing for all of us.

we spent a good chunk of the day on the boardwalk riding our beach cruisers, playing in the ocean, and on and under the pier. the girls even rode the belmont park rollercoaster while finn and i chowed on a churro!  watching the girls together reminded me of being a teen and the closeness of girlfriends. oh to be 15 again.

i so love you girls and am glad you let your 'auntie a' hang with ya.  anna, i hope you can get a surf session in before you head back to the cold! *grin*

giving thanks

feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.
-william arthur ward

the adorable homemade card arrived in the mail this week and i just had to include as part of today's post. it's full of sparkly glitter and makes me smile. finn actually squealed when he opened it. thanks christi!!

since thanksgiving is a day to express gratitude, our family tradition, which was passed down from my parents, is to share with each other (outloud) what we are thankful for just before the meal. this is a very condensed list of what we are thankful for this year:

angela: i am thankful for good health, the friendships i have, and for family.
christopher: i am thankful that finn didn't cough up a lung with his H1N1, for scout's sense of humor, and for angela's ability to fill our home with joy.
finn: i am thankful for the earth, that we get to borrow 'buster' (scout's class bunny – more to come), and for our family.
scout: trains (the only word i could get out of him when i asked) *grin*

happy thanksgiving to you and yours!
xo the gerber clan

to aunties!

an aunt is a joy to remember your whole life through.
-unknown

once again sweet jen answered my cries and took the boys overnight and gave me a much needed night with my hubby. i can't begin to thank her enough but i started with a chai latte the next morning. *smile*

as luck would have it, c was under the weather, so all my restaurant research was in vain (well not completely), but for this particular night at least.  we decided to make it an early evening and stick close to home. we ended up at our favorite neighborhood restaurant, isabel's cantina. it's just a few blocks from the house and serves up the best breakfasts and dinners in pacific beach!!  well i think so at least.  it's a place i recommend to anyone who visits. (christi: if you are ever in portland, isabel has a restaurant there called pearl that looks just as fabulous)

so here's what jen reported back from her night with the boys.  scoutie was easy to entertain, but finn was a bit more challenging since he's gotten older.  finn asked her why she didn't have toys and she responded that she didn't have children. he looked at her an in all sincerity and replied "if you don't have toys, then what do you do"?  he just couldn't understand how she could get by in a home without toys. *laugh* 

she used her creativity and playfulness and made FUN!  i've included some photos below of the 'human spiderweb' she made with green yarn, the fort she made out of sheets/covers and a few of the 'secret passage' which is basically a compartment in her built-in bookcase that has a passway between the living room and her bedroom.  the boys LOVED this. she said they spent a good hour hiding and crawling in and out.   

the boys adore jen. it's obvious as their eyes light up when she walks through the door.  there is something special about aunties and if you are lucky to have one (or someone like an auntie), you know this.  my aunt donna is that special person for me. she is a mother of 4 boys and throughout my childhood, she'd borrow for me on occasional weekends and take me as her 'adopted daughter' which i loved. i'm sure my mom enjoyed one less child around too. *laugh*. to this day, we are close and she holds a very special place in my heart.  i have no doubt auntie j holds and will always hold a special place in the hearts of finn and scout. (thank you jen for all the love you show the boys and to me).

here are a few photos taken by auntie j:
 

a million little things

friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.

- author unknown

i could sit here and make a GINORMOUS list of things that i love about today's birthday girl,
my long time friend karen. instead i'll list a few things that make up the 'million' little things.

- she shares lots of memories with me

- she is honest

- she has a smile that lights up a room

- she keeps my secrets

- she stays in touch

- she loves chocolate

- she doesn't count calories

- she is a lifelong friend

- she is missed

happy 30 somethin' k!

hugs

ang

love you forever

i'll love you forever,

i'll like you for always

as long as i'm living

my baby you'll be.

- love you forever, author: robert munsch

do you know this book?!

omg - it's beautiful but it makes me SOB - i mean huge tears every time i read it.
the very first time i read it, i was at the orlando airport, waiting to fly back home.
scoutie was on my lap, finn was squeezed in next to me and i started.

i think we all thought it was going to be funny or light-hearted but just a few pages in,
i started to choke up.
the boys looked up at me confused and i reassured them that mommy was ok.
just a little emotional.

i'm guessing parents enjoy this book alot more than kids.
the book is about the unconditional love we parents have for our children.
the story takes readers full circle as the child in it becomes an adult with an aging mother.

it's a 'must have' for any parent
BUT
i must warn you.

think twice about opening it up and reading it in the target bookaisle.
you may have people stop and ask if you are ok.

being mindful

if we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.
- maria edgeworth

i attended a wonderful parenting class last night offered by explorer elementary, finn's school. they have monthly classes and every time i've walked out of one - i am SO energized and motivated - to be a better parent.

i knew explorer was unique. some ways are obvious - their teaching methods, the curriculum and the huge emphasis they put on the connection between social-emotional learning and academics. when c left a good architectural firm to go work for high tech high (explorer is part of this charter school system), it was so much more than a bigger paycheck.

the school INSPIRED him and he wanted to be a part of it. he would go on and on about his new employer, and i was happy he was happy, but being a new mom, i only half-listened as school years seemed so far away. now that finn is in kindergarten, i'm learning the culture and what makes explorer so special. offering parenting classes is just one of many things. the focus of last night's class was on 'being mindful'. the class began with a question to us all - what is mindful parenting? the simplest definition: being in the moment-to-moment, nonjudgemental awareness

i left the class with a new passion to be a more 'mindful' parent, and a deeper understanding on why it is so important. if i practice mindfulness, i will be able to see my boys more clearly - as they really are - without my own fears, insecurities, expectations, etc that often get in the way of parenting. my relationship with the boys will grow and i'll be able to see what's truly called for in each moment to be a more effective parent. and what parent doesn't what that? *wink*

lots of lovely

ok, for those of you i haven't shared with yet,
get ready to see LOTS and LOTS of lovely!

my girlfriend jess could go up against martha stewart any day of the week.
seriously, she is one talented woman.
she created a 'french themed pastry' birthday party for her little ella
who celebrated her 1st birthday last weekend.
 click HERE and get ready to say ooooooh and ahhhhhh (and yum).

the birthday girl enjoying her cake
 borrowed from jessica's blog



airstream dreams

i was chatting with an architectural designer at my company one
morning and i noticed a photo of an airstream trailer at his workstation.

i asked him about it and he was happy to tell me how he bought an old trailer years back,
gutted it and converted it to a little movie theater. how completely cool is that?
he said he used it a few times that way, but it's currently parked in a lot in arizona as he
doesn't have space for it at his home here in sd.

i shared with him that c and i bought a 22' tradewind about 6 years ago (pre-kids)
and spent  maybe a year gutting it and were starting to renovate it.
then we decided it was time to start another 'project' - becoming parents.
if that project wasn't enough of a life change, less than a year later,
we purchased our little beach home which needed lots of work - yet another project!

when we started on the landscaping in the backyard, we realized we weren't going to
have time (for a long time) to work on the airstream so we said goodbye to the 'toaster'
as christopher nicknamed her. our next door neighbor's retired father was thrilled to give
it a new home and take on the project - one that was better suited for a retired person.

someday, christopher hopes to purchase another one. instead of an older retro trailer,
he'd love one that was completely modern and roadworthy.

he has dreams of taking the family down south (mexico and beyond) to camp and surf together
for holidays and vacations. i admit, it sounds like fun, but we just aren't at that stage in our lives just now.

down the road i hope his 'airstream dream' comes to realization, for now he can enjoy these photos
i pulled from google images. who knew airstreams could be so hip?!















































































i almost forgot to mention a trailer park motel called the shady dell in the artist town of bisbee, arizona.
all the guestrooms are midcentury modern travel trailers!  so much fun.  for some reason c and i never made it here during our college days but,
we should have as it's just south of tucson.

when we get back for a visit, maybe we can take a side trip and stay here for a night.
the boys (especially the big one) would enjoy this!

happy and humbled

if you want to run, run a mile. if you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.
- email zatopek

i'm going to be bold and say i think this can be said for half marathoners as well. there's no doubt that 26.2 is ALOT farther than a half, but 13.1 miles is still a trek and it really is a different life out there on the course. it's tough, and most have to literally psyche themselves up to get through it. myself included.

today, my friend jeff sammons, sis jen, ( both marathon partners in 2002), my coworker tina and friend abby all ran the silver strand half marathon and finished. it was a bit warm for this time of year (70 degrees) and the sun was out the entire race. we were all hoping for some cloud coverage, but we weren't that lucky. regardless we made it and finished with respectable times. it wasn't my best time (2:17), but given the training i did or lack of, i couldn't expect much more.

my day started at 4:45am. i ate a piece of toast with peanut butter, taped my toes together (isolating my 2nd toe on right foot) to lessen the pain and not to cause further damage. i met my possee and we were on the road at 5:30am so we could arrive early enough to catch a shuttle bus to the starting line. this was abby's FIRST half so she was giddy with excitment. she must have taken 25 photos with her i-phone. *grin* as soon as i get my hands on them, i'll post one.

i must not forgot the challenged athletes in their wheelchairs who both inspired and humbled me along the way - especially seeing a young woman without the use of her legs, pedaling with her arms, as i was complaining to jeff 'my legs felt like bricks'. seeing her and others really put things into perspective.

congratulations girls (and jeff) for sticking in there! we did it and can feel a sense of accomplishment as we hobble around tomorrow at work. well you 'young thangs' might not be hobbling, but i have no doubt i will be. i don't think i will be wearing high heels tomorrow. *grin*

abby, tina & jen

keep calm and carry on

this was the theme of san diego's 2009 annual orchids and onions event, an award ceremeony i look forward to every year. it is put on by the san diego architectural foundation and it's purpose is to recognize good (and bad) design throughout san diego. recipients receive 'orchids' for good design and 'onions' for bad. of all the architectural lectures, fundraisers, and parties i've attended over the years, this is one that is the most fun and not to be missed for anyone who cares about san diego's built environment.

this year was extra special as christopher's employer, high tech high was up for an 'orchid' for sustainability. auntie jen was kind enough to watch the boys and we took off to the event which was held at a hip nightclub downtown which made it extra enjoyable.

i must give christopher a 'shout out' because high tech high chula vista did win an ORCHID award thursday night and the pretty flower is now gracing our fireplace mantle. if you are interested, here is what the jury had to say about the project and why it was selected. congrats christopher and to the rest of your team that participated, including uncle jay who worked on the screening system back in the late 2008 when he was here.

the other 'orchids' were very deserving as well. the grand orchid going to the station, a small casual restaurant/bar tucked in one of san diego's charming south park neighborhood. on so many levels, it's deserving of this award and to fully appreciate visit this link to see the photos and read the commentary. it's simple, yet great design. aleyda was just telling us about this place last week - how great it was and kid-friendly  too (gotta love). she said we MUST go and well, now we have even more reason.

when all is said and done

today christopher and i are celebrating our anniversary - 18 years!

i know i know, how can that be possible?
i certainly can't believe it.
we were just youngin's when we tied the knot -
 young, carefree, spontaneous, adventurous and madly in love.

we first met on the sands of new smyrna beach, fl through mutual friends.

we were both attached at the time, but we did leave an impression on each other.
but months later we met up again and this time we were unattached.

the rest is history.

the picture i posted today seemed fitting as we spent many lazy days
together on the beaches of florida and later here in california.
with little ones, our beach outings are no longer lazy days but we still enjoy them.

i am grateful and so blessed to have c in my life,

to have this wonderful man to walk through this world with.
he is my rock, a person i respect and look up to, and my friend.

when all is said and done, i am a better person knowing him.

this song is one i love and when i hear it, i think of us and smile.

happy anniversary christopher.

my friend

each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.
~ anais nin

my girlfriend aleyda and her sweet son daniel came over this afternoon for a playdate/dinner. it had been far too long since we had gotten together and i vowed to pick a standing date once a month so that nothing gets in the way of getting together. it's important to me to see her more, and since the boys play so beautifully together, it's just something that we need to make happen! (i am putting in writing as a backup reminder)

aleyda is a friend i've known since shortly moving to san diego. we met through mutual 'pb pals' long before we were even thinking about kids. we spent years partying together, bringing in new years, taking trips to mexico, and even taking swing dance lessons. she had an amazing career then that took her all over the world and i loved hearing about her adventures. eventually she met a great guy, settled down and became a full-time mother - and a very good one!

i remember her coming over to the house shortly after scoutie was born to visit. i was on maternity leave and my mom was visiting and we all chatted in the living room for a while. when she left, my mother just couldn't say enough good things about her. mom is pretty selective when it comes to her children's friends (even though we are grown adults). she fell in love with her sincerity and her ability to talk so comfortably. i wonder now if she was thinking she might be a 'good catch' for todd too - at least until she found out she was married. *smile*

i agreed with mom then and couldn't agree more now. she's is an *amazing* woman - funny, smart, kind, honest, genuine, a great mother and friend. i think about our friendship - how it has morphed and changed throughout the years. it's been interesting and wonderful and i hope it lasts a lifetime.

~ today's pix reminded me of aleyda because she's been to paris several times. this and we both enjoy a glass of wine whenever we get together in the evenings.

finn breaks a bone

i almost forgot to document finn's first break!

it happened in such a random way.
finn arrived home from school 2 days before we were to fly to florida for todd and heather's wedding. 
he was complaining the pointer finger on his right hand (he's a lefty).
he said "somehow during PE a ball just hit my finger and it really hurt".

he said he had wanted to cry but he didn't. he also didn't bother to tell his teacher either. 
the next morning it was still swollen and hurting him.
since christopher has broken many bones in his lifetime,
he had a hunch it was broken.

he took finn to the emergency room (a first) and sure enough his finger was broken.
he was given a splint and a copy of his x-ray and that was that.
he was very proud of this splint and having gotten an x-ray.

i overheard him telling scout "you have never broken a bone,
but big brother has." *laugh*
i chuckled because over the years, scout will have many opportunities to break a bone.
until then, finn has this to hold over his head.

getting old(er)

i'm hurting right now -an achy kinda hurt that makes me feel 'old'
or at least makes me wonder if this is the way i'll feel in 20 years
when my joints ache whenever the weather changes or after walking
up a flight of stairs.

i ran 11 miles this morning with tina and jen in preparation for next week's
half marathon (that's 13.1 miles for those who aren't runners).
i signed up for the race with the girls months ago to give me something to
work towards.

part of me thinks it's ridiculous to PAY to run, but i stay motivated to run when
i have a race to train for and the energy of all the runners on race day is exciting.
i was just thinking in the past i could run this distance and not think twice about it.
and i don't mean a long time in the past either - i'm talking just 2 years ago.

it's this 'flirting with 40' thing again - my body is just not the same.
my knees are achy and i think i might end up with 'runners feet' again (bruised toenails).
no fun since these bruised nails take months to grow out. worse case, maybe even a year
if the nail falls off completely. i've had both happen before. *ugh*
still i run because it generally feels good except for long distances.

anyway, it's been a very long day. after the long run,
i met the boys at the soccer field to watch finn play,
went home for a quick shower, ran errands and then
we went to the eichorn twins' first birthday party!
what a fun time.

it's hard to believe the twins are a year old already -
they've come a long way and are doing fabulous.
they've overcome so much in just a year. 
this family is certainly blessed.

i'm putting the boys down to bed in just a few minutes,
then i'm going to help myself to a BIG glass of wine,
and snuggle up with a book.
by tomorrow, i hoping to be back to normal.



sweet katherine


  



eichorn family:  kai, rich, katherine and kristi



boys in my house

 boys in my house
~ erin jo kilmer



image: google



i found this poem on the internet last night and it made me smile.
this goes out to all those mommies with boys.


there are boys in my house - and spiderman shoes
and 200 papers in various blues.
there's bob (he's a builder) and thomas the train,
there's a fireman coat to wear in the rain.

they have cars on their shirts and frogs on their hats
there's a glove and a ball and a red plastic bat.
there's dirt on a face and a smudge on a nose;
grass stains on knees and sand between toes.

there's bathtime at night with bodies to scrub,
and when we're all done there is dirt in the tub!
 there's bandaids and bruises and curious bumps,
there's smiles and laughter and sometimes there's grumps.

there's odors most icky; there's boogers so green
there's more yucky things than i'll ever get clean.
there's piles of laundry; there's stories at night;
there's bedtime and bathtime and dinnertime fights.

there's cars and there's trains and there's books about trucks,
there's scoop, lofty, dizzy, and travis, and muck.
sometimes there are bugs, and sometimes there are frogs;
sometimes they are lions, or dinos, or dogs.

there's running and climbing and jumping and falling
and laughing and crying and hugging and brawling ,
there's rolling and losing and finding and creeping
and whining and stealing and sometimes there's sleeping.

there's tantrums and time outs and extra loud noise

there's love in my house shaped like two little boys.

halloween 2009

i just heart halloween and since having children, i enjoy it even more.
this year was no exception!

we were lucky to have cousin chloe visiting with her parents.
she's 3 months old now and as sweet as sugar.
we all wanted to cuddle and hold her and her parents were good enough to let us. *grin*.
since she is a bit young for trick or treating,
she stayed back at the house and helped her parents hand out candy,
while christopher and i took the boys trick or treating.

this was our first time taking them together and it was so much fun (thx anissa and chad).
i will try to get a photo of chloe dressed in her costume from her mom and post.
she's so so cute! as for the boy's costumes, finn expressed his desire to be a robot a while back.
robots are his thing right now and c was happy to help create something. the boys pulled together cardboard boxes and items from around the house or from storage. the dryer vents came from home depot and the computer keyboard came from c's work.

scoutie is at the age where he refuses to wear anything uncomfortable so my idea for him to be 'max' from maurice sendak's 'where the wild things are', seemed perfect. who wouldn't want to wear a cozy footed sleeper on a cool night?!  i asked him a month ago or so if he'd like to be 'max', pointing out the wolf pajamas max wears in the storybook and he said "yes momma, i be max, finn be robot". that was easy enough.

finding a sleeper was the challenge. after searching on-line and having no luck finding a solid white or even a gray sleeper in toddler sizes, i visited ebay. sure enough i found a woman who was taking orders for any size 'max' costumes - from infants to adults. it wasn't cheap, but since i don't sew, i really didn't have a choice. i purchased a size 2 for scoutie and from the moment he tried it on, he *loved* it. it's super soft and stretchy and since our nights are nippy now, he wanted to wear it. his little crown was cut out of gold colored posterboard from michaels - very simple.

here are a few photos taken at a party at our neighborhood recreation center on friday night and then a few on halloween night. after going around just our block, both boys were done for the night. finn was complaining his pumpkin was "getting too heavy" and scoutie ended up getting a ride on my shoulders.
it's too bad i wasn't dressed as one of those monsters from the island that max visits.
that would have been really cute!
i recently found this shirt that i would love - so fitting. i think i will treat myself.

i hope your halloween was spooktacular!!

~ i didn't dress for halloween night, but i did dress for a fabulous party the weekend before.
i was amelia earhart.  wore a sexy lil' flight dress and my brown knee boots and this
faux fur pilot cap with the little pieces that cover the ear. SUPER cute.
so wish i had taken a photo.