exhibition night at explorer

i attended explorer's exhibition night with finn last night and i'll be honest.
it was a bit overwhelming for me.
there were so many kids, too much noise and no place to escape.*grin*

i tolerated it all because this is a very special night for the children of the school.

parents and extended family are invited to the child's classroom

and the kids share projects they've done throughout the year.

christopher had a critique session at the new school of architecture 

so auntie jen was my date which was kind of fun.
i hadn't seen her in a bit so it was nice.

finn showed me lots of fun projects he's done all year long

his georgia o'keefe painting was my favorite of the night.
i snapped a few photos.

it had been a very long day for me,
but i'm glad i went.
finn's excitement was palpable.

he's worked very hard this year and
and i am proud mom indeed!

here's finn and his bestie, drew

a self portrait

on the way home we stopped at yogurtland.

christi introduced us to this place last summer.

the yogurt is just as delicious as the shoppe is beautiful
i was drooling over the green glass tile - LOVE it!

some stuff about scoutie

i haven't shared much about our rambunctious scoutie so today i am.

with so many activities/events that surround kindergarten,
finn has been in the spotlight in my blog,
but scoutie certainly isn't lacking attention at home.
he gets just as much (actually more) since he's the youngest
and naturally demands more attention.

he's at the age where so much of what he says is funny
sometimes laugh out loud hilarious
that makes me grab a pen and post-it to jot his words down so i don't forget.
sometimes what he says is simply embarressing.

last week when i asked him to say hello to a potential nanny who was at the house.
he looked right into her eyes and said "hi poop" *ugh*
what can we do?
he's 2 and he knows it's not a 'nice word'.

we know the more we make a big deal of it
the more he will use it.
this is the way it works with toddlers and preschoolers
this we know - one of those benefits of being a 2nd time parents.

this book was given to me by a girlfriend as a 'thank you'
for photographing her family a few weeks ago.
now i have the perfect place to document ALL of
scoutie's silly AND embarrassing sayings.

it wasn't necessary but it was such a thoughtful gift,
one i will use alot!
 






















oh and despite scout calling every nanny candidate 'poopy' something (pants, head, etc.)
we found a student that didn't seem to mind at all. *BIG cheer*
though she doesn't speak spanish fluently (something c and i were hoping for),
we think she'll be a good fit for the boys this summer.
(so glad to be done with this - i can enjoy the month of june now). 

here's a clip of scoutie at our local beach on memorial day.
he's enjoying himself and entertaining me. only a toddler
(or drunk college student) would do somersaults in the sand. *grin*

 

finn write a book: kindergarten author's tea event

i hope you all had a WONDERFUL memorial weekend!

this past week and weekend have been packed full of fun things
and the 'Author's Tea' event held in finn's classroom this past
thursday started the holiday weekend off on a happy note.

in a nutshell, the students in this kindergarten class are all authors.
they spent the last month or so writing a story,
editing it and and drawing illustrations for each page.
all week the kids have been taking turns sharing their story with
their classmates and their parents.

finn was super excited about this day as he knew
grandma barby, daddy and mommy were part of the audience.
he chose to write fiction over non-fiction.
can you guess the title of his book?
ALIENS (not surprising as he's passionate about anything science-related)

he dedicated the story to his dad and began reading.
he read page after page (12 total i think) and shared each illustration.
he made it through without asking for any assistance from his teacher
who was sitting close by to help if needed.

it was clear to all, he was enjoying himself up there
he had his little legs crossed while reading
and a mom leaned over and whispered in my ear
"he looks like a little professor."  i agreed.

now finn has wanted to be an 'engineer' of some sort for the past 2.5 years.
as of this year he'd like to to be a 'robotics engineer',
and i wouldn't be surprised if he is an engineer nor would i be
surprised if he teaches at the university level someday too.
it's a long ways away i know, but not a stretch for me to imagine at all.

c videotaped the entire reading (appx. 5 minutes)
it's a bit long to share so i'm sharing a picture or two from his special day.

~ i almost forgot to share that finn was the hero in his story.
HE saved the human race from the aliens that were there to destroy it. *smile*

finn's favorite flick

i'm only five so there's alot of stuff i don't know yet.
 - dennis the menace (after being asked why he asks so many questions by mr. wilson)

my sister stacey recommended i consider dennis the menace for our next 'kid' outdoor movie night. i came across it at the target last weekend and the little boy on the dvd looked SO much like finn, for $5, i couldn't resist!

the boys and i sat down and watched the 1993 version of dennis the menace last weekend and it was absolutely ADORABLE! the little boy reminded me of my precocious, good-hearted, blonde little boy - who, like most healthy young boys - is curious.

if you are familiar with the cartoon, wherever dennis goes, trouble follows.

this version we watched is rated pg and though we typically don't allow the boys to watch pg movies, as they have a knack for picking up the exact thing(s) that make it rated pg.
this film had no bad language, but there is a creepy thief throughout the film.
scoutie was terrified of him. i certainly wouldn't recommend for children under age 6.

so dennis the menance is now finn's favorite movie.
he asks to watch it constantly.

i've only allowed it twice this week but it's a long weekend... *grin*
i'm glad my sister recommended it and that i purchased it to add to our home collection.
oh, and walter matthaeu is AMAZING in his role as mr. wilson.

SUPER cute movie for families - a must see!

rollercoasters

life is a roller coaster.
you can either scream every time you hit a bump
or you can throw your hands up in the air and enjoy it.
- unknown

the boys are OBSESSED with rollercoasters right now.
finn wakes telling me he's dreamed of riding them
and scoutie simply talks about them all the time.
he tells everyone he's "almost big to ride shipwreck rapids
and journey to atlantis at sea world."

he's actually a few years away from riding either of these,
but we don't have the heart to tell him this.
we simply remind him that eating "grow food" will help him

get there quicker. it usually works.

this past sunday, i was out and about with scoutie and
christopher surprised finn with a quick trip to sea world
just to ride a rollercoaster. {a big benefit of living minutes away
and it's not being a sprawling park like what i grew up with}

here are 2 of my 3 lovelies enjoying the ride.

finn shared with us he had to hold his breath because he "almost threw up."

this picture fits with today's quote, reminding me life IS really like a rollercoaster.

it's full of ups and downs, moments that make us scream, or want to scream,
but it's SO worth the ride.

have a wonderful wednesday!

(i found this picture of scoutie and finn enjoying the only kind of coaster scoutie
can ride right now -a simulated rollercoater video game. *grin*

bits and pieces

SO many things are happening and i felt the need to document some random bits and pieces of my life.

a new home:  not for the gerber family, but for my brother todd and s-i-l heather.
the newlyweds just closed on their first home, located in clermont, florida.
talk about life moving fast, here's a recap of their past year and a half:

- todd proposes to heather in paris in early 2009
- tied the knot in oct. 2009
- honeymooned in ireland
- expecting a baby in october 2010
- just closed on their 1st home

whew - those are major life changes! 
todd shared photos of their new home.
it's lovely and BIG. (i think my entire home could fit in the garage)
i was told the window on the far left is their 'guest room'.
looking forward to enjoying this room when i visit next. CONGRATS!!

bootcamp/workout update:  i was doing so well for the first 2 weeks,
but last week, i was a slacker. i only went once and i ate lots of bad food.
christi was visiting and i let that be my excuse but honestly,
it doesn't hold water because i could have gone to the 5:45am class before work.
so this week, i'm going 4x and i am pushing myself HARD.

oh, i pulled off my first 'double under' on the jump rope tonight.
so what is this?  it's basically doing 2 rotations for every single jump.
it's a BIG accomplishment for me because i've been trying to do it for weeks
and just not getting it. there's a rhythm and technique to it and i've almost got it!
i think. *grin*

selling our little home by the sea: 
we are just *discussing* this right now but everyone knows
our cozy beach cottage has grown cozier since scoutie arrived.
and as much as i'd LOVE to just add another story to our home,
we can't  make the numbers work. we've tried.
construction costs are just as outrageous as the real estate here in ca.
c could stay in our cottage forever as it is and be perfectly happy.
i can't see us here without more square footage (even just 600 SF)
so c is letting me make the final decision - whatever i want.
no quick decisions here but i've been doing lots of thinking.
stay tuned...

nanny search: summer is almost here and since we are without christi,
we are on the search for someone to watch the boys in july and august.
grandma is flying out in mid june to help out for 2 weeks
and we hope to find a nanny to start right after the 4th of july. 
christi set the bar SO high and c and i agree no other nanny will come close to her.
he reminds me it's just for 8 weeks (not for 2 years) but still it will be tough.
the search has begun...

more visitors: the cottage is going to have LOTS of visitors this summer.
christi just left, and we have grandma barby arriving on thursday for a few days. 
it's been a while, so we are excited to see her.  she'll hardly recognize scoutie.
a week later, my beautiful sister leslie will be arriving for a FuN filled girl weekend!
she'll be flying solo this trip (her first time ever w/out her little guys in tow).
like all mommas, she needs this and my #1 goal is to show her a good time.
in july my mom arrives, my my b-in-l trevor and his family. and then
dear girlfriend connie from tucson.  whew - but i love it!

new puppy: again not ME (the boys wish they had a puppy).
my niece, kristen, got a puppy last weekend and can't be more excited.
i think i've gotten 10 emails about this little sadie so far.
can't wait to meet her!

bare backing it

bare back grill is my favorite place in the neighborhood for burgers and fries.
though the meat is imported from new zealand, organic and from grass-fed cows,
it's still a burger and not the healthiest thing to eat. regardless, there's no debating it's delish!!

so when maddy came over for a girl's night/sleepover with christi and i last weekend,
we went looking for a place to grab dinner. we walked down to mission bay drive
along the beach in hopes of stumbling upon something that 'sounded good' to all of us.

we came across bare back and when the girls (and tyler) said they had never eaten here,
well the decision was made. they had to try it.  they did and loved it.
it was a treat for me too - an excuse to indulge in bad food with my guests. *smile*

side note: the maui waui is veggie burger is my personal favorite. you must try it.

later, us girls (only) retreated to the cottage and stayed up till the wee hours
playing games and doing what girls do best - TALK. *grin*

missing you both already.

hugs!!

things i ♥ thursdays

i ♥ date nights
i never called evenings out with my hubby 'date nights' until i had kids
but kids change things - everything. *grin*
once they come, night outs become less frequent and they take planning.
c and i try to have a 'date night' at least once a month - more if we can.
christi and tyler were kind enough to give us one last night.
we went to olivettos - a cozy wine bar and restaurant.
we had one of the best 'date nights' we've had in a long time.
was so needed and so appreciated. (thx c+t) *mwah*


i ♥ when finn and scout blow me kisses
i can expect one every morning before i leave for work.
those kisses just make my day.
even though we give kisses on the lips or cheek,
they still like to blow me a kiss as i leave the house
it's a little ritual they've been doing for for a long time.
one i hope never ends.


i ♥ good neighbors
they are hard to find.
i've got some good ones close by and they are a blessing.
they'll watch my children when i'm in a bind,
feed my fish, loan me eggs, baking dishes and
even turn off my flat iron for me if i've left it on and
realize (while in a meeting) what i've done.
today, my house still stands and i've got good
neighbors to thank. *wink*

first field trip: butterfly farm

i went on my first field trip yesterday - as a mom that is!!

i think this is a rite of passage for parents of a school-aged child,
something we look forward to so much.  we know the day is coming
when our little one won't want us there because it's not cool. *sniff*

i am hoping and praying this is still a few years away??

i packed lunches for finn and i, filled the gas tank and the

and joined 20 kindergarteners and a handful of parents at the school
before caravanning to the butterfly farm in encinitas.

i volunteered to be a driver, and this was an adventure in itself!

words can't express how BIG of a deal this day was - for finn and for me.
i was finn's 'guest of honor' all day. he introduced me to all his little friends, and held
my hand as he showed me *every* caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly he could find.

i enjoyed learning about the life cycle of butterflies, but more importantly,
i enjoyed spending the day with my sweet fair-haired finn.
looking forward to future field trips with this little guy!

some photo highlights of our special day together:

childhood

children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do.
- jean de la bruyere

isn't this the truth?!

children really do live in the present - completely!
they don't know of another way.
i think it's one of the qualities in kids, adults are in awe of.

sometimes i sit and play with finn and scout
other times i sit and observe them play
but most often, i sit and listen to them play

they enjoy each other and their playtime soooo much.
they are happy as clams and can spend hours this way.
i can't help but sit back and smile
(until of course they start fighting). *laugh*

oh to be a child again...even if just for a day.

here are my sweet boys, playing with their chevron cars. 
these cars are inexpensive and basically indestructible .*cheer*
their daddy created this make-shift 'car wash' by cutting up an old t-shirt.
you may remember finn's similar wash a few years back...