2+2 = a happy bunch

not double trouble, but twice blessed.
- unknown

months ago i shared a little about our friends kristi and rich and their preemie twins, katherine and kai.
the twins are now 10 months old now and doing great. 

i had to share this adorable photo of kristi - happy mom of two beautiful babies.
if you want to learn more about how far they've come and see pictures, visit kristi's blog.

like alot of moms i know, i had thought a few times about the possibility of having twins and i
thought it would be really amazing (and difficult) if that was in our cards. we would be done
and not have to experience sleepless nights and diaper duty twice.

with c's father being a twin, we knew there was a possibility, but mother nature did not bring
us two babies at the same time. kai and katherine are the only twins i know so it's been fun to
experience twins in a small (very small) way through the eichorn family.

kristi parents with such grace - making juggling twins look almost easy, when i know it's not.
i admire her (and her hubby rich) so very much! they are a fabulous foursome.



kristi, kai and katherine
(kate sessions park, san diego)



the best day

today is maddy's 15th birthday  and because the best day is one of her favorite songs,
this is the song she and i sing outloud in my car almost every time we are together.

maddy, i hope today is your best (birth)day ever!

the boys and i love you and are sending you birthday wishes and a hug today.
we are looking forward to seeing you and celebrating this weekend!

yes drill sargeant!

yesterday morning, c and i participated in this year's bootcamp challenge. we had a blast doing it, but darn was it tough! the race is a 3 mile obstacle course held at the marine corps recruitment depot (mcrd) here in san diego. runners climbed over 6' and 8' walls, jumped over hay bales and logs, crawled through fox holes and trenches, and did pushups to the encouragement (yelling) of the drill sargeants. these guys liked to get in our faces and yell - some a bit too much. this guy looks tame compared to some of the guys that were along the course. the first time i did this race, was 3 months after scout was born. i was very slow that year as expected. i did it the following year (last year), and ran as a team. my sister jen, her friend amy and i were the 'tres tamales' (hot tamales was taken). we did ok - under 40 minutes, but there was room to improve. this year, jen decided to pass so i asked c if he wanted to run and to my surprise he said YES. he isn't a runner but he said it sounded like fun and would try it. i teased him saying he must have really liked bootcamp if he was going to try to repeat the experience. for those that don't know this, he was in the navy as a youngster and didn't enjoy it at all. unfortunately, we weren't able to run side by side as they split up the men and woman due to the number of participants and race time differences. we were bummed as this would have been our first race since running the half marathon together 5 years ago. *sniff*. we wished each other luck and agreed to meet each other at the finish line. the woman's start time was a whole 15 minutes after the men so i waited anxiously until the horn blew for the ladies to go. our final times were:

angela: 28:30 (19th out of 114 in female's age 35-39 division) christopher: 24:14 (17th out of 108 in men's age 35-39 division) i was actually surprised and pleased i finished under 30 minutes! i hadn't really trained beyond my two runs a week and felt like i was going to do alot worse. c too was pleasantly surprised as well, as he doesn't do anything beyond playing tennis and occasional surfing. i am now motivated to do this run next year and actually *train* to see what i am capable of. i'd love to try to do it in 25 minutes. mmm... i'll be honest, i'm feeling a little old today as i'm walking around with aches and pain - especially in my shins! i think it's from jumping down from the 8' walls. there was lots of that yesterday. still, despite how i feel now, i'm so glad i did it and am already looking forward to next year's race. i can't get this cadence out of my head. it was being played on loud speakers during the race... where we gonna go when we get back, (echo) where we gonna go when we get back i take a shower and hit the rack, (echo) i take a shower and hit the rack i no wait, (echo) i no wait, i gotta run (echo) i gotta run, dig deep (echo) dig deep, lots of fun (echo) lots of fun i can't remember the rest but i found it here on youtube. it's kind of fun to listen to and it did help keep me motivated. check back in a few days for photos. i didn't take any but there were sports photographers out there and i'm hoping there's at least one of me?

oh and thanks a MILLION jen for watching the boys. next year, i want you to be beside me running*wink*

surprise in the mail

i came home today to a piece of 'fun' mail sent to the gerber family.
i knew the handwriting immediately and said outloud "oh yay, mail from christi".

scout said "momma i try", his way of asking if HE can open the mail.
this is something he says constantly now in his desire to be an independent 2 year.

the card had a quote: "you mean the word to someone, you mean the world to me."
she wrote: gerber family, oh how i miss you all so so much!!
just wanted to write you a little card to tell you i'm thinking of you all
and miss you so incredibly much. i'll be down in november after thankgiving!
i can't wait to see you and steal the boys away.

there was more but i'll stop there and just say that it made me smile as i read it.
i sat down and the boys gathered around me as as i reread it outloud to them.
i started to choke up and finn gave me a big hug and said i miss her too mommy.

words can't express just how much we all miss her.
there is an empty spot in our days without her and we are feeling it.
this letter arrived at the right time as we all needed a little bit of christi in our lives today
and the card was a little piece of her.

we will anxiously await her arrival in november and until then,
she has a family of four who misses her terribly.

christi - you should know i have yet to erase the board in the cottage
with the little note you wrote to us on the last evening you were here.
c's asked if i was ever going to erase it and i said "probably not. 

i'm holding on to whatever i can of her." *wink*  miss you!!!

kindergarten calls

today was the day - the day finn started 'big school'.
i'm happy to report there were no tears - and i mean from me! *laugh*
i knew finn would have no problems, but i wasn't sure how i would do.
some girlfriends had warned me that i should be prepared for the worst -
to bring lots of kleenex because it can be very emotional and bring tears.
it was emotional for me - but not in that way.

i found myself just really excited - almost giddy.
i might have felt different had he never been to preschool,
or if i was home with him all day, but since this wasn't our situation,
it was simply exhilarating.
now i can't say i'll feel the same way the first day i drop off
scoutie at kindergarten since he's our last.
but that's still a few years away. *sigh*

the morning of, we had a nice breakfast together then all of us (scout included),
took finn to school and walked to room number 3, finn's classroom.
we greeted his teacher, ms hawke, and said hi to the parents and kids we knew,
then finn took off to a table crowded with kids playing with legos.

if c and i had walked out the door right then,
i don't think he would have noticed.
we had to call him over for a quick kiss and goodbye hug.
he said "bye mom and dad", turned around and didn't look back.
it was almost too easy. his confidence is such a wonderful thing to see
it's one of his best traits and one i hope doesn't ever go away.

today is a beginning for finn, but at the same time, an ending for us.
our 5 yr old is entering a new phase and more of his time will be taken
up with school activities and new friends.

even though we will be central to his life,
we will slowly stop being the center of his life.
luckily it doesn't happen overnight. as bittersweet as this is,
i will enjoy this next phase of our life together.


 

finn's first day of kindergarten







pretty sunflower mural hanging in the hall

(painted by explorer kids)



    









finn 'signs in' every morning finding his namecard and
placing it in a plastic sleeve alongside his classmates



  

i should mention that christopher is in minnesota for a few days and i'm doing the 'morning routine'.
luckily, some moms are helping me by picking up finn in the afternoon, so that's one less thing to coordinate.

i don't know how c does it every morning. he's told me once he "runs a tight ship" and he wasn't kidding!! somehow he gets up at 6:30am every morning and in one (1 hour), has both boys dressed
(always before breakfast), fed, teeth brushed, himself dressed and they are out the door at 7:30am.

he drops off scoutie at preschool and then takes finn to school. i'm guessing there's no time for starbucks anymore - a good thing since scout can already identify their logo and asks to go everytime we drive by our neighborhood shop.

the morning schedule is a bit too much for me so i'm feeling rather grateful and fortunate tonight for a hubby who is so very hands on. since my job is full of deadlines, i wouldn't do well with stress in the mornings before i got to work. i feel pretty lucky to have the arrangement we have.

c, i'm missing you - come home soon if you are reading. xo

mama said

mama said there'll be days like this...
- the shirelles

my niece maddy had a really tough day yesterday and though i couldn't take away her pain and frustration,
i let her know i was sending her a BIG hug and that tomorrow would be better.

that's the one thing about really bad days, chances are the next day will be better.
maddy's probably never heard the song, mama said there'd be days like this from the shirelles.
these ladies were around even before my time.

still, this song is worth listening to.  it's a great song with a powreful message.
it's a sing along tune that reminds us all that some days well,
simply suck.

hopefully today was a better one m. hugs.

sundays

sundays are officially our 'family days'.

this is the one day c and i set aside to spend the majority of the day together with the boys.
some sundays we are motivated to go someplace exciting and new, and other days we just
stick close to home. this morning was one of those mornings.

we spent 2 hours doing chores (ugh) and then we all headed to the hilton for some playtime in the pool.
with kids back in school, most of the tourists are gone so we had the pool to ourselves which was very nice.


the boys have come such a long way this past summer with their swimming.
finn's confidence has grown and he's so proud of himself. of course c and i are too.
he is eager to show off his new skills/tricks to all who will take a moment to acknowledge him.
scoutie continues to be fearless around water which is a blessing and a curse. the biggest problem?
he truly thinks he can swim and he can't!  not yet anyway. 
we have to keep arm floaties on him as he will just jump into the pool (anywhere) without them.
the kid is fearless.

here are a few videos i promised finn i'd share with grandma and grandpa.

 








later in the afternoon while the boys napped, maddy and i headed to the mall to do a little shopping.
 i was on a mission to find a dress for todd and heather's upcoming wedding.
generally, i *never* find anything when i'm looking but i got lucky - i found two dresses!

one is a simple lilac tank style dress from banana republic and the other is creme colored tank-style dress, with black embroidered flowers on one side of the bodice from anthropologie. i rarely step foot into this store as it doesn't fit my budget, but on occasion they will have great sales and i'll find something that i love. the dress i found today literally fits me like a glove and i couldn't resist. (i must snap a photo of it and send to christi ) both are spring/summer dresses, but since florida is still generally warm in october, i'm hoping i can wear one of them? i will bring some kind of cover just in case.

i had a wonderful sunday - with my boys and then with maddy.
she was certainly my good luck charm today.

thank you for joining me m. love you! auntie a

scout starts preschool

it's been a very rough past two weeks with the new routines and though it was tough for christopher and i, scoutie i think had it the toughest. he started preschool full-time at st. andrews by the sea and though c will have drop off in the mornings, i wanted to do first day drop off'. 

as expected scout was apprehensive when i dropped him off on monday.
even though we had picked up finn from this school many times together,
he said "momma no go" and cried some tears.

the wonderful director of the school, judy,
swooped him out of my arms after i said goodbye and gave him a kiss.
i heard her telling him she was taking him to see the school guinea pigs as i left.

i knew the worse thing i could do was 'linger' after saying goodbye

so i reminded myself he'd be fine and left. no tears were shed by me either.

with the second child, it's just easier. i've learned to trust my decisions and experience tells me my baby boy will be just fine.

 

when i picked up scout that afternoon,

i learned he had been upset half the day and insisted his teacher,

miss rosie hold him alot and even feed him his lunch!

my normally very independent son was clingy.
i let miss rosie know this is not typical behavior for him and we both agreed he'd adjust in time.
he had a rough next 2 days, but thursday he was much better and by friday, he was great.
i learned there were 5 minutes of tears when dad c dropped him off,
but he was happy as a clam the rest of the day.

when i arrived to pick him up yesterday (friday),
he didn't even want to leave!
now that made me feel so much better.
christi had reassured me he would be fine earlier in the week,
and though i knew it, it was good to talk to her and be reminded of it. (thx christi).

sometimes i feel as if the boys are fast-forwarding through life.
i can't slow them down, not matter how hard i try.
all i can do is just enjoy the.moments.

oh i how i love 'em! 

scoutie and mrs. rosie, 2 yr old teacher

scout, age 2 - on the steps outside the school
(we took a pix of finn at the exact age on the exact step)

belated birthday wishes to kristen

my sweet niece turned 13 yesterday! i remembered her special day, even got something in the mail on-time, but yesterday was tough and i forgot to call. please forgive me k. i'll give you a ring on my drive home from work today. i can hardly believe she is a teenager. when i left florida, she was still a toddler and though i see her at least once a year, it still comes as a shock to me that she is becoming a young woman - and a very lovely one at that. wishing you an AWESOME year!

xo auntie a and the boys

where the wild things are

and let the wild rumpus begin.

- where the wild things are
children's book by maurice sendak

i love this line from the book - one of the boys' favorites
and it seems fitting as there is always a wild rumpus at the gerber house.
if you haven't witnesseed it, just trust me on this one.

i've probably read this book to finn over a hundred times,
 and now scout has started to enjoy it as we are moving from board books to 'big kid' books.
since the boys are sharing a room, we've been reading stories together before bed
and this is a book they both enjoy.
they are fascinated with max and his adventures on the island where all the wild things live.

warner brothers have made a movie version of the story, and it will be in theaters next month.
spike jonze directed it and the author was involved as well. it looks like it's worth seeing,
but i've yet to decide if i will take finn to see it. (it's rated pg and i'm pretty strict with movies)

i'm considering dressing scoutie as max, the main character in the book.

though finn is at a better age for it,
he has already declared he is going to be a ROBOT for halloween
and that dad was making his costume.
i think the days of me influencing his costume choice are over.
i guessed it would be when he started kindergarten and sure enough.
my prediction came true. *wink*

even the proposition to finn to wear a red jumpsuit and spray hishair blue
so he and scout could go as dr. seuss' thing 1 and thing 2 didn't appeal to him.
he said "maybe next year mom."

he's a robot fanatic right now - obsessed with science, labs and experiments and robots.
he's even talking about his birthday next year being a robot party.
at least i don't have to come up with a theme.

since we will be in florida for a week before halloween,
i need to be sure we get their costumes in order before we head down south.
i'd love to have everything ready so i don't have to think about it after i get home.
christopher will enjoy working with finn to makes his costume so that's one down.

now if only i could sew, i'd make the little wolf costume for scout.
since i don't, i'm hoping to find a white union suit or jumper i can just
pin a tail on and figure out something for the feet.
if i don't have any luck, maybe ebay or etsy will have something?

max wears a wolf costume, basically a white/gray footed jumper.
in the story he is given the crown by his wild friends
who declare him the 'wildest thing of all'.
(i'm not sure scout would wear a crown)

possible costume idea for next year...dr. seuss' thing 1 and 2.
christi and her sister jenny were considering being 'sexy' things 1 and 2 this year.
they'd pull it off so well!  i can't wait to see what they dress as.

mighty kickers

in addition to starting kindergarten, finn is playing soccer again and his first game was this past weekend. once again he is on coach adams' team- my girlfriend and neighbor. i requested her again because she's great with the kids (so patient) and well, i like the group of kids/parents and prefer to stick with them if given a choice. the 'mighty kicker's are made up of almost all the same kids as last season with the exception of about 4 new players. unlike last season, finn is 'getting it'. he knows what to do when he gets the ball now and he runs towards the correct goal.

c and i have so much fun at his games - cheering the kids and watching the chaos of this division (under 6) is a hoot! they swarm around the goal (no passing) and the referee allows the boundaries to be extended a good 10' outside the playing field - even behind the goal. if i could only get all the craziness on video. i honestly get my biggest belly laughs of the week in this one hour! i wish the grandparents could come to all his games.

oh, i almost forgot. what really impressed me was finn's energy.
the game started at 9am and finn had ridden his bike 6 miles beside me while i ran earlier that morning.
he said he was "a little tired" but he sure didn't seem to be dragging on the field.
gosh, if only i had his energy!

  

notice that lil' tongue hanging out



celebrating after a goal





do you believe in magic

today is my sweet nephew soren's 3rd birthday.
leslie (my sis) is taking him to the happiest place on earth, disney world.
this will be his first trip and i think she is more excited than he is.
wishing them a fun filled day in this magical place.
i'm looking forward to giving him a big b-day squeeze.




image: google



power of prayer

if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of god, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. - bible, book of james 1 5&6

my sister is going through a difficult time right and though i'm not a person who regularly prays, i have found myself , during quiet moments, whispering occasional prayers on her behalf. i want her to be comforted and to find strength to help her get through this time, and to have hope that things will be better in the end.

she has a strong faith in god and believes in the power of prayer - i admire her for this - her faith. though the road ahead will be a tough one for her, she is blessed to have two beautiful boys and a family who loves her and is supporting her 100%. i want her to know i love her and am praying for her. xo

build a better sleep

image: google



i recently subscribed to better homes and gardens and received my first issue last month.
i am really enjoying this magazine!

it's packed with pretty photos, home decorating ideas, easy recipes and tips on lots of things.
their august issue had an article about sleep, written by ellen michaud, that i found really useful.
since i am making a conscious effort to get more of it, i wanted to document for me and to share:

1. hang thick drapes -our brains are programmed to wake when it senses light - whether it's the sun coming up early or a streetlight. (i love the simple/inexpensive roll away shades from home depot)

2. use bamboo - sheets made of bamboo feel like silk and can wick away moisture that might disrupt your dreams. (i need a new sheet set for our bed, i think i will try bamboo - IF the price is right)

3. ban electronics - no phones, tv, laptops and faxes in your bedroom. (this is something that c insisted on from day one. in all our years of marriage, we've never had anything beyond an alarm clock in our room and it seems to work - makes for not only better sleep, but i'd argue a better marriage).  

4. add a worry book - stress causes amost half of us to lose sleep every month. one idea, sit down before bed and write a "worry book" and write down the problem as well as solutions. it's supposed to and free up your mind so you can sleep. (i already have my 'to do' list in my phone - i think i'll skip this)

5. set your clock - make sure it goes off at the same time all week - including weekends. it sets your body's internal clock. (these days the boys are my clock - someday i may have to set an alarm but not now)

6. close the pajama drawer - dress as lightly as you can and in a material that breathes (cotton). it's easier to adjust your body temperature. (amen to this - prefer cotton)

7. sleep at 65 degress - lower temperatures help your body go into sleep mode for the night.

8. try, try again - if you don't fall asleep within 30 minutes of turning out the light - get up and read a novel for a while then try again. (i don't ever have this problem - when my head hits the pillow, i'm out)

speaking of bed, it's that time for me.
buenas noches.

senoritas and margaritas

a girl's night at my house was LONG overdue so this past weekend i tidied up the cottage and invited some girls over for a night of three of my favorite things - mexican munchies, margaritas and games! the boys stayed in the main house and had themselves a little movie night.

unfortunately, i forgot to take photos of our night - had the camera battery charged and even sitting out, but i was having so much fun i forgot all about it (a true sign i was just enjoying myself). there was about a dozen of us girls and we sat around sharing laughs and interesting dialogue stemmed from the girl's night out edition of table topics - something i picked up a pottery barn a few months ago.

i learned alot about the girls - even those i know really well. i must not wait as long to have another girl's night. it was so much fun and we all seemed to need it. the last girl left at 1am. i can't even remember the last time i stayed up that late - another sign i'm getting old. *wink* c was kind enough to take the boys out of the house so i could sleep in the next morning.

go with the flow

one sunday morning this past summer, the boys and i decided to go to sea world.
it's a 5 minute drive away and with our annual passes, we go fairly often and on a whim.
that morning was one of them. we threw a bag together with a change of clothes
(a must since we sit in the 'wet zone' at the shamu show) and packed some waters and snacks.

we were out the door within 15 minutes and walking into the park, i noticed finn's feet.
he was wearing two different flip flops. i asked what that was all about and he responded
"i couldn't find a matching pair but it's no big deal". c and i laughed and agreed.

we all have days that we just have to go with the flow and i was thinking how kids are so
much better equipped than adults to do this. wearing two different shoes would be reason
for me to go back home and switch them out, but kids don't care.

kids remind us what's important and what's not.
that sunday morning was one of 'em.



finn's feet



oh so sweet

happy birthday to my very sweet niece maya who turned 6 today. love and miss you so much! auntie a and the boys

~ please ask your mommy how old you have to be to come stay with us for a weekend or week *wink*

meeting the maclaggans

last week, a few days before christi headed to oregon,
the boys and i were fortunate to spend an evening with the 'mac' girls.
i'm referring to christi and her 3 lovely sisters.

i had actually met two already,
but last week i finally met lauren - the oldest sis and her sweet son drew.
to have them all together was something!

they are so much fun and i got a sense of their closeness in just those few hours.
they teased each other -accusing the youngest of turning into a 'hippy chick'
since she's moved to eugene as she has more and more braided bracelets
going up her arm everytime they see her. they teased and joked,
 but not one of them got upset.
that to me was a sign of genuine closeness.

it's it's not every day i see really great families but theirs qualifies.
they'd make any parent proud!

in the mac family, there are 4 daughters: lauren is the oldest (has a 15 month old son drew),
jenny (married to burke), christi (dating tyler) and kelly is the youngest.
all were at the house except for lauren's husband nathan and the mac parents.

spending time with them, gave me a little insight on what their family gatherings are like -
fun and full of good food. i hear mr. maclaggan is an amazing cook (lucky them).

christi brought over the 'maclaggan summer salad' and it is fabulous!
she was kind enough to share the recipe with me.
it's only been a week since she's been gone,
but the boys and i are missing her and our week has been in disarray.

in time, we'll get a routine down but for now it's a bit chaotic.
it doesn't help that scoutie's preschool doesn't start until next tuesday
and finn started school this past monday. ugh!



the mac girls: lauren, christi, kelly and jenny



from left: tyler, christi, scout, finn, jenny, kelly, burkey, drew and lauren

  

desert getaway

since our big trip this year will be to florida for todd and heather's wedding in october,
c and i decided to stick closer to home this summer to save some money.
we chose phoenix, az as our destination for two reasons:
1) it's fairly close - just a 5 hour drive away but it's still a world away
and
2) c's younger sister, heidi lives in phoenix and will be celebrating her 26th birthday
and were long overdue!

we headed out last wednesday morning to the hilton pointe - a little oasis in the desert we stayed at a few years back. it is geared towards families - large casitas, several pools, slides, a lazy river, putt putt golf, a kids club and dive-in movies on saturday nights. everything was easy and that was exactly what we were wanting and needing.

i didn't get on my computer at all (got on c's 1x to check in with work) and this was a welcome break for me as much as my family. i worked on relaxing and finishing this month's book club selection, finn worked on his swimming skills and scout and christopher worked on their tans. well they didn't try to, but spf 50 doesn't seem to do a thing for them. they get more golden brown and finn and i, well we just get more pink.

we hooked up with heidi to celebrate her 26th birthday at a quaint mexican restaurant my m-i-l introduced us to the last time we were visiting. it's called aunt chiladas and has the best margaritas and salsa/chips i've ever had - and i've had my share! this is one of heidi's favorite restaurants too so we were all happy campers. we sat around the table catching up with heidi and her hubby greg. we were fortunate to have heidi's sister angie and her new hubby, michael join us. seeing everyone made me want to stay longer so we could spend more time together. we considered another day, but we had to get back to prepare for finn's first day of kindergarten.

despite the scorching 113 degree heat, we truly enjoyed ourselves. we just remembered to stay out of the heat during peak sun times. we had a routine down - would get down to the pool around 9am and come in at noon to eat, nap and/or read and then head back in the late afternoon. all of the arizona kids were back in school so we felt like we had the resort to ourselves. the only families we met were from southern ca or from outside the us. those are the highlights of our stay in the desert.

we look forward to seeing heidi and greg out here in san diego for next year's comic con! *wink*

miss you already.

  


birthday girl heidi, 26 yrs old!