great expectations

for next month's book meeting,
i have to have 3 book suggestions from a genre of my choosing.
i decided on 'classics', and was poking around in the bookcase tonight
looking for some ideas.
while digging, i came across the book great expectations and it took me back,
way back to 1998 to be exact.  i dragged c to the theater to watch the film version.

i was a pretty big fan of gwyneth paltow fan back then and i distinctly remember
c saying "really, you're making me see this movie". YES was my response. *grin*

the movie wasn't worthy of an oscar, but it inspired me to do two things:

1) buy and read the book by charles dickens that inspired the movie, and
2) add the name 'finn' to our my baby name list, after the main character in the film
{in the book, the main character is named pip}

i was in my 20s then and far from from starting a family, 
but i loved the name and put in on my 'name list' for down the road.
{don't laugh, i've learned many woman have or created name lists} *wink*
i also put a star next do it, indicating it was my favorite boy name.

i've been thinking of the title - not just because it inspired my firstborn's name,
but because it made me think about expectations parents have for their kids.
spoken or not, my guess is every parent has expectations for their children.

i think about all the expectations i have for my boys.

some of them change based on their ages. chores for example.
scoutie can't make his bed yet, but we expect finn too.
scoutie is expected to put toys away in their proper bins,
and finn is expected to complete his homework and practice piano
before he gets access to any technology.

beyond these small day-to-day expectations, i do have much bigger ones.
i expect both boys to attend and graduate college after high school,
i expect them to play an instrument, to respect their bodies and to show
gratitude {including handwritten notes for every gift received}

i have so many expectations, like millions of parents -
the ones i shared are probably shared by a million others.

when discussing expectations, i have to remember to be realistic about them,
the ones i have for the boys and the ones i have for myself - as their mother.

i have two very different little boys with their own personalities and talents.
as their mommy, i have some expectations of myself.
i'm expected to be patient, i'm expected to be nurturing,
i'm expected to listen to them and try to understand them.
i'm expected to raise them so they become independent and happy adults.
most important, i'm expected to love them unconditionally.

and oh how i love them.
i hope i can live up to their expectations.

~ tonight we enjoyed breakfast for dinner {completely prepared by c}, *yay*
then we changed into our pjs and piled onto the couch to watch
the film hugo which i hear recently won an academy award?
it's a unique and beautiful film, full of imagination and sentiment on many levels.
a must see!

tortellini tuesdays

tacos tuesdays have been put on hold in the gerber casa...for now at least.
finn grew tired of eating them and requested something new.

to keep the alliteration thing going,
i solicited help from auntie jen a while back
and she suggested a few 't' foods.

tortillini was one that stood out since the boys love pasta,
and since it requires very little prep, it was the natural choice.
all i have to do is throw in a veggie and we've got a meal.

so tuesdays are officially tortellini tuesdays!

via

~ i have so much i want to write about but just haven't
been on the computer as much in the evenings.
i've been snuggling up in my bed in the evenings reading
with the boys to do some reading of my own
{on my new kindle fire}. it took some time, but i'm loving it.  

i met with my book club girls last night at urban plates
to discuss our latest book, a wrinkle in time, a young adult book.
the book wasn't one of the better books we read, but it wasn't bad either.
it was written for young people and we all agreed,
we would have appreciated it more if we were 4th and 5th graders.
{and maybe 2nd graders even.  finn picked it up and is reading now}

as february comes to a end, 
so comes the end to last year's promise me list.
i'm a little bummed i wasn't able to accomplish everything on my list.
i was a little excited and got a bit carried away.   
i'll be more realistic and this year's list will be a lil' smaller.

still, i plan on accomplishing all the items on the list. i really do.
i've decided to just carry over the ones i didn't finish to this year's list.
i still have one more day left in february
{there may be time to cross off ONE more thing}*wink*

scout's first rollercoaster ride

we have to go on journey to atlantis 5 times ok guys?
- scout benjamin gerber, age 4


a milestone was reached this past weekend.
scout went on his first "real" rollercoaster!

for about a year a half,
he's been measuring himself on his surfboard grow chart
to see if he has reached 48",
the height requirement for the journey to atlantis ride at sea world.
only with his hair sticking on end, he was tall enough.
{we were happy the teenager that checked his height
allowed him to go through because technically wasn't tall enough}.

what an experience.
the look on his face says is priceless...
the perfect mixture of excitement and fear!

~ at the homefront, we are all gearing up for a busy spring.
christopher is coaching HTH's varsity boy's tennis team again.
{tryouts were this week, and games start next week}
c loves the game and is pretty excited about the talent this year.
i promised i'd come out with our boys and watch a game or two. 

spring soccer is also just around the corner which means
scoutabout will be on a soccer field again very soon.
the boys gave c an aluminum chair with a pouch for his keys
and a cupholder for his morning mocha frappacino. 
he is officially ready for soccer saturdays!

finn has opted for swimming because,
as he's told us in the past, "soccer isn't his passion". *grin*
i plan on signing him up for lessons at the ymca within the
next few weeks. 

australia

just because it is, doesn't mean it should be.
- lady laura ashley, australia

my mother-in-law barby and i were discussing movies
during her recent visit. she mentioned receiving
the movie australia for christmas, one of her favorites.

i hadn't seen it, and she could hardly believe it.
{she knows how much i love epic movies}
how had i missed this one? i didn't know.
she recommended i see it, so i put on my list.

days later, i reserved a copy from the library,
and picked it up this past weekend.
i sat on my bed watching this movie on my
laptop - completely engaged for 3 hours.

the cinematography is STUNNING,
and nicole kidman and hugh jackman weren't bad to look at either.
even more than all of this, it was the history of australia
that i found most fascinating.

sadly, i knew {and still know} very little about the land down under,
and the tragedy of the aboriginal culture. in the movie, we see how
the children, similarly to native american children, half-caste children were
taken from their homes and assimilated into 'white' society. they were forbidden
to speak speak their language(s), and practice their rituals and beliefs. 

the children, who were taken from their homes between 1909 through 1969,
are referred to as the "stolen generations".

it makes me sad thinking about what's been lost throughout the world's
history - so many cultures gone or almost gone, due to desire for land, power,
and sadly in the name of religion.  just 200 years ago austrailia was mostly
made up of the indigenous people, now they only make up 1.5% of the population.
heartbreaking.
the quote above was spoken by nicole kidman's character {lady laura ashley},
when she was questioning the treatment of the aboriginal people.
later, it's repeated by drover, her love interest played by hugh jackman.

finn happened to walk into my bedroom during a
scene when the native people were being treated poorly.
he recognized what was happening and said,
that's just how the black people were treated here in the
united states.  through my tears, i said that's exactly right.

though there is a fabulous love story in this movie,
i was more deeply moved by the underlying story of the
times and the treatment of australia's native people.
{i went online and ordered this book the next day to learn more}

despite alot of tears that fell from watching this movie,
i am so glad i took the time to see it.

making sure of you

"Pooh!" whispered Piglet.
"Yes, Piglet?" said Pooh.
"Oh, nothing" said Piglet.
"I was just making sure of you."
~ Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard

i arrived home at 11pm on saturday night
{a very late night for this momma}.

since i had missed saying goodnight to the boys,
i tiptoed into their bedroom to kiss them goodnight
before i turned in.

there they were,
the two of them sharing one bed,
sleeping like they often sleep.

i had my camera in my purse from my evening out
and snapped this photo {without waking them up}

in subtle {and sometimes not so subtle ways}
these two seem to always be making sure of each other.
it makes me happy that they are so close

~ i spent saturday evening at a fundraiser for mojalet, a san diego company.
my friend christine {also founder of our serious bookclub}
dances and performs with their core group in her free time,
when she's not working or reading.

i can't even remember how long it had been
since i had been to a pure dance performance.
maybe 3 years? longer?  anyway, it's been way too long.

i was so inspired by these woman,
who ranged from 8 to 50-something.
they were all so talented and so fit.
it was so absolutely beautiful to watch.

fashion friday: hair accessories for little girls

for fun {and since i'm a mom to boys}
i thought on occasional fridays,
it would be fun to post something 'girly'.

i was perusing etsy {again}a few nights ago.
and among many amazing stores,
i came across a shoppe called paislee lane.

Oh My Goodness!
they make the cutest hair accessories for little girls.

instead of the big oversized flowers,
these flowers are petite -
keeping little girls front and center

simply beautiful.
if only i had a little girl...
then again, it's probably for the best that i don't.
{i'd go broke}

via

it's gorgeous here today!

after a week of cool days {and even a teensy bit of rain},

i'm so looking forward to getting outside an enjoying

a little bit of sunshine this weekend.

enjoy your weekend.

cute valentines

valentine's day came and went too quickly this year,
but to remember the day, i wanted to be sure to take a
minute to post and to share photos of the boys' cute valentines.

scoutie's weren't homemade this year.
i was pressed for time,and when i came across
unique and adorable cards from merri merri i couldn't resist.

and since candy is a requirement when giving valentines these days,
we included red lollipops with each of these for his classmates.
 he reported back that this friend said they were "awesome".

finn handed out submarines valentine's we made together
{ok he traced, i cut}
each one included a cellaphane bag with gummi sharks.
we used the sub on a bday card that aunt anissa sent finn for inspiration.
they were super cute but cutting out snorkels was super time consuming.

because of this, only select people
{teacher, cousins and auntie jen}
got a submarine valentine with a SNORKEL.
all of his classmates received cards like this one.

my thoughtful friend aleyda knows how much i adore homemade cards,
and forwarded a picture of a v-day her kindergartener received that
she said "stood out" from all the others.  she wasn't kidding.
how clever is this mp3 player from family fun.
i'm definitely bookmarking this for future.

~ as for my valentine's day, it was quiet and spent with the family.
i made it home from work just in time to watch
the movie we bought a zoo with the boys{and aunt jen}. 

it was such a fun, feel-good family movie!
it had something for every age group
{minus the couple of curse words}
and i must mentioned the little girl 'rosie' in it.
she is precious. {i told c i wanted her}

last but not least, here's MY precious little guy,
posing with the valentine card he made for c and me
yes, i'm saving forever.

scout, age 4

happy heart day

oh i just LOVE this holiday
{even if it is a hallmark holiday}

it's not because i'm an extreme romantic,
or because i get fancy presents.
i just appreciate a day designed
for telling our loved ones how we feel.
{it's also a reminder for me to do it more every day}

in our home, we don't typically exchange gifts,
but we always exchange cards,
and we all seem to love homemade cards.
{those given to us by the boys seem to be our favorites these days}

i didn't upload a photo of the boys' v-day cards they took to school today,
i was up late cutting out submarine shaped valentine's for finn's class,
and making special valentine lunches for them {heart shaped sandwiches} like this:

image: lessthanperfectlifeofbliss 

they were SO cute. i should have made myself one.
i also put heart stickers on everything from their granola bars to their yogurts.
{c questioned if the boys would appreciate this but i told myself they would}. *grin* 


i hope you had a very special valentine's day.

xo

scout's first sleepover

technically this wasn't scout's first sleepover as he has
slept overnight with auntie jen many times since he was a toddler,

this was however, his first sleepover with a friend.
he asked if his best playdate pal and neighbor logan
could sleepover on friday night.

the other mommy and i weren't sure if a 3 and 4 year old
would actually make it through the entire night,
but we were willing to let them try.

logan really wanted to "sleep at finn and cout's house"
{he doesn't pronounce the s in scout's name yet},
so we had him here and let scout know he can go there next.

so friday night, their first sleepover happened,
and melissa and i were thrilled they made it all night.
we had our cell phones next to us just in case we needed
to meet each other on the sidewalk at 1am and hand off a child.

fortunately we didn't need to.

the boys had so much fun!
they played in the invention room, watched a movie,
and slept on the pull-out couch in the living room.
{finn enjoyed having another little fan that thinks he's so cool}

here are these sweet preschoolers before bed,
and wearing their adhesive mustaches that logan brought over.

sleepovers are those little milestones
that remind us mommies our children are growing up
and can be away from us and be just fine.

easy edible valentine treats

i have valentine's day on my mind tonight!

and now that the 5 lbs bag of gummi sharks arrived,
finn and i are officially ready to start working on his
valentine cards. {did you guess submarines?}

scoutie's valentine cards won't be homemade this year.
i was planning on doing some easy craft with him,
but then i came across adorable space-themed valentines
by meri meri and couldn't pass 'em up. 

so this weekend we will not only be working on valentines,
but we will be making simple valentine treats too.
i came across a few easy ideas in the blogosphere and had to post.
all you need is a heart cookie cutter to make simple rice krispy treats
and brownies extra cute for valentine's day.

easy peasy as scoutie likes to say!

image: theirlittleworld

image: ingredientsinc

image: alldaylongidreamaboutfood

i only have time to squeeze in one of these projects this weekend
and since i received this pretty cake pop maker for christmas,
i have been anxious to test it out.  cake pops will be my weekend project.
pink and white candy melts are standing by in the pantry,
along with several jars of sprinkles. this is where the boys will step in to help.

i make no promises they will be as pretty as the photo above,
but my hope is they will at least be tasty {and stay on the stick}.
i will report back after this weekend and maybe even share a photo.

wishing you a fabulous friday!


~ i almost forgot to record finn's accomplishment.
he participated in explorer's annual jog-a-thon yesterday.

students take up donations based on how many laps they run
to earn money for the school. this year finn ran 34 laps!
{i think he is ready for this year's st. patty's day run}.

a little guy who loves to read

scoutie used to open books and read out loud about 
what was happening in the pictures he was seeing.
i learned this is called 'pre-reading',
is a very important step in reading.

on occasion, finn would say "you aren't really reading scoutie"
and at first this would upset him but after hearing c and i explain
the importance of what he was doing,
scoutie started responding "i know finn, i'm PRE-reading".
{i loved that - even recorded that in this book}

for the past year, his teacher at the rock, miss heidi,
has been working with him and the other children in
his pre-k class helping them sound out simple words. 

he had already learned what sound each letter made back
in his 3 year old class, so he was ready for this next step - very ready. 
{pointing out simple words in chapter books that we read together before bed} .

our little guy is no longer 'pre-reading', he is a reader!
a beginner reader, but a reader nonetheless.


here he is reading one of his favorite books: a cars boardbook that
his aunt stacey and cousin aidan gave him for a birthday one year.

i can't tell you how happy it makes me to see him enjoying reading.

superbowl sunday

i hope you had a fabulous weekend and enjoyed a little football
{or at least enjoyed catching up with friends and eating too much}.

i'll come back and do a proper post later
(and maybe a video of the eichorn twins) at yesterday's party.

in the meantime, i DID post on finn's birthday celebration!
to keep my blog in chronological order, i dated the post 1/29 {the day we celebrated}
you can scroll back to this date to see the post, or click here .

last, please excuse the layout/formatting issues. 
i have a new laptop and am having compatability issues....
hoping to get it worked out eventually.

have a fabulous monday peeps!

a powerful play

c and i had a date night last night,
it was much needed.
we were long over due.

we enjoyed a delicious dinner at jai
and afterwards, walked next door to
to see american night: the ballad of juan jose,
the final play of the season at the la jolla playhouse.

oh and what a way to end the season. 
i'm still on a bit of a high from it.

of all the performances this season, last night's was my favorite!
actually it was both our favorites, a rarity when it comes to theater.
{i usually prefer the musical of the season and c an edgy drama}.

i'm tired and fear i can't give this show justice by trying to describe it,
so here is a recent article that discusses the show the and the talented
{and san diego native} rene millan, who plays the main character, juan jose.

there are so many elements within the play that i loved,
but one pops into my mind right now that i'll share.

it's the opening scene of the show.
the audience sees juan jose walking at sunset with a beautiful desert image in the background.
in the foreground, a man and woman are playing guitars and singing a beautiful mexican song.

the set design is simple - but it has enough.
there is nothing to distract.
all we see is a handsome young man walking
and these words scroll across the screen:

my hope is that when you see a man,
you don't see a man who walked over the line,
but simply see a man.

this show will stay with me a very long time.

if you live in san diego and have been wanting to see a play for a long
time and just didn't know what to see or simply haven't gotten around to it,
this is one that is worth seeing before it leaves. 

i found it worth every penny.

~ as for that house we looked at the other morning here in point loma.
it was priced right at $525K,  fair for coastal san diego, but it too needed
a good $100K worth of work and it was too close to the flight path.
{we are already in the flight path and learned we don't want our next home to be.}
somewhere out there....