Garden Stuff

Keith got home pretty early today, so he hit the back yard to do what he loves to do... garden. While trimming the roses, he saw this neat little spider and called us all out to take a look. Pretty snazzy, huh? I've never seen one like this, but he seems to like hanging out on his three little rose buds.
The second picture is of our lone pomegranite. When we got the trees, there we at least 15 blossoms, but Bella got a hold of them, and picked off all but one. This is that one. We finally picked it this week, and Bella and Daddy enjoyed it together! (We hope to have a bigger crop next year.)

Teething bites....

...everything!
Luca will be 8 months old on November 3. It seems like he's been teething for 4 of them. I've never seen a more "drooly" kid - he can soak a bib in two minutes flat! Lately, his favorite thing to do it to rip them off and crawl around with them like this.
I think tomorrow will finally be the day when O and P peek through (for you non-dental people, that's the two lower middle ones). The good thing is, unlike his sister, the only symptoms he's had is drooling and biting on everything he can get his mouth on.
Oh, this is what he looks like lately without his helmet! I took this picture during his 1 hour off tonight!

A Warm Fall Day

We love fall! Tis the season for cornstalks, pumpkins, mums, and Santa Anas - the winds that blow the warm, dry desert air to the coast. October is a funny month for us... you never know what you're going to get weather-wise, but usually it's one of our warmest months. We've learned that you have to watch the weather this time of year so you know if you'll be needing a sweater or a tank top at the pumpkin patch! We still get to enjoy the season, though. Our trees do change colors ~ the ones with leaves, and we've got plenty of pumpkins to go around!
I took these pictures right after we got off of the trail today, so Luca was half-asleep. The big deal today was finding pine cones. Bella saw a bunch, but we took home two... so they wouldn't fight over them, of course!

Let's Play Doh

This has become Bella's favorite thing to do lately. It all started last Thursday when she was throwing a minor fit at the fact that it was "date night" and she wanted to come with Mommy and Daddy! Honestly, Bella LOVES Miss Cathy, who we inherited when our dear neighbors moved away. However, Bella thinks it necessary to try to change our mind about leaving for our date every week by throwing a crying fit.
Miss Cathy changed all that last week when she asked Bella if she wanted to play with Play Doh. Bella immediately straightened up, and said with tears and a still shaky voice, "night night mommy!" and we were out the door!
Wow... good one Miss Cathy.
Now it's a daily request, so we'll see if it works again tonight!

Sanctuary

Where have all the playpens gone? If you've tried to find one, and I don't mean a tiny pack-and-play thing, but one of the old, big, good ones, you'll be hard-pressed.
Because we have hardwood floors and a brick fireplace hearth, and Luca is constantly on the move, I thought that a playpen might be a good idea. On my internet search for a big one like we had when we were kids, I realized that the only one like that I was going to find would be a truly old one on ebay. I also learned that for some reason, playpens have become "policitally incorrect" in many progressive circles. How dare we pen up our children and forget about them? Would we actually get something done around our house or get dinner prepared, rather than constantly entertain the little lovelies? If any of you have tried making dinner with a 21 lb. infant on your hip, you'll realize that the chiropracter will soon be your best friend, not to mention that the stove probably isn't the best place for your little chef to hang out.
The bottom line is, I found this great 6-sided playpen by Kettler, swiped Luca up as he was about to hit his face off of the brick hearth, and voila.... he was in his own little soft and safe sanctuary. The safety advantage is obvious, but this little guy is actually learning to PLAY. No, I'm not supermom. I can't always entertain my 2-year old and my 7 month old every minute of the day. Hence, the playpen. I have peace of mind knowing if I have to do something for a few minutes, Luca is safe, and he loves it!
Bring back the playpens!

Dessert!

Luca topped off his evening meal of garlic mashed potatoes with a nice bowl of cereal with fruit. Bella, on the other hand, ate about 1/4 of a chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes. We then let her splurge on a halloween cookie our great neighbors bestowed upon us just as we were finishing dinner. How timely! Obviously, we've been blessed with two great eaters. Luca is the one to watch out for... for him, cheeseburgers may be just around the corner!

Ready to Go

About 4 days of the week, I load the kids into the jogger and hit the trails near our house. It's like getting exercise without feeling like you're exercising! We enjoy beautiful views of the mountains and the ocean, and Bella gets a kick out of the lizards, big spiders, and numerous "doggies" we pass on the way. It's a nice way to get us all some fresh air and breaks up the mornings.
Today, Luca was holding Bella's hand in the stroller, and it was really cute. I remember my Dad saying that all he ever wanted was for his children to love each other. Well, we do. But I get it now... it warms my heart every time they play together, hold hands or kiss. It makes the times Bella is trying to kill Luca all the more bearable!
On the same note, we've been studying the book of John, and one big thing Jesus kept teaching his disciples as He was preparing to leave them, was to love one another. We should love one another the way He loves us. Just think how good it makes US feel to see OUR kids loving each other!

Last Day of Ballet

Well, Bella's first 6-week "Tiny Tots Ballet" class came to an end today. I'm not very sad, considering lugging poor Luca along to a class where Bella simply daydreamed in her own little world wasn't something I really looked forward to on Wednesdays. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but Bella was the youngest in the class, and it really showed. If she's still interested (which right now, she says she isn't) we'll give it another shot next year!
Anyway, she actually did get something out of it, probably more than I realize. These are her new friends Karly and Emily playing "ring-around-the-rosey" with Bella. No, it wasn't part of the class. She was actually having fun here!

New Haircut

Bella got her 3rd ever haircut today, and boy is it short! Very cute, though. She was really looking forward to it... not for the haircut, but for the lollipop she knew she would get when she was done! Yes, she was a good girl, and got her lollipop.
Then it was off to the bookstore, and lunch with mommy. Tuesday mornings are girls only, as our sitter, Lily, stays with Luca so he doesn't miss any of his much needed 3 daily naps! It works out very well - Bella loves the one-on-one time with mommy, and Luca adores Lily. Then it's home for Bella's nap, and I get to run around all by myself for a few hours! Thank goodness for Tuesdays!

The Constant Gardener

This is one of our lemon trees. Keith loves to garden, so we're always planting something. We have a second crop of tomatoes that are growing like crazy! We can't wait for them, because we're just about done with the last ones. Besides lemons and tomatoes, we have oranges, pomegranates, guava, figs, apricots, peaches, apples, and cucumbers, and assorted hot peppers.
Speaking of fruit and such, I learned something interesting at church this weekend. John 15:2 says that the Lord cuts away the dead branches, but He also prunes the living, fruitful ones so that they may produce even more excellent fruit. Lately, I've been questioning why I spent more than half my life in school and training, now to be a stay-at-home mom. What I realized is that sometimes the living things that get pruned can be a great career, like I had. However, I am doing something much more fruitful now, which is raising my children up in the way they should go. I have much more assurance and contentment now, knowing I am exactly where God wants me to be.

We Won!

Well, there are at least a few Steeler fans out here in San Diego, and we're really happy that we finally won one - and pretty convincingly! Although we couldn't watch the game on TV, thanks for the wonders of the internet, I was able to listen to the live radio broadcast with our own Bill Hillgrove! Talk about a taste of home!
Besides getting into the Steeler game, Luca has been crawling all over the place, so we brought out the baby gates today! We've also had to replace his baby carrier with a real deal carseat, because I can't carry him in that thing anymore! I think he'll be much more comfortable now, too.
Where did my little peanut go?

Mommy & Me

Luca was enjoying some serious mommy and me playtime while Bella was napping yesterday! He's 7 1/2 months old now, and fascinated with my mouth, nostrils, and eyes. Not to mention anything shiny, for example, my earrings - ouch!
His head continues to slowly improve with his remolding helmet. I've set my goal for Christmas, hoping that we'll beat it by a few weeks. He could possibly need to get another one soon, as he is growing so quickly. We have learned, though, that there are advantages to an infant with a helmet. His big sister is a great reason, for one. Since he's crawling now, we've heard more than a number of cracks of his helmet off of things like the hardwood floors, cabinets, the brick hearth of the fireplace, etc. A blessing in disguise, I'll put it.
Throughout this whole thing, though, I've learned that God really isn't interested in our timetables. Yes, He will do a mighty work through Luca... when it will be complete is up to Him.

One good one

We had a photographer (check out her site at www.photographybyjencox.com) come to the house 2 weekends ago to take pictures of the kids. Luca's 6 month pics at The Picture People didn't go so well, so we thought this would be easier. Plus, we've had numerous requests for a pose with both of them. Anyway, this is the only shot in which both of them cooperated. One out of 75. Cute, huh?

New to this

Okay, so I've been hearing a lot about this blogging stuff, and how it can help families and friends keep in touch, post photos and news, and all that. So here's my attempt at creating our famliy blog. I'll do my best, and we'll see how it goes!