Fun fun fun!

MyWe had a fabulous weekend! 

Friday evening was beautiful.  We did a little yard work and Olivia helped.  Kev had the day off and worked around the house.  I'm a little stressed at work so I tried to do some email after O went to sleep.

Saturday,  Olivia and I met Toni and Baby James at the Newark family day Easter egg hunt. The egg hunt was a little too intense for the little ones (and JJ missed it by 5 min) so I called him and Kev picked up some eggs and candy from the store for our own hunt in the backyard.  Toni, JJ, O and I hung out at the fabulous park there and the kids had a great time.  They played follow the leader down th e slide, loved the swings,  and bossy little Olivia wouldn't let other kids twice her size by her on the jungle gym.  We will have to work on that attitude. 

Back home,  we had lunch of fried chicken that Toni picked up and had our own little egg hunt.  The kiddos had fun playing in the yard and the mommies really enjoyed catching up.  :)  they left when it was clearly past naptime for Olivia.  Toni was clearly very happy to hang out and photos of her house in Mountain Home are gorgeous!

After naptime, we went over to Helen ' s home  near central Fremont.  Finally met her husband, Wes, and Kev came with too.  We all played in the community pool.  Definitely need to find one for us to play in throughout the summer.  We all had a great time, and Wes had brought down to go margaritas for poolside enjoyment.  Fun times.  Olivia was a little nervous at first, but then loved the pool.  Cooper is the cutest little 5 year old and was happy to play catch with Kevin. 

Olivia went down for the 6th night in a row without a peep.

Sunday we skype with mum Mums and pop pops, the I had to work a bit and put Olivia to sleep.  I even managed to take the dogs for a little walk.  When Olivia awoke, we hit up Ardenwood Farm And She Was So Excited About The Bunnies And chicks.  She was excited and scared of the sheep, or Baaa Baaas.  Super cute.  She was happy as can be just wandering all around and exploring.  I'm in love.

We hit up the grocery and returned home where Kev had finished the pavers next to the veggie gardens.  Looks great!  He also cleaned up a bunch of the backyard.  It gets better every weekend!

Olivia had been just so super cute lately, it's just that much harder to leave her at daycare in the mornings.  I'd way rather spend more time with her.

Kev favorite saying lately had been, "that's a whole lotta horchada!"  Whatever that means!

Olivia is stringing together short sentences, and picks up all sorts of words.  It's so fun watching her figure things out!

A relaxing weekend

Sat, after music class, I volunteered at a women in engineering event at SJSU.  It was energizing and good to give back.  Oh, and we made a fort in the family room and had fun laughing when daddy monster surprised Olivia with tickles.

Sunday, Olivia and I went to anne's baby sprinkle and had a good time.  Olivia was chasing bubbles all around and being cute.  Back at home, kev was installing more pacers along the veggie garden and I took a load to Goodwill.  I also removed a few grass plants in the back yard and it looks way better.  Olivia enjoyed helping. 

Olivia is stringing words together in little sentences, and really wants to help around the house.  She gets really excited about books and helps with the dishwasher.

Back in the Saddle

We are back to a regular work schedule with Kevin much healthier and Olivia back at daycare early in the morning.  Olivia and Kevin definitely bonded over the last couple weeks with Daddy taking her to daycare.  Olivia's little antics of holding her hands up while thinking, and then pointing when the light bulb goes on are ridiculously cute.  Last night she would say "oh no!" And put her hands on her cheeks.  Too darn cute! 

Last weekend we spent in the yard.  About 24 bags of mulch later it looks much better.  The lawn is mowed, the veggie garden planted, the drip system rearranged, and weeds mostly attacked.  All in time for the weather to warm up and the drought to stare us all in the face.  We will have to really take advantage of our outside room as much as possible now before everything tanks.  I have to get up earlier to pump my shower water in addition to Olivia's.   Our salvia out front which hasn't been watered at all is doing great right now so that's encouraging.

Olivia helped me plant her first tomato plant.  She couldn't wait to get in the dirt.  Super cute. 

Saturday we attended music class but Olivia was still recovering from the latest sickness and was a little clingy.  But by the end was having fun.  After working in the yard (kevin had some serious weed fighting next to the fence), we had a lovely dinner with Rich and Debbie while the Janeiro's babysat.  What a nice date!  Especially since we are both healthy again. 

Ok, work time....

'Helping'

Olivia has become quite the helper around the house.  She can't wait to hel0 empty the dishwasher (including when the dishes are still dirty), and is miffed if anyone else carries the empty 5 gallon water bottles back to the bathroom after the plants are watered.  Yesterday I snapped a quick video of the water bottle activity.  Now, if only we can foster this enthusiasm before we know it she'll be scrubbing the bathroom floors!

In the last few days, Olivia has gotten into the wooden animal puzzles and we are teaching her the names and trying to talk about colors and shapes.  I hope to make a field trip to the Sausalito discovery museum this weekend to check out the fish.

Last weekend, while Kevin was sick sick with pneumonia, Olivia and I had a blast at music class.  She was literally the center of attention, insisting on being in the middle of the circle and clapping, searching out bubbles, playing with the instruments standing on drums,  all around good time!  Saturday afternoon i sprayed weeds and we tooled around the backyard. 

Sunday I spent a lot of time fixing the irrigation in the backyard and weeding.  Olivia and I went to the mustard fields for the annual yellow flower picture shoot, it was semi successful.  We really needed Kevin to come along but he was too sick and not interested.

Kevin is going to work today and seems much better finally.  Not 100%, but getting there.  He's been sick for almost 2 months!  My cough is lingering but also decreasing,  thank goodness!  I've been sick the entire time I've been in the new job which has made it more of a challenge.  I'm hoping the volume of work will subside soon.

Almost Healthy!

Olivia is happy and off and running!  My cough is just about gone.... and Kevin went to the doctor on Friday, was diagnosed with the beginnings of pneumonia, and is now on antibiotics (but still coughing really really loudly, poor bloke).  I'm holding out hope that tomorrow evening (the day of "Spring Forward") we will be able to take sunset pictures in the bright yellow mustard flowers fields by Coyote Hills.  I'd like to make that an annual tradition.  Olivia's 8th month photo shoot was in those flowers last year. :)

A couple fun things to add for Olivia development.  The other evening she was happily playing on the couch with Daddy when I asked, "Olivia, do you want to take the girls for a walk?" and her response: "Oookaaayyy!" and she slid off the couch, grabbed the leashes and headed for the front door.  Of course the dogs were also very excited.  It was a quick 'walk' and I carried Olivia most of the way, but fun nonetheless. :)

Tonight, the little trickster was not interested in bed.  It was probably my fault - after reading in Baby Center about how at this age they should be matching things, I pulled out a couple wooden puzzles with animals and she was loving playing with them.  Not good to introduce something new when it's bedtime.  Lesson learned.  But I'm looking forward to playing puzzles with Olivia in the coming days.  We'll have to play "match" with the sea animal cards I bought her for Christmas, and make shape matching cards.  She's funny, when you ask "where's the rabbit?" (or any animal) she holds her hands out, palms up, and then when she sees the animal says "Oh!!" and points to it.  I tried to capture that on video today.  Super cute.

Last night I had dinner with Shonna and Deanna, very nice.  Shonna is due with her second child in late April and is looking fantastic.  Natalie is due this month and is safely nestled in down in San Diego.  Lots of fun!

Gorgeous weather out here.  I did a little yard work today (killing weeds) but what a shame that we didn't have nearly enough water this winter.

Kevin just announced (whispered) that ice cream makes his throat feel better.  I don't know that I buy that one.