Being a toddler is serious ... but messy business

Caleb has been very advanced with his spoon and fork skills. And that stems from him watching David when David ACTUALLY feeds himself. So needless to say ... Caleb has done a great job picking up the skill that he so desperately wants to do just like his big brother. He's even stating to master the spoon with yogurt. Certainly not an easy task.

Advanced Preschool Swimming HERE WE COME!!!

On another note today ... David earned his next ribbon at swimming class and is moving on to more challenging material!! Including more safety technique etc. We're so proud of him!! Even Mike didn't realize until his past weekend that David is 'diving' for ring/sticks in the pool. Grant it he's doing so on the steps of the pool but he's retrieving them by diving under he water and getting them. :)

Caleb - 18 months and McNear Beach

Tuesday, Caleb had his 18 month checkup and he passed with flying colors except for one topic. He's definitely hitting strides with his speech and communication suddenly which is really fun! And so much easier for all of us. Toddler tantrums usually stem from not being able to communicate their needs/desires effectively so it's TRULY a blessing when they really start talking. He's loving kicking around the soccer ball and actually does so really well. He can even hit the baseball once in a while too. He's stalking blocks and watching his imagination take shape, especially when he gets to play without David bugging him, is fun to watch.

Weight: 21 lbs 12 oz (5-10%)
Height: 33 inches (70%)
Head Circ: 48 cm (50%)

Caleb is still taller than average but just as I suspected, not quite as tall as David. I can tell based on the clothing he can still wear and those that don't fit yet. As for his weight, Dr. Yu is worried about his weight. Not that he's lacking nutrition because his height and head circumference is still plotting the same path of growth, but that he's lacking the caloric intake thus showing in his weight. He's already a picky eater and as of late has even started to refuse some of his favorite and old standby's that we could guarantee he'd eat. The weather has recently begun to get warmer with some truly hot days which can make all of us eat a little less but consistently he has only been eating a solid breakfast and that's about it. Instead of seeing Dr. Yu in 6 months for Caleb's 2 year physical we'll be making a 3 month 'weight check' after initiating some push to add more healthy calories to Caleb's diet. Even trying out Pediasure. There's still no concern that he will not drink cow's milk or eat cheese. Dr. Yu is happy that I realize there are other ways to get Calcium and Vitamin D. But to keep trying out cow's milk and almond milk even if making it chocolate or strawberry since he does get curious every once in a while when David is drinking milk.

All is well ... he's still a healthy kid ... just  smidgen skinny. :) And it could be simply that he's burning more calories because he's trying so desperately to keep up with David.

This is the first time he did not have to receive any inoculations so that was great!! And from the appointment we packed up and headed on a beach adventure with Grandma Civello, Paige and Giada, and the visiting Aunt Kathy and Blake who were in town from Giada's baptism. Checked out a new spot in San Rafael called McNear Beach which is more like a park on the bay but still beautiful and fun! A spot loved by both sets of Zachary's.

Celebrating Giada's Baptism

We had the pleasure of being a part of he festivities surrounding Giada's baptism. Paige did such a great job getting it all together and the weather cooperated too. It was a small and intimate event and we are so honored to be a part of it. After all, we understand, both David and Caleb's baptism's only had us and the grandparents. :)

The minister did a very beautiful an unique way to baptize her ... with flower petals cascading over her instead of the holy water being dosed. It was a warm afternoon and outside in the gazebo Giada fell asleep in Paige's arms. So this new and modern way to bless her was so calming for her.

Last Day of Preschool ... on to new beginnings ...

I am amazed at how much he has grown this year. How many things he's learned. How his thirst for spelling and trying to read has grown. How his thirst for curiosity is never satisfied. His abundant zest for life.

Looking back I realize the only day of school he missed was the first day as we were still in Colorado for our annual trip over Labor Day. Even in times of sickness and his ear infection, we managed to always get him to school and he was always excited for it. Never wanted to leave. Never had a moment where he didn't want to go. He loved it. Even with the revolving door of teachers that taught alongside Mr. Jacob. We started with Ms. Valerie ad ended with Ms. Erin. Both were great but I think Ms. Erin made a great impact on David an the other children. Hopefully after the arrival of her newest and 4th little boy she will be able to return and be one of David's teachers in Pre-K in the fall along with Mr. Jacob. David made a few friends this year and maintained a few like Ava and Madison. Shelby, Laura and Gio made great impressions as well. And so far they will all be in class together next year as well.

Looking forward to summer fun with his friends and keeping busy so we all keep sane.

Nooooooooooooooooo

Tomorrow marks the last day of preschool for David, since he'll be enrolled in Pre-K through the Livermore Area Recreation and Parks District this fall and then Kindergarten in the fall of 2015 (oh goodness). And tomorrow there will be lots of playing and importantly an ice cream social! And to my dismay, both David and Caleb have slight fevers tonight. Ugh. We've been fighting severe allergies and I'm finally feeling like we're getting by and then this.

Caleb actually woke up wonky this morning. Clingy and sappy but once he ate oatmeal and drank lots of water he perked right up. David said he was tired after swim class but we had a long weekend and he went to bed late last night so it did not really surprise me. Then he did the unusual, he fell asleep on the couch. For about 2 hours. Caleb napped with me in our bed for 2 hours as well. He still seemed ok but even after his nap I noticed he felt a bit warm. Both boys are always warm, they must get that from Grandpa Price. But this was unusual. So even though it was a 'bit' warm and not hot I thought alright ... I'll take their temperature and see. To put my mind at ease.

Wouldn't you know it ... they both have the same slight fever ... 99.4*.

Here's hoping the last minute acetaminophen and some sleep get that fever gone. I'd really hate for David to miss his last day of school. Especially since the ONLY school he's missed is the first day because we were still in Colorado for our Labor Day celebrations. :(

SLO: First time to San Luis Obispo!!

Mike had a work event in SLO that he needed to go to over the weekend, so the boys and I tagged along! I've never been, the weather was supposed to be delightful, and the company was paying for the hotel room, Mike's food, and his travel/mileage. How could we not go?! Plus ... Friday was deemed a 'travel' day so that meant he had to check email on his phone and be available for phone calls but otherwise, he was on vacation. Can't complain at all!!

So we headed out a little later than we wanted but still at a decent time (10am). Had to make a stop at Safeway for allergy medicine and to drop off some dry cleaning but we were on the road before 11am. We made great timing and hit the beach at 2pm in Avila. Which we managed to get a perfect spot to enjoy the spectacular sun and sand and even hang around to check out their farmer's market on the beach and dinner at a local hotspot too! The boys slept for almost 2 hours of the 3.5hr drive so they were rearing to go when we got to the beach! And this time, Caleb actually not only adventured out onto the sand to be with David and Mike, but he also went with Mike to the water and played in the crashing waves!

 
 

Enjoying ice cream at Doc Burnstein's in downtown San Luis Obispo

 Checking in to the hotel ... looks like he's ready for vacation right? Wouldn't you know, he'd just had a meltdown in the car because he wanted to go home and sleep in his bed and not stay in the hotel. I even video taped it!

 After breakfast with daddy before his event, we played in the little video arcade before heading out for a run. Or at least that's what mommy attempted to do anyways.

 

We headed out to attempt a run but I couldn't find a place that was BOTH stroller and runner friendly nearby but we were directed to a park nearby at Laguna Lake Park. We played at the park for a little while then headed back to the hotel for lunch and naptime before daddy came back from his event. 

 





 My sleeping boys, the only time they're truly 'peaceful'. It took about 30 minutes to get them down but they loved being next to one another.

 

When the boys woke up and Mike was done with his event, it was time to head out and enjoy more adventures! So we headed out to the Avila Valley Barn for some animal petting and feeding and a hayride too of course! We even enjoyed some roasted corn on the cob while we were there. It was a fun little family farm with deli, ice cream and tons of produce to choose from. It was fun to see the plum and peach trees with produce on them while on the hayride. They even have a beautiful manicured lawn in the middle of the farm for special events like weddings and parties.

 

 

 

 

After the Avila Valley Barn we headed out for dinner. Mike and I haven't had sushi in ages so we checked out a place in Pismo Beach called Kanpai Sushi. It wasn't without aggravation to get David to eat his yummy teriyaki salmon but he finally did. He even tried the edamame and enjoyed the beans! From there we headed out for more ice cream for David and Mike. David really wanted just vanilla ice cream but Mike wanted to check out a specialty store called Batch. They make ice cream cookies where you select your cookie and ice cream filling. It sure looked yummy but I didn't even try after all the yummy sushi I'd just enjoyed.

After a long night we got ourselves up and at 'em for the day. After a scrumptious breakfast we packed up the car and headed to Pismo Beach to check out a new spot. Definitely a windy day in general, it was a bit hard to enjoy the beach with the wind whipping sand everywhere.

From Pismo we headed out to See Canyon in Avila to the Kelsey Winery. It was quite beautiful and is known for their flock of peacocks that loiter around the property. Mike happened to come across a Yelp deal for 2 free tastings. We got to try every single wine including their apple wines. Uhh, not fans. But we did like their white Pinot Noir, Syrah and Zinfandel.

After the winery and a tearful departure because of pure exhaustion ... we hit the road to head home before it got too late. Within 5 minutes of being on the road ... both boys fell asleep. David actually fell asleep before Caleb did! They stayed asleep for just over 2 hours again which was perfect for Mike and I. We actually got to have a conversation while awake and without telling David to let us talk. LOL! We turned Caleb's carseat forward for the car ride home so the boys could watch movies together. We thought for sure Caleb would LOVE having his seat forward when in reality, he seemed pretty indifferent. And I think it all boils down to not being able to interact with David. Which is something I've said in the past. That it'll be easier to have him rear facing longer just because they can interact more easily with one another while he's facing the back. :P 

They woke up shortly before Gilroy so we made a pit stop at Mc McDonald's Has A Farm, as David calls it, so they could have dinner. We ended up with a "Happy" party (Pharrell Williams "Happy" song) with a video to go with it where David belted out the lyrics to the song!! Then we got back on the road and I had an epic mommy moment where I realized that I could plug the Kindle into the speaker system of the car so the boys could watch a movie. I had Cars 2 on for Caleb and he kept yelling at me. Finally I realized maybe he wanted another movie. Preciously he had selected Wreck It Ralph to watch so I put that on and all was well with the world. :)

 

We had a spectacular family trip and I really enjoyed SLO and Avila. I look forward to going there again in the future as a family. The only thing we didn't really get to do was hit up the Madonna Inn where my folks spent their wedding night. It was so unique and cool. We did drive around the grounds of the hotel site but did not get to go in and check it out. Particularly the Men's Room ... which was told to us by a few people to check out. Hmmm ... but the boys had already fallen apart so we hit the road. Next time ...