And thank you all for your kind words regarding my dear grandmother. It was very comforting to hear your condolences. She was a beautiful and kind-hearted woman indeed. With the best sound bytes, to boot. You would have liked her. : )

A couple of weeks ago, Raya took the most incredible family photos of us. I want to keep the rest of the set under wraps until we gift them to grandparents, but I can’t help posting this outtake. Because it makes me smile.

Dax is dramatically telling us he wants more gumdrops (bribery food) and Ryan is trying to get Kai to stop shooting pretend missiles out of his hand. What tickles me is that we were supposed to be playing with the kids, and trying to make them laugh for the camera.

Unlike last year’s fête, we decided to celebrate the boys’ birthdays by hanging out with friends at the park, and having a mini party, just the four of us, back at our home. The party theme this year (because no matter how small the party, there must be a theme!) was rockets and robots.

Following this very hard-to-understand tutorial, Ryan built a rocket launcher out of PVC pipe, and we constructed rockets out of rolled-up newspaper ads. The entire project cost just a few bucks and the results are pretty awesome.

Back at home, we celebrated Dax’s birthday (three days after big brother Kai!) with a robot-themed setup in our backyard. I strung up lights to emulate a starry galaxy, set up a little activity table, and attempted to make tin foil robot hats, masks, and antennas with the kids. But they were much more into clearing the table and playing with the wind-up robots sitting out. These boys of mine! At least Kai enjoyed the new, and adorably illustrated Wall-E book we got him, Lots of Bots. And since I’m plugging a robot book, I might as well plug my robot invites. End plug.

We finished off the evening by singing to Dax and watching him devour his dairy-free, egg-free, sugar and corn-syrup laden Rice Krispie Treat cake. Happy birthday Dax-Man, also known as Dax-asaurus, or Dax-traction, or Dax-tronic, or Dax-atacdyl! Yes, we call him all of these names.

It was a happy, happy Saturday spending time with Grandma and Grandpa, and Auntie Lindy & Uncle Jay. To celebrate Kai’s birthday, Grandma and Grandpa got us all tickets to ride on a vintage train that took us to a pumpkin patch in Santa Paula. Firsts for Kai that day included a pony ride, a carousel ride (he finally got over some fears from years past!), and getting shot in the face with a fog blower. Nice!

I was quietly, though visibly, suffering the effects of sleep-deprivation from the night before, and the night before that, but there were lots of laughs, giggles, and smiles. It was a beautiful day and I can’t tell you happy it makes me to see how much the boys adore their grandparents and aunts and uncles. Happy birthday to our Kai bug!

That evening, Ryan and I took full advantage of Lindy and Jay staying with us and went on a date to see Where the Wild Things Are. I seriously could not get through a single day without reading someone’s update on Facebook on how awful the movie was, so I was dying to see what everyone’s critique was all about.

We actually ended up loving it. Full of metaphors and symbolism, it was beautifully done. Parts had me tearing up, other parts laughing. There is a definitive, tangible sadness to the movie, but an equal amount of sweetness and rough play that a mother of two boys can totally understand. And the ending is happy of course! So see it. But leave the kids at home.

I really love photographing my little boys, but I also love photographing Ryan. Isn’t he such a sport?

Last week we went on a day trip to Monterey. We:
- Left home around 6am.
- Met up with my mom and niece who we haven’t seen for a whole year.
- Stopped by our old college town of San Luis Obispo where there is a ridiculous number of great eateries. And also the boys’ Auntie Lindy and Uncle Jay.
- Listened to Santigold on repeat during the drive –  per Kai’s request.
- Heard Kai receive many compliments on his new rainboots.
- Driving, driving, traffic, and more driving. Six hours up. Six hours back.
- Finally pulled into home at 10:30 pm.

In anticipation of lots of beach time over July 4th weekend, I went ahead and purchased a Holga (early b-day present, tee hee!). Huge difference between film and my altered, wannabe digital files below. In fact, these shots just make my fake ones look downright cheesy, and now I feel as if I had food stuck in my teeth but no one said anything. The old-fashioned way is much better, don’t you think?

28-year-olds play with bubbles and remote control helicopters. Just so you know.

Around LACMA

And the La Brea Tar Pits

Destination: Mesa, AZ
For: Todd and Kristy’s wedding
Total hours logged on the road: 16!

And for your listening pleasure, here is ‘Silent Night’, arranged and performed by Ryan. Hope you enjoy! And have a lovely Christmas and safe travel! To all our family (mom, especially) that we won’t see this Christmas, we miss you!

Preview:

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Download:
Silent Night .mp3
(Right-click on link, then ‘Save-as’ to download onto your computer)

I’ve been tagged twice already (thank you, miss Krista, miss Dana), so let’s get this done and over with.

Seven things. About me. New to you.
1. Born in Chicago. Grew up in San Jose. I like living where it’s busy and I miss it.
2. To me, dinner is merely a means to dessert.
3. And since we’re on the topic of food, I like to make as if I eat all healthy and stuff to my mom-hippie home-birthing granola friends. But in reality, the perfect meal to me is: Fries. Burger. Chocolate shake. It’s like, the food pyramid of perfection.
4. I won the spelling bee in elementary school.
5. I swear in my thoughts. Bad habit I’m trying to break, but I’m working against some hot Filipino blood running through my veins.
6. I was once a computer science major.
7. Camping scares me. Too dark. Too quiet. Ick.

And now, the part you’ve been dreading.
I tag you local, lucky gals: Aubrie, Kristen, Becky, Miyo, Kaleene, Monique, Susanna, and Stacie. It’s good day to be my friend, isn’t it?!

Our little clan was made up of a fireman, Yoda, a last-minute butterfly, and an honorary member of the vampire secret society (I don’t think I’m allowed to post any pics of that costume.)

Dax, fresh out of a bath and snuggled in his hooded-towel; I can’t think of many things sweeter than this.

And the General Conference messages delivered last weekend and this weekend? Inspiring and life-changing as always (Pres. Monson’s talk this morning and Pres. Uchtdorf’s talk last Saturday are among my favorites). But I feel more part of a collective whole. That I’m not alone in having a perpetually untidy home cluttered with toys everywhere. Or piles and piles of laundry to fold. Or discouragement that I can’t keep up. And everyone has their trials, but the best way to overcome yours is to be in the service of others.

I’m really looking forward to some quiet time from the boys to re-listen to the talks. TGFI*, right?

*TGFI = thank goodness for internet. This needs to go into the dictionary, for sure. And say that Jenn Kirk came up with it. And pay me royalties.

And what is General Conference? Read here and here.

Boys playing nicely together.
(I’m still adjusting to my new role as sibling mediator.)

As usual, we had a lovely weekend visiting Ryan’s parents and hanging out with Ethan and Anna, and Jay and Lindy. We celebrated “Granmaa’s birfday”, and Kai earned the title ‘Nature Boy’ because of his wild and nekkid, potty-training self.

We had a great summer, but I’m craving change (good change!), which makes me so excited for fall. Yay, fall!

(Excuse the sour face –
just the typical post-nap grumpiness.)

Wife-beater, shorts, and boots. Kai’s outfit of choice for a Target run.

And speaking of Target, on our way out, Kai felt it imperative to stop and investigate the tactility of some padded bras in the lingerie department. “It’s very special, mommy! It’s very special!” he exclaimed.

I’ll add that one to the “Who taught you that?!” list.

Because today, the vet told me that I need to stop feeding Elsa so much and give her more exercise. But that she has a pretty face.

“I can’t believe she called me fat!”

While I’m anxious for fall, I need summer to linger just a little bit longer. Because we haven’t done a family beach day, all summer long (shame on us!). And I want to try the famed, but possibly overrated Pinkberry now that ice cream is back in my diet (hooray!). And we’re not using the pool in our complex as often as we should (lazy me).

But fall…fall will be good. I’m looking forward to cooler weather, to Dax walking, and Kai turning the big 3. Three will be a magical age, I can just tell.