Just in case you didn't know.....

Happiness

My daughter LOVES being outside. She can be a fussy, unsettled mess, but as soon as we take her outdoors she calms, relaxes, and stares in fascination at the world around her. She is mesmerized by the chirping of birds, the rustling of trees in the wind, the colorful beauty of flowers, the warmth of sunshine on her face, and the peacefulness of nature. I love taking her out on walks around our neighborhood and seeing her excited reaction to the outside world. Her signature reaction is a "hooo-HOOO!" sound, somewhat resembling the call of an excited monkey - ha; as she flaps her arms and kicks her legs with relentless passion and vigor. She is beautiful...and I love showing her the beauty of the outdoors, and teaching her all about her world. Just wait till she can walk - watch out! : )

Have you "Googled" yourself lately?

If not, you SHOULD! Awareness and control of your online presence (or lack thereof...) are critical to creating a positive professional and personal online identity. Whatever you find, so could your boss, your children, your significant other, or even a potential employer.
Read more.....

Happy Father's Day!

I am blessed to have a fun, amazing, caring, loving, dedicated father. I have vivid positive memories from my childhood of fun-filled adventures with my daddy - day trips to the river, outdoor camping adventures, scary stories by the campfire, visiting him at the fire station, being carried around on his shoulders, and lots of hugs and mustache kisses.

And I am now lucky enough to have another amazing man in my life - my dear husband and the father of my child. David is so in love with Zoey, and you can't help but notice the way his face lights up when she's in his arms. And the feeling is totally mutual. My heart just melts when I see the way David interacts and plays with Zoey, as well as her smiling, enthusiastic reaction every time he walks into the room. I just know she's going to be a daddy's girl....just like me. ; )

Sandcastles & New Toys!

David, Zoey and I decided to check out the local Alameda Sandcastle Contest this weekend, and as always we were impressed with some of the unique, talented creations constructed out of sand and clay. We walked over to the beach and Zoey just loved being out-and-about in the sunshine amongst all the people and activity. She especially loves watching other kids - she gets so excited, flails her arms and legs, and makes "hooting" sounds....as if to say "Oooh, I want to play too!" Someday soon Zoey. : )

And speaking of playing, David got Zoey a new toy from Babies R'Us...and she LOVES it! An interactive activity bench that teaches colors, animals and counting with lights, sounds, and music. It even teaches her Spanish too. It is so fun to see her react to new stimulating objects and experiences...like living my own childhood all over again through my daughter's eyes. (And notice her little tongue sticking out...that is her new "thing" that she does, especially when she is concentrating. haha!)

Zoey Teeth!

Zoey has been teething hardcore for the past 2 weeks, and her bottom front teeth are now about 1/2 way in. They are so cute! But watch out, this child LOVES to put everything in her mouth, including our fingers, and she also loves to gum and bite on us when we're holding her. My little vampire tried to bite me in the neck the other night - ouch! Luckily teething hasn't been that rough on Zoey (or on us)...she's just been a little bit fussy here and there, but nothing major. Let's hope all of her teeth come in this easily!

I Love Summer!

I have always been a "summer girl". As a child, I remember long, lazy, hot days out in Manteca spent splashing about in our kiddie pool, reading books in the shade, playing make-believe games with Leah, sucking on popsicles, riding our bikes, batting away the June bugs in the warmth of dusk, and simply feeling.....free. It's funny how summers as a child felt SO LONG......as if those school-free months would never end, the days blending into one another as if they would last a lifetime. Because of these wonderful early memories, summer was always (and still is) my favorite time of the year, characterized by lots of time spent with family, BBQ's, camping trips, days at the pool, outdoor adventures, Giant's baseball, ice cream, family and happiness. Funny thing is I still associate those exact same things with summer....which just happen to be some of my favorite things in life. And even though it isn't officially summer just yet, I can feel it in the air!
And last weekend we kicked off the summer in style! Saturday we BBQ'd with the family and took Zoey in the pool for the first time. She just LOVED splashing around in the water and didn't want to get out! Then on Sunday we all went to the Giant's/A's game at AT&T park.....a fun yet hot day in the city. Overall it was a perfect family, filled, summer weekend. Hopefully the first of many more to come!
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Happy Flag Day!

On June 14th, 1885, Bernard J. Cigrand, a 19 year old teacher at Stony Hill School, placed a 10 inch, 38-star flag in a bottle on his desk then assigned essays on the flag and its significance. This observance, commemorated Congresses adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777. This observance was also the beginning of Cigrand’s long years of fervent and devoted effort to bring about national recognition and observance of Flag Day. The crowning achievement of his life came at age fifty when President Wilson, on May 30, 1916, issued a proclamation calling for a nation wide observance of Flag Day. Then in 1949, President Truman signed an Act Of Congress designating the 14th day of June every year as National Flag Day. On June 14th, 2004, the 108th U.S. Congress voted unanimously on H.R. 662 that Flag Day originated in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin.

Cousins!

Thanks to my sis for sharing this super cute video! I can already tell that Hayden and Zoey are gonna grow up to be best buds. : ) I especially love how Zoey blows rasperries in Hay's face at the end...haha!

Zap Car!

I've been seeing this strange little green car on the streets of Alameda lately, and my curiosity was finally piqued enough today to research it online. In case you haven't heard of these or seen them around, Zap cars are electric vehicles that are starting to become more popular throughout the Bay Area. A local company based out of Santa Rosa, "ZAP is committed to running its business based on a strong philosophical foundation that supports the environment, social responsibility and profitability."

They have a variety of models to choose from including sedans (like the little green one pictured above), trucks, vans, scooters, and even this amazing futuristic-looking model called the Alias (below). So cool...I want one!

Our kitty clan

Yes, we have 4 cats. Yes, we are completely crazy. Needless to say there is never a dull moment around our home with an infant and an entire feline congregation. I was actually able to capture all 4 kitties in this photo - an event almost unheard of! There are some individual personality conflicts, sibling rivalry, and power struggles among our cats, so it is rare that they are all willing to share the same space like this. Despite the craziness, we love them all.....most of the time. : )

Nom nom nom

Zoey is a strange and hilarious, but good eater. She almost always finishes her meal of 4-8 tablespoons, but the process often involves head turning distractions, silly grunting noises, giggles, and some creative coaxing on our end to get her to take another bite. So far the only foods she has rejected have been avocados (understandable given the different texture), and apricots (probably too tart). But she has devoured the rest of the homemade baby food I've made for her, including peas, green beans, butternut squash, spinach, sweet potatoes, pears, apples, plums, blueberries, and prunes. But her favorite food so far is yogurt...hands down.