Playing catch up

Whew- I've spent the last hour catching up a little more on the blog. I am now up to mid-April and have about 10-12 major posts from April, May, June and July in order to catch up completely. It has taken me all summer to do, but I WILL do it! Maybe it's the pressure of only having a short amount of time left before going back to work, but I will be caught up on both blogs by August 15!

Some of the major posts I will cover include three birthdays (including O's), a baptism, our amazing trip to Costa Rica to visit Gramp, and lots of summer fun. We have been enjoying days filled with play, art, music, trips to the library (Castaic and Acton/Agua Dulce), water play in the backyard, community pool and Aquatic Center and lots of playdates and day trips. We've also spent lots of time playing at My Gym and checking out fun places with daddy on the weekend. I will also have to dedicate a post to Owen's development as a two year old so far. He amazes me every day.

Just today we had a reading party on mommy's bed, made pillow mountains, did yogastories, made yogurt popsicles and blue cream cheese, painted three banks (saving, spending, and sharing) and decorated water cups for Fall. We have missed Grandma and Grandpa who have been at their Naples condo all summer. They are now on their way back and Owen couldn't be more excited to see them. In fact, he couldn't nap today because he thought they were coming today. "Tuesday, momma." Skype made the summer a little easier but he loved to play "going to naples" and pretend to fly there on the airplane like he did when we visited Gramp. We miss Gramp a bunch and keep trying to Skype but so far the schedules haven't aligned. Maybe tomorrow, Gramp?

This week we are excitedly awaiting the arrival of Aunt Susie and Uncle Dallas for a Southern California visit too! We may be at the end of summer, but there is lots going on! What have YOU readers been up to this summer?

Two Years Old!

*This pic is from the day before his bday, at his friend Victoria's princess party!













Owen hit two on Sunday and hasn't stopped. He is 29 pounds of love and curiousity, wrapped up in a 37 inch body with mischievous eyes and a gleeful smile. Owen loves all things with wheels, garbage trucks and buses topping the list. He has been very aware of and careful around cars for the past several months, always moving out of the way on the cul de sac and noticing cars (or cars similar to those) of loved ones and neighbors while driving out and about. He comments on trucks and if we hear one outside while at home, everything stops and we go running for a view. He has seen several up close, and we decided to celebrate his big day with cake in our newly remodeled garage on Sunday afternoon. A cake-making friend made a garbage truck cake, and daddy made "dirt" and "sand" cake in a couple of toy dump trucks. Several friends and neighbors joined us to share O's special day!

Owen is talking up a storm. He has a vocabulary of probably 80-100 words (or more) and speaks in 3-5 word sentences like "Help me clean this up." and "I eat now." He uses phrases like "over there", "I go again" and several words are spanish only, including "agua", "uvas", and "dos" When you ask him how old he is turning, he says "dos". I am going to make a concerted effort to use at least 80% spanish with him this summer because he is just at the right spot for it, repeating words and phrases all the time to hear how they sound to him. He is always listening, which daddy and I need to remember! Haha! We love you big boy Owen and are excited for a fun summer with you.

101 things update

On my old blog, LA Luna Tuna, I made a list on Nov. 19, 2006 of 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days. Here's an update of that list.
Start date: 11/19/2006
End date: 8/17/2009
Goal: specify 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days!

If you don't want to read all the way down, here's a summary:
48 done, 17 in progress and 36 left to do in the next 358 days!
Which actually works out well - 36 things to do while I'm 36!
I will italicize the ones left to do- and I am taking the liberty to change a few of these goals to new ones.

1. submit 3 writing pieces (2/07,1/08, and 7/08)
2. knit (done) and purl (12/06)
3. buy our first home (5/07)
4. ride a zipline (12/24/06 in Turu Ba Ri Park, Costa Rica)
5. sit in hot springs (12/27/06 at Termales del Bosque, CR)
6. open a cafe press shop (probably not going to happen)fresh goal:paint a mural
7. knit a baby blanketfresh goal: go to a craft lab class
8. have a baby (working on this...)
9. learn how to make cappuccino at home
10. see a live concert (The Police-Sting is awesome! 5/08)
11.road trip from LA to Vancouver(this WILL happen, just not sure it will fit within the time frame
12. run a 1/2 marathon or participate in a walkathon for something
13. bike on the beach in Santa Monica
14. have a girls weekend help girls!
15. see some girlie movies (saw lake house 12/30)
16. get my 500 hour yoga certificationfresh goal: bookshelf in house
17.seriously consider a Masters degree (got 27 grad units in one year instead-not going for Masters)
18. go to a Sark or Comfort Queen retreatagain, this stays on the list but may not be this year
19. go to a writers retreat
20. apply for a teacher's fulbright to visit Japan for 3 weeks (well, I just checked and K teachers are not eligible.:()
21. travel to Italy with my husband and see where his family is from (hopefully 7/08-yay done!)
22. swim (check)
23. go to Monterey (7/07)
24. go to San Francisco (7/07)
25. visit K. (10/07)
26. visit A.
27. visit M.
28. align finances(done)
29. relax (in progress)
30. let go (in progress)
31. fly (with the flylady)
32. get another pet
33. finish wedding scrapbook
34. become proficient using iphoto, imovie, and photobooth (capable yes-maybe not proficient yet)
35. visit Chile
36. learn more about geography
37. learn to crochetfresh goal: finish San Francisco shutterfly book
38. relax (did i say that already?)
39. shine my sink every day
40. go to knitting circles once a month for at least a year (ha well ok, scratch this one)fresh goal: finish Costa Rica shutterfly book
41.visit a coffee plantation (12/26/06 Doka Plantation, Alajuela, CR)
42.knit a baby hatfresh goal: make Cats of Italy calendar
43.enjoy every day (in progress)
44.let it go (in progress)
45.finish reading the books on the AP reading list from high school (does starting a book club count instead?)
46. clean out the junk! (in progress)
47.cultivate friendships(in progress)
48. maintain friendships (in progress)
49. appreciate my friends and family (in progress)
50.visit Astoria, Oregon
51.start a holiday tradition (or two) (done 12/06 family angel, reading night before, and opening 1 gift on c.eve)
52.go to CR (7 days to go!) (done-we just got back!)
53. finish a scarf (done 12/06 actually finished 4!)
54.practice my French- and I don't mean curse words!
55.volunteer to be a reader for the blind and/or leaning disabled in English and Spanish
56.be more pampering (i.e. bubble baths, mani/pedis and facial masks!) (in progress)
57.stay focused on the present (in progress)
58. research buying property in CR (we bought a house instead)
59. research prefab housing (in progress)
60. stretch lots!
61. write every day (in progress)
62. take computer classes to increase knowledge (12/07)
63. visit DC and local loved ones (10/07)
64. get my professional clear teaching clearance in CA (done 11/06)
65. get my CLAD certificate (teaching english as a 2nd lang.) in CA (done 11/06)
66. take BCLAD test (6/07)
67. plan anniversary road trip (7/07)
68. pick and order new flooring for new home (7/07)
69. get bike/bike trails in new community (7/07)
70. volunteer in some capacity for Girl Scouts
71. investigate birthing options such as hypnobirthing (10/07-present)
72. develop a "can-do" attitude
73. keep in touch with friends to maintain meaningful relationships (always)
74. become a mentor to a young personactually in progress as I am sort of mentoring a new young teacher at school
75. ride my bike to work 2-4 times per week (10/07)
76. change light bulbs to eco-cfo's (8/07)
77. bring reusable shopping bags to grocery shop (4/07 forward)
78. begin a backyard compost
79. plant an herb garden (I have lavender, rosemary, and mint-done)
80. shop for hybrid/ethanol/or electric replacement vehicle for '09
81. visit PEI with mom
82. camp at Yosemite
83. print and frame some wedding pix (8/07)
84. host a dinner party
85. plant a tree (or lilac bush) (10/07)
86. look into teaching kids yoga again (done-well i looked into it)
87. empty storage unit! (7/07)
88. climb vazquez rocks
89. visit San Diego Zoo
90. visit Santa Barbara Zoo (Valentine's Day 2008)
91. help my parents move/retire (they are retired- but not moving quite yet-maybe 2009?)
92. meet Josie, baby x, and more! (10/07)
93. train a puppy (or not)
94. swim or surf in a wetsuit
95. eat outside (10/07)
96. search for gently used furniture! (yay we got our dining table off craigslist-May 2008)
97. keep in touch with family (done and doing)
98. reduce, reuse, recycle (doing and done)
99. express myself through writing (doing/done)
100. enjoy Lu (doing/done)
101. love deeply (doing/done)