A Baby is Shorn

At 15 months, Henry was long overdue for a haircut, but I kept putting it off because of the hassle and because of various protests. Certain grandmothers who shall remain nameless went nuts every time I even suggested trimming Henry's "sweet baby curls." Yes, the curls were cute, but he was starting to look a little too much like Albert Einstein for my taste (see bath photo below). As such, we made a trip to the optimistically named Happy Cuts this morning and Henry had his first trim. He was a trooper-- sitting in the car chair and watching a Baby Einstein video while eating his first lolly pop (yes, I know I'm a bad mother. He's a second child? What can I say?). The detractors will be happy to know that he maintained a few curls in the back while at the same time achieving an overall neater appearance. I took lots of photos to commemorate this milestone. My baby is growing up!

Last Night in the Bath


Before

During

After (Isn't this place called Happy Cuts???!!!)

Looking Spiffy Back at Home

My Guys

Well, I meant to do something along these lines for Father's Day, but with two boys with double ear infections and pink eye, I've been otherwise engaged this week. Yikes!

In any case, everyone is feeling better and I'm left with a few moments to reflect upon how lucky I feel to have these three wonderful guys in my life. Having grown up in a family dominated by women, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with one little boy let alone two. It will not surprise the parents out there to learn, however, that in the end, you love what you get --fiercely and without reservations. My boys make me laugh many times each day ("Mommy, the bay looks choppy today" said Max as our plane landed at the airport. "Choppy"?! Really?! Where did he learn that word???!!!). They shower me with hugs and kisses. They make me crazy (15-month-old Henry now enjoys throwing all of his food on the floor and then looking at me earnestly and saying, "Hi. Hi. Hi" in the sweetest, most innocent tone of voice). There's really no other word but "blessed" to describe how I feel to have these two in my life, and then there's their father.

Scott and I have been together over 12 years at this point which certainly boggles the mind. He too makes me laugh, showers me with affection, and drives me crazy (though I'm happy to report that he doesn't generally throw his food on the floor). It has been amazing to watch the man I love grow as a father over these past three years. He is patient, sensitive to Max and Henry's concerns and feelings, and, of course, tons of fun. I often have to avert my eyes as he is hurtling one or both of them through the air in some death-defying maneuver, but the boys can't seem to get enough.

Were I giving a toast right now, I'd want to raise my glass -- To my husband, Scott, "Happy Belated Father's Day," and to my sweet boys, "May you grow up to be men as fine as your own father."

Max and Daddy Mow the Lawn

San Diego

The boys and I had a great trip to San Diego last week. We enjoyed visiting with Dodie, Grandma, and Great Grandma Mimi. Highlights of the trip included a visit to Scripps Aquarium, Old Poway Park, and Del Mar beach. "Lowlights" of the trip included constant nagging sickness for all of us culminating in a double ear infection for Henry. Hurrah!

I've included photos of some of our fun outings below.

Henry and his ears are on the mend, but Max seems to have taken a turn for the worse today. It's always something with little kids, right? I can't wait to see what exotic viruses Max brings home for a playdate next fall when he starts preschool...

Dirt Cheap? Yeah Right!

So, Scott and I have been worried about the child-death trap pond in our back yard since before we bought the house. This large, algae-filled monstrosity was irresistible to the boys and terrifying to their parents as a site of potential drowning. Nobody in their right mind would keep a deep pond in a yard populated by two crazy boys under the age of three. The problem, of course, was how to get the damn thing out of the ground. It was probably six feet long and a couple feet deep. Plus, as mentioned, it was full of nasty, brackish, buggy, HEAVY water.

Well, into this story now step our heroes affectionately known as Papa and Nana. This past Saturday they arrived with their sump pump in hand and we proceeded to drain the offending pond. One sump pump surrendered its life to the cause and a second volunteer was procured from Home Depot. After the pond was largely drained, Scott and Papa managed to wrestle the plastic liner out of the ground -- a difficult and dirty job.

Speaking of dirt, after removing the pond we were left with a giant hole in the ground. You might say to yourself (as we did), No big deal! Just pick up a couple bags of dirt at Home Depot. 40 bags and A LOT of money later, the deed was done. Dirt cheap? Yeah right! It turns out that the price of dirt is just shy of the price of gold dust. But then again, the safety of our boys is priceless (sounds like a Mastercard commercial). Thanks to all of our volunteers for your help with this project!

Gerber Boys on the Move

So I tried to get some footage of Max and Henry dancing, but Henry stopped dancing the second I turned on the camera and Max wouldn't do anything but the famous "spin" maneuver. I was slightly more successful with the footage of them running back and forth to the kitchen. Both dancing and running are common post-dinner activities in our house. You have to do something to burn off a little steam before bed!

You may wonder why Max is wearing an apron and Henry has no shirt. All par for the course, people. Henry made a colossal mess with his spaghetti dinner (love this self-feeding stuff), and Max is going through an apron phase (no off-color comments, please. The boy's allowed to have a "feminine" side).

Without further ado, here they are in all of their hyper glory...