What's the Beach without Ice Cream?

A Letter to my Son on his 16th Month Birthday!

Dear Turner,

It's amazing how much can change in a couple of weeks.  Last month, not quite a walker, you were flirting with the line...the  line which separates babyhood from toddlerhood.  This month, it seems, the line is far behind you.  You are a walker now, full on.  Your steps began as seemingly wobbly and unstable, like a drunken sailor fresh off the boat, but each day your steps are straighter, better, faster.  You now think you can run.  You can't, not really, but it's cute seeing you try.  I have no doubt that it in no time you will be running with the big boys.  Now that you are a walker, of course, you can't sit still, you don't sit still.  At restaurants you sit for about 2 minutes before we are up, walking laps around the place.  This is astonishing to Nikki, it is she and Jagger we dine with most often, because so long as Jagger is eating he sits...the whole time.  Not you my love, not you.  But, it comes as no surprise to me!  We must breed active boys because Chase and Ryder were the exact same way.  It was right about this age that going anywhere with them was impossible (though I did it, somehow:)
You are not impossible but you certainly keep me on my toes.  You like to climb, and to stand on tables.  You don't like your high chair, nor your booster, but prefer big boy chairs, and plates, and cups. You can use a fork, and will hold it in one hand while using the other hand to eat.  You like to eat, but not nearly as much as you like to walk, to climb, to play.
You can now give kisses by pressing wet, slobbery lips up to my face.  I love it, even if I feel the need to wipe the wetness away sometimes.  You blow kisses too, particularly at night when I say "say goodnight to your brothers!"  You will blow them a kiss before laying down in your crib.
You mimic everything they do.  You brush your teeth, by flexing your wrist up and down, up and down while holding the toothbrush in your hand, when they brush theirs.  You try to play the games they play and climb the things they climb.  The other day at karate you even mimicked their board breaking after watching them.  You walked on over to the box, took out a board, put it on the cinder block, stepped up on the blocks, and stomped.  Just like they did.  I was truly amazed.  You are still a happy boy, with a calm disposition and a smile that lights up your whole face.  But, in recent weeks, you have become clingy to me, and only me, in an irritating and frustrating though extremely adorable way.  You beg for me to hold you and when I do not, whether it be to clean your cup or chop vegetables, you hug my leg and groan and moan leaving me feeling both guilty and loved and reminiscent of when Chase and Ryder considered me their mom-ument!
You don't use too many words, and certainly not too often, but you continue to babble often and are putting together different sounds that every now and then forms a word.  You are silly and your sense of humor continues to develop.  Your laugh makes me laugh, especially when you are tired and you fall into an all out laughing fit.  Now that the weather is getting nicer you want to be outside more and you have managed to master the playsets at playgrounds quicker than expected. 
You are between two naps and one, mostly depending on what our schedule allows, but you continue to be a good sleeper.  You cuddle up with your blue blanket and lay your head. 
You are not the best eater anymore, and dinner time is next to impossible but, still, you continue to delight all of us with your smile, laugh, and charm!  

I love you so!

Mommy

I

Too Big for Blankie!!!

Chase and Ryder received wonderfully soft baby blue blankets as birth gifts.  It took us the better part of their first year to allow them to use these blankets.  Once they did, however, the boys had themselves blankies.  This started off as cute, a blankie that they cuddled and dragged around the house.  But, suddenly, they turned three and still insisted on slobbering their sleepy drool upon them.   Todd and I never put too much pressure on them to get rid of the blankets, figuring they would outgrow them, but would occasionailly comment on how it would soon be time to get rid of them.  Neither of us had a deadline in mind.  

Sometimes they would fight and hit each other with the blanket which, on occasion, started a war of pushing and hair pulls.  As the bout's referee it seemed only fair to take away their weapons and I would take their blankets and "hide them!"  Iwould always tell them, "if you hit your brother with your blanket again I am taking it away for good" and then sometimes add, "you are getting too big for it anyway!"  This little threat triggered immediate apologies and hugs and proper behavior  and once they got the blanket back they would go a long while before hitting each other with it again.

Every  now and then Todd would mention that the blankets were getting old and ratty.  "it's time to get rid of them soon, they are getting old!" he would say casually, without pressure.

Then yesterday, all on their own, Chase said, "I am getting too big for a blankie.  I want to throw it away."  I looked at him questioningly.  Ryder chimed in, "me too!"  After double and triple checking, making sure they understood what throwing the blankets away actually meant, the boys walked over to the trash can and dropped them right in.  They each took a moment to say their goodbye's, and that was it.  No more blankies.  Apparently, they are just too big.

 

                              Saying goodbye to their blankies!

 

                                        the bottom of the barrel

Chariot Awaiting!!

The thing about birthdays, particularly milestone birthdays, is that the celebration seems to be endless.  My 35th was no different.

It began nearly a week before when most of the favorite ladies in my life helped me bring in my mid-thirties with a wonderful dinner at Tavolo.  It could have been at McDonald's and that would have been fine since it all came down to the awesome company.  Somehow, I managed to not get a picture of the girls and I, but it is definitely a snap shot in my mind.
 
Then came the actual day, a beautiful day, spent with my beautiful family.  All of that would have certainly been enough for me, (does that sound like a line out of the Passover haggadah?) but we were not done yet.  The following Sunday we already had plans to celebrate with the family at brunch at my parents house.  And, still, there was to be more.

Saturday night was my date night with Todd.  I had been insistent about not wanting a party, wanting it to be just he and I, and it not being extravagant.  In fact, I said, "all I want is a sushi dinner!"  He listened, sort of.

Todd made all of the plans for the night without telling me a thing, and that in itself was a gift, because I loved not having to think about anything.  All I knew was to be dressed (casual was OK) and ready by 6pm!  I obliged and was even on time:)

Here is what happened at 6pm:

my chariot was waiting....

Todd and I were driven downtown in our stylin' ride by Tom, our chauffeur.  We listened to the CD's Todd selected, snacked on shrimp and crab cocktail that Todd had prepared, and sipped on the champagne, the really big  bottle of champagne, Todd had provided.

Tom took us to the only place I really wanted to go (despite Todd telling me we weren't going there,) Kisso.  Our beloved Kisso!!  And we dined on wonderful sushi, caught up with Alex, our favorite sushi chef, and drank lots of sake!!

Then, drunk and full and happy, we went to pick up Rob and Jamie, and visited with Mindy and Jay and Kim, before heading to Max Brenner's for a ridiculous amount of chocolate dessert (thank you Rob!!)

Todd and I had so much fun!!  We  love date nights!!  I stated it that night and I will state it again, next year I am definitely celebrating my 35th again!!  Thank you Todd for planning such a wonderful night, exactly how I wanted it, plus some.

For more photos of ths fun nght clck here: