First Smile on Film...well, iPhone camera

Two Months

What a day to be two months old...11.11.11. I know, I know, everyone loves it. But, I think my mom probably loves it best--my mom who always lets us know if the time is 11:11 to make a wish or say a prayer.

Anyway, Diego is two months old today! Hooray! He is growing and changing so much. I love the occasional smiles he gives, the sweet openness of his face, and how he sleeps (oh, how he sleeps!). He is a sweet boy. And, he has already shown that he is up for being Griff's little brother. The adorable moment below turned into Griffin practically rolling over Diego. The little guy took it like a champ.

And, I've been trying to give Gigs some special time when Diego is asleep. We finger-painted this week for the first time. As soon as I squirted the paint onto the paper, Griff dipped his pointer finger into it. And...that finger went straight into his mouth. Once we recovered from that, the finger painting was a joyful activity. Everything Griff painted was a dinosaur. Or so he told me.

Happy Halloween!

Sometimes you have grand plans to be exceptionally creative and it just doesn't work out that way. Since I actually can sew a bit now,  I thought I'd be making Griffin an amazing homemade costume this year. Something clever and adorable. Something that we'd look back on and say--now that was a cool costume. That didn't happen. We did, however, make a trip to the Ron Jon Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach and buy the boys t-shirts. So, Griff dressed as a surfer. We made it to Boo at the Zoo and Griff collected some candy. Seriously, he ate one little tiny box of nerds for about an hour. He hasn't learned the goodness of gorging yourself on Halloween candy. And, he got to touch a real snake. It was pretty cool.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Serious Business

Griffin had his first real haircut this week. He was mesmerized by all of the music, colors, videos and other kid stuff in the salon. After nearly poking his eye out as Jose and I attempted to cut his hair, we decided to turn things over to the professionals. These people really know how to distract a 22 month-old. He sat almost entirely still throughout the process--he didn't even crack a smile. Afterwards, he was so proud of himself. And, he looks like such a big boy!

Toes in the Sand

Peace crashed over me like a wave as I sat on the beach with the boys this morning. Griff digging in the sand with his dino claw; Diego strapped to my chest. In that moment, all was as it should be and I was just where I should have been. The sky was so-clear-it-almost-hurts blue and the breeze made us glad to have our sweatshirts. All the worry, exhaustion, and expectation I had been feeling just dropped away. I was present with my boys--chasing Griff up and down the miniature dunes, Diego breathing deeply against me, all of us running away from the chilly surf. I didn't lug my camera along, so no pictures. I didn't have expectations of what we would do or how long we would be there. It felt so good to just be. Of course, I would have loved Jose to have been there at the beach with us, but it is a work day. This morning was a gift, spent with my two little guys. Oh, how I love them.

The Boys Today

So Happy Together

Life truly is an adventure. And, I don't just mean the adventurous parts. Sure, we used to do more skiing and hiking and camping and traveling to foreign countries, but the adventure is really right now. Nowadays, grocery shopping can feel a little daunting. How will I get all three of us and groceries into the house at once? Being responsible for two other lives feels sometimes risky, sometimes overwhelming, sometimes joyful, but always like the right place to be. I know every other parent knows exactly what I mean and that I'm not experiencing something that billions of others before me haven't already. But, for me, the adventure is new and present. So, whether Griff is wailing for his dad in the car (even though Jose just ran inside a restaurant to look at a menu) or Diego is peeing in his own eye while I change his diaper, I'm going to do my best to make the most of each day.

Right now, our days are in Florida...for an unforeseen period of time. The weather is lovely. The beach is our playground. And, oh, we are so thankful to be together.

Our patio mascot.

There have been a few tantrums thrown. Jose thought he might show Griff how he looks mid-tantrum. This one was set off by saying goodbye to the peacocks and not being allowed to run across the parking lot. Imagine!

 Okay, boys...both of you, smile at the camera...

Oh, well...

Eating out has gotten a little trickier. No wonder we mostly ate at home on paper plates as kids!