Big Bear and Birthdays

Family visit, Big Bear and 2 birthdays. There. That summarizes the past 2 weeks of our existence in short.

The more informative version:

Two weeks ago, my parents (Opa & Oma) came to visit. Yes, they were just here for Thanksgiving, but they wisely decided to escape the brutal cold and snow in Europe for 2 weeks and soak up some Vitamin S in SoCal. Smart. Very smart. We love having Opa & Oma over to visit, but this time it was more of a house-sitting & birthday-celebrating sort of visit. They generously offered to house, dog & cat sit for us, while David and I took the boys for a week to Big Bear. A wonderful prospect: a snow vacation in Big Bear. The drive was do-able, a cabin up in the snowy mountains, sledding and hot chocolate.

Unfortunately, there was a slight gap between the theory and the practice. (Or: my expectations versus reality). The lack of snow made for less than “snowy mountains”. The slopes were beautifully white, but aside from my legs, that was the only whiteness to be found. In addition (and this is a quote from my friend Nina), this didn't turn out to be “a vacation". It was "a trip”. "Vacation" implies that you have down time; time to relax, do nothing, while the children entertain themselves. Sit in the hot tub, without worrying about the children wanting to join you. Reading a book.

Young kids + unfamiliar surroundings + different sleeping arrangements (sharing a room, versus individual rooms) + lack of routine and naps = the need for high parental involvement and with that the sense of vacation is slightly decreased.

However, we had a blast. The cabin was lovely.

Inner tubing down the slopes was the highlight for all 4 of us. The kids loved it and we loved the kids loving it.

If only Ryder wasn’t so darn stubborn and would just allow us to put some sun glasses on his face, he wouldn’t spend the entire day rubbing his eyes, and be irritated by the brightness of the snow.

We tubed, drank hot chocolate

We walked and enjoyed the endless beauty Big Bear nature has to offer.

On Ryder's birthday we visited the Moonridge Zoo; a zoo that houses elderly and rescued animals, all either local, or comfortable in Big Bear’s climate.

The week was filled with lots of cuteness and giggles

yet also with fussing from Ryder who decided that his 2nd birthday (celebrated in Big Bear) was the perfect timing to cut 2-year molars and throw himself full-force into the “Terrible” part of the “Terrible Twos”. Not pretty.

5 days Big Bear was great, it we all decided that it was also nice to return home. Kai’s stomach wasn’t agreeing very much with the bends and turns in the road on the way down to the valley. We stopped pretty much every mile to get fresh air and to allow Kai’s tummy to “feel a bit gooder”.

It took David and me a WHOLE LOT of distracting tactics (I think we exhausted the “distraction tactic supply”) to make it down the mountain, but we did. That night, both boys (and Mama & Papa too) were happy to be sleeping in their own beds. Uninterrupted. Nice.

So, Ryder turned 2 last week. His birthday was filled with the most fussing he did during our trip away.  Molars, frustration, disrupted sleep and routine and "missing" home were all underlying causes I assume. 

Kai turned 4 this Sunday. I spent Saturday in the kitchen, baking cupcakes. A lot of cupcakes. Cupcakes for soccer practice, cupcakes for the little family gathering on Sunday and cupcakes for school today. That was a lot of baking and a lot of frosting. But, the result was awesome and the most important thing is that Kai loved them.

The b-day started with the discovery of the living room AND his chair (Dutch tradition) being decorated. Next was Soccer practice with Coach Rocco & Coach James. Fun fun fun. The theme: CARS. Lots of revving up engines, sprinting, sharp turns and crossing the finish line (aka scoring goals). Cupcakes to share at the end.

Upon arrival at home:

followed by cake & pizza with the Opa, Oma, the Godparents, Godbrother & sisters and our friends Amy & Danny with their daughters.

In the afternoon we went to see Puss in Boots and on our way home we made a stop for frozen yogurt. Once home, the new bike had to be put to the test. Without any prior practice (well, once, but that wasn't a success), Kai took off.

Ryder followed in his brother's footsteps with his newly acquired SKUUT, only to decide that he didn't like groove on it too much.

On Monday, the birthday celebrations continued at school.

In class the party continued

and Mommy brought in the aforementioned cupcakes, which were much enjoyed by his class mates. The extent of helpfulness among the kids amazed me when 2 of them expressed the cupcakes weren’t quite up their alley and a couple of others generously offered to consume their cupcakes for them. Gotta love it when kids are there to reach out for each other (‘s cupcakes) when needed.

The past couple of weeks have flown by. Opa & Oma left his morning and Mommy started to: return the house and its members to a certain routine, prep to go back to work to start the Spring Semester, clean the house, do last year’s taxes and … the rest I don’t remember as Ryder shredded the page with my 2012 to-do list in a million plus 1 pieces. Oh well, I guess I’ll be done quickly this year.

Summer 2011 - The Second Half (August)

And for a change, I start by writing about me: August was great. I started working out with my personal trainer and am loving it. Though there are sessions where he seriously kills me slowly and steadily, it feels awesome to be back in the gym. AND in my new, size 2 jeans. [insert big grin] The day that I went shopping for new Fall clothes and I tried on the size 4 jeans, they were too wide. Wahoo, Hallelujah, praise Xavier (my trainer).

To continue the whole “health” thing, I signed up for an organic veggie & fruit service: once a week I pick up a crate filled with fresh, organic (pesticide & fungicide free) seasonal fruits and veggies, grown by local farmers.

Thank you Jamie Oliver and your Food Revolution for inspiring me! It is exciting as a box may very well contain items that I otherwise would not buy at the store, thus pushing my experimental cooking boundaries. I’m loving it. We’ve discovered some awesome new dishes already :-)

On August 15, I wrote on my Facebook: “Laundry, cleaning, sorting, tidying, organizing, children, swimming lessons, cooking - Just another Monday.” That’s what the average August day looked like. And thus, as busy moms, we once in a while deserve a little down time. Mine came in the form of a wine and cheese evening with mommy friends. Everyone brought her favorite wine, paired with a cheese. The result? A fun-filled evening with lots of laughter.

Ah, and then there was “MWO 2011”, or in other words: “Mom’s Weekend Out 2011” – the annual tradition of our mommy group, established in 2009. In 2009 we rented a house in Palm Springs and had a wild time. In 2010 we spent a weekend in Santa Barbara and had a laid back time. This year we went to the Glen Ivy Hot Springs and had a soothing and relaxing time:

First things first: there are items that need to remain chilled in the hotel room’s fridge.

The rest of the weekend was filled with delicious foods, drinks, mud, and great company:

Enough about me. On to the children.

Kai discovered something new and fun: walking on Mommy’s back. He loved it. I loved it. Match made in Heaven.

One Sunday we had a Kai & Mommy morning. For the first time in both our lives we ventured out and explored LA’s public transportation…

Yes, we took the bus and the subway to Hollywood and Highland where we walked around, enjoyed ice cream and played in the fountain.

Fun, Fun, Fun!

Oh yeah, and this month marked the first time of Kai announcing that I was a “Rock Star Mommy”. AWESOME!

After 8 weeks of intense work play, the gymnastic classes came to an end.

And after 14 swim classes the day finally arrived that things clicked for Kai. All of a sudden he “got it” and the resistance had had up to that point vanished:

Out of nowhere he swam half way across the pool - by himself, face in the water, eyes open.

He LOVED it. From that moment on, all I heard was "I want to swim more, I want to swim more".

I could not be prouder of my boy. Needless to say, swim lessons ended on a great note this year and we are both looking forward to next year’s classes.

August also “celebrated” the day when I officially announced that I now officially had “two children who are capable of throwing tantrums”. It was one of those afternoons where temperatures forced you into the mall. So, we went. As most malls, this one had a fountain – a point of gravity for most children under the age of 5 and thus also for mine. Though Kai got it, Ryder didn’t quite accept the “don’t jump in the fountain” warning from me. Oh, the scene that followed… (Use your imagination – I’m sure you’ll do just fine)

At his 18 month check up this month, Ryder weighed in at 33lbs. 9 oz. and he measured 36” long. That was the max on the “baby” measuring table. At 18 months he had outgrown the pediatrician’s baby-measuring table. Bless his appetite.

By the way, the boys are letting their Dutch heritage shine through – happy me: they both became fascinated [strike through] obsessed with putting money in their piggy banks. We actually bought one of those clear plastic banks for Kai, the one with a “slide”: you put the money in, it zigzags down and each coin falls in the appropriately sized chute. I remember always wanting one of those when I was a kid, so when we found this one – in the shape of a jukebox – I just had to buy it for Kai. Ryder too, loves LOVES getting his hand on change. He’ll run to this room, do everything he can to pull his ceramic piggy bank off the shelf, put it on the ground, and put his money in. Very concentrated. Once the money is in, he claps in his hands and gets the biggest grin on his face. Yes, they’re half Dutch. Awesome.

And last but not least: there was the boys’1/2-year birthday bash. Given that their actual birthdays are in February and we have more friends than we can have inside, the kids’ party takes place in August, when everyone can be outside and there is plenty of room for everyone to run, jump, swing, play, eat and drink.

It was a fun day with tons of yummy foods and drinks,

,a great Lightning McQueen & Mater birthday cake with waaayyyy too much food coloring,

tons of kids running around on too much sugar, a bouncy castle

and a whole lot of fun.

And so, the 2nd half of summer comes to an end. It was a great month, with tons of excitement and fun – for all of us.

It Was a Sunday Afternoon in January

... and it was sunny in Los Angeles.  Opa & Oma had come over from Europe.  I don't know what possessed me, but that morning I had gone out to Barnes and Noble to get a book:  "I [heart] Trader Joe's Cookbook".  That's right, a cookbook.  That afternoon, I was lounging outside.  I was tired, my feet hurt and I was crampy, so I decided to kick back and read... my cookbook.  Yes, that's the kind of person I am.  I finished reading the book in less than an hour, at which point I had to restrain myself from rolling off the chaise lounge and waddling over to the car to go get the ingredients for one of the recipes that jumped out to me. 

As the sun started to set, it cooled down pretty quickly and David and I decided to continue the lounging inside, while watching The International with Clive Owen.  Little did we know that we would never see the end of the movie...

That Sunday afternoon was January 31, 2010 and this was me:

An hour into the movie I got up to make some tea and grab a snack.  That's when my water broke and we were off to the hospital.  It looked like it would be a long wait before meeting our 2nd little boy, so, we continued the snacking.  Afterall, this was one of the last times that I could use "being pregnant" as an excuse for my cravings.

Maybe it was the milkshake, maybe it was the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes I had for dinner, but my little boy seemed to be of a different opinion than the doctors: not long after dinner he presented me with the opportunity to work off the calories that I had just happily consumed.  That night, on February 1, 2010 (02/01/2010) Ryder Willem was born and made us a family of 4.  He weighed 10 lbs. 11.3 oz. and measured 21.5".  (Yes, he was a big baby and no, I did not have a C-section.)

And here we are: on January 31, 2011.  A year later.  It was a year with lots of interrupted sleep, a year in which I was "graced" with many more gray hairs, a year of milestones, of teeth, of crawling, of walking, of eating table food, but most importantly, it was a year of lots of giggles, joy, happiness and a heart that doubled (once again) in size.  Once again, I fell in love.  This time it was with a blond, blue eyed bruiser.  (It's cool, knowing that I can make both dark hair, brown eyed and blond hair, blue eyed children.)

We went from a sleepy, gassy, and yes, cranky 1-month old

to a happy, giggling, laid back 6-month old

to a mischievous, happy and flirty 1-year old.

And here we are, the day before his 1st birthday.  So much has happened and honestly, I am having a hard time believing that it's already been a year.  I miss the days that he would fall asleep in my arms, but I treasure the smiles, giggles and sheer delight he expresses when I hold my arms out and tell him to come to me from the other end of the hallway.  The excitement and joy in his eyes when he masters something new is absolutely beautiful and though I sometimes wish he still were a little baby, I am truly happy with the gorgeous and precious boy he's turning into.

On his 1st birthday, Ryder:

• Weighs approx. 28 lbs.
• Is 32 5/8"  (2ft. 8 5/8") tall 
• Wears 24 Months clothes (although he fills out Kai's 3T shirts very nicely, see pic. above).
• Sleeps from 8pm to 7am
• Naps from 1-4pm
• Has 6 teeth
• Loves milk, yogurt and cheese
• Loves walking and being outside
• Is obsessed with anything that Kai is plays with.

Today, on January 31, I yet have to watch the end of The International.  However, it once again is a sunny afternoon in Los Angeles.  Opa and Oma are visiting again, but instead of reading a cook book, I actually baked.  Apple sauce cupcakes are cooling on the kitchen counter, the house smells wonderfully, and I am preparing for a small family celebration tomorrow.

Happy 1st Birthday, my Baby Boy!  I love you more than you will ever know.  Thank you for joining us, you truly are a blessing.

Happy 2 1/2-Year Birthday Kai!

2-1/2 years ago, I became a mother for the first time.  What an experience that was and what an amazing 2-1/2 years it has been.  I have never been happier than in my role as a mother.  I love it every day and despite the challenges at times, it is by far the best and most gratifying job I have ever had and ever will have.

Below is an overview of Kai over the past 2 1/2 years.  Time goes by so fast.  Holding him in my arms for the first time feels as if that was yesterday.  And then I get back to reality and there he is: my strong-willed, sweet-hearted, kind-natured and full-of-energy toddler who once again wants me to throw him up in the air, bury him under pillows and tickle him until his tummy aches...boys are awesome!!

Chayim (Kai) Sandol
February 5, 2008 at 2:36pm
8 lbs. 7 oz., 21" long








May 2008 (3 Months old):



August 2008 (1/2 Year old):



February 2009 (1 Year old):



August 2009 (1 1/2 Years old):



February 2010 (2 Years old):



August 2010 (2 1/2 Years old):