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Monday, January 31, 2011
family smiles
Take a look: I finally updated my blog header with our latest family photos. It only took me six months....my friend Aimee took these pictures of our family in July 2010, right before we moved. The girls were incredibly hyper. Mila wasn't walking yet, and she just wanted to crawl around in the dirt. She was so grouchy about getting her picture taken. Kapria just wanted to run run run everywhere. Britt was staying with us, and he helped keep the girls happy. And I think Aimee did a great job of catching some perfect moments.
Here are some of our other pictures from that day.
Here are some of our other pictures from that day.
(Click Aimee's name above to see more of her great stuff!)
awesome
Me: Good job eating all your lunch, Kapria. You did great!
Kapria: Do I get a sticker on my nice chart?
Me: No...I'm just telling you that you did a really great job and that you're awesome!
Kapria: I don't care about awesome.
Kapria: Do I get a sticker on my nice chart?
Me: No...I'm just telling you that you did a really great job and that you're awesome!
Kapria: I don't care about awesome.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
climbing
Mila has started climbing everything. Her favorite spots are the kitchen table (she climbs up and over to get on the bench), the toilet (to make faces at herself in the mirror), the couch (so she can dive into the lovesac), and then at random: the bathroom sink (so she could get her toothbrush).
See that smile? Pride and joy. Look at what I did all by myself!
See that smile? Pride and joy. Look at what I did all by myself!
Friday, January 28, 2011
what we do
We've had way too many sick days, but we've also had a lot of fun together. Here are some of the things that kept us happy in January:
Trav built several different castles for the girls.
This was the first model.
We picnicked on the porch.
We snuggled up and watched movies. We colored.
We played princesses.
Okay, so a lot of those things we do all the time anyway. Just a lot more often when we're at home being sickies.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
i want
01.25.2011
Mila is talking like crazy. She repeats nearly every word we say and so is learning lots of new words every day. A big one that she started saying is "I want..."
This girl also has a sweet tooth. We learned that over Christmas break when Grampa, Uncle Jeff, Uncle Shawn, and Uncle Rob all bribed her with candy to get her to come see them (yes, I'm blaming all of you for what has ensued).
Mila is also really happy. She wakes up every morning all smiles. Cuddles with me on the couch and drinks her bottle. I love our morning time.
But lately, each morning when I get her out of bed, the first thing she says is, "I want treat."
At 8am? I don't think so.
"We can have breakfast," I say. "Do you want some cereal?"
And here is her answer:
And here she's asking for a treat, but actually seems okay with breakfast instead...until Mom misunderstands.
Can you tell what she really wanted? She's saying "I want to see." She wanted to see the camera, not Elsie (sorry Elsie). It sounds so clear to me now...I guess I've had a few more weeks of practice understanding her.
Mila is talking like crazy. She repeats nearly every word we say and so is learning lots of new words every day. A big one that she started saying is "I want..."
This girl also has a sweet tooth. We learned that over Christmas break when Grampa, Uncle Jeff, Uncle Shawn, and Uncle Rob all bribed her with candy to get her to come see them (yes, I'm blaming all of you for what has ensued).
Mila is also really happy. She wakes up every morning all smiles. Cuddles with me on the couch and drinks her bottle. I love our morning time.
But lately, each morning when I get her out of bed, the first thing she says is, "I want treat."
At 8am? I don't think so.
"We can have breakfast," I say. "Do you want some cereal?"
And here is her answer:
And here she's asking for a treat, but actually seems okay with breakfast instead...until Mom misunderstands.
Can you tell what she really wanted? She's saying "I want to see." She wanted to see the camera, not Elsie (sorry Elsie). It sounds so clear to me now...I guess I've had a few more weeks of practice understanding her.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
friends
We met some new friends - Allison and Nate - through school. Nate is in the same program at LCAD as Trav, he's just one year ahead. They have two girls, Jane and Elsie, who are the same ages as Kapria and Mila. We've had so much fun getting to know them and play together. Right now the girls, as usual, are all about dressing up and playing at the park!
Mila loves to say Elsie's name and says it almost every day. She learned how to say Jane, too. It's so much fun to watch the girls make friends.
Now we're just hoping that Nate will find a local job so that they don't move in a few months... We'll just have to get lots of fun time with the girls in before they do!
Mila loves to say Elsie's name and says it almost every day. She learned how to say Jane, too. It's so much fun to watch the girls make friends.
Now we're just hoping that Nate will find a local job so that they don't move in a few months... We'll just have to get lots of fun time with the girls in before they do!
Monday, January 17, 2011
a visit from people we love
January 14–17, 2011
Nicole and Ryder came to visit us for a few days. They came from snowy weather and enjoyed some of our warm sun. Back in October when Nicole found an awesome deal on airfare, we thought January would be the perfect time for her to visit. We didn't realize that all of us would end up spending the holidays together in Utah, nor that our visit there would last so long. So it turned out that she came to visit less than two weeks after we said goodbye. But you know what?
I can't get enough of hanging out with my siblings!
So it was an awesome few days.
On Thursday we picked them up from the airport. It took a looong time to get home because we were stuck in LA traffic. But we have no problem filling our time with talking, so yay for traffic! (That may be the only time I ever say that.)
Thursday night Trav treated us to a girls night. Nic and I wandered around the mall and went to The Cheesecake Factory for dessert. It was so much fun! But of course we forgot to take a picture.
On Friday we took our time getting ready, then walked to the park (and it was so hot that we were sweating when we arrived!).
Friday afternoon I drove Nicole to Escondido so that she could spend the night at Mom and Dad's. We went shopping for a bit with Mom, then Dad met us for dinner at Acapulco.
Ryder loved feeling the sand with his feet. Mila was terrified of it. (And has been every time we go.) She refuses to touch it and stays on the blanket the entire time (see above picture). The only way she'll move off the blanket is if we carry her around. If she wants something that's off the blanket (like, say, a bag of doritos on a chair), she'll walk to the very edge and reach as far as she can without falling over. Such a funny girl!
Nicole and Ryder came to visit us for a few days. They came from snowy weather and enjoyed some of our warm sun. Back in October when Nicole found an awesome deal on airfare, we thought January would be the perfect time for her to visit. We didn't realize that all of us would end up spending the holidays together in Utah, nor that our visit there would last so long. So it turned out that she came to visit less than two weeks after we said goodbye. But you know what?
I can't get enough of hanging out with my siblings!
So it was an awesome few days.
On Thursday we picked them up from the airport. It took a looong time to get home because we were stuck in LA traffic. But we have no problem filling our time with talking, so yay for traffic! (That may be the only time I ever say that.)
Thursday night Trav treated us to a girls night. Nic and I wandered around the mall and went to The Cheesecake Factory for dessert. It was so much fun! But of course we forgot to take a picture.
On Friday we took our time getting ready, then walked to the park (and it was so hot that we were sweating when we arrived!).
Friday afternoon I drove Nicole to Escondido so that she could spend the night at Mom and Dad's. We went shopping for a bit with Mom, then Dad met us for dinner at Acapulco.
On Sunday Mom and Dad drove back up with Nicole and we met at the beach.
Ryder loved feeling the sand with his feet. Mila was terrified of it. (And has been every time we go.) She refuses to touch it and stays on the blanket the entire time (see above picture). The only way she'll move off the blanket is if we carry her around. If she wants something that's off the blanket (like, say, a bag of doritos on a chair), she'll walk to the very edge and reach as far as she can without falling over. Such a funny girl!
Kapria had so much fun finding rocks and shells. The water was too dirty for us to go in (because of the recent storm, it was contaminated), but she didn't even mind for all the digging and running around she did.
Sunday they spent the night at our house again. The girls loved playing with Ryder and wanted to hold him constantly. Mila kept saying "Baby. Hold." Monday morning was fun for them - the girls get so excited when they wake up and see that people are still at our house. And they adore Aunt Nicole. While Mila is really shy around a lot of people, she is never shy around Nic.
We drove Nic and Ryder to the airport after spending the morning playing and talking. The weekend went too fast! And, as usual, it was hard to say goodbye. Thank goodness for the hour drive to LAX - more chatting time! Living far from my siblings reminds me how much I want to be near them. Can't we all just find one state to live in together? Maybe one day?
We miss you and can't wait to see you again soon!
PS. Did you notice the bruise on Mila's cheek? She fell one day and hit the corner of something, I can't remember what. That bruise lasted for nearly a month. Poor baby!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
shoes
Mila loves shoes now. She wants to wear Kapria's dress-up shoes all the time. I think this is the first time I found her wearing them. She was so proud.
Monday, January 10, 2011
another disney day
Monday, January 10, 2011
We were so excited to start making use of our big Christmas present, so we knew as soon as we got back in town that we'd be taking the girls to Disneyland. Trav still had a week left of his winter break, and we planned to enjoy every minute of our time together. And Nonny Kare came, too, so it was great!
We started the day by meeting some fairies. Kapria was so excited to seeTinker Bell and Fawn (though Silvermist is her favorite, and she kept asking where she was). When it was our turn, Kapria was nervous again. Hopefully next time we'll see Silvermist and she'll be too excited to be nervous. :)
The teacups are still a favorite.
Mila is really into hats right now. She loves to say "hat" and put on Trav's hats. She was so excited about this dopey hat. And Kapria seemed to know that her hat meant she needed to sing and dance.
Whatever nervousness Kapria feels around the human characters is gone when she sees the animal ones. She was so excited to meet Tigger and Pooh! This was in the late afternoon, when it was getting colder. Mila hadn't slept all day and was ready for a nap.
Another great day!
PS. You know I'm just posting all these pics so that you'll want to come visit and go with us. Yes, please!
We were so excited to start making use of our big Christmas present, so we knew as soon as we got back in town that we'd be taking the girls to Disneyland. Trav still had a week left of his winter break, and we planned to enjoy every minute of our time together. And Nonny Kare came, too, so it was great!
We started the day by meeting some fairies. Kapria was so excited to seeTinker Bell and Fawn (though Silvermist is her favorite, and she kept asking where she was). When it was our turn, Kapria was nervous again. Hopefully next time we'll see Silvermist and she'll be too excited to be nervous. :)
The teacups are still a favorite.
Mila is really into hats right now. She loves to say "hat" and put on Trav's hats. She was so excited about this dopey hat. And Kapria seemed to know that her hat meant she needed to sing and dance.
Whatever nervousness Kapria feels around the human characters is gone when she sees the animal ones. She was so excited to meet Tigger and Pooh! This was in the late afternoon, when it was getting colder. Mila hadn't slept all day and was ready for a nap.
PS. You know I'm just posting all these pics so that you'll want to come visit and go with us. Yes, please!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
home!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Our drive home was much much better than our drive out to Utah. What made it so much better? Answer: Breaking it up into two days! I can't believe what a difference it made. On Thursday we drove from Provo to Vegas. We had a late start, so we didn't arrive at our friends' house until about 8pm, I think. Autumn and Deven moved there a few months ago, after having moved first to Washington, so we hadn't seen them in quite awhile. We were so excited to catch up with them! Kapria and Mila had so much fun playing with Jayden and Triston, too. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures from our time at their house. But it was spent:
climbing stairs, jumping off stairs, finding every possible stuffed animal, eating a delicious breakfast, playing some Halo, talking and talking, and just having fun.
We left around lunch time on Friday and drove the rest of the way home. Oh how we'd missed our beds! It was weird (and a little sad) to have a quiet house to ourselves again after being with so many family members. But it was good, too.
On Sunday the girls spent the day rediscovering all their toys. We're getting used to the new church time (1pm), and somehow with all that time in the morning to get ready, we still show up late. What is wrong with me?
That night I took the Christmas decorations down while the girls played with Trav.
#1 happy reason to be home: we can walk outside again in short sleeves in January. I love it here!
Our drive home was much much better than our drive out to Utah. What made it so much better? Answer: Breaking it up into two days! I can't believe what a difference it made. On Thursday we drove from Provo to Vegas. We had a late start, so we didn't arrive at our friends' house until about 8pm, I think. Autumn and Deven moved there a few months ago, after having moved first to Washington, so we hadn't seen them in quite awhile. We were so excited to catch up with them! Kapria and Mila had so much fun playing with Jayden and Triston, too. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures from our time at their house. But it was spent:
climbing stairs, jumping off stairs, finding every possible stuffed animal, eating a delicious breakfast, playing some Halo, talking and talking, and just having fun.
We left around lunch time on Friday and drove the rest of the way home. Oh how we'd missed our beds! It was weird (and a little sad) to have a quiet house to ourselves again after being with so many family members. But it was good, too.
On Sunday the girls spent the day rediscovering all their toys. We're getting used to the new church time (1pm), and somehow with all that time in the morning to get ready, we still show up late. What is wrong with me?
That night I took the Christmas decorations down while the girls played with Trav.
#1 happy reason to be home: we can walk outside again in short sleeves in January. I love it here!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
saying goodbye
Thursday 01.06.2011
We spent our last night in Utah at Shawn & Abby's. After the girls went to bed and Shawn left for work, Abby and I went out for a girls' night to get some ice cream and chat. We had a great time. I'm so lucky to have her for a sister-in-law.
The next morning, Trav and I packed up our car, said goodbye, and were off...kind of. We got such a late start that we decided to stop at Nicole's for a quick lunch (and to pick up some of the things Mom & Dad forgot). It was fun to see the boys one more time, but so hard to say goodbye (again).
This conversation was funny. Kapria has been asking a lot of questions about death ever since Grandma Anthony's funeral. And Tave was pretty concerned about the animals we saw at the Bean Museum. So there's your background.
We spent our last night in Utah at Shawn & Abby's. After the girls went to bed and Shawn left for work, Abby and I went out for a girls' night to get some ice cream and chat. We had a great time. I'm so lucky to have her for a sister-in-law.
The next morning, Trav and I packed up our car, said goodbye, and were off...kind of. We got such a late start that we decided to stop at Nicole's for a quick lunch (and to pick up some of the things Mom & Dad forgot). It was fun to see the boys one more time, but so hard to say goodbye (again).
This conversation was funny. Kapria has been asking a lot of questions about death ever since Grandma Anthony's funeral. And Tave was pretty concerned about the animals we saw at the Bean Museum. So there's your background.
handmade dolls
We have been so lucky to have lots of sisters/sisters-in-law who share their amazing creativity and talents with us. Kyndra made these darling princesses for the girls for Christmas. They love changing their outfits and picking which hairstyle to use.
Kyndra designed and created the dolls herself. I am amazed. I've told her she's got to start an etsy shop selling these - and I'll let you know when it happens!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
animals!
01.05.2011
One of our favorite places to visit when we're in Utah is the Monte L Bean Life Sciene Museum. The kids love seeing all the animals, and it's a fun indoor activity for those cold winter days (and it's free!). I didn't get a chance to see many friends on this trip since our focus was family, but I did make plans to meet up with a friend and her boys at the museum. Since her sister works there, they set up a quick live-animal show for the kids. They loved it! Nicole & the boys, Chels & the kids, and Shawn & Abby all came, too.
It was a lot of fun. I think the bears were probably the favorite for my kids this time, probably because the lion exhibit (which Kapria loves) was closed.
Side note - if you're trying to go somewhere to have time to chat with a friend, don't go to the musuem. Ann Dee and I realized that bringing all our kids doesn't make for much conversation time for us. Next time we'll have to plan something with just us.
One of our favorite places to visit when we're in Utah is the Monte L Bean Life Sciene Museum. The kids love seeing all the animals, and it's a fun indoor activity for those cold winter days (and it's free!). I didn't get a chance to see many friends on this trip since our focus was family, but I did make plans to meet up with a friend and her boys at the museum. Since her sister works there, they set up a quick live-animal show for the kids. They loved it! Nicole & the boys, Chels & the kids, and Shawn & Abby all came, too.
It was a lot of fun. I think the bears were probably the favorite for my kids this time, probably because the lion exhibit (which Kapria loves) was closed.
Side note - if you're trying to go somewhere to have time to chat with a friend, don't go to the musuem. Ann Dee and I realized that bringing all our kids doesn't make for much conversation time for us. Next time we'll have to plan something with just us.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
abreu family christmas
Sunday 01.02.2011
When I was a kid, we always participated in a Christmas gift exchange with our siblings and our cousins. I love continuing that tradition with our kids. Usually we open the gifts on Christmas Eve, but since we were all in Utah together after the new year, we decided to wait until then. We drove to Chelsea & Rob's house, had a delicious dinner, and watched the kids open their gifts*. It was so fun to be all together. (We missed Mckenon, though. Can't wait for this next Christmas when he'll be home!)
*We did learn one thing, though. Kapria had Weston for the gift exchange, and we decided to get him an awesome Melissa & Doug puzzle that would help him as he learns to read. Very cool gift? Yes. But fun for a 4-year-old to open when all the other kids around him are getting toys? Not so much. I felt so bad. So...next year we'll make sure all the kids get something fun to open and play with :)
When I was a kid, we always participated in a Christmas gift exchange with our siblings and our cousins. I love continuing that tradition with our kids. Usually we open the gifts on Christmas Eve, but since we were all in Utah together after the new year, we decided to wait until then. We drove to Chelsea & Rob's house, had a delicious dinner, and watched the kids open their gifts*. It was so fun to be all together. (We missed Mckenon, though. Can't wait for this next Christmas when he'll be home!)
Opening Gifts!
Grampa Dan & Nonny Kare with all their Grandkids
Weston (4) - Tave (2) - Ryder (5 mo) - Aydrien (22 mo)
Reverie (5 mo) - Syanne (4) - Mila (16 mo) - Kapria (3 yr)
*We did learn one thing, though. Kapria had Weston for the gift exchange, and we decided to get him an awesome Melissa & Doug puzzle that would help him as he learns to read. Very cool gift? Yes. But fun for a 4-year-old to open when all the other kids around him are getting toys? Not so much. I felt so bad. So...next year we'll make sure all the kids get something fun to open and play with :)
uncle shawn
As I've said before, when we started staying at Shawn & Abby's, they were out of town. Every time we went to their house Kapria would ask, "Will Uncle Shawn be home?" We had to keep telling her, "No, he's not home today. He's still in Arizona." She was so sad.
Shawn & Abby got back to Utah on New Year's Eve and drove down to Nicole & Jeff's to celebrate with all of us. When Kapria saw Shawn walk in the door, she ran up to him, threw her arms around him, and said, "I knew you'd come back!"
She adores her Uncle Shawn. I'm sure it helps that he plays all her pretend games with her: letting her lock him in "jail" in the closet, shooting down bad guys ("kee-yah, kee-yah, kee-yah!"), or being her prince.
Pure happiness. That's what she's feeling whenever he's around.
Thanks for being such an awesome uncle, little bro.
Shawn & Abby got back to Utah on New Year's Eve and drove down to Nicole & Jeff's to celebrate with all of us. When Kapria saw Shawn walk in the door, she ran up to him, threw her arms around him, and said, "I knew you'd come back!"
She adores her Uncle Shawn. I'm sure it helps that he plays all her pretend games with her: letting her lock him in "jail" in the closet, shooting down bad guys ("kee-yah, kee-yah, kee-yah!"), or being her prince.
Pure happiness. That's what she's feeling whenever he's around.
Thanks for being such an awesome uncle, little bro.
family time
We were able to stay at Nicole & Jeff's for a few days, and then when Shawn & Abby got back in town we stayed with them for a few days, too. We had so much fun seeing our family and just hanging out.
The kids loved playing together and were so good about sharing. Now that we're home, Kapria asks all the time if Weston and Tave can come play. We miss not having them over on a weekly basis. We're already counting down to July when we'll see them all again!
The kids loved playing together and were so good about sharing. Now that we're home, Kapria asks all the time if Weston and Tave can come play. We miss not having them over on a weekly basis. We're already counting down to July when we'll see them all again!
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