"The best part of waking up"

"Is Folders Starbucks in your cup!"

Max thinks it's fun to drink coffee. Really he's drinking water in an espresso cup. Gotta love him!

Halloween

It's with great pride that I was able to keep up my tradition and (somewhat) make the boys costumes. To say I "made" everything is only partially true. I guess I try to steer away from the store-bought costumes and just piece together inexpensive items.

Sam's was easy. He isn't too fond of wearing hats, so he wore Max's hand-me-down Chargers jersey with matching sweats. Not too terribly exciting, but he still looked cute. Maybe next year we'll be more adventurous. We were happy Heather came trick-or-treating with us.

Max was a pirate.

Here is a rundown of his costume

White shirt--Max's closet

Red Vest--Dollar Tree t-shirt that I cut. Black felt for button holes and yarn for ties

Hat (not pictured) and eye patch-- Dollar Tree

Socks--Gift from Aunt Liz last year

Bandanna--Michael's

Dreadlocks--I made them from yarn and attached them to an elastic headband

Pants--thrift store find that I tattered up

Black Bird on his shoulder--Borrowed from my fall decor

It was a fun night hanging with long-time friends and watching Max going door-to-door to get "andy."

Things I don't want to forget

• Sammy's hysterical giggles as he walks throughout the house.
• Max stealing bottle nipples from the kitchen, plugging the hole with his finger, and using it as a "ju ju." Clever, but seriously, will we ever break him of this?
• Sam looking out the blinds and saying, "outside."
• Max yelling "tryin" whenever I ask him to eat or take a nap.
• Sam running to daddy with open arms as soon as he walks in the door from work.
• Max asking to read the same dinosaur book before bedtime for the last month.
• Sam's gappy smile.
• And last but not least, fluffy hair.

Lack of Blogging...

is due to long days of picking up the aftermath of Hurricane Buscaglia.

Big Dinosaur!

Max likes to add a size attribute to every object he sees. "Big truck", "baby car", and my favorite "I love you big much." Needless to say, the whole ride home from the Cabazon Dinosaurs we heard about the BIG dinosaur.

On a side note, this is a great quick stop if you are heading to or from Palm Springs or possibly Pioneertown (see my last post). If you can't tell by now, I love that place!

Pioneertown...the second happiest place on earth

Sounds like an attraction at Disneyland, huh? Get this, we think it might be better. For one it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to go--it’s FREE! (Minus gas of course.)

This little gem is nestled out in the middle of Yucca Valley, close to Joshua Tree. I have to give my hubby props for finding this place. I think our Saturday morning conversation went something like this:

CHRIS
Where do you want to go for our weekend adventure?

CAITLYN
I don’t care. Something cheap.

Chris walks over to computer.
Wearing boxers.
Eating bagel and drinking coffee.
Uses "the Google" (this is a G.W. Bush reference.)

5 minutes pass.

CHRIS:
We are going to Pioneertown. It looks freakin’ awesome

CAITLYN
Cool

Caitlyn looks at computer search history.
Thinks to herself, how does he find these places?
Hopes they can stop by Starbucks on the way.

Pioneertown in a nutshell

• It was built in 1946 as a movie set for westerns. The movie set was designed to provide a place for the actors to live, and at the same time to have their homes used as part of the movie set.

• Mock gunfights are staged on weekends from April through October along Pioneertown's Main Street. The cast is great and ends the show by asking the kids to say, "I promise to be the best I can be." I really liked their positive attitudes, even if they did shoot one another. Plus, every kid goes home with a bandanna.
• There is a really cool bar/restaurant called Pappy and Harriet’s Palace that serves drinks in mason jars and BBQ off the grill. Not sure why, but drinks just taste better out of a mason jar.

SHE SAID:

• Wear shoes. I always thought everyone in old Westerns looked dirty, well so did I after wearing sandals
• Bring $1 bills. The “Pioneertown Posse” works on donations only. All of the actors are volunteers.
• Bring sunscreen. There isn’t a whole lot of shade and depending on when you go it might be pretty hot.
• Stick around after the gun fight and they might let your kids sit on a horse for pictures. However, I can't guarantee they will look as cute as my cowboy. :)

HE SAID:

• Take the long way. On our way home, I noticed we missed a turn on the way into town that resulted in a much longer drive. But, the scenic route was well worth it. We even spotted a cool geoglyph, if you're into that sort of thing.
• Bring cooler.
• Check fluids in car.
• Eat local. Pappy and Harriet’s looked awesome; we'll have to check it out next time.
• Be on the lookout for famous people--we aren't kidding. We saw Rob Corddry from Hot Tub Time Machine, among other things. Probably figured TMZ wouldn't be in Pioneertown.

So friends, you ask....

1. Do we plan on going back? YES
2. Do we recommend this place to friends with and without kids? YES
3. Did we feel like we missed the memo to wear our skinny jeans and grungy flannel tees ? YES (there was a two-day music event called Clean Air Clear Stars going on at Pappy and Harriet's. Seriously, check out their Web site. They have live music like 5 night a week and some well-know artists have played there.)

Bottom line, this place is awesome! Fill up the gas tank, hop in the car, and explore Pioneertown. You won't regret it.

A Very Special Guest

We were so lucky to have Grandma Cindy come visit us for two whole weeks. Our schedule was full of fun excursions, but also relaxing days at home. The visit was wonderful and we were sure sad to see her go. Here are a few highlights:

A trip to L.A. to eat at the famous Pink's Hot dogs. The adults were not too impressed--Max and Sam thought it was great.

Max and Grandma Indy.
Chris shoving it in.
Next stop was the Griffith Observatory. The view is beautiful and you can see the Hollywood sign in the back.

Grandma and I took the boys to a hands-on museum called Fingerprints. Max had a blast!
Sammy in a boat.
Max ringing up Grandma's purchases.
Let's hope this is his only time in the backseat of a cop car.
Digging for fossils.
What's a trip to California without going to the beach?



Grandma Cindy watched the boys so Chris and I could have a night away. Here we are enjoying our time at Brooke and Heath's wedding. Thank you so much Grandma; we really needed it!

Wakey Wakey Eggs and Bakey

Not sure where I heard that one, but somehow it's stuck. Nothing like waking up to a big brother climbing in your crib. Or better yet, a toy alligator in your face, like I had to wake up to today. Thanks Max!

This was a fun one to clean up.

The Big Numero Uno

Sammy, you are one! Mommy is sorry for taking a month to write a birthday post, but trust me, we've been busy having fun with you and your brother. You continue to be such a special part of all our lives and we love you to pieces.

Here are some things that make you so cool:

• Poor baby; you got almost all your teeth in July. A K-9 tooth broke through first, so you looked like a vampire for a few weeks.
• You are all over the place. Not walking yet, but you are full of many other talents.
• When mommy says, "go ni-night" you lay your head down and pretend to be sleeping. You get real excited when I say, "wake up!"
• You say, "dada," "mama," "hi," and "touch it" to name a few.
• You've taken a few beatings from Max, but I know you'll get him back.
• You are probably the loudest baby I've ever heard.
• You like to dance, be pushed in your swing outside, and play in the sand at the beach.
• You love toothbrushes.
• Everyone says you are a momma's boy, but I don't care. It makes me feel good to know you need me! Even when you are older and don't think you need me anymore, I'll always be here my precious boy.

Outside

I can't even tell you how many times Max asks to go outside each day (if Sammy could talk, I know he's say the same thing). Max loves roaming through the bushes and playing in the hose and Sam likes digging in the new sandbox daddy built.

Grandma Patsie got this old steering wheel for Max, complete with a key. Daddy mounted it under his house--he thinks it's awesome!
Well, our second year of a family garden didn't go as well as planned (the carrots Max is holding is about all we got). But, it's all about the experience, right? We'll keep trying.
Dad and Max went on a hike last weekend. That's a snakeskin in case anyone was wondering. :)

So glad we have a house with a yard and are able to go OUTSIDE!

Running From the Waves

Mario and Luigi

They were brothers and plumbers, right ???
I swear, never a dull moment with these two. Quoting Max as he lured his brother into the cabinet, "uh'mon moochie."

Bite Chu Me

Turn up your volume and prepare to watch the greatest video of all time...

Location: San Diego's Natural History Museum

Starring: Max and a large robotic dinosaur

Synopsis: Max thinks he wants to see the dinosaur, changes his mind once it starts moving, and then tells mommy and daddy why.

If you had a hard time understanding the little guy...

He said: "No dadda, bite chu me."

What he was trying to say: "No daddy, it will bite you and me"

The story of Moochie

Like most kids, Sammy loves food. So much, that he will beg for just about anything you have. And by beg, I mean crawl to you, pull him self up on your leg, and yell at the top of his lungs until you give him something. So, the nickname Moochie was born.

Max, being the sponge he is, overheard my mom and me calling Sam Moochie, and now calls him by this name. A few days ago, he also informed us that his name is Moochie big and Sam is Moochie baby. (I think he felt a bit neglected, not having a nickname like brother.)

So, without further ado, I give you the Moochies.

Great Grandparents

Are awesome!

The boys and I made a trip to San Diego while Chris was at the annual ESRI user conference. We were able to visit both sets of my grandparents.

Sammy and Grandpa at the park.
Boys relaxing in the backyard.
Picking oranges.

Lounging with Grandpa Paul.

It was nice to get away and visit the ones we love.

Birthday Boy

I can't believe my baby boy is 2. He is currently obsessed with Toy Story. So, with the help of Chris and Denay, I was able to decorate the house with Buzz, Woody, and Jesse paraphernalia while the birthday boy took a nap. The post-nap grumpiness quickly wore off when Max saw toys, balloons, and pizza. It was a very small get-together--one of these years I'll be organized enough to throw a legitimate party. But at this age, he could care less--he had a blast!

Max, these two years have been filled with...
love, laughter, smiles, happiness, pure joy, excitement and also sleepless nights, doctor office co-pays and ambulance bills, poopie diapers and the occasional mommy breakdown. Max, you are an incredibly special little boy--I never knew I could love something so much. Happy Birthday Max!

Cupcakes I made.





He wouldn't eat the cake I made him on his first birthday--this year he had 3 cupcakes.
Can't forget brother.
His new Buzz.
New blocks from the Rogers.
His buddy Tyler eating pizza.