Hipstamatic in NJ

Got a few great shots with the Hipstamatic this weekend in NJ

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Swinger

Bunny Boy

The very last day of our trip to California was Easter. We spent it in the last row of an Airbus A320 headed east. So, we did a bit of Easter fun in the days before. Palmer served as our honorary hare.




How cute is that baby? Wow!

Numero Uno!

Happy Birthday to my Bonus Baby!! We only had a little party for you at school on your actual birthday because we'll celebrate some more with Nana next weekend in N.J. Plus, you were sick all week and you really didn't even feel well this day--not that you can tell that from the pictures. I think this was the only time you smiled all day. Some kind of weird virus felled us both. The doctor thinks maybe roseola. Who knows. If you're like your mama, you'll be sick for your birthday every year. I kept that trend going until I was about 16.

Look how handsome you are in your birthday outfit. Your shirt says "Cake Monster". But you really didn't like the cake very much. We gave you a sand/water table for your birthday which we unpacked the following day and you really liked. But even then you didn't have too much energy. As I type this it is two days after your birthday on a Sunday night, you just seem back to normal now---and you'd been feeling lousy since last Tuesday.

We love you super duper much. You have had a great first year. One filled with joy and happiness. Its been so much fun to have a baby again. And so much fun to have one that is so pleasant and friendly and smart.

Chicks Dig Him

Connor's class had some baby chicks hatch this week. It was fun to hear him talk about seeing them go through the process of breaking through their shells.

Mother's Day Card From Palmer

Too damn cute.  Just like him.

Solid As A Rock

So, Sam, the nicest guy from Flintstone Granite came over this afternoon and installed the countertop on our new bathroom vanity. Man, was I a handful when it came to this vanity. Couldn't find a cabinet. Couldn't find a sink. Couldn't find a top. It was a nightmare. But Sam was a lifesaver. He was very calm and talked me through it like an air-traffic controller would talk a 12 year old through a plane landing after the pilot died of a heart attack. Just what I needed.

Here's a pic. Still haven't decided if we're going with that charcoal glass sink or a clear one. I think I like the charcoal.





And here is an up-close pic of the granite texture. As you can see, it looks alot more black than it does in the big pic above.

A Hit!

Haven't said much about baseball here in Tatertown, but its going great. I actually really look forward to the games to to being outside with nice people every week. Baseball at this age definitely attracts the calmer parents. Connor is showing a lot more focus than previous seasons and maybe even more importantly, is much less emotional. Here's a nice hit from last weekend.

Last Day of Babyhood

Today is the last day of Palmer's babyhood. It was a total joy. How he feels about his balloon at the beginning of this video just about captures how I feel about seeing him every single day. Just about. But not quite.

Pitter Patter

Well, today was the day! Those little baby feet took their first three steps. He walked from the chair in the office toward me at the desk. He let go of the chair, balanced for a few seconds, and then just trudged forward. He looked so surprised! Its a whole new world now.

In six short days he becomes a one-year old. I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly. It's been a joy and I've really tried to remember to slow down and cherish every bit of it. So, I'm not too sad. Okay. Maybe I am. Maybe I'm a total liar.

Wow. Getting a second baby was such a total shock and such an awesome gift. Just wow.

Palm Springs

After our fun few days in Santa Monica, we headed out to our timeshare condo in Palm Springs. We bought the timeshare condo there when Connor was 1 year old and we haven't been back since then. We own it only every other year.

Palm Springs itself is very unique and interesting. You leave the hilly beach topography of coastal California and drive through some mountains and suddenly you are in the huge, flat expanse of the Coachella Valley. On our second day they had a full on sand storm out in the desert and you couldn't see the mountains at all. It was super windy--gusts of about 45 mph. But it was weird because we drove into town that night and it was as calm as could be. When we returned to Mission Hills it was still howling. Someone told us later that the wind rips through the valley like a funnel and that's why it wasn't blowing in town.

We were sitting out by the pool that afternoon and here's what a sandstorm does to your hair:




Here's a view from our parking area across the desert to the mountains. Notice the snow on top!




And this a is view from the front of the condo door over to the mountains.




A great shot Bob got of the beautiful desert moon on our first night there.





A picture of the grounds from our back deck. That trail and creek wind all through the property which is very large.

Are There Others?

C: Mom, are there other people in the world named Tate?
D: Yes, of course.
C: Ones we're not related to?
D: Yes. Why?
C: I was just wondering because there are so many baseball players named Gonzalez.

Redondo Family

So, we're messing around on the beach in Redondo killing some time until we meet Sharon and a guy who used to be a portrait photographer took this with my iPod. Love it!

Palm Springs Tramway

One of our days in Palm Springs we spent taking the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway up a mountain. About 10,000 feet in about 10 minutes. While spinning. Clearly this explains the look on Connor's face here:




And even though it was 90 degrees in the valley, there was snow up there!


And there was this really cute boy!



And fantastic woodlands and mountain top scenery.





And a freaky ride back down. Again, while spinning.

Pool Fun

The First Sharon

So, I guess I like girls named Sharon. Two of my dearest friends share that name. This is a picture of me and my first Sharon together again for lunch during our visit to California. It was so sweet to see her. We've been friends since kindergarten and its really true that even when I don't see her for years, we just don't miss a beat. She's truly one of the gentlest souls you could know. I'm sad that I can't see her more often, but I'm glad that I see her when I can and that she's still part of my crazy wonderful life.

Maverick!

Forgot I had this shot on my iPod. Stumbled across Mav on Hollywood Blvd. Isn't he amazing?

This Is Just the Pits

So, as you can see, I'm tackling the California vacation posts very slowly...

When I was a kid I remember hearing about the LaBrea Tar Pits all the time. On TV. In school. From friends. I remember being kind of obsessed about it. So, it was kind of cool to finally get to see it at age 44! I took this shot with my iPod Hipstamatic so it looks kind of retro.

They have a cool museum on site that is absolutely loaded with fossils and bones. I learned that the pits are actually man-made--kind of. They are the remains of a collapsed asphalt mine from the 1800s. And it was really cool but kind of scary is the fact that all around the surrounding park and area the earth is pretty damn leaky-tar is bubbling up through the grass in a bunch of places. It reminds you acutely that the earth you are standing on is not the firmament you think it is. And of course, Connor managed to get tar on himself.

Connor's 8th Touchdown Party!

Every year its getting to be more of a challenge to come up with a fun and entertaining idea for Connor's birthday. Soon, he'll just want a friend or two to spend the night and these days will be over, so I'm trying to get the parties in while we can.

The idea for this year's party was his. Months ago he said (and never really wavered) "Mom, I want to have a football party". For me, that wasn't alot of guidance. But, thankfully, in today's world we have Google and "the collective intelligence" available to me on the the internet yielded great ideas for such a party.

The invitations were training camp draft notice letters to each "player". At the party, they had an official sign in:




After that they picked up their Player ID badges which I made for each of them with their actual photos and a list of the "drills" we'd be doing on the back. Also, they each got an official Gatorade sports bottle just like an NFL player.



We then moved over the park a block away for the training camp fun where we had a camp warm up:



Some throwing drills:




Receiving drills:



And agility drills that didn't always work out quite so well!



After nearly two hours of that, the kids were wiped out and we came back to the house for pizza, wings, and cake. NOTE TO SELF: Kids love wings. They inhaled them.





It was a great party in no small part to the very hard work of many of our friends. I underestimated severely the coaching and support staff we would need for this Training Camp and they made it work. Mike helped Bob set up the field and even ran to the Home Depot for field chalk when the one I bought didn't work. Ralph ran many of the drills. Jeff and Travis kept the kids in line and helped with other drills. Jen took almost all of these photos and helped me put together our grown up dinner for afterward along with Carole who arrived and 60 seconds later had been enlisted to slice up 3 pounds of flank steak. She also, as usual, was the best mom in the house and made sure everyone was cleaned up and generally accounted for.



Connor was really happy. He came over to me toward the end of the day and hugged me and looked up at me with those young boy eyes and said "Mom. This is the best birthday party ever. Thank you for doing it for me." Wow.

And it can't go without saying that my baby boy was an angel through the whole thing!