Here is a video of Isaac's 1st Birthday Party in Illinois last week. As expected he was a "cake digger." He was a happy boy for the day and we were so glad to get to celebrate with those who love him the most. I'll post some more pictures soon!
 

I've added a few photos of life in the Fitzgerald home over the past few weeks. Isaac turns 11 months this week and is crawling everywhere and pulling up. He loves eating, playing with the lego table and anything his older brother is doing. He has muttered a few things that sounded like words, but most consistently it is "dada." We've started some more structured preschool activities for Elijah which he seems to enjoy. I feel like I am putting my education theory classes to work in designing the lessons.(Does that make me a nerd?) We've both had fun so far.
Last Friday we went to San Fran for an extended lunch break to hear the San Francisco Symphony perform a free concert in the park. Russ couldn't pass up anything that had the Publish entrywords "symphony and free" in it! We had the hottest day we've ever experienced in San Fran because usually in the summertime it is cold. Fall is the warmest season there. Anyway, we had an enjoyable lunch in the city as a family.

When deciding where to vacation this year, the choice was somewhat obvious. We have beautiful coastline within hours of us and decided to make the most of our time in California by taking in the sights. The best part of our trip was getting to spend 5 days together as a family.  The worst, believe or not, was foggy chilly weather. Then, there were many fun experiences in between.

Monday-

The trip began on Monday night. Before we even left Livermore, Elijah asked, “How long is it going to be until we get there?” We thought we were in for a long ride, but the two hour drive to Monterey went by quickly. We did have to laugh when we stopped by Jack in the Box for dinner and the cashier thought I was making some sort of racial remark by asking for “white milk” for Elijah’s dinner. I kindly explained that I was just referring to white milk as opposed to chocolate milk. Oh, the society in which we live! We arrived to cool weather in Monterey, but that didn’t stop us from taking a swim before putting the kids (and ourselves) down to bed.

Tuesday- Monterey Bay Aquarium

We had heard a lot of good things about the Monterey Bay Aquarium and were not disappointed. Throughout the day we were surrounded by sea horses, sharks, octopi, schools of tuna, sting rays, otters, kelp and other coral reefs habitants.  We were intrigued by the life and grace of the seahorses, stunned by the color and movement of the jellyfish and marveled at the sharks and stingrays. Elijah wouldn’t get near the sea otters because, “They were stinky.” Isaac seemed to enjoy the movement of the fish (he slept through the stinky sea otters though). Before leaving Elijah chose a stuffed penguin as a souvenir. After that, he always asked if the place we were going to visit had a gift shop!

Wednesday- Monterey and Carmel by the Sea

We spent some time on Wednesday touring Monterey and then spent the afternoon as Carmel by the Sea beach. The sun did peek out for a few minutes, but it was still a little chilly. Russ and Elijah (well really just Russ) built a sandcastle in the shadows of Pebble Beach Golf Course, while Isaac took a snooze in the pack and play. Russ and I both brought our books, but I am not sure why.  Each was opened for about 2 pages. Oh well! We decided that we will have time to beach read on our 25^th wedding anniversary trip. I think this was also the day that Russ commented that we should go on a vacation with grandparents! That was when we were sitting in a dark hotel room at 9:30 with nothing to do since the kids were asleep. Needless to say, it was nice going to bed early and getting a little extra rest.

Thursday- Drive Down Coastal Highway through Big Sur

Honestly, we were a bit disappointed in the foggy weather this day, but saw some beautiful coastline nonetheless. Our favorite stops included Pfeiffer Beach for lunch and McWay Falls. This is the only fresh waterfall the pours into the ocean in America. We also spotted Sea Lions and Harbor Seals “sunning” on a rock. We ended the day at our Lodge which included many majestic flower gardens and, you guessed it, a fireplace in our room. That seems to be common on the coast.

Friday- Hearst Castle

On Friday, we toured the magnificent Hearst Castle, built in the 1920’s era for William Randolph Hearst of Newspaper fame. Our tour did not allow strollers or large hikers so taking pictures while corralling two boys was a challenge, but we did manage to get a few.  Hearst was an avid art collector so not only was the Castle itself impressive, but we also felt like we were at an art Museum. Russ especially liked the marble statues in the outdoor Neptune Pool. We toured the guest house and a few of the 115 rooms of the main house. Isaac fell asleep halfway through the tour in mom’s arms, while Elijah gawked at the Billiard room. He really wanted to be able to play! We ended the tour buy literally standing on gold in the indoor Roman pool.  Flash photography was not allowed , but we did have a few pictures that turned out despite low lighting conditions.

Saturday- Santa Barbara

After a breakfast at a downtown Starbucks, we toured the Santa Barbara Mission, one of 21 missions in the state of California. This particular building was not original because the original building was destroyed by and Earthquake in the early 1800’s. The modest sanctuary housed some beautiful artwork and statues. Russ felt bad about accidentally touching the holy water until he saw bottles of it being sold in the gift shop for $3.

Then, we headed to the wharf area for some Mexican food (we already indulged in seafood at the Monterey Wharf). Not surprisingly, it was the best Mexican food we had in a long time. We headed to the Pier where Isaac turned on his charm to get attention, especially for the ladies. Russ commented early in the week about something that I already knew- Isaac is a flirt. I guess we won’t worry too much unless this pattern continues into adolescence! The gloomy day, then turned sunny for our final hours beachside before our 5 hour journey home.  

We had quite a busy week this week. First, our church had the Boomerang Express Vacation Bible School. I revived my teacher voice by teaching 35 4th graders while Isaac and Elijah went to the preschool VBS. Isaac was a Joyful Joey with 5 other babies and Elijah was spoiled by 3 teenage girls in his class. Everytime I saw them walking, one girl in particular was carrying him around. Enjoy it while it lasts because mom isn't doing that after VBS! He had a great time and each day came home saying he had a lot of fun. I was so thankful because last year, he cried for 2 days straight. He said his favorite part was the music. Unfortunately, he has developed an irrational fear of the screen in our sanctuary and would not go up on stage for Parent night. I did get some video of him doing the motions to one of the songs today at home. He, like his mom, can be shy around others., But I was known to put on song and dance shows at home as a child. Isaac also has just learned to clap and enjoyed the VBS CS at home today as well.
On Saturday, we braved the heat to use free tickets to the Alameda County Fair. As a child, I loved the State Fair for all the free stuff and Saltwater taffy. I was sorely disappointed to come home empty handed in both categories. We did enjoy the kids section of the fair and some of the art exhibitions. Elijah used some of his birthday money to buy tickets to ride some rides and he seemed to enjoy that. That evening after seeing the farm animals, he told us that he wanted us to get a a rooster to wake him up in the morning so he would know when it was 7:00 AM (we make him stay in his room until 7:00). I found that humorous since the chickens were the only animal he wouldn't go near. He especially liked the baby pigs, but was almost in tears because he didn't get to see a pig race. Isaac spent most of the fair hanging out in the stroller just taking it all in. We had an enjoyable day even though we are not typically fair goers. It was fun to experience it through the eyes of a child. Now, it is time to REST! Enjoy the videos!  

        (Pictures are included in Isaac's 8 month album) Yesterday we entered into the realm of kid birthday parties. Call me a nerd if you would like, but I actually had fun planning it and having the kids over. Of course, the theme was Star Wars, specifically Jedi Training. Elijah invited 5 friends, 3 boys and 2 girls. After looking online for some ideas, we decided to test their Jedi reflexes with a game of "Keep the Balloon in the Air, "Pin the Lightsaber on Luke" and "Pass the Thermal Detinator." I also made simple Jedi robes for each Padawan as well as "The Master" aka Daddy. When the kids first arrived, no one wanted to put on the robes and I was thinking, "You ARE going to wear these robes!" After one game, either the shyness wore off or the fact that Russ told them that they would only get their lightsabers if they wore the robes, changed their minds. Either way, they donned their robes for the rest of the party. Russ did learn on valuable lesson. When describing a game to 4/ 5 year olds, do not being with the phrase, "Now this is going to be dangerous. You have to keep the thermal detinator from exploding." We, of course, then had to reassure them that the apple covered in aluminum foil would not in fact explode if they were holding it, but one opted not to play and others were a bit hesitant. Live and learn right? Of course, the highlight was receiving their lightsabers. After each one had a chance to swing at some bubbles, the boys, of course, wanted to fight the Master. Funny that the girls then just naturally stepped aside, so we went inside and I had them set the table for lunch. No political correctness in this house (as if you didn't know that already-lol!). We served "Galactic Pizza" and "Yoda Soda" for lunch and then of course, cut into the cake. I love Elijah's embarrased expression as we were singing--you may have seen this expression before and I'm glad that I got a picture of it. Elijah of course, loved opening his presents and then we said "Goodbye" to the young Jedi and began the clean-up! I think Elijah had a good time and has been playing Star Wars ever since--I'm sure my friends are now all thanking me for sending their children home all sugared up with weapons!

Last week, I tried out some features on my camera and did a photo shoot of Isaac for his 8 month pictures. Overall I was pleased with a lot of the pictures even though some turned out dark. A friend is going to enhance them with Photoshop, but in the meantime, I posted the raw images.
Recently, Isaac has been starting to move about. He is not crawling per se, but is definitely mobile, rolling to where he wants to go. He is starting to make some sounds, especially when his foods runs out on his tray or when he is playing with brother. I call him "Fang" right now, because he has two teeth on bottom, but just one side tooth on top. Overall, he is a content baby and loves to play with his Fisher Price blocks and his brother, of course. He brings much joy to our lives each day!

It occurred to me the other day that my usual blog entries are about exciting places we've been or fun events on the weekends with of course, the additional updated pictures of the boys. After reading a book on digital photography, I decided to try out a few of the techniques that I learned by carrying my camera around with me for a day. So this was a glimpse of Monday, June 15th. This blog is about the everyday and ordinary lest you think that our lives in California is all play! lol! The pictures are self explanatory with a few captions to elaborate. Enjoy!

Summer has arrived! The weather in Northern Cal has been beautiful and even somewhat unusually cool (in the upper 70's) for this time of year. We have been enjoying our new backyard and had a great weekend spending some time outside with our Sunday School class. I uploaded some pictures and a video of Elijah on his slip and slide. This Saturday, we went "Geocaching for Jesus" with our Sunday School. Geocaching is basically high tech treasure hunting. People hide boxes in various locations and log the coordinated of the cache on a website. Then, you can put the coordinated in your GPS and find the goods. The boxes contain small trinkets and a log book of who has been there. Then, you take something out and replace it with a new treasure. While the hike was much more difficult that I expected, it was a fun experience. I figured we would be on the trails and then find the boxes somewhat off the beaten path. We began hiking on a path and soon passed around barbed wire, through grass up to our knees, climbed hills and climbed over moss covered boulders. At one point, Elijah was whining, "It's bad, it's sooo bad." Isaac, though, being starpped on Russ's back in the hiker, seemed content. Elijah did enjoy finding the boxes and he and the two year old on the hike shared the treasure (Chandler, the rough and tumble two year old, got a water gun and Elijah got a butterfly hair barrette and a car--yes, the choice of the barrette concerned us a little-lol!). We left crosses, tracks and a Euro with a Bible verse translated into German. It wasn't until we got home and began pulling thorns out of Elijah socks that I realized why he was lamenting as we were walking. The truth is, he didn't whine the whole time. It was only his whimpy mommy that was whining in her head.
Sunday, our had it annual Anniversary Sunday picnic. This year's carnival theme was a success, complete with a dunk tank for the pastor, bouncy houses, cotton candy and games, of course. Our Sunday School class tried our hand at face painting while others made typical carnival games. I thought the "Hit Goliath in the face with a Sponge" was quite clever and a "hit" with the kids. Elijah came home with a bag full of prizes, but really would have been happy just throwing balls in jars and bean bags through holes all afternoon even if he didn't get a prize. With this much fun in one weekend, I hope we are too bored tomorrow when it is back to laundry and grocery shopping.

Last week, we head to Illinois for a visit with our friends and family. May, of course, is a busy time of year, but we had an opportunity to visit with many folks from "back home." Elijah had a ball playing with grandma and grandpa, his cousins (I hardly saw him for the two days we stayed with Russ's sister's family) and taking a trip to "Monkey Joes" with Gram. We also took a trip to the St. Louis Zoo. Isaac had a great time, but Elijah hasn't proven to be an animal lover. He enjoyed the frog and fish (anything that he knew couldn't get out!) and he also commented on the lemurs. His highlights were riding the Carousel and the train! It was also a blessing to be able to visit with my grandparents, all of whom have had medical problems over the past few months. I think seeing the kids was good medicine for them, too!

This Mother's Day was a special one for us in that we participated in the Parent/ Child Dedication at our church. We, along with 6 others families, asked the Lord for guidance and dedicated ourselves to raising our boys to love the Lord to the best of our ability.  Our children's minister read each child's first and middle name (and I thought we would only hear their middle name at graduation!) and presented them with a Children's Bible (which Elijah kept wanting to open and look at while we were on the platform). Isaac kept busy with something else. See if you can find what it was and the result! The pics are in chronological order so that should help you if you look closely.

One of the nice things about living in the Bay area is that we are two hours from the beach and two hours from the snow. This past weekend, we headed up to the Sierras with 6 other families to a friend's cabin. There were 14 adults and 14 kids between two cabins. Now, if you remember, we went camping with this same group of friends when we first moved here and had a bit of an ordeal with Elijah sleeping. This was definitely more our style. We had nice accommodations with hot water, heaters in the rooms and a game room complete with pool, air hockey, ping pong and video games. The guys went skiing on Saturday while the ladies hung out at the cabin and took the kids out in the snow. Aside from meals and our outing in the snow, I hardly saw Elijah all day. Fortunately, one family has older children that helped to supervise the younger ones in the game room. We just had three babies with us in the family room. Elijah couldn't wait to play in the snow, but soon found out how hard it was to walk in 12 inches of snow with boots that were 3 sizes too big. He did enjoy sledding and wanted to make a snow man. The wet snow was perfect for making snowballs with the snowball makers (yes, they do exist!). In the evenings, the adults hung out and played games or watched chick flicks while the guys played a Lord of the Rings card game. Russ enjoyed a nice day of skiing despite getting over a recent illness. While it certainly wasn't easy packing up and keeping up with all the stuff for 4 people in the midst of 24 others, it was nice to have a change of routine and see another side of California. Believe it or not, it was actually relaxing!
I have also added a few random pictures from the past few weeks as we have been trying to learn how to use our new camera.

  On Sunday, Isaac turned 4 months old so I did a little photo shoot with our new digital camera that Russ and I bought for our Valentine's Day present. I tried to get some good pictures of his little body parts, which is somewhat challenging on a wiggling 4 month old. We took him for his check-up and he weighed 14 pounds 13 ounces and was 25 inches long, which puts him in the 50 th percentile on both height and weight. He gained two pounds in a month since he was now able to keep more food down thanks to his medicine. We have made a few changes to help with the reflux such as elevating the mattress and feeding him less but more frequently. Those things, along with the medicine have helped, but certainly not cured the reflux. We are hoping he outgrows this soon. It seems to bother him especially when he is sleeping, making both naptimes and evening sleep somewhat unpredictable. Otherwise, he is a happy baby, cooing and laughing out loud. He learned to roll from his tummy to his back last week and he is becoming more entertained by his big brother. I also put away the bouncy seat and swing, neither of which he liked very much anyway, and got out the exersaucer. He loves being in there because he is upright and has all kinds of toys at his disposal. We did try to feed him some cereal at the doctor's recommendation, but he did not seem to have the skills wuite yet to eat it. I will probably try again in a week or two. We did post some pictures of his first experience. I hope to add some video of him rolling over sometime soon.

I thought I would give a little update on Elijah since I’ve been a little preoccupied with the baby lately. At 3 1/2 , Elijah is becoming quite entertaining. He now spends about 25 % of his day singing. I call him a “Shower Singer” because he always sings when he is doing something, but won’t sing if you ask him to or with a group. I am actually surprised at how quickly he picks up on lyrics and can sing on tune. He is now sitting with us during church and will often come home singing on of the songs, even if it is brand new.

Elijah is becoming very independent which has been welcome since I am often busy with Isaac. He now will go upstairs and get dressed by himself (sometimes with questionable fashion sense, but he is dressed nonetheless). Last week, mom was down sick. One day, I looked over and Elijah was fixing his own lunch complete with a piece of bologna, a Clementine and a handful of wheat thins. Now, if I could just teach him to do laundry and mop the floor, I would have it made!

Many people ask how he has adjusted to being a big brother. In short, he seems to like it. At naptime, we read books together and he always wants to lay down with Isaac. He has become a pro at running to get mommy a spit up cloth and really wants to help change Isaac’s diapers. It’s cute to hear him talk to Isaac in “baby talk” such as “Don’t worry, Mommy’s here,” or “Do you have a little gas bubble?”  I think they are on the road to become great friends.

There is one new phase that has come with being 3 ½--STAR WARS! He and daddy watched Star Wars for the first time, when mom was in the hospital with Isaac. Then, at Christmas, he got a taste of playing with his cousins starships. So now, while he still enjoys cars, trains and maze books, much of the day revolves around the Star Wars theme. He listens to the soundtracks, runs around with his own starship that we bought with Christmas money and spends a lot of time trying to put Han Solo’s head back on the action figure. He already has asked for a light saber for his birthday. The other day, he was holding a book and  taking his Star Wars Bible to church. A discussion of the differences between the Bible and Star Wars soon followed.

I could tell many stories about the funny things that he says, but I will, for the sake of time, only relay one for now. Here a rough guide to our conversation.

Elijah: “Mom, I decided I don’t want to be an astronaut when I grow up.”

Dana: “What do you want to be?”

E: “A Doctor”

D: “What kind of doctor?”

E: “A Dr. for kids.”

D: That’s fine , but it takes a lot of hard work to be a doctor.

E: Hmm. I want to be a police officer instead. No, maybe a coffee maker. Well, actually (one of his new phrases) I want to be a truck driver and a lunch maker.

D: You want to be a lunch lady, huh?

E: Hmm, na. But there is one job that is really hard. ( Pause)

D: What is that?

E: I’ll be a TV watcher!

The pictures that we posted are of a recent Parents Luau Night at Awana. I also added a new video of Elijah reading a simple book to Isaac. Enjoy!