Oh-Bla-Di

Before it was back-to-school season, Grama & Grampa came to visit and enjoy our Henderson bar & resort.  When they arrived on Wednesday evening, we headed right to dinner at Claim Jumper. (No food on airplanes means that Grampa is hungry when he gets here!)  It’s so fun that we can do that on a whim now that Noah is eating table food.  After dinner, we headed to the house and then had cocktail hour, at Ava’s request.

We spent part of each of the next four days in the pool.  Ava woke up asking to go every morning and usually went once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  Such a little fish!  Of course, we were all too happy to oblige since swimming made it seem like we were all on vacation in a fantastic rental house.

On Saturday morning, we loaded up the van and headed north to Mt. Charleston with plans to hike to Mary Jane Falls.  Matt and I had attempted the hike one other time but, since we were idiots and thought we could push a stroller up the side of a mountain, we didn’t finish.  This time, with better gear and rock solid determination, we made it to the top (after a 1.5 hour climb!).

This being a desert, you never know what you’re going to get when you climb a mountain to see a waterfall.  But, Mary Jane Falls did not disappoint.

Ava loved to touch the cold, cold water and climb over the wet rocks at the bottom.  And, in spite of a massive elevation change and having to help carry a three year old up the side of a mountain, even Grama & Grampa were still happy to be there.

The way back down was much easier, but we were all tired and hungry.  For some of us, the rumbling in our tummies made it particularly difficult to keep putting one foot in front of the other…you can decide for yourself who those folks might have been.

We treated ourselves to a picnic lunch at a day camp site and then made the drive back home.  You’d have thought we’d be worn out after all of that, but we still had plenty of energy for a swim that evening!

Along with the swimming and the hiking, we also had plenty of time to just play around the house.  We spent lots of time helping Noah walk with the walker and playing on the floor of the playroom.  Noah even got to open some early birthday presents!  Grama made him his own set of Raggedy Ann & Andy dolls and also brought a birthday outfit.  The outfit was Matt’s on his first birthday and fit Noah perfectly!

We tried to get a nice photo of Noah, Matt & Ava all with their dolls made by Grama (Matt’s were from when he was a kid), but this is the best we could do.

When we let the kids loose, things got a little calmer, of course.

Isn’t it nice how he knows how to sit still for a picture?

On the last evening of the visit, Matt made us fajitas for dinner.  So yummy!  Ava got to help Grama with the tortillas.  Not sure that it’s the most efficient way to cook, but I don’t think anyone had any objections.

Thanks for a great visit, Grama & Grampa!  You’re welcome at Henderson Bar & Resort any time!

After our friends stopped through town on their way to Edwards last month, we quickly packed up our things and took off for the local mountain.  Matt, Ava, & I had been camping in this same spot a couple of years earlier and, now that no one in our family was pregnant or newborn, it was high time to take Noah on his first camping trip!

We got to Mt. Charleston at about 2:30pm and had our campsite all set up by about 4pm.  Since we bring everything but the kitchen sink and the toys, we’re still a car-camping family.    But, while I kept Noah occupied with snacks and took photos, Matt and his little helper got us all squared away.

New cots for the tent…hooray for easy camping sleeping.

Once we were all set up, we packed up our backpacks and hit the trail for a quick hike before dinner.  Although Ava generally loves to hike, this trail was too flat to keep her attention and the whining about being hungry started almost immediately.  Needless to say, we didn’t make it very far down the trail before we turned back to return to the campsite.

Ava’s carrying her own water in a pack these days.  Such a big girl!

Since we packed in hurry for this trip, we kept it simple for dinner.  Noah got his standard quesadilla and some puree, and we got campfire roasted hotdogs.  Add some Cheetos and we quickly had a campsite full of very happy people.

Pardon  the dirt…this is what little girls who play with charred wood found in a “fort” look like.

By the time the sun started to sink beneath the trees, we were already getting chilly.  One of the greatest draws of Mt. Charleston is the difference in temperature between there and the Las Vegas Valley.  Our house was 103 degrees when we left on Friday afternoon, and it was about 75 degrees at dinner time on the mountain.  Overnight, temperatures dipped to about 45 degrees…we were grateful for all the blankets we had packed!  Sleep that night was a bit fitful since the kind folks at the next campsite over decided it would be awesome to maintain their campfire by chopping at a tree all night.  With no real sense of time, I think they must have chopped sporadically for at least four hours, but it was probably a lot less than that.  However, when camping with children and staying awake late due to noisy neighbors, one can always be assured payback will come with the morning light.  And, indeed, we were up with the sun.

Can you see Ava?

Because we only planned to stay the one night, we packed up our stuff shortly after breakfast to maximize our morning hiking time.  We left just enough to maintain our space for a picnic lunch after a hike, but got mostly cleared up.  We hiked the Robber’s Roost trail and it was quite the adventure.  Lots of rock scrambling…just like Ava prefers.

Ava’s become such a proficient hiker.  We talk a lot about making safe choices and thinking about where to place our feet.  She could probably coach me through a tough one now.  Noah loves his backpack and does pretty well about keeping his hand and face inside the casing so he doesn’t get smacked by a tree.  And, I don’t know how Matt does what he does on the rocks with that baby strapped to his back…I think he burns more calories than all of us put together!  One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most about these excursions is the rocks.  I think I maybe missed a calling life to be a geologist…so many stories right there in the side of a mountain.  Very cool stuff.

After our hike, we had a quick PBJ picnic lunch back at the campsite and then loaded up the van to head home.  This was a great test case to try out camping with two kiddos.  I see it happening again often for us…especially once Noah is walking.  More fun adventures ahead!

I’m in total denial that in fewer than 14 days Noah will be a year old. My boss was commenting yesterday that his party was coming up in two weeks and I about fell over. Because, his birthday party? It’s actually on his birthday. I can’t even believe it’s possible that it’s been nearly a year ago that Noah really joined our family.

Remember this?

That was 355 days ago. And, now, our little munchkin looks like this.

It’s always so striking to me how, when your babies are newly born, it’s such a mystery what they might look like when they grow up. But, it’s all right there in their little faces. Now that I see an 11 month old Noah, of course I can see him in his newborn photos…of course that’s Noah’s face.

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By the way, that grown up boy there on the right? He was looking at me. And that smile? That’s the one that melts my heart, because little dude is one of the sweetest kiddos I’ve ever met.

And now, to document all that sweetness for posterity, a little list. At 11 months, Noah…

:: is eating table food! Make this kid a quesadilla and he is one happy camper. A fave lately is black beans, cheddar cheese, a shmear of pumpkin (gotta sneak in those veggies), and some finely chopped chicken. Noah also eats veggies like they’re going out of style. Peas & carrots and lima beans are faves.

:: is still a pretty great spoon feeder. He still eats a full bowl of oatmeal + veggies every day and a full bowl of whole milk yogurt.

:: has been off formula since we ran out a week and a half ago. The switch to whole milk was super easy, although we also switched him to a cup during the day. Now, he drinks 8oz in the morning and evening from a bottle and then gets what he’ll take from a cup during the day.

:: has six teeth (four on top and two on the bottom) and I think he’s cutting a couple more on the top.

:: hasn’t been to the doctor since he had tubes placed in July. What a relief to finally have a healthy kid! He actually had a cold a couple of weeks ago and we didn’t have to go see Dr. Faro. Big, big believer in those ear tubes. Amen.

:: is flirting with walking. I’m no longer convinced that he’ll be walking by his birthday, but he’s starting to get frustrated at being sort of immobile. I think he wants to walk, but is totally going to do it on his own timetable. I’m learning over and over again with this kiddo that he’ll do things when he’s darn good and ready…no point in rushing or pushing.

:: loves to read Goodnight Moon and Pat the Bunny at bedtime. He thinks it’s hilarious to put his finger through Mummy’s ring, but kind of has to be coaxed into touching Daddy’s scratchy face.

:: loves stuffed animals. He holds them right up to his face and gives them hugs. So sweet.

:: knows that giraffes are for him. Any size, any color scheme, any type…giraffes are this little guy’s favorite thing. I really, really love this since the very first thing I bought for our new baby was Sophie, the teething giraffe. Also, the gift Ava chose for Noah on the way to the hospital with Sarah was a giraffe…and that one is now his sleeping buddy. Also…his name is Noah…and we didn’t know it when we started picking giraffes!! Blows my mind and his love for them melts my heart.

:: also loves talking on the phone! One of his favorite games is to pull out a toy phone, hold it up to his ear and say, “Yah, yah.” So cute!

:: still enjoys swimming and floating in his ladybug, but is starting to get antsy to get out on his own. Next year is going to be super fun for the little guy.

:: LOVES music. This kid has a great sense of rhythm, loves to play the piano, has amazing coordination with drumsticks, and hears even the faintest of music. Good thing we are never in short supply of tunes to share or instruments to play.

:: has a weird fascination with sitting in chairs. He thinks he’s really hot stuff when you help set him in one of the kids’ chairs in the playroom or my old red rocker. Works out for us since a Nod chair is going to be his birthday present from Mommy & Daddy.

:: still gives the BEST hugs ever. Two little arms wrapped around your neck, a full body press, and pats on the back. I just soak those up.

Though my heart breaks a little every time I think of him being a year old, I’m so in love with who this baby of ours is becoming. All too soon, we’ll be back with birthday photos!

Ok.  So timeliness in reporting has not been my strong suit this summer.  However, that’s only because we’ve been so busy having a good time!  Before the sun starts to set early again, here’s a little bit about our third annual 4th of July party.

As all of our parties do, this one started the day before with a massive cooking session.  This year, I had an audience.

But, that audience had to work for the next day’s supper.

And, just like in years previous, dessert was a crafty adventure.

After all that work, we got to enjoy just a little taste of the fun to come the next day (in the rain!!)

So, on the 4th, we got into our Star Spangled best and got ready to party!

Matt started cooking early in the day and spent a lot of time going back and forth to the grill.  All the effort was worth it, though, because that brisket was awesome.

By the time afternoon naps were over, Noah was ready to get the party started and wanted to go hang outside with Daddy.

We were so fortunate to have a fun group of friends join us for food, swimming and sparklers.  Are these some cute kiddos, or what?

As always, the fireworks were the highlight of the night.  Ava particularly loved the sparklers and the thrill of running away from lit fireworks when Mr. Dave let her help him.

By the end of the night, America had been thoroughly celebrated.  Although our fireworks were small, we enjoyed the neighbors’ larger light shows and Matt & I stayed up late to watch the shows in Washington, DC, and in NYC.  And since it needs to be said in August as often as it is said in July, God Bless America.

“An old military tradition is that true friends who have not seen each other for long periods of time never question their friendship. These friends resume at the same time they left off regardless of distance and time between them. We call these friends ‘Family’.”