"We're Going on a Bear Hunt" retold by Michael Rosen

"We're Going on a Bear Hunt" retold by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury has been one of my favorite children's books for many years. I bought this book for my husband (at that time he was my boyfriend) eight years ago. We worked at a summer camp together. One of the camp fire songs we sang was "We're Going on a Bear Hunt." It was a fun song with sillyhand motions - a camp favorite among campers and staff. I gave this book to him as an anniversary gift.

Much to my delight Lucas has discovered this book. He loves the part where family tromps through the mud, swims through the river and tip toes up to the bear cave. Hand motions and voices are a must with this fun loving adventure book.

The author's use of repetition is catchy and engaging which encourages young readers to join in. I like how the author uses vivid descriptions -long wavy grass, a deep cold river, and thick oozy mud - to encourage the readers imagination.  The illustrations are beautiful. I like how Oxenbury switches back and forth from black and white drawings to color drawings.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt is a fantastic book for readers of all ages.

beach trip

Before I had kids packing for the beach was a piece of cake. My needs were simple..a compfy blanket, snacks, shade, a book and a butt-load of SPF 50+ sunscreen. Add a toddler and newborn to the mix and suddenly things got more complicated. I have a perpetual fear of forgetting to pack something important and or necessary for a family beach trip. I tend to over stress, over think..and I usually forget something..ie: sunscreen.

To keep myself sane, and able to enjoy the day I knew that I had to get organized and implement a better system for getting everything ready for the day.

Here's what I came up with:

• Pack and prepare the gear and lunches the day/evening before our trip. This cuts down on the"things-mamma-has-to-do" in the morning before we leave list. 
• I will put everything on the dinning room table, or just outside of the front door. This way my husband can easily scoop up what is going and whisk it away to the car with little interference from our toddler. It makes things so much easier for him if all I have to do is say.."pack the car with these items on the table."
• I love lists! I created a list of everything that needs to be packed/prepared for our day trip. Having a physical list where I can check off items that have been packed, prepared and put in the car helps me keep on top of everything. And I know that if I need too I can hand over my list to my husband and he can continue where I left off. 

By using this system our summer beach trips have been less intimidating. It's great to know that I've got everything covered and I can relax and enjoy the day. 

...4 years...

Alara at two months

Our baby girl is growing! Here are some highlights about her second month of life. 

• She's all smiles! I'm loving her gummy morning grins. It's the best way to start the day. 
• She is staying awake longer during the day. I wish that this meant that she was sleeping longer at night...but it's a step in the right direction. At the beginning of the month, she was sleeping most of the night. Unfortunately she has given up on that schedule and is back to her usual sleeping pattern (10 pm bed time, waking up around 4 am, then waking up again at 6 am). 
• For her morning naps, I've started putting her to sleep in the crib. This transition has been met with much distress and fussing on her part. She still prefers to sleep in the bouncy chair or in our bed. 
• She wears size one diapers. 
• She has completely outgrown all of her newborn clothing. 
• She's a mamma's girl! When my husband (or anyone else) is holding her, Alara will keep a close eye on me. If I leave the room she starts fussing. Often while holding Alara, my husband will just follow me around the house. 
• Her farts rival husband's. 
• Bathtime is one of her favorite times of the day. She loves making a splash by kicking her legs and waving her arms. 
• She has found her fingers and often will stick three or four in her mouth at the same time. 

tossed salad and scrambled eggs

For the last couple of weeks my husband has been binge watching Frasier. I feel that the intro song for the show fits my scattered thoughts perfectly. Today I'm tossing together a little bit of this and a little bit of that...and hoping for the best.

Thought #1:

Lucas has been boycotting dinner. He has always been a picky eater, but lately he has been more opinionated about it. All I have to say is "I'm starting dinner" or "dinner is ready" or simply say the word "dinner" out loud and he A) throws himself dramatically to the ground wailing or B) runs away and hides in his closet or C) a combination of the two. His flare for the dramatics would be amusing if it wasn't so frustrating to to deal with it during dinnertime.

Thought #2:

I'm feeling sleep deprived. It's a common complaint of mothers with small children. Last night Alara decided to abandon her usual nighttime routine of sleeping for six to seven hours at a time. Instead she opted for waking up every couple of hours....she was hungry, she wanted to party, she was cold, she felt lonely, she needed to be close...the list of reasons could go on for days. In addition, Lucas had a whale in his bed. He couldn't sleep until my husband got up and heroically saved the day by evicting the whale from his bed.

Thought #3:

I'm thankful for having a strong "village" of supportive family and friends. This week, the kiddos and I had the opportunity to swim, hike and play with friends and family. I love being a stay-at-home mamma and wouldn't trade it for the world. However, the job can get tiring and lonely. There have been times where I feel like I'm on my own island...with two needy humans and one extremely needy dog...for company. It is refreshing (and necessary) to get out and socialize with other adult humans while our little humans play.

till next time..

...the old stomping grounds...

Pine Springs Ranch will always have a special place in my heart. I've made incredible memories and lifelong friends from working at camp. I am the person that I am today because of camp. Now...my husband and I are able to share this special place with our two children. We spent Sabbath afternoon worshiping along side the staff and campers, walking around breathing in the fresh clean air and ending the day with silly songs at Saturday Night @ the Ranch. The weather was perfect..cloudy and cool...with an added bonus of rain on and off all day.   Lucas had a blast playing in the rain, stomping in mud puddles and kicking pine cones. It was refreshing to be able to get out of the city and enjoy the beauty of God's nature.

*photos by Jonathan Soto 

family beach trip and the aftermath

I had always thought that Lucas's first hospital stay would be because of a broken arm or leg. Never in a million years did I think that he would be admitted for a bacterial infection in his foot.

On Sunday, we decided to beat the heat and head to the beach. Originally, the plan was to take the train to San Clemente, however due to a mechanical break down we barely made it out of our zip code before the train was towed back to the station. We were disappointed; however still determined to go to the beach. Luckily for us, we live close enough to just drive.

It was the perfect day for the beach. While Alara and I relaxed under the shade of our umbrella, my husband and Lucas played in the sand, climbed on rocks and splashed around in the shallow water. The only indication of what was to come was when Lucas climbed off one rock fussing about an owie on his foot. My husband checked him noting that a small scab had been scratch off on his left foot.

We ended the day on a positive note. Nothing seemed amiss.

It wasn't until around bedtime (7:30ish) that we noticed something wrong with his right foot. The foot was swollen and he had a fever. My husband feared that maybe while playing on the rocks Lucas had sprained or broken something and decided to take him to urgent care. At urgent care, the doctor ruled out a sprain or break. Lucas was given two shots - one in each leg - to help with the swelling and a prescription for antibiotics. 

The next morning, I took Lucas to see his regular doctor for a follow up appointment. His fever was down, but the swelling had increased. Concern about the increased swelling and its location, the doctor put in an order for Lucas to be admitted to the hospital for further observation and treatment.  

I called my husband and he came home from work. Alara had a scheduled well-baby exam the same time that Lucas was suppose to be checking into the hospital. Torn between which child to go with, we decided that I would go to Alara's exam and my husband would go with Lucas. 

Lucas had to stay in the hospital for about twenty-four hours. I'm grateful that between my husband, Dadi and Dada someone was able to stay with him the entire time. Although I spent several hours in the afternoon, and later in the evening with Lucas the idea of me not being there with him was hard. I felt torn. On one hand I knew that I couldn't stay overnight at the hospital with Alara - a newborn...but on the other hand I didn't want to leave Lucas. He looked so small in his hospital bed. Yes, my husband was with Lucas...and perfectly capable of taking care of him... but my Mother's heart still wished that I could be in two places at once. Thankfully, Lucas's stay was short and he was able to come home the next morning with a clean bill of health.