So, I always thought I would be one of those GREAT parents who would pick and choose what their child would watch on tv and I swore to myself that he would NEVER watch any of those crazy, acid trip-like shows. We were fortunate enough to have a whole box set of Baby Einstein dvds gifted to us by some friends, and those seemed to keep his interest for short periods of time, but it never seemed long enough. But, they were nice wholesome fun.
Well, while we were in Washington visiting Alex's family, Kim had us watch some of a show that she swore up and down that Noah and the little girl she watched LOVED. I was immediately horrified. The cast consists of 5 adults dressed in insanely complex and strange costumes and a gangly black man wearing an orange spandex jumpsuit and a furry hat. "Gabe won't watch that!" I said. And while we were there he seemed to show little to no interest in it.
About a week ago we were at my parent's house for one of Alex's weekend lessons and we were perusing the channels. Alex saw that Yo Gabba Gabba! (yes, the title is with an exclamation mark) was on and was curious if Gabe would be interested. He turned it on and Gabe was immediately mesmerized. He did not MOVE until there was a commercial break. Naturally, we immediately went out and bought a dvd of the ridiculous show. It is now Gabe's morning entertainment while we are busy getting ready for the day. And I must admit that I find myself singing the songs to myself (and my kids) all day long!
Now, the question you may be asking, "Why THIS show? What is it about this show that is so entertaining to Gabe when nothing else is?" I will tell you. I believe it is the uncanny resemblance between Gabe's father and the star of the show, DJ Lance Rock.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Secret Trip To Washington (Part 2)
We had every move planned out for our 10 days in Washington. In the middle of our 10 days we took a trip to Spokane to visit friends. Anthony, Dave & Alicia (and Alexander), and Kevin. Kevin was gracious enough to let us stay with him in his awesome house (I can't wait until its finished).
It was really great to see everyone. Alexander is a very good walker now. He knows where he wants to go and makes it happen. Dave and Alicia are doing a great job. Anthony took the day off and didn't complain about shopping for baby stuff all day. I even got to have a lesson with my favorite teacher and visit my Alma Mater.
Visiting Spokane made us a little home sick for the city we lived in for so long. It was a great trip...and we took some pictures.
(These pictures are from the whole trip. Just click on the link and then hit the Slide Show button in the upper left hand corner.)
P.S. We ate at P.F. Chang's... Delicious!
It was really great to see everyone. Alexander is a very good walker now. He knows where he wants to go and makes it happen. Dave and Alicia are doing a great job. Anthony took the day off and didn't complain about shopping for baby stuff all day. I even got to have a lesson with my favorite teacher and visit my Alma Mater.
Visiting Spokane made us a little home sick for the city we lived in for so long. It was a great trip...and we took some pictures.
 |
| Secret Trip To Washington |
(These pictures are from the whole trip. Just click on the link and then hit the Slide Show button in the upper left hand corner.)
P.S. We ate at P.F. Chang's... Delicious!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Super Secret Trip
On March 7th, by cover of night, we arrived in Seattle unbeknown to my family
(with the exception of 3 of my siblings).
(with the exception of 3 of my siblings).
A month and a half earlier Beth and I decided that we couldn't wait until Christmas to see my familia. Gabe would be over a year old and they would have missed so many of his "firsts." The decision was made to buy tickets and not tell anyone that we were coming down. We quickly came to the realization that that would be unfair to my parents. They would have unexpected guests that would tie up their time and spare room for 10 days with no forewarning... it seemed a little much to ask.
A fairly complicated plan was set in motion to keep our trip secret, but at the same time allow my parents a little preparation time. Thanks to those in on the secret, my parents never became wise to our plans.
We were to fly into Seattle and spend the next day at the Woodland Park Zoo with Kelsey and Emm (who came up from Portland (what a friend)).
We had kept Gabe up from 6am until our flight time of 5pm hoping he would sleep during our 2 flights. After a scream filled first flight we were a little disheartened. The second flight started off on the right note. Within 20min Gabe was fast asleep in my arms. Beth was entertaining our talkative seat-mate and I was listening to my iPod. I got an odd feeling, so I pulled the ear-buds from my ear and carefully put away my iPod.
"I need a bag!"
I told Beth. She looked at me and (annoyingly) asked, "A bag?"
I had suddenly felt dizzy, and my seat didn't have a barf-bag in the seat pocket...neither did Beth's...or our talkative seat-mate. There was no time to call the stewardess. I vomited all over my clothes, the seat, and Gabe (who didn't even wake up). If it wasn't for the stewardess who announced to the plane that I had thrown-up, no one (except the guy whose bag was under my seat and getting dripped upon) would have been the wiser). We eventually made it to Seattle, and early the next morning made it to the zoo. Here are a few pics.
A fairly complicated plan was set in motion to keep our trip secret, but at the same time allow my parents a little preparation time. Thanks to those in on the secret, my parents never became wise to our plans.
We were to fly into Seattle and spend the next day at the Woodland Park Zoo with Kelsey and Emm (who came up from Portland (what a friend)).
We had kept Gabe up from 6am until our flight time of 5pm hoping he would sleep during our 2 flights. After a scream filled first flight we were a little disheartened. The second flight started off on the right note. Within 20min Gabe was fast asleep in my arms. Beth was entertaining our talkative seat-mate and I was listening to my iPod. I got an odd feeling, so I pulled the ear-buds from my ear and carefully put away my iPod.
"I need a bag!"
I told Beth. She looked at me and (annoyingly) asked, "A bag?"
I had suddenly felt dizzy, and my seat didn't have a barf-bag in the seat pocket...neither did Beth's...or our talkative seat-mate. There was no time to call the stewardess. I vomited all over my clothes, the seat, and Gabe (who didn't even wake up). If it wasn't for the stewardess who announced to the plane that I had thrown-up, no one (except the guy whose bag was under my seat and getting dripped upon) would have been the wiser). We eventually made it to Seattle, and early the next morning made it to the zoo. Here are a few pics.
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Ice Park!
With the wind, it was approximately really cold, so we didn't spend as much time there as we wanted. Its fairly early in the competition so many of the carvings are still being worked on. Beth and I will head back at night (sometime) and focus more on the carvings ...and giant slides!
BEST PARTS OF THE DAY:
1) The spinning ice top actually works this year!
2) Ice phone booth (it worked).
3) The warm up building.
4) (Lost first, then) Found camera case.
5) Skateboarder carving
6) Stepped over vomit in ice maze.
Gabe sitting in the train as happy as can be!
At the Fortress of Solitude's Chapel.
Another view.
How Gabe and I got there.
One of the many slides.
Look at the JOY in his face.
Gabe Spinning in the Top.
For a few more pictures, take a look at my Flickr page.
At the Fortress of Solitude's Chapel.
Another view.
How Gabe and I got there.
One of the many slides.
Look at the JOY in his face.
Gabe Spinning in the Top.
For a few more pictures, take a look at my Flickr page.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Gabe Earned 100 Experience Points! (Why am I not happy?)
Gabe has been getting smarter and smarter everyday. His cunning and will power are amazing at this point. However, I am not jumping for joy over the size of my son's brain...I am a little scared (and annoyed). "Alex!" you say, "How can you call your smart baby annoying?" I'll tell you how...actually I'll show you.
This is a picture of Gabe sitting up in the swing. I know he looks cute and all, sitting up...swinging. However the swing was the place where, if Gabe was tired and fighting it, his eyelids couldn't resist the gentle rocking and white noise the swing produced. In a matter of minutes he would be blissfully asleep. This was essential when Gabe would wake up at 4:00 in the morning, and with the shrill cries of an angry banshee, demand to be put back to sleep. We would try to soothe him, then if that didn't work, to the swing he went. There were some nights he would spend the whole night in that thing.
No longer.
With his increased upper body strength and will power, he has learned to conquer the swing. He Grabs the tray, or the side of the swing and pulls himself up into a sitting position. He does this as long as he can. When he tires, he props one arm behind him (keeping the other on the tray) and leans on that. This entire time he is screaming that cry that makes all of the glass in the house reverberate.
I left him in the swing for 10min. More than long enough to make a normal baby pass out. He screamed the entire time. I know he was tired, but his will power was too strong. I picked him up out of the swing and he passed out immediately. One less tool at our disposal.
Here is an example of Gabe using his brain for good. After months of us showing him how to place the balls in his musical dinosaur toy, he has finally started doing it on his own.
This is a picture of Gabe sitting up in the swing. I know he looks cute and all, sitting up...swinging. However the swing was the place where, if Gabe was tired and fighting it, his eyelids couldn't resist the gentle rocking and white noise the swing produced. In a matter of minutes he would be blissfully asleep. This was essential when Gabe would wake up at 4:00 in the morning, and with the shrill cries of an angry banshee, demand to be put back to sleep. We would try to soothe him, then if that didn't work, to the swing he went. There were some nights he would spend the whole night in that thing.
No longer.
With his increased upper body strength and will power, he has learned to conquer the swing. He Grabs the tray, or the side of the swing and pulls himself up into a sitting position. He does this as long as he can. When he tires, he props one arm behind him (keeping the other on the tray) and leans on that. This entire time he is screaming that cry that makes all of the glass in the house reverberate.
I left him in the swing for 10min. More than long enough to make a normal baby pass out. He screamed the entire time. I know he was tired, but his will power was too strong. I picked him up out of the swing and he passed out immediately. One less tool at our disposal.
Here is an example of Gabe using his brain for good. After months of us showing him how to place the balls in his musical dinosaur toy, he has finally started doing it on his own.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
In Celebration of Valentine's Day...
For Valentine's Day Alex and I decided to do something that we used to do A LOT of before Gabe was born, but that we have done VERY little of since he was born. Go to the movies, of course! What? What did you think I was going to say?
We went to see Coraline, which is based on a Neil Gaiman book. If you haven't read it already, you should. It's a very quick read and super creepy. Anyways, this was the second movie we had been to together since the birth of our drool monster and it really managed to make me thankful for that new 42'' LCD TV we bought last month.
We go in, buy our outrageously priced tickets and head straight for the theater (no stops at the ridiculously priced concessions). We have the whole theater to ourselves, because we get there a little early, so we pick our prefered "middle" seats. Then, the next people that come into the theater (a group of 4 or 5) have the entire theater of seats to choose from and sit directly behind us! I HATE that! You can't sit at least one or two seats to the side of us and behind us?! No! You have to sit DIRECTLY behind us and then start talking about completely meaningless and obnoxious things entirely too loud! Then, naturally, the next group of 5 people enter the theater and choose the seats DIRECTLY in front of us! We are immediately sandwiched by morons, who proceded to talk loudly all during the Inside Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Preview! I was already making rude comments loud enough for my neighbors to hear before the movie even started!
Finally, the movie starts and I think, "Thank God! At least we all came here to do the same thing....enjoy this movie. Surely they won't continue their conversations through the movie." For the most part, I was right. It wasn't until the first slightly funny scene in Coraline that Alex and I knew it would be a while before we went to another movie in theaters. The man sitting directly in front of me had the most obnoxious, loud, ridiculous, annoying laugh I had heard in my entire life. Even the people that he came to the movie with were giving him dirty looks! I'm 100% positive that they won't be going to a movie with that guy again any time soon.
So, for our second movie experience in the last 6 months, it wasn't all bad. The movie itself was very good, if only I can stop that man's laughter from ringing in my ears.
We went to see Coraline, which is based on a Neil Gaiman book. If you haven't read it already, you should. It's a very quick read and super creepy. Anyways, this was the second movie we had been to together since the birth of our drool monster and it really managed to make me thankful for that new 42'' LCD TV we bought last month.
We go in, buy our outrageously priced tickets and head straight for the theater (no stops at the ridiculously priced concessions). We have the whole theater to ourselves, because we get there a little early, so we pick our prefered "middle" seats. Then, the next people that come into the theater (a group of 4 or 5) have the entire theater of seats to choose from and sit directly behind us! I HATE that! You can't sit at least one or two seats to the side of us and behind us?! No! You have to sit DIRECTLY behind us and then start talking about completely meaningless and obnoxious things entirely too loud! Then, naturally, the next group of 5 people enter the theater and choose the seats DIRECTLY in front of us! We are immediately sandwiched by morons, who proceded to talk loudly all during the Inside Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Preview! I was already making rude comments loud enough for my neighbors to hear before the movie even started!
Finally, the movie starts and I think, "Thank God! At least we all came here to do the same thing....enjoy this movie. Surely they won't continue their conversations through the movie." For the most part, I was right. It wasn't until the first slightly funny scene in Coraline that Alex and I knew it would be a while before we went to another movie in theaters. The man sitting directly in front of me had the most obnoxious, loud, ridiculous, annoying laugh I had heard in my entire life. Even the people that he came to the movie with were giving him dirty looks! I'm 100% positive that they won't be going to a movie with that guy again any time soon.
So, for our second movie experience in the last 6 months, it wasn't all bad. The movie itself was very good, if only I can stop that man's laughter from ringing in my ears.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
4 Day Weekend for Kids = Normal Weekend for Me
Parent Teacher Conferences.
(((shutter)))
I totally understand why these are a necessary part of the educational process, however, when I see a four day weekend on the calendar, I expect to be work free for four days. Without the kids at the school its just a big empty building...where I can finally get a little peace and quiet. I would still rather be at home with Beth and Gabe.
I spent a lot of time cleaning my office and getting an extra desk out off the way, I now have enough room to practice my cello, or have a student set up in there so I can give them a playing assessment. Now all I need is some sweet wall art to fill all of the empty wall space that used to be taken up by the desk and an ancient apple computer.
Upon the recommendation of the School Librarian, Beth and I picked up the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. She said that many of the people she knows, who have read these, say it is the best series they have ever read. That would mean it would have to surpass The Ranger's Aprintice (seriously, you need to read these), Lord of the Rings, The Abhorsen Trilogy, Harry Potter... We'll see about that. I'll let you know how the first one turns out.
While I'am in book mode, those of you that like graphic novels or manga should check out the Scott Pilgrim series, a Canadian's spin on the manga. It is quirky and entertaining no matter what kind of books you like to read. The only way you'll not like this series is if you're a person who likes to torture cute little bunnies; and I know you're not like that.
(((shutter)))
I totally understand why these are a necessary part of the educational process, however, when I see a four day weekend on the calendar, I expect to be work free for four days. Without the kids at the school its just a big empty building...where I can finally get a little peace and quiet. I would still rather be at home with Beth and Gabe.
I spent a lot of time cleaning my office and getting an extra desk out off the way, I now have enough room to practice my cello, or have a student set up in there so I can give them a playing assessment. Now all I need is some sweet wall art to fill all of the empty wall space that used to be taken up by the desk and an ancient apple computer.
Upon the recommendation of the School Librarian, Beth and I picked up the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. She said that many of the people she knows, who have read these, say it is the best series they have ever read. That would mean it would have to surpass The Ranger's Aprintice (seriously, you need to read these), Lord of the Rings, The Abhorsen Trilogy, Harry Potter... We'll see about that. I'll let you know how the first one turns out.
While I'am in book mode, those of you that like graphic novels or manga should check out the Scott Pilgrim series, a Canadian's spin on the manga. It is quirky and entertaining no matter what kind of books you like to read. The only way you'll not like this series is if you're a person who likes to torture cute little bunnies; and I know you're not like that.
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