Kozlowski Gals

One of the best parts about going to the Russian River is getting to stop in at Kozlowski Farms.  It's just a little hole-in-the-wall country market...delicious pies, yummy jams and spreads, etc.  While Joe watched the kids, I got to go with all of the gals (& Fr. Leon, too) on our way to wine tasting.  Aaaaah, what a day!

Little Ball Player

Just thought Charlie looked extra cute today.  First time wearing a baseball cap.  Handsome little boy!

River Rats

Ellie and Charlie thoroughly enjoyed our super short trip up to the Russian River with Magi and Grampy and some of our dear family friends.  Daddy babysat with all of the guys while Momma went wine tasting.  There's Charlie watching football with the guys.  And then there's Ellie...dirty river rat...covered in mud, wearing only a diaper (apparently she'd removed all of her clothes during her nap just prior to this pic and had peed herself, the bed and her clothes), using her pacifier outside of her crib (gasp!), and enjoying the Coors Light box.  Daddy's pretty fun when in-charge=).

More Dress-Up...What a ham!

Ellie is an "accessory whore!!!"  She will play dress-up with ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!  You should have seen her up at the Russian River this weekend stealing every pair of shoes and reading glasses from my parents' friends.  Here she is playing dress-up in her daddy's winter coat.  Notice the single piggy-tail, too?!  Good thing she's so darn cute...she's been DIFFICULT lately.  She doesn't stop moving or making noise, and her newest trick is smirking at us while we are trying to discipline her...ugh!  Wish me luck!

Doggy PJ's

Mini-Molly is OBSESSED with her "Doggy PJs!"  And look at that Farrah Fawcet hair-do!  Isn't she a sight first thing in the morning?!

More Dress-Up

Just a week or so ago, we were at home in Pasadena with Maggi and Grampy (by the way, Annie just found out that Maggi in Korean means devil...hah!).  Ellie has really gotten into playing dress-up, and she does not discriminate when it comes to her outfits... she even sees trash cans as hats!  We all got a great laugh out of all of this....until she choked herself with the mink scarf thing!

Beautiful Buffalo!

Ohhhh, I'm just so in love with this little guy.  Is he not darling?!  He LOVES his momma, too.  Everybody always tells you there's something special between boys and their mommies, but I didn't believe the hype...I do now!  Ellie adores him, too.  The other day she had a meltdown when she thought I was going to leave him behind when we left the apartment...screaming his name.  And then, a few days later, I had to drive with his car seat on the center console for, no joke, ten feet, just so that I could get out of my compact parking spot and away from the car next to me, so that I could load him in.  She FREAKED!...somehow, she knew that it was dangerous, and she started screaming at me: "OK, OK, OK, I sorry, I sorry, I sorry, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie!"  I think she has very little faith in my skills as a mother=).

Pee Pee Reward

Ellie started using the "big girl potty" just a couple of weeks ago...we've now totally fallen off the wagon and have progressed in the reverse...but, it was pretty exciting while it lasted.  As a reward after one of her biggest successes, she got to out for ice cream one afternoon with mommy and Charlie.  She fed half of it to herself and then mistakenly dumped the other half perfectly upside down on the floor of the ice cream shop.  Oh well!  Just waiting for the next success...momma doesn't mind the ice cream runs at all!=)...yummy!

"Buffalo"

It's official, we have a giant for a child!!  Joe's uncle has dubbed him our little "buffalo!"  I just love the nick name...so perfect for him.  He just had his check-up at the pediatrician's office last week, and he's in the 97th percentile for weight and is off the charts in length!!  The doctor was all worried that I was going to freak out that he was off the charts...he was literally trying to reassure me and console me.  Little did he know, we like 'em big 'round here!

Bad Mommy!!

While staying at my mom's and dad's, I decided to be a naughty mommy just for the heck of it, and I gave Miss Eleanor her first taste of hot chocolate....just dumped the entire packet of chocolate powder on her tray and taught her to lick it up with her finger.  Obviously, she LOVED it!

At Play

To me, there's really nothing worse than having to stay at home all day babysitting the kiddos.  I get so bored and antsy if I do.  I have to make sure to get us outside for a walk, an errand, a play date, etc. at least once a day.  There was so much to do back at home during the days, though, while the grandparents were off at work.  We managed to keep ourselves busy all day every day.  We even ended up at the Thousand Oaks mall playground one afternoon for some climbing and socializing (Ellie) and a Coffee Bean (Mommy).  Ellie was hilarious while making friends...at one point she laid down flat on the floor right next to these two brothers wrestling and just kept smiling up at them...basically inviting them to tackle her next.  She better cut that stuff out long before she reaches those teenage years!!

Camarillo Cutie!

How about that bum?!  

Boys Bonding

Charlie and his Pop-Pop are pretty good pals already.  We are soooo anxious to move back home to So Cal...there's nothing like grandparents.

Cheetah Girl!

We just got back from the most fun and relaxing trip to Southern California, where we spent tons of time bonding with the Grammies and Grampies. The trip started out with a bang for Ellie, because her Mimi bought her this goofy Cheetah Girls outfit along with 6 (!) pairs of Disney Princess high heels!!!!  This child was born a girl through and through...she is, without a doubt, an "accessory whore!"  Give her a purse, shoes, a necklace, bracelets, rings, etc. and she'll be busy for hours.