Flower Class

On Saturday I took a floral class offered by a very talented girl up in San Francisco (psst...she's done flowers for Martha Stewart Weddings magazine). She taught us the techniques of working with more modern flower arranging. The class was amazing. I can't wait to start playing around with some beautiful buds!

Here's a sampling of what we made:



Want to see the class in action? Go here.

The Hulk

I think it's time to let you in on a little secret. (whispered) Owen has a FIERCE case of the Hulk. This may not be news to some of you. I've mentioned before that he was a struggle in Italy, but there were other circumstances that brought out that beast. And then yesterday. Yesterday he made me cry.

It began a couple months ago. At least that's when I started to notice that my sweet little one wasn't as sweet as I once believed. First came the frustration. Then an escalated pattern of grunting, crying, and the like. Soon Mark and I said to ourselves, "Oh, it looks like our little guy is having a hard time expressing himself. How cute. But he'll talk soon enough." Then came the incessant head banging. Anger, and a quick search for the nearest hard place to bang his head. Not enough to really hurt, mind you, but just enough to cause a minor bruise. We tried our best to ignore the dramatics and pay attention to the cues so a tantrum wouldn't dare show its ugly little head. And that's when he kicked it up a notch. High-pitched shrilling screams were followed by thrown objects. So Mark and I said to ourselves, "This is more serious. Perhaps our little guy needs time out from the situation to calm down. Yes, time out," we both agreed. Thus began the hitting, headbutting, and hair pulling. If we tried to pick him up, we'd make sure to grab hold of his arms to avoid a hit, headbutt, or pull of the hair (usually reserved just for me).

And then yesterday. After a couple of particularly hard days I was tired of dealing with the twos. My spirits were already low. And a tantrum began. Only this time he managed to add something more. After a particularly hard hair pull, he just sat there and laughed. Laughed at my futile efforts. Laughed at my weakness. Laughed at me. So I cried.

And wouldn't you know, today he has been just shy of angelic. He's probably harnessing his special powers for the upcoming weekend when we are with large crowds of family. Then, and especially then, he will unleash the beast.

Summertime

Summer is in full swing, and I couldn't be any happier. The weather, the family and friends, the outings. Here's a rundown of it all.


Owen and I spent a week in Utah with family, while Mark traveled to Germany for the launch of two new products. Owen liked hanging out with his cousins, Chase (pictured above), Ryan, and Cooper too. We went on a lot of outings, but one of our favorites was the Hogle Zoo. We got to see a rare white alligator, which is one of only 10 of its kind in the world. So cool!


We also enjoyed a visit with our long time friends, the TurleyBensons. We celebrated Father's Day together and made some awesome candy bar posters for the resident father and fathers-to-be. We went to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk for arcade games and deep-fried Twinkies. But mostly we just lounged by the pool and ate summer treats like homemade "Benson Berry" ice cream.


And of course, we've made good use of the beach since the weather has been so f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s! We went to Rio del Mar with our friends, Kim and Caleb. Sunshine and sand castles. Warm weather and water. Need I alliterate longer?


And this fine foot photo comes complete with story. During our day at the beach, I looked down at Mark's flip flops and noticed one of them read Roxy...as in the girls' brand...as in my flip flop. Wait, why is Mark wearing my flip flop? Turns out Mark had been wearing one of mine and one of his the entire time at the beach. Apparently he was in such a hurry getting out the door that he didn't even notice he grabbed two different sandals. And he still didn't notice after wearing them for a couple hours! I can't figure this one out. What's even funnier is his refusal to acknowledge it even happened. Needless to say, he's not going to like this post!

Out of the Box

Remember that promise I made about resolving the television situation by 100 days?

I am proud to announce that the unsightly television box is no longer behind the couch! Just in time for Father's Day (the 100th day), our new television was perched atop a lovely new media console. And I must say the two make quite a pair. There are still some decorating touches to add...but the deed is done.

Do Not Open Until...

We got a new TV, but you'd never know. Check out this photo of our family room. See the new television?

Nope. It's not the one sitting in the cabinet. That old thing is eight years old - ancient in terms of technology. Look again...in the lower right corner of the picture.

Yep. That lovely Philips box peeking out from behind the couch houses our new, fabulous, too-large-for-the-average-viewer flat panel TV.

We purchased it on March 8th. MARCH 8TH! That was 80 days ago to be exact. "So why is it still sitting in a box behind your couch," you may ask. "Are you waiting until the 89th day to return it within the 90-day period? Are you delaying until it becomes outdated and obsolete? Are you mad?" All good questions.

Sometimes I forget we even have a new TV. Do you know any males on this planet who go out and buy a 1080p LCD High Definition TV just to have it sit behind their couch in a box? Well, apparently I happen to be married to one of them. And I won't even go into the details about this preposterous situation. Just know that I am making a pledge here and now to resolve the situation before 100 days have passed. It's time to take matters into my own hands. (Dear Husband, if you're reading this, consider it done).

Triple Digits

Mark decided it was high time to christen the pool since we've been having such fine weather. Here's how he did it:


A Disclaimer for Mark: The skin shown in the photograph may appear ashen, colorless, or just plain pale due to the quality of the camera. It definitely has nothing to do with the fact that the skin is naturally pallid and lacks sun exposure. Definitely.

Italia

Sifting through 800 or so pictures of Italy was no small task. And picking out a few good ones wasn't exactly easy. Don't get me wrong, the scenery was great. It's just that I am dealing with a non-photogenic husband, an ornery toddler, and a terribly tired-looking and overly pale version of myself. Those factors don't exactly add up to quality photos. With that said...I give you ITALY.


Rome's Trevi Fountain was amazing. I could have stayed there all day and been perfectly happy.


Did I mention Pinocchio was everywhere? This life-sized replica sat outside a peculiar little wooden toy shop.


Have you ever read the children's book Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!? Luckily I've read it. Otherwise I wouldn't have thought these birds were half as cute.


Behold the bounty. Gelato never looked (or tasted) better.


Do you see anything wrong with this picture? No joke, this was found in the menu at one of the restaurants where we ate. And I didn't order it.


And would you get a load of this? There were so many delightful goodies on display. It was hard to choose just one...so I chose four.


Ah, Venice. This city had a style all its own. I loved the bold colors, narrow waterways, even the laundry hanging out to dry. And this was one of the few times we saw sunshine on our trip!


This was the highlight of Owen's trip. As soon as we'd let him go, he'd run and run and run and...well, just look at his face. Sheer joy.


Viva Italia!