Mother's Day

A perfect mother's day itinerary:

Good morning kisses from my two favorite men.
Dance party in the kitchen.
Delicious breakfast at the Orange Blossom Cafe - serving up tasty traditional crepes in a cool beach side hideaway.

A walk through Solana beach design district - home to a few inspiring warm weather garden shops including my favorite succulent studio, Chicweed (www.chicweed.com) and a store featuring gorgeous hardwood tables and artwork.

A trip to the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla for an undersea adventure.

Lovely flowers.

And an early night for this tired mama.

Thank you Andy and Harrison for making me feel so loved and appreciated.  

Reflections on motherhood

 With Mother's Day just around the corner, I have been reflecting on the support and inspiration my mother has shown me over the past 31 years, as well as my own journey thus far through motherhood.

It is fascinating to me how life's events have the ability to greatly shift our perspectives and preconceived notions of the way things are.  Motherhood is definitely one of those life altering roles, and it is through becoming a mother myself that I have developed a much deeper appreciation for my own amazing mom, and for mothers in general.  Mom, I can't thank you enough for the incredible love, encouragement, and grace you bestow upon Scott and I!

Then:  Harrison (6 days old) & Mom

Now:  Harrison (19 months), Mom & Baby Girl 

I am frequently in awe of how much our little boy is teaching me, and I am so grateful for the time provided to us.  Beautiful lessons such as truly absorbing the moment unfold in such simple and exquisite events on a daily basis.  From seeing a snail slowly glide across the grass to hearing wind rustle through the trees, one of the greatest aspects of being a mom is the opportunity to re-experience life through the young eyes and hearts of our children.

My journey as a mother continues to be blissfully rewarding, challenging and humbling...one that evolves on a daily, if not hourly basis.  Perhaps one of the most significant lessons in life I am learning through my child is that of letting go and realizing that we have relatively little control over many aspects of life.  Life on life's terms as some say... and though these aren't necessarily our terms, I am finding that most things have an interesting way of working out rather well if we can allow ourselves to let go of our expectations and desire of control.  From Harrison's birth experience to his sleeping habits, there are some aspects of this adventure I would have chosen differently in a perfect world, and yet it is through these challenging moments that we get the opportunity to truly expand and grow.  I am no zen master, and though I struggle with this concept daily, I find it helpful through the moments of frustration inevitable in motherhood, to take a deep breath, give it my all and relinquish control to the greater forces at work.

We embark on this journey as mothers through a leap of faith, and with the support and wisdom of our partners, extended family and community, we can hope to cultivate kind, responsible and grateful human beings who will strive to leave the world in a better place than when they arrived.

  

Bunnies, Brunch & Ballparks

Happy Easter!

Thanks to Auntie Kristen, the Easter Bunny was able to find our house and deliver a box full of wonderful surprises for Harrison.  On Sunday morning, Harrison was glued to his new Thomas book, while Andy prepared a delicious brunch and I sat by drinking tea...I love rare mornings such as these.

Although Andy was in charge of the brunch, I participated as well in gathering a few of my favorite spring time items:  fresh tulips, a bowl full of milk chocolate eggs wrapped in perfectly pastel foil, and a tart fruit salad showcasing berries, mangos and pears.

H and I soaking in our relaxing morning

After brunch, we headed to an afternoon Padres baseball game with our friend Bob.  With sun overhead and the smell of Hebrew Nationals and popcorn wafting through the air, I couldn't think of a better way to spend the day.  The Padres lost, but Harrison loved his first baseball game...he made it through all nine innings, and naturally loved the people watching more than the game itself.   

Cheering on the local team, 

and entertaining people in the stands with my amazing talents.  

And we're in...

We finally made it to, and survived through moving day...or shall I say moving days.  After a series of unfortunate events and seriously shady dealings with the moving mafia, we are in and have the majority of our household items and sanity intact.  

One of my favorite photos from the move, a fast moving Andy in front of more dollar bills than I have seen in one setting, highlights the shadiness of this entire operation.  After a day or two late, and not a dollar short, the moving mafia made their appearance, collected the cold hard cash and not so gracefully moved in our furniture.  

Mais, alors....our lovely new kitchen and family room in my favorite Benjamin Moore shade - Palladium Blue

Harrison was a bit uneasy at first of the big move, however shortly after the boxes and furniture began arriving, he was elated to see some of his favorite items including the piano,

the breast pump, and his favorite moto-cop rocker (who wouldn't put these two items together?).

Although a bit rocky at times, this move couldn't have gone as smoothly as it did given the circumstances without the incredible support of Andy's parents who worked tirelessly packing and unpacking boxes, entertaining a rather active toddler, and cooking us delicious meals.  Thank you Karen and Harold...Harrison so enjoyed playing blocks with you and showing off his biking skills!

At one moment during the move I caught a glimpse of myself and the ever growing belly in the closet mirror and had to take this self portrait of our baby girl and I in our new home.  What an adventure this continues to be!

We are currently working on a landscaping plan for our mini yard, and in the interim, we are all not terribly enjoying the dirt and straw covered space.  Throw a few pieces of furniture and rugs outside however, and an instant oasis of sorts is created.  Here Harrison is teaching Max about some of the finer aspects of the yard - concrete blocks and rocks.

" See Max, you eat the rocks..mmmmm, delicious!"

Blue and his blue bone - looking a bit scrappy but still always a happy dog.

Our second night in the new house found a happy Harrison and Max enjoying spending quality time together on the stairs.  I think they like it!

Harrison checking out the cute boy in the mirror. 

A collection of photos

Despite moments of longing for the familiarity and comfort of the Northwest, life thus far in San Diego has been rather incredible.  We spend much of our time soaking in the outside and exploring this different kind of loveliness.  

A trail steps away from the Casita, leading into the Elfin Forest.  We love to take walks through this gorgeous area, listening to a symphony of frogs, birds, and a meandering creek.

Harrison is thrilled with his new home and getting to spend much more time comfortably outside.  

Nature boy

Harrison's latest obsession:  slides

Pure determination

 Working on the farm

Checking out the horses just below the Casita

A chilly and bright day at the beach

 Hanging out at a park just down the block from the new house

Loving precious time with Dad

 Hhhmmm...boys

A House in Progress

The house in January

And thus far...

 Before landscaping and final paint job - Harrison loves playing around the construction site

Andy and Harrison enjoying time in the kitchen just after the counter tops and back splash were installed

The family on tour 

H running with keys in the "expansive" side yard...safety first!

One of several series of paint swatches