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Last weekend we were up in Grass Valley, CA for the wedding of Jake & Kristin – Wahoo! Very exciting indeed. If ever two were meant to be together… The family and friends were fantastic, the ceremony was beautiful, and the food was delicious. I love that the entire event was held outdoors. When the sun went down and the music went up, the night became electric. The joy in the air was tangible. Oh how I adore weddings!

[Maddox’s wedding outfit]

[Eating a pretzel]

[During the ceremony with a fan]

Maddox had a blast at the wedding. He enjoyed playing with all of the kids, watching fish in the pond, gathering flowers and sticks, playing with toy princesses, staying up late enough to see the moon, experiencing his first night rain. He even picked out a special flower for his friend Riley. He is turning into quite the little gentleman.

[Getting ready to deliver a special flower]

After much deliberation, Maddox picked out the perfect flower for Riley.  He had one flower in each pocket, one for her and one for him.  It was so cute!  Though even his tantrums these days are pretty cute. What is that?  Maybe its my hormones, but I can’t help but to think he is the greatest thing in the entire universe.

This is pretty great stuff too:

Congratulations you guys!

Recently we had some family photos taken by Aubrey Trinnaman.  She is a joy to work with and is an amazing photographer. Here are a couple preview shots:

This is from last week. It is just cute and makes me happy. It was a really hot day for San Francisco (98), so Maddox was wearing few clothes. We like to play a game where we open our eyes as big as we can then make them really small again. At the beginning of the video he points to the straw and says and does the sign for ‘Orange’ for some reason. Then he shows off his verbal skills saying the words – blue, poop, and walk. The video goes until he gets distracted by a bit of milk splashing on the couch.

Today is the second day of daycare, which I have started calling “school” because it seems more appropriate and is just plain easier to say having fewer syllables and all (I need to conserve energy where I can). Anyway, drop off totally sucked.  He started crying in the car as soon as we pulled up and he saw the big yellow house. Even the peppy little Boston Terrier couldn’t snap him out of it.  When I left he was crying and saying “Baum Baum”, which means “Mommy, Mommy”.  Heartbreaking.

So I’ve basically been crying for an hour.  And beating myself up.  Then telling myself its best for everyone etc etc. blah blah blah.  And now I’m recovered enough to plan my day of distractions.

I’m going to start with sewing.  I’m working on a blanket for the new little baby and it would be cool if it was done before she is born. Following that, I plan to walk 2 blocks and get the longest, most fragrant pedicure money can buy. And if I’m really feeling crazy, I might walk one more block and see a movie.  And this my friends is really out there for me.  I am not a movie goer. I always enjoy them when I go, yet I avoid them like the plague.  The time usually seems better spent doing something social, or at least getting something done – like laundry or yard work. But today it might be the only way to escape my head and heart.

A cute photo from the archives to remind me of how good life is…

UPDATE:
The daycare just sent me a couple text messages. Apparently he is “doing really well today. He only cried for like 10 min! Now he’s playing”.

Also a couple photos…

Today is Maddox’s first day of Daycare.  It is also the first time we have been apart this long, ever. I really hope he is happy and doing well.  It is nap time now.  I don’t have high hopes of him napping there without crying.  We’ll see! From what I hear, every kid does great the first couple days, then things fall apart and they don’t want to go anymore. Then this phase lasts somewhere between a couple weeks to a couple months, depending on the kid.

I have been trying to keep as busy as possible so as to not over think this separation and totally meltdown. I have a hefty dose of pregnancy hormones working against me, but so far I’ve done pretty well. I went to the Mission for hipster donuts (bacon apple maple glazed), Rainbow Market (hippie co-op), car wash, met with our designer, met with a painter, and now am enjoying lunch. So far, I’ve made it without crying. I almost did for a minute in the grocery store when I saw all the kid books and toys, but I sucked the tears right back in. Once I get going on the crying thing, there is no turning back.

I’m excited about this new phase. I think it will be really great for all of us. Mostly though, I’m doing it for him. I want him to socialize, learn to take direction from other grown-ups, make friends, and have his “own life” that doesn’t involve us or the baby-to-be. Of course this is also good for me…I guess. I don’t quite see it that way yet. I feel guilty about out-sourcing my family. Once the new baby is here it will be nice to have special time that is just for her.  Also this is an attempt at helping Maddox to feel more independent and less displaced. Hopefully it all goes well!  I just have to keep reminding myself why I’m doing this.

I saw this post the other day about micro sculptures that Dalton Ghetti creates from a pencil. I am totally blown away by the genius!

Unfortunately for me, he never sells his work, only gives them away to family and friends.

How cute is this alphabet!?

Recently we went on a mini vaca to Palm Springs.  It was a nice escape from our San Francisco Summer.  The sun felt SO good! When we left I believe it was 106 degrees.  Ahhh…

[Maddox in a hanging basket chair at The Parker]

We were there for only 3 nights, but I felt refreshed and relaxed upon our return. The warm nights are the best part of hot weather if you ask me.  It feels so good to be in a tank top at 9pm and still feel the heat on my skin.

Here is a shot of Maddox and Josh taking a moment to enjoy the hammock.

Maddox and Riley pick up a game of Bocce…

(The metal balls are VERY heavy for a 1 1/2 year old!)

Next up, Maddox and Damon play a game of Giant Chess!

Maddox and I just finished making cheesy souffle ebelskivers with the fancy pan and cookbook my mother bought us for Christmas. Turns out Maddox likes playing with flour as much as the dirt outside!  The difference is he is totally contained in his highchair and I can do indoor mommy activities (like actually cook). He uses the measuring spoons, and whisk, and pours and stirs over and over. He is a very focused youngin’. I let him shake in some cinnamon for color and fun. Flour is pretty cheap too, for the amount of fun he is gets out of it!