Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

cousin-friends

Last weekend we enjoyed the company of some dear friends.  The kind of friends that you tell your kid to call 'auntie' and her kids are 'cousins' even though they really aren't.  I think every kid should have some honorary aunties and cousins in their lives! (especially if 'real' cousins may be a long time off...hint hint Mandy!)  Corbin met his 'cousin' Colin (and eventually big brother Myles) when he was only 1 week old (Colin was 3 weeks old).  I found their photos from the last (almost) two years... amazing changes in such a short time!


August 2011


August 2012


April 2013

These boys... well they had a LOT of fun this weekend and definitely wore their parents out but I'm so happy to help create memories for Corbin-o... even if he only remembers them from photos.  




Each morning this week, Corbin pushes a chair up to the window in our kitchen to look for 'Call-din' and 'Smile.'  I think we'll have to plan a visit soon :)

Sunday, April 14, 2013

life with Corbin-o

The Bean found one of my stashes of funny hats and costumes.  This occupied him for almost an hour.




Never again... until next time.

I had my first 'never again' moment as a parent... and I knew full well that I would definitely have to do 'it' again in the near future.  'It' was taking Corbin for his first hair cut... first of many unless he develops early male patterned baldness or we decide to let him grow a pony tail.

I thought we did everything right.  We talked about getting a hair cut.  We went to a special kid hair cutting place (with a castle! and cartoons! and toys!).  First he refused to sit in the chair by himself.  "No big deal, " I told myself, lots of kids sit in their parent's lap for their hair cuts.  Then he freaked out when they tried to put the cute, kid-sized cape on him.  Then he started crying, writhing, and generally throwing a big fit when the lady pulled out the scissors.  Hair cutting lady was extremely persistent (note: not patient... just persistent) and somehow managed to snip off his mullet (Mr. Incredible insisted the 'business in front, party in the back' hair style had to go), trim around his ears, and clip the front too.  

All the while, Corbin continued to writhe and scream in a very, very desperate little boy voice, "Mama! Noooo! Hair! Mama!"  

There was so much writhing that I'm pretty sure the hair cutting lady cut my hair- or at least I heard the snip next to my ear and when I looked up at her in horror, she just stared right back at me with her mouth forming a little 'o' and her eyes the size of saucers.

We finally called it quits and Corbin was rewarded with a Tootsie Pop while I was given a little baggy full of his baby hair... which is cute only to parents and maybe grandparents but its a pretty nasty concept for anyone else (bag of hair... like something you'd find buried in a hoarders house).  By the way, after giving him the sucker, Corbin sat completely still and sucked that thing like his life depended on it.  I suggested (as un-snarkily as possible) that next time, hair cutting lady starts with the Tootsie Pop.

We had to sit in the car for a bit, recovering from the ordeal- Corbin turning into a sticky mess and me practicing my yoga breaths.  That was about the time I made my 'never again' statement, followed quickly by the horrible realization that we had many, many more haircuts in our future, as well as dentist appointments and other acts of child cruelty.

So what check out the Bean's new do...


sticky, dirty face from consolation Tootsie Pop


still a blondie


not a baby anymore (sob!)


look who got a haircut!


Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Old Poway Park

This weekend we (finally) took Corbin-o to the nearby Old Poway Park to ride the train.  Mr. Incredible's parents were in town so we thought it'd be a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  It turned out that it was a great way to spend an afternoon... especially if you have a train-obsessed child in your care!

We were fortunate to catch the train on a weekend when the actual Steam Locomotive was running so it was very cool.


It is a Baldwin Steam Engine built in 1907 (for the train-enthusiasts out there).  With real steam!


The railroad is run by volunteers that get very into their roles as conductors, engineers, ticket takers, etc, etc.







The Poway Midland Railroad runs every weekend February-November.  Old Poway Park also puts on a Train Days Festival with music, kids' activities, and train robbers.  We might have to check that out!

Do you have a favorite park or play place that your family loves?

Monday, April 1, 2013

Easter 2013- eggys, hop hops, and trucks of course


Corbin-o actually eager to meet the Easter bunny...


petting a real 'hop hop'


fun with bubbles


altered plastic eggs


and hand made funny bunnies


first egg hunt- success!


and then he discovered that there were things inside the eggs...


finding his easter basket inside the tunnel


trying a peep... which was great until he started recognizing body parts ('Corbin- eat the head!'  'No no!')



eggy!



Uncle JT helping with the hunt.