Part III: What Liam Does

While we were busy climbing, lounging, or getting into mischief (aka Emilia), Liam was busy doing his own thing too.. playing with whatever was within his reach and practicing his many cute and adorable facial expressions to capture our attention and obtain some snuggle, holding time.

Seriously... doesn't that expression just make you want to hold him?! Maybe it's just me as a momma...

Part II: Egg Hunt @ Joshua Tree

Bright and early the next morning (thanks to Deb & Arielle, for getting the egg hunt ready) the first thing Emilia did was grab her duckie basket and look for eggs. So much different than the year before. Now she knows to get more than an egg a hand!


She's focused and on a mission...



"I need some more"

That's a mighty big egg you have there kiddo. I don't think it will fit in your basket.



"Look mama, I open the egg."


Helping Gunner organize his goodies.



So excited!

Part I: Climbing & Camping @ Joshua Tree

We made it out to Joshua Tree over Easter weekend for some fun with friends, rocks, and camp-style egg hunts. Even a short trip like this takes a bit of planning now with a toddler and a baby, but it was well worth it to get out there. Kudos to Ryan for planning, organizing, and packing everything to accommodate each of us.


Car was loaded up to max capacity. Kids in tow with toys.. we're good to go.


My lil' explorer was out and about every chance she got. She definitely likes rocks. Not so much being harnessed up and climbing, but picking them up, checking them out, holding them along with her blankie and water, putting them in our shoes, etc.


She's demonstrating to me how to do the crossfit squat the natural toddler way.


Luckily for us, especially for the kiddies, Jefe and Tam brought along a shade. How many engineers does it take to set up a shade? Apparently as many engineers as we have on hand!



Liam enjoyed the shade, but he really wanted some of 'em banana chips.. and some attention.


We are lucky to have such wonderful friends to help out with the kids so that Ryan and I could have a chance to relax a little, hang out, and climb... just a little.


Not the best photo, but here's a look at our campsite. Our gigantic 6-man tent is in the background on the left. Turns out it wasn't so gigantic when compared to everyone else's. Deb & Allan's tent though, took the prize for gigantic tents. Theirs had two side "rooms" with dividers and side doors built in!


Liam kept warm and cozy being attached to me. He did great for his first camping trip. He woke only once because he was hungry. After he was fed, he went right back to sleep.


Emilia on the other hand, had too much excitement going on and refused to sleep. She eventually fell asleep in Ryan's arms around the campfire, but proceeded to wake up about ten times throughout the night.


Well, we managed to make it through the night.. so onto the next day!

I Yam What I Yam

We love yams! Emilia's food preference changes day by day, but yams are one of the few things that she's always liked since she began eating solids. Now that she's older, I don't need to spend the time making mashed yams (with blended kale), so yam chips! yah! Also, since I started being Paleo, I eat yams more as a source of post-workout re-fuel. The yams help to restock muscle glycogen and minimizes muscle breakdown. After an intense workout, the body is most efficient at shuttling carbs and amino acids into the muscles which aids for a faster recovery.

Garnet and Purple Yam Chips/Fries!


My mom introduced us to purple yams which she had gotten from a farmers market. It seemed odd at first. I have never come across purple yams in any major chain grocery stores, however now I can find them in the Asian markets. Turns out purple yam chips are AWESOME. Emilia keeps asking for the purple ones versus the orange ones.



Notice how the middle of the yam chip is a nice mid-tone shade of purple.


Sharing a bite with you...


Both of us like to chow down on these either as a quick standalone meal or snack. Yum!

Demo

As in Demolition. This is what I've been doing lately...






We're getting ready to extend our deck to make it more usable (the existing small, split decks are practically useless). Underneath the new deck will be a fenced in play area for the kids. We're thinking of using some sort of artificial turf to minimize the maintenance. And the old asphalt around the house will be redone in concrete creating a cleaner, safer surface for the kids (and grown-ups) to play on.

A Preview

Just a preview til we have more time to upload photos and blog about our trip. Ryan organized our annual (hopefully bi-annual) Joshua Tree camping/rock climbing trip over Easter weekend. Luckily all of us recovered from being sick for the past 2 weeks, just in time to get out and enjoy some time with friends and rocks.

Oh yes! Are we excited to go on a very short (1.5 days) mini-break vacay!

Liam's First Solids

A few weeks ago, we decided to give Liam his first taste of solid food. We learned our lesson from Emilia, and did not use avocados as the first solids. Nope, this stuff was just some bland rice cereal mixed with breastmilk. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but didn't do the Emilia gagging routine so that's a plus. He obviously needs a bit more practice though. Free background commentary from Emilia.

Another Dose of Liam.. Tummy Time Style