BAD BAD MOMMY

This is just a post totally flogging myself for the lapse in blogging.  I thought that if I did so publicly (again for my three followers) it might motivate me to never allow such time to lapse between posts.  What have I been doing with all of my free time you ask?  Oh lets see...making calendars, writing children's books, taking photos, RAISING a small toddler deeply entrenched in his "tremendous twos" (as I like to call them)..you know basically nothing.  Never the less..I apologize.  As if my fan base was not small to begin with this temporary cessation I am sure didi not help.  Please please I beg of thee do forgive me.  We will now return to our regularly scheduled blogging.  Tonight I am staying up late playing catch up sacrificing much needed sleep for the sake of my readers (yes all three of you)!

DENNIS THE MENACE CAME TO THANKSGIVING

Today's blog title was inspired by none other than Grandma Debs.  She is also responsible for our featured photos today.  I had so intended to bring my camera down to San Diego for the holiday however with a toddler, two bags, a diaper bag, and a car seat on a train the day before Thanksgiving, the thought of carrying one more item was not so desirable.   So for this holiday many of my "photos" will have to remain in my memory.  My apologies to all of those wonderful relatives (Rita, Jamie, Pops, Uncle Bob, etc.) who pictures I do not have to share with everyone.  Please know you all made Luke's trip to San Diego just fabulous.  

Luke is still talking about his trip to Sea World which we intended to video but realized way too late that the camera was not charged.   Shamu and feeding the dolphins made quite an impression.  Well we will be back.  For now it will have to do that we have photos of Luke and his BFF..GRACIE.  

Thanksgiving was full of playing with cousin Jamie, cuddling with Gracie, chasing with Pops, pretend baseball with the whole family and of course SHAMU.  

Luke was a dream on the train..thank goodness because it was almost a disaster on the way down.  No reserved seating, people standing in the aisles, and over an hour delay...but hey its the holidays what can one expect.  Thank goodness for DVDs!!  

All in all a wonderful holiday.  Not to mention Luke even requested to wear is dress shirt and if I do say so myself I think he looks quite handsome.  He is much cuter than Dennis the Menace..though I will admit Grandma Debs that I do see the resemblance.!

A BIT OF FALL IN CALIFORNIA

     First I must apologize for my lapse in blogging.  I am sure my readers (all three) will forgive me.   Without photos it just is not as much fun to blog.  But really there are no excuses.  Anyways.  As usual we have been spending our days quite busy with parks and playdates.  I showed up to Weddington park on Thursday and was immediately drawn to this beautiful area where the leaves had fallen neatly under a tree.  I would have turned around to go home and grab my camera but being that Luke got up at 4:30 that morning neither one of us had that kind of energy.  Instead I did what any resourceful person would do: I called my girlfriend Anastasia (who have I mentioned has a better lense) and asked her to bring her camera.  She too was quite impressed with the beautiful leaves and she even managed to get her son Spencer to play in them.  Luke took a bit of coaxing.  It was the closest thing to having a bit of fall here in California.  It would maybe even look like back east if it were not for the fact that my son is wearing shorts and its the middle of November!

I could not resist including these photos since they are an honest depiction of some of the other things that Luke and I are dealing with these days.  

Fortunately we are not the only ones going through it!!  They are learning a lot from one another.

NO LACK OF IMAGINATION

Unfortunately there has not been a great deal of photos taken this week, but there is still no shortage of wonderful adventures to talk about. Luke and I have been spending a lot of time this week at the park in Burbank near the library.  We usually tend to spend our days at some of the bigger playgrounds with more running room but due to this unseasonably warm heat wave we opted for a park that had more shade and an indoor space (the library) to escape from the heat.   The structures at this particular park are a mother's dream: safe, contained, sand on the ground, and totally FENCED in.  Well Luke has decided that it is a little too SAFE for him.  He instead prefers the hilly grass area that is a bit too close to the street for me to fully relax when he is running with wild abandon.  Yesterday the two of us went early in the morning to get a little toddler energy out before our nap.  

While playing inside the playground Luke looked at me and said "Mama you want to play football?"  I of course was not so desirous of running around in 90 degree weather but happily obliged by saying "Sure-- but we don't have a ball Luke."  Luke looked at me with a very silly grin and said "Yes we do, we have a tend (pretend) ball."  OF COURSE!!!  What was I thinking?!

So the two of us proceeded to play a round of football with our "tend" ball and then a couple of rounds of baseball with our "tend" ball and bat.  Luke really follows the imaginary ball in the air and plays the game as if we really had real objects with us.  I felt like I was back I acting school tossing the imaginary energy ball again.  The only difference was that my partner was really really committed!!  

CASTING AND TEMPERAMENTAL ACTORS

Having trained to be an actress for a good part of my life I am very used to inhabiting a role and all that it entails.   I have worked with a lot of different actors with varying temperaments and methods.  Some actors prefer to do their own preparations, some like to discuss their role a lot, some rely on the costume or dialect. Some actors like to stay in character all day and will not even answer when you call them by their real name.  Luke apparently is such an actor.  Early in the morning I am usually given  my casting assignment and if I don't follow it to the letter, BELIEVE me I am made very aware.  Yesterday it was : "You be Elliot, I be E.T."  All day long I had to refer to him as E.T.  Today it was: "You be Daddy Warbucks and I be Annie."  Others that have been included are: "You be Bodhi Mama and I be Bodhi, You be Christi and I be Iggy, and finally You be Man with Yellow Hat and I be Curious George (of course!!)."  

Frankly they are some of the best roles that I have ever played and I am honored to have been chosen for these parts.

A LAZY FRIDAY

After a busy week of classes, playdates and activities Luke and I decided that today we would spend lounging around the house playing together just the two of us.  It began early this morning ( 6.00 am thank you time change!) when Luke woke me up with a "Good morning Mama".  "  Would you like to play in my play area?" he asked.  What I wanted to say at six in the morning and what I did say were two different things, but who can resist that cute little face even if it is way too early to be surrounded with Tonka trucks.  Luke quickly grabbed his new friend, Racoon and asked if I would take a photo of him sitting on his lap.  Even at six in the morning I knew a good thing when I heard it.  I mean my two year old actually ASKED me to take a picture of him.  GLADLY.   We then used the rest of the day to just play.   Playing with a two year old is anything but relaxing.  Our day involved pretending to be skateboarders, puzzles, jumping on the bed, singing "Step-in-Time, and pretending to fish. Oh and a new skateboard shirt and pants complete with pockets that arrived in the mail.  As you can see Luke was hard at work jackhammering as well.  Lazy day felt anything but lazy but it did feel like one of those days when motherhood is just pure FUN.  It even ended with Luke eating dinner and all of his brussel sprouts.  How can anyone complain about that!

BOYS AND THEIR CARS!!

Within seconds of pulling out these cars boys from all around the park swarmed around Luke.   He quite enjoyed all of the attention and very meticulously put his cars on display by gently and carefully lining them all up.   These beautiful photos were sent to me by Anastasia who was able to capture the moment with her brand new lense (hint to my husband for future anniversary gifts).   Luke has had these cars FOREVER but has never taken quite as much interest as when Spencer and the other boys seemed to enjoy them.  What is it about our things that makes them more valuable when someone else likes them?