End of July...well, almost

The last days of July were full of activities...as usual...And there are still 2 days left! Today and tomorrow there are FREE concerts in the Marina and in Playa Vista that we are going to try to go to as we enjoy the last couple days of Abuelita's visit!

We got a visit from Al:

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

He was in town for a couple days training with some other BIG SHOTS before heading out to Argentina to play for the Dominican National Team and see if they qualify for the Olympics.

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

Our neighbor, Alexander, said that he was the TALLEST PERSON he'd seen in his ENTIRE LIFE...entire 4 years of life, I might add...lol

Visitor Summary: We've had #16 Visitors this summer!!

I guess LA is a happening spot that everyone wants to check out.

Luz Mila

Grandad & Vivi

Samantha & Aunt Patricia

Ana & Nico

Tia Manuela

Kelly & Ashish

Forman

Louis & Rebecca

Abuelita

Al

Uncle Jorge

Daddy left to Austin for Work:

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

Nico was very helpful getting PAPA out the door. He put his carry-on on his cart and rolled it all the way down the hallway!

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

We were all going to go together but Nico and I weren't able to make it out there. But we miss you BABY MOMMA FRIENDS! Hopefully we'll see you before our kiddos go to college...lol.

We hung out with Lorena:

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

We had a great time reading books, playing with all of Nico's toys, coloring and watching the movie CARS!

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

Youtube Link of video.

We hung out around here:

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

We went on an adventure to PLAYA VISTA:

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

We took the FREE BEACH SHUTTLE over there. We had a yummy lunch....

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

Nico didn't like his broccoli---

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

And then hung out at the park--with abuelita and our new friends: YOSEF, Lucia, Gaby, and Daniel.

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

...rolling down the hill, playing tag, investigating things, and playing ring around the rosie!

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

Nico vandalized for the first time in a PUBLIC PLACE!!!

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

Nico even got to play T-BALL!

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

Well their version of the game...haha. And then we headed back home...exhausted!

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

Other things this week:

From Blackberry Camera

Nico started Brushing his teeth--by himself with his electric toothbrush!!! He FAKE-read a book to abuelito on Skype; He said "THE END" when we got to the last page of Goodnight Moon ; He told papa "nigh nigh"(night night) and "Buh-bye" when we were leaving; He said "mago" for Mango when we were eating lunch yesterday.

From Blackberry Camera

He is like a SPONGE...imitating everything---all the sounds, all the faces, all the signs---EVERYTHING. Our pumpkin head his growing up so fast! Nico's been able to see him through SKYPE, but that still hasn't stopped him from saying PAPA all week and pointing at him in all the pictures around the apartment. Even Peter noticed a difference when he saw him on skype 2 days after leaving. He asked if he had GROWN...and he probably has. The week seemed to go by really slow though...probably cause Papa is out of town. Fortunately, last night (for the first time all week) he slept ALL NIGHT! Maybe now Mama can get some rest....lol.

Hope you have a nice weekend!!!

Here is the link to the slideshow if you don't see it BELOW:

No Words...

From 1107 End of July, Al,lorena, apt, playa vista

Water Bus...summer fun in the Marina

So here in the Marina we have this amazing WATER BUS...all summer. What is it? Well it's a group of Boats that loop you around the Marina to different places like: Mother's Beach--where Cheescake Factory is, Chase Park--where there are free concerts on Thursdays and Saturdays, and Fisherman's Village--where there are little shops and dining places-------

ALL FOR $1, well $2 for round trip!!

It's so nice to be out on the water....I know Nico is very entertained and Peter gets a small fix of boating---since he really misses the Keys and his parents' boat, and mom loved the sunset boat-ride on the Marina.

First SALON haircut---The Yellow Balloon

Nico got his first SALON haircut yesterday at THE YELLOW BALLOON in Santa Monica.

He was very upset...but when he got his yellow balloon, he calmed down enough to color with abuela for a little before we left.

It's crazy how GROWN UP HE LOOKS now with his new hair cut!!!

Gracias abuelita for my first salon haircut!!

Home made Pladough

Saturday I had a very CRAFTY MOM morning! I was inspired to make Nico some Playdough. I got this recipe on-line and got to cooking....

Playdough Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Food coloring by drops

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a pan and stir. Cook over low heat, stirring until a ball forms.

2. Allow it to cool.

3. Find someone to test your final product and approve of it!

20 de Julio

Feliz Dia de la Independencia Colombia!!!!

I Love being colombian, I love our culture, the FOOD, the MUSIC---and how it moves me from DEEP inside. I know there are lots of problems there, like with a lot of other countries, but it's what makes Colombia who it is!

Today I thought of all those parandas vallenatas that I heard, all the ALL-nighters at latin clubs, farm parties, and get-togethers in Miami, Bogota, Gainesville, and Manizales where these colombian rhythms kept me on the dance floor for HOURS.

We don't get too many chances here in LA to attend Colombian, latin, or dance parties (for that matter)...and I DO MISS IT...

I hope that Nico grows up to love colombia just as much as I do!

NAPA & SONOMA Valley Trip with Kelly& Josh

--A little late..sorry--

Peter and I took our first TRIP away together WITHOUT NICO since---Our engament trip to Puerto Rico, 2 years ago. A couple months ago, my friend Kelly told me she was running the Napa to Sonoma 1/2 Marathon.....I immediately said: YES, We're going, without thinking about the cost or other DETAILS..details...details! As the day neared, and we started making plans, we realized that it might be a good opportunity for Peter and I to take a BIG PEOPLE trip...since Nico probably wouldn't enjoy the wine tasting tours anyway. My mom had been in town for a couple weeks and so, was the PERFECT babysitting candidate for the task.

Saying Bye to my baby was THE HARDEST thing to do that Friday morning of his year and a half birthday. I cried for a good 30minutes and then the tears started drying a little as Dane Cook helped keep me entertained and focused on the road while driving (while Peter "worked"). We skyped with Nico and Abuela twice before we made it to SAN FRANCISCO Airport

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

...where we picked up an AWESOME PACKAGE: Kelly and Josh Allegro! After we picked them up we went to the Fisherman's Wharf

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

for some bread bowl Clam Chowder---YUMMMYYYYY!

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

We hung out around the Wharf watching some "focas" sun-bathe

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

and guesstimating how far Alcatraz was. We drove out over the GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

and took a little de-tour around some HAPPY COWS, HORSES, and VINEYARDS. On the drive we got to catch-up on life!

The Drive there was really long...NO LIE--9 hours to be exact.

Our Hotel:

We SKYPED with Nico again...my babyhead was eating dinner--SO CUTE. This time I only shed

a couple years...improving!

Wine Tasting...Touring:

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

Saturday morning we went for a little 30min run and then got ready for our WINE TASTING TRIP! Although we thought we weren't going to get a spot at a vineyard, we DID! At Robert Mondavi Vineyard.

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

We had a great time.

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

We walked around learning about different things and then we finally got to go some wine tasting!!!

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

It was delish!!!But the samples were too small.

We then got lunch at this little grocery store and ate it on some cute picnic tables just outside...next to a pasture of vineyards

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

The Race:

We were up before the sun and headed over to the start of the Race, at a Vineyard in NAPA. Josh dropped us off and headed over to the 8 mile cheering section.
Here are some pictures of us warming up through Vineyards!

It was a small race....supposedly!

We found Kelly at the start of the race!

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

Peter and I ran our first RACE TOGETHER: 1:39:04. Peter could have run a lot faster but he waited for me. I was really struggling. It was definitely the hardest 1/2 Marathon I've run in a long time...and most painful...but it was really pretty!

The post race massage was AWESOME!

After the race we hung out with Kelly and Josh and THEIR HUGE TEAM (Team Challenge---who raised 1.7 million dollars for The Crohns and Colitis Foundation). We waddled around, ate some free food, and then started our TREK back home!

The Drive Back:

We stopped in Berkeley, since Peter had always wanted to check it out. It was beautiful...very granola....BUT WE LOVED IT! We stopped at a grocery store---NO PLASTIC BAGS. Everyone brought their own bags, and BIKED!

We got back on the road and drove through MISSON San Miguel el Archangel to walk around, stretch out, and get some good fortune from the man upstairs.

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

Then I drove a portion until we arrived in PISMO BEACH,

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

where we walked around the Pier and had dinner at a very interesting Sushi place with JAZZ music, lol...

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

and waitress with TERRIBLE MEMORY.

From 1107 Napa to Sonoma, 1st trip alone

We were considering camping for the night in the area but since we would be heading out early to beat the LA morning traffic, we decided to SUCK IT UP and KICK IT IN! We got home at 11:45pm

It was SO NICE TO BE HOME--IN OUR BED!

Our pumpkin head was sleeping soundly and we crashed for the night.

We were gone 3 days, drove a total of 22 hours, took our first trip in 2 years without Nico, Went on our first "Married Friends Trip", Ran another 1/2 marathon, realized that cheap wine is as good if NOT BETTER than expensive wine, and I was reminded of how funny Peter is. It was definitely a couple's retreat where the main source of therapy was LAUGHTER!

Only bad thing was that Nico was a little Upset when we got back....

He didn't give me a hug or a kiss until Monday NIGHT!!!

Click this link if you don't see the slideshow below: