LA Happenings with Leilani, Baby Friends, and more

Just a couple days into being home and we've already had lots going on here in these parts:
See all of Saturday and Sunday's pictures here:

Saturday

Saturday morning we gave daddy a break and we(Nico and I) went for a nice 10 mile run together. My 1/2 Marathon in San Diego, is creepy up on me! Nico behaved like a champ. He was looking around and babbling away as we ran around the Marina's fingers by ourselves enjoying a beautiful, sunny, southern California morning with nice cool breezes every now and then. After our run we came home to get ready for Tia Leilani ARRIVAL! (She will be here for a week!!!)

From 1105 Back in LA

We got the cruisers ready and biked to the Beach. While we waited for Chris and Leilani to get to the sand, Peter and I played some ABC Volleyball.

From 1105 Back in LA

For those of you who don't know what that is, It's a game where you have to bump the ball back and forth saying the next letter in the alphabet (in order, without skipping letters) until it drops. Whoever drops it, looses. Peter apparently needs to hit up some of Nico's classes when he starts learning the alphabet since he was skipping all over the place...BUT we had a great time! I for one can say it's the most fun I've had on the beach with Peter since we moved here. Nico was playing in the sand right next to us, doing his thing!

After we FINALLY made it to Z, we walked over to where Leilani, Chris, and all their friends were hanging out. Good times...and of course a mini Nico show, followed by more volleyball (for real this time)

From 1105 Back in LA

---good times, funny people, AWESOME AFTERNOON!!!

From 1105 Back in LA

Later that night, I was picked up for a Bar outing. THough I was EXHAUSTED, I said yes...cause when do I get the chance to go out with LEILANI?

From 1105 Back in LA

We went to this bar that had Karaoke. However, it wasn't the regular, BAD DRUNK SINGERS kinda karaoke. It was HOLLYWOOD--wanna-be-found-American-Idol style Karaoke. Everyone, actually, not everyone....

From 1105 Back in LA

ALMOST everyone was REALLY GOOD! Some even gave me goosebumps.

Sunday Morning we Bike to Brunch at Shanghi Reds....EXPENSIVE but AMAZING! Bottomless Mimosas!!! Waffles and Shrimp (lol, Christy{Chris's girlfriend--Leilani's brother's girlfriend} got overwelmed by the BUFFET selection and ended up getting a little confused. Leilani was great at SNEAKING some food out for me =).

From 1105 Back in LA

The chocolate covered strawberries were delectable! The company was awesome and we also got some GREAT FAMILY SHOTS!

From 1105 Back in LA

From 1105 Back in LA

From 1105 Back in LA

After a mini nap, we went to Aaron's 1st Birthday Party---SUPER FUN: BALLOONS everywhere, chinese food buffet, applesauce and juice for the kids, fortune cookies, A MAGICIAN, and lots of YO GABA GABA paraphernalia!

From 1105 Back in LA

From 1105 Back in LA

(Birthday boy, Aaron, is on the Bike)

And yesterday (Monday) after sending out thank yous that NICO helped write himself...

From 1104ThankU-Lels's visit-hamock

We put Nico in one of the many gifts that TITO and YESENIA gave him for Easter, a chair hammock from one of the island stops they made on their cruise a couple weeks ago.....

From 1104ThankU-Lels's visit-hamock

and HE LOVED IT! I'm not gonna lie, I was having a bit of a myocardial infarction (heart attack), seeing him up there on his new swing, but his laugh and smile made me set aside(just a little) my fears so that I too could enjoy the moment with him.

From 1104ThankU-Lels's visit-hamock

View slideshow here:

SIDE NOTE: You see, the thing is that as a mommy now, I feel that I have FINAL DESTINATION SYNDROME (FDS). I always vividly foresee these crazy scenarios taking place and as a result, I'm super annoying to be around with all my BECAREFULs and WATCH-OUTs and HOLD-UPs. My parents have a super SEVERE version of the syndrome while I think that I'm still in the early stages of development. I'm working or figuring out a way to mitigate the side effects of FDS--- but so far...only Nico's laugh helps temporarly ease my anxiety and reasurrance from Peter that he is being MINDFUL of the dangers that linger around every corner....lol. Perhaps laying off CSI and Crimial Minds as well will an important factor in my treatment.

ON another SIDE NOTE:

I'd like to announce that NICO is no longer JET-LAGGED from the trip ....How do we know? WELL we know because he (read: WE) didn't sleep well (or almost at all) on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday night. Saturday he slept a little better but got up super early (3 or 4 am). However, finally on Sunday night and last night he slept ALL NIGHT! This morning he even slept-in until 7:30am.We are very proud of him!!!

WEEKEND FUN, Visitors, Toma's Party

Most recent Family Portrait:

From 1104 Laundry-Tomas's Bday

We had a lot of activities this weekend---more than the usual hecticness.

I'll start with Friday-

We biked over to Happy Hour in Santa Monica to meet with my friend Brittany Love from UF and Tio Charlie. Brittney and her husband (Ryan) just moved here a couple weeks ago.

It was great catching up.

Saturday I ran 8miles while Peter got the bikes ready for our tour with Logan---who is in town for a couple days for work (NI).

The bike ride was lots of fun...and I caught most of it on camera. We all planned on going out but Logan and Charlie bailed...cause they were too tired. We ended up meeting up with Brittany and Ryan---AND HAD AN AWESOME TIME at a little CLUB in Venice.

From 1104 Logan's visit-Nikki's night out

Check out the pictures here if you don't see the slideshow below .

Sunday was a LONG DAY, LOADED with Fun and Friends:

Early Sunday morning we had Tomas' Birthday Party. We got to meet some new little ones, meet a NEW PARK in our area, sing happy birthday, and eat some yummy food! Nico played chase with a little boy name John, went exploring around the park with Peter, and played with buckets and the other kids before he went down for a nap.

From 1104 Laundry-Tomas's Bday

Check out the pictures here if you don't see the slideshow below.

Laurel, Tim, and MILE'S visit

After the party, I went to pick up the Stelzer Family at LAX!!! We hung out around the apartment, in the sand box at our complex, went for a little bike tour with the two kiddos in the bike trailer, had a great dinner, and then I sent them on their LONG journey back to their temp. home!

Nico had his first play date ever with Miles. In August, Nico's Playmate and my running buddy left to Malaysia and we haven't seen them since. Because Laurel keeps a great blog, we have kept tabs on all the things that they have been up to...so there was a strange, surreal, de ja vu, feeling when we were hanging out in person.

Here they are at 2 weeks old-Miles, and 3 weeks old- Nico.

Here they are at a playdate at Monica and Dylan's house in Austin--around 5months old.

This past weekend at 14months of age.

Nico and Miles took sharing to heart! Nico took a bite, offered it to Miles, and then fed it to him.

They also shared some milk and cheerios in the Bike Trailer as we toured the different parks in Venice:

I chatted with Laurel today and found out that Miles behaved great on the 10 hour flight to Hong Kong--sleeping 8 of those hours and then did well again on the last stretch of the trip to Penang. Glad to hear that their great trip ended so well.

It was so nice to hang out with such special and inspiring people. They're adventurous spirit re-energized Peter and I, reminding us to not be scared to embark on our own mini adventures.

Tim said it best: Having a child is like growing old. There are old people that are always complaining about the things that they used to be able to do, the energy they had, and all the things that were different-----And then there are those who physically age but are always young at heart, staying active, sharing their wealth of knowledge with others, and doing "a version" of what they have always loved to do; That's the type of parents that Tim and Laurel are--the well aging kind!

I look forward to seeing what other great places in the world our play-dates and friendship will take us.

Check out the pictures here if you don't see the slideshow below

FACE PAINTING

I've been on the phones with 10 stores in our area...LOOKING FOR FACE PAINT. After an hour of talking with Grumpy, NON-MORNING, WEEKEND EMPLOYEES, I finally found ELMER. He works a Party City and gave me the great news: YES we do have Water-based washable children's face-paints!

I'm waiting for Nico to get up from his nap or peter to get back from Surfing---which ever happens first to go get a FACE PAINTING KIT. You may be wondering why I need such a kit......WELL...yours truely will be painting faces at a 2yr old's Birthday party tomorrow!

I'm really excited. I have printed out different ideas: Dalmation, Batman, Butterfly, cat....just to name a few.
I'll let u know how it goes tomorrow!