Swinging

Nothing super exciting in this video but the thing is that for the first time this week Eoin has been back into swinging. He went ages not wanting to swing but instead I think concentrated on climbing. I'm kind of glad that he likes swinging again because at least now I can have a conversation with other parents at the park around the swings :-)

Sandy house

So in a bid to reduce the amount of sand that comes into the house after a trip to the park, I have put a chair outside our front door for Eoin and the plan is that we will put our shoes on and take them off outside! Since Eoin started wearing his sandals (size 8 I have to add at 17 months old!) I found that tons more sand came inside so we'll see if this new plan works.

Sunday afternoon playdate

This afternoon Julia (and later Andrew) came over for a playdate. I had spent some time tidying up the backyard and so it was fun to get out the toys and play. We decorated the sidewalk while we waited for Julia to arrive.
We had just got Eoin a new sand and water table which was a huge hit. Julia and Eoin hung out together and shared snacks and drinks and later we headed inside to play and dance with Andrew.
Eoin decided not to have a nap today (really hoping this isn't the start of no naps!) so by 5.30 he has falling over and couldn't even sit up for his bath. So right now he is asleep and Andy is cooking burgers. We're going to finally watch the latest James Bond movie and relax after a fun afternoon spent with good friends

Coffee

Eoin has always had a wide variety of tastes he likes but his latest favorite is coffee! Now he keeps asking for tastes of Andy's coffee. Yesterday on the train he managed to get his hands on Andy's coffee mug but luckily it was empty. We're going to have to start getting decaf coffee soon! Luckily I don't drink the stuff so at least I don't get bugged all day. I've taught him that Diet Coke is Mommy's juice and that Eoin has his own juice - luckily his accepts this explanation but it doesn't seem to work for coffee.

Steam Train adventure

Today we went to Sunol to ride the steam train through Niles Canyon. It was the most magnificent day warm and sunny and perfect for a train ride. This was Eoin's first time ever on any type of train and boy was he excited.

We got him a conductor's hat just before we boarded and then Eoin had tons of fun running up and down the train. Once we got going he was reasonably good at sitting in his seat or staying in our arms in the open carriages. We managed to see cows, goats and sheep on the ride but still the most exciting thing next to the train tooting were the many airplanes over head. Everyone on board (all volunteers) were great about kids exploring the train. Eoin kept saying choo choo whenever we heard the steam engline blow it's whistle.
When it was time to leave Eoin got a little upset but then we headed across the street to the town 'salon' and had a steak dinner. The town of Sunol once had a dog called Bosco as mayor and the salon was called after him. Eoin had the time of his life watching all the motorbikes ride by and he even got to sit on a Harley (I didn't have my camera at the time but it was a funny sight - I told him that Grandma Sassy would nearly die if he ever rode a motorbike so he has been warned!).

As I write Eoin is getting ready for bed and he is saying choo choo. What a wonderful day!

Train video's

Spring has sprung...

... and we have been hanging out at the park lots! The weather is amazing and warm and so Eoin has been running off all his energy at the park. He is finally over his fear of the small green slide and spends most of his time on either the huge concrete slide or the smaller green one. He also loves to climb to the top of the play structure and shout to the whole park.

Eoin's favorite books....

We have to read this book over and over again! Eoin loves the first page with the ten little babies and if there is a picture of a sleeping baby he is so cute and holds his finger to his lips and says 'sshhhhh' and then kisses the baby.
Later in the book there is a baby boy learning to walk and he looks just like Eoin. Eoin is fascinated by this page and sometimes looks and says 'Eoin'.

Eoin loves this one for two main reasons -one there is a picture of the little boy in the bath with big floating bubbles all around him. Eoin and Daddy blow bubbles every night and Eoin's new word is 'big bubble'.
The second reason I think Eoin loves this book is the wonderful yet simple pictures. He loves to point to the little boys eyes and the teddy's nose.





Any of the Usborne touchy feely books are a hit with Eoin but at the moment this is a big favorite because Eoin can now say 'airplane' and he is constantly looking up into the sky and shouting at the planes.

17 months old

Well Eoin is fast approaching the 1 1/2 year old mark (too fast if you ask us).

This month has seen a huge development in speech. We truly have to be careful what we say now because Eoin mimics us so well as demonstrated by him shouting 'What' whenever Andy or I shout it across the house.
Eoin has begun to put two words together of his own accord -mainly things like down please, help please, open please, oh and big bubbles, all done and get down. He has too many new words to list this month but we are definitely in for one chatty little boy.

Other changes this month include Eoin going longer between waking and napping. Eoin generally wakes up around 7am and then nap is 11.30 - 1.30 and bed is now 7pm (instead of 6pm). It has been a little adjustment for Andy and I to have a later bedtime but we are trying to use this extra hour to have family dinner more often.

Eoin is truly all boy - he loves cars, airplanes and balls. This month he also discovered Yo Gabba Gabba and often asks to watch Gabba. Problem with this is that as he only really gets to watch one show a day it's tough for him to decide between Gabba and Zoboomafoo.

One Eoin's developments that I am loving is that he will now sit still for a couple of stories. Before we were lucky if we got through a few pages but now that we have firmly built storytime into his naptime and bedtime routine we are all enjoying reading books.

Well I think that is it for this month - I'll add more if I think of it ;-)

Windy Day

It is pretty windy in Palo Alto this weekend so we headed to the park to try and fly a kite. It kind of worked but the wind was a little too gusty. Still we had lots of fun.

After the park we headed downtown and had yummy hot chocolate (a first for Eoin) and wandered around Borders looking at books.

Happy Mother's Day

Sunday is Mother's Day in Ireland and in the UK so here are two little messages for Eoin's grandmothers -Sassy and Granny. As you'll see we had more success with one message; the second message didn't go to smoothly but you can still hear him say Granny :-)

Waking up

Cotton wool

We recently discovered that Eoin really doesn't like the feel of cotton wool or cotton balls. We first discovered this when he was pulling a Q tip apart and he kept making funny faces. SO being the mean parent that I am I made him play with the stuff again just so I could video his reaction ;-)

Now it's my turn......

to have an ear infection. I was so surprised! I use to have them all the time as a kid but this is the first one as an adult. Eoin has just fallen asleep for his nap so I'm going to be good and go have a nap myself in the hope that some sleep and the antibiotics will make me feel better soon.

Happy St Patrick's Day

First nightmare

We think Eoin had his first nightmare last night. He woke up shaking and screaming around 9pm. He was really unhappy and as he didn't have a fever we guessed it was a bad dream. I managed to settle him back down after 30 minutes but he woke up about 10 minutes later upset again so we relented and brought him into bed with us and watched 'In the Night Garden' on the laptop (it's the latest thing from the UK - best described as show about a magical place that exists between waking and sleeping in a child's imagination.). The sobbing slowly stopped and by the end of the episode he was ready to go back to his room have some milk and go to sleep again. The poor guys was really freaked out but on the plus side he is taking a really long nap today!

Mommy's birthday cake

Windy and cold

Today for a late birthday treat we went to Alice's for lunch and then onto the coast but it was super cold and windy. Eoin didn't much enjoy it at first (but that wasn't helped by him falling over right at the beginning of the walk) but after a while he warmed up and had lots of fun chasing birds and throwing pebbles into the sea.

Swimming

Eoin continues to swim at least twice a week and is a total fish. He keeps asking to go under! The teachers have also progressed to pushing him under and sending him to the wall rather than me. He's very good and kicking himself up and holding onto the wall. We've just signed up for another 20 lessons but from the beginning of April the dome comes off the pool and we'll be swimming outdoors - brrrrrr!

Thank you

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone for making my birthday today such a special day. it truly was one of the best birthdays I've had in a while. I feel so blessed to have had so many friends and family wish me happy birthday today. I felt ever so popular on Facebook today ;-)

Andy and Eoin woke me this morning with smiles and kisses and then presented me with birthday cards from friends and family all over the world inlcuding some amazing home made cards! Presents followed - a massage voucher and a gift card to my favorite store Anthropologie. Later on Katie brought lunch up to the house for me and we sat in the sun while Eoin napped. The afternoon was spent hanging out in the park enjoying the sun with friends which was followed by Andy coming home early so I could go have a massage. Then we curled up together and enjoyed some creole food and a good bottle of wine.

Thank you to everyone once again! Oh and the picture of the roses was a wonderful surprise from my parents in Ireland.

Adoptive Families

We are regular readers of the great magazine Adoptive Families. But today I took time out to look at all the great family photos available online. There are so many happy amazing families out there that have been created by adoption both domestic and international.



So quite bizarrely we jsut found out today (12 March) that Eoin's picture has been shortlisted to possibly appear in the next issue :-) All I did was load a picture to their family photo website and then they emailed me today. So we'll just have to wait and see if he makes the final cut.

Seriously Mommy.....

...don't you think I am a little big for this now?

But I have to agree once I get going I do enjoy the swings Mommy.

Thirsty work - pit stop for refreshments.

5 years in America

Today marks the fifth anniversary of us arriving in California. Five years ago today we arrived at SFO to glorious warm weather and an excitement at starting our married life together on this huge adventure. I didn't have a work visa (Andy did) and wasn't sure what I was going to do. Andy had a great job and team that he was looking forward to. Now we feel very much at home in Northern California, we love the weather and our community and we are thrilled to now have the freedom of greencards. Who would have thought that when we first met just over seven years ago that we would be living in California and have been blessed with the most wonderful gift of all Eoin!



PS I look at this photo which was taken shortly before we moved and think how young we look! Sleep deprivation certainly brings on the wrinkles BUT we wouldn't change it for anything!