Zoë is 18 Months Old! A few things we love about her...

OK Zoe-bug. It's your time. I tweeted and posted on fb about you, but never did an official round up for your 1st birthday! Our Christmas Letter was the closest I came, but most of it is dedicated to your brother's musings (sorry sweet child).

The first things that come to mind when I think about you:

• climber - the other day you did multiple rounds of chair, to table to kitchen counter top. Oi vey. 
• Nursling (who knows how long we'll last?)
• awesome laugh
• loves dresses
• obsesses about EVERYONE's shoes (and wants to put them on) 
• Loves the water: you'd take three baths/showers a day if we'd let you.  
• Swims with your 'floatie' life jacket - and you can jump off the diving board by yourself. (Boating this summer is going to be epic with the kids)
• Good listener... and you even know how to mind. 
• You likes CLEAN PANTS - and are pretty good at using the potty when given the opportunity but are not diaper free (yet). 
• You're Our Little Yogi: love to down dog on anyone's yoga mat. 
• Love to Dance. 
• Love your big brother -- officially started sharing a room with him last week, and you even sleep in bed with him (well, you start out the night sleeping with him...)
• ORAL FIXATIONS: Play Dough, Chalk, pennies, legos... pretty much anything that's a choking hazard you STILL like to put in your mouth. 
• Digs Tutu's and Handbags
• Great eater: from onions in pasta sauce to green chilies in dips: not much for animals though (I don't blame you!)
• Like to be cuddled and held
• Will go  anywhere in "the pack." (Technically the Ergo, and primarily on my back but you're also a big fan of the stroller). 
• Learning to "jump" and can balance on one foot. (Makes sense since you've been walking since you were 10 months old!)
• Love your Daddy - snuggles, games and are (more often than not) devastated when he leaves for work (or at least you acts that way). 
• Favorite word is "yeah." 
• You love your Grandparents...and you have a special relationship with each of them. It's pretty awesome to watch. 
• Favorite Foods: Blackberries, blueberrries and strawberries (pretty much any kind of fruit really). Grilled cheese sandwhiches. Pasta with home made marinara... black beans and rice, oh and you TEAR UP pizza.

Things Zoe Bug is not into: 

• Sleeping 10 hours straight... {due to my recurring breast issues (engorgement and multiple rounds of mastitis) from Z sleeping through the night at a very early age (6-8 hours at 2 weeks!); I started waking her to nurse at night more often. I then became the human nighttime pacifier, and have yet to wean her from her quick few 'sucks' at night and then back to sleep. Since we are a co-sleeping family, it was just easier than getting up at night to pump or having to take antibiotics because I have soooo much milk. (yes I'm a cow... In a past life, I'm pretty sure I was a Wet Nurse).}
• Potatoes: maybe if you sneak a french fry from your brother or someone's plate, (but out side of that neither of my kids are into pommes de terre... doesn't matter if they're baked, boiled or mashed.) You don't want them. 
• Keeping darling head bands and bows in your hair -- but with amazing curls like yours, they're not really necessary. 
• Your 'size' of clothes. {Zoe is currently sporting 3T tops and bottoms with primarily 4T pajamas. She's been 97 - 100 percentile since she was about a month old. Her check up is in a couple of weeks... should be fun to see where she is.}

A few other words about my darling girl:

 Everyone thinks she's older than a year and a half; and not just because of her size (though she is starting to 'thin out' a little bit.) She's got a maturity to her that is so different from her brother. I've signed her up for a gymnastics class 20mo - 36mo starting in a week (I figure she's old enough since she turns 20 months during the session... albeit she turns 20 months the last week of the session, but still.)  She seems more ready to me for this class than Holden was at 36 months! In fact, I kept him in the mommy and me portion until he had started preschool. She just 'gets' things... she eats with utensils and prefers to drink out of a cup (not a sippy cup mind you, a cup... even if she's not great at it). 

She's definitely got more of my coloring (even if her hair is getting blonder by the day). Her tan lines are as adorable as the Coppertone Baby. 

So final words for you my sweet darling:

I wanted you so bad. I told everyone I didn't care if you were a boy or a girl, but secretly, I ached for you to come and be a part of our family. I wanted you to be a girl so bad! My mother is one of my best friends in the entire world and I hope we have a relationship as amazing as mine is with Mama Suite. I love how you surprise me with some new trick each day... I love how you explore and the world is so magical. I am torn between wanting time to freeze you in this amazing stage, trying to live in the moment and thinking about how things get more fun with you each day. (Consequesntly, this is also why I have cleaning ladies... life is too short for me to be cleaning all the time. And I would be, because let's face it... you and your brother are kind of like Tazmanien Devils when it comes to the house.) 

I love you so much Zoe. Your birth was a miracle and one of the single most spiritually astounding experiences I've ever had. Your life is a gift to our family and we're so glad to have you here! 

Some Highlights from The Del

So we had an amazing opporuntiy last month to head to Mexico for 5 days "on our way" to some of Danny's business meetings in Coronado. I'll need to do a separate post about Mexico sometime, but I got the Sand Diego pictures loaded so I guess I'll start there...

Due to the NADCO conference and Danny working for such an AMAZING company
we got to stay at the historic Hotel del Coronado; here's Danny and Z poolside

This was right inside our room... our little "Ute Diva" getting ready to paint the town one night

The first morning we were there I took the kids down to the beach
and we had the entire place practically to ourselves... it was heaven.
The picture of Z below is one of my favorite from the entire trip.

I said it on Instagram, FB and it bears repeating: why a Daddy needs a daughter, and vice-versa. 

MWSBF treated us to a Padres game. The kids did fantastic -
we stayed in our seats through the 7th inning stretch and then called
it a night before any meltdowns happened...
Zoe looks forlorn but this was a few minutes before we left. 

Making memories... We discovered our kids are just as joyful at the beach
as they are at Disneyland. Sand seems a lot cheaper. 

Another of my favorites. It was really amazing how
she'd just sit and stare at the water...

I call this photo: "Holden Daniel-Craig Mangum." He was not yet in swimwear, and since
it was still 10 in the morning, he just got down to his "unders"and made it happen.
Even the morning cloud cover and cold Pacific water temp could not deter him...

Mama Sherpa: since Danny was in meetings for most of our trip during the days
 it was either get out on the beach and to the pool myself, or don't do anything...
so we put the stroller and the Ergo pack to good use and like a pack-mule made it happen! 

Our last night in Coronado - we ordered pizza and let the kids play on the beach. 

I was grateful Danny had booked us a later flight.
So after out late check-out we hit up Mama Testa's for tacos,
found this cool urban art piece around the corner and then discovered what
Will Ferell and Eric Weddle already knew: that Mariposa Icecream is divine.
It's covered in pictures of famous celebrities and Beatles memorabilia - 

as we were leaving, and crossed the road having just seen 

the Abbey Road cover Holden remarked, "Hey our family looks like the Beatles!"

Be a Model. Or just look like one!

I think the title of this post refers to the tag line form Barbizon Modeling Agency when I was a kid. Not a lot happened with that.

Anyway, when I was seven years old I had a Cabbage Patch Kid Diary that I found while in St. George a couple of years ago. There was an entry in the back of it that said "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 2001" (or something). Following the warning page, was a questionnaire of sorts that read:

Am I (check all that apply):

• A writer?
• A Model?
• An Actress?
• Famous?

Apparently, I was destined for greatness... but here's the funny thing. I really did get to become a writer. ..sure I still have yet to write "my novel" but SkyWest was a catalyst for a fun and exciting time moonlighting as a travel and leisure magazine writer. Currently I'm working for two blogs and enjoy side projects here and there.

Yes, I never experienced Hollywood fame or stardom - but I think I've made a pretty decent name for myself so far. (And certainly the best is yet to come).

The acting thing never really happened for me, but I am a mom so I'm always playing a myriad of roles. But here's the real kicker... that a 5'(almost) six inch 130-plus pound female got to be a model...and here's the proof.

A little snapshot from the web...on the good ole iPhone

I was honored to be chosen by community driven MonkeyG clothing to be one of the yoga models for a bunch of their gear. Check out their chakra jerseys (and me) here, and sporting a few other things here  or even here (you get the idea).

Anyway, they were super gracious, and helped me check off a box that would make 7 year old super excited (36 year old me was super excited too). 

Speaking of yoga, I also served as the yoga model for another local FOX13 segment -- talking about yoga for a healthy back and spine. And wouldn't you know, I'm sporting MonkeyG in the segment too. Coincidence? Probably not.  

Acro a GoGo

Been in Mexico (and Coronado). Pictures and 'deets' coming soon. In the meantime, our latest AcroYoga stylings:

Busy Saturday

So I've entered a couple of "Yoga Challenges" on Instagram. One is called "BendyYogis" and the other is "May The Force Be With Yogis." Both have already been super humbling. Take today for instance. (The picture to the right showcases that I have a LONG ways to go in lotus pose, and this shoulder opener I made a silly face for reminded me there's years of damage from swimming and volleyball that yoga is slowly helping me repair.)

A couple more of the 'challenge' pics from Instagram...

This pic is from DayThree of the BendyYogis challenge
(Friday is always a strength day).

So this afternoon Danny and i wanted to go see IronMan3. We wore out the kids with Holden's soccer game, errands and then the Live Green Festival downtown I really wanted to check out. Both kids were alseep around 6:30 and we got an entire night to ourselves. He was such a good sport. We got on the internet, googled "Partner Yoga" and "Acro Yoga" and tried to recreate the magic at home.

Yes, my husband is a total saint. This picture to the left we never quite got right. I left the photos out of me crashing and rolling to the floor... I'm not sure if his hamstrings will ever be the same. Good thing we warmed up with some partner stretches before (if you know what I mean...)

This one to the right is totally my fave. I have been trying to work on my backbends lately and I feel so much joy in backbending. It was fun to do it with Danny supporting me.

And then a bunch of pictures below from our time at the Live Green Fest. I'm pretty sure Holden's favorite part was playing with the Legos at the Hogle Zoo booth. 

He also tried his first Vegan Hotdog. Danny tried one too. Holden finished most of his. Danny took one bite and threw it away. Hot dogs scare me: vegan, kosher, all beef, tofurkey, PETA approved...I dont really care how it's made. I don't eat them. In any variety. 

Holden's playing soccer now on Monday's and Saturdays. He's not real aggressive, watches the sidelines as much as he watches the ball and doesn't really care who wins or loses. Proving once again that I do not carry very dominant genes. But he loves playing and he BY FAR has the coolest hair of anyone on the field. I attended a yoga class this morning and then jumped in the car and headed over to his game... followed by errands and then the Live Green Fest. It was a super busy and super amazing Saturday. He took all the stairs to the top of the Library Square building. We did it together. I think I will remember it forever. 

So he wasn't really into the hula hoops. Zoe-bug was really into the live music. And I learned that "green" people sometimes get buried in wicker-basket-coffins... so we all learned something today. 

Yoga PlayDate Anyone?

I'm a Soccer Mom!

Hope ya'll had a sweeet Earth Day. (You can check out last week's Make and Takes article by yours truly if you're feeling like you need a little more green in your life.) Truthfully, we are a bit behind schedule (forgot to read the Lorax, a family tradition); but we did get outside in the fresh air. I officially became a soccer mom, as Holden kicked-off the season with a .... well, I'm not sure what to call it. Definitely 'a success' because he liked it; but he hasn't quite developed that killer instinct for wanting the ball. Perhaps I was the same way at four?

Regardless, he's having fun... and I have another tremendous opportunity to practice patience and detachment. (Yoga is for life, not just on the mat.)

While all the grandparents and his father were telling him how fantastic his performance was, my words were more along the lines of: "I think you have a lot of room for improvement, and it's going to be so fun to watch you progress!"

Here's to the journey!