Mina and Papa Camp and a Cabin B-Day

Last week Genevieve went to perhaps the best camp ever.... Mina and Papa camp up in the woods.  She spent the week doing craft projects like painting bird houses and making stepping stones and outdoor activities like canoeing, swimming in the river, making mud castles and swinging on a bag swing that my dad made for her. Izzy, Patrick and I were pretty jealous of her camp time so on Thursday night after work the three desert bound Lacroixs hopped in the car and drove up to meet Evie.  We then got to spend three days together enjoying the cabin: afternoon rains, "pets", scrabble games and canoeing on the beaver pond. 

Geneveive's temporary pet, a horn toad, and what was supposed to be lunch for him... a hissing beetle.

On our canoe trip (Izzy stayed with Mina and took a nap for that one) a beaver swam right under the canoe in just 2 foot deep water, very cool.  We even managed to get Kita to canoe with us, instead of swimming around and under the canoe, for a bit.  

 On Saturday we celebrated Izzy's 1st birthday a little early with a few presents and a carrot cake.  I made the exact same cake for Isadora that I made for Evie's first birthday.  This time though I had to cook it in a tiny convection oven and the frosting wasn't "crunchy" like Evie's was (I ran out of powdered sugar and substituted regular sugar for Eve's cake)

 The cake was enjoyed by the birthday girl... who I still think bears a striking resemblance to her sister....

Isadora Vivienne Lacroix is 1!!

Today, at 9:40 pm to be exact, Isadora turns 1 year old.  It has been a remarkable year for her and for the rest of the Lacroixs.  It was decidedly a challenging year for us all, but by god if it did not have its shimmery shiny moments that I would not trade for the world!  I think it took me almost a whole year to get used to the fact that I have two amazing kids, and now I cannot imagine our world any other way.  So here is the first ever, now to be annual, "interview" with Isadora:

Favorite book(s): Les Couleurs (but only when read by Patrick), Where is Baby? and Snuggle Puppy.  She has started grabbing books, and these in particular, bringing them to us and then opening our hand and putting them in our hand.

Favorite Food(s): shredded cheese, seaweed (because it has the consistency of paper, her real favorite food) and pasta (or at least she likes to feed pasta to the dog)

Favorite color: Brown (because everything I put on her becomes that color, I finally bought a cute brown shirt for her last week, I think she will be wearing it every day until she grows out of it.... OK well maybe I'd better wash it every now and again so maybe not every day)

Favorite activities: dancing to music. banging objects together and following around Genevieve around... oh and laughing she loooves to laugh.

Favorite element:  water... duh she is a Cancer baby.

Favorite (well really only) words: Dada, Mama (yes unlike Evie she says Mama at one year), dooo (aka dog), uh-oh, and yum yum (usually in reaction to food)

Best Baby Tricks: applauding for herself when she puts something in a container or when you say "Bravo!" and dancing when you say baila, Izzy, baila.

Fairy Camp

Today was Evie's last day in a week of fairy goodness at camp.  She made a fairy skirt, wings, wand, crown and even a necklace of fairy dust.  My favorite though was her fairy house in the old knot of a mesquite tree.  According to one of the camp counselors she was quite a zealous fairy house maker and there were more than a few fairy houses of Evie design in and around the camp grounds.  Other highlights of the week included a trip to a farm (although Evie informed me it wasn't a real farm because there were only horses and that her "cousin" Melissa had more of a farm than that because she had horses, goats and chickens), an archery lesson and daily swimming in the pool.  She was sad to say goodbye to new friends, especially older girls who were helpers in her Daisy class, especially Bubbles and Kayak.... 

Little Daisy

Last week was Evie's first ever week at Girl Scout Camp.  This spring, when thinking about summer camps, I was really excited and a bit too over zealous honestly, about all of Genevieve's new found summer options.  You see, once a kid hits the 5 year mark a whole new world of summer camp opportunity arises.  I found myself one March day perusing the Girl Scout camp page and became enamored with every single one of the camps they offered... Fit, Fun and Fierce (sports), Fairy Fantasty (awesomeness guaranteed), showbiz (um hello, Evie's ness just screams this one) H20 a go go (OK do I even need a commentary on how I feel about that?) etc.  So I quickly signed her up for a whole summer of Girl Scout camp.  I realized a few months later that what I also signed us up for was a pretty serious commute to the outer (to me at least) reaches of town.  Oh well. 

Last week was her first official week at camp (Fit, Fun and Fierce) and she got to learn a bit about rock climbing, archery, zumba and volleyball.  On about Wednesday of last week she came home and started singing songs she had learned at camp.  Imagine her utter shock when she started singing "I am squishing up my baby bumble bee" and I joined in with her....  she stopped singing and said "Mommy, how do you know this song?  I just learned it today"  And I, happy as a clam, informed her that I knew it because I sang the same song when I was a Girl Scout.  Something about that interaction made me so very happy.  I think it was because being a Girl Scout and camp during the summers are some of my fondest memories from childhood.  And it seems like Girl Scouts hasn't changed too terribly much (clearly not the songs) since my day because the next day she came home with some homemade lip gloss (waay girlie) and a first aid kit she made (waay awesome).  My kind of girl, ready to camp in relative style :)  The highlight and weirdly almost tear jerker moment of the week was at the end of the week when she got her first little set of patches...  looks like I'd better go get her a vest.  Oh and it also looks like I had better get on my personal goal of setting up and being the troop leader for a group of IST Daisies because Evie is hooked :)

(Belated) Isadora at 11 months

Isadora "turned" 11 months old last weekend.  At 11 months Izzy is a big fan of speed crawling, we are continually amazed at how quickly she can make it across the house.  She isn't walking yet but likes to cruise and can walk (when she wants to) holding on to just one of our hands.  During our trip to Costa Rica she proved herself to be an amazing traveler, adjusting pretty quickly to each new pack n' play and (like Evie) just rolling with the long car rides.  I think they both coped with them well because they had each other in the back of the car.  She really likes to eat (or is that spread all over the kitchen, sometimes it is hard to distinguish between the two) rice and cheese.  She also appears to be fond of non-food items like sand and paper... I am convinced this is a commentary on my cooking.  I rarely feed her with a spoon anymore, she much prefers to feed herself... yes another independent Lacroix girl.  She is pretty darn good at getting her point across in terms of what she wants, she tends to moan mamamamama when she is upset or hungry and dadadada when she is happy and playing (hmmm what does that tell you about Patrick and my roles around the house :)  She has a cute little sense of humor, the one thing sure to make her laugh is her sister laughing...  whenever Genevieve giggles, no matter what the situation, Isadora laughs too.  Super cute.

Pura Vida!

We came back last Friday from an amazing 2 week trip to Costa Rica!!  I then left again this past Monday for a big water conference in Dallas....craziness. Going to Costa Rica was the trip of a lifetime for all of us and many adventures were had.  It is perhaps best summed up with some "stats" and pictures (aka I am waaay too tired to write out the whole trip and no one probably wants to read the whole play by play anyway :)

Both girls were such great travelers...  Izzy ate many meals on the go, this one on a boat ride to an island off the coast of Samara

• 13 12 days in Costa Rica (apparently arriving at the airport 2 hours early isn't enough time to catch a flight.... luckily for us we got out the next day and had a nice place to stay at near the airport thanks to Patrick's sister) to celebrate 10 years of marriage with 2 Lacroix girls in tow.   
• 659 kilometers were traveled on roads that varied from great to bone shaking and forded 2 large rivers and turned around at the third.  

Our little Jimney... small (very small) but mighty

• At least 6 beautifully carved highchairs, had I thought of it sooner I could have made a guidebook to the most fabulous highchairs of Costa Rica... sure to be a best seller in the under 2 set.

• 545 photos taken... don't worry I will never make anyone look at them all!  But here is one of my favorites:

• 1 incredible volcano (Arenal) and at least 3 amazing waterfalls.  

• 2 days in Monteverde with a 13 platform zip line ride that included one zip line that was 1 kilometer long.   (Patrick and the girls wandered through a butterfly garden and a hummingbird exhibit to pass the time, it took 2 hours to complete!)  Followed by an 8 bridge canopy hike... all with barely a drop of rain, must have been some serious travel karma.

• 3 horses were ridden though the cloud forest where 2 sloths were spotted.  

• 1 ferry ride over to the Nicoya peninsula to the town of Montezuma. 

• 3 relaxing days at a jungle/beach resort (just about as close to heaven as you can get in my book) in Montezuma...

Rio de Piedras Coloradas, from here we hiked for an hour or so to the gorgeous Playa Grande

• Marred only slightly by a scare when we (Patrick and I) intelligently decided to take 3 collective bites of a poison apple (aka the manchineel tree... Gee all the pretty apples below the tree should have been a clue... Lesson learned, never eat what the monkeys won't) 

• 4 days in Samara including a 1.5 hour long surf lessons for 2 new(ish) surfers. (both managed to get to a stand on their boards... I was highly impressed.) 

Look out world... she is a surfer girl!

• 2 hours on the gorgeous Playa Carillo... Where the was 0 other people. 

• 1 amazing Italian meal cooked by our villa host where (gasp) Patrick and I actually had an over 2 hour-long meal because we were eating right by our place and the baby went to bed before dinner and Evie had a friend to play with and then went to bed herself after an hour or so. 
• An infinite number of little movements and memories that remind me how much I love to travel and, most importantly, how much I love spending time with Patrick and the amazing little family we have built these last 10 years. 

Patrick expressing his love for and joy at finally meeting the source of one of his greatest loves.... coffee.

Socialness

We have been abnormally social these last two weekends.  Last weekend we went to the racquetball club for pool goodness and music (extra goodness) and to a pool party at Evie's boyfriends' (yes that is plural) house.  The heat and mid afternoon beer poolside was glorious if not just a liiittle bit exhausting.  After the pool party we visited with my brother and his girlfriend and ate pizza.  That was the more chill socializing, to gear up for last weekend's uber socializing.

Evie and her boyfriends

Its good to be queen

 Last Friday night we went to the gala (or as Patrick put it when he asked me if I wanted to go "shmaa shmaa") dinner called Dancing with Our Stars for the Tucson Diaper Bank.  It afforded me the opportunity to wear a fancy dress (which I bought last weekend for Mother's Day... they took a picture of us on the "red carpet", I'll see if can track it down, moments like that are fleeting so they should be shared) and allowed Patrick and I to see just how fancy we could be if we stick with our ballroom dancing lessons.  The premise of the night is for local celebrities to take dance lessons and then compete with their professional instructor, like the real dancing with the stars.  It was loads of fun, if even we felt just a little too intimidated to get out on the floor and boogie with the semi-pros.  I do, however, have a new goal in life.... to become enough of a local celebrity (celebrity hydrologist.... I am pretty sure that is an oxymoron) so I can compete.  In the mean time Patrick and I will just have to keep taking our classes and practicing our moves so next year we can cut a rug (what an odd phrase).  I'm pretty excited though, we've decided to focus just on Tango for the summer, definitely the most fun of those we've been learning (not to mention the best costumes).  As if that weren't enough on Saturday night we went out again to the annual dinner for Evie's school.  A much more casual affair but with a lot of good friends, which was really nice.  I, as I do almost every year, got a liiiittle too excited with the silent auction and we now are the proud owners of a Foosball table...  unfortunately I didn't completely think it through and said table has no really good place in our house as of yet, but by god if the tourneys we will have with the thing won't be worth it!!

Roomies

For the past five days or so Izzy and Evie have been roomies...  Genevieve has decided that she wants to sleep in the same room as Izzy and we have told her that so long as there is not excessive waking o' the each other going on that we were OK with the room share situation.  Now I wonder though, as I sit in the living room and look at the vast array of disaster that Evie has left in her playing wake, if it isn't so much about wanting to be close to her little sister or a fear of what she claims are strange noises in her room but actually a secret plot to take over yet another room in our house.  I went in there this afternoon to change Izzy's diaper and found about a 1/2 dozen dolls, and a bunch of Evie's clothes in Izzy's drawers...  Hmm maybe not even so secret of a plot.  The room sharing has its benefits though, Patrick and I get a whole side of the house to ourselves (no extra bathroom light on needed) and Izzy has someone to sush her when she wakes up at night and maybe, just maybe, if this whole two to a room thing works out Patrick and I will get an office again.... you may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one :)  (Oh and try as I might all afternoon to get a nice sisterly shot of the two roomies together I was thwarted at every turn so this will just have to be an imagine it yourself post)

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!  I've had a pretty darn good one so far.  Evie made me a plethora of presents:

Each of which was individually wrapped :)  Then Patrick, Evie and Izzy took me out to my favorite french food breakfast place and this time I did not have a mimosa spilled on me.  (Last time we went there, when Nicole was in town, I was decidedly doused and rather sticky).  I then went out shopping for a fancy dress with Genevieve for a gala dinner event that Patrick and I are going to next Friday.  I actually bought two dresses because they were both super deals and I couldn't decide.  After a three hour shopping excursion Evie and I came back and did a fashion show for Patrick and Izzy of our fabulous purchases.  Nothing like a little girlie fun to celebrate mother's day!  Hmm now all I need to make the day perfect is a nap....

Isadora at 10 months

Isadora at 10 months old is a very active little girl.  Her favorite foods are shredded cheese, egg and lettuce.  She almost has three teeth (one is in and the other two are just poking through) and is able to stand on her own for a brief period of time.  Just last night she attempted to walk on her own and made it about 2 steps before she tumbled into my arms.  I don't think it quite counts as first steps though because it was more like the inertia of her weight pulling her forward then real walking.  One of her favorite toys is her whoozit, she particularly likes to chew on his nose and make it squeak.  She is exceedingly fond of water and will make a b-line to the bathroom whenever she hears the water on, and protest very, very loudly if she is not allowed to join you in your watery adventure.  She is also exceedingly fond her sister, and wants to be wherever she is at all times, which of course is complicated when Genevieve is out front playing before dinner or in her room (aka pit of chokables.)  She knows well how to get your attention, unfortunately this is by screetching, very loudly, until you understand what she wants.  Given that she cannot speak yet this can be a painful experience for all involved.  She has uttered a mama here and there and definitely knows who her dada is.  She sleeps pretty well most nights and will sometimes take a nap in her own crib, otherwise the default is a nap on your back in the ergo.  She takes a two hour nap in the morning and about a 45 minute one in the afternoon (the exact opposite of what Evie did at this age....)  Above all she is still a warm and happy little person.

Strange dental patterns

No its not wintertime out... a friend made this sweater and wanted a picture of it in action.

About a month ago Izzy (finally) got her first tooth.  But just one.  And it has stayed a loner now for a whole month.  Last week she started to get drooly and fussy and we figured, ahh here comes its friend, Isadora will no longer be a one toothed wonder.  Indeed she has a new tooth now but it isn't a match for the bottom one she currently has nor is it a upper front tooth, no it is a canine tooth on the top.  Its presence has caused Izzy to start making the funniest faces as she gets used to the way a top tooth, on the side, feels.  Hopefully this doesn't mean she is destined for a mouth of weird teeth... just that their arrival is not exactly conventional.  I think too that another tooth or two, one on top and one on bottom are quickly arriving on its heals.  For a week or so though she is going to have a decidedly strange smile.

Such a perfect day (well late afternoon)

I write this to preserve the moment for posterity... and to revisit on those days that are utter chaos peppered with not just a little bit of hair-tearing frustration not to mention utter exhaustion.  This afternoon was as near perfect a mommy/daughters routine afternoon as one could ever hope for.  I picked Evie up at school at 3:45.  She came running up to me excited to tell me just how much fun she had at school today and that the highlight of her day was decidedly me coming to the class to talk about water.  She then gave me a great explanation of what evaporation is (clearly my idea of ideal afternoon does involve a fair amount of geek).  We then drove to pick up Izzy with minimal complaining of hunger (even perfect is not without a bit of concern for the 5 year old stomach post a long day at school).  Upon coming into Borelys house Izzy greets me with a big smile and squeal and proceeds to book it to my feet to be picked up.  (She almost immediately wants back down again but that is to be expected at this point)  As we leave, without prompting, Izzy starts to wave bye-bye and Evie heads out the door with me the first (not 20th) time I ask her to. 

We drive to the grocery store with both girls in the back making funny raspberry noises at each other and giggling.  When we get to the store Evie runs in to get her kid cart and meets Izzy and I as we go along collecting the weeks groceries.  Evie comes and goes periodically to get a sample of this or find a "treat" to bring home.  Izzy just goes along for the ride, commenting on the whole grocery scene and smiling her intoxicating smile at just about everyone.  Genevieve helps unload the cart at checkout and Izzy contentedly sits while the groceries are checked out and paid for.  Then Evie hops onto the cart in front of me like she always does so that the "hot lava" of the asphalt outside won't melt her shoes (and I can easily get a baby and a cart and a 5 year old to the car).  Evie walks along the white line of our parking spot so as not to "melt" her shoes and casually asks me how it is that I always have hot lava proof shoes on when we buy groceries.  I load the car and then open my bubbly water, which proceeds to spray all over me but hey its hot so it actually feels pretty good and Evie reminds me that its just water and "no worries mommy it will evaporate in the hot car"  (oh the joy!)

We arrive home and Izzy happily goes into her high chair and munches on shredded cheese while Evie puts together everything she needs for a good stint of pretend around the palm tree in the front yard.  Evie plays and Izzy eats, each checking in occasionally, Izzy with a blaah...blaaah blat when she needs more cheese or puffs and Evie when she just has to tell me about the next fabulous thing her dolls were going to do.  They both went on like this, perfectly content, for the entire time it took me to put away the groceries and make a simple dinner.  Oh and the both tolerated me listening to the Rolling Stones while I did it.  Ahh the simple pleasures in a normal day!

Birthday weekend!

Genevieve had quite the 5th birthday experience.  Friday, her actual birthday the whole family was home and we started the day with waffles and presents.  Patrick got her a new ballet outfit and a much loved "diamond" ballerina necklace and I got her a dress up fairy costume with a matching doll and book about fairies.  We spend a good part of the day getting ready for Mimi to come to town and the big party.  That night we had dinner, cake and more presents that night at my parent's house.

Presents at Mina and Papas (the dress is her fairy dress from me... she wore it all day the next day too)

Although not mentioned much here... Izzy did enjoy the festivities as well.

Saturday I took her to ballet and by the time she had her tap shoes on Mimi was there with Patrick (and Izzy).  We went out to a french brunch (where I was the recipient of a mimosa spillage incident... mmmm nothing quite like champagne and oj in your hair) and then later in the afternoon Patrick took the girls and his mom to the Pascua Yaqui Easter celebration and then San Xavier del Bac.  

Yesterday was the big party day and included a jumping castle, 12 friends and a big Easter egg hunt.  Izzy tried her hand at both the castle and using a push toy... both were achieved with marginal success.

Looking for eggs.... Evie just went out back to look for more.... she is convinced that some were missed.

I tried my hand at making a fabulous bunny cake but failed miserably so I did an emergency trip to whole foods and managed to get a much more attractive cake.... somewhere deep inside me is a pastry maker just waiting to come out, I just know it....

Failed attempt at bunny cake and cupcakes  (what talent to be able to mess both of them up!)

This is what I strive for... sigh

Anyway, we were all exhausted so we thought we'd go out for sushi too :)  Whew all in all it was a great but tiring weekend!!

Happy Birthday Genevieve!

Whew we had quite the birthday weekend!  More on that in a bit, but first the annual interview with Genevieve:
Age - 5 years
Best Friend - Nanan (it should be noted though that she calls many friends "best friend"...)
Favorite Foods - Bananas and sweet potatoes
Favorite Dinner - Vietnamese noodle salad
What she wants to be when she grows up - Babysitter
Favorite Color - Red and Pink (apparently she couldn't decided between the two)
Favorite Song -  all the songs in Marry Poppins
Favorite Movie - Marry Poppins (given the previous answer this should be no surprise)
Favorite Book - Queen Clarion's Secret (I just bought this for her for her birthday... we actually haven't read it yet but obviously she is pretty excited about it...)
Favorite Activity at School - drawing pictures, arts and crafts, and work (!)
Favorite TV Show -  Barney
Activities - Ballet, tap, piano and choir
Year 4 to 5 big events: trip to Disneyland, multiple trips to DC, started playing/pretending by herself all the time, can write whole name and any other word so long as you sound it out, started drawing really cool (well cool to her parents at least) pictures...often with elaborate stories, got her own fish (which is still alive), named herself Rolling Stone, went to the hospital for a whole week and (of course) became a big sister... and on that note....
Most important thing about being a big sister - "Feeding my sister bottles and loving her"

Backyard camping

Backyard camping... I am not sure but I think the hose is there on purpose, in case the fancy fire got out of control....

 Last week we bought a new tent with the original plans to christen it in the Dragoons with some friends.  While this would have been lovely, the reality is we had (and still have to some degree) big time chores to take care of at home before Evie's 5th birthday this weekend and I was in bustling Safford, AZ for the annual AZ Riparian Council Meeting until Saturday afternoon.  With a trip to the mountains deemed just a liiitttle bit too much we decided to do the next best thing... Backyard camping!  On Saturday as soon as I got back Evie started begging for us to put up the tent.  We finally relented at about 4 pm and then the girls and Patrick went for a "hike" to the grocery store while I finished exercising (Patrick and I have been doing p90X together, or mostly together, every morning, or mostly every morning, sometimes its an afternoon... but the evening never works out for us.... for about 6 weeks now.... look out world!)  Anyway the troops came back fully equipped with hippie hot dogs, marshmallows and graham crackers.  Patrick started a fire in our fire pit and made us all hot dogs while Evie and I set up the sleeping arrangements.

Izzy joined us too for a bit, I brought her high chair outside and let her eat her dinner in front of the fire (note the fancy camping chairs we own), and then put her to sleep in her crib inside.  We had to leave the screen door open though so I could hear her at night, luckily her room is near the backyard.  Unfortunately although spring has sprung it still gets pretty cold at night and as a result the three backyard Lacroix's ended up sleeping pretty much in one big pile (or rather Evie slept, I am not sure how much sleep either Patrick or I got).  Then at about 2 am the indoor Lacroix decided that it was too cold in her room too, because of the open door, and protested greatly.  I went inside to take care of her and, I am sorry to say, was too much of a wuss... or maybe too smart... no really it was for the benefit of keeping Isadora warm... yup that is why :) and decided to stay inside for the rest of the night.  Regardless of the temperature it was loads of fun, I think we'll have to camp in our backyard again soon... actually I am pretty sure Evie will beg us to do it again soon..... 

International Day 2012

Last weekend was our third year hosting a Belgium booth for IST's International Day.  Year one I learned not to make my waffles on the fly (it was such a disaster I even lost a waffle maker to the event), year two I learned that it was not necessary to make 100 waffles (people liked them but not that much) and this year I learned that if I want to make huge bucks on my Guess the Belgian "Thing" game I needed to use the chance to win a whole chocolate bar as an incentive and use Patrick and my barker. 

I also learned that the only place in town to get Belgian chocolate is Trader Joe's... what is up with that?  Oh well, at least it was cheap.  It was Izzy's first International Day and she did a good job of helping us man the booth (and sleep, she slept through at least 1/2 of the ordeal).  I also learned that key to big sales in waffles is to have whipped cream on hand... however two things of it was overkill.  We still have whipped cream in the fridge, which I predict will still be there at this time next year ;P