Growing Fast

You both are beginning to talk a lot. Miguel you are forming sentences. You might say, "Mami, see towaa (tower)" of the leggos you are playing with. Its fun to try to figure out what you are saying. You also mimic what I say. So today we were reading Brown Brown Bear and you would say every animal name after I did. You also enjoy drawing, playing with choo-choos and your beep beep go's (cars). Everyday you get hurt too. Yesterday there was a scratch under you eye, dont know where that came from. On Tuesday at nap time, I heard a big crash and then silence and then the cry. You fell out of Tonio's crib. Your head and chest were somehow under the crib. You hit your head and your tounge was bleeding. You cried, "big ouchiiieee". Then the other day you fell flat on your face off a bench and busted your lip open. That is the flat lip picture below. You are all boy.

Tonio you are starting to talk a lot too. You say "unch" (lunch), look, cookie, basically all that Miguel says. You also say Miguel's name, "Miggy". You love saying, "Hi Mami. Hi Daddy." You say it in this very cute, soft baby voice and then follow it with a german sounding NO!. You love kisses (or bisses) and hugs but only on your terms. Your dad loves asking, "Biss?" and you will puff out your bottom lips, shake your head stongly and say "NO!" Its funny. Then you will hold my checks in your hands and kiss me, usually to show off to others. You are also so physical, so wormy. You are constantly climbing on me or your dad and wiggling everywhere.

Sometimes I cant handle your cuteness. I just want to eat you both up you are so cute. I watch you at night sleeping (in your stinkie room) and I just want to squeeze you tight and cover you with bisses.

60 Years

Last weekend we drove down to Los Angeles for Meme and Joe's 60th anniversary party. You both did pretty well in the car ride down and you loved the hotel. You were eating the free cookies, watching tv and jumping on the bed.

You two had fun. The next day I think you both ate about 4 pounds of M&Ms. I had these M&Ms made with Meme and Joe's face on them




and you both ate them non-stop. Tonio you had a blue ring around your mouth. At one point Aunt Dede asked, "Where's Toto?" and we found you under the table eating M&Ms off the floor. You had fun with your cousin Taylor.



We spent the rest of the weekend with Meme and Joe. We went on walks around the lake, played with beep beep go's and went to Chuckie Cheeses. You had a lot of fun with your great grandparents. Miguel you love saying their name too. All my life they have been the funnest and most generous people and I am glad you get to spend time with them too!

We also visited your Papa Bill. He is in a home right now. He is the greatest man. Bill is gentle, compassionate, intellegent and loving. He was so wonderful to my mom and your Mia. He was a terrific boss too: he knew all his workers' names, didnt take company cars or bonuses in hard times, hired families and truly cared for the people who worked for him. I know he understands still. His eyes lit up when you both came in and played. I love Bill so much. It truly breaks my heart to know you two will never know your grandparents the way I know and love mine.

Remebering Mia

One of my greatest joys in life is my grandparents. I was lucky to have such beautiful and generous grandparents. Most of my happiest moments as a child were spent with Meme and Joe. I always thought when I had kids that my mom would play the same role. It breaks my heart to think that Mia will just be a story to you two, a memory of your ol' mom's.

My mom, your Mia, was a beautiful woman. She was generous, almost to a fault, loving, compassionate and treated everyone with respect. Mia left lasting impressions on everyone she met. They either remembered her amazing beauty or her enthusiasm for the small pleasures in life or her ability to care.

I dreamed of family vacations, trips to the park, Friday night dinners, graduation ceremonies, birthdays with your Mia. Unfortunately she died of cancer on Christmas morning 2008. While you were opening your presents with your cousin Taylor, she slipped away from us, leaving the precious memories of her hard yet wonderful life.

She was the best.

Obama! Obama!

Miguel's first sight word was Obama. We have been working on him for about 18 months now to say "Obama! Obama!" and so far he does a great job. Today Obama was inaugerated president and Miguel did a great job of yelling his name, waving the bobble head and saying "Bye bye George". He sure makes us proud. Tonio is also pretty good at yelling Obama's name. Here is our photo essay of the last several months of Obama's election:







Listening to Obama's Speech: 1-20-2009
Inaugration Day at the Civic Center
Voting
Election Day
Watching the Democratic Convention

Christmas sort of...

We didnt have much of a Christmas this year. We celebrated the annual White Elephant at Savitas, walked around the decorated streets, and you had dinner with your uncle Tony and Manuela. Otherwise it was a sad Christmas. You Mia, my mom, died on Christmas morning. You then left quickly after to stay with your grandparents, PopPop and Grammy T, in Montana for 8 days while your dad and figured things out at the house. A sad time.

Fort Ross

We drove about an hour up the coast to Fort Ross. This could be the first of many historical family field trips. Your dad said it was pay back, I guess his family would drag him unwillingly to historical battles sites and the such and now its his turn to drag his kids. Except it was a beautiful day and a breathtaking site. You both loved it, especially sitting in the grass in the sun, picking flowers.

After celebrating Thanksgiving at Julie's mom's we went to the Russian River. We had a beautiful and relaxing weekend. You just love it there Miguel. We went hiking, walked on the beach, ate tacos at a taco truck in the safeway parking lot and played baseball.