On a Sunday Afternoon

One of the many things that Jeff and I have in common is that our interests and education both lean heavily toward the humanities. Neither one of us has ever been too fond of math or science, probably because we didn't really excel in either subject while in grade school or college; so in our home, we tend to cultivate right-brain learning. Armed with the knowledge that we have creativity and aesthetics covered, we're on a mission to accelerate left-brain development in our children. To that effect, on one of his rare Sundays off, Jeff and I decided to switch gears when we were out with the boys today-our destination, Balboa Park. Young though they are, we are taking an early approach to fostering an interest in visiting museums. Our first stop was the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, where Jonah reveled in hands on interaction with science exhibits. He discovered computers, explored the tinkering studio, and had his curiosity sparked in Kid City where he learned while he played. Regular exposure to such a place, is, we feel, a common sense approach to encouraging logical, rational, and analytical thinking. This place was perfect for a blossoming two-year old where nothing was off-limits. Next, we headed to the Natural History Museum, where both Jonah and Brady explored nature and came face to face with giant dinosaur fossils, African art, and explored themes about the earth's processes; the water exhibit was really cool-both interactive and multi-sensory. I was so impressed by how focused and eager Jonah was. Our original plans also included taking in the Air and Space Museum and the Museum of Man, but there simply wasn't enough time. We look forward to delving into those on another day. With over thirteen museums left to visit, I'm sure that we will be making Balboa Park a Cummins family tradition. There are so many wonderful experiences in store for them there. We're committed to raising scholastically whole-brained, culturally aware, well-rounded boys. That is our gift to them.

Natural Born Musician-Just Like Daddy!

Day at the Beach

My mom and I took Jonah and Brady to the beach for the first time. Every outing with the boys is a great one, but first time experiences make for some great memories. We all enjoyed ourselves, but there were a few inconveniences, such as Jonah not knowing what to do with all the sand on his feet, and Brady not being able to stand being restricted to a tiny spot on his towel-and then there was the fact that neither boy cared for the cold temperature of the ocean. Despite these little annoyances, Coronado was beautiful and breezy, and the perfect setting for the boys to spend the afternoon at the shore.

Tide-to-Go Anyone?

Do any of you out there have a Tide to Go pen tucked neatly away in your purse? Recently I purchased one, and up until today it had been sitting silently, patiently in my side purse pocket waiting to be called upon to protect and serve my clothing from nasty, threatening stains. While I'm not a huge Kelly Ripa fan (the celebrity endorser of the product), I'm a sucker for a quick clean up solution to a mess on the go (especially with a baby and toddler in tow). Today, I was out of town with my mother and children enjoying a delicious lunch of tacos, beans, and rice at one of our favorite little Mexican restaurants in San Diego. Perhaps I was a little too eager about consuming my lunch-it was after all my first meal of the day and I was feeling rather ravenous, when suddenly a pinto bean flew off of my fork and landed neatly upon my bosom. I delicately picked the bean off of my shirt and discovered that it had left a small wet stain to remember it by. Annoyed because most of the day was still ahead of me, I realized I had to do something, lest I walk around looking like a bit of a mess. I pulled my little cleaning tool out of my purse and was startled to realize that I was extremely self-conscious about marking myself in public with a loud orange colored pen. The technique to clean the stain took some real muscle, and I sat there, chin lowered, struggling to be effective. Surely I was bringing attention to myself by using the darn thing. All in all, it was not an experience I want to repeat. I think that in the future, I'll rely on the 'ol sideways glance to see if anyone's looking, and discreet dab at the shirt with a moistened napkin.

San Diego Zoo

The Zoo called to us today, so we answered. The last time we visited our animal friends, I was 7 months pregnant with Brady. Back then Jonah adored animals, and he's still crazy about them now. His all time favorite animal, the giraffe, was one of our stops-and Jonah couldn't stop grinning. During our 14 month hiatus, his appreciation and love for animals has deepened and he has added many new names to his vocabulary bank-he can also imitate their sounds. Not a day goes by when we don't play audience to Jonah's lion roars, or owl hoots. Jeff and I were pleased and proud that he recognized so many different species. In fact, I believe I had more fun today than any other time I have been to the zoo. Brady had a blast too. My guess is that his favorite part was the elephants, as evidenced by his awestruck look, complete with wide eyes, open mouth, and hanging tongue. It was a great pleasure to be there with our boys!

Jeff's 34th Birthday

We labored and labored over how to spend Jeff's birthday this year. We could go see Wicked again, we thought, but that idea was quickly discarded. How about a fancy dinner out of town somewhere...nah, not into it. Idea after idea was considered, then rejected...until finally, the light bulb shone brilliantly! Disneyland-without the boys!!! We can do The Matterhorn, Indiana Jones, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash MOUNTAIN, SPACE MOUNTAIN, each recitation became louder and louder until we were as excited as kids in a candy store. So we did it. We left Brady and Jonah in the loving and capable hands of their Ama (Grandma) and took off for a fantastic day at the 'happiest place on earth' sans children. No Fantasy Land for us...the Pooh ride, I think not. Today we are not parents, we are big kids! Happy Birthday Jeff!

Brady Update

If anyone read yesterday's post about Brady's cold, and decided to say a prayer for him, we thank you. This morning Brady woke up 95% better than the day before. I have never seen a baby recover from a bad cold so swiftly. I hope this means that Brady will prove to have a strong immune system and recover quickly from illness. Unfortunately, the germs found Jonah and are currently partying in his system. We hope that his cold goes as quickly as it came, just as Brady's did.

Busy Boy Brady

Yesterday afternoon, my precious baby developed his first cold. It seems to have come from out of nowhere. By nightfall it was full-blown and oh, how he suffered in his sleep. My usually bubbly boy has watery, droopy eyes, a mess of a runny nose, and is sneezing up a storm. Although I am very happy that he went almost 10 months without any illnesses, I still wish that he didn't have to deal with this one. Brady's a trooper though. He is still cruising around the house and attempting to get into everything possible, but his spunk seems to be on hold. This morning's first diaper change occurred without incident. Instead of the usual rolling over and attempts to crawl away, he just lay there cooperatively. When I put him down for his morning nap a while ago, he surrendered easily-almost gratefully. I know he'll be okay, but the question is, will I survive? I can't stand hearing my little one struggle to breath while he sleeps-and what about Jonah? How do I keep him from catching the cold. I really don't want to have two sick boys on my hands, but I can't very well follow Brady around all day with an antibacterial wipe, can I ? It would be impossible to keep them away from each other. Oh well, we'll make it through somehow...

San Francisco

It was short, but sweet. Although we only stayed two days and two nights in the city, we packed a lot in. The boys got to see The Golden Gate Bridge, Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Ferry Marketplace, Chinatown, Downtown, Lombard Street, Alcatraz, and of course, the Hammans family, our primary reason for the trip. Short though it was, it was actually nice to get back. The comforts of home are greatly missed when you are traveling with a baby and a toddler, who by the way, did amazingly well on the drive.