Pumpkin Station with Baby Lucy

We had a great time at the local pumpkin station.  Lucy went on her first train ride – she seemed to like it

The Joy of Veggie Burgers

I’m always on the hunt for a quick, easy, healthy finger food to feed Lucy.  She loves feeding herself now which is great.  My latest discovery…she likes veggie burgers!  I was making one for myself and realized, this would be yummy for Lucy.  All sorts of veggies in each bite and I could cut it up and serve it so easily to her.

It’s a hit!  So the next time I go to Costco, I will be getting more of these veggie burgers.  (I like to eat them wrapped in lettuce, with mayo and curry powder mixed together).

 

 

Eye Appointments for Your 12-18 Month Old

Our optometrist offers a free eye examination for babies 12-18 months old and yours might too!  I took baby Lucy this morning for her pain free eye exam.  Of course, one look at the doctor (a stranger!) and she started wailing.

I explained that it wouldn’t hurt a bit and this was the friendly eye doctor.  The doctor did a splendid job of looking into her eyes even if she wasn’t very cooperative.

The doctor looks for congenital eye conditions and other problems.  He checks if the baby’s eyes are moving correctly.  Lucy checked out just fine which is wonderful.  The early eye exam is so important because if there is a problem, it can make a big difference to correct the problem early on.

So if you have a baby, put it on your checklist to see the eye doctor, optimally between 12-18 months.

Happy Birthday Baby Lucy!

My baby has turned ONE!

We had to laugh because with our firstborn, we had a party with an elaborate ocean themed cake that my mom made, complete with green plants coming out of the cake.

For our second born, we had a quiet party with family.  My mom had beautiful cupcakes with fondant that spelled out N-O-E-L-L-E.  The cupcakes were arranged in tiers with pink roses throughout.

This year for Lucy, I made homemade cupcakes with vanilla frosting and used chocolate sprinkles to spell out L-U-C-Y (I was very proud of myself).  Thankfully my dad saved the day and the photo op by carving a watermelon – isn’t it amazing?

I am so grateful for sweet Lucy.  She wakes up first in the morning, babbling happily to herself for about 20 minutes and when I get her, she is like a puppy dog.  Instead of wagging her tail, she kicks her legs.  She is completely adorable as she crawls and pulls along the floor to follow me throughout the house.  I am savoring each day with her as we aren’t planning to have any more kids.  So this is it.  I’m happy and sad.  My baby is growing up!

Mary Kay Giveaway – No More Dry Hands!

I’m having a new monthly Mary Kay giveaway and this month you could win a full-size hand cream to restore those dry, chapped hands (that you keep washing 50 times a day to keep baby clean and healthy!).

If you don’t already have a Mary Kay consultant, you are eligible to win this great product from wonderful consultant Tina Smith.

Just hop over to my new “Arlene Pellicane” blog and leave a comment.  The winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Monday!  Happy hand cream!

Camping in Kings Canyon National Park

Here’s my husband and the giant Grant Tree in the sequoias.  Walking through the groves was so beautiful.  We got there before the tourist bus which was a treat.  Kings Canyon National Park is a 6.5 hour drive from our house.  We left at about 3:30 am to beat the Los Angeles traffic.  The kids were so excited to be driving in the middle of the night surrounded by their pillows and blankets.  It was truly one of the highlights of the trip to have them giddy with excitement!

Camping is a great way to have an active and cheap vacation.  And the views don’t get much better!  Thankfully we stayed in a cabin which is my idea of roughing it (walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night in bear country).  We hiked around the Grant Groves, took a trail that was 9 miles round trip (we only made it 4 miles which is what I predicted), and walked up this steep staircase on Moro Rock for a spectacular view.  As you can see, this is not a hike if your kids are prone to wonder off!

One of the unexpected blessings was having a romantic time with my husband.  I didn’t really expect this since we were traveling with our kids and with dear family friends who have 4 kids.  But James and I held hands, whispered in each other ears, and kissed.  It was wonderful.  I left Kings Canyon with great memories, beautiful pictures, and a very grateful heart.