Los Luceros de Arizona

And then there's Bella ...

2012-02-03T13:48:00.007-07:00

I have been remiss in sharing anything about Bella lately. Sure, she's a dog ... but she was our first child, after all. Those of you who have dogs know what I'm saying. :)

We live a block away from the mountains, and lately Christian and Jonathan have been hiking up the mountains together. Bella even got to go along, and sat there admiring her accomplishment when she reached the top.

I'll be posting pics of Christian, too, from this hike. But, I wanted to give Bella a shout-out.

So, how has Bella handled our newest addition to the family? Just fine and dandy! If she's in another room when Scarlett is crying, she comes running to investigate.

She's also been up on our bed a lot more since Scarlett came. I think she's trying to get her scent everywhere so we know she's still around and still needs attention - ha ha!

Hairy and Chicken

2012-02-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Somehow, I just came across Christian's daily report from school for January 5th - the day before Scarlett was born. I had a good giggle:

Memorable Moment:

Ms. Mandee: "Christian, what rhymes with 'dairy'?"

Christian: "'Hairy,' Miss Mandee!"

Ms. Mandee: "Christian, is Mommy having her baby tomorrow?"

Christian, "Yes, she's coming out with Dr. Oland to have chicken!"
Ah ... my little comedian!

Wordless Wednesday - February 1, 2012

2012-02-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

2012-01-06T12:06:00.001-07:00

Jonathan, er um, Christian ... er, um, Jonathan

2011-12-31T04:17:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned in the past, a lot of people comment that Jonathan and Christian look alike, but I don't see it.

I don't see it until I come across photos of Jonathan as a young child. And I had to do a double-take on this photo, because wow! It could be Christian in that photo!

Another Lesson Learned: Monsters

2011-12-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

I've come to realize that parenting is all about lessons learned. Our most recent lesson learned: monsters.

Christian loves Disney movies and so we recorded Monsters Inc. the other day after he caught a few minutes of it on TV by chance, and seemed really interested.

He does, indeed, like the movie ... but there are some scary parts - like when Boo is in the room when Scully is being really scary - and Boo goes running out in tears. The movie shows monsters in bedrooms with sleeping children, monsters under the bed, etc.

So naturally, Christian is concerned that there may be monsters in his room, hiding under his bed. Jonathan and I have both done what we can to tell Christian that monsters are pretend and just in a movie on TV and there are absolutely no monsters in his room, or in our house.

Fortunately, Christian isn't terrified, just concerned. He continues to sleep through the night just fine, in the dark as always. But we have to answer several questions about monsters before we can leave the room. And that is fine - we'll spend as much time with him on the topic to ensure he feels safe.

Since Christian can read and see that Monsters Inc. is part of our DVR lineup, we've removed it so he can't request to watch the movie and be reminded of his concern over monsters.

Christian has got some big life changes in store for him in the next few weeks, and hopefully we can put this issue of monsters behind him before those changes take place.

Lesson learned: no more monster movies, no matter how happy, funny and harmless they may seem to be.

2011-12-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

2011-12-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

We Three Luceros

2011-12-01T00:01:00.002-07:00

My sister got some great photos of we three Luceros ... look for more to come!

Wordless Wednesday - November 30, 2011

2011-11-30T21:32:00.002-07:00

Me and My Shadow

2011-11-29T21:49:00.002-07:00

Livin' the Dream at IKEA

2011-11-26T21:23:00.009-07:00

Today we made our semi-annual mecca to that great big giant of retail heaven: IKEA.

Christian disovered a display of vegetable pillows, lined them up on a nearby bed and hopped inside for a pseudo nap. It was pretty darn cute, and amused many a passer-by!

Sure do wish he'd love real vegetables the way he did those veggie pillows.

A mommy can dream!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Auntie Liz joined us for Thanksgiving this year. She was kind enough to once again to take our annual family photos.

Doing so was a bit tricky this year as Christian is full of energy and not interested in staying still. Thankfully, Auntie Liz is full of patience (more patience than I had) and just kept taking pics with the hopes of getting a few good shots.

Afterwards, we headed home for Thanksgiving dinner. I admire people who make Thanksgiving dinner for large groups of people. I think making it for three people (excluding Christian, who doesn't eat very much of anything) is enough work. I haven't figured out how to have everything ready at the same time, though I did a fairly good job of it this year. Having tasty appetizers certainly does buy the cook some time!

Christian's Fall 2011 School Pictures

2011-11-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

A Very Special Muffin Monday - Union Pacific Engine No. 844

2011-11-14T14:49:00.004-07:00

Arizona is celebrating 100 years of statehood and as part of that year-long celebration, Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Engine No. 844 is making a ceremonial Arizona Centennial journey along the historic Southern Arizona "Sunset" route ... and the engine had a stop in Phoenix. And that's pretty cool because a steam locomotive hasn't passed through Arizona since 1977.

Engine No. 844 is one of the largest engines ever built - so it's quite a thrill for train lovers - both young and old.

So naturally, the Lucero men made their way to the train station to check out this gigantic railway marvel!

A news reporter from our local Fox TV station took the above picture.

Jonathan called me while there to say they had just been filmed on our Fox station, but by the time I turned on the TV, the train segment was almost over - they had aleady shown my men. A few minutes later, I got a message on Facebook from somebody telling me she thought she just saw Christian on TV. So ... SOMEBODY saw him! Too bad I missed it and couldn't record it.

Go Speed Racer, Go!

2011-11-13T14:35:00.010-07:00

It has been a few weeks since I've taken Chrstian out on his tricycle, but he's gone out with Jonathan.

Last time I took him out, I'd need to push him along sometimes ... and he'd come to a halt if his tire ran off the sidewalk and into the grass or rock.

When we went out today, however, it was a different story. First, he was going so fast that I couldn't keep up with him. He went up the little hills by himself and didn't let a tire off the sidewalk bother him one bit. I was amazed at his progress in such a short timeframe!

Wordless Wednesday - November 9, 2011

2011-11-09T15:42:00.004-07:00

Cabelas - Another Ideal Muffin Monday Location

2011-11-07T14:56:00.012-07:00

Another perfect location for Muffin Monday is Cabela's!

They have realistic animals, fish, an escalator, a cafe, a mountain and a cave. Christian's comment, "Wow, this is amazing!!"

And of course, what is Muffin Monday without a visit to a park!

Happy Fourth Birthday, Christian!

2011-11-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

Christian's Pic in the School Newsletter

2011-11-01T11:27:00.002-07:00

It has been a while since we've seen a pic of Christian in his school's newsletter, and so we were excited today to see he was in TWO pictures this time.

I love the face he's amking when his hand is in the pumpkin! :)

Christian's 2011 Birthday Card for Sprout

2011-11-01T11:14:00.001-07:00

Our little guy's fourth birthday is tomorrow - I can hardly believe it!

This year's Sprout card is similar to last year's card, in that "Calliou" is the "theme" (the card must feature a character from "Sprout"). I selected this same theme again because Calliou is a four year old kiddo, and the theme song (which is on the front of the card) works nicely for Christian.

I was down to the wire on getting this card in by the deadline. If I was successful, the card will hopefully air on Sprout sometime tomorrow! And if it does, hopefully I can record it and post the video online, like last year.

front of card

Inside of card

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:46:00.019-07:00

As always, Christian makes me laugh!

For two weeks preceding Halloween, Christian would say - out of the blue - "I don't want to go trick or treating."

As the big day approached, I told Christian he was going to be a train engineer for Halloween. Since he loves trains, he seemed pretty okay with the idea.

So we got him dressed last night and took him to the part for pictures. Initially he refused to wear his hat and bandana, saying, "I don't want to be an engineer!!" But eventually he warmed up to the idea.

Two houses down from ours, several neighbors had gathered to hand out candy. I carried Christian over there - crying and protesting - with the hopes that he'd get inspired to do a little trick-or-treating. He was really hesitatn at first, but when he was given three big handfuls of candy, he got very excited, "I GOT CANDY!!!"

He told everybody, "I'm a costume!" Oh, it was so funny ... he thought he was a COSTUME! I reminded him he was a train engineer. So then he'd say, "I'm a costume! I'm a train engineer!"

I went back home to hand out candy, and Christian and Jonathan went trick-or-treating for a few minutes. When they returned, Christian was VERY excited to dump out all his goodies - it was so cute.

Wordless Wednesday - October 26, 2011

2011-10-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

Three Years in Pumpkin Pics

2011-10-23T20:17:00.001-07:00

This year marks our third year of going to the local Pumpkin Patch ... and that makes the event an annual tradition.

I present to you three consecutive years of Christian picking a pumpkin. How cute!

(Click on any picture to enlarge)

2009

2010

2011

Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-23T08:36:00.006-07:00

More Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-23T00:01:00.003-07:00

(click to enlarge)

Muffin Monday - October 17, 2011

2011-10-17T20:29:00.001-07:00

One of the best places to have "Muffin Monday" is Barnes and Noble. Here's why:

It's always nice and cool
It's clean
There's a bathroom
There's food and drinks
Christian is entertained the entire time
We adults can grab something of interest to look at, too.
Christian no longer gets upset that we don't buy him something every time. WHEW!
And ... he no longer gets upset when we tell him it's time to leave. DOUBLE WHEW!

Dancin' Dancin!

2011-10-15T20:15:00.005-07:00

We paid a visit to Best Buy today, and Christian discovered the Xbox Kinect and the "Just Dance" game they had on the TV and started dancing all over the place. He was so energetic and so happy!

Funny thing is, we have the "Just Dance" game at home on our Wii. It's been a few months since we tried it with him, and back then, he wasn't interested.

Time to break out the game again. I think he'd LOVE it now!

Wordless Wednesday - October 12, 2011

2011-10-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

We Found More Trains!

2011-10-01T09:27:00.025-07:00

In case ya'll didn't know, Christian LOVES trains. And happily, we found a new train place in Phoenix to take Christian to.

Waiting with Papa for the train to arrive.

Getting on board!

Anxiety starts to kick in when Christian sees Mommy won't be coming along for the ride.

Christian decided the train wasn't for him.

Papa still wanted to ride the train, so Christian and I ventured off to the model train exhibit.

Papa returned from his exciting train ride (which broke down along the ride,

so I'm glad Christian didn't go after all. It was a hot day). We went outside to look at a larger model train.

We gave Christian a few minutes of doing that and then told him it was time to go.

WHOOOO LAWDY! The fit Christian had ... unbelievable!

Papa's awesome solution? On-site time out for three minutes.

It worked ... Christian sat there and calmed down.

Tuesday Giggles

2011-09-27T11:21:00.001-07:00

Christian just cracks me up these days. Whenever he says something funny, I try to remember it so I can share with ya''ll ... and I'm typically unsuccessful.

Here are a couple of funny statements from the past 24 hours:

Yesterday, I was getting Christian undressed and was trying to get him to help out. I said, "Take off your underwear, please." He replied in a very whiny voice, "No, you do it." I said, "Christian, please take off your underwear like a big boy." His reply, in that same very whiny voice, "I'm not a big boy ... I"m a little girl." I guess that was the best excuse he could come up with to not get undressed.

This morning, I walked into his room and said, "Good morning!" He cheerfully replied, "Good morning, mother dear!"

Mother dear? Ha ha! Haven't heard that one before!

Auntie Liz Comes a Calling

2011-09-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Today Jonathan departed for a week in Southern California. Happily, Auntie Liz stopped by to keep us company. Thanks, Auntie!

Happy Fall!

2011-09-23T14:14:00.001-07:00

Happy First Day of Fall! (that is for those of you not living in the Phoenix area).

Happy "The Temps Are No Longer 110+!" (that is for those of you living in the Phoenix area - though, today is supposed to reach 107 - mighty close to 110!).

Still super hot here, but the overnight temps have gone down significantly (mid to upper 70s, as opposed to upper 80s/low 90s), so its not as not in the mornings.

Christian and Jonathan were able to get out and play outside the other day - finally. And despite not being able to ride his tricycle since May, Christian took off today peddling ALL BY HIMSELF! At last!!

Muffin Monday - September 19, 2011

2011-09-19T13:45:00.009-07:00

This week's Muffin Monday had an unexpected surpirse! Christian ate a chicken sandwich!

What's the big deal, you ask?

Christian is a VERY picky eater and rarely tries anything new. He'll eat chicken by itself. He'll eat bread by itself ... but the only "sandwich" he'll eat is PB&J.

Today, Jonathan bought hima mini chicken sandwich from Chic-fil-A, hoping that Christian would eat some chicken and some bread ... when lo and behold, Christian ate the two together as a sandwich.

Yep, little things like that get us VERY excited around here! Progress is progress!! :)

Puppy Love

2011-09-17T13:27:00.011-07:00

I remember being nervous about how Bella would react to having a baby in the house when Christian was born. Happily, she's never given us reason to worry in the nearly four years that Christian has been with us.

Our "two kids" actually get along quite nicely! He likes to call her up on our bed, says "Hi, Bella!" to her when he comes into his room, and likes to throw her toys for her to chase.

He laid down next to Bella today and told her, "Lick me!" She's not a licky kind of dog, but she oblighed and gave Christian a few licks ... and he loved it! "Bella's licking me!!" he squealed.

Thunder and Motorcycles

2011-09-14T11:35:00.000-07:00

Christian has always been a bit afraid of loud noises, though in recent months it appeared that fear my have subsided so it wasn't something I've thought too much about lately.

When I picked him up from school on Friday, he rushed to the door and said, "I want to go home!!" His teacher explained that there had been a couple of loud claps of thunder and it really scared him. When she'd try to explain thunder to the class, Christian would tell her, "No, stop!!"

One the drive home, I asked him if he wanted me to tell him about thunder, and he agreed. I said,

"Well, sometimes when its cloudy,
and lightening strikes
The thunder roars.
Its just a sound way up high in the sky,
and thunder cannot hurt you."

He had me repeat the explanation over and over again and by the time we got home, he'd pretty much memorized it. (Kinda funny, because when he recites the explanation, he starts off with a big "Well," just the way I did.)

I put him down for his nap, as usual, and he was VERY upset when I left the room. I tried explaining that I'd be down the hall in my office, as always. But he was just too freaked out by the thunder. So I stayed in his room with him and while he was content with met here, I finally had to give up on nap time for that day. He just wasn't going to fall asleep.

Yesterday when I picked him up from school, the same thing happened: he rushed over to me, "I want to go home." His teacher told me that a very loud motorcycle had gone past the school and the noise scared Christian.

I explained motorcycles to him and put him down for a nap. He seemed to be okay, but when I left the room and took Bella outside to the backyard, I came inside to find Christian crying hysterically because I was gone. Eventually, I was able to convince him to take a nap.

But then ... after he woke up, a storm rolled in with LOTS of wind and thunder. As it started, I turned on a noisy fan, and turned up the volume on the TV to help drown out the thunder. Alas, none of it worked and he was keenly aware of the thunder - and scared.

Unfortunately, even before these newest noise issues, Christian has been having a hard time sleeping at night. For several months, Jonathan has been sitting outside Christina's door right after he says goodnight to him and just does stuff on his computer. For the past few nights, Christian continues to call out, "I'll be right here!" (just a direct repeat of what Jonathan tells him as he leaves the room each night). And he calls it out over and over again, checking to make sure Jonathan is still there.

Also recently, Christian wakes up crying out for me at all hours of the night. Might be 11:30am, might be 4:30am. Might be twice a night. Just depends. We've always shut Christian's door after he falls asleep and we figured that maybe he would wake up and get upset that his door was shut. So we started leaving it open and that seemed to do the trick - he slept through the night.

But alas, with Christian being scared over these loud noises in the past few days, he's started waking up again.. Last night, Jonathan didn't come to bed until 11:30am because Christian could not fall asleep. And then I was up twice throughout the night when Christian would call out to me frantically.

So we're handling it the best we can. It is not a case of being defiant about going to bed, or that he's just wanting to get up and play. I think Christian is genuinely frightened by something and his fear of loud noises isn't helping.

And how do you rationalize with a three year old that the noises from thunder and motorcycles cannot hurt you. He tells me over and over, "Thunder cannot hurt you. I'm not scared of thunder."

But, indeed, he is. My poor lil' guy!

Muffin Monday with Mommy - September 12, 2011

2011-09-12T14:39:00.018-07:00

Jonathan had to work today, so I was in charge of Muffin Monday.

I thought a visit to a nearby library would excite Christian, given his love of books. His interest got no further than the library lobby, which had an enitre display case devoted to Thomas the Tank Engine. Christian was absolutely amazed! I was able to coax him into the library itself, but his true interest was in that display case, so we didn't really get much library action afterall.

Afterwards, we were driving around looking for a place for breakfast to make the day a true "Muffin Monday." Christian just about busted out of his car seat when he saw Barnes and Noble - perhaps one of his all-time favorite places to be. I bought him a scone at the cafe there, but he was too excited about the books to actually sit and eat. So he'd break off pieces for ME to eat to speed the process along. "You all done, Mommy?" he lept asking me.

We weren't on a a particualr timeframe, so we stayed at B&N for quite some time ... and Christian really had a nice time. A successful Muffin Monday! :)

Wordless Wednesday - September 7, 2011

2011-09-07T00:01:00.003-07:00

MOM

2011-09-02T11:20:00.000-07:00

Christian's new teacher is very much into art projects - he's been coming home with a lot of projects. One of my favorites is the "MOM" pic below. His teacher tells me that after he was done, he informed her, "My mommy doesn't have green hair."

Ah, I love that kiddo!

Wordless Wednesday - August 31, 2011

2011-08-31T16:45:00.001-07:00

Click image to enlarge.

Disneyland!

2011-08-27T16:09:00.004-07:00

Our first trip as a family to Disneyland was great ... as evidenced by the 12 hours we spent at "The Happiest Place on Earth."

Although, the fun was "hit and miss" for Christian. He'd get excited about getting on a particular ride, and then get a bit panicked once he was on it. Three exceptions: 1) the Teacups 2) the carousel and 3) the Dumbo Ride. Dumbo had a 1/2 hour line, and given Christian's anxiety over the other rides, I spent the entire 1/2 hour asking him if he REALLY wanted to ride on Dumbo. Each time, he gave an enthusiastic YES! And he did, in fact, liket he Dumbo ride.

He also loved the Disney parade that we watched late in the day - and that surprised me, because Christian still isn't too keen on loud noises. But he had a great time and was THRILLED when he got to see Tinkerbell and Cinderella in the parade.

Christian gave out 1/2 though the day and could no longer stay awake. We were fortuante to find a relatively calm and quiet location and lay him on some chairs and let him take a nap.

What amuses me most are Christian's post-trip recollections. "Finding Nemo" was the first ride we went on and he was excited until we got inside the submarine and the hatch was closed. Once the show started it was pretty loud and he cried out many times, "I want to get out!!!" Yet, since then, he talks about the ride a lot and doesn't seem to remember that he was in a panic for most of it.

We were in Southern California because Jonathan had a meeting, and it is an annual meeting, so we hope to make Disneyland an annual adventure! And that'll make Christian one lucky boy ... I didn't get my first trip to Disneyland until I was in my early 30s - ha ha!

California Sun and Sand

2011-08-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

Our Future Spelling Bee Champion

2011-08-26T11:01:00.001-07:00

Christian's latest thing lately is SPELLING! He'll look at a word - any word - and do this (for example):

"M - U - S - I - C spells music!"

The other day at school, he was playing with letter magnets and put three together, "M-O-M spells mom." His teacher was most impressed.

Yesterday, the entire class was working together with the letter magnets and the kiddos were coming up with nonsense words and Christian told them, "That won't work ... its not correct."

Ha ha ha! What a kid!

He reads everywhere he goes ... store signs, street signs ... and the problematic signs: restaurants. We'll be driving along and he'll read a restaurant sign out loud and then a moment later, "I'm HUNGRY!!!"

What's especially cool is to see Christian come across a new word ... and stare at if for a moment and either get it right ... or work it out phonetically. Or sometimes he doesn't have the patience for getting it on his own and he'll say "What does that say?" We tell him and from then on, he knows the word when he sees it.

Smarty pants!

California Dreamin'

2011-08-25T16:04:00.005-07:00

A few pics from our adventure in California:

The kids menu had a "word find" and he was looking for "X"

Some vacation ice cream!

Poor kiddo was sooo tired after waking up early and going to the beach.

We had planned to go to the beach in the afternoon, but he wasn't feeling very well and fell asleep.

The view from our hotel room.

Wordless Wednesday - August 24, 2011

2011-08-24T09:44:00.004-07:00

Christian's Inheritance

2011-08-13T14:14:00.013-07:00

The time has come ... Jonathan has decided to give Christian his inheritance.

The inheritance? Jonathan's life-long collection of Hot Wheel cars. Christian was absolutely THRILLED!

The 5:00am Wakeup Call

2011-08-12T09:18:00.001-07:00

There's no such thing as "sleeping in" at the Lucero Household. Well, not unless you count waking up at 5:45pm as "sleeping in" (a rare treat).

It used to be that when Christian woke up in the morning (typically at a time much later than 5:00am), he's stay in his room and eventually call out to use while sitting in his doorway ... waiting patiently.

Then a few weeks ago, he started coming into our room with a loud, "RAH!" very early in the morning, and delighting so much in startling us, that it became a game for him.   After a few of those mornings, I just adjusted my own waking time so that at least he doesn't get a chance to scare me out of sleep!

With the sun rising later these days, its now dark when he comes in around 5:00am. When it was light at that time, he was ready to HAVE FUN.   But with it being dark, I tell him its still nighttime, and we need to lay down and rest. So he lays down beside me and we snuggle a bit before it gets light enough that he KNOWS its morning.   Having a few quiet, still moments with my usually very active little boy is a real treat!

Now, if only we could somehow convince Christian that its perfectly okay (and desirable) to sleep in on weekends past 5:45am.   Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen.

Good thing I'm a morning person! :)

All About Christian

2011-08-11T13:54:00.012-07:00

Ah, Christian ... he's quite the little lad. He's got lots to say, and lots to do. He's a busy, energetic and entertaining kiddo!

Some of the amushing things he says lately are:

"That's a good idea, Papa!" Christian has that to say when Jonathan answers his question, "What are you doing, Papa?"
"Bless you, Mommy!" I hear this blessing from down the hall when he's in his room at naptime, and I sneeze in my office.
"Hey! What's going on here?"
"Do you want to play a game" (we say yes) "Okay, first ... it's called .... um ...." and he makes up a quick game and gives it a name.
"What can I doooooo?" We hear this one a lot when he's bored.
"I can do it!" or "I can help!"
"I'm going to be a pilot!"
"I'm so VERY hungry."
"Let's go to Disneyland TODAY!"
"Stop kissing me!" or "Stop patting me!"
"Excuse Meeeeeeeeeeee!" after burping
"I'm going to fly to ColoraTo" ("t" emphasized)
"One for youuuuuuuu ... and one for me."
"Gimme a squeezer!" (hug)

This week at school, Christian and his classmates were moved to the "older preschool" class. His new teacher, Miss Mandee, has been sharing some little nuggets with me.

Today the kids were switching activities and Christian said, "Miss Mandee, we do A LOT."
He tells Miss Mandee all about the various documentaries he watches on TV: Trains, sharks, Disneyland (most preschoolers just watch cartoons, our kiddo watches documentaries - by choice!)
This week is family week, and we were asked to bring pics of our family. Our pics were put on the wall today and when I walked in to get him, he rushed up to me, hugged me and said, "This is my family. This is my family!" Awwwww!! When we got home, I asked him who his family was and he said, "Grandma Janet!" That one surprised me. He's only met Grandma Janet once (back in early 2008) and its been a while since we've said "Grandma Janet." He's got quite a memory!

One of Christian's favorite activities is reading - still. So much, in fact, that in the classroom he's usually found in the room's "library" rather than playing his friends, or participating in many of the activities. His teacher recognizes this tendancy and makes sure to encourage him to participate in other activities, while making sure to not discourage his love of reading.

As I've mentioned before, and it bears repeating, Christian is actually reading ... he's not just looking at pictures. It's the coolest thing to see him grab a book - a book that has paragraphs - and hear him read outloud. The other day, I heard that the Arizona Dept. of Eductaion has proclaimed that starting this year, if a child can't read by the end of the third grade, he's not allowed to progress to the fourth grade. We'll never have to worry about that predicament with Christian! Perhaps the public school system should invest in a copy of "Your Baby Can Read" for each kindergarten classroom. Seriously! The program works!

Muffin Monday - August 8, 2011

2011-08-08T11:56:00.006-07:00

Today's Muffin Monday took the Lucero Men to the new Dunkin Donuts in Buckeye. I noticed that Christian had both a muffin and a donut. Hungry boy!

Afterwards, the men headed to the Penske Racing Museum to check out some cool race cars.

Wordless Wednesday - August 3, 2011

2011-08-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

"Did That Little Girl Scare You"?

2011-08-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

Christian was happily riding a tricycle at the Phoenix Children's Museum and went through a pretend car wash. The path was narrow - not quite wide enough for two trikes. An impatient little girl came up beside Christian and grunted to him her irritation that she couldn't pass through at the same time.

I quickly stepped in maneuvered Christian and his trike so she could pass through ... but my lil' man was already upset by her behavior towards him - he's very sensitive to being admonished ... by us, or by a cranky little girl.

I said to Christian, "Did that little girl scare you?" And since then, when he's feeling uncomfortable in a situation, he quietly says to me, "Did that little girl make you cry?" And that's my cue that he needs a little love and reassuring.

A Cupcake in the Heat

2011-07-30T14:13:00.006-07:00

Today we went to an outdoor birthday party. It was 109 degrees, so it was mighty toasty. But nice people and a festive atmosphere made it tolerable.

Christian eagerly awaited the cupcakes, and just like his Mommy, thinks frosting is the best part!

Click to enlarge

The Best Part About Traveling

2011-07-22T09:49:00.002-07:00

I was in Houston this week at a conference. Thankfully the trip was short, as who wants to spend any considerable time in Houston in the middle of summer? Not I!

The best part about traveling? Returning home to the Lucero Men who, this time, were waiting for me at the airport. Awww!

Vacation Bible School

2011-07-15T16:58:00.003-07:00

This week, Christian and I went to Vacation Bible School at a nearby church. This particular church holds their VBS during the evening, so it worked out nicely for us.

The class had a lot of kids - way more than Christian is used to at school. So the full room, combined with the unfamiliar setting, made for a very clingy little boy.

I was thrilled when on the first night, he agreed to put on the costume for the centurion guard (the center picture).

Outside time was Christian's favorite time, although once he got a ball to himself, all he did was play with the ball alone. Every once in a while, he'd play with one of the little girl's, Bryn (lower left corner picture).

One our final day there, his teacher (Melissa, the woman who originally watched him before we moved to Verrado) went around the room asking the children what all they learned during the week. When she got to Christian, I didn't expect him to have answer. So I was very pleasantly surprised - and pleased - when he said, "Jesus."

Wordless Wednesday - July 13, 2011

2011-07-13T12:15:00.002-07:00

This Week: Papa's Boy

2011-07-07T16:19:00.001-07:00

Christian is typically my shadow - every day, every where. This particular week, however, Christian has totally been a "Papa's Boy." How cute!

That pic made me think back to the pic below from February 2008:

Oooey Gooey Waffle Bite

2011-07-06T10:18:00.002-07:00

Christian's special 4th of July breakfast was an oooey gooey waffle. I love the way he says "syrup" like "seer-eeeee-up." So cute!

Click to enlarge.

Family Muffin Monday - July 4, 2011

2011-07-04T14:31:00.003-07:00

Today's "Muffin Monday" became "Breakfast Monday" because I had the day off. We ventured off to Five & Diner and had a mighty fine morning together!

Happy Fourth of July!

Congratulations to Auntie Liz!

2011-07-02T11:10:00.006-07:00

We'd like to congratulate my sister, Liz, on taking a leap of faith and leaving her job of 11 years to take a new, and very different job.

Liz is now working for the Gila River Indian Community as a Hydrologist. It will be a different job in a a very different work environment. The Gila River Indian Community is a sovereign nation and has their own government, and way of doing things. She certainly has a lot to learn.

Most of all, we are delighted that she picked a job that will keep her here in the Phoenix area! Christian LOVES his Auntie Liz and would have been crushed had she moved away.

Liz spent some time with us this weekend, and read Christian's bedtime books to him.

Congratulations, Liz!!

"Coffee is soooo good!"

2011-07-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Christian has always been fascinated with his Papa's coffee. He loves to get really close to a cup of coffeen, take a big sniff and say, "Mmmmm!"

Christian decided he'd like to try some and did the "finger test." As we've seen him do many times in the past (say, with lemons or sparkling water), his initial reaction was a funny face ... but then he went back for more.

And Christian proclaimed, "Coffee is soooo good!"

What was especially cute is the way Christian shared the tastes with his Papa. He'd dip his finger into the coffee, have a taste and say, "One for me ..." and then dip his finger back in, and gave the next sample to Papa, "One for you ."

After he was done sampling the coffee, Christian came to my lap so I could read him a book. Gotta say, it was kind of weird to have my three year old breathing on me with "coffee breath."

Christian's Restaurant

2011-06-30T10:46:00.002-07:00

Yesterday at school, Christian created a "restaurant" out of Legos. His class was in a different room when I picked him up and I noticed this structure in his cubby when I picked up his lunchbox.

When I picked him up, Miss Jo asked if I'd see what was in his cubby and noted Christian made all by himself and told her it was a restaurant. Aww!

I asked her if it could stay in his cubby until the next morning so I could take a picture of it, and she agreed.

Today we arrived at school with camera in hand. We walked into Christians's classroom and he lit up when he saw his restaurant masterpiece! And he was thrilled when I asked him to sit with his restaurant at the table so I could take pictures.

He told me, "Its my restaurant. Its beautiful!" What a kid! I agreed with him that it was beautiful and told him I really liked the red flowers."

Miss Jo told me that its a nice step forward that he actually gave a name to his awesome creation.

Cooling Down a Hot Bath

2011-06-30T00:02:00.000-07:00

Here in the Phoenix area in the summer, the water comes out of the faucet hot - even when turning on the cold water faucet.

The solution? ICE!

Wordless Wednesday - June 29, 2011

2011-06-29T11:46:00.001-07:00

Muffin Monday - June 27, 2011

2011-06-27T13:15:00.004-07:00

With an expected high of 115 today (*gasp!*), the Lucero men braved the more mild morning temps and headed to downtown Phoenix to ride the light rail for the first time. As you may recall, Christian loves trains, so he was thrilled to get on board and go riding around!

Show and Tell

2011-06-17T13:18:00.003-07:00

When Christian moved up to the preschool class a while back, one of the things I was nervous about was "Show and Tell." On most days, after lunch, the kids gather in a circle and take turns showing something they brought from home. It is a voluntary activity, so not all kiddos participate, but I was impressed with most who did. Their conversational skills were terrific and their ability to speak about their object was really impressive.

I decided that every single day, Christian would bring SOMETHING so that he'd have to get up each time and face an audience. The first few times, I had just arrived to pick him up and he was painfully shy about talking in front of me - despite all the encouraging I was doing from the sidelines.

So Ms. Jo caught on and now makes sure that he's done his show and tell before I arrive. She occasionally has a moment to tell me how he did ... and I'm just so thrilled that he enjoys show and tell and likes to talk about his toy of the day.

I used to pick out his show and tell object for him each morning, but nowadays, HE picks it out ... and even tells me "No" when I suggest something he's not interested in taking. So I let him take something of HIS choosing ... even it its something he's shown several times before.

Wordless Wednesday - June 15, 2011

2011-06-15T14:43:00.001-07:00

Muffin Monday - June 6, 2011

2011-06-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

Put the Pedal to the Metal!

2011-05-24T12:12:00.003-07:00

At last, Christian is using the pedals to move his tricycle along!!

Too bad HOT weather will soon bear down on us, making the outdoors the very last place any of us want to be (for three months).

Lightening McQueen

2011-05-23T13:59:00.002-07:00

There's a store in Glendale that Jonathan has been eyeing for Christian ... the kind of store where you can walk in and "build you own car." So Christian chose to build a "Lightening McQueen" car. Really, would he have built any other car? :)

Click to enlarge.

While Mommy's Away ...

2011-05-22T11:58:00.002-07:00

I am in Orlando all this week, so Papa's in charge. And that means ICE CREAM. Today the Lucero Men went to Cold Stone Creamery, and Christian had a big ol' ice cream.

I hear there was no room for lunch, and so ice cream is all Christian ate this afteroon.

When Mommy's away, the boys will play!

Ever so slowly, our house becomes a home.

2011-05-15T14:20:00.004-07:00

I have not yet figured out what my "decortating style" is. Well, not entirely, but if I could have our home look like anything out of the Ballard Designs catalog, I'd be in heaven!

The past three homes we've lived in generally look like tombs. We don't have much furniture, few window coverings and not much at all on the walls. Why? For me, I have to LOVE something before I can buy it (and Jonathan has to love it, too). See the painting on the wall in the first picture? Jonathan's parents got it for us as a new home gift back in Santa Fe. Jonathan and I both loved it, and so they very kindly got it for us (thanks again!). And to this day, it is one of the few things that is on our wall.

Of course, I do find a lot of things I "love," (I could buy up the entire Home Goods store if I had a bottomless bank acocunt). But let's be realistic, I can't have it all ... and I don't even try. I acquire our treasures a very small bit at a time.

We have one picture up of our little family from a couple of years ago - and that is it. We don't even have our wedding picture up anywhere. Why? I just haven't found frames I like for the photos we'd put up on the wall.

When I saw this mirror below, I had to have it. We've got a large wall in our living room that we had no idea what to do with ... it either needed lots of smaller things, or one ginormous piece ... and the ginormous piece won! I waited for months for it to go on sale ... and finally, it did!

The three pieces are super heavy and Jonathan did an amazing job of getting them proper aligned and installed, all while having a very curious little helper who really wanted to climb the ladder and used some tools.

Now, if I could only find picture frames I'm in love with ... :)

After School Fun

2011-05-12T15:42:00.001-07:00

We just love Christian's school, the staff and his teachers. This week, they had a social event with a jump house ... and ya'll know how much Christian loves jump houses (by the number of times I've posted pics with him jumping).

This time waa bit different, as they only let kids in the jump house by age group. They could jump for five minutes, and then they had to get out so the next group could come in. Christian did NOT like being told he had to get out ... and his teachers started to see a very different side of our boy wonder.

Ms. Jo (his current teacher and featured in the pics below in the blue shirt) couldn't believe Christian's reaction to having to get out. And that is good, becuase that means he has good behavior while at school in the classroom setting

Wordless Wednesday - May 11, 2011

2011-05-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

The Wedding Dress

2011-05-03T15:00:00.003-07:00

Christian loves "Cinderella," and so when I walked out in my wedding dress just for fun, he looked at me and said, "Mommy is Cinderella!" Awwww!!

He's never seen such a big, poofy dress and kept looking in amazement, so I asked him if he wanted to wear it and he said, "Yes!!"

He was so cute trying to walk around surrounded by all the poofy layers of tulle. Maybe I'll save these photos and share them with his fiancée one day. :)

Muffin Monday - May 2, 2011

2011-05-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Muffin Monday - April 25, 2011

2011-04-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

For today's Muffin Monday, the boys went to the fountain in our community, and then out to Christian's very first Happy Meal at McDonalds.

Yes, that's right. Christian is just about 3 1/2, and this was his first McDonald's Happy Meal. We try hard to get him to eat as healthy as possible, and fast food is typically not part of the menu.

We are pretty fortunate that Christian doesn't have a taste for fast food (not yet any way ...).

Easter 2011

2011-04-23T15:46:00.000-07:00

Christian somehow remembers Easter from last year - and how much he loved looking for eggs. This year, he got to hunt for eggs at our town's Easter Egg Hunt. He got to hunt for them at school, and then in our yard.

As Christian would say, "Yay for Easter!"

Additionally, God spoke quite clearly though Christian. You see, we haven't been to church since November. Christian often gets sick a couple of days after going to church, and since it was cold and flu season, we just kind of bypassed church for a while. And then not going to church became our routine.

But yesterday, Christian and I had hair appointments and we drove past our church. Jonathan (who was with Christian in a separate car), tells me that both coming and going, Christian got upset as Jonathan went past the church and didn't pull in.

So, we decided that this morning, we'd better stop our streak of laziness and get to church.

Christian's Spring Portraits

2011-04-21T16:18:00.002-07:00

Wordless Wednesday - April 20, 2011

2011-04-20T00:02:00.001-07:00

Sharks!!

2011-04-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

Our sweet boy had a bit of a shark fascination (er, um, obsession).

The moment he wakes up in the morning or from his nap, he asks to watch whatever his latest shark documentary interest is. We have several shark DVDs, and found a whole collection of shark documentaries on Netflix Instant View.

He's got shark books, and asks us to draw sharks everywhere. He talks about sharks a lot, too. He probably knows more about sharks than the average adult.

So you can imagine his excitement when we had lunch at a nearby restaurant that features a huge aquarium with several small sharks. Unfortunately, we were unable to get a table right against the aquarium ... but he was still able to sit right at the aquarium for a few minutes.

Next time, we'll make reservations for a table in front of the tank.

After lunch, we took him to the gift shop and got him some toy sharks ... and he was thrilled!

Buzz Gets the Naughty Corner

2011-04-08T13:51:00.003-07:00

Tonight, Christian surprised us - and made us giggle - when he took Buzz Light year, put him up against the wall, got down to Buzz's level and said,

"Buzz, I'm putting you in the naughty corner because you're hitting and not listening. THREE MINUTES!"

Hmmm ... I wonder where Christian has heard THAT dialog before. :)

So he walked away from Buzz and we sped time along and told Christian, "It's been three minutes. So, go tell Buzz, 'Buzz, I put you in the naughty corner because you were hitting and not listening. Now say you're sorry.' And when he says he's sorry, give him a hug, and tell Buzz you love him."

Christian went over to Buzz, got down to his level again and said, "Buzz, I put you in the naughty corner because you were hitting and not listening. THREE MORE MINUTES!!"

Ha ha ha!!!

Happy Birthday to Jonathan!

2011-04-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

For Jonathan's birthday, Christian requested "a cake with lots of candles." Since it's just the three of us, I got small cake about the size and shape of a brick. And 44 candles. That's a lot of candles on such a small cake. Pretty much a lil' bonfire.

Christian thought it was pretty cool!

And I thought it was pretty hot as I lit all those candles and walked it over to the table. After Jonathan blew out the candles, we had to turn on the fan and open the windows so that the smoke detector didn't go off. Seriously! 44 candles create a lot of smoke when blown out.

Happy Birthday, Jonathan!

We love you!

Wordless Wednesday - April 6, 2011

2011-04-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Founder's Day Festivities

2011-04-03T21:34:00.002-07:00

Jonathan had to work today, so Christian and I headed to Verrado's annual Founder's Day Community Picnic. They had a bounce house there ... and guess where we spent most of our time?

Since Jonathan missed the festivities, we had a little picnic of our own when he got home. They weather was perfect, and nobody else was at the park. Gotta take advantage of this beautiful weather before it gets too hot.

Today's Temperature

2011-04-01T21:11:00.001-07:00

It was a bit warm today, as you can see.

It is a little early for temps this high, and thankfully it starts cooling off tomorrow. And thankfully, the temps are still quite cool overnight.

Wordless Wednesday - March 30, 2011

2011-03-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

Presenting ... "Christian the Preschooler."

2011-03-28T15:35:00.003-07:00

This week was Christian's first week in the preschool class! He's left the two year old behind and now joins the three and four year old kids.

He didn't eat much for lunch this week ... and we had to work with him on going potty in a new room. But, he was a star and didn't have any potty accidents!

Each day after lunch, the kids gather in a circle and do show and tell. The teacher lets Christian go first, since we are leaving. He was pretty timid, but I made sure he bought something every day and then helped him show it to his friends.

Christian now gets to take his backpack to school each day, and he's very proud of that backpack that he can wheel around.

We are really looking forward to watching him learn and grow and become more confident around all those "big kids."

Here are some pictures from his first day. (click the photo to enlarge)

Wordless Wednesday - March 23, 2011

2011-03-23T00:52:00.002-07:00

Muffin Monday with a Twist - March 21, 2011

2011-03-21T14:16:00.003-07:00

Today's Muffin Monday had an exciting twist! When the boys returned home, Jonathan noticed that Christian was trying to poop. So he took Christian to the potty and saw with him for a long, long time, and kept him entertained with watching Curious George on the portable DVD player.

And after a long, long time ... Christian had pooped in the toilet. YES! YES! YES!

As of today, our rewards have gone from chocolate chips to M&Ms. He just wasn't too into those chocolate chips anymore ... and since M&Ms are still small, and he just gets two, it's not too bad.

The other reward for all of his potty training successes is that this week, he'll start the big transition to the preschool room at school!!

Spring Training

2011-03-19T13:12:00.004-07:00

Auntie Liz invited us to a Spring Training game that was close to our house ... the Cincinnati Reds and the Colorado Rockies.

It was a mighty fine day for baseball ... warm, but not hot and a bit overcast.

Muffin Monday - March 14, 2011

2011-03-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

Today's Muffin Monday found my boys at a sporting goods store (which is next door to a Joann craft & fabric store).

Jonathan bought Christian a baseball mitt and baseball, and Christian was ecstatic! Jonathan began to imagine how much fun he and Christian could have at the park ... playing catch, hitting balls. Quality father and son time.

As they walked out of the store, with visions of baseball in Jonathan's head, Christian immediately said, "Go to Joann's!!!"

Jonathan's vision came crashing down ... our boy wonder didn't care about baseball any more. He wanted to go to a fabric store. Ha ha ha ha!!!

A Day Out With Thomas

2011-03-12T09:23:00.004-07:00

This weekend we drove to Globe, Arizona to spend "A Day Out With Thomas."

A kid's perspective: We got to see a big diesel train, and ride on it, too - and the conductor walked through the train and said hello to all the kids. And we got to see Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt. And they had a big tent with all sorts of Thomas things to buy so we got a t-shirt, bucket, and train whistle.

The parents' perspective: It was a long drive (100 miles each way), and Christian wasn't feeling well, but handled it like a trooper. We bought tickets in advance ($100 for four of us) and arrived just in time to get on the train. It was a big diesel train pulling several passenger cars, and Thomas was at the very back. We couldn't even seen Thomas from where we were.

The train ride was simply a very slow-paced 12 minutes through town (and not a very picturesque ride at that), and then the train reversed and took us back to the station. Afterwards, we got off and tried to see Thomas, but were cut off and told we could walk no further.

So, we made our way to the street and watched Thomas go by as the next train took off with its passengers.

But, the bottom line is Christian had a good time (despite feeling a little under the weather). And that is what's important.

Click to enlarge photo

Peter Piper Pizza

2011-03-12T08:52:00.005-07:00

We live five minutes away from a Peter Piper Pizza, and at long last, we decided it was time to visit for the first time.

We weren't sure how Christian would react, as it's a busy, noisy place. But, he loved it! He wasn't frightened by all the activity of the other kids, and he didn't cover his ears from all the noise. A few months ago, he would have begged us to go home.

He surprised us by heading to the arcade area, not caring where we were (we were always with him, of course). He loved seeing all the games and bright lights ... loved watching the other kids run all over the place.

He even wanted to get on the mini merry-go-round. I held his hand the first time and walked with him, but after that, he let go and was happy to do it by himself. And so afterwards, we fetched papa so he could see.

We are so pleased that he's breaking out of his shell and exploring the world!

Click photo to enlarge.

Boys Will Be Boys ... and Mommies Will Be Horrified

2011-03-10T19:18:00.008-07:00

Today was a very nice day ... the high was 80 degrees, so after Christian's nap, we headed out to the park. But Christian got bored and wanted to walk up the street to "Christian's Mountain." It is a home site at the foot of the mountain where excavation once started, but was abandoned. There are plenty of dirt and rock piles - a dream come try for a little three year old boy.

I was nervous about what might be hiding under all the rocks he was picking up to throw ... spiders, snakes, scorpions. You never know what is lurking in the Arizona desert. One funky-looking spider made an appearance, but that was it.

Ever curious, Christian was picking up everything of interest ... rocks, sticks, dirt. I was walking a few feet ahead of him, and heard him say, "Look, a big stick!" I turned around to see him holding what appeared to be some tubing from the landscaping drip-line. UNTIL I SAW IT MOVE!

Christian had picked up a LIVE SNAKE by its tail and was holding it up high. I was horrified!!! I yelled at him to drop it, which he did ... and rushed over to pick him up. The snake went about its business.

Our saving grace was that it wasn't a rattlesnake - thankfully, those guys make their presence known immediately. I don't know what kind of snake it was - not a clue. But I thank God it wasn't aggressive.

My panicked tone gave Christian quite a scare, which I felt badly about. But, it is a good thing because he needs to be aware that picking up a snake is dangerous. So while we were still in the moment, but the snake was gone, I quietly but very firmly told him that snakes are dangerous.

Sitting High

2011-03-09T22:21:00.007-07:00

For a while now, Christian has been sitting in a regular chair at dinner. He outgrew the seat we had for him that put him at the level of the table, and we don't have a booster seat.

Tonight, Christian informed us he was going to get his "red pillow" and he got down and walked away. Jonathan and I were confused: #1: What red pillow and #2, why wasn't he wanting one of us to go with him (he usually insists somebody goes with him to get something).

He returned with the red pillow from his bed, put it on his chair and got back in - sitting a couple inches higher.

We were impressed! We've never put anything in his chair to get him up higher, so the idea was his, and his alone.

He sat there for a bit, rather pleased with his accomplishment. After a few minutes, he said, "Get the white pillow." So, he got down ... walked to his room again and returned with a large, white pillow and put it on his chair to get himself even higher up.

What an industrious little lad!!

Wordless Wednesday - March 9, 2011

2011-03-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Glory Be!

2011-03-08T13:56:00.002-07:00

Just as we had hoped, Christian used the potty at school ... TWICE!

They even called me the first time it happened to let me know. :)

He went on the potty twice this morning at home, so I was surprised he went twice at school, too. At home, Christian didn't even ask for chocolate ... and when I offered, he wasn't even interested.

So ... maybe the chocolate thing was short-lived? I'd be delighted if that was the case (three year olds certainly don't need a regular dose of chocolate), but the stash of chocolate chips is handy if he ever wants the reward.

So proud of my little guy!!!

C H O C O L A T E is a Miracle

2011-03-07T12:31:00.008-07:00

Why are these parents so darn tootin' happy?

Because chocolate is a miracle, I tell ya!

Chocolate is a huge motivator around here. This weekend, I asked Christian, "How do you get chocolate?" The answer should have been, "Go pee pee." But, he cracked us up when his answer was, "Open the package." Ah, toddlers ... they are so literal. "Why yes, you open the package to get chocolate. But, to get chocolate you have to go pee pee."

What a difference a week makes. Last weekend was full-force potty training: underwear all the time. A few accidents ...

But all last week, and this weekend, Christian has been a pro at peeing in the red cup ... and even telling us when he needs to go. We haven't had a single accident.

Christian is still wearing pull-ups at bedtimes. Overnight, he's been consistently dry. But, during the day at nap time, he'll usually pee while sleeping - and naptime is when he usually poops. We'll tackle the pooping issue (both at nap time and during waking hours) a bit later down the road.

Today was especially exciting for us. Before the boys headed out to Muffin Monday, I asked Christian if he wanted to pee - assuming he didn't because he'd already peed out everything from overnight. But he said yes, and then said, "Want to pee on the potty!!"

Be still my beating heart ... he ASKED to go pee on the potty. And HE DID! When the boys returned home, he asked again, "Want to go pee pee on the potty." AND HE DID ... AGAIN!

Hopefully doing so today will help him to pee in the potty at school this week.

We couldn't be more pleased with the rapid progress our lil' guy is making!!! And it is all because he's motivated to get those chocolate chips!!!

The nice thing is that the school has started billing us for the preschool classroom that he'll be moving up to once they are satisfied with his level of potty training. And that is almost a full $100 off each month. NICE!

The Newest Lesson - Headstands

2011-03-04T14:51:00.003-07:00

This evening, Jonathan taught Christian how to do headstands! Here's some video action

Click to enlarge image below

Daisy Mountain Railroad

2011-03-03T16:39:00.005-07:00

This past weekend, we drove up to Anthem, a town north of Phoenix, to check out the Daisy Mountain Railroad. It's a cute little mini-train that travels around a large community park.

Given Christian's obsession with all things vehicular - planes, trains and automobiles - we knew it would be a thrill for our little kiddo.

He loved the train, and he loved the park with its awesome playground and exciting play structures with multiple slides.

Over the past few weeks, Christian has certainly become more adventurous. I used to describe him as a child who didn't take risks ... who wasn't too adventurous. Little by little, he's been getting used to slides, and at school we'd occasionally hear that he'd gone down the slide by himself.

On Friday night, we went to Chick-fil-A and they had a play structure where the kiddos could climb to the top and then go down a tube slide. I went with Christian the first time (yes, a full-sized mommy in a structure designed for small children - crazy, I know), and then after that, he went up all by himself - over and over again. Jonathan and I sat watching in shock. Since when did our little boy get such a sense of adventure?

At the playground in Anthem, there were some pretty tall tube slides, and Christian loved them.

That's my boy ... now filled with adventure!!

Click to enlarge