Antonio Scott (and/or) Harrison Patrick Rodgers

This kid is happy.....and big.

2011-03-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

Harrison went for his four month check up today....and not surprisingly he is in the 90% for weight and head size....only 80% for height. He is 17.94lbs, 26 inches. And SO happy!

Here are a few videos of the little guy - sharing his voice in spite of four shots. The first is him and Curious George - he really is a good little monkey. The other two are of him and mommy with a tickle game they do every day but finally caught on video.

For anyone keeping track here is Antonio's four month old stats post.

Antonio Would Like To Tell You A Little Something About The Planets.

2011-03-02T14:46:00.001-08:00

There are eight of them now. (Sorry, Pluto). Oh, and that's not all...

(We now join Antonio, already in progress.)

Happy 3 Month Birthday, Harrison

2011-02-16T15:06:00.001-08:00

First, an apology. During Antonio's first three months of life, this blog was updated 22 times. Since Harrison's birth, it's been updated once.

What does this mean?

It either means we love Antonio 22 times as much as we love Harrison, or we are 22 time more overwhelmed/lazy than we were when Antonio was born. Or a combination of the two of those things; you decide.

Anywho, here's Harrison. He's a giant, big-cheeked ball of love.

Hey, it's Harrison.

2010-11-17T06:52:00.001-08:00

Yes, I'm aware that my son is two weeks old already and I've yet to put up a post about him. Harrison, it doesn't mean we don't love you, it just means Mom and Dad are busy and haven't been getting a lot of sleep and... well, your Dad's a slacker.

So where was I? Oh yeah, November 16th, we woke up early to head to the hospital to get the baby out of Mommy's belly. And what a belly it was.

We waited for the operating room, and boy was it a lot less stressful than last time. Harrison was out in a jiffy. No fuss, no muss. Unless muss is the same thing as mess, because he was actually a little bit messy.

So unlike hippy dippy Seattle, down here in the Greater Los Angeles area, they don't pull the baby out and then plop it down on the mother to let the natural child-rearing take its course. No, here they send the little away for tests and other health related things.

I think he's going to be a hand/thumb sucker.

So all there is to do for Mom is wait. Luckily she had some really good company.

Even Antonio got to get up and head down to peek in the nursery at his new brother.

But finally, Deb got to officially meet Harrison Patrick Rodgers.

Believe it or not, she even let me hold him.

Look at this gorgeous boy.

All the grandparents were in town, so everybody got to meet Harrison right away.

But you know the person who was the happiest to meet Harrison? Antonio. He loves his little brother. And he is already a great big brother.

In the end, Deb was great, Antonio was great, Harrison was great, I stayed out of the way, and we welcomed a new member of our family.

The boys have a lot going on in their lives, so there will be a lot to post about.

Last Day

2010-11-15T23:31:00.000-08:00

Antonio,
Today is your last day as our only boy....and we just want you to know how much we love you and have enjoyed all of our four years with you growing. learning and becoming the beautiful boy you are. Tomorrow your new brother will come and we are so excited to see how you blossom into the amazing big brother we know you can and will be.
You are the most amazing gift to us and we love you more than we can ever say.
Mommy and Daddy

Antonio's Halloween

2010-11-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

Antonio's School Parade:

And Antonio tries Smarties for the first (and probably last) time.

Four Years Goes Fast

2010-09-26T19:05:00.001-07:00

Antonio turned four on September 19th. It was a pleasant 80+ day in Burbank so what better way to celebrate than a party in the park, with water balloons of course!

Grandma and Grandpa were here for the fun and got a little wet too!

Antonio did the most throwing, Eric (his friend and therapist) got the most wet, and mommy had the most bounces off her belly.

There were over 100 balloons and they went quick!

And of course then it was time for CAKE! And singing!

"I'm going to see what the blue one tastes like..."Then of course, after eating cake at 11am, the birthday boy has to throw up at the table and then take a little quiet time.

Then its time for presents!
Mamma and Bonk gave him a game called "rock, paper, scissors" - it is a card game and he took it literally and went and got a rock, paper and scissors....

And most exciting to mommy and daddy was sharing with Antonio all about soon to be arriving baby brother who Antonio is now very excited about and loves already.

For a little guy turning four it was a great party and a great day. The present opening lasted till the next weekend :)

DISNEYLAND!

2010-09-24T18:39:00.001-07:00

Antonio had his first trip to Disneyland on the last day he was 3.

The jury is still out if he liked the Teacups or not.

Yes, it was his favorite ride!

It was a big day - Grandma and Grandpa were visiting and we had big plans! He was so excited, overwhelmed, surprised and more and a lot of the day was spend like this - in a stroller partially covering his eyes. Disneyland is join-attention heaven and over stimulation heaven all in one.

The number one thing on Antonio's list was meet Mickey! He was SO excited to meet Mickey. After this the ice was broken and he was ready.
So we hopped on a Yellow Submarine and went to look for Nemo! This is a great ride for anyone, even pregnant people and grandparents.Then we had to hit the Playhouse Disney stage show which Jeff calls what Antonio were to see if he took acid....it is a lot of cool for a kid. Mickey, Handy Manny and Pooh all in one show! After that it was time to find more characters.

Like Eeyore - Antonio was very concerned that he still had a tail...thankfully he did.
And of course Tigger, who he couldn't wait to tell he loved him!

Since Grandma and Grandpa came we actually go a picture of the three of us with Pluto! So fun to meet Pluto.

At the end of a very long day, he was still smiling and talked ALL the way home with enthusiasm. He was that commercial "I'm too excited to sleep"....fun day!

Guess who came to play today - Elijah!

2010-08-14T21:34:00.004-07:00

Antonio was so excited to see Elijah at his house and all and all did pretty well sharing his toys with his cousin. Sharing is still tough for these guys but luckily they love each other.

A Family Reunion

2010-07-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

Last week was America's Birthday, but more important for Antonio, it was a trip to Washington to see all his family and even meet some new family. Thanks to Deb, Antonio has a HUGE family!

This trip he packed his backpack and headed out to our favorite Alaska Airlines.

On the 4th we took the boys to the Anacortes parade where grandma and grandpa were walking with the Shell Fire trucks and Great Auntie Dorothy and Deb's cousin Jenny were riding with cousin Zachary.

Both boys thought it was way too loud at the parade and spend most of it like this.

Deb's snuggles weren't enough for Antonio so he picked up Elijah's arms and wrapped them around himself. They were so sweet snuggling together.

Deb's cousin Jen and her husband Steven came with Zachary (one month younger than Antonio) and Baby Emma (just one year old) along with Aunt Dorothy and Uncle Bob from Texas for the week.

At first Antonio wasn't so sure about cousin Zachary but in the end he was so happy to play with him! And was fascinated with "petting" baby Emma.

It was amazingly hotter in Oak Harbor than in Burbank so there was a lot of water play.And eating outside.... At night Antonio went to stay at Mamma's house, which he really enjoyed. Mamma had some great books that he hadn't read before and he was thrilled to read them. And surprise all his grandparents that he actually CAN read.

And every night he slept so well! It was a great trip.

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

2010-06-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

You are the best Mommy a boy could have. I love you.

P.S. - Daddy loves you a lot, too.

A Day at the Beach

2010-06-12T19:14:00.000-07:00

Though we live in LA we don't go to the beach because it is a bit of a drive, but today we took the drive. Antonio has been to the beach in Washington but never a 'real' beach with nice sand and warm water to play in...it was so much fun!

At first all he wanted to do was dig...

With a lot of coaxing he ventured closer to the water....

and a little hiding behind daddy...and the squeals, they were nonstop! And HILARIOUS!

Until finally he was IN and wouldn't stop chasing the waves!

It was an awesome day at the beach!

Cupcakes Make My Tummy Happy

2010-05-23T21:20:00.001-07:00

Daddy is 37 - wow that is a lot! And Antonio being the best celebrator of Birthdays is so happy to help. The boys were alone for their little party and had a great time....

First you have to sing.....

Then, you blow out the candle and dive in!

And then you are happy and so is your tummy!

Yes, Antonio did dress up for the occassion in his "uniform" aka his Cubs shirt and hat, which for the past several months has been the ONLY thing he will wear. Luckily there are a few Cubs shirts, and he doesn't know it - phew.

L-A-U-R-I-E spells Laurie

2010-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

After far too long Laurie came to visit this weekend....And Antonio was slightly excited.

After the bouncing it was time to calm and read before bath and bedtime...

And then time for bedtime stories and snuggling.

On Saturday, he wanted to revisit his last memory of Laurie coming and wanted her to take him to the park with the field to run and play and most importantly...

SING - Peace like a river...his favorite song.

But then it was time to pretend and play. And one of the best things about Antonio is his great imagination. We built a nest and then he and Laurie added birds and blankets and fun. The greatest gift of Antonio's love with Laurie is that they are so completely comfortable together and he can quickly become his normal self - pretending, giggling and playing.

At the end of the visit this genuine happy smile is worth all the heart-ache of missing our best friend.

The Blog Slackers

2010-03-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

The new year has meant a lot of new things for us and one of those was not blogging...and now we have needed to look back at the blog for various information about Antonio's life so we are going to start being better again.

The blog has essentially been our baby book - the place we track when Antonio does things, reaches certain milestones and how he is growing.

Here are just a few more pictures of his busy past few months - those that were not lost on the hard drive that Deb left in the seat back pocket of an Alaska Airlines flight and no one seems to have found!

Don't worry he can't really ride it but he looks cute :)

This is Antonio's uniform right now. Wal-mart sweats which he wants to wear daily - a cubs shirt, which thankfully we have 2 - and a cubs hat from Uncle Rod. Who knows why but this kid LOVES the Cubs.

At the parks he has been playing more with other kids...so fun to watch. Especially this big bald kid he seems to always have fun with.

For many weeks we went to Bob's every Saturday - That's all over now that we have gone Gluten-Free - more on that another time.
But most of all he is just having fun being a boy...

Doctor and Dentist - thank you Berensteins

2010-03-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

Recently Antonio has hit the age where going to the doctor and other similar places is more challenging. However, the best remedy has been the Berestein Bears. They have a book for everything - volunteering, sharing, working hard, nightmares, and of course the dentist and the doctor.

So with a few appointments this past month we had a lot of reading to do. We went to the allergist and luckily didn't take pictures but Antonio was great and very brave. For now, we are treating his asthma and it seems to be working.

Then we found a new dentist. This is "Dr. Natalie Mansour" and yes Antonio calls her by her full name.

Just like a grown up he got his teeth cleaned first before seeing the dentist....

And then in came the dentist to count these pearly whites. Apparently the little guy is grinding a little so we are on the watch and will wait to see if outgrows it. But otherwise he is tip top!

He was so brave and did a great job! Could have been all the prep work, could have been the warm up game of Air Hockey in the waiting room!

And, best of all he got a cool toothbrush that spins!! Awesome!

Baby Logic

2010-03-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

Antonio has been so busy. And we have too, hence no blogs lately. And the fact that Deb lost her hard drive with all her pictures from the first two months of year doesn't help either.

So, here we are March and we are going to get back on the blog.

Antonio was telling Deb the story of Baby Sadie in the bath and we were able to capture his logic later as he did his business....

She is boy if you didn't know - well according to Antonio. But really she is a girl...but you gotta love Antonio's logic.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 2010~ Antonio welcomed the New Year with a fun day at the park with the stream....we were there for many hours playing and enjoying a warm day.

Climbing the slide was a whole lot of fun....

Leaves are certainly a ton of fun for any kid - so great to watch what Antonio decides to do when he discovers a pile.

A simple and perfect way to ring in the new year.

Twas The Antonio Before Christmas

2009-12-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

Enjoy.

Christmas Concert 2009

2009-12-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

Ya'll didn't think I'd let rest with those three videos, did you?

Of course not.

NOW WITH EVEN MORE VIDEO:
(Yeah, we were rolling two cameras.)

And now for the rest of the blog post, already in progress.
Pre-show:
The show:

Post-show:

Video of the show should be up later.

Imagination Station

2009-11-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

Antonio's imagination has exploded...if he isn't pretending to be someone... He is drawing them...

And doing quite well...this is turtle Tuck with a blue hat.

Or he is drawing on the sidewalk ...

Making muffins...

And sometimes telling us it is time to take Havana on an adventure.

His mind is so fun to watch grow!

Halloween 2009 (This Is Serious!)

2009-10-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

Antonio got all dressed up for Halloween. If you can't tell who he is from this picture, maybe this will jog your memory.

Yep. He's Ming Ming Duckling from The Wonder Pets, his favorite show. (It's also the only one he watches, but it's still pretty entertaining.) If you don't think he likes the show, you should ask him about it. Then, 45 minutes later, when he's recited a half-dozen episodes to you, you'll know just how seriously he takes his love of all thing Wonder Pets.

A day at the park - my old normal

2009-10-22T06:52:00.002-07:00

Best music video of all time :)

Like Man Like Man

2009-10-22T06:52:00.001-07:00

One of the best parts of potty training a boy is the instant need to read and poop. How at such a young age he knows that this is just what men do is beyond me, but Antonio is living up to his gender.

This was the week, Labor Day, that we made the leap and said no more diapers and within a few days Antonio was potty trained with no accidents for over a week. It was rather exciting, for us any way. And thanks to Kel, we attached it like pros. We pulled the potty just outside the bathroom door which seemed to make all the difference, since it was always in sight.

Just a couple days in, I said to him while in the kitchen, "You need to go pee in the toilet then we will have a snack" when I turned around he was taking his clothes off and doing the deed. Small proud moments for a mom to watch her kid pee on the wall.

Of course, like I said, the bigger business requires some material...

He quickly adapted to the regular toilet and now requires at least three books to do his business, and when the time is right, you can catch him reading loudly to himself - as always.

What a big boy we have!

October in California

2009-10-22T06:51:00.002-07:00

Just a year ago when we went to the pumpkin patch we were bundled in layers of clothes, this year, we were bundled in layers of sunscreen.

The trip to the pumpkin patch was far more fun that we expected - and we were lucky enough to find a real working farm with a tractor ride and everything.

Antonio loved the hay pyramid which he conquered several times.

But, the hay maze was his favorite - he went through it over and over and over.

And after a long sunny morning we took some home and decorated.

And a few days later mommy brought our bid pumpkin to school and carved it into a Jack-O-Latern in front of the class. Carving fast in front of three-year olds is hilarious - and Antonio couldn't have been more excited about it. (in fact over a month later he still randomly says, "thank you for bringing a jack-o-latern to school mommy").

Hey, whatever makes the kid smile.

Being three is busy

2009-10-22T06:51:00.001-07:00

Just a week after Antonio's birthday he was invited to his first real friend birthday party for Carson. Antonio and Carson love each other and are best buds at school. Carson had his party at Travel Town - one of everyone's favorite spots. And after a great party came the month of sick. Antonio started with a cold from the party, then got a little better...

Then got another bug from school, so we had play at home days. He is dressing up as a cowboy here....

Then, he got a better and Mommy and Daddy went to Disneyland without him :) Funny and true.

And, he got to stay home and play with mouse ears.

By the end of the month the little guy was on the mend, but flu season is just begining.

Antonio Is Three

2009-09-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Antonio had a great birthday. He slept in, had breakfast at his favorite restaurant, then played at the park with some of his favorite people.

After that, it was time for a a super long nap, a Washington Huskies victory, and then time for cake.

Then it as time for more presents and some golf and stories with Mommy.

Only 364 days until his next one.

My first school party!

2009-09-18T20:48:00.001-07:00

Pizza and beer for all .... well apple juice anyway. And of course cupcakes!

And special visitors came to the party - Grandma and Grandpa!
And Daddy!
Mommy put these little monster toys that wiggle and pop up on all the cupcakes, total cost $2.99. It entertained 15 toddlers for their whole recess!
This is Carson, Antonio's favorite buddy in class.

The little girl in the yellow and pink is Allison - his favorite girlfriend in class....
Antonio doesn't need any presents, but school needed a boom-box to teach music for their holiday program, so Antonio brought a gift for his teacher Miss Mona.

It was a great party!

Fall Flu Begins

2009-09-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Poor Antonio has caught everything this fall....and being sick at home is no fun.
Except the snuggling and sneaking off to quiet parks to play.

More September updates

2009-09-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Because I forgot to post this one in the potty blog - this is the big guy on the real toilet...

Antonio's Week

2009-09-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

August 2009 - After a lot of fun vacation it was time to get back to normal....

Its Summer Vacation Time

2009-09-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

August 2009
Here are some pictures from our vacation to Washington, Havana's Road Trip and Elijah's visit to Antonio's house.

Beat the Heat

2009-07-29T13:37:00.000-07:00

Everyone in Anotnio's family is experiencing real heat this week as Washington gets a massive heat wave. As for us in California, every day is heat wave so there are a lot of good options for staying cool. One of our new favorites is the KidsSpace Children's Museum.
Besides some of the best indoor space for a Children's Museum the best on a warm day is the outdoor space. There is this wonderful stream with a waterfall, bridge, mill and buckets to play. It is so well built that the rocks are not slippery and kids come from miles around to splash.

We joined the first time we visited so that we can go as often as we like and it is already a favorite for us all. Stay cool everyone!

I'm not a big boy, I'm a handsome boy

2009-07-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

Someone I know has become a BIG BOY! Since our return, Antonio has given up his bedtime bottle. Now yes, he probably would say it was stolen from him, but either way it is gone. And, since he is a big boy, he has a big boy bed! He couldn't be prouder of his bed and that he can get in and out on his own. The best part is he now gets to go to his closet and pick out his own shirt for the day. In case you couldn't tell, that isn't Jeff but Antonio, though the fashion is the same!

It is fun to be a big boy!

Lets feed the animals

2009-07-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

Today we went to a farm in California that has animals that you can feed and touch. Antonio did a lot of touching and Jeff did a lot of feeding...just a sneak peek! More to come!

Goin' Back to Cali

2009-07-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

We are home again and back into our rhythm of Southern Cal! First order of business, getting Antonio a haircut because it is super hot here!
So he now is sporting his short do and still has SO much hair. Jeff is extremely jealous.
Now it is back to school, play and work for all of us.

Hiking

2009-07-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

Antonio's visit to Washington is not complete without some quality time with Laurie, and that is often a hike!

Bet you didn't know there was sand in Washington. Leave it to Laurie and Antonio to find it! They had so much fun and it was a beautiful day to enjoy some of their favorite spots.
Now Laurie is off to Africa for a little more saving of the world, and Antonio will be heading back to Cali for a little more growing.

Happy Birthday America and Uncle Alvin!

2009-07-12T21:21:00.001-07:00

There is no better way to celebrate the Birthday of America than an Ol' Fashion Parade in Oak Harbor! And the best part is seeing what order Jill Johnson puts the parade in - ah the power of the Chamber.

But to start off the day we had to visit the Rotary Pancake breakfast! And of course, Bonk was there with all his buddies making yummy pancakes. Antonio got his $5 worth with pancakes and three pieces of sausage.

Daddy and Antonio had front seat view for the parade in front of Grandma Jo's bar.

Which meant Mommy could go and and grab a beer, with John and Becky. Baby Sadie was happy to wait outside.

Antonio sat on the sidewalk to watch for awhile with Auntie Ang and the baby in her belly. Well, Baby Cy has since come out but it was very fascinating for Antonio to try and figure out.

And he didn't mind mommy holding Baby Sadie for a little while...

Then it was off to the lake to celebrate Uncle Alvin's big day.

Elijah and Antonio LOVE Uncle Alvin!

Good Night Seattle

2009-06-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

Today, Antonio went on an airplane with mommy and Pooh. It was time for us to head to Seattle to visit the family for the long weekend.And flying First Class is just as good as always, this time showing Cars!

And after a long flight, Antonio wanted to get out to RUN so we had to go to Elijah's house. And Elijah's back yard....

And, climbed the wall...

Followed the leader...

And the sand table...

But most of all Antonio just wanted to LOVE Elijah - over and over!

It is going to be a fun weekend.

Kind of Like Funny

2009-06-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

Antonio discovered his underwear drawer today and that meant he discovered that there were big kid underpants in there. So like good parents we try to explain that when he pees and poops in the potty he can wear them.

So logic said, lets go pee in the potty. And then after successfully peeing in the potty he demands his big kid pants, in spite of the fact it was bath time.

He couldn't have been prouder. So tonight he is asleep with underpants, on top of his diaper of course. But the incentive is there and he is excited about it!

And, Antonio has entered a great new phase of "no it is not" to everything he doesn't agree with or like. Jeff thinks it is really cute. Deb thinks it is getting old. Ah, two.

But, best of all, Antonio still has the best quotes. Like "he's kind of like funny" when asked if Daddy is funny...and we all agree.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Today was Father's Day and since Antonio has a book about Froggy going golfing with daddy, we decided to take daddy golfing.
Daddy gave some pointers....

But in the end Antonio said, "really why don't you just throw the ball in the hole?"

The best part were all the secret "holes" that popped the ball out in different places. This one entertained him for a long time.

All in all, getting in 18 holes before 11am - with a 9:30 tee off - the best round of golf ever!

And as if that weren't enough, Antonio made Daddy a special present at school.

One of our favorite things about school is certainly the wonderful and thoughtful gifts that come home from our boy for mommy and daddy!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Birthday Elijah!

2009-06-18T20:28:00.001-07:00

Today is Elijah's birthday and he is 2 years old! Of course, Antonio had to celebrate, even from afar.....

Mo Mo

2009-06-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

A few years ago cousin Preston became obsessed with Mo-Mos. And thanks to Antonio's Grandma, he also became obsessed with wearing Mo-Mo shirts everyday....well of course we all know what that means. Two years later, it is Antonio's turn to wear all the Mo-Mo shirts.

Funny thing is this is just a small selection of the overwhelming wardrobe of Mo-Mo attire. Thanks cousin Preston!

Wait, now Grandpa and Grandma are here!

2009-06-17T13:54:00.003-07:00

Antonio has had a busy couple weeks of family visits! Exciting and fun for this little boy. Just three days after Mamma and Bonk left, Grandma and Grandpa came to town for a visit.

And YES he was very excited to see them too....

They got to see the new house and play with all of Antonio's toys.

We had to keep Grandmpa and Grandpa busy so we had a lot of field trips. We went to the trains at Travel Town. Grandpa had a great time, so did Antonio and Grandma...but I think Grandpa had the most fun.
Then Deb took them to the "car show" at Bob's where they got to relive their Glory Days....The Bel Air

Antonio would call this one "Milton"
Grandma said this is her favorite...

And Grandpa found his parents......
Then, on Saturday it was time for the zoo. Antonio loved showing Grandma and Grandpa all the animals and it had been a long time since they had been to the zoo.

This one is really LOUD...but Jeff's favorite...

And this was Antonio's favorite animal of the day - the peacock. He is still talking about it...

The visit came to an end too quickly but everyone had a great time!

Mamma and Bonk are here

2009-06-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

Thursday brought new visitors for Antonio, Mamma and Bonk. They came for the weekend and to celebrate's Bonk's birthday! Antonio couldn't have been happier to see them.

He took them to all the hot spots!

It was Bonk's birthday too which meant, oh yes, cake! And Miss Becky came to the party too!

And Bonk taught Antonio something very important....."I want to watch Golf" - "Tiger Woods puts the ball into the hole"
And that is how the next Rodgers golfer was created.

Days later Antonio has been enjoying his new book Mamma brought for him. In fact, he is now acting out the book at the park!

This kid is a Rodgers boy - golf and reading are his blood!

Daddy Scott Rodgers

2009-06-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

For no other reason than it made me smile, this video is so funny.....

Point 1 - Jeff is blowing bubbles and doing pretty well. If you ask Antonio he still needs a lot of practice.

Point 2 - Jeff has A LOT of hair. We all know that isn't true.

Point Z - Jeff is sticking out his tongue as he concentrates to get his hat back on...ah, some things never change.

Johnny's Park

2009-05-29T15:06:00.001-07:00

Now that we have moved we are just minutes from Johnny's park...well blocks and a short wagon ride. It is a great park with lots of grass, bridges, a stream, and some playground equipment. Great for a busy boy.

Antonio and Havana both got to go and have some fun and Havana made a friend, Lilo - who is obviously way better behaved than Havana since she gets to be off-leash. And of course, all this room means tickle games with daddy!

But best of all imagining with sticks, rocks and dirt makes Antonio's day perfect!

Thanks Johnny Carson Park!

Move on down, move on down the road...

2009-05-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

Well, last weekend we moved- again. It is getting old and annoying to everyone packing and unpacking but we plan to stay here for awhile and have settled in quickly. Antonio and Havana have discovered the grass and dirt! Such a boy!

So for the tour, here is our unit - It is a nice big 3-bed, two-story townhouse. Can you see who is playing in the dirt under the tree?

Here is a pretty "silent" video tour of the house from the front-door to the top floor...it is a great setup for us all. And since the video was made there are far fewer boxes and it actual looks like we live here now.

Most important, Antonio has a lot of space to learn and play and be a kid....and for those who have seen it, pee in the potty, one the floor, the wall and whatever else might get in the way.
Hope you come visit soon!

Let's go the Leaf Exhibit at the Zoo

2009-05-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

Antonio got a Zoo Pass for Christmas from Brenda, who by the way works on the airplane with daddy. So we adventured to the zoo to see all the animals. The first exciting animals we saw were the pink flamingos. Thankfully, the Wonder Pets have told him who most of the animals are so he was pretty excited about everyone.
Antonio liked the zoo and with each stop he would have me lift him up to see and then say....

That's right, MORE! More animals he would say. So we kept moving through the zoo to see all the animals.

We stayed the longest at the giraffes, and that would have made sense since they were so close and so tall and so cool...

But really, it was all about leaves....

And when one fell through the gate, he of course had to get it back.

It was a fun day at the zoo and thankfully the leaf exhibit was open all day!

Of course, Antonio insisted on no stroller and just walking so it was a long trek and a tiring one, following the white lines all around the zoo in 90+ heat is a lot for a pair of little legs...

and at the end of the day he was so glad mom brought her shoulders to carry him back to the car. Everyone had a long nap that day!

Its beautiful

2009-05-16T21:12:00.001-07:00

Today, was Daddy's birthday party. And the special guest for the party was Laurie!

So we took our party to COOL PARK for some fun in the sun....

After a busy day and no nap, the time finally came for dinner and of course CAKE! Antonio had been waiting ALL day and was so excited about the build-up...

FINALLY mom said it was time...phew.

And lets face, the cake was beautiful. And yummy.

Happy Birthday Daddy. We love you!

Pee in the Potty

2009-05-15T20:22:00.001-07:00

Today, mommy and daddy couldn't be more excited because today Antonio went PEE PEE on the potty. For the past several days we have been asking him to sit on the potty before bath and today for the first time he sat and did it!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGse2Iv-VOc

Damn Marley

2009-05-09T20:47:00.000-07:00

Seriously, it isn't like we don't know the end of the story but come on...the kid at the end watching the video of him and Marley from when he was a baby. Geesh! Enough to make major tears thinking one day Antonio will look back on these when our princess one day goes to heaven with Copper.

She'll be sleeping on the bed tonight.....

The New Park is Ready

2009-05-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Several months ago when Antonio was taking Spanish class, they were building a new park and today we went to see the finished product - and it is COOL - actually according to our GPS it is now called "COOL PARK". There is sand to walk on...

Slides to go down...

And bridges to climb - moons and stars and so much more...

And there is this great climbing area - Antonio has deemed a pyramid. And yes, he is king...

Best of all the park is full of things to pretend with, especially big kids!

Hurray a trip to the library today...

2009-05-07T13:14:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a no school day today and set out for the park with the great tunnel, as Antonio calls it. We had a great time playing and talking through the cool "phone" and then by 10am it was time to head indoors for some cool air.
Luckily at the same place as this great park is the best library. Antonio has only been to a library once and was too young to remember it, so for him this was the first "real" trip. He has books that talk about it and he was very excited.

Once inside, we found a great kids room with a fun tree to read under, lots of fun books too. Antonio was very good at choosing one book at a time. We took our books to the librarian who helped us get our library card! So exciting.

Antonio proudly left the library, card and book in hand! What a great adventure.

And later today we hopped in the wagon and rolled down to Trader Joes, which Antonio has called "grandma Jo's" a few times! It is his new favorite place to shop because....

...when you leave you get a balloon! Today Antonio requested a yellow balloon.
It was a beautiful 90+ day in Burbank.

I felt the earth move...

2009-05-03T19:41:00.001-07:00

Antonio felt his first earthquake in California this year on Friday, May 1 at 6:11pm. The whole family was reading stories as we felt the condo shake. And poor Havana, she barked just moments before and we told her to be quiet. Little did we know that she was sensing trouble... We've had a great time in the sun, visiting some of the favorite places like the park with the great sand.
And we've been taking Havana on walks with Antonio and the wagon, which everyone has loved.

Best of all Daddy is here for hugs all the time.

First Day of School

2009-04-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day for Antonio, and mommy and daddy....First Day of School! Antonio is now going to the Burbank Montessori three days a week for the half day program. And the best part of school is this awesome new lunch box that he chose at Target! Yes, it is pink - Antonio was given all the options and he chose this one and was SO excited about his choice.

This morning after a big breakfast we got on our shoes, grabbed our pink lunch box and headed out the door for school.

Inside the class, Antonio took a look around at all the things and kids.

Then, mom left him alone to be a big boy and as she drove away she saw him running through the play area.
At 12:30 mommy came back to find a happy boy sitting outside eating lunch. We packed up and headed home, water and lunch box in hand. And a happy "bye - bye" to Miss Kit and Miss Mona, his new teachers.

And when we got home it was time to carry our things into the house and up the "alligator" aka the elevator. We'll be back to school on Wednesday!

A Very West Seattle Day

2009-04-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

Antonio has enjoyed all the best hot spots of West Seattle and has even become a regular at several. On his last, West Seattle Day we decided to visit them all, starting with breakfast at Easy Street. For those that have never been, Easy Street is an awesome record store with a diner open for breakfast and lunch. Antonio and Laurie use to walk to the record store so that Antonio could hear the tunes and kick to the music and as he got older we would take him out to breakfast there, where he would listen to the tunes and dance as we waited for food to arrive. Antonio orders the Lil' Kim and we order the Lil' Richard and share it so he can have sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, french toast, eggs and toast with jelly. And believe it or not he eats it ALL!

Since Antonio is a regular he knows everyone there and they all know him as "boyfriend". This is the barista who has a daughter Antonio's age and one of the many waitresses that Antonio has befriended.

But from day one, Antonio's favorite was "girlfriend"-aka Darcy - who has awesome platinum hair with pink or purple accents depending on her mood, and awesome tattoos, which Antonio loves. He runs in and gives her hugs and then walks to his favorite table up on the stage where he can look out over everything in the joint. After breakfast we often head down the block to Coffee to a Tea with Sugar, a great little coffee shop with a fun play area.

Then it was time to walk home, down our favorite stretch - our street. Antonio has loved this walk his whole life and enjoyed it one more time this lovely day, until we reached his favorite rocks, where he played for another hour.

It was the perfect West Seattle Day.

Windows to the World

2009-04-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Antonio has had a wonderful couple years looking out these windows. This past week a little bird has started hanging out on them, but today we saw something we have never seen before...

...that's right, a cat in our tree! Poor Havana, it had to happen when she was gone.
Of course, sometimes we just like to look out at the world at nothing in particular.

Once there was a tree

2009-04-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

Antonio loves his tree in his yard and every time he sees it he tells himself the Shel Silverstein story while he plays with it. Today was a beautiful day and a great chance for some great pics of the little guy growing and playing in his yard.

Bubbles & Jeeps

2009-04-20T20:41:00.001-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa figured out the best thing ever to play with....bubbles!
Elijah and Grandpa loved them too.

Then Antonio was finally interested in driving the Jeep that Grandpa and Grandma got for the cousins to share....
This was the first time he ever stepped on the gas!!!

After all that hot rodding, Elijah had to help Grandpa fix the Jeep!

There Goes My Baby

2009-04-19T20:37:00.000-07:00

We went to the Ft. Nuget Park in Oak Harbor on Saturday. It was a pretty day and Antonio was so happy to climb and see kids, until the girls caught his eye. After watching them for many minutes, one took a liking to him too....Nicky.

They held hands all through the park, shared a snack, a hug, and she could get Antonio to do things his mom couldn't.... ...like go down the slide....

And then they held hands and were off again. Women.....

Two at Two

2009-04-15T20:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, not quite two but darn close. Elijah will be two in two months. Anyhow, they are spending as much time as they can together before we head south to California next week. And their favorite part of it is sitting across from each other and eating.
It is so funny to hear them compare what each other has, make faces at each other and copy every sound the other makes.

And Elijah likes Antonio's windows just as much as he does.

Mamma Came to See Me!

2009-04-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

Obviously, Antonio was so excited! Especially since it was an unplanned visit....what a treat!

Sunny Seattle

2009-04-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

We always say there is nothing better than a sunny day in Seattle and lately there have been quite a few. It has been great!

When Mommy's Away

2009-04-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

When mommy leaves, thankfully, Laurie comes to play. And sometimes, when Laurie comes she brings Antonio's favorite friend, Pal. Havana on the other hand, not as excited, but will eventually give-in.
And sometimes Baine comes too. Which is very exciting for Antonio, and like work in "life" for Baine.

And even weeks later when we looked at the pictures on the computer (the first time ever) he was very excited to see them again.

Thank goodness when mommy's away Laurie is there to play!

Sunda Weekend

2009-03-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

On March 13th, Deb flew to Chicago to surprise Rod, who just opened up his new restaurant, Sunda. That meant that daddy and Antonio got some much needed man-time for the weekend.

What do you do with man-time? Well, you go to Easy Street to see "girlfriend" so she can cook some breakfast for the boys...

Then you head to the aquarium to see all of Antonio's favorite friends. And what does mommy do in Chicago....She sees "uncle" Rod and he is surprised.

And he brings out the best midnight snack ever!

And she gets to see Antonio's very pregnant Auntie Becky and Uncle John - Antonio's other godmother - and she gets to see the river dyed gree, though she said it looked like Campbell Lake.

Of course, daddy's work wasn't done. He still had to teach Antonio that Uncle Rod lives in Chicago and that Auntie Becky (aka Auntie Deuche Bag (too much story to explain)) lives in New York City.

It sure is fun having a two-year old!

Mack Strong

2009-03-19T22:03:00.001-07:00

Mommy got a new book today, but Antonio was far more excited to read it.

Soon he will see that he is right to be excited, Mack is one of Mommy's favorite people!

Where'd the time go

2009-03-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

It is somehow the end of March and the bloggers in this family have been slacking. Antonio however, has not been. He has had a great and busy month.

Painting...

And escpecially reading and imagining about the Wonder Pets - the best super heroes of all!

And yes, even curlers can pretend to be the Wonder Pets. This is Antonio playing in his toddler class and pretending the curlers are the Wonder Pets.

And in between it all he has found time to look cute...

We even squeezed in an Oak Harbor visit and got to meet Uncle B's new bird, Apollo at the pet store.

Though Antonio was much more interested in watching Kara, just like his cousin.

Uncle B showed off the cool fish...One day at the park Antonio found himself with and admirer who followed him around everywhere he went. We know it won't be his last admirer.

But sadly Antonio has also had his share of sick this month. And for the past week or so he has just been cuddling a lot and not feeling too good.

But Antonio has still been smiling through the month and can't wait to kick this cold!

See ya Dad!

2009-03-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Antonio has gotten so great at saying good-bye to daddy each week...for a few weeks it was really tough and then we made a deal. Every time daddy goes to the airport we get to watch a show when we get home. Wow, it has made everything so much better.
Now we tell him we are going and he is so happy to say good-bye....

Then he can't get to the car fast enough....

But in spite of the excitement for daddy to go, his smile is always bigger when daddy comes home again!

Haircuts aren't as bad as they use to be...

2009-02-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

We have waited as long as we could, but Antonio's hair is just way too long...So we went in for a haircut on Friday. And with the help of a little McQueen on the itouch, Antonio actually sat still and stopped screaming long enough for a haircut.
And now it is back to business - Playing trains and make believe!

Imagination Station

2009-02-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

Antonio has reached a major milestone over the past few weeks...he loves pretending HE is someone else. Every day he goes through many scenario's in his head of who he is pretending to be. Today at the park, he was pretending to be Remy. And his imagination sparked all the kids to pretend too.

As he was making soup, all the other kids wanted to make soup too....

He kept saying, Antonio be Remy, sand be soup. He would pick up some sand and open his hands saying "add some spice" - just like Remy in the movie.

And, then as we walked to and from the park - he was Mr. Bloomsberry, I was the Man in the Yellow Hat and this giant pine cone was George. His imagination is so strong.

Every morning I await to hear his voice and hear who he is pretending to be as he wakes up to a new day. The mind of a two year old is a very fun place to be!

Space Needle

2009-02-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

Jeff had the week off and spent it in Seattle with Antonio and I. And he got a chance to see Curious George at the Children's Museum.
Antonio had a great time and was happy to see the Space Needle. He has the book Goodnight Seattle and in it are scenes from all around the city. Of course, including the Space Needle.

After some lunch he was excited to see the fountain and hear the music that goes along with it. Since it was about 40 degrees out there was no playing in the water this time, but it was still fun to watch.
And best of all Antonio was really happy about the Space Needle....

Antonio LOVES the Space Needle.

Slumber Party

2009-02-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

Our boys are having a slumber party tonight - their first overnight at our house together. So fun! They woke up this morning talking to each other and excited to start their day. We went down to put on our gear and head out....

Jeff and I strapped them in their strollers and we set out to the park. It turned out to be such a beautiful day that we also played in the backyard.

After a fun-filled day and a lot of fun, we had a nice dinner and the boys enjoyed watching each other eat.
Jeff and I thought it would be fun to give the boys a bath together - we were wrong. After the tears subsided they both settled down for a story and were exhausted and asleep just after 7.

We were happy we all survived a two child household and seemed to come out unscathed.

Boys will be boys .... well Antonio will be.

2009-01-26T21:15:00.000-08:00

Antonio takes a new toddler class every Friday called Messy Play Day held at a preschool near our house. It is a fun little hour of literally, messy, play with kids his age. This week, Teacher Jenna pulled out the brown paint and made 'mud' for the kids to drive the trucks in. All the girls dipped themselves in it and were dirty up to their elbows, all the boys just delicately touched the trucks and were annoyed the paint was there.

In the end Antonio adapted and was just happy with the truck.And between the dirty trucks and the birdseed in the sand table he was content to play for his whole class...until singing when we get to sing about elephants and monkeys and the more we get together. Believe me it is great the first time, but by the hundreth you are sick of the more we get together. After class we drove up to Oak Harbor to see Grandpa and Grandma. Jeff stayed in LA this weekend and Antonio and I thought it would be fun to visit Oak Harbor. And it was, but not at first when Grandma and Grandpa were at work!But then we had lots of fun. We saw Uncle Alvin who has convinced Antonio that purses are no good and that he needs a backpack. And we saw Uncle B too.

But best of all we saw a new Wonder Pets who save the itsy bitsy spider. After watching that it was all Antonio could think about so we went outside to play and he spent the whole time acting it out. Below, playing the part of the Wonder Pets is Piglet and Pooh. The spider is the giraffe.
And this cool jeep is the fly boat.....
And here is Antonio acting out the entire episode-

Yes, he is his father's son.

Obama is President

2009-01-20T20:49:00.000-08:00

Today was the Obama President day. And luckily, in many ways, we don't have tv to watch it so instead we talked about Obama today. For a little mixed boy like Antonio, hopefully, he will have less looks, less struggles, and less hurdles because of today. And, hopefully his college stocks will start going up soon.

He is too young to remember this day, but Antonio does know "Obama President" and that is good enough for a two-year old.

Grandpa Barge's Birthday

2009-01-17T20:06:00.001-08:00

Grandpa Barge is 84 this year, and that is whole lot of you ask Antonio. We all know that Antonio LOVES birthdays because he knows that means CAKE!

Thankfully Grandpa didn't mind Antonio's fingers poking into the cake while we sang...

Besides cake Antonio had a great visit with all his family. He was so happy to see Natalie again. There is something he really loves about 9-year olds.

She brought out a lot of fun things to play with and Grandpa Barge got to see how big Antonio has grown since our last visit.

Antonio had so much fun playing with Uncle Bruce. And even today was saying "Bye-Bye Uncle Bruce" - he is at an age where men are really really cool!

And of course he did his share of showing off his smarts to the Tias (Tia Mia and Tia Yiz as he says) But most of all he enjoyed playing with Natalie. They made beautiful music together.

It was finally time to go home and Antonio was ready to show off and say I love you to everyone. Especially Grandpa.

Wagon Wheel!

2009-01-16T20:58:00.000-08:00

Antonio"s wagon is in California but his cousin Elijah has been sharing his wagon and Antonio could not be happier!

Lil' Kickers

2009-01-13T14:09:00.000-08:00

Antonio has started taking a fun soccer class at Arena Sports. I say soccer very loosely as really they spend a lot of time running, kicking and doing many things other than soccer. But he has fun and we enjoy having an indoor place to go and run.

There are great activities, like kicking bubbles....

Then there is a water break....

Then cone towers...

He'll be dribbling and making goals in no time!

Cousins again

2009-01-13T13:58:00.001-08:00

Antonio is truly a fan of all three of his cousins. This past week he got to see them all. Little Elijah came to his house to play. And in the end Antonio was great about giving nice hugs - they use to be tackles.

Then this weekend, Antonio got to see his big cousins for dinner. Unfortunately for Torin, Antonio does tackle him and Uncle Greg too.

The big treat of the night was playing in the boys bounce room. They have one in the house! After a lot of watching Preston, and giggling, Antonio decided to take a turn...copying everything his big cousin did. It was the first time Antonio was willing to go in a bounce room.

In the end, his favorite thing was just watching and laughing at Preston.

Rhythm

2009-01-07T21:45:00.000-08:00

Antonio got most of his rhythm from his dad. All holiday season he was showing off his dance moves...

And while those are pretty impressive, what was most exciting was his drum set! Oh yes, he finally had a chance to play the drum set that his Uncle Steven forced Nina to buy him for his first Christmas.....

In the end, Antonio showed the most enthusiasm for the discovery of a small hole where his drum stick would fit. Ah the simple pleasures.

Happy New Year Antonio Fans

2009-01-03T22:44:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to welcome 2009, and Antonio enjoyed a great visit with Grandma and Grandpa to ring in the New Year while we celebrated as grown-ups in Seattle.

And the best part of the New Year celebration was getting our prints from Antonio's photo-shoot with Clare.....here are few highlights.

And this one is our favorite, because for those who have ever been to our house, you know that Antonio has spent many hours of his little life peeking out these big windows in our living room at the world. This ledge has been his favorite table, his window to the world, and one of his favorite places to peer out even as an infant. No matter where we live as a family in the years to come, this picture perfectly captures our boy in his favorite place, at the window.

Do They Know It's Christmas Time At All?

2008-12-25T21:55:00.000-08:00

We braved the snow and made our way up to Oak Harbor for the holiday. How much snow did we brave? Well, check out Havana trekking across our back yard.

Christmas was a blast. There were so many things going on that were just so overwhelming to Antonio. But one thing he came to understand, Santa is good.

He got so excited when he received this "The Night Before Christmas" book that we read it every night before the big day. Many nights we read it multiple times. "More Santa story," Antonio would say.
This Christmas was the first Christmas Antonio got the concept of Santa. He still knows he's the scary guy whose lap he has to sit on once every December, but now he also knows him as the guy who breaks into Grandma and Grandpa's house and leaves stuff for him. That part's pretty cool.

There was also lots of cousin time. He loves all of his cousins, the big ones:And the little ones:
The only problem with the little one, however, is that whenever Antonio would turn his head for even a second, Elijah would sweep in and grab whatever toy Antonio would be playing with. One of Elijah's favorite words? "Mine."One toy he won't be able to get his hands on is Antonio's new motorcycle. Look out ladies, Antonio is a badass biker in a cardigan sweater. But in the end, Antonio learned that Christmas is really about family. Like spending time playing with Mommy.
Or learning how to use his cool new DJ Aunt Bobbi gave him.
He was so excited about all the Christmas activities that he hadn't napped for three days. That isn't a problem anymore.

La La La - Laurie

2008-12-20T19:48:00.000-08:00

We have been teaching Antonio sign language since he was very little and it has been such a great tool for us. And now that he talks, he wants a sign for every person in his life and if we don't give him one he makes one up. For example, for Grandma he signs apple.

He had been asking for a sign for Laurie so I started making an L with my fingers. This has been going on for a few weeks and each time Antonio tries he just points his one finger and doesn't use the thumb, until today.

The smile says it all - he was SO proud of himself when he figured out how to sign for Laurie all by himself!

We are all still battling the winter cold, but Antonio is still having some fun while we are recovering. And lucky for all of us Jeff is here now and we are all excited to be together for the "Winter Blast 2008" - maybe Jim Forman will come to our neighborhood and film the mess.

Let it snow!

2008-12-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

This is the first year Antonio actually understand snow, though I'm not sure he likes it. He won't touch it and today was the first day I could convince him it was ok to walk through it...

He did like walking in it afterall but only when he had his blanket around his shoulders and Luigi and Guido in each hand. Of course every few feet he would drop one of them in the snow and we'd have to dig to find them.

In the end he was happiest looking out at the snow from inside his warm house.

Quote of the Season

2008-12-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

Oh, yes that is right...as Antonio was looking for his own penis, after his bath, he proceeded to tell me, unprovoked, that yes indeed, Baby Jesus have a penis. His new book told him so and Antonio is darn proud to be in good company. Happy Holidays.

Snow and Brunch Day

2008-12-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

Today Seattle woke up to snow, and so did Antonio. However, he wasn't as excited as we thought he would be to play in it.
Instead we treked to Anthony and Jeff's for the annual Il Borro Brunch where many other brave souls ventured out into the snow. Great food and fun for all and Antonio loved giving hugs to everyone, especially Anthony and Joe...I think he knows that Joe is with Clare and he LOVES Clare.

With all this snow, poor Havana has to go out and go potty and get her delicate little feet wet, which she hates. But now Antonio is helping to encourage her on, even saying her name correctly now.

Santa Sucks!

2008-12-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

Antonio and his cousin Elijah went to see Santa. And with all the prep and talking about it they seemed pretty excited about it, until the big guy made them sit on his lap. "What the heck?" they both said and screamed.....

These will go down in the Barge family treasure troves of great Santa moments.

NOTE: I posted this picture on our facebook page and have gotten more comments than I've ever gotten on the site. Everyone loves a funny Santa picture.

An Apple A Day - but not celery

2008-12-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

If you've never had allergy testing you may not realize how sad each of these little marks are. Each is a mark for a test and each dot is the place where the liquid and prick happen. For little people it happens on their backs rather than their arms. Yes, Antonio screamed. Well some kids are allergic to nuts, not Antonio, he is allergic to raw celery. He has what's called OAS (oral allergy syndrome) which really means he is like his mom and is allergic to pollen but his body thinks the celery is a pollen. And for most kids what a blessing to be allergic to a green vegetable right? Well not Antonio, because that is the Wonder Pets FAVORITE thing...and just a few months ago Jeff had someone tell him, "my kids loves celery because of the Wonder Pets" so of course we tried it. And like clockwork he wanted it....but his body did not.
Poor Antonio, no more playing with his celery and Wonder Pets....I may have to lie to him and give him something else and tell him it is celery.

In the meantime, an apple day might keep "another one doctor" (as he called the allergist) away.

Clare's Back!

2008-12-08T20:18:00.001-08:00

Well, Sunday was Antonio's annual photo session with Clare. And once again she captured all of Antonio's best faces! This is one of our sneak preview pics....can't wait to see more.

New Update:
For a few other sneak peeks check out:
http://claremariephotography.blogspot.com/2008/12/antonio-year-later.html

Love or Obsession

2008-12-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

Antonio LOVES his cousin. It was Torin's birthday this weekend and Antonio went over to visit. And in that visit, couldn't keep away from his biggest boy cousin. He was SO excited to spend the day with him.

Happy Birthday Torin!

Cuddle Time

2008-12-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

There are days when Antonio does nothing overly special, he is just Antonio. He is learning to help clean up all his toys and will gladly gather all his cars and put them back in his bucket at various times in the day - he'll put his bath toys away - he'll help take Havana potty and hold her leash - he'll eat all his meals relatively happily - he'll imagine and play and read and just be him.

And then he'll sit and cuddle with mommy and listen to music (sue-mick as he says) and talk to Santa. He is really just a great boy.

Making Christmas

2008-11-30T20:28:00.000-08:00

Today was a fun day to set up our tree for this Christmas... We went to the local True Value in West Seattle and picked up a nice little tree for our little house.

Antonio was excited to get a tree and so was Havana... laying next to the Little People Baby Jesus, she said she should be included in the scene.

While Jeff decorated the tree he helped me go through all the ornaments to choose the ones he liked....it was fun. We pulled out all the fun things Grandmama bought him last year, the singing Pooh and Carousel...he loves them both so much this year.

Antonio loved making Christmas!

Antonio Is Thankful For...

2008-11-27T21:06:00.000-08:00

His mommy? No.

His daddy? No.

His Havana? Nope.

Here's what Antonio's thankful for:

Hike

2008-11-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

Last week Antonio went to visit his cousin Preston and Auntie Becky with Jeff. It was the first day of Jeff's week long Thanksgiving break and Antonio was so excited to see them.

While at a park, Auntie Becky said 'let's go on a hike' and now that is Antonio's new favorite word!

Which he now says as: "Go See Hike" - it is how he says many things....like "go see girlfriend" which means he wants to go to Easy Street for breakfast, or "go see trains" which means he wants to do to the Coffee to a Tea shop and play with the trains and kids, or "go see Teacher Rachel" which means he wants to go to art class, or when Laurie comes it is "go shopping PCC" which means he wants to take a LONG walk to the nearest PCC, or when Jeff is home it is "go shopping Ca-co" which means he wants to go to Costco....it is so funny to listen to his "go see" the minute he wakes up.

More EI EI O

2008-11-23T23:07:00.000-08:00

Farm Time Again

2008-11-16T20:10:00.000-08:00

Words to come later......but here are some pictures.....

Happy Ha-o-ween

2008-11-03T19:45:00.000-08:00

Havana had another torturous Halloween. Now that Antonio is in her life she has to dress up every year and as you can see she doesn't really like it....

But Antonio was in the Halloween spirit. He started the day going to visit his cousin Preston...and he wore this great Tigger costume he borrowed from Preston.

Later, Antonio decided to see his cousin Elijah (the monster) for some kids fun at the Children's Museum.

Antonio was thrilled to be back at the water table and when we left to get daddy his Tigger costume was soaked through.

More videos and pictures when I get my other camera loaded....

A-N-T-O-N-I-O that's how you spell Antonio

2008-11-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

Last night, before fall back, Antonio decided he didn't need to sleep. Of course he did take a 3 1/2 hour nap, but then didn't fall asleep till after 10pm! But, while in his bed he was busy talking, as usual, and we finally figured out what he was doing. Spelling his name! We captured it on video today....before shovelling more snack in his mouth.

Tonight he is out like a light!

E I E I O

2008-11-02T19:31:00.000-08:00

Antonio went to a farm - E I E I O

And on that farm there were some chickens and roosters - E I E I O

And on this farm there was a horse....E I E I O

And on this farm there were some sheep - E I E I O

And on this farm was Elijah, Uncle Me-Me and Daddy...E I E I OAntonio went to a farm....

E I E I O!

Antonio Scott (and/or) Harrison Patrick Rodgers

This kid is happy.....and big.

Antonio Would Like To Tell You A Little Something About The Planets.

Happy 3 Month Birthday, Harrison

Hey, it's Harrison.

Last Day

Antonio's Halloween

Four Years Goes Fast

DISNEYLAND!

Guess who came to play today - Elijah!

A Family Reunion

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

A Day at the Beach

Cupcakes Make My Tummy Happy

L-A-U-R-I-E spells Laurie

The Blog Slackers

Doctor and Dentist - thank you Berensteins

More Reading, Spelling, Learning

Baby Logic

Happy New Year

Twas The Antonio Before Christmas

Christmas Concert 2009

Imagination Station

Halloween 2009 (This Is Serious!)

A day at the park - my old normal

Like Man Like Man

October in California

Being three is busy

Antonio Is Three

My first school party!

Fall Flu Begins

More September updates

Antonio's Week

Its Summer Vacation Time

Beat the Heat

I'm not a big boy, I'm a handsome boy

Lets feed the animals

Goin' Back to Cali

Hiking

Happy Birthday America and Uncle Alvin!

Good Night Seattle

Kind of Like Funny

Happy Father's Day

Happy Birthday Elijah!

Mo Mo

Wait, now Grandpa and Grandma are here!

Mamma and Bonk are here

Daddy Scott Rodgers

Johnny's Park

Move on down, move on down the road...

Let's go the Leaf Exhibit at the Zoo

Its beautiful

Pee in the Potty

Damn Marley

The New Park is Ready

Hurray a trip to the library today...

I felt the earth move...

First Day of School

A Very West Seattle Day

Windows to the World

Once there was a tree

Bubbles & Jeeps

There Goes My Baby

Two at Two

Mamma Came to See Me!

Sunny Seattle

When Mommy's Away

Sunda Weekend

Mack Strong

Where'd the time go

See ya Dad!

Haircuts aren't as bad as they use to be...

Imagination Station

Space Needle

Slumber Party

Boys will be boys .... well Antonio will be.

Obama is President

Grandpa Barge's Birthday

Wagon Wheel!

Lil' Kickers