West Coast Bellers: 02/14/10

Jake and Sophia! His first "special" friend! Valentine's Day Party!

We are off to a great start! With birthdays, family moving out, some big life decisions, and my exit from the matrix we have been super consumed with friends, family, and fun!!!

Jake is doing awesome at preschool! He loves his school friends, especially, his "special" friend Sophia! IT'S TOO SOON!!! We got a cute Valentine's photo of them and afterward Jake ran around the class in a circle flapping his arms like a bird. Ummm..... we are in trouble! He continues to grow in his love of all sea animals and their habitats, and all things play dough! When he grows up he wants to "be like Jaques Cousteau and save sea animals and ride boats". He went on his first snow-shoe trip with Eric today(a few weeks ago) and LOVED it! Eric said it was pretty natural for him and just enjoyed it through and through! They hiked around in the snow, had al fresco lunch under a big pine tree, and had a great daddy/son "date"! YEAH Pacific Northwest!! Jake is also really blossoming into a great big brother! He is compassionate, empathetic, brave, and learning some crazy lessons on loyalty. He is showing maturity in his choice of words and how he is dealing with everyday issues, like sharing and such!!! Aaahhh! Unfortunately, the only bummer to this year so far, was the news that the grey front top tooth is indeed dead! I was practically in tears at the dentist. Jake was so brave! NO dentist fears from him! Which is great because with our new mission to keep this dead tooth in his mouth so he won't be toothless for three plus years, we will be at the dentist every couple months!!! Geez-o-petes!!! Back to happy news, Jake just got into the 4's class at, in mine and Jake's opinion, the world's best preschool on the planet!!!! I can't wait to see him blossom even more in this wonderful environment! We even signed him up for one extended day where they get to bring a lunch and eat with his friends and play on the playground! Super social and hopefully a little liberating! He is, sniffle/sniffle, really starting to look grown up, act grown up, and starting to look like a Beller Boy!!! Yes Judy I said it!!! He's getting taller and longer and his face is starting to look more and more like Eric's! Beller... Beller... Beller Boys!!!

Now onto my Beller Baby..Kai!!! We officially broke down the crib and found a matching twin to the bedroom set Jake has off craigslist! Then, Eric did his magic and painted and sanded it to look all vintagey like Jake's set too!! So just like that he moved into his new "big boy" bed! He LOVES it!!! He thinks he is super cool! Plus, ever since he has been sleeping through the night without waking up! It takes a little longer to get him down but hey just more snuggle time for us!! Kai has also started Kindermusik classes, which are amazing! We have a great teacher Ms. Anna and our theme right now is transportation, which means there are train sounds, train books, cars, car keys! He loves the connection of reading the same books and listening to the same songs at home and at class (which is what is so awesome about the program!). Kai is starting to really get into to it, even though his first day he cried the entire time! He really is quite shy with people he doesn't know. It throws me off, cuz he has turned into a vocal little dinosaur at home lately!! It breaks my heart when little old ladies say hello and he just turns his head, almost in tears frustrated that a stranger is talking to him! After seven months of dropping off his big brother at school and having his teacher say hello, he is finally not running away. He stands there with a frowny face looking at her shoes! This is some MAJOR progress!!! We can't believe it but we are excited to see our baby turn two next month. CRAZY how fast time has blown by!!! REALLY REALLY REALLY FAST!!!! I haven't even starting thinking party but it's on the list!!! He needs something special right now and I think that will be huge for his confidence! He is growing like a weed! Well, I mean he eats like a pro-sumo wrestler so that helps. But, he is just pounds from Jake and in a wrestling match it is a draw! For insight, he ate three waffles and a whole banana plus milk for breakfast, he had four scrambled eggs, two hash browns, a piece of toast, and juice for dinner, the other day I made a whole chicken with baked veggies and he ate both legs, both thighs, and some breast meat plus some veg, and milk!! UMMM... He is going to be HUGE and we are going to be broke!!! Besides that he continues to grow in his language, compassion, and humor! He is the funniest little dude ever! His laugh is so loud and contagious!! We are blessed to have such funny little men in our lives!!! We are just so proud of our two extremely unique and special boys!!!

Eric and I are doing well! We are trying to have more fun and let go of some of the worries of life. It's hard but we are making an effort and inching forward! We've had some fun date nights, been making an effort to see friends more often, getting some solo time, and spending one-on-one time with our boys! They love have special "dates" with daddy or momma!!! Eric continues to excel at his job and even got his own office this year, which means he can pick his nose at his desk, talk to me with the door shut, and eat unhealthy lunches without feeling guilty! HA! Even thought the economy has hit everyone, because he has worked there for almost 5 years now, he gets awesome vacation time, which he is trying hard to use this year!!! He deserves it!!! My therapy continues to help open my heart and my mind to new ways of seeing and living life! It has been an amazing journey so far and a blessing to have had this opportunity to find and live with more peace in my days! The honesty that has surfaced has helped us face some tough decisions and we feel more united, more balanced, more present, and less burdened by our agenda. We are excited to move forward in this year as a more secure, stable, and happy little family!!

With all that going on, my little sister Maggie and her family moved out this month. It has been really cool seeing the three boys aka "the trio of trouble" hang out. They all love each other so much! It's amazing to me that little people can love other little people that wholeheartedly even after not spending a whole lot of time together!! It was an interesting transition but they are really getting into a groove together. It is super cute! We have had some fun play-dates over at Ryder's house with the big park, and have played a bunch in our neck of the woods. Eric has enjoyed getting to know Tommy a little more, and is excited to be a good role model, mentor, brother, and friend. I have enjoyed seeing Maggie after a few years away. It's amazing watching her grow as dedicated mother and devoted wife (even though she'll always be 12 to me!!). They settled into the cutest little town ever Edmonds right on the ocean, one of maybe 4 cities in Washington I would live, and it really suites them! I know that they will grow as a family and as individuals in this environment!

We appreciate all the love, laughter, and support from all you awesome family and friends out there!!! Please know, despite my lack of communication here, that we love you, miss you terribly, and think of you often!!! Hopefully, we'll see you soon with all the events on our calendar this year!! Please call or email anytime to catch up!

Big, BIG, Beller Bear Hugs,

Maria, Eric, Jake, and Kai