Gabby's Ballet Recital

Gabby recently had her first ballet recital.  She performed a dance to Frosty the Snowman in front of a large audience.  She was very excited and did a great job.  Ballet is one of the few things that seem to break her out of her shyness.

What you have to watch is this video.  Even if you don't look at Gabby, look at the girl and boy in the middle around minute 1:00.  You will be laughing out loud - I promise.  I think it has to do with the fact that on the stage, they combined two different classes who "learned" the same dance.  Maybe they just don't recognize each other from class...?  [Please excuse the video quality and occasional clicks - I was experimenting with my camera.]

Gabby's 1st Ballet Recital from Jennefer Boyer on Vimeo.

Un Petit Spectacle

Gabby's preschool class put on a little show (un spectacle) one morning for the parents.  They had memorized four Christmas songs in French and two in English - they have improved a lot since last year's one song that none of the children really sang.  :)  Unfortunately, the little camera I brought ran out of memory 20 seconds into this recording and my phone froze up on me completely.  So this is all I could record.  At least short videos are easier to post!

Kenya Part 1: Safari in the Masai Mara

I consider Africa my second home and last month Jason and I were finally able to share an experience there together!  One of my former colleagues is the Senior Medical Advisor & Regional Coordinator for Africa at CMMB and he was kind enough to set Jason up to volunteer at a hospital just outside of Nairobi.  Meanwhile, I did some volunteer work for Touch a Life Africa Mission.  Of course, no pre-travel plans have ever remained the same in Africa and upon our arrival we discovered that no operations would take place at the hospital over the Easter weekend.  We promptly switched our safari plans and after only two days of work, we were seeing the untouched parts of Kenya.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not to mention an incredible anniversary weekend!

Our tiny plane shoved about a dozen people into an extremely tight space.  This was my view.

As we landed, we were able to see some views of the local villages.

We saw innumerable exotic animals just on the drive from the airstrip to our camp.  You can see how huge these ostriches are by the size of the gazelles in the background.

Before you look below, let me tell you that we stayed at a tented camp, called "Ol Seki".  It had no fences to keep the animals away.  We were roughing it in the wild.

Okay, so our tent in the wild was no where near roughing it.  It was definitely the nicest we stayed while we were in Kenya and possibly the nicest place we've stayed since our honeymoon.  Hard to believe it is a tent in the middle of nowhere, right?

Then off we went on our safari!  We saw more animals than I can even post, but here are some.

Topis, a warthog, lions (we ran into a pride of 7 male lions, which is rare), and a baby giraffe.

We saw zebras everywhere we went, this baboon I captured from our tent (we found a group of them about a foot from our tent one time), a hyaena who just finished eating its kill, and a group of buffalo.

An eagle, hippopotamuses and elephants.  What we didn't see were people.  We were on a huge conservation where only one other camp was allowed to drive people around on the land, so we didn't see anyone else - it was just me, Jason, our two guides and the animals.

After our safari, we were able to relax and shower before dinner.  As you can see, Jason fit right in with nature. Sometimes I accidentally took pictures of him, thinking I was seeing another strange animal.

Below are the library tent and the dining tent.  There was only one other family staying there at the same time as us and we ate meals at one table with them and the Kenyan manager, who answered all of our cultural questions.  It was perfect.

That evening, we did a "sundowner" - a night drive, where we stopped for drinks to watch the sunset.  We were able to see and hear many of the nocturnal animals.

Everywhere we looked was a picture waiting to be taken.

The next morning, we did a sunrise drive.  We saw many large groups of animals, like elephants.

And giraffes.  There are seven of them in this one photo.

But the most exciting adventure of the day came when the impala and the lion met.

We were watching a lioness and her two cubs when our amazing guide could tell that they were hungry and ready for a kill.  And then it happened - the lion suddenly sprinted after two impalas!  The mother impala escaped, but the baby was caught by the female cub.  Then the three lions fought over the small kill, with the male cub getting the bulk of it (lions are not so different from humans, I see).  It was amazing to watch the circle of life happen right before our eyes!  A baby impala is not anywhere near enough food for three lions, but since it was the end of dry season, they would take anything they could get.  Here is a video of the process, if you can stomach it.  In case you are wondering, it is not easy to video while standing up in an off-roading vehicle.

If you didn't think you could handle the video, here is a sneak peak of what you missed out on.  Crazy, right?

With our new perspective, we counted this zebra with a bite out of its leg as lucky.

It was hard to believe that all this was happening within view of our tent.  Certainly an unforgettable trip.  And that was just the beginning.... 

Gabby's Song

Gabby's Song from Jennefer Boyer on Vimeo.

Gabby prefers to sing as she swings and it can get pretty entertaining.  In case you don't understand the words of this song, below are her lyrics (to the best of my ability).  If you are wondering why she refers to "Tangled" it is because she thinks that is the princess' name in the movie and she often calls herself that.

Just big girls are singing
Just big girls are singing
Just big girls; just big girls
Just big kids; just big girls
Just big kid girls
Just big kids and girls…

[Jason: What about babies?
Gabby: No. Just kids. Mommy said just kids.]

…Just kids are singing
All the time.

Here we go.
We’re going to put mud
We’re not going to put mud
On the counters
And counters like babies

Babies, babies, babies
Babies, babies, babies
Girls and babies, girls and babies
Girls and babies, girls and babies

[Jason: What about boys?]

How about Claire and Gabby?
How about Claire and Tangled?
How about Claire and Tangled?
How about Claire and Tangled?
How about Claire and Tangled and a boy?

[Jason: What about Daddy?]

And Daddy and Mommy
And all of our family
In our backyard.
Not really, we’re not in the yard
We’re in our family
Like [sic]
We are alive.

We are a family in the backyard
We’re not in our family
And this is a perfect thing
It’s so strange that we swing
Extra higher, extra higher
Extra higher, ex- ex-

Do you see me?
Extra. Do you see me?
Extra. Do you see me?

We don’t need our jackets
Like ice cream
We don’t need our jackets
‘Cause it’s not - we’re not too cold
To use, to use.

Tangled and Claire
Girls and Daddy
And me and Claire and Tangled
We’re all in the backyard
And it’s the whole park
In the whole park, whole park
We are magic….

Coughing Symphony

A few weeks ago our entire household had a cold.  Claire thought she should cough if someone else did and Gabby thought she should join in if Claire was and Jason thought it was hilarious and would join in, too.  So this became my constant background music for the week.  Humorous at home, slightly embarrassing when grocery shopping.  Yet another reason to be grateful for good health....

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do I Owe You?

Brown Bear from Jennefer Boyer on Vimeo.

You've got to love when the kids start "reading" bedtime stories to themselves....

This is Gabby at age 2 1/2.

(PS  Yes, it is still light outside long after Gabby's 8PM bedtime these days in Seattle.)

Jason Top 10

4 years ago today, I made the two best decisions of my life - to wear white shoes before Memorial Day and to marry my amazing husband. I actually can't believe that it has only been 4 years, it seems like sooo much longer (I mean that in the best way, Babe). I even had to count the years again today to be sure. Life before Jason seems like a book I read a long time ago - enchanting but inconsequential.

In reflecting on this anniversary, I decided I would share my 10 favorite things about Jason:

1. His maturity.

2. His humility.

3. His ability to eat under any circumstances.

(Yes that is a whole bagel in his mouth.)

4. His ability to handle pressure without breaking a sweat.

5. The refreshing smell of his armpits when we hug.

6. His willingness to risk his life for me, even if it is just to make sure I get a roasted marshmallow for the evening.

7. His respect for me at all times.

8. His talent for getting something on his shirt at least once a day, even if a bird delivers it from above.

9. His manly physique.

10. His dreams of being a star.

(I realize that I somehow managed to take the video below sideways, but it is still worth posting. Check out those swinging hips!)

Thanks, Sweetheart, for everything. Especially for not checking this blog often enough to know that I am posting these pics! Happy Anniversary!

Hugs & Kisses

Gabby loves to give hugs and kisses (or "bisous" as she knows them). When saying good-bye or good night to someone she becomes a leaner and expects a kiss, no matter how well she knows the person. She also is a girl among mostly boys her age in her little social group. Put these together and you get a hilarious video that was taken a little while ago, by our friends the Burns:

http://aaronandmelanie.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/matthews-girlfriend/

Gabby is used to being the bigger and more aggressive one. She doesn't really know how to react with the tables are turned! Too funny.

February Snapshots

Gabby can finally look like a girl! (Or at least a female cartoon character with horns.)

That is until she wakes up the next morning, when she looks more like Chris Farley...

She has taken a liking to making her own fish soup.

Just a little more milk should do it....

She had a lot of fun jumping around at an indoor inflatable playground this week.

She is also getting ready to be a big sister.

I set this box down after a Costco stop and she couldn't get enough of climbing up onto it. She was even more proud when she successfully climbed up with both of her babies on her own. Seriously - she sets up better photo ops than I can.

And of course, it is about time that I post a video of Gabby's Penguin Dance.

A couple of months ago, Gabby learned that penguins waddle, so whenever we ask her what a penguin does, or if she sees a photo of one, etc. she begins this little dance:

The Tranquilizing Effects of Peanut Butter

I wish that I had captured the beginning of this process on video. Gabby was happily eating her bread with peanut butter when her arm began to get extremely heavy as it raised itself to her mouth. She managed to get the bite half way in before her energy expired for the afternoon. Into a deep sleep she fell. As much as I tried to talk to her, she would just give a courtesy peek and then decide I was not worth waking up for (nor was the bite hanging out of her mouth).

Elvis Lives!

I am a little embarrassed to admit this, but around Gabby's first birthday, she spoke her first non-repetitive two-syllable word: Elvis. Now, anyone who knows Jason, knows that that moment competes with the actual birth of his firstborn child as his proudest moment as a father. The saddest part is that he wasn't the one who taught her, it was me. We have three magnets on our refrigerator - two of Gabby and one random Elvis magnet that Jason picked up in Graceland (yes, that is how big of a fan he is). Gabby loves to say the word "bébé"/"baby" so naturally she was drawn to her own photos. She kept pointing to hers and saying "bébé, bébé". Then she began including Elvis as a "bébé" so I had to correct her and tell her who that really was. I didn't think it out all the way. Below is the result:

Party Time!

Gabby's first birthday party took place on Halloween. We followed the basic traditions - cake, ice cream, gift-opening and included toddler-friendly activities like making clay hand prints and grooving to Halloween tunes. It was a lot of fun!

Below is a video clip of Gabby's birthday cupcake and the process of her eating her first real sugar. She was so delicate about it, that it did not make for the most interesting of videos, but it is a requirement from the grandparents, so here it is. Later she dove into it a little more and ended up eating the entire thing!

We had "Icy Witch" ice cream cones. Somehow, the witch turned out looking more like a clown (especially since I couldn't find Oreo cones anywhere). Luckily, the kids were not too picky about the results.

Gabby had quite the party guest list - Dracula, Dumbo, Ladybug Fairy, Winnie the Pooh and Harry Potter (he has his invisible cape on in this photo). Apparently Gabby has only boy friends. We are going to need to have a talk about this.

Preparing for the lady bug hand print process...

Our lady bug at the end of her big bash. (The only time we could get her to keep her antennae on for a split-second.)

And then there was the after-party.... (Excuse the shaking camera. I was either laughing or very nervous.)

Gabrielle's First Birthday!

It is hard to believe that our little bundle of joy is 1 year old today! Below is a slideshow to show how quickly she has grown. (I stole the monthly photo idea from a friend.)

Gabby is learning faster than ever. She is literally learning a new word every day. Well, when I say word, I mean her version of a word (usually the first syllable of the word she is trying to say x2). Some examples of these include:

• "ma-ma" for manger/eat (no, not mommy - food takes first priority)
• "bwa-bwa" for boire/drink
• "bye-bye"
• "ba" for ball
• "pay" for pray (at the end of EVERY song in church, she thinks it is time to pray and clasps her hands, saying "pay")
• "shh" for chaussure/shoe

She also loves to "read" books. Here is a video of her "reading" yesterday:

Today, to celebrate the big day, Gabby and I were planning on going to the aquarium with some friends. However, we are both getting over a cold and somehow it hit me hardest last night with a little fever, so we had to postpone until next week. Sorry, Gabby! Luckily, we should all be healthy in time for her birthday party on Saturday. The kids will all be in their Halloween costumes, so we will certainly post some fun pictures!

Food Foibles

Gabby's first "adult" meal, eaten all by herself.

Gabby's life as an almost 11-month-old pretty much revolves around the consistent schedule of eating. No matter what is going on or where we are at, she knows every 4 hours she will engage her taste buds and fill her belly, invigorating her spirit. But with this lifestyle comes some predicaments:

Predicament #1: You may have noticed by the photos of our little cutie, that Gabby is not a picky eater. While many a mother takes her child to the doctor for check-ups concerned about her child eating enough, we worry that she eats too much. At her 9-month visit, she tipped the scales at nearly 25 lbs., putting her at basically the 99.99th percentile. The only food she has ever rejected is the plain pureed meats (which only shows that she is still sane - those things seem disgusting!). She outgrew her infant car seat at 6 months and even if her Baby Bjorn allowed for her weight, there is no way our backs could take it any longer. Luckily, her height is staying caught up with her weight, so she is not unhealthy. She just happens to be the size of a two-year-old.

Predicament #2: Gabby believes that she is a baby elephant. A few weeks ago, she decided that it is necessary to make an elephant noise every time that you take a bite. This causes food to spray out all over the provider. We have tried everything to teach her that elephants are not allowed in high chairs, but to no avail. While she usually understands the word "no" and is even frightened by it, while in protection of the chair "no" is suddenly a humerus word. Ignoring her or taking away her food also does not seem to deter her. I literally have to wear an apron when I feed her.

Below is a video clip of this process. The fact that I took a video is probably why she continues to do this (I know, I am a horrible mother, but I couldn't resist). But I do promise that this was taken on meal two of her new habit, before I realized just how long it would persist. (Excuse the camera work, I was trying to film with one hand and feed her with another.)

Predicament #3: Jason & I have taught Gabby some basic baby signs, to help her communicate until she is able to talk. Her first learned word was "plus/more", followed by "manger/eat", followed by "fini/all done". Do we see a trend here? They all have to do with food! (The latter she knows but uses less frequently for reasons explained above.) The problem is that when she does them, we want to follow through and show her the link between the word and the action, but at what point do we stop giving her more when she asks for it? Snack time could go on for quite some time with her appetite, so we do our best to distract her with something non-edible after she has learned the cause and effect of signing.

Predicament #4: Gabby's favorite song is "Tête, épaules, genoux et pieds" (Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes). As soon as the song comes on, she begins touching her head. She also will touch her head whenever we ask her where her head is. Jason's favorite trick is to wait until her hands are all covered in food and then ask her where her head is. Gabby responds immediately, coating her hair in bananas or whatever else is impossible to get out. Then she claps, proud of herself for her accomplishment of making Mommy work harder.

Ah, the joys of feeding a baby!

Jammin' with Mary

Gabby has a book that Mémé (grandma) gave her that plays "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in the highest pitch I've ever heard. (I am not sure if you can really appreciate the sound in the video because I believe the book was made for dogs - it's that high.) But Gabby loves it and will push the button over and over so she can rock out to the "beat". Below is a glimpse of that.

Also, since the last video of Gabby's first steps was basically a video of her falling, she requested that for her sake, I post one of her more recent wobbling. Notice the book that she remains attached to - lovely. (Note: I tried not to talk too much in these videos. Last time was a little embarrassing.)

Gabby's First Steps!

Now we are really in trouble. Gabby is steadily gaining more mobility. She is no longer confined to scaling walls and furniture when she is walking. Her first steps arrived about a week before she turned 10 months. It was a picture-perfect moment. She took several steps from Mommy toward Daddy, who had his arms outstretched. Unfortunately, we didn't actually get that on camera. Nor did we get several other successful strides recorded (she tends to do better when she is not aware of what she is doing). Her current record is 10 steps in a row, but she is still pretty wobbly. Here is what we got on video: