Family Bike Ride

I love love love going on bike rides with the family. I love watching Rocco learn new things like holding both feet out and balancing on his bike. Or watching his little legs push himself around the block. I like to see people move. It makes me smile when we are at the park and I see lots of families outside being active. We just started swimming again last Saturday. I signed up Rocco for the next 6 Saturdays. I like to do this right before summer to get him ready for all things water.


Rocco has done really well with the push bike. He was around 18-20 months old when we first put him on it and he loved it from the start. I think the transition to a peddle bike will be easy since he is already used to using his feet to support him and having them on the ground and his sense of balance and quick whit of falling has seem to come quite naturally. He has actually only taken 3 falls on the bike. Each time he lets the bike go and goes down pretty lightly. One was going down a curb, one he wasn't watching where he was going and went off into the dirt and the third was the first time he tried to put up both feet while going over water. He just didn't have enough speed to make it. We brush off the fall and get back on the bike.

Expressions

Photo shoot April 29, 2011

2 Years and 3 Moths Old

Squeky Beautiful

Part of our night time routine is having a bath after dinner. Rocco has always enjoyed taking a bath and as you all know, I enjoy taking pictures of Rocco. I like to do "photo shoots" with a series of the same style with different expressions. I love Rocco's smile but I also find beauty in Rocco's serious side.

In many pictures Rocco has a very serious look. If you didn't know him, you might think he was not having fun. But really he is just observing, taking it all in and capturing it. He has a wonderful memory and calls the little details. Like the cat's name at the book store that we visited once and again 4 months later - "the cat's name is Bob."

Easter Goodies

Wow, so many to choose from and I can't narrow them down, so here is a basket full of my favorites. From dying easter eggs, to a practice run in the yard before easter and the beautiful Sunday in Capitola with family.

Special thanks to Charlie and Terry for having us over. We had a wonderful day and enjoyed spending Easter with you and your family. Your yard is so inspiring, beautiful and bountiful. I took home with me some tingling feelings that I will turn into dirty hands and happy plants.

Picture Notes:

1-4 Dying Easter eggs

5 Practice Easter egg hunt

6-7 Rocco and River enjoying Easter together

8 Mommy directing a picture that ended up with sun in Rocco's eyes

9 Mimi and Rocco

10 Pop eating with Rocco at the kid table

Sing It Baby

I love to listen to Rocco sing. We have been learning Twinkle Twinkle and ABCs. Just the other day he was singing down the isle at Target without a care in the world. It reminds me to share my true self and not care what anyone says or if they are watching.

TreadMill Run

My hobby is working out. I have been a member of a gym since I was 14 years old and started doing step classes with my Mom at Ronnie Lotts. Well for the first time in 22 years, I am not a member of a gym. But that is ok, I have a gym at work now and I love it.

Not a big treadmill runner, but I like the results of running. I usually run outside but my girlfriend Stefanie sent me this routine. Wow, I have done it twice now, but both times I am just shy at running the last three minutes, I usually stop running around 45 seconds. Next time, I will finish this and I will use Stefanie's power power power mantra. Takes about 30 minutes and a lot of sweat!

5 mins at 3.5 pace
1 min at 3.0 @ 4% grade incline
1 min at 6.0 @ 4% grade incline
1 min at 3.0 @ 5% grade incline
1 min at 6.0 @ 5% grade incline

now, repeat these increase intervals until you reach 15% grade. One minute walking, one minute running. Increasing your grade every two minutes (right after the minute run). If it gets challenging, cut the run portion in half - running for only 30 seconds.

whoa boy. i was beat! I had to do a mantra on the runs - "power, power, power"

Me after my run and heading back to my desk a sweaty mess, but I love it.

Dinner Items

Tonight we had tofu, broccoli and carrots over coconut rice. I saw the coconut rice recipe on Weelicious the other day and my mouth started to water. Sometimes rice just needs a little kick to keep it interesting. This was the magic touch. Again, this was easy because I look for quick easy and healthy recipes. I like to spend my time with Rocco rather than hours in the kitchen.

Coconut Rice (Serves 4)

1 14 oz Can Coconut Milk, unsweetened (low fat or regular)
1/4 Cup Water
1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
1 Cup Brown Jasmine Rice

1. Place the coconut milk, water and salt in a medium size pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add the rice, stir until combine, bring back to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.
3. Cook for 30 minutes, turn heat off and let sit covered for 10 minutes.
4. Serve.

Milazzo - Like Pizza with two zz's!

We love TJ's wheat pizza dough. We made ham and pineapple pizza on Sunday. Sometimes we don't use pizza sauce and just use olive oil with leeks, red onions, tomatoes and cheese. So many combinations options!

Wow oh Wow - made Alfredo sauce for my first time. Wow oh Wow is right. Had it over lobster raviolis with a side a green peas from TJ's. Both Rocco and Jared were in love. It was really good. This one doesn't go on the healthy recipe side, but it does go on Wow oh Wow that was good!