First Words

Wherever we went, people commented on my baby girl's big blue eyes. She paid attention. When she was 10 1/2 months old, we flew home for Christmas. She pointed at the faces of all our fellow passengers, saying, "Eyes. Eyes. Eyes. Eyes."

A few days after his first birthday, my cuddly boy crawled into our bed to give his daddy a wake-up kiss. Then he sat back with a smile and whispered, "Kiss."

My big ball of sunshine is five weeks away from turning one. This past month, he has been uttering something that sounds like a cross between up and out when I unbuckle him from his car seat, high chair, or stroller. Today he finished his lunch before the rest of us were done. He caught my eye and said - with raised eyebrows and a grin - "Out." I gave him an "Official First Word" kiss before I set him down to play.

Got Spirit?

Our very good daddy is also a basketball coach. For his team's last game of the season, Ali and her aunt went all out to show their support.

A Cookie Day

We took a walk around our block after dinner, courtesy of Daylight Savings Time. Ali and Jair held hands and made up a song as we walked. While Ali thanked God for birds, wind, and sunshine, Jair sang quietly, "Thank you, God, for this day. It's so cookie."

From a two-year-old boy, there can be no higher praise.

Car Show

Parents often find themselves doing things they never imagined doing just to see their children's faces light up with delight. My husband and I are no exception. Neither of us has any interest whatsoever in vehicles. None. Zip. Nada. And yet, our firstborn son, from his earliest days, has been passionate about cars. More than once he has confided in his sweet, quiet voice, "Mommy, I love race cars." Thus, we found ourselves at a local car show a few weeks ago. Saying we were out of our comfort zone is putting it mildly, but we enjoyed every minute of it.