May 11, 2008

• Wonderful Mother's Day Weekend

  This weekend was so full, I hardly know where to start! Warning: Many photos and a couple of videos ahead.  Before anything else, though, I want to wish all the moms out there a very happy Mother's Day!

  I'll start at the beginning of our weekend. Saturday, Johnny, Jack and I walked in the Revlon Run/Walk in downtown Los Angeles. We went with a team from my office, which meant we got to ride on a shuttle to and from the Coliseum, instead of trying to contend with the crazy traffic. Despite being out from 7 a.m. to almost 1 p.m., Jack did extremely well. He napped at the beginning of the three-mile walk, then people-watched from his stroller, enjoyed some Cheerios and Gerber's puffs en route, and ate his lunch on the shuttle ride back. He was in a jolly mood almost the entire time.

  Jack and Johnny in the Coliseum stands during the opening ceremonies

  

  Jack and I during the walk. Runners definitely have it good in these events -- I've never done the "walk" portion of something like this before; it is a ZOO (a slow zoo) walking with all those people!

  

  Afterward, Jack and I enjoy a pear while Rachel (my boss' daughter) kisses Jack on the cheek

  

  That evening, my mom, June and Charles came over to sit for Jack while Johnny and I attended the UCLA Anderson formal. It was at the Petersen Automotive Museum. I was very pregnant with Jack at last year's formal; this year, I was happy to wear a dress that I haven't worn in a few years ... in fact, not since New Year's 2005, I don't think! I'm always happy when I have a chance to justify my obsession with purchasing party dresses.

  Johnny and I before we left the apartment -- you can see in the mirror that the dress is backless

   

  My mom thought it would be funny to take this picture and say that I cook like this for Johnny every night (he wishes!). The feminist in me was horrified, but mostly I thought it was funny, too.

   

  Johnny with a cool ice cream truck in the lobby of the automotive museum

  

  Here I am, being one of those auto show girls

  

  With our friend Camele

  

  

  Since the formal started at 9 p.m., my mom, June and Charles spent the night. That was great, because it gave me a chance to make Mother's Day brunch for my mom for the first time! I made scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, shallots and asparagus, stuffed into little bread bowls. Unfortunately they were out of brioche rolls at the bakery, so I had to use hard sourdough rolls. It still looked pretty, though. We had bacon and fresh strawberries as side dishes. For dessert, I'd made a tartufo (with chocolate and strawberry ice cream, fresh chopped strawberries and almonds) with a chocolate ganache shell, sprinkled with almonds. I should have taken a pic of that; it was really pretty!

  The brunch spread and Jack

  

  At brunch, my mom opened her cards from all of us (including Jack, who had scribbled a work of art in crayon). I gave my mom a little photo magnet of Jack and a pillow that says, "Great moms get promoted to Grandma." Johnny gave me a card from Jack, a card from himself and a card from Atari.  He also made me this, printed on cardstock to put up at work (click on the image for a larger size pic):

  

  Isn't it awesome? He also gave me a beautiful locket with a picture of Jack inside, and matching earrings. The last gift from Johnny was that he arranged for our nanny to babysit tomorrow night while we go out to a nice dinner together. I feel so pampered!

  After brunch, we all played with Jack for a bit before my mom, June and Charles left.

  Jack is obsessed with cell phones

  

  

  With Aunt June

  

  After a much-needed afternoon nap (for me and Jack), we headed to the park, where Johnny took some cute pictures of me and Jack.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Now, Jack is in bed, and we're getting ready to enjoy a quiet evening together. It's been a wonderful weekend. I feel incredibly blessed to have my beautiful son, wonderful husband and loving family with me on Mother's Day. I can't quite get my head around the fact that last Mother's Day, Jack was still baking inside my belly, and now, he's almost walking. I think it's universally true that Mother's Day takes on new significance after you become a mom yourself. I've always enjoyed Mother's Day -- buying gifts for my mom, making her feel extra-special -- but now that I have Jack, I realize that I never really understood before how much a mother loves her children, and how much she sacrifices for them. Things that I used to wonder about ("Why does Mommy worry so much about this or that?" or "Why is she always telling me to be careful?") make total sense to me now. In a lot of cases, moms are the foundation of a family, and I am grateful to have an awesome mom (and an amazing mother-in-law, as well).

  OK, on a lighter note, I want to share two videos with you. The first is one showing Jack's beckoning skills.

  This second one from this afternoon show's Jack's hilarious reaction to the book "No, David!" I had to take this at an angle where the camera wouldn't distract Jack. He understands the word "no," and he finds the use of it in this book to be really funny (although he doesn't laugh when we tell him no). I'm not sure if it's the pictures, or the fact that we're saying "no" out of context, or, as Johnny suggests, a very keen early sense of schadenfreude (I love that theory best!), but it's funny. Turn up the volume!

  • 10:17 pm
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