2 is a Magical Adventure...

After few scornful stares from family when they went to check my blog and found it completely abandoned for nearly a year, I decided it was time to get back on it.

 Of course a million things have changed since last August, and much has stayed the same... it has been an incredible and magical journey and a wonderful year. (We teachers count years academically, not annually like everyone else- thus the night before our last day of school is my New Year's Eve) Having a 2 year old is so much fun.

Important snapshots:

I had a great year teaching kindergarten 1.5 miles form home a Green Acres School, unfortunately I lost my job for next year. So for now I am on the job hunt until August when hopefully my job will repost and I can reapply and swoop back in. If nothing works out I will try to supplement our income by taking care of other peoples' kids or some other creative solution yet to be discovered. The budget cuts and economy really affected our family this year...

Although a tenured teacher, Danny is moving to Mar Vista School in Aptos after 6 years of teaching at Valencia school in Aptos. He is sad to have to leave his community he built there but being another 2 miles closer to home at another great school won't be that bad.

The best news is that we are expecting baby J #2 around January 13th, about a month before Kierran's 3rd birthday (February 8th) This makes the whole job loss seem really insignificant. We are very excited about what Kierran calls brother/sister joining our beach bumming clan. I am 3 months along now and feeling much better now that I have time to rest and take care of myself. Of course, the belly is popping out much quicker this time. We have had 2 visits with Dr. Klikoff, the same doctor that we used with Kierran, and the heartbeat sounds good and the little critter looked good on the screen. We think we will torture everyone who really wants to know what the sex of the baby is and wait it out to the finish line again. I love surprises after all and there are only so many times in my life that I will have this one!

We are still living in our same duplex in Capitola and have no plans to move any time soon. Despite the square footage deficit, we spend so much time outside that we don't have time to notice. We love our little beach home, even though we are bumping into each other ofter. I guess a family that lives close together stays together!

There is so much more but my intention is to blog more often to catch up on the details. With summer here and with no end in sight that seems realistic... maybe =) Orange you glad I didn't forget about the blog entirely?

Warning: little person on the loose

Well it is hard to believe that it has been 6 months since my last post. Kierran is one and half now and we are busy chasing him around the house, beach and park. It is a little complicated trying blog while chasing a toddler, hence the big hiatus.

joy riding, toddler style

Since his first birthday in February we had been having loads of fun amidst all the other parts of life. We were fortunate to join my mom, dad and brother in Kauai to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday in April over our spring break. Kierran was 14 months and started walking the day before we got on that airplane. Coincidence? We also got to visit Danny's brother Ryan, our sister in law Brooke, our nephew Nate and our niece Bailey while were there. They had moved to the island about five months prior to our visit and were well adjusted to a wonderful life there by the time we arrived. We are so happy for them.





We finished off the school year and headed full force into summer in the beginning of June. Neither one of us opted to teach summer school as the family time outweighed the benefits of teaching for the summer. We have savored everyday with a morning beach visit. (and most days and afternoon and an evening one too just to round out the day with more full fledged beach bumming) We had a great stay-cation.

Fourth of July, Capitola Beach with Grandpa Martin

We got to be good friends with the tractor that drives on the beach every morning. We also befriended the man who drives the street sweeper so he goes extra slow to let Kierran get a better look everyday. Kierran even got to sit in a firetruck for the first time while down in the Capitola village one morning. Needless to say, our mornings are filled with trucks, boats, dogs and surfboards. It is a little boy's dream come true. We spend a lot of time with things with wheels and wings.

swimming lessons

Kierran was quite the ladies man this summer, always wanting to play with older women. ha.

Often in the mornings we spent some time on the sand. We run into neighbors and friends everywhere and spend a lot of time digging holes, running away from (or into) waves, snacking and chatting.

future husband in training, accepting applications for betrothal (dowry negotiable =)

Petting the kitty as a kitty. Kierran did his own face painting on his forehead.

Kierran continues to surprise us daily with the funny things he says and does. He is such a toddler now. He loves to say, "ya" as much as he loves to say, "no" (which is a lot.) He loves to put things in the trash can (and take things out). He enjoys turning on the washing machine (and turning it off, and on and off and on). He loves to say, "I want dat one" and "I don wan it", even in his sleep. He is such a Linus, dragging his blankets with him everywhere. He is a snugly boy full of kisses and hugs and if you're lucky he will identify your eye for you when you hug him (and poke it).

He asks for his nap by trying to scale the crib or saying, "I want dat one, zzzzzzz(insert fake snore here)." hilarious. Language development at it best. We feel so fortunate to have all this time together to be able to witness Kierran's development. It has been such a blessing.

We took a couple of trips this summer. One to Redondo Beach to visit Grandma J which included a stop off in Buellton to visit Danny's mom and Mike and one to Portland to visit Danny's dad and Jennifer.

We also took a 6 week Music Together class this summer. He still loves Raffi, but we are expanding his interests from "Rafa", as he calls it. At first he was shy and clung to me during class but by the end he was trying to rule the roost! Kierran loved it and continues to show a strong interest in music, as most toddlers do. He loves to sing, play drums and clap. It is one of his preferred activities. I am thinking he gets his drumming style from his late Great Grandpa Martin, who was a Jazz drummer.

playing the drum at the Portland Zoo

In other news I recently accepted a new teaching position much closer to home. I will be teaching Kindergarten at Green Acres Elementary in the Live Oak School district. It also happens to be the school my very close friend Katy has been teaching 4th grade at for four years. It is about five minutes from our house and even closer to Kierran's daycare, which is same as last year. We are thrilled that this opportunity presented itself and came to fruition over the summer.

When we stopped to breath at the end of the school year we knew something was going to have to budge soon for a family life to flow a little easier. With the budget cuts so severe to education in our state, we thought it was going to be years until this change could really occur, but it seems as if there was another, and better, plan. We had been very stressed about our schedules for the upcoming year possibly shifting even earlier and and a bit overwhelmed by my working a half hour away, making me unavailable for emergencies, illnesses and other mommy or teacher duties. Although my commute was not bad compared to most, I am stoked to spend that hour each day on my class and family.

Orange you glad things don't always work out how you expect? Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Profile of a 1 year old

Name: Kierran Nathaniel Jacobsmeyer

Birthday: Februaury 8, 2009. Born 8 Lbs. 1 oz. on his Dada's birthday! 

Favorite book: Red Hat, Green Hat by Sandra Boynton

Favorite word: yah... 

Favorite food: anything in reach: yogurt, bananas, applesauce, chicken, rice, bananas, pancakes, mango, fries, bananas,  olives, sticks, bananas, curry, burritos, chinese, seaweed, bananas, chips, green beans, noodles, rocks, thai... you know, the usual and bananas... like three a day. The grocery bill is definitely taking a hit.

Favorite activities: crawling, climbing on things that rock, eating, riding on the bike with mommy, dancing, eating, stroller rollering, going to Jade street park, making piggy faces, clapping, doing a surf check, playing drums, eating,  tossing balls with friends, eating crayons, watching the fish at daycare, eating, snuggling, waving,  throwing the sippy on the floor, pushing stuff, bird watching, playing "fetch" with mommy, cruisin', talking babyese, rolling on the floor (bringing the 6 month old tricks back into style), socializing, crawling under the crib and eating. 

Favorite music: Raffi

" Nah Danny, he won't eat that much cake." Megan, prior birthday party.

 " Quick dad, throw the rest away before Danny sees how much he ate." Megan at Birthday party.

 "He mostly licked the frosting off. " Megan to Danny after birthday party-before the photographic evidence was released. 

Piggy nose- now imagine it with a quick breathing in and out- like fire breath, through the nose. Little yogic piggy doing his pranayama. 

Birthday ball pool

snuzzles

soccer earings and black bean mustache

love the ride, hate the helmet

"To anyone else you are just a person, like any other person, but what makes you special to me is what I see in you with my heart."

Mais les yeux sont aveugles… il faut chercher avec le coeur…

"But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart"

Height: 29 inches, 25th percentile

Weight:   19 lbs. 4 oz. , 5th percentile.  Growing healthy and strong. Our Le Petite Prince, you would never think with the way he eats that he is only in the 5th percentile, not like these growth charts matter to us at all, we know Kierran is thriving and is developing well,  but really...where does it all go??? Just goes to prove again how each and everyone of us is so unique in every way. 

Orange you glad that one is so much fun? Everyone said it just gets better and better... like all the cliches, it is so true!

Barefoot Santa

 Happy Holidays from the barefoot Santa! Although our Christmas plans to go visit Danny's Dad in Portland, Oregon were foiled because Kierran had a nasty case of Roseola, he still recovered and enjoyed  his first Christmas in Clayton at Grammy and Grampy Martins.

Here he is at home in Capitola with our tree- if you look closely you can see surfing Santa is hanging ten to the right of Kierran's head.

Another one for me? He enjoyed the wrappings, just as we suspected...
Can I have one please? I know that's the good stuff...
I think I love you Uncle Jason. 
Grammy gave me one of momma's old baby dolls. Everyone was so surprised how happy I was when I pulled it out of the bag and saw my little friend's face.

The standard visit to the Ghiglieri's, my Childhood friends, big fat Italian Christmas, only the visit was cut short this year by a needy napper in the picture, can you guess who?

Baby's first prime rib and yorkshire pudding. The horseradish face was a classic.. should have had the camera ready.

Tired, tired baby with Grammy and Grampy. 

Well, another fabulous holiday! Can't wait until next Christmas!