Yesterday, I forgot to put up the picture of the day. (This is harder than I thought.) Parker took a swim class and, though he was scared at first, he soon got the hang of it. He took swim classes last summer and still carries some bad memories, particularly of being dunked. Like a lot of children, he hates getting his hair wet. The teacher was very understanding so she never fully submerged him. Instead, he practiced floating and kicking. I’m such a proud mama.
It was a success! Yesterday afternoon, we took Parker to his very first golf lesson. When we first met Ms. Kim, his teacher, Parker said, “”Wow, you’re small!” Oh, were we mortified! Granted she was a little short but did he have to say something? Thank God, she brushed it off with a smile and we went on with the lesson. She told him to position his hands so that the “hot dog” was covered by the “bun” and suggested that he hold his arms down like the letter “Y”. I was impressed by her patience. It was only a half hour lesson but I came away with it proud of my son for concentrating throughout. Could he be the next Tiger Wood? (Of course, without all the scandal.)
Lately, Parker and Logan have been getting along incredibly well. They’ve become like best friends. Sure, they have the occasional fight but they take care of each and look after one another in an endearing way. Though their personalities may differ (Parker’s the sweet one and Logan’s a bit temperamental), they somehow make it work. I took this photo of them yesterday, as they were playing outside.
For today’s Photo a Day, I thought I’d go back in time and put together a short compilation post. (I know, I’m cheating a bit.) At what age do you stop kissing your kid on the lips? Sam and I talk about this often. Eight, nine, can I push it to ten? We love giving our kids tons of affection and there’s nothing quite as sweet as being able to kiss them on the lips. Until we have to stop, I’ll keep (secretly) taking these pictures of Sammy smooching Parker and Logan. Full of emotion, these photos just lighten my heart.
There’s nothing like a “Welcome home!” kiss.
I caught this photo of Sammy sleeping with Parker to his side and with Fozzie over Parker’s head. I love peaceful moments like this. In fact, I didn’t want to wake them up.
This past weekend, we went camping for one night at the Dripping Springs Campground in Temecula. On Saturday night, we got there around 8pm so it was too late to take my picture of the day! (We were busy putting up the tent and cooking up dinner.) I’ll make it up sometime. This photo was also snapped this past weekend. It’s the boys cruising around the neighborhood in their vehicles. Parker and Logan are getting along great these days, they run around and play tag, they splash each other in the bathtub, and they, generally, look out for each other. I hope that they grow up to be best friends (just like me and my sisters).
I also like this picture of them sauntering down the street. My boys are growing up too fast!
Yesterday afternoon, we went to Disneyland with the kids. Sam’s back was hurting so we didn’t make it very far into the park. Over on the California Adventure side, I got to take a few quite snaps of Sammy holding Logan. We thought Logan would cooperate with us and sit in a stroller but he wasn’t having it. Sam had to carry him throughout the park. His poor back is paying for it now.
Today’s photo of the day is dedicated to my little dog, Fozzie. A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Fozzie is a sweet bundle of joy. He’s the ideal dog, he follows you around the house, sleeps on top of your head, and climbs into your lap. We got Fozzie to keep our first dog, Charlie, happy. We had no idea that we would fall madly in love with this dog, too. Of course, he can be quite the beast. Fozzie loves chasing around lizards and killing them with his pointy teeth. Don’t mess with this dog. Especially if you’re a slow moving lizard.
What were you up to this past weekend? We ended up going on several hikes, a few at our regular spot, Santa Rosa Plateau, and one in the small town of Idyllwild, which is about an hour away. Here’s a brief recap of what we did during our three days off.
Logan taking Fozzie on a walk at Santa Rosa Plateau. I’m still surprised that my two-year-old can take a dog his size on a walk.
Logan showing off his huge grin. I love it when his eyes disappear.
Parker taking a break on our walk in Idyllwild.
Time to refuel! The boys after we bought some beef jerky and jam.
Sammy carrying the two boys back to the car after our walk around Lake Fulmer.
Parker throwing a few of the 900 or so water balloons we filled up.
Grandpa filling up a huge group of water balloons all up at once.
Logan climbing his way up a playground.
Parker and Logan conquering a slide while Sammy looks on.
During last night’s walk through Santa Rosa Plateau, the three huddled around an ant hill.
Logan taking a break on a bench.
Sammy and Logan hiking across some rocks. The poor guy fell a few times but he just brushed the dirt off of himself and went on. That’s my boy!
Sammy with our first son, Parker.
Logan pointing the way back to the car.
Yesterday, we took the kids and our nanny, Cindy, to San Clemente Beach. It’s our go-to beach for the weekdays. It’s not too far from our house, there’s plenty of parking and it’s never that busy. The waves were huge yesterday! We experienced high tide, the water almost washed up the whole beach. Here are my pictures.
I love minimalist photos of palm trees. They’re so “California.”
When I ask Parker if I can take a picture of him, he always gives me these funny poses.
Parker loved getting wet but Logan wanted to hang out on Sam’s shoulder.
I love how Parker can “get lost” amongst his surroundings.
In this photo, you can see how much the water came up the beach. In the distance, the turquoise blue structure is the lifeguard tower, which is butting up against the rocks.
Here’s Sam throwing a rock up into the air and into the water.
I don’t have many pictures of Cindy with the boys. I’m glad I was able to snap this one. (She looks so genuinely happy.)
Hello, I’m Alice Yoo! I’m founder and CEO of Skylar Yoo, a company dedicated to inspiring and empowering women to be bold. We sell apparel, art prints and accessories to the modern feminist.
In my former life, I was editor-in-chief of the art and culture blog My Modern Met, which I founded back in 2007. I curated and wrote about art, design and photography for more than seven years. (In fact, I published over 7,000 articles which were seen by millions of people worldwide.) I’m also co-author of a book called For Love: 25 Heartwarming Celebrations of Humanity, which is on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
I live in southern California along with my husband and my two toddler boys.
This blog is about what I love, the tough experiences that I’ve learned from, and my journey as a second time entrepreneur. Right now, I’m in the midst of a 365 day challenge, to read one book a day. If you share my passions or want to learn some cool new facts, come along for the ride. I hope to inspire, educate and entertain you!
