Adios Puerto Vallarta, Aloha Kauai!

Even though Isabelle knows how to say "hola" and "adios", it was decided that with the "swine flu" taking over we had best reroute the Ilich and Owston families somewhere other than Mexico for our family vacation at the end of May.

Looking through our timeshare catalog, Mom brought up Kauai and as you can imagine...we jumped all over it! We now have 2 one bedroom studios booked at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Beach Club! YAY! Mahalo Mom and Dad, we can't wait! Now we just have to teach Isabelle how to say "Aloha" and "Mahalo" :)

Oh No, Nightmares

Not sure when they start or if she is having them but for the last few nights in a row, Isabelle has been waking up in the middle of the night crying. It's like she is a newborn again...rushing to her rescue at any noise she makes. We tried consoling her in her room (boy do I miss the rocker) but when that didn't it, and against our rules, we pulled her into bed with us. That got old really quick; she thought it was time to play. Michael and I would both have our back to her with her right between us and she would always manage to find our eyes or nose and poke at them. She has even yelled "wake up!" So back to bed we would take her with a sippy cup of milk, turn on her music and kiss her good night once again. We did find out about 4 nightmares later that if we just leave her be, she will go back to sleep on her own.

Isabelle playing with her Darth Tator

On another note, did you know that Starbucks really knows how to get its brand out there...right into every one's faces, even kids. Isabelle and I were walking around at our city's "Earth Day" event at Central Park and as we walked past the Starbucks booth Isabelle points to the logo on their table cloth and says, "Papa's coffee." How is that for brand recognition!

Our Lil Soccer Player

Michael read a post on a board at Isabelle's preschool that soccer lessons will be starting; 10am-11am every Wednesday for 6 weeks. So he decided that he and Isabelle would go to soccer lessons before going to Grandmama's house on Wednesdays (since Wednesdays are "her days" to watch her).

Today was her first day/lesson and from what Michael said, she did great. She was the youngest and smallest one of the bunch but she held her own.

She listened to Coach Jay and did everything he told her to do...great way for her to learn to follow directions. She did warm ups, lined up with the other kids and waited for her turn to kick her ball, tried dribbling the ball and even practiced kicking it into the net for a goal.

Michael said she lasted about 30 minutes out of the hour practice and was ready to go home after that. They stayed and watched everyone else for a little while longer then left but when I got home, she told me all about it.

Come June when soccer is over and the sun is back out (even though you would think it was summer right now with the 90 degree weather we have coming this weekend), we are going to start swim lessons again; we being Michael and Isabelle along with Travis and Mackenzie on Monday and Wednesday mornings...Amy and I are sooo jealous but the Dad's and their girls are going to have a great time :)

Birthday Celebration #3-THE END

8:30am came around very quickly as we were woken up by a pone cal from the bounce house company….all we thought was “they were here to set up Isabelle’s Birthday Cake Jumper already?” OK, let the day begin.

So proud after finally getting in the jumper!

After the jumper was set up on the big grass area we have across the way from us, Michael had to get in to “test it out” and guess what, Isabelle wanted nothing to do with it! “Great”, thought, “Money down the drain. Oh well.” At least she kept the jumper in the back of her mind becuase she would mention it together with anything that had to do with her “Burpday Party" that was repeated all morning as we were getting things out and ready for that afternoon. She was getting more and more excited each time she would mention the party knowing that her friends, whose names were also recited after she said “Burpday Party”, were coming over to play and celebrate with her.

Kyle and Lindalee
Olivia and Lexi

The "Birthday Cake Jumper"

We decided to have the party start at 3:00, right after nap times. Isabelle woke up from her nap around 2:30 with a HUGE smile on her face saying “My Burpday Party?” I replied “yes, its time for your birthday party and your friends are coming over too.” She was so excited that I actually believe she understood what was going on. With Dad/Poppy away on business and Michael at the theatre for the show he was in (One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest-he had the lead role), Mom and I were the hosts and the keepers/watchers of Isabelle.

Mackie and her "Crazy Eyes"

Riley pushing her baby...we know what to get her for her birthday! Friends started to arrive at around 3:15. The freshly painted garage all set up as base camp with tables, chairs, food, coolers of juice, water, soda and beer, snacks and a drying line with clothes pins hanging on one of the walls for anyone who was painting on the easel we had set up. We used Rose and Dominic’s parking spot to set up a little table and chairs for fruit loop necklace making, beach chairs on the grass near the jumper for parents to watch the rugrats from, bubbles and a basket full of balls to play with along with any 4 wheeled or three wheeled toy we had! Didn’t want any of the kids to get bored :)

April with Jazzy painting and Sophia drawing on the chalkboard
The "fruit loop necklace table" (Mia, Sophia and Paul) Everyone was socializing and some meeting new faces like Steve, Rebekah and their daughter Lindalee, Pastor Joe and Barbie and Mark, Kristen and Riley (one of the girls who was at Lisa’s with Isabelle). Mark is actually the one we have to thank for getting Isabelle into the jumper! She was milling around outside the jumper and Riley was inside jumping. I left for a moment to welcome arriving guest (sound like an airline stewardess) and came back to little miss giggle butt jumping around inside with Riley! It wasn’t a waste of money after all…everyone, and I mean kids and adults alike, were in it!

Pastor Joe playing with Izzy and Riley

The Henn Family in the Henn House (Cav, Courtney and Mike)
Auntie Steph, Jazzy and Izzy
as Siad and Casey's with their kid/dog, Caesar, and after about an hour it was decided that this year for 4th of July, we are having a "block BBQ"...jumper and all!

Lindsey and Sue

Sophia and Nate
Ceaser,the party dog

We ordered pizza, since the chef/grill master was at the theatre until 5, and at around 5:30, we opened the “cupcake bar”. I set up the trays of cupcakes with tubs of frosting, sprinkles and other decorative candies for everyone to create their own cupcake. However, after sharing the “Froggy Cake” story from the day before, there were no candles and no singing “Happy Birthday” to Isabelle which was fine because those kids fed their faces and went right back to playing.

The Magin's (Caryn, Mia and Mike)

Izzy and Jazzy

We went inside a little later to open gifts with anyone who wanted to watch, which was everyone except the Dad’s :) As we thanked everyone for the gifts and for coming over, Caryn turned to Isabelle and asked her if we could whisper “Happy Birthday” to her and with Isabelle’s “no” to her, we just decided we would do it anyways. As we started whispering "Happy Birthday" to her, Isabelle crawled into my lap and held my arm until it was finished and as everyone started clapping, amazingly, so did she.

A Star Wars Light saber from Uncle Johnny

What a fabulous way to end Isabelle's 2nd Birthday Weekend!