Annenburg Splash Ponds

The city of Santa Monica has this really awesome beach club called the Annenburg Beach House that is open to the public to use ... for a fee. It's really great because has though it may not be as exclusive as the Bel Air Bay Club, where Andrew and I got married, the facilities are really nice and clean. And it so happens to be my good friend Gretchen and her two kiddos (KaraLin and J.J) most favorite summer hideout! Sadly the Annenburg will close it's doors in a few days until next summer so this past week, we joined the Hoovers and some other sweet friends for one last play date at the Annenburg Beach House.

I wish summer could last forever ...

Sweetest Friends
J.J. and Sophie

Playing in the showers with friends

Friends ...
Hayley, Rhiannon and KaraLin

Friends in the splash ponds ...
Do you see Sophie?

Didn't think so ..
This was about as close as she would get to the water ...

Instead, she sat on the sidelines and ate fishies ...

And pretended "drying off" with J.J.

My sweet Mommy friends ...
Beth, Sarah, Lisa, Charlotte (Me!) and Gretchen

Blake was there too!
I didn't forget him!

Afterwards, Sophie insisted on wearing the sunglasses ...
Until the next time we're at the beach!

"Summer of the Son" Luau Party

Before anyone gets excited about (Mom) ... it is Summer of the Son, not Summer of the Sun ... but whatever it is, Sophie just completed summer camp and had the greatest month of fun in the sun!

She made lots of new friends and did lots of fun things. One of her best friends was (and still is) Charlie, who she has known since birth. Charlie is 8 days older than Sophie so they really have known each other their entire lives. It is a little sad that when they start preschool in 2 weeks, they weren't put in the same class ... because Sophie depends on Charlie, I think. Miss Jessica, the head teacher, told me that Sophie was shy with everyone except for with Charlie. But, I hope that this will give Sophie a chance to open up to new friends ... with her best buddy Charlie in the room right next door.


On their last day of camp, the first two hours were like any normal day ... but then during the last hour, we, the parents (and grandparents ... lucky to have Gung Gung and Pau Pau there!), were included in chapel time and a luau party. It was fun getting a glimpse into Sophie's world at summer camp. It's going to be a big change for our family, especially for Blake and myself, to have her in preschool in a few weeks but our little girl is growing up and I'm so thankful that she can go because school is the best gift we can give her ... and she is going to love it!

Megan and Charlie

Hands in the air!

Singing at chapel time

P-A-R-T-Y!
Dana, Santiago, Sophie, Penelope and Desmond
All except for Desmond were in our Mommy & Me class ...
we know Desmond from church.

"Baby Bake" was there too!!!

Sophie and Desmond with their teachers
Miss Ashley, Miss Janay and Miss Jessica
... otherwise known as "Miss Ashee", " Miss Janaay" and "Miss Jesca"

Happy THREE Months Blake!

Dearest Blake,

My sweet, sweet, sweet smiley little boy!

You are SUCH a happy little boy!

I LOVE you so!

Three months have gone by in the blink of an eye ...
I look at pictures at you now and can hardly believe you are the same little guy at birth!
I should stop blinking - maybe you will stop growing.

You and Sophie are the brightest stars in my life.
It's not always easy but being a mommy is the best job in the world.
I am lucky to be able to call you both as mine.

Recently, you started to smile ... and laugh a little.
This your the biggest accomplishment (I think) so far.
You smile at just about anyone that gives you attention.
It is the sweetest thing - just warms my heart.

I think you might save your special smiles for your Gung Gung.
You just to hear his voice and the biggest and brightest smiles fill your face.
It's kind of weird ... but I am glad.
I know you're forming a very special relationship.

You are already starting showing that you are
patient, happy, loving and kind.
You're pretty content ... maybe a bit too content.
Pau Pau calls you the "forgotten one" ... sometimes.
But I say you have sweetest personality.

You're also starting to lift your head.
Not totally firm but you're getting there!
I suggest you lift your head soon because your sister is all in your business ..
and believe me, you want to get a move on moving ...
(even though I'd rather if you'd stay young forever)

Speaking of your sister ...
Sophie LOVES you.
You, after "Blue Bird" (from the movie, "Rio")
are the first thing she wants in the morning.
Constantly asking where you are.
She smothers you with love.
Maybe a bit too much.

This month Sophie started summer camp.
And this means that for the first time,
you and I have had special time together.
All alone for 3 straight hours.
You seem to love our time together but
I think I'm loving it more than you ...

I love you little man.
Thank you for coming into our lives ..
I am so lucky!

Loving you forever and ever.

Yours,
Mommy

One BUSY Summer Week

It's hard to believe we're in the waning days of summer - it's already in mid-August!

This past week was busy ... it's funny because there really isn't one specific thing I can really write about, just lots of little things ...

There were the regular daily summer activities - summer camp and our weekly play date with the Hoovers (Gretchen, KaraLin and J.J.) ... and then we also had special visitors too.

During the week this past month, Sophie has summer camp until noon, then a nap and an afternoon activity. It makes our days just fly by!

Sophie is enjoying summer camp and seems to be growing up right before my very eyes. It's fun to hear her come home, talking about friends she has made and things that she has done that day. I've also really enjoyedhearing her sing all those children's songs that I grew up with and dancing along to them ... with no particular rhythm. Sophie is definitely becoming a little girl ... which is so so bittersweet.

As Andrew said to me the other day, some days you wish she could stay a toddler forever, other days, Sophie just can't grow up fast enough!!! How true that is!

We receive weekly photo updates
and here are the two from this week.

This week we had also had two visitors."Ankie Brooke" (otherwise known as Auntie Brooke) came to visit us on Wednesday. Brooke just got engaged so it was a real treat to visit as well as meet her fiance, Claude, who was also here for a few hours. While they were here, I was able to take Brooke and Claude's engagement portraits Brooke spent the night after dropping Claude at the airport (he had to get back to work in Dallas) and we were able to visit and spend lots and lots of time together. Brooke is Blake's Godmother and it was the first time they had met so it was a special visit.

One of my favorite photos from their session

Brooke and Blake

Then on Friday, we had another special visitor. For about the first 18 months of Sophie's life, we struggled to get her to hit physical milestones. While babies her age were crawling, she was still flat on her back. When babies were starting to walk, she was starting to crawl ... nothing was wrong with Sophie, just a big head and a small body ... and a little bit of time and patience. We've kept in touch with Susan (otherwise known as Suzu), Sophie's physical therapist and we were able to visit with Suzu last Friday. It was a great visit and we can't wait to see our favorite therapist again!

On Saturday, Andrew took charge of our crazy two (brave, brave man!). Later this year, Brooke and Claude (who visited on Thursday) are getting married in the Bahamas so on Saturday, I had the honor of going with Brooke, her mom, Susan, and sister, Brittany, to go bridal dress shopping. Maybe, just maybe ... we found our girl a very pretty dress for her very important day!

Then on Sunday, we headed over to our friends Ryan and Tricia's apartment for a pool party ... their last of the summer. Ryan served up a 4-course BBQ and everyone, especially Sophie, enjoyed swimming in the pool. I'll bet Sophie spent about 2 full hours "swimming" while Blake watched and slept on the sidelines. It was a really great way to end the week ...

Ready for a pool party!

My sweet little man, Blake, is ready to go too!

Ryan took over the chef duties ... yum!

Swimming with Daddy!

Wheeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Sweetest little friends - Malia, Sophie and Holly

Sophie and Holly
These two met at Ryan & Tricia's wedding a few months ago.
They were instantly best buddies back then ...
and rekindled their friendship at the pool!

It was a great week ... I wish summer could last forever ....

Daddy's Birthday!

Yesterday was Andrew's "21st Birthday" ...

It began as a normal, regular Sunday with church and naps. But while Sophie and Andrew napped, I went to celebrate my friend, Holly, at her baby shower. Holly, her husband, Chadwick, and daughter, Reagan, are expecting a new little one, a boy (Mason), who is expected any day now and I can't wait to meet him!

Holly, Blake and Charlotte
Blake can't wait to play with Mason!

Yummy cupcakes for Baby Mason!

The boys who can't wait to meet their new buddy ...
Noah, Blake and Jacob

I couldn't help but include the next series of photos ...
just because they were so cute and funny!

Then, it was time to come home and get ready for a fun date night with the birthday boy! Since Andrew had mentioned to me a few weeks prior that it would really be nice to just have dinner, just the two of us, with no distractions from Sophie or Blake and to have a conversation ... so I though it would be nice to gift him with just that ... a nice night out.

Admittedly, I had no real plan coming into the weekend ... well, not true. I had a plan. Dinner - yes ... where - I have no idea. So of course I turned to my parents, the true foodies in our family. After some thought, they suggested Bazaar - a fun and fancy tapas restaurant ... which sounded like a great place to celebrate Andrew!

Before dinner, we celebrated Daddy's birthday with our babies with birthday cards and cake at Gung Gung and Pau Pau's house. Thank you to my mom and dad for keeping an eye on our kids ... for our first date night alone to celebrate Andrew's birthday!!! It was the best gift ... thank you, thank you!

Of course Sophie offered to "help" open the
Birthday card that she and Blake gave to Daddy.

Cake ... possibly the best part of a birthday!

Celebrating Daddy's big day!

Then we were off on our date ... which was so lovely. The food was delicious and so unique. Good food and conversation - flowing and interrupted. It was so nice ... we even treated ourselves to a cocktail and a half (sharing the second one). We talked a lot about our upcoming trip to Brazil and of course of Sophie and Blake. And when there were silences, we just relished it ... and enjoyed watching everyone around us. It was a nice way to celebrate my favorite guy!

Caiparina bar ... came right to us
... and it came to us frozen - yum!
A floating coconut desert to celebrate the birthday boy!

Happy Birthday Andrew!
I'm so glad you were born!
I love you and am so thankful do life with you.
May the next year bring more fun and more adventures!

Sophie's First Day of (Summer) School

Sophie started "Summer of the Son" this week at preschool which in reality was pretty much the first day of school. She missed the first day of school because she had a slight fever but by day 2, she was ready for the new adventures awaiting her! It's a great big world out there ....

Ready for her first day of school!

In the classroom ....

It's hard to believe that my sweet baby, my first born, was heading off to school ... and this mommy was at least slightly anxious. I wondered if we had made the right decision to put Sophie in the summer program - it was going to be the longest period time I had ever left her so many days at a time ... but in the end, I know the parental side of me having a panic attack. Everybody has to grow up sometime ... even my own little baby.

The end of Day 1!
Sophie had SO much fun!

And as is tradition in the Lee house ... spaghetti dinner the first day of school. Always has been since my first day of kindergarten and t's fun to pass this tradition onto my own kiddos.


Miss Jessica, the head preschool teacher in Sophie's class, sent an email with photos of the first week of school ... try to find Sophie (hint, she's the two eyes behind the curly head blonde in a green t-shirt!)


And you wonder what Blake did during the 3 hours he had without his sister ....

The major bonus of Sophie being in school is getting to spend some alone time with Blake. Until now, the only alone time I had spent with Blake was taking him to doctor and the few hours he spent in the hospital when we thought he had pnemonia. He's such a happy little guy and seems to love the one-on-one attention ... and I'm happy to be able to spend time with my little guy ...