Eitan's 2nd Birthday Party

Yesterday we helped celebrate Eitan's 2nd birthday at a zoo/safari themed birthday party held in the Minyan's backyard. As always, it was fantastic. Danya is such a wonderful hostess and the decorations were amazing. And their backyard was like a park. I'm so jealous!

Eitan was dressed in full safari garb and looked sooooo precious. He's totally fixated on tools right now and wouldn't let his screwdriver out of his sight the entire day. Here are some photos of Eitan and Lexi getting acquainted. Aren't they cute together???


Lexi enjoying a stroll across the yard.....

I'm hot....and confused......
Oh wait....now I'm happy. :-)It was blazing hot again yesterday. Lexi arrived fully clothed in her sweet Ralph Lauren dress that the Minyan's got her for her first birthday but by the end of the day she was nearly naked.....so HOT!!!!
It was a fun day for us all!

Hockey High

Lexi went to see her daddy play hockey on Saturday. It was a great day for it since it was nearly 100 degrees outside. She's been to the rink once or twice before but she was so young that I'm sure she had absolutely no recollection. As is typical Lexi style, she spotted fun things everywhere she looked and of course had to point at all of them. We were shocked when Lexi sat on the bleachers patiently and intently (with her legs daintily crossed) watching her daddy play. Once again she had to point at all the sweaty men sliding across the ice.

And then she spots her daddy....which brings a big bright smile to her adorable little face.

Bad Hair Days

One can say that Lexi was blessed with beautiful, bouncy curls. One can also say that she was cursed with a wild and crazy, unruly mop. You decide.

The Zoo!

Lexi is a very lucky little girl. Her Nana and Grandpa Prouser bought her a zoo membership and she can now go to the zoo as much as her adults will take her. Several weeks ago Nana and Grandpa P took her on their own (which I'm told she loved) ...and yesterday she got to go again...this time with Mama, Nana, Grandpa, Dee, Tamra and Jaya (Dada had to work...boo hoo). It was a really fun day. It wasn't too hot and Lexi had a grand 'ol time. She was VERY interested in the animals this time too and especially LOVED the penguins. Video on youtube coming soon.

We look forward to many more visits to the zoo this summer (and many more fun videos as well). Anyone care to join us??? (I know you're in Becca...when do you want to go??? Lexi can't wait to see her friends Nik and baby Lucas again!)

More cute photos:

The Big Red Couch

As most of you know we have a big red couch in our kitchen. We call it Starbucks corner. It's kind of strange to have a couch in your kitchen, I know....but it works, it really does. Well, the past few weeks Lexi has FINALLY been holding her bottle on her own and we've been lying her down on the big red couch to drink it. Well, she now associates her bottle with the big red couch. Now all you have to say is "Lexi, do you want a baba?" and she trots on over the big red couch, does her best to climb on it and assumes milk drinking position. We, of couse, think it's super cute and know that the bottle drinking days are almost over....so we had to memorialize these events with photos. Below are a few share.

I am now a Rotarian

Well, I'm proud to report that I am now an official Rotarian. Last week I was officially inducted into the Downtown Portland Rotary Club where I had to make a short introductory speech in front of about 200 people. I must admit, it was nerve wracking! I was VERY nervous. I'm not the best public speaker and getting through those few minutes was a huge personal feat to say the least. But when I stepped off of the stage I felt good about what I said, was pleased with how I think I came across to the audience and was proud that after putting myself in that uncomfortable situation, I prevailed in the end by confronting my fears head on.

So....what is a Rotarian you ask? Well, the Rotary is a club where business leaders connect to make a difference in our community. Rotarians value community service and high ethical standards, both of which are very important to me.

The Portland Rotary club has taken the lead on a number of major community projects including the Washington Park Children’s Park, Children’s Museum and the rebuilding of Rotary Village at Camp Collins. In addition the group is involved with ongoing services projects including Wheels of Power (wheel chairs for the disabled), community grants to local non profits, education and programs aimed at reducing frequency and impact of domestic violence, mentoring, youth exchange programs, scholarships for local high school students and environmental protection. The Rotary Club of Portland has been making a difference in the lives of its members and in the community since 1910, which I think is something to be proud of.

Since giving birth to Lexi I've had this overwhelming sense of duty to set a good example for her. I want her to grow up valuing community service and it is my goal to find ways to make her aware of how she can help others less fortunate than herself. It's easy to go through life not noticing others. It's easy to get wrapped up in your own world and feel like you don't have time to do much else. But I want to make sure that I make the time and I want my family to share in that belief. I feel so blessed to have all that I do. I wake up each day with such a strong appreciation for my marriage, my husband, my daughter, my family, my friends and my job and it's only right to share some of that good fortune. I believe the Rotary will help me feed my heart, which I feel strongly is something that makes life more fulfilling.

As many of you know, I've not been feeling 100% personally satisfied at work. Although I do feel grateful for the job that I have, I'm not as challenged as I could be and am afraid that if I'm not careful could slip into a period of stagnation, which I know can be hard to get out of. I'm not one to simply go into work, put in my time and go home. I expect more than that from my career. I must make a difference in some capacity. I've come to the sad realization that I cannot change the corporate mentality of my organization (too bad). I will never be successful at "managing up". But one thing I can be successful at is using my newly appointed Vice President status to become a member of the Rotary and in turn become more personally satisfied in the process. I'm a firm believer that you are the creator of your own destiny and do know that if I personally don't do something to change my situation, no one else will.

Through the Rotary I not only hope to feed my heart, but also hope to overcome some of my social phobias. I fully admit that I lack confidence in the social arena. I am not the best at mingling with people I don't know. I tend to be a bit of an observer and don't really come out of my shell until I feel comfortable in a situation. It is my hope (and personal goal for 2008) to learn ways to improve in this area of my life. So, here's to personal growth and to making a difference!!!

Lexi Meets Her Grandpa for the First Time!

Today was a special day. Lexi got to meet her grandpa Jerry for the very first time! At first she was a bit apprehensive but it didn't take long until they were fast friends. My dad has always related well with children, so I wasn't surprised.



It was a gorgeous day and was full of fun. We all met at Laurelhurst Park in SE Portland. I had never been there before but it a was good half way point between both our houses and I have always wanted to check the place out. Laurelhurst Park happens to be a very beautiful place....and it's HUGE! There's a dog park, a playground, a pond and lots of vegatation which as you know, our little botanist adores. We all visited for almost three hours and during that time we watched Penny play with the other dogs in the dog park, picked flowers, watched the mama and baby ducks swim around the pond, played in the dirt and had tons of fun on the playground. All in all, it was a great day!

Next, grandpa suggested that we meet at Chuck E Cheese....so that is next on the horizon for mid-July. I'm sure Lexi will have a ball.

On the way back home, Seth and I were starving so we stopped for a bite to eat. Below is a super cute photo of Lexi at the restaurant enjoying her glass of cold water.

Baby Noah

A new member of our group arrived last week on June 9th. His name is Noah Khalifa and he weighed in at 6lbs 11ounces. He was three weeks early but healthy and gorgeous. His parents, Christy and Majed Khalifa are in total bliss and are head over heals in love with their new addition.

On the way home from the hospital Seth and I witnessed a beautifully vibrant rainbow. It's not every day that you witness a rainbow like that and I thought it was such a sign on the birth of such a special little boy that I made Seth stop and take a photo. I'm a sucker for rainbows....and for metaphysical signs....and just couldn't help myself.
Seth met Christy in grad school. He always described her as incredibly smart and studious. I liked her from the moment we met. She and Majed have been a steady fixture at all of our gatherings and I was honored when Christy looked to me for advice during her pregnancy. When I was pregnant I looked to my friend Molly for advice and I sooooo appreciated having someone close by to lean on who was going the same things as me and at the same time. I felt like I got to pay Molly's gift forward with Christy and it really meant a lot to me to be a part of her pregnancy journey. Christy and Majed will be amazing and wonderful parents, I have absolutely NO doubt about that. Noah is one lucky baby and we look forward to being a part of his life as he grows.

The Importance of Dental Hygiene

The other day I was dutifully flossing my teeth in front of Lexi and as she watched me do so she became incredibly interested in what I was doing. So much so, that I decided to give her a piece of her very own floss and showed her what to do with it. I had no idea how that offering would result in over an hour of entertainment for both her and I. She proceeded to the back deck with her floss in hand where she tried countless body positions and flossing techniques. Like I said, this went on for over an hour and it was honestly one of the most entertaining hours of my life. In the end I got over 50 photos on her in the act. After MUCH scrutiny I think I've narrowed it down to my favorites below.

I've come to the conclusion that Lexi will never cease to amaze and entertain me and I underestimate her tenacity and cognitive ability on a daily basis. She is far more aware and intelligent than I sometimes realize. I suppose it's easy to assume that someone who cannot yet speak in sentences simply could not yet understand concepts, but I am quickly learning that is so the contrary.

A VERY Sad Day....

I'm not quite sure why I'm taking this so hard, but I'm soooo sad about the death of Tim Russert. It came as such a shock and he was so young. Seth and I watched his show "Meet the Press" together on a regular basis and it's hard to imagine how we are going to get through the election coverage without him. He was such a HUGE asset to journalism and to politics in general. I've been sitting here watching the news coverage on his untimely death and am overcome with emotion by his loss. I am immensely touched by the testimonial of how loved he was by everyone who knew him. He was a true inspiration.

Barney Makes Me Dance!!

One thing that has been proven to me over and over again since becoming a mom is the fact that I should never say never. When I was pregnant I was so idealistic and swore that I would never let Lexi watch TV until after the age of two. Well....then I realized that was a bit unrealistic because with me working full time it's impossible to always be in control of her environment. Lexi is exposed to cartoons at her babysitters house and to be perfrectly honest I'm kind of glad that she is because otherwise I would never have known just how happy Barney makes her. The other day Seth and I let her watch a Barney video and the result was seriously one of the cutest things we have ever seen! And the best part is we got it all on video. I've uploaded the new "Barney Makes Me Dance" video to youtube and you can view it at the top of our blog. Check it out. It's adorable. Also, here are some still images of her enjoying the song and dance of Barney and Baby Bop. :-)

Precious Park Play

One of the benefits of living where we do is the neighborhood park about 4 blocks away. It's a great place to retreat when you're tired of staring at your own four walls and when the little one is getting restless and yesterday we had some fun there. We headed out with Lexi pushing her baby doll stroller along the sidewalk. As she pitter patted down the street she stopped to inspect every material she came upon along the way. She picked flowers, played with rocks, looked at bugs and discovered bark dust. It took us nearly an hour to go 4 blocks. When we finally arrived at the park, Lexi chose to spend her first 30 minutes sifting the wood chips on the playground floor through her little hands until she was adequately filthy. After that daddy took her down the slide (several times) and over the moving bridge. She loved every minute of it and was completely entertained by all the other children there as well. Days like yesterday are great because they're simple, fun and precious. Not only that but you go home knowing that your child learned and absorbed lots. I know these are the times I'll look back on and just think "awwwww".

My Cousin Virginia

Today we went to my aunt Kathy's house. They were having a graduation celebration / open house for their son Drew. There Lexi got to hang out with her cousin Virginia. Virginia is nine months older than Lexi and as they get older their age gap seems less and less noticable. Today they had a good time together but I can only imagine the trouble they'll get in together when they're three and four. :-) Here are some cute photos of them together on the swing today.

Family Trip to the Grocery Store

With Seth and I working full time and all the summer events we have on the weekends it's sometimes a bit difficult finding the time to get to the grocery store. So, tonight (when we once again were staring into our cupboards wondering what in the heck to fix for dinner) we decided to grab bite out and then make a trip to the grocery store. We've never done that as a family before on a weeknight. On a typical evening in the Prouser household we have the dishes done and Lexi in bed before 8pm. Tonight we were at the grocery store until almost 9pm! Let's just say that we were way off schedule. But we managed and actually found that it was quite fun (and entertaining) to go to the grocery store with a 14 month old. She wanted to walk up and down (she's quite proficient at walking now by the way) all the aisles and would pull things off the shelves like she was actually shopping. It was so darn cute (but really what isn't, right?) It was also a perfect time to have her there since there were few shoppers at that time. All the staff at Albertson's knows Lexi too and tonight she drew quite the crowd. That girl has a fan base where ever she goes. Like my good friend Molly once told me about how she feels when she goes out with her adorable Rowan, we feel like celebrities each time we leave the house with little Lexi Lu. :-) Here's to more weekday family shopping trips with Seth and Lexi Lu!!! (Next time I'll take pictures)

Kisses for Mommy and Daddy

Lexi loves to give kisses....

Gini's 50th Birthday!!!

Today we celebrated Gini's 50th Birthday by throwing her a surprise party at a Mexican restaurant in Vancouver. The party was a huge success. It was very well attended, beautifully decorated and lots of fun. Lexi got dressed up in her finest and it was a really good time.