Happy Birthday, (big) Frank!

Happy Birthday, Frank!  We finally got to spend a lazy, low-key weekend together as a family.  We got dressed up and went out to a fancy steak dinner with Daniel and Kristi on Friday night to celebrate.  The restaurant gave us a free round of champagne and a free dessert and we closed down the restaurant.  Frank and Daniel had coffee flavored Patron to wind down the night, and it actually tasted pretty good. 

Frank is the most selfless, loving, and hardworking man that I know, and I admire him so much.  He is always working to better himself and pushing everyone around him to be better.  I know that great things are around the corner for him, and I have a feeling this is going to be a(nother) spectacular year.

Cheers to 37, babe!  We love you so much and we hope you had a wonderful birthday.

New bicycle

Frankie has been asking us for a bicycle for awhile now.  He always gets so excited when he sees other kids' bikes, so we finally decided to go pick one up at Toys r us.  It was a rainy day today, so he practiced riding around in our garage.  He doesn't quite get how it works...but he still loves it! 

"Yes" and songs

Frankie mastered "No" several months ago, and he has been saying it consistently and repeatedly for a long time now.  However, he has just recently mastered "Yes."  Before, he would smile and make a grunting sound or repeat whatever the correct answer was whenever he meant to say "yes."  But in the last few weeks, he has really started to understand and say "Yes" whenever we correctly guess whatever it is that he wants.  He has also figured out that saying "yes, please" is a sure-fire way to get Mama to do whatever he is requesting.  I love that it is getting easier and easier to communicate with him, and I hope that this will help with the tantrums.

Frankie also continues to LOVE to sing.  He loves to watch music videos on the Ipad, to hear music on the radio, to sing songs himself, and to hear me sing.  During most of our morning drives to day care, he requests songs and I sing them.  Sometimes I sing the same song over and over.  Sometimes I don't know the words to the song, so I just make them up.  I loooove hearing him sing.  He usually will sing the first verse of a song and then say "Mama, sing it!"  It is so cute, and I love that he loves music so much.  Frank's birthday is next week and I taught Frankie the birthday song so we can sing it to him together. 

Enjoying this wonderful weather!

I spent the majority of the weekend with my little munchkin outside, enjoying this gorgeous weather we have been having!  We went to the park/playground both days, ate breakfast outside, and enjoyed the sunny skies.  I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Visiting Monte in Washington DC

I spent Labor day weekend in Washington, DC visiting Monte and DC for the first time since I left there more than five years ago (I cannot believe it has been that long!!).  Monte is doing really well.  He is so inspired and determined to kick ass on his physical recovery.  While we were there, he put together a 6-foot tall book shelf, got out of his wheelchair, folded it up, and put it in the trunk of a car by himself, cooked 5 people bacon and eggs for breakfast, and walked on his prosthetic legs in the mall for the first time.  He is recovering at an amazing pace.  They say he is 7 weeks ahead of schedule on his legs.  Even though Monte is so positive and determined, you can also tell that he is really struggling.  I can only imagine how hard it is for him to wake up every morning and realize that he has so many challenges ahead of him.  We are continuing to pray for him and his healing every day, and we appreciate everyone who continues to support his recovery!  You can get updates about Monte and donate to his recovery at www.montebernardo.org.

On Friday night we took Monte, his girlfriend, and Frank's sisters out to dinner at Sequoia, which is where Frank and I celebrated our first year of dating anniversary.  It was fabulous, and afterward we strolled around Georgetown for a few hours.  It was surreal to be back in the city.  On Monday we went with Monte and Amanda into DC and toured the law school, Union Station, the Capitol, and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  We had a great day showing Monte around some of my old stomping grounds.  It was fun to be back in DC, but I sure don't miss my time there!

We missed Frankie so much while we were gone, but he was in the good hands of Nana and Papa.  He has been a little terror since we have been back, but I think he is just about done punishing us for leaving him.  Next trip, he is coming with us!

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Frank, me, and Monte

Ariela, Stella, Frank, and Monte

Monte and his girlfriend Amanda

Me and my sweetz

Ariela and Stella

Monte walking no his prosthetic legs for the first time!

cooking us all breakfast

brothers at the capitol!