Life of Larisa or LOL

The time is really flying by. It's hard to believe we have two boys now. And I'm not even in the loony bin yet. Zach is a happy guy despite the bumps and bruises that come with starting to stand, crawl, sit up, and pull up. He is an active guy. Our time at home is spent discovering things. What the couch looks and feels like. (It's my favorite place to relax). What is the screen door made of? Wow, this grass in the backyard is cool. What's that momma is eating? (A dessert) What's that square electronic box that music comes out of and momma won't let me touch? (iPhone) What's that momma's drinking? (Starbucks)...so you see I'm busy sharing the finer things in life with him. Most recently, Zach has hit a couple of big milestones. His first two teeth popped through. Boy are they cute! Boy was he mad. Zach has also discovered that he can pull himself up to standing. We've got some work to do around the house to make things Zach frie

Majors March Madness consists of "Eat the Street", a new tooth, Lucky Charms and green milk for breakfast, four leaf clovers, and the beginning stages of crawling and pulling up to stand. Here's the past few pictures from my Photo Madness Challenge as a glimpse into the life of the Majors in March... Day 16: Sunglasses ...he wears my sunglasses at night...and during the day when he is shielding his eyes from burning holes in leaves in the backyard with a magnifying glass! Day 17: Green ...on St. Patrick's Day Isom found me a lucky four leaf clover. Perfect. Day 18: A Corner of my Home ...music corner. Everyone needs one. Day 19: Funny ...the old Larisa. Please, LOL here. Day 20: Before/After ...these cartons amazingly turn into ICE CREAM! Day 21: Delicious ...I made whoopie pies in my new muffin top pan. Day 22: Kitchen Sink ...I carry everything but in my purse day to day. Day 23: Moon ...my latest purchase from Goodnight Moon holds the diapers that co

Five more days of photo madness... Day 11: Someone I Talked To Today ...the lovely Isom Day 12: Fork ...Jumbo sized fork with jumbo sized marshmallows Day 13: A Sign ...my favorite kind Day 14: Clouds ...one nerdy computer cloud Day 15: Car ...well, a truck. A food truck. There needs to be a Starbucks car.

Two more days and two more photos. I thought halfway through the second month I might get bored, but it has been just as fun as ever. Throwing in a few retro photos keeps things interesting. Day 9: Red ...the lady in red is my mom. Day 10: LOUD ...love to hear (and see) the sounds of a nice bottle of wine (or champagne) opening.

Day 8: Window ...one, it's a drive thru. Two, it's a Starbucks. Three, you can pay with your iPhone. Four, they give you caffeine...who knew windows were so fabulous.

Being a parent is full of ups and downs. Lately we have been experiencing the ups. Cue the "Rocky" theme music. We feel very lucky. Although I have complained many a time about the sassy mouth (it's genetic), the rambunctious nature (also genetic), and general silliness that is Gabe, I must say that he is excelling in third grade. This year Gabe has had a wonderful teacher that has helped him thrive academically. Each quarter, Gabe's school takes time to recognize students who have excelled or shown improvement in both academics and citizenship. Our Gabe was chosen by his teacher and peers as the third quarter citizenship award recipient. How proud are we?!

When I was pregnant with Zach I wanted Key Lime Pie. All. The. Time. In the past few days I have also been wanting Key Lime Pie. This is not code for the revelation of some secret. I'm not pregnant, just wanting the tastes of spring. I was going to make some Key Lime pie today. I was going to give in to the craving. And then, I baked cupcakes without frosting instead. It has been a spell since I baked muffins. Lemon poppy seed was a great way to spring back into muffin action. Since spring break starts tomorrow, I thought it would be nice to spring into the spirit of things with one of my favorite springtime treats. The house smelled fresh and my taste buds are happy...but I still may make some Key Lime Pie anyway.

My grandfather (my dads dad) passed away over the weekend. He had a heart attack which in turn caused the family heart ache. He lived a very full and long life though and no matter what anyone believes of the hereafter, I know he is in a better place. So, here I type a small tribute to a not small man. A father, a grandfather, a great grandfather, a husband, a brother, a jokester...John Edward Andrews you will be missed. Granddad and his youngest daughter Trina He always had time for family...from the youngest to the oldest of his nieces, nephews, and grand kids. Graduation day for my Uncle Joel. Yep. That's me and Trina. An oldie but goodie. My cousin Rico...bearing a strong resemblance to my kids! Granddad and Loretta Granddad and my aunt. Thanks to my cousin Rico for posting these photos which are memories.

Another impromptu photo shoot. I'm so lucky to have so many talented friends. I love that photography has become such an accessible thing for people. It seems that almost everyone at any given point during the day has access to a camera. You would think that knowing so many great photographers coupled with the readily available access to a camera, even when sipping a beverage at Starbucks, would lend itself to the improvement of my picture taking skills. Nope. At least I can enjoy the skills everyone but me seems to have honed. Thank you Eileen for these adorable snap shots of my current favorite baby boy. Old blue eyes.

Happy March. Our March has consisted of day after day of rain. Rain and babies don't mix. I don't like a wet stroller. I don't enjoy pushing the baby through mud and puddles of red dirt. So, I'm hoping the rain, rain will go away. Thankfully I have the photo challenge to help keep my mind on something other than rain... Day 2: Fruit ...apple of my eye! Day 3: My Neighborhood ...lately we have been spending lots of time at and around the Central Oahu Regional Park Soccer Field. Gabe has become quite the little soccer champ. Day 4: Bedside ...Yoda is next to Gabe's bed. Luckily I don't have a little, wrinkly green man next to my bed. Day 5: A smile ...Zach's sweet, sweet smile brightens any day. Day 6: 5 p.m ....I am finally using my Kindle. 5 o'clock is the hour of baby naps, reading, and a calm eight year old. For now, it's precious time. Day 7: Something I Wore ...a baby. It's my favorite uniform.

Day 1: Up ...as in upstairs. This is ours. Much better than the no stairs that was happening towards the end of my pregnancy with Zach. Thank you Isom for building by hand, from scratch, whatever you call it, these beautiful stairs. Now when do you think you might finish?

The last days of the February Photo Challenge have drawn to a close. And not surprisingly, I found myself sad that I wouldn't have a photo goal for the day. So, good thing that starting today, I am participating in...you guessed it, the March Photo A Day Challenge. Try not to get bored. Here are the remaining February pics: 26. Night ...an amazing book. Time for a re-read. 27. Something I Ate ...a brownie disguised as a cupcake. With an Oreo cookie at the bottom. And a Hershey's kiss in the center. Oh my god. 28. Money ...an insane amount spent on one of my favorite things. Books. 29. Something I'm Listening To ...the glorious sound of my Keurig brewing my afternoon cup of Joe.