Is he really five months already?!

Hey guys!  Yes, it's true.  I'm five months old!  I'm just a ball of cuteness these days.  I have discovered my feet and toes this month, and I LOVE to grab them and stick them in my mouth!  I rolled from my back to my tummy about a week ago, but then my arm gets stuck under me and I get a little ticked off about that and need mama to help me.  I love my brother and sister more than ever.  Lina loves to hold me, but not just sitting down.  My mama looked up one day and got a little surprise when my sis was carrying me all around the kitchen and living room.  I was having a ball though!  I love to follow my sister and brother with my eyes.  They run past me and giggle when they see me watching their every move, back and forth.  I've been grabbing toys and sticking them in my mouth too.  I have a hearty giggle and love when my mama tickles me with her chin, making these funny gobbling sounds.  I'm known around these parts as chunka munka, cheeky monkey, bubba, baba, bubbs, and silly guy.  Stay tuned for six months, you won't want to miss it!  Love, Benicio

I was really excited when mama was taking my pictures, in case you couldn't tell!

Oooop, I see my sister!!!

Like, really, really excited!!

She makes me laugh!

A-ok!

Peek-a-boo!

See?  Grabbing my feet!

Grabbing my foot and hand in mouth.  I'm quite talented!

Dear Isandro...

Dear Isandro,

I meant to write you a letter on your 2nd birthday, and here u are, over the 2 1/2 year mark!  Shame on me, but better late than never?

Where do I begin?  I just love spending my days with you.  Not a day goes by that you don't make me laugh.  Your silly dances, that smile, and those dimples!!!  Your belly laugh, hugs, and kisses, I can't get enough.  What are you up to these days?  Well, you love to get on your step stool and help mama in the kitchen.  You are slightly obsessed with tractors, cars, and trucks, but more than anything you love Monster Trucks!  Although your 3rd birthday is still about five months away, you love to tell me, "Sanjo truck bir-day!"  Okay sweet boy, when it's your birthday, we'll have a truck birthday.  One of your favorite things to say is, "Okay mommy, I will mommy I promise!"  You must have a hug and kiss before anyone leaves.  You love playing with trains on the floor, and say to me, "Sit down the trains, mommy?"  If I don't come right away, you say, "Two mimutes, mommy?"  You remind me to take a step back, to sit down, and just be.  Just sit down and play with trains with my boy.  You have recently started belting out "Let it goooo, let it goooo!" from the movie Frozen, from your crib in the morning to let us know you are ready to get up!  Little charmer, you are.

You're getting really good at counting, sometimes skipping a number or two.  You've gotten really good at riding your Strider bike, with a little inspiration from your buddy Milo.  You love when mama parks down the street from Lina's school so that you can ride your bike.  One of your favorite things is to press the cross walk button and say, "Watch out the cars!"  I love hearing the enthusiasm in your voice after you've done something and you say, "Yayyyy, I did it!"

You know how to make us smile, how to make us laugh.  You are such a busy boy and love to play, but at the end of the day, when it's time for bed, you are all love and cuddles.  You love to pick out your bedtime story and sit in my lap or Dada's lap.  With mama, you have to be held while I sing Rock a Bye Baby - twice to be exact, before I put you down with your blanket, your puppy, your Mickey Mouse, and of course, a truck!  If you're feeling extra playful, you talk to yourself in your crib, then when I check on you later, all I see is a boy who took his pants off and threw them out of the crib along with everything else!

From sun up to sun down, you bring us all so much joy.  I love you with all my heart, and you will always be my baby boy.  Love, mama...

The Leon's in Paris! Day 4

On our last day in Paris, I wanted to see the passageways with different shops to look around in, but when we got there around 11 a.m. on Sunday, we discovered they aren't open until 2 p.m.!  I was disappointed, but when we were walking towards the train station, we accidentally discovered a Sunday farmer's market where we found some delicious food for lunch!  The kids and I had roasted chicken wings and potatoes, and Manuel got Indian food.  After that, we went to the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens) where we enjoyed some of the best hot chocolate we've ever had in the park, rented a toy sailboat to sail around the pond, and finally a French marionette puppet show before heading back to our apartment to pack up and make our way back to the airport.  There were a few things overall that we didn't get to do, but it was a great trip and I'd love to go back to Paris again (minus the rental car being towed of course)!

Playing around in the morning before the day's adventures.

In case you didn't know... he's kind of a big deal.

Lina being goofy while dada studies the subway map.

This was the stop near our apartment.

Neat little skateboard area.

Farmer's market.  Manuel's standing in line getting us some roasted chicken for lunch, yum!

Just around the corner from the farmer's market, there was this weird statue that Lina had fun climbing on.

Jardin du Luxembourg... love the fall colors and leaves everywhere.

Enjoying some laughs after drinking some delicious hot chocolate!

We rented a toy sailboat and Lina had a blast chasing that thing around the huge pond.

She got quite a bit of exercise running around this pond for thirty minutes... the wind would blow the sailboat one direction, and just as she ran all the way around the pond to meet the sailboat, the wind blew it a different way!  She had so much fun.

Watching very seriously where the sailboat was heading.

I enjoyed watching Lina with the sailboat and sitting back with my littlest dude.

All of my little loves.

Finally (and with perfect timing, as it started to rain outside!) we took the kids to a cute little theater at the Luxembourg Gardens where they enjoyed a 45-minute French marionette puppet show.  Lina was enthralled in the show, and Isandro had fun clapping for the puppets when all the other kids clapped.