Bijan Bryan

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2010-12-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

Our Ayli girl is sitting up...She and Bijan are enjoying his favorite train.

MVI 3081

2010-12-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

Bijan's School Pic

2010-12-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

Bijan wanted to include his Little Sister in his school picture- love it!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T22:00:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in the Bay Area and despite the fact that Emma and Sophia were very sick and we ended up in the ER with the baby for an ear infection, we all managed to have some fun. Bijan loves his cousins so much and couldn't get enough of them.

My poor baby wasn't feeling too good...

Bijan enjoying his pie

Snuggles with Gram and Grandpa Al

Random pics

2010-11-29T21:44:00.001-08:00

Ayli is now big enough to join her Big Brother in the bathtub and they both love it!
My cuties!Batman, ready for halloween

Pumpkin patch fun

Family

2010-09-28T22:50:00.000-07:00

A rare family photo...

Bijan's 4th Birthday

2010-09-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Little talker

2010-09-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

Summer

2010-08-19T21:24:00.000-07:00

Hanging with Cousin Sophia on the swings in our backyard
Strawberry picking (and eating)

The first day Sophia arrived we dragged her to Bijan's buddy Brandon's bday party- at least she got cake. Bijan was so happy she was here...

Hiking with friends which required lots of snack breaks!

Point Mugu Airshow

2010-08-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from all the house work we headed to the Point Mugu airshow- So Fun!

Here is Bijan during the finale show by the Thunderbirds.
Playing with his own Thunderbird on the tarmac

Nursing Ayli on the tarmac... a girls gotta eat!

Summer Girl

2010-08-19T20:58:00.001-07:00

Fun with Auntie and Cousin- We miss them so!
Under the trees at the park...

Summer Fun

2010-08-07T14:27:00.001-07:00

Bijan swimming with his girlfriend Chiara

Having a picnic in our new front yard as the sod is being laid all around him.

Smiling Ayli

2010-08-06T17:36:00.001-07:00

Her "what's going on here?" look
Ayli began smiling and cooing at about 3 1/2 weeks and she has become such a smiley, happy girl...

2010-08-06T15:52:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't added any pictures in over a year and a lot has happened... So I will try my best to keep the blog current starting now.

Ayli Meredith Moghaddam was born June 20th and we are so happy she is here! She weighed
8 lbs. 12 oz. and was 21 inches long and absolutely beautiful.

2010-08-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Our little girl Ayli naping with Daddy at 6 weeks...
and at 3 weeks

Family Campout

2009-05-26T20:36:00.001-07:00

Bijan and I do a "Mommy and me Class" at the school where he will be starting preschool in the fall. They have an annual family campout event with great activities- many families bring tents and spend the night. We decided to go and enjoy the festivities and opt out of the sleepover (maybe next year). We had so much fun we really didn't want to leave. Bijan especially loved seeing his teacher and getting to play on the big playground which will be part of his classroom next year.

Here is Bijan playing in the "River" an awesome water play area on the big playground.
The river winds around and has a bridge and a waterfall. Bijan did lots of "work" in the river and ran around and splashed- I imagine he will spend a lot of time here next year.

And in the end the clothes came off...

Playing the banana shaker and enjoying the live music.

Trying to slide down the steep hill with the big kids.

Bijan spent a lot of time trying to swing across the monkey bars and eventually he was able to swing across two rungs- he was so proud of himself.

Roasting marshmellows for smores- yum!

In this picture you can see Bijan is wearing his mesh backpack that he got at the beginning of the campout to put all his treasures in- he wore it most of the afternoon and night. He also has on the glowstick armbands his teacher's daughter gave to him.

Packing up and heading home.

Strawberries!

2009-05-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

I know I have "overposted" farm pictures- but I just love these. We went strawberry picking with our Mommy and Me class and you can see that Bijan has really got the hang of the farm life.

This smile tells it all- we are always so happy out on the farm.
Picking strawberries

There were big, beautiful strawberries ready for picking...

and eating.

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

We spent Mother's Day morning in HB Central park with a yummy breakfast, live music and a long walk in the park. I am so lucky that I can be with both my boy and my Mom on Mother's Day.
Celebrating Grandpa Al's birthday. Here is Bijan helping Grandpa Al with his presents.

Bijan spent 3 hours "swimming" in the pool.

Here he is "waiting" with Vanessa for Daddy to retrieve his torpedo pool toys that he threw over and over again.

Bijan on his bike

2009-04-27T09:03:00.001-07:00

Bijan has been riding his bike for a couple of months now and is finally good enough for us to go on some family bike rides. It is such fun to be entering this new stage with him as he can do more and more- and heartbreaking as he is not my little baby anymore.

A day out with Thomas the Train!

2009-04-27T08:48:00.001-07:00

As some of you may know Bijan is quite the train enthusiast- so of course he is a Thomas fan. Yesterday at the Fillmore railway (an old railway that operates entertainment and theme trains) held a Day out with Thomas event and we got to go for a ride on Thomas the train. It was a crazy and busy event but Bijan had fun.

Posing with Thomas before boarding

We met Bijan's friend Brandon there and they had such fun riding Thomas together

On board the train!

We rarely manage to get pictures of the three of us together here we are on board the Thomas train.

Bijan making his way through the hay maze. He did this over and over and had the most fun making his way to the dead ends...

Earth Day in Ventura

2009-04-23T18:13:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite places to go is Ventura a sweet little beach town a little North of us... Here we are visiting for the Earth Day festivities.

There was a small animal petting center which Bijan spent a large amount of time in. Once he found that he could sit and hold the bunny and the chinchilla he didn't want to leave- I have never seen him sit still for that long.

Snack on the bench

Building a rock tower on the beach

Trash Truck Dance

2009-04-23T13:08:00.001-07:00

Bijan made up this crazy dance to his trash truck song and he loves to do it over and over!

Easter fun...

2009-04-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

Back home for Easter... These pictures are out of order, Oh well!

Here is Bijan enjoying the best part of the Easter egg hunt- the chocolate!
Showing off his eggs during the hunt.

Earlier in the day dying Easter eggs...

We had a hotel slumber party in Long Beach with our friends Erin, Enzo and Eva and enjoyed swimming and visiting the Aquarium. Bijan had the most fun just hanging out with Eva and Enzo!

Here are the kids all tired out after a day at the aquarium.

Bijan playing with the sea lions- it was really cool because they were so interactive which you can see in these pictures.

Bijan and Eva checking out the jelly fish.

Bijan and his buddies!

2009-04-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

Bijan hanging with his buddies, Brandon and Lawson, at the Westlake street fair.

Here are the boys dancing to the live music...
Bijan and Brandon in the bouncy house.

Spring is Here

2009-03-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

The weather is starting to turn here and it is beautiful. We were on a walk by the duck pond and spotted a couple of turtles- then we looked across the pond and noticed that there were turtle heads popping up everywhere. You can see a couple of the turtle heads near the rocks.

We had an early egg hunt at our Mommy and Me preschool class- it is fun to watch as Bijan is now old enough to get excited and involved.

Look at all my eggs!

Back in class checking out the loot...

Gram's House

2009-03-29T12:44:00.001-07:00

Over the Persian New Year we spent some time at Gram's house as well- we played on the beach and in the hot tub, so fun and relaxing!

Persian New Year

2009-03-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

We spent Persian New Year with family in Irvine and Bijan enjoyed hanging with all his cousins.

Cousin Nema brought Bijan a brand new soccer ball...

Yum Yum- time to eat!

Bijan gave Cousin Iman his most treasured possession, his Lion, and then immediately wanted it back. Here he is negotiating with Iman.

Tunnels!

2009-03-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

Bijan sitting in the center of the train tracks as his favorite train (Thanks Tom, Lisa and Torin!) goes throught the tunnels he and Daddy built.

Live Steamers and Travel Town!

2009-03-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Bijan's Grandpop came to visit for a week and Bijan had lots of fun while he was here- we went to Griffith Park in LA and first visited the Live Steamers (a private train club that gives public rides on Sundays).

Here is Bijan, Mommy and Grandpop on the black steam engine. The ride is really fun because they have built bridges, tunnels and towns to ride through as well as the natural beauty of the park.

Pulling into the station.

Then we went on to Travel Town, a museum of old trains.

Bijan loved climbing into the old engines and pretending to be the engineer.

Putting coal in the fire box...

Walking the tracks...

2009-03-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Our favorite farm opened for Spring so we took Grandpop and met Bijan's best buddy Brandon for fun and strawberry picking.

Here are Bijan and Brandon riding the tractors. So often we measure Bijan's growth and development by the places we frequent. Last time we were at the farm in November Bijan was unable to steer the tractor and push the gas pedal- now he can drive all about.

Riding the tractor pulled wagon out to the strawberry field.

Picking Mandarin oranges- yum yum!

The boys yelling "Strawberries!" on the wagon ride after strawberry picking- they ate everything they picked (the evidence is on Brandon's face)

Bijan the Builder

2009-03-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Bijan showing off in all his gear
Posing with Grandpop!

Composing

2009-02-24T14:49:00.001-08:00

Bijan has taken to making up songs with his guitar. Unfortunately when we pull out the camera he immediately stops and wants to see the video- so we only catch small bits on film. The longer versions are hillarious. This song is "All about animals," an original Bijan song and then he moves into "me, me, me..." which is a song from our music class.

Wacky Song!

2009-02-24T14:43:00.001-08:00

In this song Bijan has taken on an interesting singing voice and is wearing one of his favorite accessories- the headband. The lyrics are "flowers are pretty" then he does some sniffing sound effects and "flowers are smelly," more sniffing and then I think he says "Mommy is smelly" but that is hard to believe. And finally he finishes singing about the rain...Too funny.

Hiking and Exploring

2009-02-23T22:04:00.001-08:00

Now that Bijan is getting older we are able to take him on some of our favorite hikes and he gets to do some of his favorite things...

Jumping
balancing

stick play

and after all of the adventure a good nap (my favorite too)!

Our Little Valentine...

2009-02-11T14:15:00.000-08:00

Playing with trains

Here is Bijan scoring lots of sweets at the Valentine's party at our Mommy and me class.

First there was the cupcake...

And then the cookie that he frosted and decorated...

Rain in SoCal!

2009-02-06T17:22:00.001-08:00

Rain is a rarity here in SoCal and most people think this is wonderful- but Bijan and I love the rain and get out in it as soon as we can! Here is Bijan enjoying the puddles in our driveway.

Playing in the Rain

2009-02-06T17:08:00.001-08:00

Progressing on to bigger and dirtier (but of course more fun) puddles.
In the beginning there was proper use of the protective gear- but he soon realized his umbrella was holding him back...

Snow in SoCal!

2009-02-04T15:50:00.001-08:00

They brought snow to Bijan's school (Mommy and me program)for a fun day of play and sledding. It was strange because it was 80 degrees out but Bijan loved sledding down the big hill. This was suppose to be a picture but my friend had the camera on video unknowingly and I can't figure out how to rotate this clip but you can at least see the hill we came down over and over...

Snow Day at School

2009-02-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

Bijan being pulled in the sled- preparing for the next step, the big hill!
Snowball in hand and ready to launch- I don't know how he knew about snowball fights, but he did.

Frosty on the Drums!

2009-01-31T22:11:00.001-08:00

This video is of Bijan drumming his favorite song, Frosty the Snowman, in the garage- destined to be in a garage band! If you listen closely over the loud drumming you can hear him singing the lyrics. You may notice he is still wearing his skater gear, right off the scooter to the drums...

Oh the good old days!

2009-01-31T21:33:00.000-08:00

We recently dug the exersaucer out from the attic to loan to a friend and Bijan fell in love with it all over again- and I had beautiful memories of a time when he could be contained, wow!

He spent quite a bit of time playing in the garage in the exersaucer, looking enormous. And amazingly we were able to get a lot of garage organizing done.

Scooter Boy

2009-01-31T21:29:00.000-08:00

Bijan has learned to go super fast on his scooter. Thankfully he now agrees to wear his protective gear after he saw Ethan wear it for his skateboard (see post below). He says, "See, I look like Ethan."

New Year in the Bay Area

2009-01-31T20:59:00.000-08:00

We spent a few days in the Bay Area for the New Year and we enjoyed catching up with friends and family- there is never enough time to see all the people we want to see and it makes me homesick for more...

Dinner with friends new year's eve- Bijan thought Ethan was so cool because he was older and had a skateboard. Here they are hanging out watching a movie while the adults finish dinner.
Funny faces!

Bijan asleep in his hotel bed at midnight on New Years Eve,

Mommy and Daddy celebrating at midnight (watching TV in the bed next to our sleeping angel).

Bijan kissing baby Kouresh goodbye after a breakfast visit.

Breakfast in the city with friends- Massoud, Baby Kouresh, Patrick, Akbar and Bijan.

Bijan on Cousin Sophia's bed next to Max the cat- as hard as Max tried he could not shake Bijan!

Bijan tormenting, I mean playing, with Max...

Bijan adoring (as always) Cousin Sophia at dinner.

Exploring with Auntie and Cousins at Jack London Square in Oakland.

Christmas!

2009-01-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

Due to computer difficulties and our hectic life I have not posted for a very long time. I have switched all of our downloads to our laptop and should now be able to stay on top of the blog. For the benefit of family, many of whom live very far from us, I have posted a few highlights from the months that I missed... I have posted some of these out of order because I am blogger challenged from all of my time away.

Bijan opening presents Christmas morning.

Discovering the stocking.

Meeting his new Christmas fish!

Bijan is still young enough that we were able to snuggle in bed and drink coffee before going to the living room for the Christmas chaos.

More presents!

Bijan's favorite gift was the elephant that shoots butterflies with it's trunk to be caught with nets- we spent much of the day with this one.

The new bike- he is just now getting good at pedaling.

Christmas at Gram's House

2009-01-31T19:53:00.001-08:00

We had an early Christmas at Grams which was so special...

Here is Bijan opening and playing with gifts.

Bijan has his new laptop from Gram and Grandpa Al in his lap.

Playing trains with Grandpa Al.

In the tunnel at the park- so sweet!

December

2009-01-31T19:13:00.000-08:00

We had a beautiful day in early December and decided to take Bijan for his first real hike- he was a trooper and wanted to walk the whole way. We saw lots of fun critters and a big waterfall.

Bijan sitting like a big boy for his haircut...

Bijan saying cheese for the camera in front of the Christmas tree- he thinks that scrunching his face up like this is smiling.

Decorating the tree.

Picking out our Christmas tree.

November

2009-01-31T17:22:00.000-08:00

In November Bijan's Gram, Auntie, Uncle and cousins came for Thanksgiving- it was a full house but we had so much fun for those 4 days- I only included a few pictures and they are out of order.

Here is Bijan saying goodbye to his cousins...

Yoga and stretching with the girls- Bijan was also trying to do cartwheels like them as well!

Thanksgiving dinner.

Earlier Thanksgiving day, a walk to the park.

Cooking with Gram the day before Thanksgiving.

Bijan's cousin Maral came to our city in November to play in a soccer tournament and we went to cheer her on...

Bijan sitting on the sidelines looking tough and sweaty from playing soccer.

October

2009-01-31T17:10:00.000-08:00

Bijan had alot of ideas for Halloween costumes- most of which he ultimately refused to wear (ghost and Curious George), so he ended up being a train engineer/conductor- it was really cute.

Here he is enjoying his first lollipop.
Trick or treating at his favorite neighbor's house.

Hugging the scarecrow at the pumpkin patch.

October brought a new passion for building- Bijan likes to make super tall towers. Here he is standing next to his tower proudly and "smiling" for the camera.

September Birthdays!

2009-01-31T16:44:00.000-08:00

In September Bijan turned 2 and I turned 40 all in the same week and we celebrated with a weekend of luxury camping. We visited El Capitan located on the coast just north of Santa Barbara- we stayed in a beautiful wooded cabin with our own outdoor firepit and picnic table. The area was gorgeous and they had fun activities all weekend including a hike to feed the llamas and meet the baby goats, live music on Saturday night, and a swimming pool on site. We had a great time that would have been even better if Bijan had not gotten sick- he was the crankiest I have ever seen him.

Here is Bijan the night we first arrived having his first smore- he loved it!
Playing baseball outside our cabin.

Feeding the friendly squirrels down at the country mart.

Enjoying the pool- this is the face Bijan makes when you tell him to smile.

Enjoying the live music.

Horsing Around in September

2009-01-31T16:43:00.001-08:00

Bijan riding around the big loop at Griffith Park in LA all by himself- he wanted to ride over and over. This was back in September, he was 2 weeks shy of 2 yrs. old. You can hear him saying "hi" to the "black steam engine" that was passing by to his right.

More August Fun!

2008-10-14T16:02:00.001-07:00

Here is Bijan enjoying some summer pool fun in the yard...
After playing in the pool we took Bijan's swim diaper off to get him dressed but he decided to play with all of his toys naked- it was a funny sight and we have a lot of naked pictures but I'm posting only a couple of the obscured ones.

More fun at Underwood Farm for his buddy Brandon's birthday party. Bijan and Daddy riding the train...
Bijan the engineer!
Driving the tractor with Mommy

Yummy, cake with the birthday boy!

After the party we headed to Gram's house for a visit. Bijan loves to read with his Gram...
Bedtime and more reading...
Wiggles and giggles with Grandpa Al!
Bijan loves his battery operated toothbrush and is now eager to brush his teeth which has been a bit of a struggle in the past.

Bijan and Brandon checking out the local cuties on the beach!
Playing soccer with Brandon and Daddy!
Surfs up!
Bijan loves to wrap his towell just like Daddy after his bath- check out his tough boy stance!

San Fran

2008-10-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

In August we went to the Bay Area to visit with friends and family...

Bijan side skipping up to Auntie's house with the big girls- he had to do everything that they did!
At the Oakland Zoo with his Cousins...
Climbing down the stairs to the fabulous new Golden Gate Park playground!
Chasing pigeons at the park...
Bijan insisted on holding Sophia's and Emma's hands everywhere we went
He could always be found at one of his Cousin's sides...

On the steam train in Tilden Park with Cousin Olivia...
The navy blue hoodie family (completely unplanned)!

Hanging at the pier near Crissy Field...

While in SF we stayed a few days with our friends, the Giordanos- here we are with Erin and Enzo at the pier...
Our boys...
Bijan and his "Big Brother" Enzo- Bijan loved having an older boy around and we all decided that they look enough alike to be brothers. Enzo is an awesome big brother!
Bijan and Akbar with the gang at Auntie's house- the cousins, Uncle Carlos (standing) and Cousin Jason (sitting on far right).

What goes on when I am not around?

2008-07-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Most evenings Akbar shares the bathtime routine with Bijan and there are always interesting and loud happenings! I discovered this picture as I was downloading this week and neither Bijan nor Akbar would explain exactly what was happening. I do know that is a duck in Bijan's mouth... hmmm?

Birthday Cake

2008-07-29T10:50:00.001-07:00

As we have been going to so many birthday parties Bijan has discovered cake. All we have to do is say the word cake and he immediately comes to attention, stops all activity and sits nicely in his chair- all of which are rarities.

Jumpy House!

2008-07-29T10:41:00.001-07:00

Bijan talks about jumpy houses a lot and when we are near one he asks to go in but when we get close to the door he starts to cry and says "No." But this weekend, at yet another birthday party, he finally went in and then never came out!

Here he is catching air with Ashley.
Running around with his buddy Brandon.
Jumping with his gang of friends Brandon, Miah and Gavin.

Jumpy House Slide

2008-07-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Once Bijan tackled his fear of the jumpy house he was on to bigger challenges- the slide!

Here he is after climbing to the top, with three kids now behind him, and Akbar inside at the bottom (with no way to get to him without trampling children) encouraging him to slide down. I was waiting at the bottom outside encouraging him to slide to me, and taking pictures of course, while he was crying!
And then he discovered the fun of the slide- over and over again...
His favorite was coming down on his belly.
And with friends...here he is with Brandon
and Gavin.

Thank You Olivia!

2008-07-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Bijan and his Cousin Olivia talked a lot about alligators when she was here so she picked out this cute outfit and sent it to him! We miss you Olivia!

Bubble Bath

2008-07-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

When we first started bubble baths Bijan was a little hesitant- I think he was scared of the bubbles. Here he is now loving it...

Our favorite farm...

2008-07-21T21:04:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I have not posted in a long time. I thought I would have more free time since I graduated but I haven't found it yet- or maybe I have just been a little lazy. But the pressure from my Mother has gotten to be too much. So here it is Mom!

You will probably have to go back two or more pages to view all the new posts so if you are not a Grandmother don't feel obligated.

Our most recent visit this past weekend to our favorite farm, Underwood- this weekend we picked eggplant, green beans, squash and cucumber- yum.

Bijan loving the sheep...
and Pumpkin, the goat! Pumpkin was trying to reach some overhanging leaves, she was eventually successful.
Usually when Bijan rides the ponies a staff person walks next to him and holds him but today Bijan rode unassisted and he was very proud.
Bijan loves to climb the haystack!

Beach Fun

2008-07-21T20:56:00.001-07:00

Since summer has arrived we have been spending a lot of time at the beach- here are a few pics of the fun.

Bijan lounging after some rough waves.
Mommy getting in on the lounging!
Burying our friend Andy in the sand (with the help of Suzanne).
Bijan putting on the finishing touches.

Central Park and Aquarium

2008-07-21T20:50:00.001-07:00

We had an awesome 4th of July- for our first real family get away since my graduation we headed to Huntington Beach to my Mom's house. And while we were sad that the folks were out of town we enjoyed the house, the pool and all the HB activities. Here are some of the highlights...

One thing that I always want to do while in HB is go to Central Park where there are trails, a lake and ducks (of course), a playground and a fun little place to have breakfast overlooking the lake, but somehow it never happens. So this trip we made it happen!While we were in HB we visited the Long Beach aquarium.
It is hard to see but there was a frisky sea lion playing with Bijan and I through our own little window.
Bijan loved touching the sharks and sting rays.

Swimming!

2008-07-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

We spent hours every afternoon in the pool and it still wasn't enough for Bijan- he loved to play on the steps.

And then later he ventured out on his raft but did not want Akbar or I to touch the raft or help him- so we hovered nearby.

4th of July

2008-07-21T20:22:00.001-07:00

Bijan discovered his love of ice cream as we let him have some after dinner almost every night while on vacation.
Watching the parade.
More ice cream (fortunately he shared with Daddy)!

Party Time

2008-07-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

Bijan and his friends are all turning two soon and Madeline was the first in the group to have her Birthday party.

Here is the Birthday girl and Brandon.
Bijan and Brandon playing air hockey.

Bijan's version of skee ball- gather as many balls as you can carry...
scoot up as close as you can...
and shoot!
Ben (Anya's older brother) showing Bijan the right way to play.

Watermelon- Yum!

2008-07-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

Bijan at 21 months loving his watermelon...
and at 8 months...some things don't change.

Graduation!

2008-07-21T14:22:00.001-07:00

We are so happy it is finally over as it has been a hard year with my being in school- but I finished my Master's at UCLA and now we can take some time to enjoy family!

Celebrating with friends and family after graduation. Bijan and his friend Brandon at the water table.
Bijan's Auntie and his Cousins came down for the graduation. Here is Cousin Sophia helping Bijan with his shoes.
Emma reading Bijan a bedtime story.

The Beach

2008-07-21T14:13:00.001-07:00

Relaxing at the beach the day after graduation!

All the Cousins in the water.

Gram's House

2008-07-21T13:46:00.001-07:00

After all the Graduation festivities we headed to Gram's house for a couple of days.

Sisters...
We went to the park to visit with my Mom's oldest and dearest friend, who is like an Aunt to us, and her grandchildren- it was great to see all the kids together...

Olivia is pushing Bijan on the swing (she did lots of babysitting) in the middle is Auntie Cynthia and Carolyn and Scarlett is on the next swing.
The whole crew!
Sophia and Bijan coming down the slide.

Fun with Cousins...

2008-07-21T13:39:00.001-07:00

This is our last day together before Bijan's Cousins went home...

All together in the truck- Bijan and Sophia inside and Olivia and Emma on top of the truck.
Bijan and Sophia in the tunnel.

Dancing!

2008-06-04T20:36:00.001-07:00

Bijan loves to dance to any music- especially his drums and guitar! You can hear him announce "I'm dancing!" in this video and at the very end when he asks for "more" and Akbar starts playing again he says "sing more" because he wants him to start singing again- so funny!

Playgroup

2008-06-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

We have been part of a "Mommy and Me" playgroup through a local school since last September- we love it and have made many good friends. Here are some pics from the last days before summer break...

The end of the year party in the park. Bijan loves the merry-go-round and often just wants to push the other kids- but here he is riding.
He and Anya on the play structure.

This is the outdoor area of our classroom- the kids were playing at the water table with Teacher Bonnie.
Anya and Bijan playing in the wagon. Anya and her family are moving to New York in July and they will be missed terribly as they play together so often and have a special bond.

Soccer!

2008-05-19T15:36:00.001-07:00

Bijan got a new soccer goal from Grandpa Al and he loves it- especially when he and Akbar play this game. They line their balls up, kick on the count of three and see who gets a goal, usually they both get a goal and Bijan often hits the center target!

Mother's Day

2008-05-19T13:22:00.001-07:00

I had such a great Mother's Day as I got to spend the day with my Mom and my boy. We went to HB for the day and headed for the beach- we were all fully clothed as Bijan NEVER goes in the ocean water (and it was not a hot day). However today Bijan decided he wanted to go for a swim and he just plunged in the ocean and didn't look back. I did manage to get his wet clothes off and get a swim diaper and suit on him but the rest of us were out of luck!

Spotting an airplane...
Walking on the beach with Gram...
Getting crazy in the water...
Being rescued from a wave by Daddy (although he did go under twice when a couple little waves got him).
Later that day back in the water at Gram's house!

My piggy bank...

2008-05-19T13:14:00.001-07:00

Bijan received this special gift from his cousin Greer- it is a soccer ball piggy bank that she painted for him. Here is Bijan learning to put his money in the slot... Thanks Greer!

Everyone loves a parade...

2008-05-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

We recently had fun at the local Conejo Valley Days parade. We went with Bijan's "girlfriend" Anya and her brother Ben- Bijan adores them both. We were all amazed that the kids loved the parade and actually watched the whole thing!

Moving in for a kiss!

Nap Time

2008-05-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Bijan likes to pretend to take a nap- he will get his favorite blanket (thanks Sarah!) and a pillow and lay down just about anywhere and make snoring sounds. He thinks this is very funny!

And sometimes he actually falls asleep playing- here he is sleeping in the swing in our yard. He was trying so hard to stay awake and his eyes were heavy and kept closing- then he would open them and look at me with a grin and say "I sleeping" until he finally was out for good.

Saying goodbye

2008-05-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

Bijan has been attending "school" part-time two days a week since he turned 1 year- and he loves all his friends and teachers there. It is time for him to move to a new school for bigger kids and it has been a sad transition saying goodbye to all his old friends. Here he is saying goodbye to his teachers...

True Love!

2008-04-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Akbar took Bijan to the park on Saturday while I was still working on my paper and they ran into Anya. Bijan and Anya usually spend time together at least 3-4 times a week, but since I have been working on my paper it has been a couple of weeks. They really missed each other and were so happy to have some time together. Anya fed Bijan some of her snacks and he followed her around all over smiling and saying "Anya"- it is so cute to watch them together...

Family Fun

2008-04-30T14:10:00.000-07:00

Bijan's Gram came to help out so I could go to the library everyday and work on my Master's comprehensive paper- and they had a blast (I, however, did not)! He and Gram went all over town doing fun activities. Unfortunately, there are not too many pictures because I wasn't there to take them, but here are a few...

Here are Gram and Bijan at our favorite farm, Underwood- This was on a Sunday so Akbar was able to go as well.

Akbar's cousin Bahram (on the right) was visiting from Canada and his other cousin, Nemo who lives in nearby Sherman Oaks came for dinner. Bijan really enjoyed bonding with the boys.
Saying goodbye to Gram at the train station. We all cried and Bijan still says at least once a day, "I Miss Gram...bye bye train." How lucky we are- Thanks Gram!

Fire Truck!

2008-04-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

Driving the fire truck at the Westlake Village street fair. It was a very hot day as you can see by Bijan's red cheeks and sweaty head!

Wrestling with Daddy in the shade

A Day at the Beach

2008-04-30T13:53:00.001-07:00

Now that the weather is turning hot we like to go hang on the beach with Bijan's friends as often as we can- We all go early so the beach is empty and beautiful...
Bijan with his buddy Anthony and his Mom Natasha... Bijan loves to say "Tasha!" when he sees her.

The boys, Lawson, Bijan and Anthony, all spread out exploring
Lawson and Bijan- Feeling the sand in their toes

Soccer Boy!

2008-04-05T15:05:00.001-07:00

Bijan's blogspot was originally inspired by his Cousin Lucy's blogspot and when they started adding video we were inspired again! So here is our first attempt... Thanks Lucy!

Bijan and Daddy love to play soccer together and Bijan is getting very good- he actually aims the ball. You can hear him say "I kick" and "my turn" in this short clip.

Playing at "My Gym"

2008-04-03T13:24:00.001-07:00

We went to an indoor play space called My Gym to meet some friends and play. Here are Bijan and Anya getting ready to tackle the tunnel...

Bijan loved the trampoline- here he is jumping on it with Anya.

Tunnels!

2008-04-03T13:11:00.000-07:00

Bijan's new favorite thing is tunnels- he says "I want tunnel!" So wherever we go he finds tunnels in his environment. Here he is in the backyard finding tunnels and making tunnels with Daddy (Akbar got the saw out and made some "tunnels" in the bushes/trees).

Jumping in!

2008-03-25T22:05:00.001-07:00

We spent the weekend in San Diego and had so much fun going to Sea World, playing in the hotel pool, going to the beach and just relaxing. Here are some of the last pictures, halfway through our weekend, before my camera went in the pool- so it may be a little while before we post more.

Bijan had a great time climbing out of the pool and going to the edge to jump in again!

Pool madness!

2008-03-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

Bijan is so much fun right now- he loves to explore his world and try new things. These qualities can also be difficult as he wants his autonomy and wants to do things on his own that he is not able to do, for example swimming. Bijan felt that since he mastered the shallow end without Mommy and Daddy holding him he should be able to do the same in the deeper end with the big kids- it was a struggle. But here are some fun pics of him enjoying the shallow end...

Coming down the steps into the pool...
Playing with Shamu toy.
Running from Daddy!

Easter fun...

2008-03-25T21:24:00.001-07:00

Bijan waking up and exploring his Easter basket in San Diego...
Popping bubbles...
Easter egg hunt in our hotel room...

All tired out...

2008-03-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

Bijan was worn out after his day at Sea World- here he is on the way back to the hotel, mid-yawn. He loves his stuffed Shamu and when he sees him he yells "Shamu!"

Sea World!

2008-03-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

Bijan loved Sea World- he went crazy for Shamu and the Dolphins. Here he is viewing Shamu from the underwater viewing area.

This is during the Shamu show- Bijan was captivated the whole time. He actually figured out how to get down to the first row, the "splash zone" where he could be right up close. I think he wanted to get in the water with Shamu. I managed to swoop him out of there right before a large wave hit!
This is Bijan feeding the dolphins (he has a fish in his right hand). You may notice I have him wedged between myself and the wall, that is because he kept climbing up and swinging his leg over to climb in with the dolphins. When we ran out of fish and told him "no more" he looked to the people around us and said "more food?" asking for their fish. He spent more than an hour with the dolphins and still did not want to leave...
Checking out the fish.
Exploring the tide pools...

Visit from Auntie Cyn and Cousin Olivia!

2008-03-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

Cynthia and Olivia came down to help me with Bijan while Akbar was in Germany and Bijan had so much fun- he was just in love with them both! Here are some pictures playing in the backyard...

Cousin Olivia gave Bijan a mohawk in the bath- so cool!
Cousin Emma sent a special gift to Bijan- it is a ceramic boat that she painted and it says Mr. B on it (which is what Bijan's cousins call him)- he thought it was such an awesome gift.

Picking strawberries...

2008-03-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

We went to a local farm to pick strawberries and see the animals and we had a blast! Here is Bijan pulling the wagon...
Auntie Cyn and Cousin Olivia picking strawberries.
Bijan ate strawberries as we picked- we could hardly keep up with him.
Bijan gets so excited when he sees the ponies and loves to go for a ride.
Bijan loves trains and trucks right now and the minute he saw this train he ran in and got in a seat before Auntie Cyn could even get through the gate. Everytime the train went by Bijan would wave and yell out "Hi!"- so cute.

Our Silly Boy...

2008-03-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Bijan now enjoys a bowl of cheerios and milk and somehow he figured out how much fun it is (and what a great mess it makes) to drink the milk from the bowl.

Another fun thing Bijan does is squeeze himself into small spaces and pronounce "I'm stuck!" and then pretend he can't get out...

Snack with Madeline...

2008-03-14T12:05:00.001-07:00

We had a couple of friends over to play on a beautiful sunny day and Bijan and Madeline sat down to share a snack. You may notice Bijan is shirtless as he got very wet playing at the water table...

Missing Daddy...

2008-03-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

Akbar went to Germany this week and it was a hard separation for all of us- especially Bijan and Daddy!

Here is Bijan helping Daddy pack his socks- Bijan is obsessed with Akbar's socks and he plays with them every chance he gets (thankfully they are the clean socks).
Saying Bye-Bye to Daddy...

Kissing Daddy on the phone from Germany!

My First Art!

2008-03-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

Singing and Music...

2008-02-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

The itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout...
Down came the rain and WASHED THE SPIDER OUT...
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, and the itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again!
Playing my drums!

Taking my friends for a stroll...

2008-02-28T13:45:00.001-08:00

Bijan loves to push his friends around in the stroller that his Auntie and Cousins gave him.

Bathtime Fun!

2008-02-28T13:35:00.000-08:00

Bijan now insists that he have all of his toys in the bath with him- so this is what bathtime looks like now...

The Mysterious Visitor!

2008-02-23T13:02:00.000-08:00

I don't usually put pictures other than Bijan's on this blog- but this was worthy of sharing.

One day we were all playing in the backyard and I saw something approaching us out of the corner of my eye- I turned and this is what I saw. We think it is some type of pheasant, but we have never seen anything like it- so beautiful. It was not timid of us, although Bijan was a little timid of it, so we couldn't get a picture of him near it. I had hoped it would stay but it was only with us for a couple of days and then he/she moved on...

Hanging around the house...

2008-02-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

Bijan on the loose after bath...
Bijan loves to play in the laundry basket, which usually means the clean, folded laundry gets thrown about- good incentive to get the laundry put away quickly!

Our little drummer boy!