Happy holidays!

Wow! What a great week we've had... Jam packed with everything fun! 

Baking & decorating Christmas cookies...

Christmas Eve dinner with Diana, Angelica, Michael, Cathy, Stephan and Joel...

Christmas morning present opening! ...

Christmas dinner followed by the best white elephant gift exchange ever with Doreen, Mike, Charlie, Willie, Rosie, Lizzie, Joanne, Stephen, Anneka, Arabella, Susan, Pat, Melanie, Martin, Miles, Maddie, Mirabella, Meagan, Ryan, Kim, John, Carie, Isabella and Elias. Did I forget anyone???

 And perhaps the best day of all - the day after Christmas. All playing! All day!

Sha-boo-ya

Check out this awesome class chant in Owen's TK. This was the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL before winter break. Yippee! two weeks off!!!!

Happy Birthday Matt!!!!

We all were SO EXCITED for Matt's birthday! The kids spent weeks plotting out the surprise part of his surprise party and they worked hard on making his presents. He couldn't believe how long the "45 things we love about you" book was - it stretched across the whole kitchen!

Happy Birthday Matt - we love you!

What the?!?!

If you're not used to seeing this, it might freak you out.

Fairies welcome!

I came home late from a meeting to find this tiny fairy park in the little room under the stairs. I think the fairies will love it!

Go! Go! Go!

The Berkeley Half Marathon went right in front of our house! We almost got tired from all the cheering.

like little puppies

Owen and his old pal Juniper haven't seen each other since preschool (waaaay back in August). They got together at the park yesterday and played like little puppies until the sun went down.

Happy Halloween

Our resident Vampire Ballerina and Ring Tailed Lemur are about to commence trick or treating!

Vampire paper towels

More fun!

Today was Eloise's school carnival. Pata won the cake walk!

busy busy busy - so much fun!

Wow! It's been a busy couple of weeks.
 Eloise got a henna tattoo at Owen's school carnival.

 Mana and Pata are in town and they've been sucked into Eloise and Owen's chess fever. (Owen is totally dominating!)

More coming soon - Halloween will be here before you know it - yikes!

Santa Monica!

We are heading home from our weekend visit with Kate and Terence at their new place in Santa Monica. What a great time with great friends! We got to ride our bikes to the beach where we enjoyed warm weather, the warm ocean and nice cold ice cream bars!

Chess club

Eloise joined the chess club at school last week. Now she's teaching Owen to play - they are having a great time!

Messiest sidewalk chalk day EVER

Classic shampoo mohawk

Happy birthday!

Owen! You are FIVE! Can you believe it? Happy Birthday buddy!

 

Time for a haircut?

Fake babies

Sometimes Eloise and Owen like to pretend they are babies again. Sorry guys! You exceed the maximum weight limit of the bike trailer. Time to get out and walk.

begonia festival!

Looks like Matt and Owen hijacked the "fancy boat" at the Begonia Festival in Capitola!

First day of school!

Good news - Eloise and Owen each reported that the first day of school was "Great!".  Eloise is happy to join many of her friends in Ms. Pepper's 2nd grade class at Rosa Parks. Owen is making new friends in Miss Harris' T-K class at Berkeley Arts Magnet. 

Looks like it's going to be a fun year!

Last day of summer vacation

Hanging out at the pool with our buddy Emmett. Now that summer is almost over, the weather is finally getting nice!!!

preschool graduation

I can't believe we are all done with preschool! We'll certainly miss Michelle, Norma and all the teachers at Blue Sky. What a wonderful school.

Congratulations Owen! Pre-K is coming right up!

Blue Sky camping trip

We had a great time once again at the annual Blue Sky family camping trip in Tilden :)

princess wedding

Whose idea do you think this was?

2 weeks in capitola!

We had a great time "getting away from it all" at the cabin.

Eating extra large ice cream cones!!!!

Playing at the beach!!!

Canoe rides!!!

Canoe muscles!!!

Friends and family and dogs!!!

Cracking up!!!

and finding things to do if you're "bored"!!!

4th of July!!!

Why yes, this is my 4th of July vest / linen pants / flip flops outfit!

We went to the Marin County Fair and saw a huge crochet cheese burger!

We put on our serious faces on the carousel and....

We went on the roller coaster!!!

happy father's day!

OK - the reason they're being so eerily quiet in this fathers day message is because I had just busted them for being too loud. Maybe not the best timing to say Happy Father's Day. But it still goes without saying that we love Matt - the best papa EVER!!!

last day of school!!!

Goodbye Ms. Patty! Thanks for a wonderful first grade. Now it's off for summer vacation - woo hoo!

mother's day

So this is what is going on during my super deluxe mother's day sleep-in. Just hanging out at the beach :)

Spring Break!

We had a grand time during spring break this year...

We had a huge wave crash over us at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and went Easter egg hunting with the cousins in Capitola.

March = month of hijinks

What happened to "normal" Eloise and Owen? They've been replaced by some crazy imposters!!!

aaaahhhhhh....

Sometimes you just gotta get nude and snuggle in the coziest spot in the house with all the softest blankets piled up all round you, right?

Happy Birthday Eloise!!!

What a super-fun double birthday art party! Happy Birthday to Eloise and Lexi :)
I can't believe you are 7 already!