Charmin Claus

I was making dinner one cold December night,
When my eyes beheld an amazing sight.
I could hardly believe who did appear.
It was Santa Claus and his little reindeer.

I said, "Santa you look a bit weird.
You have a blue robe and a toilet paper beard!"
Then I heard him exclaim as he walked out of sight,
"Mom, what are we having for dinner tonight?"

St. Nick Trauma

We all took a trip to visit Santa. The boys really didn't want anything to do with Santa up close. Santa tried to best to hold on to them, but they weren't having it.

Emily and Saint Nick go way back and they had a little chat after the boys cleared out.

Cole's First Haircut

We really loved those long, blond locks, but the time had come for Cole's first haircut.
Here is the "before" shot"
Here is the "after".
Cole was so calm during the haircut.
He must have been taking his cues from his handsome brother.
Grayson loves getting his haircut, or maybe he just loves those lollipops.

Grayson Swims

Christmas Movies

The boys cuddle up for a Christmas movie.

"Bow"hams

Time for Grayson to go through that preschool right of passage, the Christmas Program. It is a lovely tradition of dressing up the children and making them perform for the parent's entertainment. You can almost feel Grayson's excitement.

The whole family was there to cheer him on.

Luckily, Grayson really does enjoy dressing up. He was very proud of his tie and the Christmas tree that he made as a school project.
Thank you for a wonderful evening of entertainment "Bow"hams.

Happy Boy

A friend of mine, who is a photographer, just sent me this picture of Cole at the park. It was taken in September, but was so great I just needed to post it.

Busy Boys

This Monday the boys did the grocery shopping,

put out a fire in a burning building,

built their own house,

and produced a hit record.

They did all this before lunch. How is that for productive?
I am just happy if I can get my laundry done by lunchtime.
I wish we all could live in Pretend City.

Sunday at the Park

It was a beautiful, but chilly day. The perfect time to take my handsome boys to one of their favorite parks. First stop was duck feeding.
Grayson found this great climbing tree. He was explaining to me how his "climbing claws" help him hold on to the tree.

Cole really enjoyed the playground, but mostly he was just happy to be running around with his big brother.

Dance Party

Look at the smooth dance moves on these chick magnets!

Run Coley Run!

He has gone from crawling to running in just a few short weeks.
Obviously this baby brother is highly motivated to keep up with his older siblings.

Kids and Critters

Emily had a day off school, so we took off to the Santa Ana Zoo. We paid a visit to the monkeys and farm animals, but the majority of our time was spent in this little explorer's hut.
Here the kids checked out tarantulas, leopard paw prints and skeletons.
As always, the simplest things capture their attention.

Wet and Wild

One rainy, cold Saturday we decided to take the boys to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. We told ourselves that since we had lived in San Francisco, we could handle a little rain. As you can see from the happy faces, everyone a great time despite the weather.
We were of course very impressed by the big rhinos and giraffes, but perhaps the most memorable time was spent with these small lorikeets. Grayson was hesitant to feed the birds himself. They were a bit too pushy for his taste.
He was happy to look on as Dad did the feeding.
Cole wisely kept and eye upward for any unwanted presents from the lorikeets.
Luckily he came out unsoiled. I can't say the same for the rest of us.
Nothing like getting down and dirty with nature.

Big City Birthday

Jeff left his heart, part of his company and many of his friends in San Francisco. So it made sense that we should celebrate his 41st birthday in the city. We were so pleased that many of our friends joined us for a celebratory dinner at Ruth's Chris (aka Meat Fudge). We were especially lucky to have met Lucas, Dave and Milene's beautiful 3 week old son.

Emily's 11th Birthday

It is true. Emily is now 11!
The night before her birthday the family went out to dinner to celebrate.

On the night of her birthday friends were the focus. Emily had 3 girls over for a sleepover. They took over the upstairs office and rarely emerged. It must have been a fun night because the next morning they looked as if they hadn't slept much. Remember those days when sleep deprivation was considered fun?

Magical Musical Emsicles

I am pleased to announce the much awaited release of Emily's latest music video.
I know her fans have been very anxious to see it.

After only a few short group lessons, that girl really rocks.

Spooky

Halloween started with sunny skies and happy pumpkins.
As night fell, things got spooky.

First we were visited by a vampire.
Don't be fooled by the friendly smile. I hear the undead can be quite charming.

Next a very intimidating Transformer appeared.
Luckily Optimus Prime decided that we were friends of the Autobots and let us go.

Spiderman also put in an appearance, but was far too busy to pose for a picture.
Those superheroes are always on the go.

There He Goes

Cole has officially joined the walking club.
This last week he could be seen doing laps throughout the house laughing and drooling.
He is obviously quite pleased with himself.

Buzz Buzz

I never thought that I would see a sight as cute as this little bee.
Grayson and his classmates did some trick or treating during their Halloween party.

Grayson Turns 4

That's right, Grayson turned 4 this Saturday.
An event this big can not be celebrated in just one day,
so Grayson went for the 3 day celebration.

On Thursday he celebrated with his preschool classmates with cupcakes he made himself.

On Friday he went to Disneyland to spend his last day as a 3 year old.
To make sure it was a big boy sort of day,
Cole stayed home with Nana and Grandpa.

On Saturday he enjoyed some of Daddy's yummy pancakes.

Afterwards, there were lots of presents to open and an ice cream cake to enjoy.
Now that's what I call a birthday celebration.

Ready for Halloween

Twas a week before Halloween when my eyes did meet,
Two cute spooks making a haunted house treat.
They opened their boxes and counted down the days,
until it was time for the big candy craze.
I walked out to the patio and was surprised to see,
Optimus Prime in pajamas pointing a gun at me.

He gave a little giggle and shuffled his feet,
Then said, "How many more days till we can trick or treat?"

On the Move

Cole seems close to a walking breakthrough.
What he lacks in distance, he makes up for in enthusiasm.

Heroes EP Sneak Peek

Moon Sand

MOON SAND
Feels like dry sand + molds like wet sand + won't stick to hands + hours of fun = HAPPY MOM. Cole seems to think it is pretty tasty too.

Homework

The school year is in full swing, so I thought I would take a moment to check how everyone is doing on their homework assignments.
Emily seems to be pretty confident about her page of multiplication problems.
She is quite a wiz at the math.

Grayson was asked to paint a pumpkin for Halloween.
You gotta love that preschool homework.

It appears that Cole has decided to take up an independent study of my flower bed.
I hope he puts those science skills to good use one day.

Looks like all is well. Keep building those big brains kids.

Birthday Twins

The birthday twins, Nana and Cole,
had a great time celebrating their birthdays together this Saturday.

Cole was very pleased with his first taste of birthday cake.
Like everything he does, he dove right in enthusiastically.

Cole enjoyed all his gifts, but one of his favorites was a barking dog pull toy.
You just can't beat those deep belly laughs from Nana and Cole.