Beach Camping With Nana and Grandpa

Loma Vista School Carnival

Curious George

The classroom mascot, Curious George, came to visit our home this weekend.

Cole instantly fell in love with George and quickly took him outside for a ride on the swing.

Grayson gave him a wild ride on the Skitter.

Grayson and George started Saturday with a drawing lesson.  

Everyone joined in some monkey style fun in the bounce house.

 Of course they worked up quite an appetite for our Saturday trip to the "Delicious One".

Rocket Launch

In a galaxy far away, three brave kids and one crazy mother attempted to launch a vinegar and baking soda rocket.  

Easter 2012

The kid's Easter eggs had some real bling this year with glitter, sequins and stripes.

Grayson knows there is usually some cash hidden in the eggs, so he got himself ready to discover the treasure pirate style.

                                      

 Don't give them any hints Nana!

Grayson discovered the eggs get harder to find as he gets older.  Keep looking Bohams.

Bowling

During a rare, rainy Sunday Grayson suggested we all go bowling.

Emily managed to get two strikes and a spare. She also got an unexpected surprise when she stuck her finger in a ball with something wet and squishy in it. She named it booger ball.

Cole and Dad teamed up. Thanks to Dad's great coaching and the creative use of bumper guards, Cole got a few strikes and managed to win one of the rounds.

You can tell by his fine form, that Grayson had everything under control. He didn't need any help. As for me, it was probably safest for everyone if I remained behind the camera.

Water Fun

Help! Cole is being attacked by a crazy water monster.I will save you Cole. Da da da da...Grayson to the rescue!

February Highlights

Grayson was on "storm watch". We may have just gotten a few inches of rain, but for a Southern California kid that is big news.

Emily was in a tight spot when she climbed a tree and couldn't figure out how to get down. Four feet up can seem pretty intimidating when you're the one that's stuck.

Cole made friends with some firemen waiting in the store parking lot. They invited him to sit in the drivers seat and honk the horn, which made Cole and everyone else in the parking lot jump.

Thanks to a certificate Grayson won at school, the boys were introduced to Tastee Freeze. It was a big hit.

Cole really got into that soft serve goodness. I think he's hooked now.

January Highlights

For the sake of catching up, here are some highlights from January.

Grayson completed one of his biggest Lego Projects, the Clone Turbo Tank.

Cole made friends at the park by flashing his charming smile.

Emily tried to disguise herself at the birthday party of one of Cole's preschool friends.

Grayson looked very sporty in his skateboard gear. He isn't so sure about riding the skateboard yet, but he really likes the way he looks in the gear.

Cole, the social butterfly, attended another party. This time at The Little Gym to celebrate the birthday of his good buddy Nicholas.

Taekwondo Testing

On February 16, Grayson took his first Taekwondo belt test.

He did a great job and was awarded the Senior White Belt.

Christmas Morning 2011

He came! He came! He finally came!

Looks like Cole was a very good boy this year.

Emily furiously opens her presents as Grandpa enjoys coffee from his soup bowl sized, "I love Grandpa" mug.

Grayson shows off one of his new Halo figure to Nana, the 10th reindeer.

Those are some cool Converse, Emily. Santa could use a pair of those.

Visiting

We spent the morning visiting Nana and Grandpa and seeing all their Christmas decorations.

Hurry Santa

The kids have readied their gingerbread village for Santa. You can tell this is a very diverse neighborhood. We have the neat freak, the minimalist and the hoarder.

Santa, don't forget your best reindeer Rudolph. You will be needing his help to pull your sleigh.

Preschool Christmas Program

It was the night of Cole's first Christmas program. He and his little classmates have been practicing with their teacher, Mrs. Hodges, for weeks.

They all looked beautiful in their Christmas finery.

There were reindeer, wise men, shepherds and our little angels. Cole sang his little heart out.

After a class prayer, they were rewarded with cookies and juice.
Great job Cole!

16 More Days Till Christmas

Christmas excitement has hit the Hemmelgarn household.

Only 15 more nights until I can answer Cole's nightly question, "Is Santa coming tonight Mama?" with a, "Yes, he is Honey!"

Jeff's Birthday

Jeff's birthday request was to spend the weekend in San Francisco. We spent lots of time visiting some of our favorite spots around Union Square. We even got in a bit of shopping.

The trip wouldn't be complete without a trip to a Noe Valley pub to have a few drinks with his good friend Peter. It was a great chance to bring back happy memories and create a few new ones. Happy birthday Jeff.

Preschool Friends

Cole is really enjoying his first year at preschool. He especially enjoys his time on the playground and getting rides from his good friend Nicholas.