Ups and downs (I am a klutz) of Heidi

Eddie Macken clinic

2010-11-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the Eddie Macken clinic. I had never taken his clinic but had heard that it was amazing. It really was. Eddie is Irish and is one of the only people in the world to have won the Aga Khan Cup three years in a row, four consecutive Hickstead Derby wins, two individual silver medals at the Show Jumping World Championships and an individual silver medal at the European Championships. He has won many grand prixs and has been to the Olympics twice to ride and once to train. And I really have to say he was one of the nicest people to ever take a clinic from. He really made you want to get to the point he was trying to teach you. As one of the riders said, he didn't need to break you down only to build you up again. He worked with what you had, encouraged you and really made you feel good.

We all went out to Rancho Nicasio for dinner Saturday night and he was so nice to the kids. He said to Evan and Ford, "Hey, what's that under the table?" He had wadded up a couple dollar bills and thrown them under the table. So, so nice.

The gals - Barb (riding Gabby), Rondi (riding Woody), me (Rhett) and Jane (riding Irish).

The legend himself - Eddie Macken

Rhett and I having a good time!

For more photos, check out this Kodak site....

TPSC

2010-11-01T22:22:00.000-07:00

Kiira played soccer for the first time this past October. We weren't sure how it would turn out because she is not particular the aggressive kid but she ended up having a great time. She played with all her friends from Reed which was nice since she doesn't see them as much being at her new school. She was petrified to play the first two games but after that got right in and ran her little heart out up and down that field! Go rocksharks (their teamname)!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T22:32:00.000-07:00

Kiira carved her little heart out on this pumpkin (with some help from mom) and colored in the bird all by herself. She worked hard cleaning off all the pumpkin seeds too so that we could roast them. It was a nice mommy/daughter time :-)

This year we were sporting a butterfly and a karate kid. Truth be told the karate outfit was from last year but Evan had a fashion crisis last year and decided to be a cowboy. So....mom saved the karate outfit for this year.

As usual, the children sprinted off for candy and the stuffed animal house. As usual, Alan was late and missed the party and half of trick or treating. Thank goodness for Jenny and all the other mamas who helped look out for my sprinting kids. BTW - I am Velma from Scooby Doo.

Andrew's BIG birthday bash

2010-07-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

Our trainer Andrew turns 40 this weekend so a gaggle of us gathered at the Buckeye to celebrate. VERY entertaining!

Check out our slideshow on YouTUBE.

Demo time!

2010-06-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

We have been watching the house one street down from us go through the process of renovation. First story poles, next cutting down some big eucalyptus trees that were close to it and now demo. It took less than a day for this whole thing to get knocked down. We were all fascinated.

Nanny time

2010-06-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

The kids both got good time with Nanny but it is still hard to see her go after having her here for over a week!

Last day of school - Reed

2010-06-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

End of the year first grade trip. Although Kiira didn't know it, first grade was going to be her last year at Reed. During the middle of the year, we had decided to change schools. Although Reed is an excellent school, we decided it wasn't the right school for Kiira. It is an academic school that, like all the others in the area, must perform to all pre-determined standards that a public school must. And although Kiira was doing well in all subjects, the fact that there was homework in 1st grade just didn't sit well with Alan and me. And, the fact that my poor child had been throwing up and getting headaches at the beginning of the school year did not sit well with me (all because of anxiety - she was worried about not being able to do everything expected of her in first grade). So, a good friend of ours with a child in Kiira's class turned us onto a new school in Sausalito. It was a Waldorf school, very small and very interesting to us. Ultimately, this is where we decided to send her.

The kids did their end of the year picnic at Belvedere park and enjoyed face painting, tug of war, football and lunch. Thanks Reed for the friends we have made, the skills Kiira has learned and most of all, starting a new "community" for us in our own town. For that, Reed has been invaluable.

Fairies

2010-06-21T21:05:00.000-07:00

We have a little nook in one of the walls of our house. When we first moved in, we had no kids. I was pregnant with Kiira. We put some interesting sculptures and other items in these nooks. Now, as the years have gone on, they have been appropriated for other purposes. Namely, to hold little notes written to the fairies. As legend holds, when a child has their first laugh, a fairy is born. Kiira's fairy is Scarlett. She writes little notes to Scarlett and places them in these nooks. She asks for various things. Some are large items, which Scarlett has told her are too heavy for her to fly with, and some are small. I believe in this particular note, a diamond was asked for.

Day at the barn

2010-06-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

Each weekend we end up going to the barn. Mom gets a good ride in on Rhett and the kids play in the dirt. Literally, there is a pile of dirt they like to play in. On this day, they got a little treat to see the farrier put a shoe in Rhett. Apparently Mr. Amaretto had played a little too hard on a recent nice day and tossed the shoe. The kids were fascinated.

Rennie tried to give Rhett a kiss later but truth be told, Rhett is not fond of dogs. Which ended up being fine with Rennie because as it turned out for him, Rhett was a bit larger close up than our pup originally thought! :-)

Girls night out.

2010-06-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

Sanity night with Katie, Kelly, Beinda and me. Picco's in Larkspur. Yum.

Sprawled

2010-06-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

How is it that one small child can take up half of a king sized bed? This is how.....bugger.

Evan's 4th Birthday

2010-06-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

This year Evan decided to have a soccer party. Normally I hold all the birthday parties at our house but I thought with this many kids (and so many boys!) coming perhaps a park was better. So we packed up all the food, decorations, presents, drinks and various serving items to go to Belvedere park. The day was beautiful and we spent time decorating our own soccer balls, we played pin the tail on the inflatable donkey and the kids kicked the freshly markered balls into the goals. All in all a good hit!

Evan's first year at the Mountain School

2010-06-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are. Our first year of pre-school under our belt. After a rough start of 3 people pulling him off of me, to the teachers asking me to drop him off early (he was too disruptive when I had to leave him), we made it. Did he ever ASK to go to school? No. Did he ever jump up and down when it was a school day? No. The most exciting thing to him was rice day. And Asya day because that meant he got to take a walk. Has he ever jumped for joy when I mentioned school? Yes. That's a start you say. Well, it was usually precidated by, "There is no...." Oh well. There's next year and maybe even another year to learn to love it.

We have made some really nice friends though. His best friends have all been girls. Nancy Sue and Haley (twins) and Mimi. So cute....
And thank god for teacher Brenda whom I could faithfully hand him off too to cuddle him as I left. Phew......

Double sleepover

2010-06-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

It is so nice to have a family that has the same age children as we do. It comes in handy when the kids want playdates (because god forbid ONE has a playdate and the other doesn't!) or even the occasional sleepover. Ginger and Evan got the presidential suite next to mommy and daddy's bed and June and Kiira got the guesthouse (our spare room!). Amazingly, they even got some sleep!

Alan's birthday

2010-06-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

He's not one to make a big fuss. Every year I try to do more than he wants. A simple family dinner at Marin Joes is all it took this year.

You turkey!

2010-06-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

So on our way to the barn we have seen many animals. We see deer of course, we see quail and we often see turkey. Today however, we had only to walk out our garage to see this big turkey. Who knew? LOVE this big field next to us! Wish there were a good kid part to play on though!

Batter up!

2010-06-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

Took Evan to his first Giants game. Kiira has been to one before. They lasted about 2 innings, which, really was only because it took us that long to find cotton candy and that long for them to make themselves sick on it. The rest of the time, I took the kids up to where they could hit a real baseball and take it some other sights. Tried to at least let Alan enjoy the game :-)

Ruling the roost

2010-06-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Our animals still rule the roost.....the cat's in the bag and of course, Rennie the ottoman. Wouldn't be a home without them :-)

Summer LOVIN'

2010-06-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

Scorching. Pool is good. 'Nuff said.

Kiira's Marin Ballet performance

2010-06-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

This year, Kiira switched to Marin Ballet. She has thoroughly enjoyed it. Her friend Samantha joined her here and they have so much fun going together (and a little carpool never hurt the moms!) We often hear about the fact that she will be in the Nutrcracker December 2011. This is what she has been working towards the last few years.

The new ballet studio, unlike Roco, does performances in house. They have a cute little stage and although the costumes are much more simple than the last place, Kiira seemed to take as much pride and joy in her performance. Alas, the performance was for a mere 200 vs 3000 people.

Spring sing - REED schools

2010-06-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

Kiira's first piano recital

2010-05-31T22:17:00.000-07:00

We are all Sound of Music fans so that is what Kiira decided to play. Surprisingly she was more nervous about introducing herself on the microphone than playing the piece.

Kiira in leadline - Sonoma Horse Park horse show

2010-05-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Kiira rode once again in a horse show. This time she got to ride Macquarie's pony Joey (aka Tin Soldier). She looked so cute on Joey. She did a great job and took home a blue ribbon! It was a super cold windy day and she was a trooper. She was very excited and I was very proud of her!

Evan - Sonoma Horse Park

2010-05-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Not to be outdone by his sister's leadline win, Evan had an adventure of his own. He had never seen a little motorbike and was fascinated by it. Luckily Andrew gave him a ride. Before that though - he checked it out himself.....

Sonoma Horse Park - Rhett and Heidi

2010-05-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

Such a good boy. Won our USEF equitation class and got ribbons in our other equitation classes. Doesn't he look handsome?! Fake tail and all when he got braided up ;-)

Evan's birthday celebration at the Mountain School

2010-05-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

I wish we had a better picture of the rainbow bridge. The birthday celebration at the Mountain School is so special. You are told a story of how you came into this world and as one thing after the next unfolds, you are led over the rainbow bridge to where your parents and siblings are. You are then presented with a beautiful handmade card and usually a little present. This year Evan received a candle and candle holder. They also get to wear a special cape. So lovely it brings tears to your eyes.....

Disco Inferno

2010-05-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Heidi and I am a disco-holic. Yes, I could have disco everyday, anyday. And yes, I will dance to it and I will point my finger in the air like I am popping bubbles. I will shake my groove thang and I will SING to the music. I become one FUNKY lady..... And yes, I DID all that at the Reed Fundraiser which happened to be a disco theme this year.

Alan wisely bowed out and my girlfriend Belinda and I went as each other's dates. Turned out our other girlfriend Kelli just got back from Vegas so was "sick" and couldn't make it. Her husband came stag so the three of us boogied till the sun came up. Which in Tiburon, at a fundraiser, apparently is 11 pm. Good enough - my go-go boots were wearing thin by then and I still had to walk home. Luckily they have the event at Blackie's pasture which is just down the hill from us. Till next year.....Peace.

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

As some of you may remember, last Mother's day was...well...how shall I put this....less than successful. That meant the pressure was on this year. Honestly, I don't feel like my demands are all that great for this once a year day. All I want is to sleep in, someone ELSE to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner (I don't even care if we go out or it's takout. I just don't want to be the one that has to coordinate it!) and well, for the kid's demands to fall on someone else the majority of the day.

The day started out quite nice actually. I woke early (although it was when I wanted to), did some grocery shopping (by myself, no one hanging on the cart barking orders of what food they wanted) and then came home to be greeted by a lovely breakfast and homemade presents from the kids.

Actually this year my request was to just be left alone in my house so I could clean it. Ironic isn't it? I just don't ever get any time to myself in my own home. Really, that's all I wanted. That turned into the kids saying..."NO....I don't WANT to go out, I want to stay with MOMMY!" Bloody kids.... Well, eventually, Alan pried them away and I got my wish. It was lovely, as weird as that sounds. Ask any mom though and I bet they all say, #1 thing they want - sleep. #2 request - time in their own home alone.

That said, it was also VERY nice to have a homemade dinner by Alan surrounded by my family. That topped the day off. Phew, pressure's off for now......

Evan's May Fest

2010-05-06T21:44:00.000-07:00

There was talk it would be rained out....like most events this year but behold - we persevered and it happened. The Mountain School has May Fest for the kids each year. They learn several songs (Pop Goes the Weasel), wear a special headdress, and hold their colorful ribbon as they skip round and round the maypole.

I am not sure Evan really got what it was all about, but boy did he have fun. Especially during the "pops" in "Pop Goes the Weasel". I hope he remembers even a fraction of these wonderful memories.

Nancy Sue and Haley's 4th birthday

2010-05-05T21:20:00.000-07:00

Evan's best friends Nancy Sue and Haley (they are twins) turned 4 this past weekend! We celebrated with them at Bay Area Discovery Museum. What is better than games, friends and a big princess cake?

What too much sugar looks like....

2010-05-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

A whole 'lotta whipped cream later....

Jelly Belly Factory

2010-04-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

Spring break was fairly relaxing for us. We hung out with friends, did some playing and generally enjoyed family time. One day however we took a trip to the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield.

We got to take a tour of the factory and see how jelly bellies are made. We even found some interesting flavors (although we didn't dare try them).

Also, learned thru a huge jelly belly portrait that Ronald Reagan was a huge fan of jelly bellies and even had a special holder made for air force one for them - 0ne that wouldn't slip around. I guess he was partial to blueberry. Or perhaps the story goes that the factory made blueberry for Reagan's inaugural bash as they didn't have a blue color and they wanted to do a red, white and blue theme. Either way - quite a way for the little Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield to make the map....

As Nancy said....the "skiquel"

2010-04-25T22:48:00.000-07:00

I laugh every time I hear that. We took an impromptu trip up to Tahoe with Nancy and Gideon and kids this weekend. We had had a blast over ski week together and well...why not continue the fun huh?

Although there wasn't alot of snow, there was still enough for us to enjoy a wonderful hike and some beautiful scenery. The kids LOVED all being in the same house together and Ginger and Evan even slept in the same bed - ALL NIGHT LONG! Wow!

The grownups, thank to Nida, got a rare night out together where we thoroughly enjoyed some tasty food, scintillating conversation and good company.

The first mini golf

2010-04-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

We did our first mini golf outing recently and I think we have created a monster. Since then Evan has asked to go to mini golf everyday. This family fun site also had batting cages, a squirting water ride, and mini race cars. The water ride was very amusing (for the adults I think) as some punk 11 yr olds decided to soak EVERYONE out there. You know you have sunk to the 11 yr old level after being squirted and then going on the defense with a response of, "You wanna play that game huh? Well, BRING it ON!" And then you soak them as well. I think our kids were amused at Alan and me squirting these kids that we didn't even know.

We also did the batting cages and rode a mini racecar. Evan found racing around QUITE amusing but Kiira was singing a different tune. Well, that could be because Alan made a kid spin out since he was annoying him.

Which begs the questions, was the fun adventure for the kids or for the adults?! :-)

Friends

2010-04-21T18:19:00.000-07:00

Evan had his first taste of what it would be like to be a single child. Kiira had a playdate this particular Tuesday so Evan got to go on a playdate of his own. He got to leave school in ANOTHER mom's car (which he was so excited about). His good friends Nancy Sue and Haley took him to the park where I met them a little later. He then got to go try yoga, which he had never done (although he only lasted about 15 minutes). Along the way we appreciated one of the flowering trees just outside the yoga place. Kids can find ANYthing to amuse themselves.

Finally a dinner at California Pizza Kitchen with "his best friends in the world".

Thanks Nancy Sue and Haley (and your mom Ginny) for a GREAT afternoon!

Rhett's 19th birthday

2010-04-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Rhett turned 19 in April. He certainly is spry for a guy that age. We celebrated with a molasses, carrot, oat, sugar cube cake for him and a yummy frosted cake for the human friends.

Clearly, everyone enjoyed their treats!

We even invited a few friends. Although truth be told, Roma prefers the human treats to the horsey treats. She is shown here licking ALL the frosting off of the plate. Her mama Eleanor is SO good to her! :-)

Musical beds

2010-04-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

What is it that every parent is in search of? The perfect job? The well balanced child? An organized household? Maybe. Probably. Perhaps. I can think of one thing that trumps all other priorities.

The one thing that EVERY parent is in search of is sleep. Sleep for your child which ultimately leads to sleep for the parent.
When Kiira was young, we would put her in bed with some music and she would drift off. Now, she gets lonely. So, we moved Evan into her room – they now share a room to ward off loneliness. Does this always work? No? Now it has digressed into lonely “for mommy”.

Moving on to Evan. Evan also used to be a, plop him in bed with some music and he would fall asleep kind of kid. Now we have “monters” that SEEM to haunt him. Again, his excuse to be near mommy and daddy.

Most nights we are successful in getting them in bed and getting them to stay there through the night. Other nights however….one or both are in our room in their “nests”. And even other nights, one or both end up at some point in “mommy/daddy bed”. And while I used to be more strict on the no–kids-in-the-bed policy, I have eased those rules as I realize that this time is fleeting and they will within a few years, no longer want to snuggle us and be with us constantly.

Admittedly though – there are some nights that you just WANT YOUR SPACE. You don’t want a leg draped over your back or someone’s tousled hair going up your nose. You want to roll over and be able to pull up your leg without kneeing someone in the back (which with a king sized bed one should be able to do with 2 people in the bed!).
We reached an all time low the other night when Evan and I slept in three different beds within the period of 12 hours. He started in his bed, worked his way into our bed in the middle of the night and in the wee hours of the morning woke and wanted to sleep in the guest room. Should I be more strict? Sometimes I am. But , sometimes, SOMETIMES ALL I WANT IS MORE SLEEP. Therefore the saga of the three beds. Yes, someday there will be more sleep. For now, I remind myself that snuggles and hair up the nose are another way to say “I love you mommy.”

Kilham Farm Easter party

2010-04-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

Ok – maybe I didn’t make myself clear in the last entry. TIME FOR THE RAIN TO GO AWAY!! All done. Adios. Au revoir. Hasta la vista.
Today was the Easter party at our barn. The weather was miserable. Not just sprinkling. Not just raining. An all out hail/storm. We were supposed to look for easter eggs out in the beautiful green fields and do a scavenger hunt. Instead the kids gamely looked for eggs in the barn, ate some soggy food and played in the rain. They were good sports I would say. Mommy – not such a good sport. Flippin’ rain.

I like the creative helmet baskets though.....

Rain Rain go away

2010-04-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Ok – I have been a good sport. I have donned the raingear. I have done sports outside. I have lugged soggy grocery bags into the house. I have washed mildewy smelling clothes. But I am done. It is flippin’ APRIL for gosh sake. The rain NEEDS TO GO FIND A HOME ELSEWHERE!!!! Even the animals have snuggled in for the extended inhospitable weather. Bub-bye rain.

Open house (regatta project)

2010-04-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

The Regatta Project (which mommy was in charge of helping make)

I know that I see Kiira’s work coming home and I see the progress that she makes. I still can’t help but beam with pride when we go to her open houses at Reed School. I love the fact that she is so proud to show us her work. I love seeing her creativity in what she likes about herself, about her classmates and about the world around her. One of the reasons I keep up a blog is to make a book. It will be a diary that our family can look back upon and see how our lives have grown.

Seeing Kiira’s work from year to year reminds me of how much she is growing and how I love each and every moment that she chooses to keep me close to her. I know that as she approaches the teenage years, we will have to find different ways of sharing. For now – it is simple and I enjoy that.

"I just can't get over these beautiful flowers"

2010-04-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

Each visit we give Nanny an enormous amount of grief amount her little sayings. In the spring, she frequently arrives and right away says, “I just can’t get over these beautiful flowers!!” Of course Ithaca, NY is usually still covered with various amounts of snow so you can’t really blame her. Nevertheless, it is fun to poke fun. Given her penchant for flowers, we did a few poses to celebrate these beautiful arrivals (pictured are some beautiful daisies from Jenny!)

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T20:50:00.000-07:00

While Easter day was miserable and rainy, the days preceding were fun. We colored eggs...

We made cupcakes.....

And while we waited for things to bake, Kiira built an enormous cup tower!

Spring Celebration aka Easter Party 2010

2010-04-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

Every year Alan and I have the same discussion. He says don’t call it Easter – call it spring celebration. Despite that fact that I don’t celebrate the religious aspect of Easter and despite the fact that I have called it Easter since I could talk and DESPITE the fact that we celebrate ALL the Jewish holidays (most of which I organize, cook for, shop for, etc), and despite the clear “I am celebrating easter and christmas” declaration when we got married - I am supposed to change my traditions. To this I say, “pththththttt”. EVERY YEAR. EVERY YEAR I go through this.

Despite this minor semantic disagreement, I organize a party for 22 kids (this year) and their various adults with great anticipation and more than just a little cheer. This year threatened rain but the “spring celebration” gods must have shined down because the day of the party was the only day that was dry. 300 plastic eggs, 2 quiches, a ham, pickles, carrots, and 40 cupcakes later – kids and adults alike left fulfilled.

And just to center where the emphasis should be – I asked Kiira, “what do you like better, Christmas or the easter party?” She replied, “easter party of course mommy.” ‘Nuff said.

Boston Batmitzva Passover and Acapella

2010-03-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well, this will be a long one since there were several different parts to our journey. We really went back to celebrate Eliza's batmitzva. She is a second cousin to our kids. We then decided to stay longer to celebrate Passover with Ann and Kent and THE COUSINS!!
You don't have to give my kids an excuse to stay longer with cousins. There was a countdown to see them they were so excited!

We started our journey to Boston and to our surprise we were in FIRST CLASS!! Ok - when does that EVER happen? So nice too because Evan fell asleep in those nice big seats and slept for two hours. Which gave me the opportunity to watch a movie - they actually pass out little individual units so you can watch WHAT you want WHEN you want. How GREAT is that!! Clearly I was thrilled to be in this elite section.

While there we got to also see Jonah in his acapella performance at one of the local schools. He was amazing. Not only did he sing but he also did the beatboxing (mind you I had no idea what this was until this weekend!)

The batmitzva was hilarious - from the point of view of my kids that is. Kiira, my velcro child, and Evan, the more adventurous one were sat at the kid's table right next to ours. I thought to myself - Kiira will never stay there, we will just pull up a chair at our table. Not only did she stay there but she enjoyed it and she got up on the dance floor periodically to cut a rug.

Evan on the other hand did not sit in his seat once. He discovered a ping pong table off to the side and was constantly recruiting people to play with him. He was very non-discriminatory as he played with 5 yr olds up to 60 yr olds.

The grown up and fun with the glasses props as well! :-)

Nate the Great

2010-03-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

I drove Kiira and some of her classmates on a field trip today to the Marin Civic Auditorium. There they, and about 10 other schools saw a viewing of 'Nate the Great. A show in which a kid discovers the mysteries of detective work. This happened to be a traveling group from NYC and the singing was quite impressive. One of those times being a chaperone was actually quite enjoyable!!

Evie in the truck

2010-03-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

Every time I have a staging job, Evan is practically in tears if he can’t ride in the truck. He also seems to be going through a “mommy” stage. Periodically he just wants to be around me a little more than usual. So, he became my assistant as I loaded furniture into the big Uhaul truck. He actually was pretty good and I got the job done and pleased my son at the same time. Boys and trucks. I guess I better start getting used to it.

Musical night

2010-03-24T17:06:00.000-07:00

I don’t break out my flute all that often but every now and then the kids want to hear what mommy can do. I grew up playing classical music so that’s all I can entertain them with. Which, when all is said and done, I think it is good for kids to learn. Alan, however, is the cool one as he knows Beatles songs, popular musicians and other rock and roll songs to play for the kids. Together we are a mish mash of sounds going on. Well, I guess it is more about instilling the love of music at this age right? Thank goodness because technique as a foursome is definitely not there. Love, well, love we got. In some immortal words, “Love…love….love…….”

“Org”’s birthday

2010-03-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

Org – aka Ford – turned three today. He held his party at the barn which worked out well for us. There were about 15 kids there and the usually exuberant Ford and Evan were actually quite quiet. As soon as the party was over though and the rest of the guests had left – the two of them picked up right where they left off. Loud, dirty and playing in the dirt pile.

Marin Ballet March Observation day

2010-03-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

We are always recruiting Kiira’s friends to do the activities that she does. Let’s face it – it’s just more fun when your friends are there too. Recently we got her friend Samantha to join ballet. They performed for us at the observation day. Kiira continues to love ballet and we continue to love to watch her. We can’t wait for the performance in June!

Marin Ballet Observation day video

2010-03-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

Kiira in one of her ballet excercises!

Muskateers

2010-03-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

Old friends are one of the best things in life. And your good old friends are friends that you can pick up with even if you haven’t seen them in years. My dear old friend Ruth was in town this past weekend. She turned fourty on March 13 and left the snowy hills of Middlebury, VT to pay several friends a visit here in the San Francisco area. We were one of those friends.

Ruth and I have known each other since I was about 9 and she was about 8. We never went to the same school but we bonded over ponies. She and my friend Catherine and I were the three muskateers growing up. Catherine also went to a different school. Three friends – three different schools – all bonded by mutual love of the equine.
Most of you know that I still ride today. I am so thankful that I have horses in my life. While Ruth was out, I took her to the barn. She hadn’t ridden in 15 years. I put her up on Rhett and she looked as if she had never left it. You could see a certain spirit return to her as she cantered around.

There is just something freeing about being around something you love. You can forget about daily troubles. You can forget about errands, bills, and the never ending to-do list. Being around something you love, like being around horses is to me, transports me to a place where I can remember my carefree younger days and dream about infinite possibilities in the future.

Thanks to horses, I have amazing women in my life that connect me through the years. They too give me possibilities as each of our friends offer wisdom, ideas, thoughts that we may never have stumbled upon ourselves. Thanks to my friends, to the equines we love and the past and present memories we have and will pass down to our kids.

On my other side in the photo is Jenny - whom I have been friends with since we were 5 years old. Yes, certainly old friends are the best friends.

Ski week 2010

2010-02-21T07:04:00.001-08:00

This week was ski week. We ventured up to Tahoe with our family and our travelmates - the Bernsteins. While I am not a great skier, Alan is trying to make sure that our kids are! Can't say that I'm much help for technique but I am a great cheerleader, dresser, boo-boo kisser and bathroom runner.

While Kiira has never taken to ski school, we got Evan to go for one day (with his best friend Ginger - that made ALL the difference). He LOVED it! Still talks about his friend "Kate" that helped him at "ski kool". I gotta say - the kid's a natural.

Kiira seemed to have improved by leaps and bounds as well. Alan took her under his wing and she was skiing blues and greens by the end of the week - all by herself! Go Kiira go!

We can't pass up the spectacular sledding in the area either. Personally - I'd rather sled than do any of the above! We ALL had a good time hitting those slopes as well!

Snowball fight!!! For our kids....anytime....anywhere!!!!

Nothing beats a day on the mountain than a good soak in the hut tub!

Evan skiing video - ski week 2010

2010-02-20T10:00:00.000-08:00

Kiira's winter concert - Beatles theme

2010-02-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

There is nothing cuter than seeing 22 kids sing a Beatles song. The Reed music teacher, Mr. E, is a saint. He gets these kids so excited about their winter concert and music in general. This year Kiira sang "I get a little help from my friends". She practiced for months before and if ever we were lucky enough to hear the song on the radio - let's just say the car was not a quite place!

Well done Kiira - I will try and get video up of her song as well.....

Night in San Francisco

2010-01-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

Wow - a weekend out without the kids. Well, not really weekend, really just a night. But, sometimes that 24 hours seems like more when you are not used to being away.

A friend of Alan's got married in San Francisco this particular weekend. Our own mayor, Gavin Newsom officiated the wedding. Food was delicious, setting was superb (the Ferry Building) and the music and drink flowed as the night progressed.

How nice to get away every now and again.

The Imperfect Storm

2010-01-23T07:09:00.000-08:00

Every year we have some wicked storms that come through. Not just heavy rain but winds that you feel will rip the roof right off of your house. During this time there always seems to be at least one boat that comes loose and ends up on the shore. We pass this shore on our way to school everyday so it becomes almost a story as to what will be there and for how long?

This particular storm rendered three boats helpless. This was a record. Like I said, we had seen one boat, maybe another a bit after, but never three at the same time.

The story for us is to watch the boats over the days and see how long they will be there. And when the process of finding their way home arrives, it is always interesting to see how it is done. The large sailboat in the front was the most interesting to watch as the two small motor boats who were trying to get it from being aground didn't seem like they could do much. I couldn't help but think about the little engine that could.

Apparently they could because later that day on our way home from school, that big old sailboat had found it's way home. Or at least to the repair shop.

Tractor time

2010-01-21T07:09:00.000-08:00

There are very few places where you can turn your kids loose and not worry. The barn is one a place where I can. The kids can run around independently, get dirty, discover nature, see chickens, run through the grass and have adventures. They are fenced in so I know they can't go too far and I know everyone at the barn and trust that we all look out for each other.

My friend Amy has a son who is 9 months younger than Evan. His name is Ford. However, Evan cannot say f's so he has taken to calling him his friend "org". Now it took me quite some time and not just a little bit of frustration on both of our parts for me to figure out what he was talking about when he referred to "org". Since then we have been working on our f's and he, when concentrating to his fullest, can say "ffffffforg". Every now and then we have a victorious FORD!

Ford and Evan have appointed the dirt pile as their personal play space. Beware any who enter. Trucks and piles abound. I put his rain paints and rain coat on for easy clean off. Fingernails, however, are another story. Do you remember when you were little and your mom made you use that little brush to get all the dirt out from under your fingernails? Well, I am that mom now. Even so, the dirt seems to stay for at least three days.

On this particular day, Ford and Evan got a real treat as Lumpy let Ford's dad drive them around on the tractor in the riding ring. Good old fashioned fun.

Eddie Izzard

2010-01-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, we don't get out much. Very few things are more tempting than getting a full night's sleep. Eddie Izzard however, is one of those things that can lure us out for some laughs and dare we say some voluntary lack of sleep.

We started at the Left Bank in Larkspur for some delicious french fare and then headed over to Oakland to see our comedien extraordinaire. As I said, we don't get out much. When we pulled in to park and were met with "That will be $30", we almost turned back. Is this what it is nowadays? Have we been out of the game so long as to not even know the going rate of things? I'd like to think that this price was an exception and things really have not come to this. So, as the car ahead of us turned around to go get more money to just park (cash only you know - who ever has cash anymore?), we proceeded to what I hoped was a gold encrusted parking spot. Maneuvering into the faintly painted lines of our parking spot (not gold I should mention), we followed the throng to the stadium.

The big question for us, which turned into a bet, was - will Eddie be crossed dressed or not? His signature seems to be that he is a transvestite English history buff comedien and quite frankly - I'd never seen him dressed any other way than heals and makeup. Wait - not true. He has also guest starred on several TV shows and the first time I saw him, I did not recognize him. He had normal clothes on. So, while we sat and pondered the meaning of tweeting (there was a large screen that was showing people's "tweets") Alan and I made a bet. I bet that Eddie would be cross dressed and Alan bet that he wouldn't. Like I said, given the fact that ALL his DVD's he has been crossed dressed in, I thought it was a safe bet. And by the way - since we DON'T get out that much - we got some GOOD seats. On the floor - 8th row back. No mistaking what he was wearing.

The time came - smoke billowed from the floor, music pounded.....anticipation mounted. Finally a door in the set opened and Eddie walked out. I had my "I told you" speech rehearsed in my head. Well.....perhaps I spoiled the outcome by putting the picture first. Of all things the guy was, well, how shall I put this.......NORMAL!!!

Oh well, many laughs later, a lost bet under my belt and the most expensive parking space in history behind us, we headed back to our abode to hopefully get a modicum amount of sleep - kids willing.

Ahhhhh.......good to be out. Can you believe we used to do these things all the time?! :-)

Ballet observation day video

2010-01-15T07:54:00.000-08:00

Observation day Marin Ballet

2010-01-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

Kiira is still just as excited about ballet as the first day she started. We switched to Marin Ballet last August and it is an excellent program. The kids have a lot of fun AND they are learning the proper ballet steps. The teacher is amazing and although this is the time of year that Kiira would normally have a recital at the Civic Center (I do kind of miss this), we instead had "observation day" at the studio. We are not allowed to watch the classes so this is a big deal for us to see what they have accomplished. They twirled, they jumped, they did ballet improvisation and they showed off the proper ballet positions. Nutcracker here you come Kiira!

Tahoe New Year's Eve 2009

2009-12-31T22:28:00.000-08:00

One of the things Tom really wanted to do when coming for a visit was go to Tahoe skiing. So - we packed the car, two cars actually, and headed to Tahoe for New Years.
Although we skied, sledded and played in the snow - making the snowman was a highlight for the kids. Despite many mitten mishaps and a few fallen snowman heads - they prevailed. Here is the fruit of their efforts.

Despite mitten mishaps, a few falls and unsteady legs while skiing - the adults prevailed as well.

Evan got on skiis for the first time and declared, "let's go daddy." While Kiira is a bit more careful, she also did super well. We skied Tahoe Donner this time and later went over to the recreation area for some killer sledding.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T22:26:00.000-08:00

Christmas has come! What the kids wanted more than anything from Santa was an American girl doll for Kiira and "Cars" cars for Evan. Santa must have received their lists because both were waiting for them. They also got a saddle for Kiira, a big "alive" horse Butterscotch to share and a special wooden garage for all of Evan's cars.

Santa also enjoyed the cookies the kids left him. The reindeer enjoyed the carrots that were left them.

Harper, although she loved all her gifts - seemed to enjoy the boxes the best!

Christmas Eve tradition

2009-12-24T22:27:00.000-08:00

We kept our annual tradition of Christmas Eve at Mike and Hilary's house. The kids entertained us with their tricks and "excercises". The grownups celebrated with good cheer. Thanks Mike and Hil!

Beach

2009-12-23T21:30:00.000-08:00

While I sometimes miss a white Christmas, I have to admit, it's pretty nice to be able to go to the beach at Christmas time. We took Kiira, Evan, Harper and adults (Rennie the pup too) to play while we adults soaked up the sun. On the way we stopped at a few beautiful overlooks and Tom and Liisa did their tricks.

The beach we go to we call "Feather Mountain" but in actuality it is Fort Cronkite in the Marin Headlands. So lovely. One of the many reasons I love California.

Kiira's 7th Nutcracker birthday party

2009-12-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

Every year Kiira picks a theme for her birthday. This year was a Nutcracker theme. Given enough time, mom can make a dream come true. So, I started a couple months ahead of time and made Snowflake costumes for all the kids coming as their party favor. White sparkly tutu, white leotard, white sparkly armbands, small crowns and wands and a snowflake necklace.

Everyone changed into the outfit as soon as they got here. Boys had a special cape and crown and were officially the "kings" (there were only two boys - Christian and Evan). Evan got to invite a special friend, his all time favorite friend - Ginger.

We danced, watched a segment of the SF Nutcracker, had lunch and opened presents. I think Kiira was quite pleased. Even Mom dressed up for the part. I was a Victorian maiden for the big occasion.

Hannukah 2009

2009-12-21T22:26:00.000-08:00

As you can tell by the various posts, December is a busy month for us. I love having family and any celebration. Hannukah falls right in the middle of everything. Each year we celebrate with our good friends Nancy, Gideon and their three girls - June, Ginger and Holly. Evan and Ginger have a little love affair going on and it is so cute to see them having their "playdate".

We had some traditional salmon, latke's, veggies and then donuts for dessert. December is filled with presents between Kiira's birthday, Christmas and Hannukah. My goal this year was to give one present on Hannukah and the other 7 days have the kids do a mitzvah. Well, good intentions but alas, I just didn't get it together. Next year.

Still - we were treated to a show by the big kids after dinner. One of the main points of most holidays is togetherness and the little recital we were treated to definitely showed us the meaning of that.

Nutcracker Tea at the Fairmont

2009-12-21T17:18:00.000-08:00

Once again we attended the Nutcracker Tea at the Fairmont. This year we had a first. Evan got to come with us. He was particularly pleased seeing that he wasn't invited to the Nutcracker ballet (we decided you had to be 4 yrs old to go - next year Evie!). Kiira and Evan decorated a Nutcracker cookie (most of the frosting went straight into their mouths) -

- and Auntie Liisa, Nanny and I enjoyed the high tea treats and champagne. Everyone enjoyed doing toasts!

The Fairmont had built an incredible Gingerbread house in the lobby. More magic to add to the season.

Chopping down the Christmas Tree

2009-12-20T22:25:00.000-08:00

Every year we make it a point to go cut down our Christmas tree. Since Liisa was visiting this year and Tom and Mom we wanted to wait until everyone was here for this tradition. Although it was a week before Christmas, which was cutting it a little short, we figured there would still be a good array of trees from which to choose. It just seemed like it was more in the holiday spirit to make the trek to Petaluma, walk the trails and find that perfect tree.

We piled into two cars and decided to make a day of it. Well, the first farm we went to said "closed for the season". Lame I thought seeing as many people have a tradition of getting their tree on Christmas Eve. They had a sign up that directed us to their sister site. Luckily not far away, we drove over there. Excited that it was open and that the kids could sit on Santa's lap, we unloaded.

First we see Santa. Kiira dutifully lets him know that more than anything she wants an American Girl doll. Evan on the other hand wanted nothing to do with Santa.

Next - tree. We head out and get the cart to pull it on. I am looking around for the saws, not seeing them. Hmm....unusual I thought. We ask someone - only to find out that LAST weekend was the last weekend to cut your own tree. Uggghhhhhhh......just a LITTLE bit of disappointment. So we pick out an already cut tree load it on the car and head home. I think to myself, well, we could have driven 10 minutes to do this instead of 1 hr 15 but then, well, I guess I wouldn't have this story then. Sigh.....

Nutrcracker ballet

2009-12-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

In the Hirvonen family we LOVE the Nutcracker. We love seeing the Nutcracker ballet (which we do annually in San Francisco), we love going to the Nutcracker Tea (see tea at the Fairmont) and we love having Nutcracker parties (see Kiira's birthday). This year Auntie Liisa got to join us for all the Nutcracker festivities! Yeah! We wish she could be here EVERY year to celebrate with us.

As usual the San Francisco ballet did an incredible job of dancing the story of the Nutcracker. The costumes are even better every year and if I could get a photo of the horses (my favorite costume) I would.

Harper turns ONE!

2009-12-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

How lucky were we to be able to celebrate Harper's first birthday. One of Harper's favorite books is a pirate book so that is what the party theme was. We all dressed up like pirates and Tom made a special pirate cake. Liisa planned a treasure hunt and we ended the party with walk the plank. I think Harper really enjoyed opening all her presents (although Evan tried to help a bit too much). Nanny carried on her tradition of giving the gift of pearls to the girls on their birthdays. Each birthday that the girls have, Nanny adds an inch to their pearl necklace. Although Harper didn't appreciate it yet, she will in the next several years.

The Sharks

2009-12-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

While Liisa and Tom were here we tried to show Tom a good time. This worked to our advantage because Alan and I had never been to a Sharks game before. We wanted to surprise Tom so we tried to pull out all the punches to hide what we were doing. We drove down to San Jose and had a nice dinner. Unfortunately before dinner ended, Tom had figured out that we were going to a hockey game. What he didn't know, however was that we had fourth row seats. Man THAT was good.

Nanny arrives

2009-12-18T16:26:00.000-08:00

Yeah! Nanny has arrived and with her comes the magical suitcase - filled with surprises and treats. Never a dull moment when gifts start emerging.

Harper meets Rhett

2009-12-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

In keeping with dragging my family around with me while they are in town - Harper accompanied me to the barn. Auntie Liisa came too of course! I couldn't convince Liisa to get up on Rhett but Harper had a fine time feeding him carrots. Well done little one!

Kiira's 1st grade Christmas party

2009-12-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

Kiira's first grade class celebrated Christmas this year by reading holiday books (Hannukah AND Christmas), decorating cookies, making holiday cards and playing games. It is always fun to get to know the kids in her class better as well as the parents. Evan came along to the party too and thoroughly loved being a part of the first grade. We love that Nanny was here to share in all the festivities!

Record lows

2009-12-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

The temperature has been unusually low for this time of year. It has dipped into the twenties and dare I say it has been colder than Ithaca!!

It snowed at 500 ft and the kids were dying to see the snow. Unfortunately, they had to be happy with a photo of the snow.

Lantern Walk

2009-12-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

Each year the Mountain School has a Lantern Walk. Kiira has saved her lantern from years before and Evan has a new one he made. Each child has a tealite in their lantern and they walk out in the big field behind the school in the dark. It is meant to celebrate the Winter Solstice. As the dimming light of Autumn approaches and the growing darkness of winter overtakes us, the light is a symbol of us rekindling our own light. The lantern is meant to be the symbol of this light amidst the darkness.

It is a precious event and although it was held inside this year because of rain, we still enjoyed the still beauty of the event.

Kilham Farm Christmas party

2009-12-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

This year we hosted the Kilham Farm Christmas party. It was great fun with about 30 people, young to old attending. Plenty of food and drink and the most interesting activities abounded. A few snapshots from our Breyer horse show and monster feet walking.....

More Lansing High

2009-12-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

Jenny and I had fun on Friday when we met another Lansing High alum passing through our fair city. Rocco Macero came through on business and we all had dinner at Zarzuela's in Russian Hill. We sat and talked for 4 hours catching up over the last 20+ years.

Again I love the fact that people from my past come through our city and give us a chance to catch up. Thanks for coming Rocco!

What's this mommy?

2009-12-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

Recently Kiira saw a contraption that she'd never seen before. So she asked, "Mommy what is this?" My reply - a typewriter. Boy did I feel a bit dated.....

Auntie Liisa and Harper arrive!

2009-12-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

Liisa and Harper made the long haul here to the states for the holidays. Tom will join December 11. Yeah!!! Kiira and Evan have been talking about it for weeks now.

Surprisingly, Liisa said the trip with an almost one year old was not as bad as she had thought. Harper is slowly adjusting to the time change and despite catching her cousin's colds, has been a good sport about it all.

While Kiira has embraced her cousin with open arms, kisses and a motherly attitude, Evan, well.....let's just say he is not taking it as well.

Evan had decided that Harper is a threat to his attention getting and while claiming he is a big boy, is stuggling with the fact that a baby is taking over his reign as youngest in the house. Commonly heard from Evan's mouth, "No, I NOT Harper's cousin" or "mommy, DON'T hold Harper, hold ME!" Mr. Jealousy has occupied the body of my Mr. Funnyguy. Harper turns one on December 19 and Evan had already decreed that that is NOT her birthday that is HIS birthday. Hmmm....perhaps it's time to crack the old Sibling Rivalry book again for some tips.....

Celebrate Mississippi Cactus style

2009-11-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

Recently my friend Kim turned 40. We all celebrated this FUN FUN time at the Red Devil Lounge listening to Mississippi Cactus - her brothers's band. They flew in from Milwaukee as did her parents to party party party!

It was a great time to catch up with friends that I hadn't seen in awhile. Margaret and BZ live in the east bay and I never get to see them at all anymore. My friend Michelle was also here whom I haven't seen in 7 years. She was my triathlon coach eons ago when I had time to dedicate to various extra curricular activities.

Happy birthday Kim, thanks for including us - and "maaaaaaannnnny mooooooore!!!!"

Fleeting moments

2009-11-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

When Kiira was younger, she liked to come everywhere with me. It didn't matter if I was going to the grocery store or the drug store. All that mattered was that she was with me. Admittedly, there were days I wanted more alone time but I tried to keep in mind that this phase wouldn't last forever. In fact, as time has gone by, many other things have become more appealing than mommy. Friends, staying home to play, drawing, you name it. Who can blame her? I wouldn't go grocery shopping if I didn't have to.

When I steal a moment back in time, I am learning to treasure those Wobegon days. Not long ago, I went to put on my bathrobe and when I came out, who had their bathrobe on too? My big girl Kiira. She even vocalized, "I want to be just like mommy!"

A glimpse at their sweet little hearts makes your whole being melt and the sassy looks and smart alack remarks seem light years away. Again, they are your sweet innocence child who can do no wrong and thinks mommy is the center of their lives.

Treasured moments are fleeting. Etch them in your memory. Savor them when you need to.

Annual Ice Skating

2009-11-27T10:32:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving we did our 3rd annual ice skating adventure. Each year we go down to Yerba Buena with Nancy and Gideon and kids and go ice skating. Last year was the first year Ginger and Evan skated and this year, they grabbed their cones and were off. They were pros. These "little kids" didn't even need to hang onto a grown ups hand! Kiira and June picked up where they left off and didn't want to get off the ice.

We topped off the fun activity with a play on the playground and then the merry go round. What's better than a trip into the city and fun adventures!!?

Il Senor

2009-11-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving at Nancy and Gideon's house. Their new neighbors are Barb and Sean, Alan's good friend from college. So, Barb and Sean and their 3 kids came over to make for 6 adults, 8 kids and 2 dogs. We had plenty of food and a special bird brought by Barb - a free range, all organic, happy, big 'ole gobble gobble turkey.

Despite Nancy having swine flu (she didn't know it at the time!) she was the hostess with the mostess and everyone had a great time! Thanks Nancy and Gideon!

Mountain School visiting day

2009-11-22T09:52:00.000-08:00

For a year and a half now, Kiira has been begging to go back to the Mountain School for a visiting day. She loved that school so much. There are days now when she says, "I wish I were at the Mountain School again". That just breaks my heart. While our public school is excellent and she is getting a wonderful education, it lacks wholeheartedly the magic and creative spark of our Waldorf inspired friend.

There are days I am torn whether we have done the right thing sending her to the public school. Am I making her grow up too fast? Am I exposing her to enough creative outlets? The answers, I am afraid, to these questions are "Yes" and "No" given the path in a public school. Is she reading beyond her age? Probably yes. Is she spelling and counting beyond her age? Probably so. But what is more valuable? She will eventually do the latter well no matter what but will she ever get a chance to do the former again?

I suppose time will tell and a parent's guilt never goes away for the "what ifs". We do our best, cross our fingers and try to compensate in the areas we feel our children's lives are lacking. Somehow that baggage just never goes away I am guessing......

Rascal

2009-11-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

The only way to describe Lulu is with the word "rascal". Usually it is in a sentence like, "Lulu, get off the counter you rascal" or "Lulu, get your paw out of the fishtank you rascal".

She is constantly trying to get out the door and her latest favorite is to play the piano at about 2 am while we are sleeping.

Yes, that rascal!

Brown Bird down

2009-11-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

The kids and I love to watch the birds off of our deck. We are lucky enough to be right on the edge of a green field with trees that butt up to our deck. We hang our birdfeeders and admire the bluejays, finch and morning doves that come to snack on our delicacies. We have wonderful viewing because the part of the house that faces the deck in nearly all windows. That is good for us but we are finding not so good for the birds. The birds see the reflection of the green trees in the window, think they are flying towards shrubbery and instead bounce off of the hard window.

Despite the fact that I have put Audobon society decals on the windows to prevent this, it still happens. On this particular day, we did have a happy ending. The bird must have just stunned itself for as we gave it some time, it started blinking again and finally got up. Come to find out after a worried call to the Marin Humane Society (not my first call) it can take up to 45 minutes for them to come out of their stupor. As you can see, Lulu was quite (worried?) about the bird as well. :-)

In the box, in the bag, in the cradle

2009-11-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

Hawkeye is constantly amusing us by fitting into small spaces that we would never expect to find her in. Lately, a few of her favorites have been baskets, doll cribs and drawers. It's like constant hide and go seek in our house!

Fun Friday

2009-11-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

Kiira's school has "Fun Friday". At recess, they turn on the music and the kids do their hula hooping, jump roping, running and ball playing to fun music. We grown ups took a cue and decided to have a fun Friday ourselves.

We got together with our friends from Kiira's kindergarten class for some dinner and drinks on a chilly Friday eve. As my mom would say, "What fun!".

High in the Sky

2009-11-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

There is not alot of activity in the suburbs so when something goes on, it is noteworthy. On this particular day, our neighbor down the hill was cutting down a huge eucalyptus tree. It was actually fascinating to watch someone scale the tree and cut down each piece, slowly lowering it to the ground with a rope. I can say for certain that I will never be a tree trimmer. Despite the fact that my name does have the sound "high" in it, I have no desire to go higher than a ladder takes me.

Cold season

2009-11-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, it is cold season. And the first one to get the cold in our house has been Lulu. Who knew that kitties were prone to colds as well? Poor thing had antibiotics and had to have eye drops for her runny eye.

For such a sassy kitty, she sure is the sensitive one to get sick more easily than her sister. She is peeking out of her carrier in this photo. NOT her favorite part - riding to the vet......

Relaxing Sunday

2009-11-01T16:37:00.000-08:00

'Nuff said.

Trick or Treat?

2009-11-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

Nancy and Gideon's (or should I say Olive Oil and Popeye's) annual Halloween party was last night. It goes without saying that it was a blast. We decided that it was the best one yet. Why - we asked ourselves? I have been racking my brain since then. As usual, Nancy was super organized with GREAT goodie bags for the kids (including a trick or treat flashlight and a toothbrush) and delicious food. But what else? We hadn't turned the clocks back yet so it was nice to trick or treat in the light. The kids were older so it was a bit easier. All these did make for a nice night but I felt I just hadn't hit on why it was so good. Then it occurred to me that the people that I got to see at this party every year were friends that we used to see every week. These women and their families were my mommy's group when Kiira was born. Now because of different schedules, kids being older, work for some, we don't see each other as much. Alot of the women I hadn't seen in almost 4-6 months.

There is something about your first mommy's group. Maybe it is all the firsts you go through together. Maybe it is the companionship you so crave when you are an isolated first time mother. Maybe it is the encouragement you need when you are so unsure of yourself in that new phase of life.

As life goes on, we meet other friends, other dear friends. But there is just a special place inside of me for my first time mommy friends. I don't get to see them nearly often enough so when I do, it becomes even more special.

Highlights of the night:

Seeing old friends:

Enjoying our costumes:

Sprinting (literally!) from house to house for trick or treating:

Tired cowboy, ready to go home.

Go-Go

2009-10-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

What does one do before a Halloween party? A mani/pedi of course. Evan did NOT want to be left out. He chose the alternating orange and black fingernails with the black toenails. Kiira was a bit more purist in the orange fingernails and black toenails. Jenny and I stuck with the dark purple toenails. Very relaxing.

Topped off with a little bit of Woody's Ice Cream. Ahhhh.......

Strike a Pose

2009-10-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

My kids are no stranger to the camera, as this blog illustrates. However, often I am cajoling them into a pose or smile or even a look at the camera. Something seems to have clicked in Evan lately though as we were at lunch the other day and he said out of the blue, "mony, take my picture". Then he struck this pose, unsolicited.

I had a feeling this one would be a bit more dramatic than Kiira but I didn't think it would start this early?!

A kitty in a pup bed

2009-10-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

Why do I find it hilarious that our kitten likes to sleep in the pup's bed? Because she is so dwarfed? Because she acts so like she deserves this big bed? Because it displaces the large pup to another surface? Whatever the reason, it makes me pause while I walk by and crack up. I guess it's my version of stop and smell the roses. Stop and watch the kitten. See, I'm crackin' myself up right now!

Happy Anniversary

2009-10-28T19:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Anniversary to us! It has been 9 years. Yahoo! We celebrated with some take out and some family cupcakes. I just had to share my card which I found hilarious.

And the punchline please....."now that's my idea of phone sex."

haaaaa!!!! haaa!!!!! haaaaaa!!!!!!!!

Snowflakes and peace signs

2009-10-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

Halloween is here. Now that it is less than a week away, we carved the pumpkins. Or rather, Kiira came up with some difficult ideas and mommy carved. They didn't even get past putting their hands into the pumpkins to scoop out the insides. Well, maybe when they are older. Truth be told, I like the carving part!

Saturday is the big party at June's house. All of Kiira's buddies from the mommy group she has been a part of since birth will be there (and then some!). Look for highlights!

Lawrence Berkeley Hall of Science

2009-10-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Kiira's first grade class took a field trip to Berkeley to see the Lawrence Hall of Science. Right now they have a special Mars exhibit going on which if very cool. If a grown up reads the captions to you, the kids can learn about what happens to your bones in outer space, how astronauts communicate, how they excercise and what special clothes they have to wear (and whether or not it is easy to wear them!).

All the kids got to blow up a balloon using GAS. 2TB baking soda in a balloon. 1/4 cup vinegar in an old water bottle. Carefully attach the balloon to the top of the bottle and let the baking soda go into the bottle. Voila! Watch the balloon inflate all on its own.

I got to chaperone so I got to see everything firsthand.

Moony

2009-10-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

When we were little, my sister earned the nickname "Moony". I suppose we were about 12 and 14 and we were driving to a horse show. Bill, our trainer's husband, was driving the gooseneck trailer with our horses. Now good 'ole Bill had an excellent sense of humor. And know that in her teen years, my sister was a bit of a wild child.

I guess she decided that on the highway, at 60 mph, as Bill passed us with the horsetrailer, was a good time to drop her drawers and moon him.

Well, he never got over that - laughed for days. From then on, she was dubbed "Moony".

Fast forward to present. Evan and I were in Petco getting the kittens some toys. As we got in line to pay, I hear Evan talking about his bum. Now, this is a regular occurance so I didn't think much of it. When I turned to keep track of him though, his pants were at his knees. Luckily no one was behind us. No pun intended.

I guess like auntie like nephew. Who knew mooning was a genetic trait?