Oh What A Wonderful Year

This was a wonderful year for us with lots of memories. Jack entered our life and we had a houseful of visitors to welcome him including Grandparents Lola, Jimmy, Pat and Ed, and Cousin Peggi. Stella turned 1 this year. And we travelled to Alaska for a family wedding, to Portland Oregon to see the West Coast grandparents, and we are off to Boston and Maine next week to see the East Coast grandparents, more family, and several friends. Here's a glance back at 2009. BEFORE YOU HIT PLAY: make sure your volume is up HIT PLAY, THEN: click the link to "Full Screen" to get the biggest and best view AND REMEMBER, YOU CAN: - click any picture at any time to enlarge it (and click again to return it to its original size) - there are videos, so click "Play" wherever you see it Happy Holidays Everyone - peace and love.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Standing and Crawling, Oh My!

Jack has been standing with increasing agility for some time now. He can pull himself up to standing from a seated position and slowly cruise along furniture.

In the past few weeks, he has been scooting around on his tummy - imagine GI Joe style, but backwards and in circles. He was able to get himself to his knees but only rock back and forth. Yesterday, he decided to put it all together and crawl. Slowly, but surely and unmistakably. Uh oh. I guess you can only procrastinate on childproofing for so long.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

For the past several years my friend, Nancy, and I have had a tradition of getting together for Holiday tea. It's our time to take a break from our busy lives, catch up, and usher in the holidays under twinkling trees and wreaths and holiday music playing in the background. We talk leisurely over steeping pots of tea and enjoy little scones, devonshire cream and lemon curd, tiny slices of sandwiches, and bite-sized pastries.

Nancy now has a 16 month old son, Cillian, and this is Jack's first Christmas (he's now 9 months) so we decided it would be fun to do a Teddy Bear Tea this year and extend our tradition to include the kiddies.

I bundled up Jack in his festive holiday finest (thanks to cousin Kerrie and family for the adorable outfit!) and headed out.

When we arrived, we found big Teddy bears and balloons at each table awaiting us. Along with the requisite assortment of tiny tea sandwiches of lox and cucumbers for us, there was a plate of PB&J tea sandwiches, teddy bear cookies, and the like for the kids. Sitting next to our cheesecloth-wrapped lemon for our tea was a cup of marshmallows for the kids' cocoa.

Soon a life-size Teddy and Binky The Elf entered and put on a show for the kids and provided photo-ops.

Like everything in life now that we've entered motherhood, our Tea this year wasn't quite as relaxing and leisurely as it had been in previous years. Cillian was initially spooked by Teddy and Binky The Elf and had Nancy chasing after him. Jack wanted to pick up everything and put it in his mouth, and was squirmy and wanted out of his highchair most of the time. Both wanted a nap.

Still, our tradition lives on and the holidays are always more fun when surrounded by friends (old and big, and new and little).








CLICK HERE for more pictures of our fun day.

Me and My Doggie

This is boring. What's over there?


Doggie! Hello Doggie.


Hey, are you awake?


Let's play!


You're my best friend.

What's So Funny?

Jack's funny bone was tickled when Stella started jumping for her bone in Tom's hand. Click the video below for Jack's big giggles.

The Man in the Mirror

Fall Into Winter

On a recent Indian Summer day, I packed up Jack and Stella and went to Crissy Field to enjoy the day by the Bay.

It was a beautiful cool day with strong sun and blue skies.

Jack had his lunch al fresco, Stella got a few tosses of the Frisbee, and Mom reveled in another day filled with play and without work realizing that those days are numbered, sigh!


Golden Gate Bridge


Stella has plenty of room to romp


Finding space in the shade

When we arrived home, we discovered a package from Lola - a snowsuit for our upcoming trip to Boston and Maine over the holidays. Hopefully we'll get lucky and there will be a little snow with that snowsuit when we get back East! We're hanging onto the last of our Indian Summer days, but Fall is quickly turning into Winter. Jack's new snowsuit is going to keep him cozy on our upcoming trip to Portland, OR in a couple of weeks and on those brisk San Francisco nights that are just around the corner.