Bath time

Since Zachary is doing such a great job of sitting up, I took the baby bar out of his tub. He wasn't quite ready for splashing, but he did have a lot of fun!

I'm fairly sure his modesty is preserved!

Rainy Season

This year the rainy season decided to begin later than usual. We took advantage of it the best we could. Zachary tried out the "big boy" stroller while Alex rediscovered his tent and showed off his hockey skills.



Alex is a bundle of energy so we decided to take him to the woods to run wild. We all had a fun time, the trail was a bit hilly and smooth enough for the jogging stroller. Although Zachary wanted to get out and take in the view toward the end of the hike. Alex collected sticks, and used pine needle fans to sweep the trail. One of his favorite things these days is "Touch tree!" and there were lots (and lots) of trees to touch.





It was foggy out in the bay, but if you look closely, you can make out the skyline of Oakland and in the far distance, San Fran.


The rain has arrived, and brought the cold weather with it. Not that we are complaining!

Something from Nothing

When today began, I was holding out very little hope for a good day. But the gorgeous weather soon turned everything around. I won't bore you with the bad stuff from the morning, and skip straight to the fun part!
Alex, Zachary and I went to the playground to run amok, swing and watch the big kids play for a bit before lunch. When it was time to go, Alex climbed right up onto the stroller and didn't complain at all. After a yummy PB&J lunch, not to mention the goldfish crackers and oranges, we did some work outside on the patio.


Zachary played in his activity center and Alex alternated between pushing the dumptruck around and helping me separate the recyclables and tape together boxes. Then, both boys had a snooze, Zachary's was much shorter than Alex's, but a snooze all the same.
Phil had gone in early and was able to come home early as a result. We decided it was too nice to cook so we went out to get sandwiches and had a mini-picnic beside the estuary.

The sunset was pretty, this picture just doesn't do it justice at all.
Our day turned into something fun afterall!

Weekend Fun

Saturday we drove up into the Berkeley hills to ride the train at Tilden Park. There are beautiful, sweeping views of the Bay from high up in the hills, and a very chilly breeze off of the ocean to match! I feel a trend coming on...We've been on a lot of train rides lately. But the boys (all 3 of them) enjoy it and, oh heck, I'll say it, so do I!

not the bay, but a nice view -- artsy engine photo

On Sunday, Phil, Alex and Phil's friend ran a race in Golden Gate Park. It started in front of the Conservatory of Flowers and wound around somewhere, to finish again near the Conservatory. Zachary and I enjoyed the outdoor gardens while the older boys ran. Alex is a proud finisher of another race!

Out for a walk

The path along the SF Bay, around our island.

I can...

Alex loves to line his vehicles up, bumper to bumper. Cars, buses, trucks, planes, helicopters, everyone is welcome. They have to be just so, and he constantly adjusts them to make sure it is all correct. There is always a horrible traffic jam at our house. At first we thought it was a little odd, possibly a precursor to OCD, but a child development professional told me it is something that toddlers do.

Zachary is now rolling all across the floor. He gets upset when he runs out of real estate. He mostly goes in one direction, but is starting to figure out that he can go the other way too. Now when he sees Alex doing something fun, he can join in!

Zoo Lights

The Oakland Zoo is all lit up for the holidays. Today seemed like a good day for a late bedtime, but we still planned to get there as soon as they opened up. Avoiding "Disneyland Syndrome", we turned left upon entering and got to the meadow just as the light show began. And we had a front row seat. Alex stood right up at the fence and really enjoyed the music and lights. Zachary watched the lights too. After the show, we continued on our loop and really missed the crowds at each station. Next we headed out to the ride area to take a train ride. Alex saw the little cars that go around and around and that was all he wanted to do. We got in line for the train first and while we were waiting, Alex was pitching a fit, until the train came around the corner, then he was excited about the train ride.

And since I enjoy torturing us all, after the train, we rode the merry-go-round (putting off the cars even longer!). Again, he wasn't happy until it started and then he kept saying "Up. Down." It was cute. Zachary wasn't too sure about the merry-go-round at first, but he looked like he was having fun during the ride.

Finally! The car ride. He picked out the sparkly red car and was so very happy. I'm pretty sure a lot of the fuss had to do with the fact that he was freezing, and his hands were like ice. You can see how red they are. Poor Baby!

After the car ride, we jumped into our actual car and covered both boys up with extra blankets and turned up the heat. Bedtime was only a little bit delayed, and everyone is warm and cozy!

Happy New Year

We had a regular old night last night for New year's eve. The boys stuck to their schedules, but Phil and I did manage to stay up until midnight. Unfortunately, both boys decided to get up earlier than normal today. Since we were up, we decided to try our luck at an old favorite breakfast joint we usually miss because of the long lines to get in. The only people who get up for breakfast on new year's day are people with kids! We were able to park right in front and sit down immediately. Then we came home and watched the Rose Bowl Parade and assorted football games.
Zachary did in fact remember how to roll over, and even added tummy to back to his repertoire! He is getting pretty quick at the back to front roll now. Soon we won't know where he is anymore.

Some strange notes about 2009

10 - the number of years we will have been married (come July)
20- the number of years since I graduated from high school (June - yikes!)
30- the age of my sister (January)
40 - the age of my hubby (October)

We hope you all had a fun and safe holiday and wish you all the best for the upcoming year!