Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year's Eve

Happy New Year!
Alex and Zachary celebrated midnight in Buenos Aires, complete with a countdown, confetti shooters, and a toast for the new year!
Happy and healthy wishes to everyone for a wonderful 2012!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Lake Chabot

Today was a beautiful day for a hike, so we packed up some snacks and headed out to Lake Chabot in the Oakland Hills. It didn't take long before we were in the dark woods. The trail was pretty steep, so it was a good thing the boys brought their walking sticks!
When we finally emerged from the forest, we were nearly at the top of the hill. Alex and Zachary stopped for one of their many snack breaks with the lake in the background.
After some more climbing, we made it to the very top. But the boys still wanted to go higher!
Back down at the trail head, Zachary showed off some of his skills.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas, 2011!

Christmas morning dawned early (as do most mornings at our house!) to eagerness and wonder.
Alex and Zachary must have slept some, because Santa did stop by and left some surprises. While the boys opened their stocking gifts, I made cinnamon rolls. And then we were ready to begin opening all of the wonderful gifts!
Zachary and Alex posed for photos with gifts from the Grandparents.
And then we caught them just looking cute!
We all enjoyed opening our presents and celebrating with family through phone calls.
Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas Eve

Twas the night before Christmas and we had some finishing details to attend to.
First we decorated cookies for Santa.
Then we set up the Polar Express.
Alex and Zachary had some help hanging their stockings.
And finally the boys donned their new cozy jammies.
The only thing left was to fall asleep so that Santa could arrive.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Christmas Tree Lane

Every year, one of the streets in our town goes all out for the holiday season. Each house is completely decorated, a few set up little coco and snack stands, and Santa even comes to hang out. We are fortunate to have friends living on Christmas Tree Lane, and they invited us to stop in for treats.
We bundled up and took in the sights. This was the first year that we walked the street, and it was a great experience. Some houses go the traditional route, and some have a bit more fun!  Our friends even have a big Santa SpongeBob.

Coyote Hills

 The boys returned to their favorite hiking spot, Coyote Hills.  First they explored the butterfly garden and then began the climb. 
 They explored some different areas of the park and had some fantastic views of the bay.
 As is typically the case, Alex charged right up the hill, leaving everyone else behind.  You can almost see him at the top of the hill.  Fortunately, there isn't much threat of coyotes at Coyote Hills.
After coming down from the hills, they wandered around the marshland and saw many water birds.
And the grand finale of the day was having lunch at the sushi bar!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Mini-Golf

Alex and Zachary took on a new adventure today - mini-golf!  When we started out, we tried to follow some basic rules, such as farthest out ball goes first, but after a few holes, we discovered that anything goes was a much better rule.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Gymnastics Party

Many of the older kids in our playgroup have their birthday around the holidays.  This year the moms decided to have a group party to celebrate the big kids turning 5 at the gymnastics school in Oakland.  The kids had fun playing with the big parachute
and bouncing down the trampoline into a foam pit.
There was also a swing hanging from the rafters, but we didn't manage to capture any pictures of the swingers!
Playtime was followed by a potluck and the cutest cake pops ever! Miss Karen is a baking and decorating wonder.  (She even made some reindeer.)
Even if they aren't all looking the same direction, or smiling, they are in one place!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Santa!

Santa seems to be following us around! Tonight he showed up at our door with some early Santa presents. Alex and Zachary were really excited to see him and his elf and enjoyed the videos he dropped off.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Train of Lights

We were lucky enough to get tickets for the Nils Canyon Train of Lights.  Unlike last year, our ride began while it was still light out, so we were able to enjoy the scenery on the first leg of the trip.
Santa and Mrs. Claus were also enjoying the scenery. On the return trip, the sun had set and the lights were on full display. We rode on the outdoor coach for a bit in order to take in the lights better.
Back at the station, we walked the length of the train and watched the engineer prepare for the next trip.
There is a park around the corner with a caboose and some tracks running in front of a mock station. The station was closed, but the caboose provided plenty of fun.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Christmas Program

This evening was the annual pre-school Christmas program and potluck.  The boys each had a speaking part and practiced all week to get it just right.  Zachary started off the program by announcing that "we are Sonlight pre-school".
Then the kids sang some fun Christmas songs, complete with arm movements and jingling bells.
After a few songs, the younger kids joined their families while the older kids sang some more songs. Since Zachary attends school four days a week, he spends time with both classes. As a result, he was joining in from the audience.
Alex's line at the end of the program was "Merry Christmas to all!" He looked very handsome in his reindeer antlers.
After some yummy potluck foods, a special guest appeared. Santa had candy canes and books for all of the kids.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Lunar Eclipse

As you might know, Alex is a bit of an early bird.  Sometimes, you just have to take advantage of that.  This morning, Phil and Alex walked to the water to watch the lunar eclipse.
They had an excellent view of the disappearing moon and enjoyed the lights of the city as a backdrop.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Ribbons

Alex was surprised with an advancement ribbon at swimming today! He is now a Silverfish.
The next week, Zachary was surprised and moved up to Seahorse!