Crafting gifts

The boys have been weaving furiously for months now with no desire to stop that we decided to incorporate it into our teacher gift giving.  Here are the completed gifts, belt, christmas ornament, wreath pin and a bracelet.

Boy wonder is trying a smaller french knitter and crochet thread.   He is making a bracelet with beads for his second grade teacher.

Bubba has two teachers and made an orament for one and a belt with fringe beads for the other. 

I have no photo of Busy girl as she and I worked on her teacher's gift earlier.  She made a patterned wreath out of beads and had help with the bow and pin.

They each wrote nice messages in their cards and momma tucked in her own gift card of appreciation as well. :)

3 Things I'm grateful for:

1) Our wonderful, hardworking teachers

2) Children that love to craft

3) Spending time together

Weaving away

I walked around the corner this afternoon and found Bubba sitting in this little rocker facing the window and just weaving away.  My sweet little boy just warms my heart.  His brother has just recently taught him to cup weave and it has become a very popular activity in our home.  We have lots and lots of long tubes of yarn that need a purpose.  Scarf? Rug? Blanket?  

3 Things I'm grateful for:
1) Sometimes too quiet of children are a good thing
2) My precious son
3) Being a mom

Harvesting Pumpkins

The weather this fall has been so wonderfully warm.  The kids have been able to be outside and play everyday afterschool.  In fact the weather has been so nice that we are still enjoying our dinners out on the back patio.  I just love eating outdoors, don't you?

The kids wanted to grow their own pumpkins this year and we noticed the vines started to die back in September.  We were hoping to keep them on the vine as long as possible so that they could make it to Halloween at the end of October.  Well, they made it as long as they could and today, we are harvesting the pumpkins before the backyard critters start munching on them.  So here they are...and into the cool garage they go, fingers crossed they survive a few more weeks!!

3 Things I'm grateful for:
1)  Long warm days and nights
2)  Room in the garden to grow pumpkins
3)  3 cute adorable children

Summer's Bounty

The last bountiful basket of goodness.  Colorful salads, sandwiches, and pastas a bound for the next week.

3 things I'm grateful for:
1) A piece of land to garden
2) Many hands to pick
3) The taste of summer in each bite

Riding the Rails

I'm a sucker for trying new things...new experiences.  When you have young children, everyday life is often ruled by the clock and by routines.  So for my sanity, I mean for my enjoyment, I'm constantly dreaming up new things for us to see or do.  My dearest hubby thinks it must be taxing for me to always be thinking of what's next to do, waiting until we can go and then once done, it's over.  I don't think this way at all.  It just gives me something to look forward to. What's wrong with a little something to look forward to in the midst of our everyday list of chores?  I can only find so much happiness in picking up and putting away after my darling family for so many hours a day.  And the trips don't have to be big places, even small trips never taken before gives me a thrill.  Today's such adventure was just that.  An hour's train ride up north, hop off for a yummy breakfast, investigate the surrounding area by foot and hit a park in the area. 

Today's adventure stop...the cute downtown area of Burlingame.  I feel you all laughing at me.  That's okay...Burlingame was new for us and a doable adventure for a Sunday.  Most importantly, the kids had a blast.  The excitement of wearing their backpacks loaded with sunhat, journal, bottle of water, and snack for this little journey was happiness enough.  Trying to buy our tickets, find out which track to head out to and what train number was ours was a fun family learning experience all worth it when we climbed aboard and found our seats.  It was fun to play games, draw and cuddle as we watched the neighboring cities pass by our windows.  Once at our destination we headed down the main street with all the cute boutique shops and restaurants until we came upon the Coppenhagen Bakery.  It was very busy but we managed to squeeze in and found a table.  We were so hungry that we devoured breakfast.  It was all delicious but the new favorite was definitely banana pancakes..yum!  After breakfast we hit the local farmer's market for some yummy grapes and dried nectarines and then headed off to the park to play.  The park was a great find and the kids had a blast trying out a new playground.  Boy wonder brought a soccer ball and had fun kicking it around with dad.  When we were sufficiently tired we headed back to the train station and caught the next train back home.  Overall it was an easy and doable outing and I saw lots of other cute little downtowns in other cities that I mentally filed away for another day.

 My oldest lost his tooth while on the train.  Here he is so proud showing off his missing tooth.

 Hitting the playground hard and stuffing face at Coppenhagen Bakery.  Aah...the Sunday life!

Waiting at the station to catch the train back home.

Busy girl singing to her daddy on the train home.

3 things I'm grateful for:

1. Having a free day for fulfilling fun adventures

2. Having a family willing to try my crazy ideas

3. Wearing the kids out so we could crash on the couch once home

Serenity Now!!

Received the best present from my parents...a weekend away sans kids.  My hubby and myself joined a few good friends and flew off to San Diego for a much needed rest and relaxation weekend.  We all had a blast just being us again.  It's amazing how just a little bit of time to think of only yourself and be silly without having to plan and worry about little ones can be so totally liberating.  Ahh...this is definately something that needs to be added back in to our routines...time off.

San Diego is one of my favorite places in California.  It's just so lovely...the sunny days and the ocean views.  Always lots to choose from and those yummy fish tacos!!!   With only a weekend I'm so amazed at all we managed to cram in and not make it feel exhausting!  I'm thinking without kids we were feeling a little giddy like teenagers again.  What can a bunch of thirtysomethings find in San Diego to keep them occupied?  Here's a list of what we did:

Happy Hour at

Our lovely hotel in the Lamp Quarter

Dinner with old friends at one of my favs....Sheer Water at the Hotel Del Coronado

Hitting the candy shop and going for ice cream on Ocean Ave

Breakfast for the girls

Spa day

Lite Lunch in Little Italy

Shopping

Boys hit the golfcourse and lunch

Dinner in Little Italy

Hitting the comedy club

Nightlife in the Gaslamp Quarter

Breakfast in Old Town

Having coffee with your housemate from college

Can't wait for the next trip out!!!

Mini Trip to the City

We live so close to San Francisco yet we hardly venture there. Well, it was time we did! So, we took the kids up to San Francisco today and visted the SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art).  It was our first visit to a museum with our energetic bunch.  I think they did surprising well and may have even been unconsciously inspired.  The SFMOMA is a nice size and with lots of modern and colorful sculptures and paintings easily kept our troops engaged.  We brought along journals, crayons and colored pencils in case they felt the need to create a masterpiece or two of their own.  For Busy girl, who was the first to tire it gave her a chance to relax in the stroller and keep herself busy.  One of my favorites to watch was the fascination of the gold beads that covered a large entryway from top to bottom. 

After the SFMOMA, we headed to the end of the block and had lunch at

Time to burn off lunch with a romp through Yerba Buena Gardens...

 and a trip to the playground connecting the gardens.

Of course we couldn't pass up a ride on the Zeum carousel.

The weather in SF could not have been better.  It was a glorious and fun day today.  We should all sleep well tonite!

Ready for Kinder!!

Today was the last day of junior kindergarten for Bubba.  The teacher invited families to come to a ceremony for the students as she said wonderfully nice things about each of them and gave them each a certificate saying they had completed Jr. Kinder and told them they were now ready for Kindergarten.  It was a lovely ceremony with lots of smiles and a few happy tears shed.

I can't believe how fast this second part of the year has gone.  Bubba in December asked to change from his beloved outdoor preschool to go to big kid school like his brother.  I'm a big believer in play as long as possible but when this little boy kept begging for me to send him to big kid school too, I listened and the school graciously allowed us in mid year.  It was a big change for him, which I knew it would be. He cried a little at the beg of each day at drop off and would sit in the lap of one of his teachers until he was ready to be on his own but he still he wanted to be there.  It was hard for me and him, but I'm so proud of him.  His preschool was in the afternoon and because that school had a mandatory carpool program I didn't want to let my carpool down with one less driver for the rest of the year, so he continued that program 3 days a week as well and graduated from his preschool a few weeks ago.  It was a lot of work 2 schools in a day, but he did it and I did it.  I'm so amazed by my little boy and  I feel so blessed to be a part of his life and watch over him.  This little boy makes my heart sing!

His grandparents are here to cheer him on as well.  We are all so proud of how hard he has worked this year.

 

3 Things I'm grateful for:

1) We made it through the year

2) My little determined boy

3) My family support

Reflecting, remembering...

There are places in the world that just the sight of them will always touch my heart and make me grateful for that time, for those experiences, for those memories...

3 Things I'm Grateful for:
1. My children's first teachers, first school
2. My children's love of nature
3. My memories

Meeting the Mouse

We spent our Memorial week down South visiting the famous mouse that resides in the Happiest place on Earth. It's always such a treat to be there. The kids really enjoyed themselves. The one funny thing I really noticed this trip is that my daughter is a Disney character stalker.  It's quite funny to see your children so taken with these characters. As soon as she spotted one she was off. She loved seeing them, taking photos with them, touching them, hugging on them.  Even if she had no clue who they were...which was most of the time.  She did know who Minnie Mouse was and this character especially was a favorite.  A girly sounding mouse that wears pink...I guess what's not too love?  She didn't even mind waiting in line to see her (and yes everytime Em saw her we stood in line) and everytime after the greet it was like pulling teeth to get her to leave her...she was just so fasincated with her.  And no fear...she would approach them on her own...even the giant bear named Balou from the Jungle Book.

3 things I'm grateful for:

1. Kids that love Disney almost as much as me

2. Eating out...yum..yum

3. Being part of a family

Happy 7th Birthday!!

Happy 7th Birthday to my dear Boy Wonder!!  We love you so very much.  Boy wonder requested an ice cream sundae party with his friends.  Activities include making boats to float in the creek, beading necklaces, belly skateboard races in the driveway, ping pong and general run through the yard yelling kind of fun.  Enjoy dear boy!

3 Things I'm grateful for:
1) My son
2) Having lots of family to help
3) An easy birthday party

Sausalito to San Francisco

Happy 35th Birthday to me!!! 
Today we went on a family excursion to Sausalito and took the ferry to San Francisco.  The weather was a little wet but the kids had a blast.  The boys especially loved the ferry and everyone was in awe of driving over the Golden Gate Bridge. 

I have to admit the ferry is a very fun way to travel.  I could definately get used to traveling more by boats myself. 

 

Sausalito iteself is a cute little town.  Must come back this way again and explore.

 

Here we are on the otherside.

We docked at Pier 39 in SF and hit the Hard Rock Cafe for a rockin birthday lunch.

 

3 Things I'm grateful for:

1) Birthdays

2) Fun adventures

3) Living near big cities like S. F.

Easter weekend beach side

The weather was a little gray this year but we did not let that dampen our fun.  All five of the littles participated in the coloring of eggs and the outdoor hunt.  We had a yummy breakfast brunch and enjoyed time on the beach and walks after dinner. 

It was a nice weekend and always so fun to see all the cousins together.

3 Things I'm grateful for:
1) Enjoying another Birthday
2) Homecooked meals by my mom
3) Time to be together
 

My Bubba

Bubba's new glasses.  We were running errands today and he saw these in the store.  He was such a trooper on our errand day that he was rewarded with these glasses.  What do you think?  I think it fits him perfectly...such a BIG personality this one has.

3 Things I'm grateful for:

1) Bubba

2) Making it through the errand run in one piece with no melting down children in tow.

3) One day closer to the weekend.

I love my dog

 

I love this dog. He is my fur baby and follows me everywhere. At night when I take the kids to bed he waits for me at the kitchen doorway. Night time is our special cuddle time when I finally finish all my chores and get to plop down in my favorite chair.

3 things I'm grateful for today:
1. My little dogs
2. Sleeping children (They are even more precious...when they are asleep.)
3. Time to veg a bit.