Year's End

The last day of the year is here. I love this day because anything goes in the way of change and I really believe that it all can happen. I will: stop eating so much sugar, learn another language, go on more date nights with my husband, etc.. Real life may tweak with my time management, but for now I can enjoy the optimism.

My children getting clean, fresh starts:

Hikes

We explored the Cupertino Hills yesterday. The rest of the world is filled with winter snow, but our Bay Area climate just adds green (and brown silt from all the rains). It was good to get some fresh, damp air on our faces.

Quiet:


Loud creek plus one, excited yelling child:


Nature's mirrors:

Winding Down

Christmas Eve memories before the rains.

Sandy and Paul's neighbor:


Oh, how I love strolling down country lanes:


Posing for daddy. I love how Reade looks like a tree gnome:


So much for being happy with what I have. I made Andrew and the boys go on a mini hike today in a San Mateo neighborhood. I love that there are hiking trails at the end of the neighborhoods near 92 and 280. We both decided the neighborhood wasn't completely worth the additional commute time. Too bad. Tomorrow, Andrew is going to show me around the hills of Cupertino because he loves to bike through the area and we can always dream that someone in a two million dollar house wants to rent it out to us for $2000/month (ha!).

Merry Christmas

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We ate, drank, and opened gifts with great family around. Some people pooped out in the middle of opening gifts:


Smiles were abundant on all of the faces:


Aunt Shirley kept the spirit of Christmas alive with her Nativity Pageant:


We then gathered in the living room of Sandy & Paul's new house to open a second round of gifts for us:


Today is a day of rest for us, but other people get to keep on partying:

Nested

My tree is now topped. I climbed up and gently removed the bird's nest that has provided us with entertainment for two years now. A small egg dropped out of the nest when I was eking it ever so carefully. It wasn't a fertilized egg so I didn't feel so bad. There were two nests, one on top of the other, and I hesitated to separate the two for fear of finding something icky. Again, I was relieved to find nothing that was once alive. So down it came to be hair sprayed for preservation (thanks Ellen for the tip):


Here is the bottom of the nest getting swept up with some nearby leaves. I figured the nest could go into the green waste bin since it was once green and now it is waste?:


It has been hard to photograph the nest. It always gets lost when I take a picture with my small camera. Nature intended it that way I suppose. I wish I had time to swing by Michaels and buy a red cardinal mushroom bird for the nest:

Shop

I came across this shop today in downtown Palo Alto. What a great shop!!! It is the first environmental shop with reasonable prices. There is something for everyone here. I wish I had found this shop a month ago, before I bought everyone their gifts.

If you are in the area then stop by: 158 University Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Their website isn't as exciting as their shop!

Bustle

Next year I am going to knit/crochet one of these for everyone. If you can't wait until then, head on over to Anthropologie and get one for yourself today. Don't let your jaw drop at the $238.00 price tag either:


Shrewd Stitches Stole

Our sills are filled with a bustling life of its own:


The three Kings are making their way toward our nativity:


In current Shannon fashion, I am late with Reade's 7 month photo (my goal for tomorrow's post). Stay tuned.

Reade (Seven Months)

At 7 Months I:
* Got up on all fours
* Can somehow get across the room without crawling
* Make a "phfffff" noise when I am really happy
* Cry quickly when my brother starts tackling me
* Laugh a deep laugh when my brother tackles me and I am in a good mood
* Have juicy thigh fat
* Still have reddish hair
* Started babbling by saying "blah blah blah"
* Can blow different kinds of raspberries as a way of communication
* Do a funny thing with my tongue that makes everyone think I am chewing on something
* Impress my mom with my finger dexterity
* Enjoy eating solid foods now and prefer the veggies (I love the peas the most)
* Still wake up in the night, but only fuss for a minute or so before going back to sleep
* Have been dropped on my head by accident (thanks mommy!)
* Am less serious and am entertained by the world around me
* Make my mommy want more babies because I am so fun

Check out my Six Month photo

Pine

It was my intention to march our family out to the wilderness and cut down our own Christmas tree. There is no time for that though. So zip went the Prius to a tree lot I researched on Yelp. All of the trees were around $65-$140. That wasn't going to fly with my lackadaisical watering history. I saw a big sign towards the back of the lot stating, "Discount Trees - $21.99." That's more like it.

Blake making friends with Frosty:


I instantly fell in love with one of the two puny, sad trees in the discount area. Andrew rolled his eyes and tried to walk away, but I knew this tree was perfect. We only have a small spot for the tree and with a little TLC (minus watering) and a box to sit upon, it will be great:


Reade will never know it was a discount tree (unless he checks the archives of this blog someday):


Blake rolling with the punches:


All I have to do now is climb up a ladder to get the old bird's nest down from our outside eaves to use as the tree topper.

Parrrrtaaay

This last weekend was full of partying. We started out with a surprise party on Friday night. Andrew's co-worker's wife made this beautiful cheesecake for her husband. I always love a birthday party during the holidays:


The Google party followed on Saturday night. It was at the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. We dropped Blake and Reade off at a babysitter's in the city. Poor girl, she had to deal with Reade crying for four hours. He really wanted to sleep in his own bed. While she was dealing with our offspring, we drank alcohol, mingled with co-workers, and ran around looking at rain forests and getting our pictures taken. This year they added horse drawn carriage rides, but the line was too long so we went back in and hit up the dessert table (yum!). Thanks again Google for a great time:


The family met up on Sunday to experience the Dicken's Fair. Family came from near and far to watch Jessica put on a great caroling show. Those people can sing. Aunt Sandy was the Christmas angel because she held Reade for over two hours while he slept. He just couldn't take anymore partying I guess. Jessica will be at it for another weekend if anyone wants to stop by and see her:


We all got some sleep, but I am still zonked. Now for the holiday rush...

Mall Santa

I couldn't pass up the mall Santa this year. I would blame Santa for Reade's screaming, but I think the truth lies somewhere between being strapped in the stroller pre-Santa and being out of mommy's arms. Fun, kitschy, and adorable all wrapped into one:

Blankies

My mom's friend Anne Riley (check out her website here) made these adorable blankies for Blake and Reade. They are the perfect size for the kids' car seats. Blake loves the robots and Reade loves the cars and tools. We are spoiled with great, crafty people around us.

She picked out the fabrics herself and does a great job of coordinating them:


Thanks Anne! They will be used all the time.

I can't wait to have some free time so Reade can be added to the family:


Picasa has a new photo editor named Picnik. It is fun to mess with my pictures now.

Snow

We drove up the road from Ellen and David's to play in the snow after Thanksgiving. So much fun.

Snow boots:


What Reade did for his first time at the snow:


Snow plows make good igloos:


Twins:


I just may be the most respected member of this family:

Change

I am going to start this post with some baby bath photos (sick of 'em yet?). Here is Reade bathing in both grandparent's sinks for vacation (all of us are finally home under the same roof).

Grammie's sink:


Grandma El's sink:


Here is a story about a mom with two children. One time, her toddler slept in the bed with her because her husband was away. She put a new diaper on the boy because he woke up at 6am and she hoped he would fall back asleep. Fifteen minutes later, the baby woke and all three of them headed downstairs. The toddler took off his diaper and left it on the floor. When the tired mom sat down to change the baby's diaper, she noticed the other diaper on the floor. She took into account the five minute rule and wrapped her baby in the giant toddler's diaper. So much for clean kids. Savage mother.

I promised finished project pictures, but I hardly took any. Here is Jessica working on the dress she made because she is a caroler at the Dicken's Fair in SF. Everyone should go see her.

Working her fingers to the bone:


David got a job in Santa Clara and will now be our neighbors (in Mountain View). We are excited and can't wait to have them nearby. They will keep their Oakhurst home so they can have their farm retreat to relax in on the weekends.

Reade sitting on things to move:


They packed the truck and are now unpacked in Mountain View:

Busy

Big boys play outside (with patient Aunt Jessica):

To discover end-of-fall nature:

While humming sewing machines create winter things:

I am using photos from a few days ago so stay tuned for some major progress. There are Christmas trees, projects close to done, and horsing around all waiting for upload!

Fall Turning

Warm inside:

Cold outside:

Warm inside:

Cold outside:

Still Thankful

We played in leaves:


We ate (the table before the turkey and other sides came):


We talked and laughed:


Some napped:


We finished with some sweets:


We had Thanksgiving and then chased it with a Thanksgiving left-overs party the day after. This post is being written with a delicious piece of apple pie sitting right next to to me. The brisk weather is fun to run/walk in so I can keep on top off all of the calories my psyche has been so thankful for.