We are back in it

The week flew... did I even look up... not sure... back to school and work is hectic... Even more hectic... heading to Italy on Thursday with a quick stop in London for lunch with a friend... Venice for S's bday party, on to Tuscany to visit friends, stopping in Manhattan for awesome shopping moments and a visit to K before heading home... K and Daddy are hanging together at home so a weekend of prep to make sure they have fun while I am gone... Somehow I doubt they will miss me too much... mac and cheese at Whole Foods, Il Postale... the adventures and stories I will miss.

Last night T and I went to the Stanford Arizona game... a lot of fun...

The funniest moments from the week have been K's post bedtime adventures... Every night after we tuck her in we find her with the lights on her room... We have seen her wearing beads, grabbing books, horses, dolls and changing pajamas (to match the tights she insisted on wearing to bed).

The funniest moment was when I found her with our big duster which has a long stick trying to get a cat from a shelf above her closet... I walked in and she had this stick up in the air right next to the shelf trying to figure out a way to actually reach the shelf... Impressed that she found the duster and figured it out... but of course she always impresses me. Wonder if daytime naps are over... she is sleeping about 8 hours a night after a massive snoozing period a week ago... What a girl... hurrah for a weekend together.

this weekend

Ojai

Mommy/ K adventure!

K went to church with Gma this weekend and got to debut more tights... She is very into playing dress up. Luckily this time we didn't have to pull the dress out of her tights. She also helped us clean the house which she really enjoys... not sure where she gets that from! Sat night M&J came over and although J wouldn't gallop like a horse after the last galloping adventure with K ended in a fall (not for K) we still had a great time as we continue to taste test pizza parlours throughout the Bay Area.

On Sunday K and I met a couple mommies and big girls from the mommy group for a Monterey day... We had lots of lattes (yummy), the girls had pasta, K got to see her first Disney movie although she only was interested in the horse on the movie and not as into Belle... The most important part of the trip was the aquarium. The river otter exhibit was really incredible this time as there was a little mommy and baby and we got to see them eating. The octupus was a highlight for K as was playing and hiding with Am and Tay and running and screaming... Although we didn't end up staying over in the hotel we had a really great time especially because as we drove away we got to watch a family of deer... It was a fun mommy/ big girl adventure. And of course... lots of pics to come...

What is the point of work?

Our conversation on the way home from school last night...

K: Mom, does Dora work with you?
M: No
K: How about Boots?
M: No
K: How about Swiper?
M: No
K: Is Daddy at your work?
M: No, he works somewhere else.
K: How about monkeys?
M: No
K: Elephants?
M: No
K: Giraffes?
M: No
K.... long pause... do you have cars at work?
M: Yes!
K: Inside?
M: No, outside.
K: Oh, hmmm. I have cars outside my school. We are the same. A match!

K seems a bit lost about why I go to work... We have already discussed the fact there are no swings, I don't play with dollies and we don't have any bunnies or any puppies... like her school.... and no one makes me lunch. In an attempt to help me pack my lunch for work the other day she handed me a carton of soup... I guess she is trying to help make the office more fun!

Steve who

During my Sept trip to NYC I bought K a Steve Alan dress on sale... K told me she wanted to play dress up and wear it to school with some tights... I am thinking I really scored a dress she likes only to realize why she wants to wear the dress... so she can tuck it all the way in to her new horse tights... This morning K spent the morning walking around the house in her cool new dress tucked into her horse tights with her horse sweater on top... Hmm... maybe she doesn't like the dress as much as I thought. She was a horse from head to toe!! the dress was well hidden and scrunched up underneath everything.

It is really over

School starts tomorrow... and we are back to work for a little bit.... T and I went on a get away down to Ojai this past weekend. We debated canceling because of the rain, but finally decided to go ahead and go. Gma S & Gma C covered while we went on our rainy adventure... T was a fantastic sport and wandered through the rain for five hours while we shopped the boutiques on State Street in Santa Barbara. One of my faves was having a sale so we checked out all four of their shops... Great buys... horrible weather... Ojai was very different in the winter, but still fantastic... we had nice long dinners and breakfasts at the resort and also went into town for sushi and coffee... Our room had a beautiful fire place and golf course views so I spent part of the time curled up with a book... we watched the Stanford basketball game, T got to golf, we went to yoga, I took a toning class, we wandered down to the herb gardens and we got a chance to chat... photos to come... Last night we visited the shops and found some great things for K and headed back in more horrible horrible rain...

A couple more shots

back to work... for a little bit...

love this girl

Saturday

We went to story time on Saturday at the library and were thrilled to have one of the books from our collection read to us. We loved Stanford men's basketball even more.... we want to go to a game every single day.... Mommy was made to be the band (we were stoked about the band) when we played with a basketball later in the weekend...

A .. is the bestest

K had a great time with A this weekend... Mommy had a great time with A this weekend. The lychetinis were great, the mojitos were awesome and the appletinis were always fun.... Thanks for being such a great girlfriend! Although we were a bit offended with the fact that the Cascal bartender suggested 30 is umm old we still had fun... Straits was also awesome although I am glad we are only together every few months. Looking forward to a SoCal get together.

Garrod Farms... loving the horses!

We loved the horses, playing princess with Tay and making cookies... we loved it!

SF fun

Yesterday we met T at work and took K to the city to see the lights, look at the kitties in the Macy's windows and grab dinner... The best part of the day for K was the fire trucks... which were everywhere. I tried to get my car washed before meeting T (just in case you are wondering why it rained yesterday) and we were told it was a 90 minute wait... So instead I had to find something to do in Redwood City... We went to Mervyns to get new bootie pajamas when we spotted a fire truck outside of the babies r us.... K was so excited we ran over to it and checked it out... little did we know we would see eight more fire trucks while in the city. K loved it and even got one firefighter to ring the bell. Dinner was definitely the best part of the day as we went to Cafe de la presse.... a yummy french restaraunt. They even had macaroni and cheese on the menu... way more cheesy and buttery than what we have at home! Every time we see a fire truck we sing hush little baby don't say a word... papa's going to buy you a fire truck. K is starting to miss N's and her friends. She wants to go back to school. Guess Mommy is a bit boring.

One of the best Christmas' ever

Christmas rocked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We got to try the jam I made this summer from the apricots that we borrowed from the orchard down the way... with some tasty scones, we had fantastic mimosas... Gma S made an incredible xmas dinner... and we just had a great time! I tried to make a fruit tart... Whole Foods makes everything look easy. My pastry cream didn't turn out and so thank goodness Safeway was open so we could purchase the ingredients necessary for a redo... The presents were great... My family gave me a fantastic bracelet (that I eyed in Boston) and a beautiful creamer (that I eyed in Cambridge) careful what I show Pmogi!!! and T bought me a beautiful ks travel make up bag, picture frame and a perfume I had been eyeing.... once again... careful what you show pmogi! K was thrilled to see her babies and has not mentioned Lucy once... Our babies are swinging and sleeping and being pushed around in their new stroller... The best part of course... the post xmas sales... after that no more shopping...

A perfect holiday

We spent the weekend exchanging gifts, going out to dinner and visiting friends which was fantastic. Sunday was probably one of the best days... We met our friends S&R in Santa Cruz for breakfast and a walk near the beach... K loves loves R and spent the morning following him around... grabbing his hand when it was time to cross the street... and the funniest thing of all... as we were walking she picked flowers for everyone.... R got a beautiful bloom as did Mommy and Daddy... S however got a little tiny bloom..... K loves her R! S&R also gave K a beautiful horse who we named crash... she has been sleeping with him every night. He takes up more room in her bed then she does. We went into downtown and wandered around... enjoyed our favorite coffee from bad ass and as we were wandering we discovered carriage rides... K loved loved her first carriage ride ever... I forgot the camera as I wish I could have caught her face. We finished the day by wandering on Fulton in PA with pmogi and gma s to check out the lights. K loved the lights and was dragged from each house... Her favorite thing was baby Jesus who she spent the rest of the night talking about because she wanted Santa to bring her baby jesus!

On Christmas Eve K and Daddy went shopping for Mommy presents... I think I am the only person who went to the mall to have lunch and not shop, but we all met after they were done at Oakville. We hosted Christmas Eve and K spent most of the evening playing doll with one of her cousins... She enjoyed holding him and sorta enjoyed sharing her toys! One of the funniest things about K shopping with Daddy is that the presents always come out while we are going along our day. As soon as I saw her she announced that she had gotten me candy... The best part was as after we split up I took K to the grocery store... We are driving down the road when she asks if I saw the Santa... I said which Santa thinking I missed it when she said you know the one I took the photo with... You can guess what one of my presents was. Our first ever Santa photo!

lucy who...

Tonight we had to make a run to target after getting K... Somehow right next to the kitty food section... there were babies... babies with strollers, beds, changing pads... and well more babies... After two weeks of working on pulling Lucy together... Gma C got the stroller, we found the baby, the bedding, the carrier, the diaper bag. Gma S and Pmogi found the cradle bed.... there was a change of heart. K no longer wants lucy... she wants these babies.... and everything that comes with them... The particular style she wanted only had one left so we split up and T bought them... but what do I do with all the lucy stuff and most importantly will she want it later... For now we have both safely tucked away in the garage. K is very serious about her new babies though so I see an exchange taking place...

The holidays are here!!!!!!!!

The mommy's group had a great holiday party on Saturday.... K loved it and was the last little one to go... holding on to toys and saying she didn't want to leave.... how can you leave tons of new toys, unlimited apple juice, tangerines and most of all friends!

T and I went to our annual city day... tried a new breakfast place... in search of a new city breakfast place... wandered the marina checking out trees, shopped, hit the grove for lattes and finished the night at town hall for dinner and union square for lights... We are taking K next week....

Yesterday I sorted hundreds and hundreds pounds of pasta at Second Harvest... K heaven... followed by my first slice of cheesecake factory cheesecake at my office's holiday party.

Tomorrow is the last day of school for K for 12 days... The adventures are about to begin... Last year we did a number of day trips in the area... so we are gearing up for some fantastic family time and lots of adventures!

An average weekend

- AuntJ came down for the weekend and hung with K... K was thrilled....
- Mommy's calc final is tomorrow... lots of studying and best of all lots of help from the most awesome husband and tutor in the world.... THANK YOU!
- farmers market fun with twee twee and our favorite musician. reenacting the market at home with singing last night while demanding Mommy dance...

T and I had an awesome date on Thursday night as he drove down to meet me at my conference in HMB and spend the night... Power relaxing as the conference went so late... enjoyed all the amenities... didn't enjoy the run outside due to the nasty wind... beautiful view from the gym inside... bad idea to think outside was the place to go... loved loved the panna cotta...

Tomorrow night the holidays will begin at 8pm when calc ends and my first quarter back in school is over... Let's all hope I do ok on the final and the grade counts as I am still not in the class due to a missing prereq... the thought of taking it at a jc to save time, money and make it easier is totally failing right now.... Loved the SCU stuff.... hated the calc would be an understatement...

Another baby

One of our Christmas gifts from last year is hot again... A doll from Aunt J... who is now named epsie and our first girl doll.... We love her!

K had another spectacular weekend.

- Big Game... she loved screaming GO STANFORD and high fiving everyone... She also loved the watermelon in the press box while visiting Daddy's friends.... The barstools and the long hallway for running were exactly what she had in mind.... We went to one of our favorite restaraunts in Palo Alto after the game as a family... K almost fell asleep on the drive home, but loved her day especially as it included a morning with Gma S and her weekly visit to Whole Foods for the shopping cart and cookie...

- Sunday we went to a fantastic breakfast with M&J, hit the farmers market and spent time reading with Aunt J.... T and I went to Peets and had a mini date over a cappucino while K caught up with Gma C after being away from her for a weekend... Very dramatic for the both of them. I think we have made it through 30% of our books being read at least once.

The bummer I was I brought the camera and a dead battery for most of our events...very useful!