Picnic Day

Last Saturday was Picnic Day at UC Davis. I used to go every year when I lived in Davis but I hadn't gone since I moved back to the Bay Area. As much as I enjoyed going to Picnic Day, Vic did not, so he stayed home. I had originally planned to just take Gina but she had a soccer game that she didn't want to miss so it was me and the boys. I got them up early and we were on the road by 7am and driving onto campus by 9am (First time I've driven that far with the kids and no stops along the way). Of course the campus has changed a lot in the last 10 years but with only one slight misdirection I found the parking lot.

We walked over to the parade with a short detour to the bathrooms and the Coffee House for smoothies (Because to get kids to use the bathroom you have to promise them more liquids). We ended up standing next to the grandstands where the parade starts and the Aggie Band-uh puts on a show before the parade starts. This was the first time I had seen the start of the parade up close. Other times I've watched it from downtown or other parts of the campus. It was fun seeing the Band play but it was sure loud. Andrew covered his ears the whole time. Once the parade started I found my friend Kristi who was there with her family. I had tried to find her before the festivities started but it was a little crazy with all the people. After watching most of the parade we went to the kids area where they had bubbles and craft stuff and most importantly for Andrew, candy.

Then we headed over to the animal exhibits. There were lots of goats and sheep and horses. Dylan got to hold a rat and they were both fascinated by a tub with baby sturgeon. In the Animal Science building I ran into my grad school mentor. She hadn't seen the kids before so it was fun to talk with her for a bit. Then the kids got to see baby chicks and baby quail as well as an incubator with newly hatched chicks.

Then it was off to the Arboretum to watch the Battle of the Bands. Andrew did a lot of walking and despite some complaining, he did a great job keeping up. We were a little late getting there so we ended up sitting in the sun. Can you tell it was a very sunny day? Dylan loved all the marching bands, that is what he talked about most. The crazy Stanford Band was there, along with the Humboldt State Lumberjacks, UCSD, and Berkeley. Andrew was fascinated by the Aggie cheerleaders standing on shoulders and hands. We only stayed long enough to hear a few songs. I would have loved to stay longer but I had wanted to meet my mom in town before we headed back and it was very HOT in the sun. Dylan was fast asleep in the stroller before we got to the car. He stayed asleep while Andrew and I visited with Nana. Once we got back to the car, he woke up and was very ticked off that he had missed the whole visit (we didn't mention the ice cream). Once on the road they both slept and we were home by dinner time. I can't wait for next year.

Treasure Chest

A few weeks ago, on a rainy weekend Gina asked about the wooden chest in our room. I got this chest from my grandmother and I don't think I have looked in it for about 10 years, since we moved into this house. So we decided to explore the treasure chest. Some of the things in the chest are table clothes and such, not so interesting to the kids. But we also found this blue silk cape which they both tried on. It is showing a lot of wear on the inside collar but the color is beautiful. There were also a variety of old undergarments, mostly slips and bloomer type underwear from the early 20th century.
Most of the things in the chest came from my grandmother's aunts who lived in Gilroy. There were six girls: Bessie, Evie, Mollie, Millie, George and Jo and one boy, Tom (George and Jo were twins). One item in the chest is a wedding dress. It is cream colored silk (probably darker from age) and it has a pleated panel that has come apart from the rest of the dress. It is fairly heavy but very fragile so I didn't let Gina try it on. However, the shoes that go with the dress were in the chest as well. Gina had fun trying those on. This dress was for Aunt Mollie (I think I got that right) but she never wore it. Her fiance was sick (consumption?) and her father didn't want another sick son-in-law. A very sad story but one I always loved hearing my grandmother tell. Going through the chest reminded me of all the things she used to talk about but were never written down. Hopefully I will remember a few more of her stories to pass down to Gina and the boys..

Easter Fun

Once again we hosted an Easter brunch for family and friends with lots of food and an egg hunt. The kids were very anxious to get started looking for eggs but they sat for the required photo op. Julian decided that screaming for the picture was the thing to do. The three 2 year olds were not sure what to make of that.

We let the three littlest ones go first for a few minutes before letting the big kids loose. It took a while to find all the eggs and there may still be a few left out there in the overgrown patches. Then they feasted on gold fish, cereal and chocolate eggs. Luckily it was a nice day for playing outside and they all seemed to have fun.

Sleepy Boy

This morning Vic needed to get into work a little early so I tried to get Andrew up a little earlier since Vic takes him to preschool some mornings. I talked to him about it the night before so he would have some warning. Come morning though, he was fast asleep and when he was some what awake he just didn't want to get up. I finally dragged him out of bed so that he would go use the bathroom but then he just returned to bed and rolled up in the covers. It was starting to get late so I pulled him out of bed, took off his night clothes and dressed him. During the whole time, he had his eyes closed. Even dressed, he still wouldn't get up on his own. Finally with the threat of being put in the car with only a bag of dry cereal for breakfast, he started moving on his own, had a bowl of cereal and then left with Vic. Some mornings just are not easy.

Bunk beds

We bought bunk beds for Gina and Andrew about a month ago but they have been sitting in boxes in our dining room ever since. The kids have been sleeping on mattresses on the floor with Dylan in the crib in the meantime but that arrangement was getting pretty old.

This weekend Vic started to put the bed together. It also has three drawers underneath that had to be assembled so it took some time as the kids kept interrupting the process. Tonight the bed was finally in one piece and the kids were so excited. Dylan can easily climb to the top bunk which may pose a safety issue but for tonight they all had fun trying it out. When it was time for bed though, they had great difficulty settling down. I finally had to banish Andrew to our bed so that they would all go to sleep.

Playdate

Last month Gina and Andrew had the day off for Martin Luther Kings Birthday. Dylan's daycare was open. I arranged to have Andrew go to daycare as well so he could have a playdate with his friend Julian and I took his brother Gabriel to have a playdate with Gina. Andrew is not normally very excited to go to daycare since he is by far the oldest, but he was definitely excited about playing with Julian for the day. When Gina and Gabriel first got to our house, Gabriel spied a soccer ball and they started running around the yard with the ball. Except for a little friction about the specific rules, they had a lot of fun and got tired out. Once inside, they each started reading on the couch. They sat there for about 45 minutes before looking for something else to do. Then I remembered the Sorry board game that Gina had received for Christmas. The perfect solution for bored kids. I wish I had thought of it earlier since they really got into it and then we had to leave for lunch and skating before they finished the game.

After lunch we headed for the ice rink. Both Gina and Gabriel really like to skate though Gina had been skating since last summer. She started out hanging onto the sides a lot but gradually she got her confidence back. After awhile she was skating around the rink with ease. She could have kept on skating for a long time but Gabriel got tired first. We'll have to try again soon. Maybe next time I will give it a try too.

Airplanes

For Christmas, Andrew received a calendar that was also for making paper airplanes. Each day there are directions to use the paper from the previous day to make a paper airplane. I think there were about 30 different designs. Rather than actually using it as a calendar, Andrew started to make airplane, after airplane, after airplane. Sometimes he asked Vic or me to make a specific plane. Sometimes he followed the directions and other times he would just fold it how he wanted. Some were cut up in various shapes. After about a week the house was covered in paper airplanes. I would find them in every corner and behind things. I corralled most of them into two big paper bags (those that didn't end up in the recycling bin). He was disappointed when he finally ran out of calendar pages but now he is very good at making some cool paper airplanes.

Inauguration

I was really excited about watching Barack Obama being sworn in as president but I wasn't sure about the best place to watch it. We get two fuzzy channels on regular TV and my internet connection doesn't always connect. I had Andrew with me for the morning too. So as we dropped Gina off at her school I considered sticking around and watching it with her class. Hanging around the school with Andrew for a half hour didn't seem ideal though. So off we went back home to watch it on our TV. With a quick stop to get refreshments (and my breakfast) from Peets, we headed home. Of course in rushing to the house from the car Andrew tripped and fell and was crying as I rushed into the house with a promise of ice for his knee. We got home just in time for the swearing in ceremony. Andrew sat quietly with me through the ceremony and then the inauguration speech. Once it was over, it was time to take him to Tonya's. As we listened to the radio in the car, they replayed parts of the speech. Andrew responded with: We've already heard that! I guess he was listening.

Christmas Fun

Here is the tree all ready to go with presents under the tree and cookies and milk ready for Santa. Gina even made sure there was a table cloth on the little table for the milk and cookies.

It took a while to get the kids settled at night since they were so excited. But at least they didn't get up at the crack of dawn. Instead they let us sleep until 8:30am.

Gina got her roller skates which she has been talking about for months. Andrew got several lego kits, including one from Star Wars. Dylan got a Mr. Potato head and several other toys but his favorites were a bag of M&Ms and a pack of gum. He carried them all morning, and wouldn't open his other presents without help. The writing on the package of M&Ms was starting to disappear before he finally got to open it up and eat a few.



The kids enjoyed playing with their new toys all afternoon though Gina didn't get to try out her skates until the next day because we couldn't find her helmet.

After Dylan's nap it was off to my cousin Mollie's house for a delicious Christmas dinner of coq au vin.

The kids had fun playing with their cousin Declan's new toys and he was great with sharing.
The blue ukelele was his favorite present, he even took his nap with it. Eventually all the other kids got a turn with it as well and Declan didn't complain. Gina led them on a merry game of hide and seek and then chase through the little house.

Christmas Eve

We finally got our Christmas tree up on Christmas eve. We had bought the tree over the weekend but didn't put it up until Wednesday morning. Vic had to go to work so he set it up in the stand and then the kids and I set to work putting on the lights and ornaments.

Gina was very excited about Christmas coming. When she first got up in the morning, she set up a small table in the living room and put out the cookies and milk for Santa. Of course, Dylan came along and ate the cookies. Then all day he talked about "ate Santa's cookies". Then just before bed, Gina set up the cookies again and once again Dylan came along and ate the cookies. Finally, Gina got to put the cookies out when Dylan was safe in his crib.

The Nutcracker

Today I took Gina and Andrew to see a performance of the Nutcracker along with Nana. It was a children's matinee so it was only the first part, about an hour long. We saw the same performance last year and Andrew was scared of the loud canon.

Out in front they had the performers. Both kids loved to see them up close but didn't want to get close for a picture. I loved seeing the Nutcracker as a kid and it is fun going again with my own kids. Gina enjoyed the performance but announced it was too short. Andrew on the other hand, once again was really scared by the loud cannon (It is really LOUD) and started crying at that point. He seemed to enjoy the other parts of the performance but announced that he wasn't going to go next year. I guess next year I will take Gina to a full length performance and see if we can find one with a cannon that isn't as loud.

Visit with Santa

On Sunday we went to Los Gatos so that the kids could tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. All three were very excited. Of course, it was a little wet out but the rain held off for the most part while we stood in line. For 40 minutes. I bought some kettle corn to munch on while we waited and Dylan was happy to sit in the stroller for most of the time.

Gina walked right up when it was her turn and listened carefully and then told Santa what she wanted for Christmas. Then Andrew walked up, a little bit more tentatively but he was eager to ask for his Star Wars lego set. He even smiled when I took his picture. Dylan walked up on his own as well, but wouldn't say a word or smile. Then I got a picture with all three. Overall, a successful outing to see Santa.

Dylan is now 2

Dylan had his 2nd birthday this last weekend. He seemed very excited about it. We had a small party for him with a few of his friends and their siblings as well as Uncle Rich and Aunt Toni. It was a beautiful day and the kids had a great time playing outside in the front and back yards.

I had grand plans to bake a cake but it didn't quite happen. So plan B was going to Baskin Robbins for an ice cream cake which turned out to be very popular. I should have bought a bigger cake (or an extra quart of ice cream) because it was gone with several kids asking for seconds.


After the party we opened up a few of his presents. Big brother and sister were very eager to help. He definitely likes this talking Elmo toy but his favorite seemed to be a carmel lollipop that Gina gave him. It was the first thing he asked for after his nap.

Dylan is turning into an interesting little kid. He has some similar characteristics with Gina and some with Andrew. He can be so serious sometimes and other times his face lights up with joy. He has started throwing tantrums too. Sometimes he will just put his head down and refuse to look up. Other times he starts biting my pants or kicking. He wants to be included in what ever big brother and sister are doing.

On Monday I brought cupcakes to Dylan's daycare for snack time. The kids sat outside to eat them. Dylan took one bite and then just held his cupcake and wasn't interested in eating it. Maybe it had too much frosting. His friend Katrina though thoroughly enjoyed hers.

Growing Up

Last Monday this is what I saw when I got up at 7am. Gina dressed, with her hair (mostly) brushed and in a ponytail, and busy making her lunch of peanut butter and huckleberry jam sandwich (her favorite at the moment). Andrew had also figured out how to get dressed ALL BY HIMSELF. I think that was a first. I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself with all the extra free time. Of course everything was back to normal the next morning, though Andrew did decide to pick out his own clothes and get dressed without any fuss.

I would love to have a few more of these mornings.

Halloween Fun

Yesterday was one long day of costumes and sweets. In the morning, Andrew had a Halloween parade at his daycare. Every year, all the kids walk to the eagle in front of the VA Hospital and the doctors and nurses come out to watch. The police even escort the kids. Even though we have been there 6 years, this was the first year I got to see the parade and Vic came as well. It was a little wet, but the rain held off long enough for all the kids to walk to the eagle and back without getting wet. Here is Andrew Superman with his best friend Colin. They were very cute holding hands during the parade.
In the afternoon, Gina's school had her Halloween carnival. Because of the rain earlier in the day, all the activities were in each classroom instead of outside but they still had the parade out on the blacktop. Below is Gina's class. Gina and her friend Noya were both Supergirl. Usually the parade consists of the principle called out " All Superheroes" and all the superheroes run around on the field. This year they didn't have the microphone set up so each grade paraded around the circle. It was still fun.

Then at night it was time for trick or treating! The two superheroes and the baseball player were ready to go. Dylan followed big brother and sister up to each house and then was very excited afterwards and showed off what he got each time. Boppa came with us while Vic manned the candy bowl at home. The rain held off and the kids got plenty of candy.


Last year they ate some of the candy and we ended up throwing a lot of it away in the end. This year I've convinced them to save their seven favorite pieces and then we are going to send the rest to a soldier in Iraq to share with his buddies. So hopefully this year the candy will all be enjoyed.

Pumpkin Carving

After putting off the kids for several days, we finally got around to carving one of the pumpkins. Last year we carved it several days after Halloween so this is an improvement. Gina was very excited about scooping out all the goop and then roasting the pumpkin seeds. Andrew was more interested in tasting the raw pumpkin flesh which he says he liked. Dylan wanted to help, put his hand inside the pumpkin and then decided he didn't like the gooey stuff and demanded that his hands get washed. Andrew was happy to just draw a face on his pumpkin.

The Age of Realization

Dylan has finally recognized that he has to take a nap in the afternoon and his brother and sister do not. He is not happy about it. Yesterday, I put him down for his nap and he cried and cried. He finally seemed to settle down but only for an hour. Normally, he takes at least a two hour nap. Then today, I tried to get him down just before taking the other two out. Again, he cried and cried. I left and when we returned two hours later, no nap. Vic said he cried for about 30 minutes and so he got Dylan up. He seemed fine though he fell asleep in the car on the way back from getting groceries. He did go to sleep a half hour earlier today but he started out crying "No nap." After a couple of minutes he had a change of heart, asked for a toy car and lay down in the bed. I guess he is really a toddler now.

Pumpkin Patch

A week ago on Saturday we visited a nearby pumpkin patch with some friends. The kids were very excited to dress up in their costumes. Gina is Supergirl and Andrew is Superman (Lame mom forget to check on the battery for the camera so I was dependent on others for the pictures). Below is Gina with her friend Gabriel. I also have a Giants baseball outfit for Dylan. It was originally bought for Gina but she never wore it and neither did Andrew. I bought an official baseball cap to go with it as well (I actually went twice because he apparently does not have a toddler size head). But when it came to putting on the outfit, he refused. He also turned down the giraffe costume that has been handed down from the bigger kids. So he wore the hat for a while but not for any of the pictures. He may end up going out trick or treating dressed as a toddler, we will have to see.

Haircut Day

This morning we were all set to go to Andrew's soccer game. I was dressed, Andrew had his uniform, I was looking for his shoes (which I never did find) and then... it started to rain. Five minutes later there was a notice that the soccer fields were closed because of the rain. So no soccer. If this had happened 30 minutes earlier I could have gotten the kids into their Halloween costumes and headed over to a Halloween party. Instead, the kids wanted to play in the rain. The rain only lasted about 15 minutes so they were happy to play in the mud. As always, they became covered in mud, even Dylan. Now he wants to be part of whatever is going on.

While Dylan took his nap, I remembered that Andrew has school pictures on Tuesday. Gina wanted a haircut and Andrew was looking a little shaggy so we were off to the haircut place with Nana. They ended up being busy but could take all three kids later in the afternoon. So we went back two hours later with all three kids. The kids played upstairs since it wasn't quite time but then Andrew started calling: Mama! Mama! Accident time. Of course I had forgotten a change of clothes so I rushed Andrew home to change while Nana looked after the other two. When we returned, Dylan's hair was done. My mom was a little shocked at how short they cut it, but it looked similar to his last haircut. Gina was happy with her hair especially since they put glitter and a new clip in it. Then it was Andrew's turn. I told the woman I wanted his hair curly but not so fluffy. In the past that description has been fine. She even asked if I wanted it as short as Dylan's and I said No, longer. This time though she took out the clippers and the next thing I knew, blond curls were falling to the floor. His hair ended up being very short. And no curls. Next time, I will insist on only scissors.

Soccer Season

Two weekend ago was the opening of soccer season and the first regular games were this past weekend. Andrew is playing on a team for the first time (he made the age cutoff by 11 days) and I am one of the coaches for his team while Gina has moved up to U8 girls. For Gina this means practice once a week, longer games on a bigger field, six players per side and a larger goal, but still no goalie.

Both Andrew and Gina got blue uniforms, Andrews team is the Rhinos while Gina's team is the Sharks. Andrew was really excited to get his own uniform and play in a game like his big sister. For the opening weekend, they have the under 5 and under 6 kids play some fun games with the coaches and then they spend about 20 minutes playing small games. The whole setup was fairly chaotic. They ended up pairing Andrew's team up with an under 5 girls team. It might have worked except that a couple of the boys have a clue about the game and none of the girls seemed to know what to do. Several ended up crying, I felt really bad about that. Hopefully the rest of their season will be better.

For opening weekend, Gina's team played two twenty minute games on Saturday and a longer game on Sunday and they won all three games. There are a couple of girls on her team that are really good. This past weekend, I didn't get to see all of Gina's game since I had to go coach Andrew's game, but apparently they won 9-2 and Gina scored a goal. It is really tempting as a parent to coach from the sidelines, yelling at your child to kick the ball, but I am really trying to resist the temptation and just watch the game and let her learn as she plays.

For the under 5 teams, they have half an hour of practice and then a half an hour for a game. We had the boys running around, practicing throw ins and dribbling. Then the team is split so that there are two 3 v 3 games going on. I didn't get a chance to really watch Andrew play but he said that he had fun.