tiny dancer

Today was Zuzu's first day of "ballet" class at the Stapleton School of the Performing Arts. As you can almost tell from the lousy iphone images above, there isn't actually much ballet involved in the "magical movement" class...just don't tell that to these euphoric tutu clad two year olds!

"that is amazing"

Is this a result of my learnings from 'siblings without rilvary' that I started practicing yesterday or is Gage just a really good actor? I'm thinking it's a little of both. I'd love to publish more of this three minute video but the lack of clothing proved to be slightly prohibitive.

hide & seek

We enjoyed a very spirited game of hide & seek today. Gage, Zuzu, Grandma & I took turns hiding. Two at a time. Grandma and I got a kick out of the innocence and naive approach to the game that the kids exhibited. We are so accustomed to speaking to them like grown-ups and it's so easy to forget that they are 2 and 4.

At one point, Zuzu found a "great" hiding place behind the sheer blinds in the master bedroom. Gage was anxious to join her so he sent me and Grandma on our way to count. But not without hollering after us, "but you guys, you need to look more places 'cause you know we're here."

I hope this isn't one of those 'you had to be there' moments because we were rolling with laughter...

ease on down

We introduced the kids to "The Wiz" tonight. It was one of mom's favorite soundtracks from the 70's (yes, I'm that old) and it appears to be a big hit with the next generation as well. Couldn't hurt that Zuzu is head over heals in love with the fact that she starts ballet class in three short days (any guesses as to what the posts will look like on Wednesday night?).

corny

Anyone know when corn goes out of season? We're going to need to stock up for winter. This little girl just can't get enough.

siblings without rivalry

So I started reading this book (again) last night and I'm determined to get through it this time!

simple saturday

He's baaaacccckkkk!

Baby Duke spent the day with us today. Seems he prefers a day full of childish over-stimulation to an empty house and our kids quite like the four-legged entertainment. Have to say, I'm kind of digging the no commitment, part-time arrangement too.

Last time Duke went home I explained to Gage that he would probably miss Duke a lot, but that we'd see him again soon. He proceeded to tell me, "that's ok, we're buying a new puppy for my birthday".

I suppose it's a good thing that he now has his heart set on this birthday gift instead. The countdown has begun...63 days to go. Who wants to bet on whether or not mom and dad will be able to hold him off that long?



And I couldn't help but to include this photo of Zuzu tonight.
There's a new cupcake store in town and there couldn't be anyone happier.

goodbye sweet friend

Today was Gage's final day at the pre-school he attended for two years. I know he holds many dear memories and will miss his friends and teachers dearly...but today he really just wanted to get home and play his lego star wars video game. I did, however, manage to snap a dozen or so shots before we bolted out of there...



The two pre-K classrooms are actually being renovated this week...just in time. They'll probably be ready to do it again when Zuzu graduates!



Yeah, he's checked out.

makeup artist

Will someone please explain to my children that...
1. bathtub crayons are for creating art on the tub, not the face
2. the entire point of a bath is to get clean, not dirty

catastrophic cartwheels

Today goes down in our family history as the first time that our firstborn had a full-blown, violent, screaming & thrashing tantrum...in public. Not sure anyone is truly interested in this news other than me but I'm gonna archive the experience anyway. Feel free to skim.

The sad thing is, there was no battle waged, nothing taken away, nothing lost. The outrage was Gage's sleep-deprived reaction to a series of cartwheels that did not meet his standards. I think we've got a perfectionist here. Hmmmm, let me think...yeah, he's got that gene.

All I could do was grab him and wrangle him to the ground. Although I couldn't see them, I could tell that the young girls behind The Little Gym counter were quite confused. Gage? Our happy-go-lucky Gage? So unlike him.

This is most definitely an ignorant statement on my part, but in the heat of the moment I truly felt like Gage was having a seizure. Transformed. Completely out of body. He didn't want anything from me or anyone else for that matter. He was just plain mad. Furious. There was no use consoling, joking or diverting attention. I just held on as tight as I knew how and waited.

Of course he came around eventually, as they all do. And, I'm sure this was not the last of the public tantrums. Problem is, that was karate class and he lost it over a cartwheel...what am I going to do with him tomorrow when it's time for gymnastics?

garage art

Before Gage was two we began painting on an easel almost daily. We have rolls and rolls of wildly abstract art stored away from those first few years. Then, somewhere during his early three's, we graduated to acrylic on canvas with more than three dozen works produced, gifted and/or hung.

Now, Zuzu hardly suffers from second child neglect, but the guilt of this was getting too much to bear lately, so I finally gave in and pulled out the easel. Granted, it has moved from the comfortable confines of Gage's bedroom to the toasty concrete garage, but we gave it a go and for the ten minutes that it simultaneously held their attention, it was a huge success.

Warning to grandparents, we will begin production on this year's holiday gifts as soon as I can restock the supplies.

stuck on what?

Tonight, while completely engaged in the women's gymnastics on television, I attempted to repair one of these blue piggy banks from the container store with an ordinary tube of instant krazy glue.

Mistake number one. Do not use krazy glue if you have no intention of paying attention to what you're doing. There I stood, the lone adult in a house of sleeping children, gripping the damn piggy bank in the palm of my hand while I anxiously watch team USA make mistake after mistake. Gripping.

Mistake number two. Have some remote idea how to remove glue before using it. Especially if you will be making mistake number one. Below is the answer to the first FAQ on the krazy glue website.

"Don't worry. Just soak acetone or ordinary nail polish remover containing acetone on the bonded area. The bond will break but be sure to rinse the area thoroughly after de-bonding. If you don't have acetone handy, have a little patience! Soak the bonded area in warm, soapy water. Carefully peel or roll the skin apart gently and slowly. DO NOT PULL APART, Instant Krazy Glue® creates a VERY strong bond that's nearly impossible to break by pulling straight up and down. If you gently roll the skin, you will gradually diminish the bonds between the Instant Krazy Glue® molecules themselves and be able to get your fingers apart. For Instant Krazy Glue® emergency medical information call toll-free 1-888-516-2502."

Patience? Hah! This author has clearly never been alone with the palm of their hand glued to a blue plastic piggy bank. My advice? Next time you buy krazy glue, buy nail polish remover with acetone, and store them together.

barack roll

check this out...and be prepared to sing along...

who needs a playground?

It was a quiet Sunday morning in Marin County when our children, one still in pajamas and the other naked under her darling dress somehow deemed it appropriate to convert dad's car, parked on the street none the less, to a jungle gym. (The irony here, if you've never been to our home, is that one of the most beautiful parks in the area is located five houses down.)

There was climbing...


and balancing...


and even a little monkey bar action...


Unfortunately, dad neglected to get a photo of mom's face when the children returned inside to promptly present their grease & dirt covered bodies...lucky for you, you need only imagine!

future olympians?

I'm thinking that opening ceremony was definitely worth the hype. You've gotta love Chinese technology. These two certainly did.

free day

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, or plan on visiting any time soon, please make sure to read the fine print on the SF Zoo website (noted below for your convenience) before trekking down there on the first Wednesday of the month. Unfortunately, we did not and I saw no form of limited attendance practiced today. This was a mistake I will not make twice. The only area of the zoo that was not obscenely swamped with frugal animal lovers was the gift shop. Go figure!

Free Days

The first Wednesday of every month, admission to the Zoo is free. The Zoo reserves the right to limit attendance on Free Days in the best interest of the animals. We recommend that you take public transportation because parking is limited.

"no, I do it"

Zuzu succeeded in dressing herself for bed tonight.
Well, sort of.

rub a dub dub

Zuzu lost her balance slightly while sitting in the tub tonight. After regaining her composure she exclaimed, "oops, I slipped off my tushie!"

flirt

Oh yeah, we're in trouble.

halo

before


during


just about after

Meet Zuzu's new best friend, James Crookston from Halo. She was a little darling (definitely not what we expected) when she sat for her very first haircut today. Loving the new side angle bangs!