New Year's Eve

2010 was shown the door with a wonderful meal, a mock countdown for the boys, and a spontaneous dance party to celebrate the coming of the New Year.

Goodbye 2010

One last day at the park in 2010!

Gorilla Tea Party

Nico rediscovered his gorilla costume from Halloween when we were clearing out his closet to make way for his new Christmas toys. He decided to wear it for our tea party. It's not every day that a gorilla joins us for our afternoon ritual but at least this one had relatively good manners and only spilled on himself a few times. Tea is served lukewarm for exactly this reason. I think we'll invite him again.

Merry Christmas 2010

Santa brought the boys a new parking garage that includes a car wash, a gas pump, a gate with attendant and an elevator.


Since reading is a favorite activity around here, the boys received several books as gifts.

Spencer and Nico each were given their own personalized ornaments. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!

Nana visited for the day. Between breaks in reading, we enjoyed a meal of honey-baked ham, mashed potatoes and seared green beans. It was a delicious Christmas feast! Merry Christmas to all!

Pink Eye

Oh no! The dreaded pink eye makes an appearance. Both boys were infected and needed drops several times a day. Spencer also had an ear infection for which the pediatrician prescribed antibiotics.

As if being sick wasn't bad enough, it meant that we had to cancel plans to visit Nana and Aunt Bobbi for a belated birthday dinner as well as postpone our scheduled trip to Disneyland. Spencer, not knowing much about Disneyland, seemed more disappointed about missing out on seeing family than the amusement park. We can't wait until the boys are healthy so we can reschedule our trip. Stay tuned!

A Visit from Santa

Santa visited our neighborhood once again this year with a full police escort no less. Nico could not take his eyes off him. Spencer asked for a sled. Hmmmm. Time will tell whether Santa comes through or not.

Sharing Cake with Sophia

Spencer and Sophia may not have shared a birthday party this year but they are still thick as thieves. The two best friends are often inseparable at school and pretend to marry on an almost daily basis.

Spencer Turns 5

Happy Birthday to Spencer! This year has been one of growth, both physical and mental. Spencer loves to write us notes and knows all the letters of the alphabet although being self taught, his teacher may want to work on his technique when he starts kindergarden next year. Chapter books are what Spencer requests now at bedtime. Recent stories have included The Trumpet of the Swan and Pippi Longstocking. Another passion is fastening his toys together to create new items that he imagines are cameras, etc.

We thought that given his boundless imagination, we would take him to Disneyland for his birthday this year instead of having a party. In the meantime, we treated Spencer to lunch and a sundae at Ruby's, a 50s style diner with delicious hamburgers. Spencer wanted pizza and beef and broccoli for his birthday dinner, an unusual combination perhaps but his current favorite foods. We look forward to seeing what the year ahead holds for Spencer!

Tree Lighting Ceremony

Time once again for the annual tree lighting ceremony in downtown Culver City. Good thing for us that the tree is tall because otherwise it would have been difficult to see the lights go on from our vantage point at the back of the crowd. Spencer's favorite part of the event was the complimentary cider and popcorn. Nico, who happens to be the perfect height to weave his way through the sea of people, kept me on my toes chasing after him. The ceremony to me represents the start of the holiday season. Happy December everyone!

The Mouse House

There are two mice living in our house. They made their nest under our piano, a nest they filled with various toys to keep themselves occupied. One look at their faces and we were smitten. Looks like they're here to stay.

Santa Monica Gobble Wobble

Hundreds of people showed up bright and early this morning to burn off some Thanksgiving calories by participating in the Santa Monica Gobble Wobble. The last time I ran a 5k was seven years ago when I was training for the LA Marathon. My time was not as fast as before but then the only running I've been doing lately has been chasing after two little boys. I'm happy that I completed the race and that I jogged the entire way.



Spencer, inspired by my running, decided to participate in the Widdle Waddle 1k sprint, even though he was one of the youngest there. See whether you can pick him out of the runners waiting at the starting line.



The children were told to chase after the turkey who would show them the way along the race route.



And he's off! Go, Spencer, go!



Here comes Spencer, triumphantly sprinting for the finish line! Hooray!

Spencer says he's up for another run early next year. Stay tuned.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2010 at Nana's house was bright, filled with sunshine, good neighbors and friends and, once again, missing Nico. Just like last Thanksgiving, Nico napped late, slept long and only woke up for the very end of the dinner. Or did he plan it that way? Nico still can't say "turkey" but he DEFINITELY knows how to say "pie." Pumpkin AND pecan pie were the highlight not just for Nico but everyone at this year's Thanksgiving.

Before dessert was served, we toasted to our health, our happiness, and the many blessings our family was thankful to experience in this past year, and hopefully, for many years to come.

"Pie!" (added Nico, later)

If You Build It

This morning Spencer played the architect while Nico acted out the role of the demolition artist. For a brief moments, the brothers worked in harmony.



For round two, Spencer built a barricade and armed himself with a jackhammer in the event he needed to repair the wall.

Cat Nap

Sometimes you just need to take a cat nap after breakfast, just ask Spencer and Nico. Why under the breakfast table? Why one pillow, one blanket, one stuffed friend?

Hey, sometimes you just NEED to take a cat nap.

One Man Band

Why be satisfied at playing one instrument when you can play a multitude? In this video, Spencer shows us how it's done.

Playing Catch

While Spencer and Lydia were enjoying their morning movie and lunch, Nico and I held down the fort at home. Wonderful baby that he is, Nico took a long morning nap while I caught up on work and watched the Packer game.

In the afternoon, we had lunch together and went for a long walk back to an old, favorite playground. When we returned home, Nico was still keen on spending as much time outside as he could. It was a gorgeous, cool, windy day and when a gust lifted up Nico's hair he always turned to me and exclaimed, "Wind!" He loves all different kinds of balls and I was surprised when he started saying, "Catch!" over and over to me. We picked up one of our old balls and started kicking it back and forth to each other until Nico picked it up. "Catch!" he said again and walked it over to my open hands. "You can catch it Nico," I said. "Hold your arms out like THIS..." And put my palms up, elbows at my chest. Nico formed a perfect cradle with his arms and after only two attempts...Woo Hoo! The kid caught his first ball.

After I told him to throw the ball back to me, he walked right up and kind of rolled it back into my hands, just as he had when we started. And that's OK: first 'catch' and we can work on 'throw' another day.

Tangled

This morning Spencer and I had the privilege of seeing a sneak preview of Tangled, Disney's retelling of Rapunzel. Spencer was enraptured by the animation, in particular a beautiful sequence towards the end featuring floating lanterns that, through the magic of 3D, seemed to linger in the air just out of our reach. As far as the story was concerned, Spencer wondered why Rapunzel wanted to leave the tower and why her mother didn't want her to go. By the time he realized that Mother Gothel did not have Rapunzel's best interest at heart, the tension was almost too much for him to bear. A few tears were shed when it appeared the villains would get away with their evil deeds but Disney saved the day with a happy ending.

After the movie, Spencer and I went for lunch at the Beverly Hills Diner, a restaurant we had visited once before as a family. Spencer had loved selecting music on the miniature jukebox located at our table. Unfortunately, the jukeboxes were not working today but the food hit the spot. It was nice to spend time together, just the two of us. I foresee more mother-son outings in our future.

No Way

Nico's new favorite expression is "no way." I'm not sure where he learned this particular phrase but he says it with authority.

Artists at Work

Spencer is beginning to branch out from writing to coloring pictures. He tends to use a rainbow of colors. Markers are his preferred instrument although lately, he's been switching to crayons, pressing hard to create the most vibrant shade and not limiting himself to the illustration borders.



Following in his brother's footsteps, Nico also likes to scribble away. As long as he sticks to paper, we're all for it.

Fire Station No. 2

School field trips to the fire station are always a blast! We learned all about the tools they carry on their trucks and what life is like at the fire station. We even watched a firefighter slide down a pole. Spencer wanted to know whether they had a mascot. Unfortunately, they no longer keep a dog due to liability reasons.



I couldn't resist a shot of boys with the shiny fire engine. Thanks for the tour guys!



Our little junior firefighter!

Business Attire

Ready for a day at the office. Now where's that briefcase?

Paging Dr. Nico

Dr. Nico loves checking blood pressure, wearing a stethoscope and giving shots. Just don't ask him to write you a prescription.

Entrapment

As you carefully examine this home-made trap, ask yourself if you can tell how you might fall into the trap. How would this trap hold you? And how could you ever possibly get out? Can't answer a single one of those questions, can you?

That's why Spencer is smiling. The Super Secret Trap Maker strikes again!

Band Practice

Spencer has been obsessed with the song "Crossfire" ever since he saw the video featuring Charlize Theron fighting off ninjas to rescue the extremely handsome Brandon Flowers. Each time he is rescued, Flowers flashes his devastating smile. It is a pretty perfect video. Whoever came up with the concept is brilliant as it has something for everyone.

In any event, Spencer has been singing the song daily, acting out the video and setting traps for us all over the house. He sings his own interpretation of the lyrics. In Spencer's version, the chorus goes, "And we're covered in the crossfire of Beverly Hills," with Beverly Hills substituting for "heaven and hell." Both are true.

A Goodbye Tale

Grandpa made time for one last tale before leaving for the airport. During their visit, Grandpa and Grandma patiently read Nico's favorite stories: The Circus Ship, Flat Stanley and Curious George over and over again. It's hard to say who enjoyed these story times more: the grandson or the grandparents.

The Crashing Waves

No trip to Los Angeles is complete without a drive to the beach. It seemed a fine way to spend the last morning of the grandparents' visit. Spencer skipped preschool so that he could accompany us to the Del Rey Lagoon and playground where he climbed this rock structure.


Nico checked out the view from the tunnel underneath. He walked through with only a slight tilt of his head. Soon he will be too tall to manage such a feat.


The two brothers dug in the sand together for a few moments before rushing off in separate directions.


Grandma showed Nico how to dig with a bulldozer.


The lagoon sits right across the street from the beach. As we approached the ocean, Nico paused, looking at the waves with trepidation. "Crash," he said. That's been his favorite word of late. He would go no farther. I picked him up and walked a little closer but Nico made it clear he wanted to keep his distance. We sat and looked at the waves for a while. "Crash," he repeated. Nico seemed to sense the ocean's power.

Before we left, we snapped a family portrait with the ocean as a backdrop. This visit has flown by but the memories will last us until the next trip and beyond.

Round and Round on the Merry-Go-Round

The Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round dates from the 1920s although it wasn't installed in its' current location until 1937. Although the horses and paintings are beginning to show their age, the ride still has an undiminished elegance and beauty.

The merry-go-round whirls surprisingly fast which seemed to take Nico aback. According to Grandma, half way through the ride Nico wanted to dismount but he changed his tune once the spinning stopped.


Spencer, a merry-go-round veteran, picked the fastest and biggest horse with Grandpa's help. He enjoyed the original, vintage pipe organ music just as much as the ride.