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!