It's been a big month....

you throw in Halloween, a girls weekend, a Mimi's visit, a big announcement and some celebrations with Jeff's work. In the midst of normal life with two boys and their activities, still adjusting to a 2 day a week working Mom, colds & breathing treatments at 3am, cleaning the house, trying to save energy for Jeff at the end of the day....

What suffers are..... the blog updates don't happen. and the milk & Life cereal doesn't get bought (on time) and we run out of paper towels. The laundry does get clean but it just sits in the baskets waiting to be worn, all wrinkled of course. and it seems we eat pasta every night...who has time to be creative with meals...thank goodness for Trader Joe's who has some amazing prepared fresh meals....you just pop them in the oven. anyways....

here's my attempt to get caught up before the commencement of the official 'holiday season' tomorrow:)

Jeff & I in the photo booth at the Admob celebration party....fun times!

the hat and glasses were props....we're not that stylish:)

A mini reunion with some Taylor friends in Sonoma and San Fran

Mimi came to visit!

Halloween 2009

Charlie and Max were quite the duo and had so much fun together this year.

The early bird....

When Mimi came to visit in early November, we headed to the Bay Area Discovery Museum bright and early. We were there almost at opening time and had the outdoor play area all to ourselves. Such fun!! By the time it got busy we'd already had a couple of hours of hard playing time and we headed on home for naps.

Sweet Max thinking he's big stuff playing with Charlie on the boat.

We love you Grammie Merkel ( She's our 'Bonnie' who lives over the ocean...or across the plains at this stage in life)

I can never get enough

of the gorgeous views of the Golden Gate from the museum.

A lot of fun for the kiddos and a fabulous view for the adults!!

We'll just call it 'husband training'....

somehow....

my boys have learned that when Mama walks thru the door after a day at work...

we don't play....

we don't talk...

we don't read books...

we CLEAN.

sigh.

But I have to say the last two nights of walking thru the door to my peaceful, loving and MESSY house have been really nice. My new babysitter Renata and the boys have had two good days in a ROW. its been so so nice to come home to a happy babysitter and happy boys...even if the house is a mess.

and Charlie and Max both...go get the wipes from the changing table and start wiping down the coffee table, the side table, etc. They are SO proud of themselves for being big helpers together. While Mama vaccums away the dust, dirt and sand from the day.

I do worry I'm turning them into OCD adults.

Maybe their wives will thank me someday.

Practicing....

for the big night.

he said....Trick or Treat!

I said.....say, Thank you Charlie!

We were a broken record all morning:)

The Burlingame Mothers Club annual Halloween party in the park and trick or treating thru our downtown. so fun:) Max & Charlie had a blast!

My friend Jamie and I had fun chasing our little cow and lion around!
The 'boys' trick or treating downtown.
Ah, the dilemena of what to choose. I could NOT convince Charlie to pick one Starburst or Skittles for his Mama's sweet tooth. We've got some work to do before the big night apparantly.
Jeff & Max, Warren & Grant shopping the Avenue.

13 years.....

We had a great evening and dinner. We are finding it's a bittersweet stage of life. And so... time together sans boys is pretty cherished these days. That's the good part of this stage. Valuing each other and time spent together....

because the flip side is.... The boys are so darn hard right now. Our weekends spent together as a family are incredibly draining...and yet....Jeff & I have pulled together as a team like never before in our marriage. Its the best of times because the boys are so amazing.... and yet whew its the toughest of times too.

We spent the evening celebrating the best of these days of ours. Jeff's job, my new job, Charlie's strikingly strong personality, Max's accommodating yet stubborn sweetness. Our love of California and our happiness with the choices we've made in our life.

It was a great evening together.

And we were home in bed by 9:30....we are in our late 30's now:) so that's the icing on the cake of great evening out (to be home early:).... such a fun evening celebrating 13 years of marriage.

Happy Anniversary to us.

October Sunday

Let's race Mama!!!

This boy does love to run....
And climb...thank goodness Uncle Nick's in town to help with the crazy monkeys...

Listening to the street drummers....
Walking to Taylor's for cheeseburgers....
A rest on the way there....
Is my cheeseburger done YET?!

Pumpkins!!!

I love this time of year.

and am so happy we have Half Moon Bay a short 20 minute drive from home.

check out the cute dirty cheek Max has...he was very into the dirt, not so much the pumpkins like big brother Charlie.

The great equalizers.....

these are the things that I believe are what make life meaningful. The things that bring everyone to a common place. When we lived in London, it was an American accent....immediate connection. That sweet older man on the plane who had a red haired daughter himself...my instant surrogate Dad. Breastfeeding issues....need I say more?! I won't but whew what an equalizer in life.

In my new job back at Stanford Hospital, I'm struck (and to be honest dealing emotionally in this newbie stage of working- I found myself bawling after watching Dirty Dancing the other night), on one of the greatest equalizers in life....cancer.

I know I'm already becoming a different person for the few hours I've shared with my patients who's life has halted at this nasty yet beautiful? equalizer in life. The beauty I think comes from realizing maybe for the first time or not for a long time what really matters to you. For me its my faith in God and my family. This past Sunday at church held more meaning than it has in a long long time. And the nasty part....the fight and anger in getting to the beauty part of it all.

And what do I really know about that journey...not very much, thank God. I just feel so privileged to be able to walk alongside these individuals two times a week.

Charlie & Puppy

Whenever Charlie is asked "Do you have a dog??" he answers.... Yes, I have Puppy!

His stuffed Puppy is his closest companion. Puppy is never far from Charlie's side. Max has even learned to find Puppy and bring him to Charlie....saying CHAR CEEE....PUPPY!

Puppy helps Charlie to process thru most everything that happens, from timeouts, shots at the drs, Daddy being away, etc. What happens to Charlie in life, is acted out with Puppy shortly after.

And so when Charlie was the special person at school today (because mom was the helper in the classroom) he was allowed to bring one special thing from home. Without a doubt Puppy was the one who traveled to school with us.

The moments of Charlie 'introducing' Puppy were priceless. Charlie kept saying over and over...'Puppy is SO SO special. I love him SO much'. And then he proceded to walk around the room and encourage everyone to smell Puppy. Becasue of course Puppy just smells so good:) We did wash him in case someone did want to smell him.

It was an adorable moment. For Charlie, Puppy and me.

Put on a Grouchy face.....

I'm mean.......

put on a smiley face.

First day of preschool....last year of preschool before kindergarten. Where did the years go? Charlie was in not so rare form and had few smiles.

I said....'Just stand by the railing, I don't care what your face looks like!!'

And this is what I got....

And then this....still some crazed sweetness in this independent boy of mine.
All my boys on the first morning of school.

The boys will play.....

For Labor Day weekend, Jeff & Charlie headed camping for the second annual "Burning Man" Festival. Burning Man being some reference to roasting marshmallows....not sure of the story there....Probably too many kids and too many beers, the Dads all come up with some goofy name for the weekend.

Addendum. Sorry for the below blurry image. Apparently there is a real Burning Man Festival

Glad to know that at Jeff & Charlie's Burning Man weekend they are simply filling up this little wired man with marshmallows to burn. Not sure of the lesson these kiddos are being taught....but we'll worry about that one once they start asking questions I guess. I'll refer that one to Jeff to answer in the future.

Anyways....take a look at the photo below and can you say CRAZY and what a fun group of Dads they are!!! Rock stars! To take so many 4ish aged kids camping....

Again...check out the madhouse of kids trying to get their hands on a marshmellow. Charlie's on the far left in the brown shirt in case you can't find him:)

Charlie scoping out the campsite.

DIRT!!! Perfect shirt for this boy. Can you see his hands??? and you should have seen him when he arrived home. He had SUCH fun with no mom telling him this and that. and we all know a little dirt is actually good for us. the fiber and all, right?!

Charlie visiting with his neighbor tent mate Elizabeth. Sweet girl who spent most of the overnight sitting right there at the door of her tent. I'm surprised Charlie slowed down long enough to visit with her.

Max & I had a great 24 hours of time 'alone'. It went much to quickly and we are already looking forward to the Burning Man Festival of 2010!

I've been neglectful....

And we've had quite the eventful month! I think I'm becoming better suited for these 'month at a glance' posts....

Charlie & Max had their first visit to Chinatown. I look dead tired in this photo (I'm getting old!!) but I LOVE the boys expressions. There were so many new and interesting things for them to see here. And even though its San Fran, these two golden headed boys caught so much attention in Chinatown. Jeff had fun showing us many of the tastes and sights he's been seeing in his work travels to Asia. Have to say at this stage I'm happy to see these new sights safe and sound in San Fran's Chinatown rather than across the ocean....at least with little boys in tow...

Jeff & I booked our first daytime babysitter on the weekend. We took a Sat for about 6 hours, hiked in Marin, had lunch in Sausalito and just enjoyed a relaxing Sat together. It was wonderful and I think we need to do the daytime babysitter at least once a month. And check out the fleece!! that's August in San Fran....crazy weather:)
These two little monkeys have really kept me on my toes this month. Charlie was all adorable smiles pulling out his wellies....but whew we've had tough month of lots of talking back, tantrums, and time outs. Maybe there's a 4 year old who's ready for preschool to start??? I know there's a mom who is.....
And this sweet Max...so so sweet...but so so busy....I want to soak up this age and am looking forward to some more alone time with Max this fall when Charlie is in preschool three mornings a week.
ahhh....and the absolute highlight of the month....Jeff & I got away for a long weekend to LA. It was amazing...left us wanting more time together and not ready to head home. A good way to end a weekend....

Sausalito Children's Museum...

We had a great day at the Bay Area Discovery Museum.    We spent the day with our friends the Swinsons before they move back to Charlotte.  Beth & I were fast friends when we met the first of this year and I'm so sad they are leaving us behind so soon:)

Sweet Max on the big boy toys....

Love his cute behind:)

JT & Max literally sharing their lunch....

A happy five some.... so hard to find in life.  But these five get along so well and stay happy while playing.  Sadly (so sadly) this was our last hurrah with Abby, Caroline & JT before they all move back to Charlotte.  So THIS is what it feels like to be left behind....we Merkels are not used to THAT feeling:)

An attempt at a family shot:)

And sweet sleepy Max on the drive home from the museum....LOVE IT:)