Sorry boys...

I am one of 'those moms'...matching outfits!!
I love it.

Creative or Deviant??

My take on it usually depends on how much sleep I got the night before....I think I was leaning towards deviant on this day!




And then Charlie had the nerve to say...

'I'm too busy Mama to clean up'.

You can imagine what I said to that!

I'm starting to sound like my mom....

For my belated birthday celebration I just wanted us to spend time together...taking a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge.

I remember my Mom saying the same thing, not so much about the Golden Gate Bridge...but of course about spending time together. What a wise woman. I should enjoy these years when my boys are happy participants:)

The good moments....

It's been a little nutty around our house lately. With Dad working long hours, Charlie & Max sharing colds and ear infections, and Mom just being plain grouchy.

Here were some good times today that make me happy...

I want to stay ALL BY MYSELF....

What a change from last year's first day of school. Charlie wanted to be sure that Mommy, Daddy & Max were NOT staying this year. So glad that Charlie like his school, teachers and friends. And I can enjoy a quiet morning while Max naps. Yea for the fall and the new school year!

It was all about the redwoods....

Our Labor Day weekend was spent in the beautiful forests of redwood trees in our area. We started the weekend at the Kings Mountain Art Festival in Woodside, CA. It was a gorgeous setting.








Jeff took Charlie camping in Big Basin with a group of his Stanford friends and their kids. Somehow all the wives opted out for a quiet house for 24 hours.

Lots of 'helping' hands pitching this tent....

This open meadow was the perfect playground.



SMORES!!!!

A tired little gang of campers...

A pleasant surprise....

I love it when I find new friends with some of my favorite character qualities. Its always a pleasant surprise. One of the best things about my Dad is that at the slightest mention of something loved, a favorite this or that, it will suddenly appear in my life. Sent in the mail, waiting on my bed as a child, remembered at birthday or Christmas time. We actually learned with my Dad to be VERY careful what you said you liked, because it might come back to 'surprise' you. Two of our friends here in Burlingame have this wonderful quality in them.

After an off handed conversation at the farmers market about some yummy cupcakes from a special bakery in San Fran....

Lo and behold, what should appear on our doorstep today....


YUMMY.

And yes, I hid them from Charlie.

Naps are for babies.....

Not big boys with two teeth!

Max decided to forgo a good nap today to hang out with Mommy & Daddy in the backyard. Time for a photo shoot!

Two computers, two phones....one reservation!

To celebrate Max's birth we decided to attempt and get reservations at a Famous Little restaurant in Napa Valley. You can only book 2 months to the day and at opening time the lines are already busy. You can book one table on a website called opentable.com so Jeff had it all planned out. Max was napping, Charlie was watching Paddington Bear. I had two computers going back and forth to opentable and Jeff was manning the phones.


Unbelievably we got the one table available online!!!! We've been celebrating all day long. I think the anticipation may be as much fun as going. Can't wait until October 24th....

Farmers Market in San Fran

We had a fun day at the Ferry Building Farmers Market...





Hey, I'll have one of those....I did know the guy at least:)


Jeff and Charlie checking out the cool water fountain in front of the Ferry Building...Jeff & Charlie are 'under' the waterfall.

things are slipping....

You know you can't keep up with life when....

...you're at the park watching your newly potty trained 3 year old
who wants to go potty "ALL BY MYSELF'

...climb the jungle gym

and realize.... he has NO underwear on.

it was a proud moment.

wish I had my camera.

Baby Blue

I've been enjoying some time with just Max. Charlie has camp 3 mornings a week (when he's not sick and when I can shake him off my leg to stay!)

Max and I have been able to hang out together just us which is such a treat! We even had time for a little photo shoot.

Sweet baby blues...

I know I shouldn't.....

Compare.

But who can help it when these boys are so cute. I didn't even realize when we took Max's photos that we had this old one of Charlie.



Max at 5 months...looking at his absolute favorite person...Charlie....what a sparkle.

Charlie at 4 months

An extra set of hands...

And Mimi's hands at that! We loved having my mom come for a visit while Jeff was in London last month. This way I only said my favorite phrase 'I think I'm losing my mind' (Which is my mantra when Jeff travels) a couple times a day rather than all day long!!

We hit the museums while Mimi was here as its easier to do man to man at this stage with Charlie & Max. The Bay Area Discovery Museum and the San Jose Children's Museum were such fun things to do.

Mimi & Charlie on the Golden Gate Bridge


The real Golden Gate Bridge

Happy 34th Birthday Jeff!

34 things I love about you....

1 Your smile

2 you were the first boy I totally fell in love with (for real)

3 you make me laugh

4 you like to cuddle

5 you'll shop with me and not complain

6 Charlie & Max

7 your smarts

8 you like my friends

9 you always think I should buy that little something

10 your love of kitchen gadgets

11 your hugs

12 the agony of green vs brown birkinstocks (its been a few years:)

13 moving me to London TWICE

14 you're a listener even when its tough to listen

15 your adventurous spirit

16 you rarely say no

17 cutting flowers for me from our garden

18 buying Gned

19 letting me get a kitten

20 eating my cookies

21 telling me time and time again who shot Martin Luther King Jr

22 Watching 'Love Actually' with me

23 Fanning my face for an hour when I'm in labor...and only complaining after the fact:)

24 not thinking we were too young to be married at 24 & 22

25 your blue eyes

26 that you married me....

27 camping with Charlie in the back yard

28 always looking for a challenge

29 keeping me up to date on the latest styles

30 getting up with Charlie every morning at 6am

31 that you were the first to say I was beautiful

32 you buy me maltsers

33 and champange

34 that you love your brothers so much

and me even more.

Happy Birthday Jeff!

Monkey see, Monkey do...

In our other pre kid life...we called Jeff 'monkey' on our sailing trip to BVI. Now Max is the little monkey in the family! Thanks Suzanne for such a perfect gift to remind us of such fun memories! Maybe someday we'll be sailing together again....