SofiandNatalie.com

The holiday season is here, and I have more than most to be thankful for. So much, in fact, it’s almost impossible to put into words everything that is in my heart and mind. I have a beautiful, loving wife, two daughters that mean more to my very being than any words could ever express, good health, and more of life’s basics (clothing, food and shelter) than any one person deserves.  These blessings are with me throughtout the year, and thanks to my daughters the ones that really matter will be with me, in their words, too, “always and forever.” Read the rest of this entry »

Lisa C Being a Great Sport with PJ's on Her Head!

It’s been a long time since Mama and I have had a party that didn’t include a princess related theme, more children than adults or a jumper, and I realized this morning (after yesterday’s party) that’s it been way too long.  Needless to say, we did a friendly potluck yesterday (with more adults than children) and it was awesome.  Thank you so much for everyone that joined in.  The food was fantastic, the weather was amazing (especially for November), the wine was divine, and the company cannot be matched.  Thank you to everyone that joined in, we appreciate it more than you know.

Of course, no good party would be great without some stories, a few pictures and maybe a video or two.  Fortunately for all, we got a few of each.  Don’t worry, nothing too embarrassing for anyone.

Many of our friends that came to this party were co-workers of Gina and their spouses and children.  It’s nice to see that most of the teachers have geeky husbands, and that similarity seemed to give everyone something to talk about.  John Ironmonger was in town for his daughter’s basketball game (University of Oregon vs. San Jose State) and was able to make it by for a snack and catch-up.  I’ve missed seeing John every day, and am very happy to know that he’s doing well, enjoying life and very, very happily married to his sweetie.  Carolyn and Carl are (finally) engaged, which added some additional celebration, and there was plenty of good food – for the meaties and the vegies – to go around.  Everyone brought along a bottle or two of wine and I think we consumed all but one.  That made for a very light afternoon, and at 6:00PM we were still sitting outside enjoy a 71 degree evening in November!

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It was wild – we were at the zoo and there were so many children dressed up.  Everyone was looking great, excited as all get out, and if anything like us, having the time of their life.  That’s right – we went to the 2008 Boo at the Zoo at the Oakland Zoo.  We got there quite early – about ten minutes to 9:00, before they even opened, and we were one of the first to arrive.  I’m glad we got through the exciting stuff quickly, because we really did get to see the zoo and the other kids in their costumes – the girls even got their face (Sofi) and arm (Natalie) painted.

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Halloween rocks! This year has been awesome and for the first time I think, like my children, I get Halloween.  It’s not about the candy – although that is certainly one of the perks – it’s about the excitement, the costumes, dressing up, and all the mixture of freak and fright that makes this kid’s holiday a true joy.  This year we started at Braly School, and my princesses took in the sights, sounds, smells, and visions of what this halloween was going to be like.  There were costumes, games, parades, prizes, candy, pizza, baked goods, smiles, laughter, and plenty of fun for all.

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A couple of weekends ago the girls and I took the time to finish what Troy so graciously helped start – the treehouse stairs.  We didn’t finish the railing, but the steps, landing and everything in between has been installed and is usable now.  Of course, while I finished the girls had to get their cars washed in the back yard.  I only add that in because I think everyone needs a half-naked, in the backyard, in a pair of rain-boots picture in their life.

Papa

Even though everyone has been sick for what feels like forever, there have been some well days and a lot going on in between. It’s actually kind of amazing at how much happens in our lives without really appreciating it. Sure, many of these events are very tiny in my eyes, but when I am able to step back and see them through my daughter’s eyes I can be truly amazed by their wonderment.

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One of the local outdoor malls is Santa Row.  It’s about 10 minutes from home and offers the higher-end and manufacturer stores as opposed to Valley Fair – directly across the street – which offers a more traditional mall shopping experience. One of the benefits of being an outdoor mall is the flowers, and on Sundays they offer a somewhat modest farmer’s market.  The good thing about their market has to be the freshly made popcorn, which we enjoyed immensely.

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Balancing work and children is difficult.  Over the past few weeks the time that I normally spend exclusively with my children has been dedicated to making sure that our annual kickoff went smoothly.  Fortunately, it was fun work, and with a theme like “We Rock!” the end result was a load of “toys” to play with.  The team let me take home two guitars, some VIP passes and some sunglasses and I brought them all home to Sofi and Natalie as soon as I could.  And that’s just the beginning of the fun.

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Mama and I have been talking for some time about getting Sofi and Natalie’s ears pierced, but to be honest we were afraid of the crying. I think that their tears of pain are more difficult for us than them, although when it came to their second ear, I’m not so sure.

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