The comings and goings of Wyatt Parker "bear" & Malcolm Robert "moose"

Happy Birthday Sweet Dottie

2012-01-15T16:10:00.000-08:00

This Saturday was Dottie's fourth birthday party, a bowling party. Everyone had a great time, even Moosey who refused to participate in bowling or photos. Happy Birthday Dottie!

At the Club

2012-01-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

Jason and Scott took the kids to the driving range in the presidio to hit some balls. They had a great time, even though Wyatt clearly needs a left handed club...and would likely prefer one that is not pink.

Malcolm's Soccer Team

2012-01-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

Malcolm started his own soccer lessons last week with Coach Tim of Soccer Kids. He is very proud of himself and most of all loves his new soccer outfit - which includes shin guards and cleats. Go get 'em Moosey!

Gifts from Grumpy and Jean

2012-01-14T07:30:00.000-08:00

The boys also got an additional treat when they arrived home from Tahoe to find more Christmas presents from Grumpy and Jean. Guns which they love, like any good grandpa would buy for his grandsons, and a very special edition of The Night Before Christmas Book read and recorded by Grumpy and Jean. They listen to it every night still, weeks after Christmas has been over. They even talk to it when the recording gets hung up on a page, "No, Grumpy, next page, next page!"

UPS Truck

2012-01-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

Wyatt once again asked for a UPS truck this year for Christmas...its been his request for several years running. So, Gigi did what any good grandma would do and went online and searched for this very hard to find item on Ebay. (Actually, Wyatt's mom did this and sent the link to Gigi but then Gigi found one even bigger and better with an operable back door which is one of Wyatt's requirements. And she paid a considerable amount of money for it.) There was a lot of build up for this bigger and better gift because it was specialty shipped and didn't arrive on time for Christmas so Wyatt anxiously awaited its arrival at our house after Christmas. And finally the UPS truck did arrive...and he LOVES it.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-14T06:59:00.000-08:00

We made our annual trek to Tahoe this year to wait for Santa. This year, however, there was no snow. But, we had plenty to keep us occupied between trips to the mall in Reno and visits to the Discovery Center Kids Zone. We had a great week. The boys are big believers and it made the holiday so much fun. We made cookies and a gingerbread house and watched lots of "Frosty the Snowman" and "Rudolf" movies.

We let the boys open presents from Grumpy and Jean a little early so they would have some new toys to play with during the long week of anticipation...they loved their new dinosaur train and hot wheels jump the shark track.

Then, on the big day they received lots of amazing gifts from Santa and family. Malcolm specifically asked Santa for walkie talkies so, after every gift that the opened he would say, "that's not walkie talkies, where are my walkie talkies." Luckily he did get them, they just happened to be the last gift he opened. They also received costumes (astronaut for Malcolm, SWAT team for Wyatt), new scooters and helmets from Giggen, lego sets from Sean and Tiff and a few other toys. Their big gift this year was a knight castle and I would say they were not disappointed. They played with it for hours and still do.

This year Jason took the boys out to buy Christmas gifts for their mama. He told them they could select anything from Rite Aid. Wyatt selected some beautiful, white Christmas tree candles and Malcolm selected a camping lantern, green, "I wuv green, its my favorite color!" he says. I love it too.

The Countdown is On...

2011-12-19T21:56:00.000-08:00

It is 10 pm and Wyatt is still awake in his room. We leave for Tahoe tomorrow and he is so excited he can't get to sleep. One more week until Santa comes, I'm not sure if he is going to make it that long!!

Happy Times Holiday Party

2011-12-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

Last day of school before winter break and I was fortunate enough to attend the Happy Times holiday party. There was a jingle bells sing along, loads of sugar cookies and even a visit from Santa himself. Malcolm asked his teacher if it was the "real" Santa just to make sure. When Santa was leaving Malcolm through a tantrum and attempted to run out of the classroom door. When he finally calmed down enough to speak he said he wanted to go outside to see the sleigh and the reindeer. We had a hard time convincing him that Santa drove a truck to Happy Times and left the sleigh in the North Pole.

San Quentin Souvenir

2011-12-17T21:43:00.000-08:00

I accidentally left the prison this week with these two face shields (required when walking on the tier with condemned prisoners held in segregation.) Better than any xmas gift I could have purchased, the boys love them!

Karate

2011-12-17T21:40:00.000-08:00

Wyatt had a blast at Leo's Karate birthday party along with all the boys from his kindergarten class. He has decided he wants to start taking karate classes.

School Photo

2011-12-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Same pose, same background, same order forms, as when I was in kindergarten.

Do Not Try This at Home

2011-12-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

You can't turn your back on these thrill seekers for a minute these days. Malcolm insisted it was OK to do this because it is his body and if he wants to hurt it, he can. Wyatt tried to make me feel better by saying, but I hold on to the railing...which won't do him a bit of good at the speed he is traveling down those steps.

That's Dinner?

2011-12-06T21:17:00.000-08:00

The first of many dungeness dinners this season. Yum!

Mustachio!

2011-12-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

Like papa, like sons.

Lemonade Stand

2011-12-06T20:39:00.000-08:00

Last week, out of the blue, Wyatt decided he wanted to have a lemonade stand. I'm not quite sure where he got the urge, especially since its December and it has been pretty chilly around here lately. The idea persisted throughout the week and by Friday he had already told many of his buddies at school to come visit his stand. Wyatt and Malcolm both helped make the lemonade and set up the stand. Wyatt made the sign. They had a great time selling lemonade, especially when friends from Wyatt's class who live in the hood stopped by.

Before the big day we talked about what Wyatt wanted to do with the money he would earn from his stand. His classroom, K 107, has "save" "spend" or "donate" jars and he decided that he wanted to put the proceeds from the lemonade stand in the donate jar. In fact, he even told one customer (a friend from another Kinder class at Grattan) that the money was going to Kenya to help kids who don't have enough in their school. I wasn't sure that was entirely accurate (in fact I didn't know he'd ever even heard of Kenya!) but I was very impressed. We were proud of the hard work and the $12.80 they raised. However, after talking about donating the money all weekend, on Monday morning when his teacher, Mr. Draven, asked which jar he wanted to put it in he replied, "spend!" Guess we will just have to have another one to raise money for the school kids in Kenya.

Bay Area Discovery Museum

2011-11-27T20:57:00.001-08:00

We rounded out the four day holiday weekend with a trip over the bridge to the bay area discovery museum and lunch at Fish in Sausalito with the Murphy-Mortimore family.

Sea Bowl

2011-11-27T20:47:00.000-08:00

We spent the day after Thanksgiving nursing a headache from Jason's signature T-Giving cocktail, the liquid apple pie, at Sea Bowl with Mara, Chuck and the girls. Greasy pizza and coke and a few games of bowling did the trick! We may just have to make it an annual day after Thanksgiving event.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T20:28:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated Thanksgiving at our house with Gigi, Giggen, Floyd and family, our friends Jodi, Scott and their daughters and a friend of Giggen's, Leah. We had a potluck style dinner and everyone brought lots of great food to share. Jodi brought over some crafts for the kids to make Native American vests and head pieces which was also a big hit. Jason topped off the evening with a new signature thanksgiving cocktail. As usual I got tons of photos of the kids, but none of the adults. I love turkey day!

Lovely Lola

2011-11-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

Ben, Bren and Lola stopped through town on their way to relocating to North Carolina. They stayed with us for about a week and it was great to get to spend time with the whole family and especially to get to catch up with Ben and Bren after kids went to sleep. There were trips to the zoo, Golden Gate Park, afternoon dance parties, dim sum, and lots more. Lola has gotten so big since the last time we've seen her and she certainly held her own in a house with two older and very rowdy little boys. They miss having her around and have been asking when she is coming back. Hopefully we'll see them all at the beach this summer.

Halloween Double Date

2011-11-01T21:47:00.000-07:00

The boys joined Julia and Kenzie for an evening of trick-or-treating on Belvedere Street. The costumes and themed houses did not disappoint, though it is a little overwhelming for the kids, they loved it. Uncle Sean and Aunt Tiff, Gigi, Giggen and Grumpy came as well so it was a big group to keep together in such a crowd. Malcolm is already asking when we get to go again!

Halloween Parades

2011-11-01T21:38:00.001-07:00

Both Wyatt and Malcolm participated in Halloween parades at their schools. Wyatt's class (actually all the kindergarten classes at Grattan!) paraded down Cole street stopping by our house for some treats along the way. Malcolm's class paraded around the covered carport area at Happy Times. Both boys were very happy and couldn't be more excited to go trick-or-treating at night.

Grumpy's Visit

2011-11-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had a nice visit from Grumpy. We did lots of relaxing, eating, hanging out at the beach and even got to go trick-or-treating with him. Hopefully he will come back soon.

K-107

2011-11-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I stopped by K-107 to work on a little craft project with Wyatt's class followed by lunch. We made paper plate chickens for "farm week" at Grattan. The chickens, complete with goggly eyes and real feathers were a big hit.

Engine Number 12

2011-11-01T21:16:00.001-07:00

Papa was lucky enough to be selected as a chaperone for Mr. Draven's classes first field trip to the fire station. The kids had a great time on their big adventure, walked there and back to school, got to sit in a fire truck and even got to spray a fire hose.

Happy Times

2011-10-02T22:22:00.000-07:00

Malcolm spent his first week of school at Jubilee Montessori School where he was extremely unhappy and apparently rejected the formal rules and structure of the program. We quickly took him out of that program and last week he started at his new preschool, Happy Times. He is quick to tell you that he doesn't go to preschool, he goes to Happy Times...it's different. And in fact it is quite different than Jubilee. It is a play based program and though there is structure to it, the structure is minimal and playing, having fun and building a positive association with school is the basis of their program. Malcolm is really enjoying it and is doing very well with all the support and attention they provide. There are 18 kids in his class and three teachers, Teacher Pam, Teacher Tiffany and Teacher Rita. All teachers have years of experience both teaching preschool and Teacher Pam has been at Happy TImes for over 10 years. They have three different aged classes including a pre-K program for next year. We are so happy to have found such a good fit for Moosey.

Go Grattan Bees!

2011-10-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

Wyatt has joined a kindergarten soccer team and this Saturday they had their first game. We've been to a few practices where they each have a ball and seem to have a great time playing monkey in the middle and other fun games, but I wasn't sure if any of the kids actually knew how to play soccer. But, it seems chasing a ball around and kicking it in the goal comes naturally for most kids. Wyatt had a great time! Malcolm, who is all about the outfit, decided to wear his "soccer uniform" to the game too and had to be pulled off the field a few times.

China Camp

2011-09-21T21:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots of a fun weekend camping at China Camp State Park with friends Scott, Jodi and their girls Julia and Kenzie. We were also joined by two other families so all total there were four very blond girls and four mostly dark boys, all between the ages of three and five. Very fun!!!

Please Don't Stop the Music

2011-09-06T11:13:00.001-07:00

Malcolm and Floyd enjoying an afternoon dance party.

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

I think Wyatt handled his first day of kindergarten better than I did. When I left him in that chaotic classroom full of 21 other nervous and crying kids and dozens of parents he just forced a smile and said "bye mama." And when I picked him up he proudly announced that he didn't cry, which is more than I can say for myself.

The highlights he reported were getting to see his buddies from preschool who are in other classes but apparently have recess on the playground at the same time, getting to go to the playground three times in one day, and thomas trains in the class room.

I've decided to send him with lunch money, instead of trying to pack a lunch every day. I was a little nervous about how that was going to go but he said he gave his $3 to the person and chose chicken nuggets with yellow sauce. He also exclaimed, "You are not going to believe this...they have chocolate milk!"

The day starts out with a morning assembly of the entire school, which was a little chaotic. But once we got down to his classroom where we said good-bye he was sitting on the rug beside his buddy Ben and seemed much more relaxed.

All in all I think he had a good day. Let's hope tomorrow is as smooth.

Wyatt's Work

2011-08-14T08:08:00.001-07:00

Here are a few other of my favorites from Wyatt's "writer's notebook".

Passing the Torch

2011-08-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

This little gem appeared on the last page of Wyatt's writer's notebook that he made at school. Its a picture of his preschool, Jubilee, with the caption, "This is Malcolm's nu school"

Last Day of School

2011-08-14T07:35:00.001-07:00

I can't believe our little bear is all done with preschool. He attended Jubilee Montessori for two years and has grown tremendously during that time. When he first started school I couldn't imagine that he was actually sitting at a table with other children interacting, eating lunch, working on projects. Now, when I pick him up I can hardly pull him away from his friends and his "lessons". When he first started he refused to hold hands and walk to the playground with the other children. Now, he regularly leads the pack of kids as they go to and from the local playground. He wouldn't eat any of the food they served but now he regularly asks for beans, rice and corn at home (his favorite lunch food at school) and he even occasionally wants to eat salad like Ms. Young's.

He works so hard at school and can now form all the letters and write many words on his own. He is learning to read and sound out words. Throughout his two years he has produced a mountain of artwork including many "writer's notebooks". His notebooks have come from scribbles on a page entitled "explosion" to elaborate drawings including a recent one of the inside of our house complete with kitchen, washer dryer, stairway and front door. Another recent one included Mama, Wyatt, Malcolm and flying bat and a giant T-Rex playing on the playground. We are so proud of our little Mr. Pickle and can't wait to watch him continue to grow.

The photos are of Wyatt's teacher, Ms. Young, and his first day - September 2009 - and his last day - August 2011.

Sad Endings

2011-08-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

The time has come for both boys to move on to school - Wyatt starting Kindergarten at Grattan Elementary School and Malcolm starting preschool at Jubilee Montessori School. This means that our wonderful weekdays with Lisa (our sitter) and Max (the little boy we share care with) have come to an end. We will of course get to still see our buddies, it just wont be as often.

Lisa and Max have both been such a big part of our lives it is difficult to imagine not getting to see them every week. Lisa, especially, is a gift to our family and the boys frequently talk about her during the weekends - how we need to bring Lisa back to see the dinosaurs at the museum, or need to tell Lisa about some object found at the playground. No amount of good-byes or thank-yous even seemed appropriate to commemorate the special relationship she has with the boys.

On their last morning together Sandy took Max, Lisa and Malcolm out to lunch at Chuck E Cheese to celebrate. Neither seemed that aware of the big changes that will be taking place in their lives, but both had a blast!

Wyatt was aware, however. And as Lisa was walking out the door for her last Thursday afternoon at our house, he went running up to her and gave her another giant hug.

Come visit us soon Lisa and Max!

Play Ball

2011-08-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

We finally got tickets discounted enough to justify being able to take a family of four to a baseball game. (Tickets prices have been way up since the Giants won the World Series.) They have both been very excited about going. Malcolm was extremely disappointed that Buster Posey was still injured and not playing but decided he wanted to go anyway.

The boys loved the whole experience - loud cheering and loud music playing (mostly just Malcolm like this and I'd catch him shaking his head around dancing whenever they played music in between hitters), hot dogs, DIBS, kettle corn, and getting to hit some home runs in the kids batting area! Most of all Wyatt loved Lou Seal, the mascot. The game had a late start time and they made it till the 7th inning before we decided it was getting way too late and we should get them home to bed.

We were joined by Uncle Sean, Aunt Tiff and the Grandmas. We look forward to taking them to many more games in the future.

Big Bend Lodge

2011-08-04T14:47:00.001-07:00

We had a fantastic weekend up north at Big Bend Lodge with friends - Brian, Marla and their two boys Oliver and Milo. The location consists of cabins with kitchens and baths, a communal fire pit where you gather with everyone staying there, and loads of toys and space for the kids to roam. They even had chickens! Its a short walk to the river and we swam (sort of, it was very cold but the kids did go under!) and spent lots of time sunning on the beach an throwing rocks in the water. The boys also got to see their first GIANT redwood trees. They didn't seem very impressed at the time but Malcolm has been talking about them ever since.

Camping

2011-07-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went "camping" in Cloverdale about two hours north of San Francisco in the Alexander Valley wine region. The landscape was amazing and we had a little cabin complete with bunk beds for the kids and a water spigot at our campsite. My kind of camping! The kids loved all the activities at the campgrounds which included their first ever fishing experience. There was also a great pool to swim in. Most of all they loved the ability to roam around the campgrounds freely along with a pack of little boys (all brothers aged 3 and 5) from the three neighboring cabins. We just sat back at our campsite along with some of the other parents and watched the boys running, scooting and riding their bikes in and out of sight. By 9 pm, mid-smore making, they both asked to go to sleep. They are really growing up fast!

County Fair Season

2011-07-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

Its our favorite time of year again, county fair season. We made our annual trek to the Sonoma/Marin Fair in Petaluma and this year we also checked out the San Mateo County Fair. The kids are loving the fair as much as us now - Wyatt's favorites are the scrambler and cotton candy and Malcolm loves the pony rides. Both love getting to spend the day with their buddy Dottie and baby sister Esther.

Tarantulas!

2011-07-02T21:56:00.000-07:00

Wyatt has been learning all about the rain forest at school. Of all the wonderful things in the rain forest he seems most interested in tarantulas so, when the new spiders of South America exhibit opened up at the SF Zoo a few weeks ago, we had to go. We were not disappointed by the size and selection of spiders - especially giant tarantulas - they had on display. Yes, that is real life a big spider in the photo of the tank above Wyatt's head. Amazing! They boys loved it and they want to go back soon with Uncle Sean. Also, they had their first taste of cotton candy - pure love.

Picking Out Ice Cream

2011-07-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

Picking out their very favorite flavors at Ben and Jerry's -- Vanilla for Wyatt (just like his mama) chocolate for Moosey (just like his papa).

More Casinos

2011-07-02T21:27:00.001-07:00

For a couple that's not that big on gambling we sure have spent our share of time dragging our kids to casinos this year. This time we went to Reno to visit with Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mark, Uncle Dennis and Giggen. We had a great time at the pool party at the Peppermill - let's just say that Malcolm was most likely not the only guy there passed out poolside in his underwear, though he was the cutest. And he did rally in time to have a great meal at the amazing underwater looking seafood restaurant complete with giant killer whales, jellyfish and sharks hanging from the ceiling. The kids are really loving the casino life. Today Malcolm said, "When are we going back to Las Vegas, I've been waiting very patiently for that!"

Father's Day in Tahoe

2011-07-02T21:20:00.000-07:00

This year for Father's Day we headed to Tahoe for a weekend of relaxation. We spent lots of time throwing rocks in Donner Lake and hiking down by the lake side. The boys even braved a dip in the lake which, given all the snow they've had this year, definitely felt like brisk, fresh snow melt. Too cold for the adults.

Cousins

2011-06-10T19:22:00.001-07:00

Wyatt Draws Brontosaurus

2011-06-09T21:34:00.001-07:00

This morning Wyatt said, "I'm way in to Dinosaurs!"

Glen Park Canyon

2011-06-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here we are:
1) Hiking in Glen Park Canyon,
2) Stopping for granola bar snacks and,
3) Taking on the world with a giant stick.

Las Vegas

2011-06-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not we actually went to Las Vegas for a brief family vacation...and we had a great time! Mostly we went for a chance to hang out in the sun by the pool. We were not disappointed by our resort pool, complete with real sand beach, at Tahitian Village. While there we decided to do a few other typical Vegas activities such as hitting the slots, eating a giant buffet dinner (Malcolm was very pleased with the chocolate ice cream sundae bar) and checking out the lion exhibit at MGM Grand Casino. The highlight for the boys was visiting a giant T-Rex at the museum of natural history! The boys were very sad to leave. Its pretty funny to hear the words, "I wanna go back to Waaaas Beeeeegas!" out of a three year old's mouth.

Dinner Date

2011-06-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

Wyatt, Malcolm and four very blond little girls! This is a photo from a recent dinner date over at Julia and Kenzie's house (daughter's of our friends Jodi and Scott). For most of the evening we didn't see any of the kids, as they were off in the girls' bedroom playing. Every so often someone would come up to tell on someone else but, for the most part it was good fun and games.

The Gang

2011-05-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Wyatt, Edvin, Nolan, Alva and Malcolm who all attend Jubilee Montessori School (well, Malcolm will be starting in the fall but thinks he already goes there) meet up at the playground after school on Mondays.

The Boys

2011-05-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

DInner at Gigi's house in honor of cousin Kelly (not pictured) who is visiting.

More Sitting On Curbs Eating Treats

2011-05-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

This time at the Grattan fun fest with their buddy, Dottie Mae. Malcolm does not look too happy about his choice of cookie.

Food Truck Thursdays

2011-05-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Every Thursday is food truck extravaganza a few blocks from our house. Trucks of all kinds park for the evening and people come from other parts of the city to take part in the food fest. I can't get home from work in time so Jason has been taking the boys there for dinner. Last week they were joined by Uncle Sean and Aunt Tiff. They like the cupcake truck best of all! Now, every time we pass a delivery truck in the city they ask, "Is that a cupcake truck? Can we stop?"

Snuggle Buddies

2011-05-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

We finally moved a big bed in to Wyatt's room for Malcolm. He's been sleeping in there for months in a porta-crib, which he doesn't seem to mind at all, but are attempting to bribe him in to sleeping through the night again with a big bed. So far it is working. They love sleeping in the same room and being able to see each other while they are trying to get to sleep now. The beds are identical but Wyatt is somehow convinced that his must be at least a little bit bigger.

Moosey Moo Turns Three

2011-05-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated Malcolm's third birthday with a big time dinosaur party at the playground. Good friends, amazing weather, a jumpy castle and lots of cup cakes made for an amazing afternoon!

At three years old our little Moosey is really coming in to his own personality. Much like his Papa he has his own idea about the way things should be done and doesn't take no for an answer. He is very inquisitive and has lots and lots of questions about how the world works. Some of the questions we hear most often are, "Is that filled with blood?" and "Do dinosaurs use the potty like this?"

His favorite toys are dinosaurs, magna tiles to build home for his dinosaurs, garbage trucks to transport his dinosaurs and the scary Scooby-Doo book Wyatt got for his birthday. He loves music and attends a weekly music class with his buddy Max. At music class he is a big fan of dancing around the room with scarves and loves to hear his name sung during the welcome song. When we were listening to music at home the other day he asked, "Does this song have my name in it?"

His favorite foods are milk, milk and more milk. He is still not much of a solid food eater. He doesn't often eat, but when he does, he prefers butter noodles.

He adores his brother and gets very sad when Wyatt has to go to school and he is left behind at home with Mama. When Wyatt gest home they love to play dinosaur. They chase each other around the house threatening to eat one another, stomping and growling like a T-Rexs. Every activity these days seems to end in a giggling wrestling match.

Happy Easter

2011-05-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

We lucked out with some amazing weather this year for our annual Easter Brunch at the Park Chalet. Yummy brunch buffet with bottomless champagne is hard to beat! The kids had a blast meeting the Easter Bunny and running around outside in large open grassy area behind the restaurant. We will definitely be back again soon. Thanks to Chuck and Mara for the amazing shots.

Party City!

2011-04-29T21:23:00.001-07:00

Here we are picking out Malcolm's birthday party necessities (the big 03) at Party City.

Amazing Day at Crissy Field

2011-04-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

After being stuck in prison all week I was anxious to spend some time out doors on my day off. We decided to go to Crissy Field with some friends - Jodi and her girls Julia and Kenzie. The kids had a great time playing dinosaur and running from waves. At one point there was an emergency situation when a bucket started to get swept out to see but was luckily recovered just in time much to the joy of four very nervous little kids anxiously awaiting its return. Fun day, we will definitely be back soon now that the weather is nice.

The Many Faces of Moose

2011-03-28T21:50:00.001-07:00

Fireman Moose enjoying a hot chocolate (which he insists on calling and ordering as warm chocolate cause he doesn't want to burn his mouth)

Scuba Diver George preparing for a dive (note mouthpiece, weighted belts and aqua socks on backwards, of course!)

Buster Posey

You never know what character Malcolm will decide to be on any given day. His top choices are Buster Posey, fireman, skateboarder, dinosaur, and scuba diver George. He collects elaborate and creative costume pieces and stashes them around the house. He has certain belts, hats, and shoes that he requires with each ensemble. Once he goes in character it is very hard to get him out. In fact he'll repeatedly correct you and request that you call him only by his character name which can get very frustrating while attempting to discipline him - "Malcolm, put down that permanent marker!" "No, Buster Posey." He is quite the character.

Smart Boys

2011-03-28T21:44:00.001-07:00

Playing dress up with Gigi's magnifier glasses.

2011-03-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

Happy 5th Birthday Mr. Pickles

2011-02-24T22:39:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated Wyatt's birthday at My Gym. He decided he wanted to invite all 15 kids from his preschool class so we had to find a space big enough to accommodate this request. Wyatt was all smiles and the kids all seemed to have a great time.

I can't believe what a big boy Wyatt has become in his first five years. His favorite activities are skateboarding, skateboarding and more skateboarding. When he is not skateboarding he is playing with his mini "tech deck" skateboards or watching skateboarding videos at Gigi's house. He also likes to play fireman with Malcolm and loves drawing pictures of sharks and, you guessed it, himself skateboarding.

He loves listening to music - Lady Gaga and Rihanna are favorites - but even with those singers on its hard to drag him on to the dance floor. He has grown in to quite an adventurous eater. (I honestly never thought I would ever get to say that about him.) He loves to eat sushi (avocado rolls, tuna rolls, miso soup and edamame are his favorites). He also LOVES pizza and has recently developed a taste for salmon. We also recently discovered that he loves powdered sugar doughnuts, like his mama.

Wyatt looks very forward to going to school (he now goes four days a week 8:30 am - 1:30 pm) and hanging out with his best buddies Edvin and Allistair. While there he tells me he likes to work on his "writers notebook" and the water drop lesson. He doesn't have a girlfriend at school this year because, "they are stupid." Yup, he's a five year old boy alright. (Obviously we discourage the use of the word stupid to describe anyone but, those are his words from our post-dinner discussion tonight where he told me, he and his friends just don't play with girls, as if there is really no other way to put it than, they are stupid!)

Wyatt also told me that they celebrated his birthday at school on Tuesday. Because he'd had another birthday, he claimed that meant that he was already five and a half! I tried to correct the math, but I'm pretty sure he is still convinced of it. Happy Birthday(s) little guy. We love you!

First Trip to Disney and Seaworld

2011-02-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

This past week we went to visit Gregree and other family members in Orlando and to take the boys to Disney for the first time. They loved it.

Their favorite part of the trip was visiting Shamu at Sea World, where, despite Wyatt's better judgement and pleas to move away from the tank for fear of getting splashed, we got soaked by a vindictive orca whale. Luckily Wyatt, who took the brunt of the freezing salt water, recovered quickly. After initially screaming and crying and yelling at his parents for not listening to him, he decided the incident was actually hysterical and had a good laugh about it...the rest of the trip.

Highlights of the Magic Kingdom included the race cars which we stood in line for many times to ride again and again. They also loved the many parades and seeing all the Disney characters, especially "the real Mickey Mouse!" They loved the outdoor rides like the roller coaster in toon town, the jungle cruise and Aladdin's flying carpets. They also loved the classic Its a Small World. But, following Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh, Wyatt quickly picked up on the formula Disney uses for most of its rides which includes moments of happiness combined with something going terribly wrong and darkness followed by bliss. He was fed up with it and refused to ride any other indoor ride that involved "a dark scary cave" So, my personal favorites, Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain, were out of the question. Despite being relegated to only outside rides that didn't have dark scary caves, they had a blast!

We also visited Animal Kingdom and went for a safari ride.

All in all a great trip!

We settled in to a nice routine of hitting the park all morning and afternoon, leaving for an evening nap in the car and then swimming/hot tubbing and dinner at the house. Luckily the kids stayed on West Coast time so this was possible.

New Skateboard Trick

2011-02-11T08:14:00.001-08:00

Wyatt's still skateboard crazy - we've been skating every day while on vacation. Here's a little video of his latest trick.

Silly Scubas

2011-02-03T20:43:00.000-08:00

Wyatt and Malcolm take their scuba diving very seriously -- complete with back tank and mouth piece, they take turns exploring coral reefs in the bathtub. They are inspired by the scubas in the tank at the Academy of Sciences that the go see weekly. For the record, the boys think they are called scuvas.

Bye Bye Diapers

2011-01-31T20:54:00.000-08:00

Malcolm is officially diaper free and has been for about three weeks now! I can't believe that for the first time in five years, I will not be buying diapers during our weekly grocery run. Yay! Way to go Moosey, we are very proud of you. And the trick that did it...firemen don't wear diapers.

Haircut

2011-01-12T22:52:00.000-08:00

We finally gave Wyatt a much needed haircut. He has been growing his hair out because he wants it to be as long as his friend Allistair's. But, the longer Wyatt's hair gets, the wilder and more dreaded it becomes. It was a bit unwieldy so I seized a rare opportunity when he was receptive to getting a trim to give him a good cut. He was so sad when he looked in the mirror and saw how short it was that he started to cry. He seems happier about it now since I haven't once had to comb it or detangle it since he got it cut so, I think he might be coming around. Plus he likes the fact that "it makes him look more like a ten year old."

Bay Area Discovery Museum

2011-01-12T22:45:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday we met up with Dottie, Esther, Frannie and Jane for a fun morning at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. The kids enjoyed themselves and enjoyed being outside during a break from all the rain we've had lately. Wyatt has nearly outgrown the "toddler" area of the museum - he's taller than 42 inches now! After the museum we headed to Sausalito for lunch at Fish. The kids loved running around chasing pigeons and looking for sea lions (we saw one swim by!) and the adults got to relax and enjoy some great seafood and beers. A very fun afternoon for all.

Cute Boys

2011-01-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

These photos were taken by Tony and Rosie, dear friends of the Ricci family who've been in the photo business for years. They took several great shots of the kids while they visited - I'm just posting a few.

The 10:15 to Burlingame

2011-01-07T15:59:00.000-08:00

Waiting to board

Easy rider

Waiting patiently on the bench for the train to arrive.

Train is coming!

Today the boys and I - along with Gigi & Giggen - took the train to Burlingame. They get to see the Caltrain often at Gigi's house but have only ridden it once before. They were very excited to be on the double decker train again and of course insisted on sitting on the top floor. According to Malcolm a ride on the "N" muni train just wasn't good enough because "it doesn't go anywhere!" and he was tired of San Francisco.

Firemen

2011-01-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Skate Park

2011-01-06T15:45:00.000-08:00

Thank you to "Uncle" Chuck for introducing Wyatt to the indoor skatepark in Pacifica. He hasn't stopped talking about it since he went and has been asking to go back daily. He also has been constructing makeshift ramps to ride on in the garage. He is definitely hooked on skateboarding. I suspect a backyard ramp might be in his future.

And the Winner is...

2010-12-25T22:49:00.000-08:00

Wyatt and Malcolm came running out of the bedroom this morning to see if Santa really came. Malcolm's first words on seeing the stack of gift waiting under the tree, "which one is my firetruck?"

The top gifts this year were Wyatt's skateboard and Malcolm's fireman boots. When Malcolm unwrapped his new boots he quickly kicked off his old boots and tossed them aside. He couldn't put the new ones on fast enough! He said, "baby floyd can have those boots now. I hope Santa brings him a fireman hat" to go with them.

And Wyatt was very happy with his brand new skateboard! He had just seen Giggen unwrap a tennis racket in nearly the exact same sized box so when he was opening it he said, a new tennis racket for me? He was delighted when he pulled it out to find a new skateboard instead! He's been riding it in the garage all day. Wyatt said, "I am a lucky boy, aren't I?"

Tomorrow we will write thank you cards to Santa. Very fun Christmas with the boys!

Before and After

2010-12-25T22:24:00.001-08:00

The anticipation has been killing the boys this year. Wyatt knows the days of the week now and has been counting them down as patiently as possible with Malcolm asking repeatedly, "When we wake up today will we open presents?" This photo is of the boys before they went to bed on Christmas eve. Wyatt asked many logistical questions about how the whole process works -- "Santa will come down that chimney?" he asked in a skeptical tone followed up with "hows that going to work?" (its a wood burning stove w/ a very narrow pipe). He also wondered "will the reindeers come inside to eat the carrots we left them?" and then worriedly asked "Santa is going to stay out of my bedroom, right?"

In an effort to get the kids to go to bed earlier, Uncle Sean told the boys how he had once seen Santa not come because someone stayed up too late. This was very worrisome for Wyatt. I couldn't figure out why he was repeatedly calling me in his room to tell me that we needed to go to sleep. Eventually he was brought to near tears when he finally disclosed that he was worried that Uncle Sean was going to stay up too late and Santa wasn't going to come. Luckily Sean went in to smooth out the situation and Wyatt finally fell asleep.

Malcolm is much more pragmatic about the whole thing. He says Santa brings presents but no, reindeer can't fly because "they don't even have wings!" He's right and it got Wyatt thinking about the logistics of the whole thing a little more. For now, they are both believers and its so fun! The second photo is obviously after Santa came.

Ready for the Slopes

2010-12-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

Maybe next year Moosey! As you can see, he takes it very seriously.

On the Slopes

2010-12-25T22:15:00.001-08:00

Getting Ready

2010-12-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

Tonight we put up our tree in Tahoe. The boys were so excited they also wanted to wear their Christmas Pjs and hats. They are in the final stretch of a long count down till Santa comes. Last night we even thought we might have heard reindeer on our roof!

Gingerbread House

2010-12-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Making the gingerbread house has become one of our favorite Christmas traditions. This year we bought a kit that had a pre-made house which, we've decided, is the way to go with small kids. Wyatt can't believe that he has unfettered access to any number of sweets during the process. In fact, before he eats any candy he asks, "I'm going to eat one, no two, I mean two M&Ms right now, OK?" And then he looks at me in the process like I'm going to stop him at any moment. Malcolm's approach is much different. He grabs a handful, looks around to see who is watching as if he thinks he is about to do something he is not supposed to, and then he shoves them all in his mouth. It doesn't seem to matter if anyone is watching him, he goes for it anyway. Surprisingly he only choked once during the process. Next year we are planning to up the ante and have a family gingerbread decorating competition.

Pooped After a Full Day on the Slopes

2010-12-22T08:59:00.001-08:00

Snowboarding

2010-12-15T18:45:00.000-08:00

This weekend, we stopped by REI for some Christmas shopping and came home with an impromptu snowboard purchase for Wyatt. As soon as we brought it home and he tried it on, he had to go try it out. So Papa and Wyatt drove up to Tahoe that night and spent all day Sunday on the slopes.

Fireman!

2010-12-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

Malcolm's new obsession - being a fireman. In fact, he no longer wants to be called Malcolm or Moosey, only Fireman. Yesterday he was especially happy to find a fire truck parked out in front of our house. He got to sit inside and even was allowed to ring the bell. To put his obsession in perspective, he actually went and sat on the fireman's lap for the photoshoot...something he refused to do even with Santa Clause!

Drawing Skateboards

2010-12-02T20:42:00.000-08:00

Wyatt has been skateboard crazy the past couple of weeks. He's been spending a lot of time learning how to ride with both feet, and doing tricks. Here's a photo of his drawing this morning - there's a tall skateboarder who's 10 years old and a smaller skateboarder who's 4 years old (notice the numbers). There's also a drawing of Wyatt "sliding on a railing" (Papa helped draw the stairs at Wyatt's request).

Jubilee

2010-11-28T07:31:00.000-08:00

Here are some cutie pies from Wyatt's school waiting to take a turn on the running trampoline at Acrosports. They are listening very carefully to the rules here, but they definitely did not follow them.

First Snow

2010-11-28T07:25:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we headed up to Tahoe for the first big snow of the season. The boys loved sledding and, given that Wyatt was building jumps to go over and trying to stand up on the sled, I'd say he's ready for skiing! It ended up snowing close to three feet. Malcolm not featured in this photo because the snow was so deep he couldn't really stand or walk.

New Deck and Backyard

2010-11-28T07:22:00.001-08:00

Seen here from above.

The Car Show

2010-11-27T21:17:00.000-08:00

Every year, Papa and the boys head to the annual car show at Moscone Center. Today we took the N Judah train downtown and met up with Uncle Sean to look at cars, eat burgers and drink milkshakes.

Max

2010-11-13T10:34:00.001-08:00

On Tues, Wed. and Thursdays for the past few months now Malcolm and Wyatt have had the pleasure of sharing their sitter Lisa with a little boy named Max. I wasn't quite sure how they'd welcome another little boy in to their space but so far it has been working out great - they love him! In fact, Wyatt has been saying at night that his favorite part of the day is hanging out with Max. And Malcolm is no longer so sad about his big brother going off to school in the morning, now that he has another little guy to play with.

Nemo

2010-11-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

Grumpy and Jean gave Wyatt and Malcolm stuffed Nemo's after learning durning our Pawley's Island visit how much they like the little clown fish. Needless to say, they've been a huge hit. Malcolm is especially obsessed and insists on carrying his everywhere his parents will let him. Turns out their little buddy, Allistair, also has the same stuffed Nemo. One recent afternoon he brought his over to show off and it turned in to a giant Nemo party complete with an "Ocean" and all.

Halloween Party Part II

2010-11-12T20:33:00.000-08:00

Land Shark

Wyatt's preschool, Jubilee Montessori School, had a little Halloween potluck this year to gather all the families together. The kids had a blast dressing up in their costumes. Malcolm, of course, thinks he goes to this school already and fits right in hanging out with Wyatt and all his friends. In fact, Malcolm had so much fun that after the potluck he was insisting that he "NEEDED" to go to another Halloween party.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

This year we stuck close to our new home and went trick-or-treating on Belvedere Street. We weren't sure exactly what to expect because we'd heard so much about the experience and we were certainly not disappointed! I think it was slightly overwhelming for the kids but they loved it. It was basically a giant street party with the road closed off to traffic. There were tons of trick-or-treaters out -- both kids and adults in costume -- and many of the houses were decked out in themes such as Star Wars or Shrek. There was even a live band set up on one of the street corners. Overall, a very fun and festive experience. One of my favorite parts was the cookie monster house who was handing out cold beers to adults and candy to the kids. We'll definitely be back next year, though perhaps slightly earlier in the day to avoid some of the crowds.

Gearing Up

2010-10-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of Moosey and I preparing for the big day - Halloween - while Wyatt is at school. Wyatt was very surprised to come home and see that a Halloween spider had visited our house.

Halloween Party Part I

2010-10-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Wyatt and Malcolm's little buddy Allistair will be out of town for Halloween this year. His parents wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to play in costume with some of his friends before he left so they had a couple of his friends over for a little pre-Halloween party. Here is the gang: Mason (Lincecum), Charlotte, Iris (Alice in Wonderland), Moosey (Roar!), Allistair (Borg) and Wyatt (shark).

Kissing Cousins

2010-10-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

Moosey loves his baby cousin Floyd. They were hysterical in during a recent shopping trip in the double stroller. Floyd kept grabbing Malcolm's baby from him and Malcolm was laughing and asking Floyd if he needed someone to get his baby. It was cute. Malcolm is also very fond of kissing and hugging baby Floyd and I'm sure is going to be nothing but a positive influence on him.

Look! She Knocked Her Baby Over!

2010-10-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

The rains have started in San Francisco so I think we will be relying heavily on our Academy of Sciences membership in the next few months. We visited the Academy this Friday with baby Floyd and all three boys had a great time. We spent a lot of time looking for Nemo and Dory and, Malcolm's favorite fish, the scuba. (Wyatt pronounces it "Scuva") Sadly, Malcolm was one very disappointed little boy after finding out there was no scuba in the tank this visit. Wyatt noticed immediately that the large shark was missing from the shark and stingray tank. Turns out, after tracking down a scientist to get an answer, he was moved to Mandalay Bay in Vegas because he wasn't doing well in the habitat at the Academy. Maybe we'll have to take a trip to Vegas to check on him - for Wyatt's sake, of course.

Every time we visit the Academy I wonder when I will have to explain prey vs. predator. Luckily, not this time as boys are still innocent about how the world really works. Upon looking at this exhibit Malcolm started cracking up and exclaimed, "Ha! She knocked her baby over!" I waited for a second to see if Wyatt knew better but instead he just started cracking up and pointed to the knocked over baby too. Of course this resulted in a mini "knock your baby over" wrestling match. Fun day!

Talking about the weather...

2010-10-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

While Malcolm naps weekend days away, Wyatt and Mama sometimes head across the street to the Boulangerie for some "coffee" (hot chocolate in his case) and cookies. He likes to sit quietly and look around and I try and find interesting things that he might want to talk about. Today it was the weather but usually its sharks and whales.

Benihana Birthday Dinner

2010-10-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the whole family on an outing to Benihana to celebrate my birthday and Sean and TIff's two year anniversary. The three boys had a great time and watching the food being prepared on the table kept everyone's attention during a very long meal. Malcolm's favorite part was the throwing of the knife at the beginning. Wyatt liked flipping the shrimp tails in to the hat and the volcano of onions. Floyd, he appeared to like the whole show. We'll be back for more!

Pawley's Island

2010-09-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Our annual trip to Pawleys Island was a huge hit this year. We were joined by the Lester-Barralis and the Farrells so, in total, we had 6 kids ages five and under in one beach house. And five of them were boys! Surprisingly we didn't have a single visit to the ER. The kids played great together and it probably helped that they were so wiped out after long days at the beach that they were pretty easy going. Everyone enjoyed swimming in the ocean, jumping over waves, riding in the yellow boat and building sand castles. It will be so fun to watch them all grow together during these annual summer trips.

On top of all that we got to see Grumpy and Jean who came to visit for two days. All the kids loved visiting the pool at the condo where they stayed and Wyatt and Malcolm especially enjoyed swimming with Grumpy and going to the restaurant with the "shark bursting out of the roof." They did have some good hushpuppies!

Napa

2010-09-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing family vacation in Napa two weeks ago. Warm weather, pool, lots of grapes to pick, we thoroughly enjoyed the relaxation and definitely want to go back soon. Wyatt even sampled his first grape and said he liked it! Thanks to Jason's friend Michelle for letting us use her home.

Sneak Preview

2010-09-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

Lots of build up to my favorite holiday around here - Halloween! They've known for a while now what they want to be so this year I decided I wouldn't wait until the last minute to order their costumes. They came a little early but, of course, they couldn't resist trying them on. Now I just have to convince Wyatt that no, its not a good idea to wear his to swim lessons!

Soccer

2010-09-09T22:20:00.000-07:00

The boys have joined a soccer "team." They practice every Friday and have special t-shirt uniforms. Despite the fact that Malcolm's default response to everything these days is, "I don't want to go" they both have a great time. Wyatt's actually in Malcolm's group because his age group was cancelled. He doesn't seem to mind being the coaches helper right now but appears to have some great footwork skills so will definitely try to move to a different group during the next registration.

Fairy Land

2010-08-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we met Chuck, Mara, Dottie and baby-on-the-way at Fairy Land in Oakland. The kids had a blast - riding the rides, running through the western town, locking each other in the jail, and playing on the pirate ship. They are at the age now where they take off and play on their own leaving the parents to enjoy a little R&R on the sidelines. All in all a very fun afternoon.

Sushi

2010-08-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago Wyatt and mamma had a date night at the sushi restaurant down the street. He loved it! He especially loved eating with the kid-modified chopsticks they gave him. He meticulously ate an entire bowl of edamame...one tiny bean at a time. We were there about an hour and a half completing his chopsticks experience.

Peppers

2010-08-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

Lately the boys are obsessed with all things either green (Malcolm's favorite color) or yellow (Wyatt's favorite color.) They even went so far as to insist that they wanted bell peppers for lunch - Wyatt planned to eat a yellow one and Malcolm of course a green one. Needless to say, that turned out to be a light lunch.