When a tree falls in the neighborhood

The neighbors called last night just after midnight to tell us that everyone was okay and that we shouldn't freak out if we saw FireTrucks coming up to their house. It was rainy and very very windy out and one of the giant trees in their yard had just come down onto their roof. - I hadn't heard a thing!!

This morning we went over to take a look - Wowza





Thank goodness everyone was fine & the house is hopefully fine - that is some good construction that it can catch a direct hit and not crumble.

Firewood anyone?

Rose Garden Sunset over the Golden Gate

Okay did anybody notice that the title of this post was rose garder for a few days. Oh well. So we have been having the MOST AMAZING January weather believable. And I feel kinda mean talking about it because I know that the East Coast is beyond cold right now. Seeing temp readings of NEGATIVE Double Numbers in the shire and in Boston. So I am feeling for you all - but I am also so enjoying running around in short sleeves and being on the verge of complaigning that I am getting too warm.

The beauty of this place is taking my breath away again and again. I think I have always appreciated the bay area - but seriously being away for a few years has made it that much more Awe Inspiring to me. Nearly everyday I am hit by something - the redwoods and eucalyptus by my house, the sweeping views of the bay and marin as I drive the boy to preschool, the magic of the fog, the stunning sunsets like this one that was so literally perfect with the bay clear and the Marin mountains and the GoldenGate framed between the Berkley Trees.

If you haven't been here in awhile you should come visit.

More spring in Cambridge

Spring... ummm except its 90 degrees

City Hall Lawn

We have been getting a rash of summer like weather -

Well summer in SF that is. Temps in the high 60's and low 70's I am loving it.

And the boy is loving all the time that we are getting to be outside and play.

His favorite game on the city hall lawns is the run down the hill at full speed and jump on momma knocking her down game.

Snow Play

Okay so our October photos of an almost non-existant snowfall may have been a bit premature. Now that we are on the verge of the ginormous christian holiday we have received an honest to goodness smackdown of snow. Luckily its a light & fluffy coating that was easy enough to shovel through and PERFECT for playing in...

So without further ado - I give you a boy, his dog & the first good snowfall of the season

(Making tracks in the Big Kid playground at Hoyt Field)

Catch me momma - catch me

A tail waggin' good time!!!

What a difference a week makes

Here are a couple of shots that we took on Dec. 3rd


Me and the boy playing at Cambridge Common after his morning at nursery school ----




and look its a different kind of biker .... Note the blue skys, the smiles and the short-sleeve shirt with no coat on....


and a week later at the same playground - still sunny but remnants of snow on the ground.

Snow

Mud Boy

We started the day by exploring the mud puddles left from yesterdays rain on the Baseball field in Hoyt. There was one good, deep & dirty puddle left. He made the most of it - soaking boots, pants and even some of his shirt.

He Looooves his rain boots & He Loves getting dirty

After a change of clothes & a meal we were back outside with Kath & Gabe until Unka Adam got here & enticed us inside with promises of a yummy BBQ dinner from the Red Bones.

In here somewhere there is a longer post about when good boys go berzerk -- a combo of missing the grandparents after a weekend with them & no food stuff except chocolate.

More fall foliage fun

Gabe, Jack & our boy get busy at the Amigos school playground.

School Holiday - Fall

We met Dan, Gina, Farah and Dori at Cambridge Common to enjoy the Veterans Day Holiday. After playing in Cambridge Common for ages (with all the families of the greater Boston Metro area) the kids had a good time throwing leaves on Uncle Dan.




then we walked by an odd one-man-band in Harvard Sq. - who was doing Old McDonald.

It was F's 4 3/4 Birthday so we all got to have some Ice Cream to Celebrate!!!!

Next up -

Dori's One Year Celebration!!!

More Fall Fun

Today was school report card day - he got to play in the park while I met with his teachers. He is doing great. Since we came home he is even asking to go to school - rather than trying to talk his way out of it. It was a lovely day - sunny & crisp. We had a great time playing with Maya & Briac from school and then throwing leaves on each other.

Snow in October

What the car looked like when we got back from seeing "Where the Wild Things Are". Hey weather gods - its only October - C'mon.

New Boots

Look who got some fancy new rainboots. Actually Em ordered him two pairs of boots - one that was on sale for about $10 and This Pair - and then she let him choose which ones he liked best. And yes the kid does have good taste and likes the fancy imported from England, made by the best rainboot company money can buy boots.... No surprise really - the apple doesn't fall far from the proverbial tree does it. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that Em also accidentaly ordered a pair of these in her size too....
although I don't think she is quite as likely to accesorize with the hot pink spurs.

Okay Maybe One More Snow Shot

I am cheating because this one is a bit old, but here is the lil monkey infront of our neighbors cool snow dude-ette. S/he has coke bottle tops for eyes - nice don't you think. Now no more snow shots - really I mean it.

Last Snow Photo for Awhile

This is a Boston/Cambridge tradition...

After you spend what seems like hours/months/weeks digging your car out of the snow & ice you are loathe to see some other sucker pull right into your freshly cleared spot. So the tradition was created - in the South End or so I heard - of putting out some sort of space saver. This isn't done on our block, but about two blocks over I noted that nearly every spot on the street had been marked in this way - with a cone, a lawn chair or in this case a garbage can.

Supposedly the city lets the markers stay there for the first 48 hours after a big storm and then after that they start scooping them up - but people in some hoods report getting their car vandalized if they "take" someone else's spot.

Yet another lesson learned by the Californians...

Warm Enough to Go Outside

 

Florida Sun-Day

The lil monkey got his hands on our camera and caught a few morning shots - Grandma Anne enjoying her coffee and



Mommy Emmie getting ready for some time at the pool.





Later
We headed out to DelRay beach for some nice tanning time.

The lil monkey loves the beach and has NO FEAR --- he likes kicking the waves and also loves swimming in the pool. This was really his kind of vacation!! He also loved the buffet dinner at the club - especially the desert table.

Hill of Death

Fearless sledders - Uncle Dan, Kristen & Mommy (not momma however) take on the Fresh Pond Golf Course "hill of doom" -



You can't really tell from the photo's but this puppy is a straight down incline - more like a street in SF than a hillside in Cambridge. Em convinced the lil monkey to ride down the slope with her - he made a screeching sound that I have never heard before then cried for 10 or so minutes as she carried him back up the hill.

Kristen - with no fear of death - takes the fast sled down the hill - crazy, crazy lady.

Em Hearts Sledding

Couldn't get Em off the tobogan this weekend. She was nuts. Lila & Kris, Dan & Farah all had a pretty good time too. I may have gone down the bunny slope one or two times myself.