Right before the fire alarm went off...

On Monday mornings the kids all gather in one classroom for Havdalla (to say goodbye to the weekend) - this week was going along swimmingly until the smoke from the candle set off the fire alarms. But I got to see how good everyone was at lining up and marching out of the classroom to the meeting spot - and then FOUR firetrucks came. The kindergarten kids loved it. I was just glad that it wasn't raining.

Happy Fourth of July

Post halloween

I've been enjoying watching as our pumpkins decompose this week. #naturetakesitstoll

Gourmet Ghetto Dead

Break Fast

Went to CSZ for final Yom Kippur services - my favorite part of the holidays is always ending the services with all the CSZ kids up on the stage at Herbst Theater (well all the kids except ours who was feeling shy or something) - followed by breaking of the fast with an amazing view of SF City Hall across the street.

Saul's pre - services

While mommy was still at work the boy and I prepared for the fast pre-services at Sauls Deli on Shattuck. Lovely shot of boy and brisket above as well some nice matza soup below.

Tashlich

L'Shanah Tovah Ya'all.

I can't believe that we are back in the Bay Area to start the New Year (5771). We attended erev services at Beth El - the reform congregation just down the hill from us in Berkeley. Yoel Kahn from CSZ is the Rabbi there now and Rueben is the Asst. Rabbi so it felt very at home for us - and there are a lot of kids at the early service so the boy could sit and play angry birds without causing too much of a stir. In the morning we came into the city for the CSZ services at the Herbst Theater which REALLY feels like coming home. We sat in one of the boxes and the boy played with magnets on the floor - I was surprised to have Jack's Grandma Inez come over and say hi - didn't realize that she attends CSZ. We went from services to grab a lunch to go from one of my favorite dives then headed out to Chrissy Field to do Taschlich.



The bridge was just visible through the fog but as we enjoyed our lunch the sun came out more and more.

For the boy it was a chance to play on the beach as we cast our crumbs into the sea.
Oh yeah - it was also a great chance for him to enjoy Jesse's company as well and to gather some more tips on strategy for taking on the helmet heads of Angry Birds.

Shire 4th of July

the boy had been getting pretty bored just hanging out with his momma's - lucky for him Alex, Ted and Jack came out to the shire to spend the 4th with us. Everyone spent LOTS of time in the pool, lots of eating and lots of playing of the momma mommy ball.

Em took everyone out to see the fireworks too -

Easter sunday shots of La Familia Rebah from Montara

Melissa took these wonderful shots of Rebah's family when they came to SF for a visit this month. These were all down at Grandpa Eldon's in Montara

Reba and Seyi
Seyi looking VERY grown up
Kavan lookin all handsome & stuff
seyi in the foreground with Grandpa Eldon in the back

H2 Chinese New Year

On sunday we went to Harvard Square to see the Cambridge Lunar New Year Celebrations - Em dropped me and the boy infront of Peets where we got up close and personal with the Lion Dancers and then drove around for 45 minutes looking for parking. Finally we had to pretty much give up and go to the library instead.

Good Eats

I didn't cook for Thanksgiving and I didn't make a turkey for my birthday either - so last night I was up late listening to Sonoma County radio on the computer & cooking my lil fool heart out. Nothing was done till past bed time so we put it all in the fridge and broke it out to be our leftover lunch today....

Roast Turkey, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes in a maple sauce, sauted brussel sprouts with a touch of roast garlic, Fresh Cranberries with Satsuma Tangerine, Cornbread & sausage stuffing and a nice gravy heavy on the chicken stock (thanks to Jenny & Aunt Virginia).


Best of all -

watching him eat the drumstick!!!

Happy Holidays....

Just a little solstice note to let our family & friends know that we are thinking of you with love at this time of year. We have shared a lovely Chanukah with all of our East Coast Family & have been lucky to have Emily working nights which means that we get full weekends with her.

The snow has been coming down in bucketfuls and that's given us some shoveling fun. Thankfully we haven't had to travel any further than WholePaychex so we have been able to stay warm & toasty as we try out some new recipes.

I can't believe that the year is nearly coming to a close - it does seem as if it has flown by.

Our Thanksgiving

This is a shot of Quincy House at Harvard - You can't really see it, but there is a very, very nice penthouse apartment on the top floor (behind the trees) which is where we got to spend our Thanksgiving.


Note the fabulous place setting candy decorations - oreo cookies, reese's and candy corn - I think the boy thought he'd died and gone to some type of Martha Stewart candy heaven... He also thought that ALL the little turkeys were for him...

and here he is jumping on the furniture after eating his fill

Honestly it was quite a lovely thanksgiving with some of the best food that I have had & the apartment was very nice with incredible views of Cambridge & Boston. Also the house mascot is a penguin & the boy is now very attached to the 4 foot stuffed penguin that he played with all night!!

Night of the Dead

Here is a shot of the AMAZING full moon over the 17th Street Hill as we drove back toward the Mission from UCSF.


We got to the park & Monito wanted to play rather than look at the alters - you can't really blame him - there were some cool things in the playground, but it was pretty dark.


The alters were still being set up as we walked around but they already looked amazing.


there was even an alter to the maker of the upside down bus...

Happy Halloween

Lucky us - Halloween in SF.

Who would have guessed that we would be spending it in the Richmond, rather than the Castro

ps. Great (!!!!) trick or treating out here.

Nanuet New Year

Yep its that time of year again. Time to pile into the car with a sleepy post call mommy, a bag full of snacks and a dvd player set to save my life pleeze, and head down to NY. I have discovered that every drive no matter how short or long is just about one half hour too long - and the drive to Nanuet is no exception - its just as you get to that Tappenzee bridge that I hit the GET ME OUT OF THIS CAR NOW - feeling & that's usually about where the boy gets it too.

This year we got pretty lucky - I drove the whole way and we only had a couple spots of traffic - none in CT where we expected it and none on the bridge really -- but then right after the bridge BOOM full stop, sit & wait traffic. But it was well worth it to get to Grandpa & Grandma's house of wonders (& wonderful peeps)!!!!!

Sparkle-r

Ok I realize that this is a ridicoulously late post for 4th of July.... but here is the boy-o poolside (note the fancy poolside clothes) learning to play with fire from his uncles - we like to think of them as the good-role-model pair ... Uncle makes-big-farts and Uncle pants-unzipped-at-the-park-again.

Blasto got a camera for Hanukkah

and I now have about 315 different photos of my butt.

Birthday Tea

Yesterday we had my "Birthday Tea" at Upstairs - I love the location they are right in Harvard Square -next to the Peets Coffee looking out on "Newtowne Square". They do a tea service through the month of December & welcome kids to it. Kids are encouraged to bring a stuffy to drop off under the tree to be donated for X-mas. We didn't bring anything but the lil' guy wanted to spend some time checking out the many animals that were gathered there. He loved the zebra hand puppets and also really liked the large stuffed giraffe.

I enjoyed having a last hurrah afternoon with Em before she goes back to that residency thing in earnest. It has been a nice break and I'm glad it came when we had so much to celebrate (like a new baby Newfie & Me). Hopefully the lil monkey & I will make a habit of this afternoon tea thingy!!!! I know Auntie woof can't wait till she gets to join in with us as well. Thanks to DGina for this wonderful gift!!

My Birthday

This year for Dec 01 (the best day to be born - ever) Boston/Cambridge hosted a one day warm streak. The week before was near freezing but on my birthday it his high 50's low 60's and the next day the temp dropped 20 degrees again.

So we had to get out. Em, R. and I took Mabel for a walk over to Dana Park - a few blocks from our house -

It was so warm we couldn't keep the kid in his jacket



Then again - I don't think I had mine on either. Em asked what I wanted to do with my day & I told her that all I really wanted was my surprise party - to which she said (as she had all week) - "Surprise -No Party!!" But I knew not to be daunted. The boy is not much of a napper so we stayed out to enjoy as much of the day as we could. Around sunset (4:30 in these parts) I tried calling & texting our 2-year old crew to see what everyone was up to and to find someone to come to the park & play - no one was up for it & even Dan didn't want to meet us for hot chocolate at the cafe across from Farah's school - so Em, the boy & I tromped around Central Square on our own.

I really enjoyed the sparkly lights that our out now...



and we also had an amazing sunset and sliver of a moon (as depicted over the 7-11 sorry)
From Central we walked "2-year-old-toddler-stop every five seconds-slowly over to Alex's house - where Surprise, Surprise there was a party waiting for me. Yeah!!! The kids were all in good moods, DGina brought the new baby, We had Carrot Cake and Chinese Take Out - thanks everyone!!! Things don't really get much better than that.