Mike the whale

Sam got an "I love NOAA" temporary tattoo after a school parent did a presentation on Orcas with "Mike the whale" (apparently a life sized inflatable orca).

Sam's been really into animal biology between reading National Geographic Little Kids and watching Wild Kratz.

He even knew that orca "whales" are actually dolphins!

Snails actually move pretty quickly

Much like these two growing up:

Garden experiments and bikes

Collaborations

At the Park in May

February Trip to So Cal 2015

Well, this is long overdue: we flew down to Murrietta, CA in February to visit Alexis, Corey, and Avery (then 10 months). Steve and Beth were able to join us too. As always, we had some fun adventures, but also enjoyed just watching the kids do their thing...

At the neighborhood park:

Multi-tasking Beth!

Possibly my favorite outing: going to a kid-friendly winery. The weather was just right, the scenery was pictureque and it felt oh-so-Victorian: snacking outside with wine-in-hand and no where in particular to be... The kids enjoyed the animals and a little play area.

 

Spoons up! The cousins eating breakfast.

Outing to the San Diego Safari Park. We had the opportunity to go to the main San Diego Zoo last year. This was a really great cousin-park. Highlights included taking the tram out into the "savannah," watching a bird show, and seeing a cheetah running at top speed.

Kyle, Sam, Elsa and I took an overnight adventure to Palm Springs. We used our points at a Westin which had beautiful grounds (e.g. totally weird given the naturally arid desert landscape) and an amazing pool complete with water-slide. We enjoyed an excellent Mexican dinner out on a patio with a great view of the sun setting behind the mountains. 

From Palm Springs, we drove through Joshua Tree National Park and took the kids on a small hike:

Can you find Kyle?

"I'm able to rock climb!"

Easter 2015

The last few Easters involved some last minute egg-hiding in the backyard and Sam, solo, carrying his basket out into the garden. 

This year, we have been truly experiencing the joy of a community neighborhood. In a small radius around our house, there are 4 families with 2 kids each under the age of 6. Since moving in, we've joined in for a impromptu lemonade stand, sidewalk chalk, a fabulous Super Bowl party and a recent Saturday Happy Hour. The guys on the block have a monthly neighborhood "safety meeting" at the bar down the street (Not sure much "safety" is discussed, but the idea of getting to know your neighbor-albeit somewhat inebriated- makes sense.)

This year, we held an informal egg hunt at our house. Per the recommendations of the 19 year-old checking me out at the grocery store, I color coded the kids so that each child had a particular color to hunt. Big kids helped little kids and it was awesome to watch. Kyle put out a great bagel/cream-cheese/ lox spread and the adults sipped coffee while the kids played and quietly schemed about candy.

Later, I had a nap. 

Best easter ever.

Elsa, 21 months

Sam 4.5yrs

A happy bunch!