Gymnasts

The little girls love their gymnastics classes. Every day after school they ask me if they are going to gymnastics. "No, only on Mondays!" I answer - they would go everyday if they could.

On Monday afternoon I rush the girls out of the playground after school, take them home quickly to feed, change and wash them up a bit. I pull their hair into tight pony tails on the top of their heads and add lots of barrettes to keep them in place* (like the Olympic gymnasts do). We dig out their leotards from the clean but not quite folded or put away pile and off we go with the Dude in tow.

Their classes are held in a huge open gym with apparatus everywhere and a pit of foam cubes. Several gymnastics, Taek Won Do and cheer leading classes are going on at the same time in different areas. There is a wall of windows and glass doors where parents can watch and a long hallway of castaway gym equipment with benches and other doors. It is a world of "No" for the Dude.

When class starts, the girls go bouncing away, waving happily at us when they see us through the windows. The Dude only wants to bang on the windows and open the door and run out to where they are. Luckily, there are a couple of other brothers with sisters in gym classes wandering the hallway, some have matchbox cars or other interesting toys. Without that distraction, he is bored to tears.

I suppose I could drop them off and go run an errand or something, as many other parents do. But they are just so darn cute, I love watching them! Maybe the novelty will wear off one day.

(* lasts about ten minutes)

Halloween Weekend

This epic Halloween weekend started with a costume birthday party at Chuck E's.

Most memorable moment were the girls dancing the robot on the Chuck E Cheese stage.

Then the "GAGS" festival at our church.
Most memorable moment was certainly the Dude learning about this 'being cute for candy' business.
(And the fact that he insisted on wearing his Giants hat over his shark costume)

The next day was the big event, trick o' treating.

We pumped up the volume on hair and makeup.

And tried to get that classic Halloween shot on the front stoop.

And then my Spider Witch, my Land Shark and my Punk Rock Butterfly were off like a shot.

Most memorable moments were the little Dude trying to keep up with his sisters, running as fast as he can with his padded Land Shark butt wiggling - unbelievable cuteness!

Spooky

Happy Halloween!!

Halloween Preview

Pumpkin Patch Pics

October is the most fun month of year. A month of birthday celebrations and Halloween and cool weather and bright days and pumpkin patches and apple picking. Sweaters come out, costumes are bought, pumpkins are picked and carved - there are so many fun things to do and it just a short stretch until Christmas.

I swoon over all the picture taking possibilities! I've already taken 995 photos this month and we haven't even put on one costume yet.

Here are my favorite photos from the day Zoe and I chaperoned
Athena's Kindergarten class at the pumpkin patch


And what has become of our picked pumpkins?

Happy (almost) Halloween everyone!
(and yes, that is Athena's "girl" pumpkin on the left with the hair and bow drawn on it)

Much better!

So in love with the end result!

Thankfully we won't have to remember the year with this unfortunate picture.

And Zoe's are precious too!

Meanwhile

While Daddy and Zoe were at Disneyland.

Athena had her best buddy Amelia
over for an all day play date.

We made cookies.

Which the Dude really appreciated.

And I learned a couple of things...

1. It is sooo much easier to take care of two children rather than three.
During dinner and bed and bath time, it was practically tranquil.
Not to knock Moms of two, all parenthood is challenging,
but seriously, when three is your normal,
two kids = piece of cake.

2. Zoe and Athena's differences compliment each other really well.
Amelia is a brown-eyed version of Athena,
and their similar energy fed off each other until it was at a fever pitch.
Zoe is the yin to Athena's yang.
Where one insists on having a pink cup, the other doesn't care.
Where one is loud the other is quiet. They balance each other beautifully.

3. Athena is lost without her sister
(just as much as Zoe is lost without her Athena).

Disneyland by Picture Mail

For Athena's fourth birthday, Zoe was only two and I was 9 and a half months pregnant with John Patrick, so Chris took Athena by herself to Disneyland. It was an awesome experience for both of them, and Chris just loved introducing his childhood playground to his baby girl for the first time one-on-one.

So it was decided, Chris would do the same for Zoe on her fourth birthday. Athena's trip to Disneyland has become family lore - she can recite each ride they went on in order, which color tea cups she rode, and has been telling Zoe the stories endlessly. Needless to say, Zoe has been bursting to go too and Chris was counting down the days as well.

They drove off in the wee hours of the morning, a two and a half hour ride. I called Chris on his cellphone the moment I thought they would be arriving in Anaheim. They were just getting on the tram. "Keep me updated!" I said, excited for both of them. So my darling Chris sent me hourly picture mail of their day.

The pictures tell the story
of the day Zoe had her Daddy all to herself
at Disneyland:

And they had so much fun
they went back the next day too!

Zoe's Favorite Gift

All of the stuff gets played with for at least fifteen minutes, but certain things rise to the surface again and again and become the favorite toys. This is Zoe's favorite toy, of all the birthday gifts, she's been walking around with this on her head.

With her Target gift card from Grandaddio and Grandma Andree and money from Yiayia and Poppop, Zoe bought a camping set (among other things) that included a tent, sleeping bag, matching backpack and headlamp.

And now she goes everywhere with her headlamp. Particularly she likes to turn off all the lights in the house and go from room to room, or "read" in her darkened bedroom or lay on the floor of a dimly lit room and practice her color patterns.

She is certainly an original.

Zoe's FOUR!

Zoe was very clear about what she wanted for her 4th birthday party. She wanted to have it at "The Wild," she wanted to invite her two best girlfriends and two best boyfriends, she wanted Pirate's Booty, and she wanted a cookie cake.

All very doable. If it were Athena, she would have asked for pony rides and a circus in the backyard and all her classmates having a sleepover. But Zoe's requests were so moderate, how could I not grant her every wish?!

She did not however want one of my themed homespun, at-home birthday parties, with homemade cake and games and crafts and a pretty dress with ribbons in her hair. "No Mommy" she said, "I want you to buy me a cake at the store." And she only wanted it at the bounce house. Oh well, I tried not to pout too much.

We started the day with the traditional birthday breakfast of "Yiayia cake" and presents and a chair decorated with balloons and streamers. Because it was a school day our birthday breakfast had to begin at 6:45 (while it was still dark out!).

Zoe said at breakfast "No pictures today Mommy!"
Yea right, sorry birthday girl, you are not going to win that one.

Zoe has been begging for "high" heels since her sister got some last year. So for her birthday, that wish was granted. Athena had to check to see if her little sister was now her height.

Then she quickly got dressed in her new birthday outfit and went off to preschool.

Her party was scheduled immediately following school. Only her best little buddies were invited, but with siblings and family friends it ended up being 12 kids altogether.

My birthday girl with her two best girlfriends Aubrie and Kendall.

Athena also was allowed to invite one friend. Amelia, of course, was the chosen one and as luck would have it their adorable friend Kevin from preschool (who is going to a different Kindergarten) is the big brother of one of Zoe's friend. He was immediately tackled upon entry.

Meanwhile, the Dude was pretending he was a big kid.

While an actual big kid (Amelia's big brother) was around to pay constant attention to him.

And then there was alot of bouncing
(I can never get great shots at bounce houses).

Back in the party room, Jack and his Mimi were inseparable,

the reunited three musketeers were totally insane,

and our new little four year, true to form, hid behind her cookie cake when everyone sang to her and refused to blow out her candle.

But then she got to open a bazillion presents and all the ickiness about being the center of attention was totally forgotten. It was a lovely day, a lovely party with wonderful friends and my special girl was spoiled beyond belief.

Happy birthday baby girl.
I love you more than mere words can say.