nothing says fall like...

an apple streusel bundt cake (apples courtesy of melissa),

a fresh new do,

raking leaves with daddy (while wearing a helmet) from now until...

eternity,

a trike ride up and down the sidewalk just before dinner, and right before dark.

blessed

Even though it was broiling in Sonoma this past weekend, it was a really fun 2 1/2 days. We took the kids to Adobe Farms Pumpkin Patch-check out the link, it's not directly to the site, but to a video that has Jennifer, Jessy and Adriana on it when she was a little thing!):

Taking a walk thru the vineyard

Fields of flowers @ Adobe Farms

Running with excitement, even in the hot weather!

Peek-a-boo!

I guess this is the pumpkin we would have bought, I was too hot to even think, so we'll have to go to another pumpkin patch near home! Can't have too many pumpkin pictures :)

An attempt at a family picture...Mom is the photographer, Jessy is containing Gabriel, Jennifer and I attempting to get the kids to pose, but it's just too hot!

And to Traintown:

Riding on the train 

Taking everything in 

Adriana knows that I've snapped her picture :)

Anna attempting to hold Gabriel's hand, he said "no" :)

Both dripping, and melting from the heat!

Last ride of the day!

We also went to a wedding reception that was so much fun! They had a photo booth to record the memories-we got to keep them, and the second print out got glued into the guest book-such fun!

  

It was such a great weekend, I didn't want it to end. Normally, I don't cry when my sister leaves, but this time, I did. We love it when our kids are together, they have such a great time. I think it was more difficult for me this time around, because I won't see my sister until Christmas, which seems like such a long time away! I know it will be here before we know it, and I certainly don't want to wish the days away. I'm officially giving up on reading Twilight (sorry, just not my style), and have stolen picked up my mom's copy of  The Last Lecture. I have only just begun to read it, and I know that there are plenty of tears in store, but it's something that I connected with straight out of the gates-that's the only way I'll read! And, it's something I connected with because it is about real life, and living that life to the fullest. I thank God for the family I have, and the life I have been given. I am so very, very, blessed.

10 on tuesday

1. Stroller #3, yes I said it, stroller #3. Since Erik bought his new sports car, our travel stroller (Peg Perego), and definitely not our beast (Bumbleride Indie Twin), will not fit into the trunk. So, we decided to get an umbrella stroller. Compact, light, and easy. If you know me, you know that I love all things baby and can obsess over the latest and greatest. I must say that as umbrella strollers go, I am in stroller love. This is the Uppa Baby G-luxe.

And, as you can see, the model below loves it too! She loved it so much, she watched an entire episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in it!

Mom tested, Anna approved!

2. Kieran never drank juice until he was 3 years old. He loves water and milk and used to eat so incredibly well, fruit especially, so I never had a need to give him any juice. Now? Kieran's eating habits, well I don't know any nicer way to say it, they suck. So to keep him in "working order", I give him Mots for Tots (half juice half water). Anna, on the other hand, has no problem eating or drinking. She also has no problem (LOUDLY) telling you what she wants. Since she sees her big brother with apple juice, she yells out for apple juice. "apppa juice!", "Appa Juice", "APPA JUICE"! I pick and choose my battles. She wins this one, but I draw the line at squeezing it ALL over the floor. Here is Anna and her new Juice Box Buddy:

Love the Juice Box Buddy. This baby has figured out how to pull out the straw and still shake the juice out, but, it's still a good deterrent.

3. It wasn't until recently, that Kieran has started to play with his dinosaur, Spike, the Ultra Dinosaur. Spike also has a mini-version of himself, his brother, Spike Jr. Kieran used to be so afraid of Spike that he was hidden in the corner of his room and we wouldn't even turn him on. Not this baby. She walks right up to big Spike and pets him, and walks around with Spike, Jr., sets him down on the floor, presses the button to make him go and says, "press the button!"

I'm not sure if I should be concerned or proud that Anna has no fear?

4. Oh, how I love my mommy and my baby. There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe love. A picture is worth a thousand words...and then some.

Nonna Jean and Anna

5. I have no words for this, other than, when Anna is happy, Anna is happy!

6. Anna loves to eat ice chips at Weezie's. She also enjoys feeding them to her sidekick, Lucy.

7. It took me forever to be able to feed Anna from a spoon. The only thing I've EVER been allowed to feed her is Yobaby yogurt. 
As of late, Little Miss Loud wants to eat yogurt all by herself!

8. Every night when I bathe my children, it is our ritual to sing the same song that my mom made up for my sister and me when we were babies. "Pretty baby, how I love her, pretty baby of mine, she's so pretty, and she smells clean, pretty baby of mine!"

I changed it to "handsome baby" for Kieran. Some nights he prefers me to sing handsome baby, others, handsome boy, it depends on what mood he's in. Here's my pretty baby girl:

9. I just bought this diaper cream from Mayron's Good Baby. It was developed by Melanie Mayron, the actress from Thirty Something, and her chemist dad. It's paraben free (though it does have lavender,  which some say is linked to hormone disruption and breast growth in prepubescent boys-I'm thinking it's such a small amount, it's highly unlikely this will have a negative effect on Anna-I'll take her to the doctor when she grows boobs on her butt!) and smells great! It's on the expensive side, but because UPS lost my package, Melanie emailed me and threw in an extra tube for free! 

10. Anna has been saying Kieran's name for a while, but not her own. 

She just started saying it, "An-na!" 
She just identified herself as "me" and "Anna" in every

picture here. I guess this post could've read 10 on Anna :)

these boots are made for walkin'...

It's the end of the week, thank God! Friday's are always especially fun for Kieran and Anna because most, if not all, of the "big kids" as we call them are over at Weezie's. The big kids, oh how Kieran loves the big kids! He rarely naps at Weezie's anymore, we call it resting. He lays on the couch for an hour or so, his little body wrestling back and forth, back and forth, questioning when everyone will be home. Very similar to when he wakes up in the morning and asks me if he's 4 yet. I patiently tell him no, and that I like it just fine that he's 3, and he later agrees. Just about anything goes on Friday's at Weezie's so when I walked in the door, she told me to go find my son outside because he was in a dress and wouldn't my husband like that one?! Being that my mom is a preschool teacher, I know that it is a function of imaginative play for a boy to play dress up, so really, none of this phases me, other than the fact that I think it's extremely funny! Erik hasn't seen these and would probably not approve, but as Auntie Mary always says, "Too bad, so sad!". I think this is becoming my new favorite quote.  Here he is, a back scratcher for his wand, a witch's dress, and pink boots on the wrong feet:

Trick or Treat!

I'll get you my pretty!

Kieran was upset when I told him he had to take off his dress and boots because it was time to go. Once I told him he could wear them again on Monday, all was right with the world. Kieran can dress up like this any time he wants, indoors, at Weezie's and not on October 31st. Are you ready boots? 
Start walkin'!

wordless wednesday

like father, like son, like mother, like daughter

Erik arrived home well after Kieran and Anna had gone to bed on Friday night. Well aware of what would pull into the garage, and well aware that Kieran loves cars just like his daddy, I gave Erik the pleasure of showing his son his new ride, a 2009 Mazda RX-8 sport edition. Kieran reacted the way that I thought he would...like a kid in a candy store! If you know Kieran well, you know that he LOVES candy (he never gets any from me, just Weezie ;) ) and he LOVES dessert (that he gets from both of us, I can't pass up ice cream!), so you can imagine he thought seeing daddy's new car was cool. In fact, that's exactly what he said!

Excited to drive the car:

The pure joy:

Followed by the world's most detail oriented man, detailing his car for 5 hours because the dealership did the world's worst job (really they did, it's not just Erik being picky, I'll vouch for him on this one)! He did not want me to post these pictures and was quite irritated, but I told him that it's already enough that this blog is protected, I wasn't going to let him go Wilson on me (Home Improvement reference for all those that remember)!

No, this is not a rented buffer:

Here's a rear view...I'll post a picture of Erik and his new ride later!

Meanwhile, Anna has been busy with her favorite ride, her baby doll stroller and her special Madame Alexander doll from Great Auntie Mary. I keep trying to hide it from her, because it's supposed to be a look don't touch until you're older doll, but she doesn't understand and she's obsessed with this doll!

She pushes the doll:                                                                   

She gives the doll her binky:

She hugs the doll:

So there you have it, like father like son, like mother like daughter. We love our "mini me's"!

We will be selling my car and my new ride will be the Jeep. If you want to buy an '02 GMC Envoy, let me know!

wordless wednesday

Where is Anna and what is she doing? You comment :)

10 on tuesday

10 things to share with you this Tuesday evening, all on Labor Day weekend:

1. Didn't think I'd ever buy a pair of Crocs...well, I didn't. Erik bought me a pair of Crocs at the ski sale, but when I pulled the second pair out, I suddenly liked my shoes even better! I don't think I'd ever wear an outfit that matches Anna, but this is WAY TOO CUTE!

2. When you think you need the top of the line stroller, remember who you are buying it for! (Actually, I really love our Peg and Bumbleride Indie Twin and so do the kids-they are the best!) This cheap ride was the entertainment for the weekend. Both Kieran and Anna were "fighting" over who got to ride in it next!

3. I was sick for pretty much all of Labor Day weekend, but one of my most peaceful moments was watching the Tahoe sunset by myself. Not bad for an iPhone pic!

4. We didn't really have the chance to go anywhere since I was sick, but we did get to watch the fireworks at the top of the hill above my in-laws house. Kieran waited for it all weekend and it was definitely worth it!

5. Anna just LOVES her daddy. If you say his name, even mention that he's anywhere near, she goes running. Keep workin' it baby girl!

6. My buddy , my buddy , wherever I go, she goes! Remember those dolls from the 80s? I never had one, but the song comes to mind a lot lately since Anna wants to say and do everything that Kieran does. If Kieran runs in the wind, Anna runs in the wind. Anna idolizes Kieran. 

7. If ever there were a picture that says, "where did my baby go?", this one would be it for me. For some reason, my sweet Anna looks all grown up here! Don't ya think?

8. And this my friends, was the one of the main reasons for going to Tahoe-Fantasy Football draft. No, I don't participate, I haven't the slightest idea who any of the players are and find it amazing that they (the Ps', A's, B's, K's, Y's) can keep it all straight! This is some serious drafting going on folks-for the last 10 years, and that's just with this league! Erik and his dad have been doing Fantasy Football for 20 years! Notice the (5) laptops (which by the way, were hooked up to ichat for those who couldn't be there), (2) cell phones, Fantasy Football draft board, and not pictured, one delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, cowboy potatoes, and fruit made by my mother-in-law!

9. Peek-a-boo! The simple joys in life!

10. This was a show that only Anna could put on! She had us all laughing during the draft. If you've seen Parenthood , then you remember the bucket scene-she walked around until I stopped her from running into things :).

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend, too!