Mother’s Day weekend

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on the playground
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

One of the best things about living across the street from a playground is that, if we feel like it, we can go over there any day and burn off some extra energy! This picture is way back from May 7th (just goes to show how far behind I am in posting updates!!!), before Dylan got his shaggy hair cut. He was feeling pretty adventurous that day and doing more with his balance bike than he normally does.


rockin' the balance bike
rockin’ the balance bike
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

There’s a couple of nice small hills that Dylan just decided he’d coast down. He hadn’t exhibited much interest in biking before, so this was kind of new and surprising. He’s also usually pretty cautious, but not that afternoon!


Cameron can already climb up this ladder all by herself. I get a little anxious watching her, but Tom is just fine and she hasn’t fallen yet (knock on wood!). That’s her cat Gilbert. She LOVES this cat. She “feeds” him, “changes his diaper” and disciplines him (“no pushing our friends!”, “You cannot go there,” “you have to wait,” etc. etc.)


comin' at me with snacks
comin’ at me with snacks
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

We usually bring some snacks along to stave off The Grumpies. Dylan’s comin’ at me to share….Notice that nice big ring on his hand? Cameron fished that out of her purse for him!


climbing up all by herself!
climbing up all by herself!
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Here’s a better shot of Cameron bravely climbing up the ladder.


got purse, will bike
got purse, will bike
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Cameron also likes her purse!


Taliana lost another tooth!
Taliana lost another tooth!
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Thank goodness for the camera! I pretty much forgot that Taliana came to join us for bike riding! She also just lost another tooth!!


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Mother’s Day!
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The following day, we celebrated Mother’s Day with brunch at Lola’s house. Here she is with all of her grandsons.


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me and Dylan
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan indulged me in a photo of the two of us together….


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monkey muffin
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Since there’s no picture of Cameron and me, I’m guessing she just wasn’t game for a photo! But, here’s a recent picture of her in one of Dylan’s old t-shirts. I love this shirt. It’s too bad I only discovered it now when it’s already looking like she’ll only have a few more weeks of fitting in it!


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another party!

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at Finley’s 5th
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

So, last year, we had a joint birthday party with good pal Finley. This year, to avoid a huge crowd, we celebrated separately. So, the week after Keala and Dylan’s celebrations, we celebrated Finley’s 5th birthday! And here is Dylan with the happy celebrant (and friend Jasper).


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skatin’
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The bday party was a baseball party with Coach Josh from Toddler Sports Academy leading the kidlets. Finley is seriously crazy good at baseball. He can whack the ball as far as I probably could and his focus on practicing is amazing. He can apparently be at it for hours!

Dylan, on the other hand, hasn’t developed such an interest in the sport. But, he did thoroughly enjoy this skateboard ride with Jasper’s dad!


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whacking the pinata
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

He also enjoyed whacking the pinata.


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fans section
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

And, he also did enjoy hanging out with Cleo and Cameron in the shade!


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pitching
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Finley wanted to partner up with him when Coach Josh had them to “alligator arms” catching and pitching, so he tossed some balls Finley’s way as well.


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baseball heaven
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Finley was in baseball heaven…and look at that form!


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on the play structure
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Cameron spent most of her time on the play structure.

Now that they’re five, these kids will be off to their separate kindergarten schools. I sure hope we can continue celebrating with them, though….


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cameron’s lola ‘do

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Lola does Cameron’s hair
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

We’re always greeted with a little happy surprise, whenever Cameron comes back from Lola’s house; she either has some new outfit or accessory (like a purse or a hat) or she has her hair in some cute little “girly” style. This is what we got last week!


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fire-breathing dragon face painting

It’s always so sweet to see what face painting Dylan will come home with! They aren’t necessarily easy to wash off, but I love how they spur on the imagination!!

This time, Dylan was a dragon, but not just an ordinary one. He was a fire-breathing dragon!! Can you see the flame on the side of his pie-hole?!? He kindly “breathed” fire my way when I pointed the camera at him!!


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April bdays

bday celebrants
bday celebrants
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Here’s Lola and Auntie Christina at their birthday lunch! We went to Santana Row for some Indian food and some big outdoor chess fun!


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DSC_0911
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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DSC_0925
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Cameron also loved looking at the flowers and the water fountain….


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DSC_0905
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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DSC_0901
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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DSC_0897
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


smart guys on smartphones
smart guys on smartphones
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Besides chess, the fellas also played games on our smartphones.


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DSC_0922
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Our crazy little monkey also tried to climb a pole AND she balanced along the planter walls and proclaimed, “I’m balancing! I’m balancing like a crazy monkey!” She really did say that.


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DSC_0916
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Our two little partners in crime dragged each other around as well.


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DSC_0894
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

And, Dylan tried climbing a pole as well!

It was kind of a chilly day that day, too, and poor Grampa Mike banged his head on a door and had to get stitches. Otherwise, though, it was another fun weekend event with the fam.


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first BBQ of the season

grill master and "wares"
grill master and "wares"
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

So, on the day that Osama Bin Laden was finally put to rest, we also had our first BBQ (completely unrelated to the world news of the day): corn, bocas, grilled onions and turnips and fixin’s, of course.


first bbq of the year
first bbq of the year
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

We also busted out our new bounce house, purchased to replace the old mildewy and irreparably hole-y one. You can kind of see Cameron in the back there. This one is pretty cool because it has a little slide!

Both kids totally loved it! We also picked a few strawberries from our plants — the birds still probably get more than we do, but oh, well! And, we picked some mandarins from the tree. I think the mandarins are way too sour, but the kids really don’t seem to mind.

Anyway, we’re back to cold weather these days, but I’m sure we’ll all be longing for them once it starts getting too hot….


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hoppin’ back to Easter

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DSC_0959
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

We are way behind in posts again and we’ve had lots of big celebrations since the last post–Seder, Easter, Lola’s and Christina’s bday celebrations, Mother’s Day….And, in between, we’ve enjoyed some more fantastic weather with our first BBQ of the season and some bike riding and play time at the playground!

But, first here’s our spunky gal at Auntie Christina’s house for Easter celebratin’.

But, I guess I should backtrack a little to earlier in the morning…Dylan was super excited about the Easter Bunny because he knew he’d get some treats. We even left a note for EB letting him know that we’d be at Auntie Christina’s later that day (Dylan even signed it!).

The weather was actually chilly that morning and it was a little wet outside, so E.B. just left some stuff on our front doorstep…the kids were stoked!


easter basket excitement
easter basket excitement
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

They got a few dubious items: vegan marshmallows, some chocolate in chocolate easter baskets (which I’m proud to say we still haven’t gobbled up yet), plus some Bunny gummies and a few snack-size Pringles. But, they also got some of those crazy puzzle erasers that Dylan (and Taliana) are just nuts over.

Dylan has been earning an eraser or two every week through “learning activities” (a letter page in each of his 3 primary activity books earns 1 eraser) and through his responsibility chart (he gets a point for every magnet on there, totalling 64 per week and each eraser is 30 points to “buy.” He can also opt to get a penny per point or have 1 minute of TV per point (gratefully, this latter is not a popular option!). This is hard work for this little fella — actually, he’s usually stellar on the responsibility chart — still, earning is slow-going!! So, he was stoked to get 3 erasers from E.B., free and clear. He could barely believe it! He kept asking if he had to earn them (poor kid!)!


vegan marshmallow time
vegan marshmallow time
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

So, after they pigged out on some of that marshmallow crap (this is the first time Dylan actually ate some…in previous years, he hasn’t liked them. They’re gross, in our opinion, but we offer it up so the kids never feel “deprived” because they’re vegan), we packed up our tofu scramble and Easter goodie bags for Jason and Tyler, and headed to Auntie Christina’s house….


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DSC_0562
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

As usual, the kids had an absolute blast with their cousins. And those boys are a couple of the sweetest fellas ever. Truly. They are such good sports and always so willing to play with Cameron and Dylan.


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DSC_1007
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Cameron just ADORES Jason.


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DSC_0973
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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DSC_0975
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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DSC_1015
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

She spent a lot of time saying, “C’mon Jason”!!


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DSC_1008
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

By the way, she also loves that baby panda in her hand.


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DSC_0955
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

So, E.B. got our note and left baskets for the kids at Auntie’s house, too…!


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DSC_0946
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

After our massive brunch–here’s Christina practicing domesticity in her new kitchen–there was the egg hunt, again indoors since it was a little wet outside…


all bi'dness
all bi’dness
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Cameron was first out of the gate and she knew just what to do.


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DSC_0580
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


lovin
lovin
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan brought his Nino Conillo game (yep, that’s an old picture of Dylan playing the game when he first got it!) to play with his cousins and Cameron came to watch–I love how she’s got her hand held so lovingly on his back! The kids often do this with one another to guide each other or just to show affection. And when Cameron demands to “hold hands” in the car, she often means Dylan (not me!!)!

There are so many more photos! Christina got a new DSLR for her birthday so she was shootin’ photos as well. You can see them on flickr.


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chatting with Cameron

The other day, both kids fell asleep on the way home from Lola’s (we pulled Dylan from daycare on Mondays so we can have some extra family time before he goes off to kindergarten!) so I snuck out for a run as soon as we got home.

When I got back, Cameron was awake and munching on dinner. When I went to sit beside her, she casually asked, “did you go … running… mommy?” Man, this girl is great!! At 21 months, she already “gets” how to initiate a conversation!

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an eggs-citing day

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DSC_0870
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Another day, another face painting!!


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DSC_0843
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Cameron was a natural at the pre-school egg hunt! The kids were allotted two eggs (the fellas at my work responded with a “hoho! It was definitely not a free market egg hunt!”) and Cameron kept on coming back with, “I found one!” and “I found another one!” Then she’d chuck them, not so gently, into our paper bag and I’d discreetly hide them elsewhere!


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DSC_0840
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

The toddlers went first, so she had free reign in the playground area for a few minutes! I finally had to corral her into the toddler room so I could participate in Dylan’s egg hunt as well.


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DSC_0852
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Taliana was on spring break this past week, so she accompanied me to the school that morning and helped with egg swapping (real ones for plastic) and re-hiding duties. Dylan was stoked to have her company.


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DSC_0853
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan also found more than two eggs, but he had an equally good time rehiding the ones he found!


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DSC_0865
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

It wasn’t a school day for Cameron, so she went to Lola’s where she apparently couldn’t stop talking about her “twen-teee eggs!” And, she also requested the Humpty Dumpty dress. Nice egg theme!!

Incidentally, we did have an impromptu seder, thanks to Heather and Assaf! We celebrated Auntie Christina’s and Lola’s bdays on Saturday and headed to Heather and Assaf’s for a seder-ish evening–there was no reading of the Haggadah owing to limited time, but we did have matzoh, carrots, and the yummiest charoset ever! Pictures soon….


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kids doing stuff

Here are some April pictures of the kids at play…

our picnic dinner
our picnic dinner
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.


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DSC_0808
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Tom had a late night at work, so I made one of those super simple meals (soba noodles with rice vinegar, agave and sesame oil; apple slices, edamame, and Peanut Butter Pows!) and the kids and I dined picnic-style! Oh, to be a kid where simple joy comes from just being able to eat on a blanket on the floor!

So, Dylan was another superhero that night and Cameron was sportin’ some new shorts outfit that she got from her Lola!


dylan's "store"
dylan’s "store"
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

This is Dylan at his new “store,” inspired by the one the teachers set up at the preschool. Now, all of our empty cartons, bags, etc. are ending up on our windowsill instead of in the trash, but at least our kid is using his imagination, right??

He usually sells us all of our favorite stuff (coffee, teechino, mommy milk for Cameron…) without much regard for price but the other day, I think he told Tom his coffee and donut would cost $500 bucks!!


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DSC_0814
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

These were the “original signs.” After having us write these ones up, he started sticking all sorts of other signs, stickers, and even shipping materials(!) on to the wall! One of my favorite signs is that one that reads: “we sell stickers and milkshakes (vegan only).


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DSC_0819
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

One beautiful afternoon, I found Tom and the kids outside playing. This water table was a total bargain! We’re still getting great use from it!!


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DSC_0817
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Cameron is fearless! And, yes, she usually wears a helmet.


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DSC_0821
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Aha! There’s daddy-o with the helmet…!


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DSC_0823
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Not too thrilled about the helmet thing!


cameron's new art smock
cameron’s new art smock
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

I picked up a new art apron for Cameron in preparation for another late night without daddy (it really was a belated Chanukah present!) and the kids spent a fair amount of time painting while we waited for Tom to get home.


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DSC_0829
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Dylan still really, really loves art…and he’s great at it!


mess is fun
mess is fun
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

They used up ALL the paint in one night!!


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DSC_0833
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

Cameron says “cheese” when I point cameras at her. Can you tell??


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DSC_0831
Originally uploaded by coffywoman.

I attended a 2-day conference last weekend and I was so stoked to see the happy, cheesin’ kids at the end of the day! Over the two days I was gone, Tom took them to an Earth Day festival in Santa Cruz and to the beach and Taliana and P. came over to play and have dinner!! I enjoyed the conference, but I missed spending time with them! I know Tom had a blast (and he slept well those nights, too!).

Good times!


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