Halloween 2013

It was a low-key kind of Halloween and that was just fine by us. The black widow and the more-often-than-not headless beetle made the rounds with their best buddy Jakey and the whole thing wrapped up by 6:30 when Anderson declared it was getting late, he had enough candy, and it was time for bed. OK, then. Party animals or bugs, as it were.

The cutest black widow in town | homemade spider costume

If Anderson had it his way, he'd have been the same beetle that he's been for the last 2 Halloweens. Except it didn't fit. It barely fit last year, but that was good enough for him, so this year we needed something new. But not too new, because being a bug (insect? arachnid?) is just entirely too great. I started out making a tarantula, but realized that without the red belly, he would just look like a furry black blob. I have never made a costume, and had absolutely zero luck in finding a pattern at the fabric store or online so I had to just wing it. I'm so happy with this little costume I can hardly stand it. Even if he did refuse to let me tie up the leg pieces, resulting in floppy legs, I just can't help but think he's the cutest little arachnid around. And of course Beck got to be the beetle. Because bugs are the best!

The thing about soccer...

...is that he kind of hates it. I think. During the week he talks about it as if he loves it and he hasn't stopped talking about the goal he made a couple of weeks back. But. He doesn't play. He loves the practice prior to the game and he most certainly loves the "tunnel" and snack at the end, but the actual playing of the game? Well, not so much.

The season ends in just a few weeks and I am sure he will tell tales of how great the experience was,  but for now I am doing all I can just to keep his interest long enough to last through the game (bribes of the pumpkin patch or ice cream seem to work pretty well for this; and yes, I know that makes me a bad mom but whatever).

I would never push my kids to participate in something they didn't like, but at the same time they aren't going to quit half way through when the rest of the team is counting on them. The fact of the matter is that he's four. What is great one day is forgotten the next and my job is not to push, but rather to expose him to as many things as I can and let him carve out his own path. Just perhaps not with a soccer ball. Maybe it will be sports, maybe it will be art (doubtful), or maybe it will be something that absolutely surprises me (song writing! ceramics! woodworking!); whatever it is, though, you can bet I will be right behind him, cheering loudly.

School started

It's been a couple of weeks since Anderson went back to school. Pre-kindergarten! I have no sappy, dramatic comments about how he's growing entirely too fast and will he just, oh my gosh, stay little forever because, actually, I kind of love all of this growing up stuff. He's becoming such a person. His thoughts, his opinions, his interests, his view of the world- they're all unique to him. His attitude? Well, that's unique to him, too. Help me. But this is about the beginning of what promises to be a pretty great year in school, filled with fun, art, music, and numbers as big as he can imagine. And letters! Oh, please, please, please let him flourish when it comes to writing his letters. I'm more than a little concerned at this point.

So he was not the happiest about the pictures before school or having his brother in the picture. This one's got attitude, I tell you.

It made me smile

The first time he successfully (almost, at least) put on his undies by himself. He was so proud I didn't have the heart to tell him...

Anderson's birthday adventure

Anderson turned four a month and a half ago, yet I am only now just getting around to uploading the pictures. Seriously with the time passing so quickly. It needs to stop already.

When Anderson celebrated his first birthday we started a tradition of birthday adventures. The boys may never remember what they received for any particular birthday, but the hope is that they carry with them always the memories that were created and (hopefully) captured. It's certainly not an original idea, but it makes for a special day. I have learned over the years that the best plan is to not have any at all and this year was no exception. Perhaps in the future entire birthdays will be spent at Disneyland or some other attraction, but for now just just hitting up a few favorite places for fun and treats all in one day seems to be just our speed.

This year began as all the others, with balloons and presents before the sun even thought about coming up. Anderson received his very own light-up light saber as all good jedis should. (Jedis? Ewoks? Stormtroopers? I have no idea, but he does and that's all that matters.)

After saving the planet (really, I have no idea what Star Wars is about, but I think they live in space, right?) all morning the boys and I (Gabe was working for  a few hours) hit up the bagel shop and Jamba Juice for a late breakfast/early lunch. Anderson was sure to tell every single person that crossed his path that it was his birthday. That's my boy.

After bagels we realized we had just enough time to get to Shipley Nature Center before they closed for the day. Why they close at 1:00 I will never understand, but at least it makes it more of a treat, I suppose.

They held hands as they walked around and I swear my heart was about to burst. That just doesn't happen everyday with these two.

Beck learned how to spear a fish and Anderson learned how to throw a boomarang thanks to some handy guides.

 We identified bugs and spotted lizards

 and got entirely too close to the edge of the pond.

 Inside, we identified leaves and trees

 and matched bird calls to their taxidermied bodies.

 Beck played with bugs

 and Anderson read us a story and put on a puppet show.

 and I tried, unsuccessfully, to to get them to sit still just long enough to get just one picture where they were facing the same direction.

 I'm not sure it will ever happen.

 Anderson had taken off at this point.

We went home for a dinosaur break

and wouldn't you know the ice cream man came down our street.

After a sugar re-fuel we went to the park to burn it off.

And then we went for birthday burgers and sundaes on the pier



It was another perfect birthday adventure for a perfect little birthday boy. Beck's adventure was just two weeks later and was strikingly similar! Don't mess with a good thing, right?!

A little treat

Anderson loves banana bread and his been asking for it every time we pass a Starbucks lately. Clearly we have made too many runs through the drive-thru. I have made 3 different recipes in the past week to satiate the boy. The first recipe was good, and really easy, but a bit of a one-note. The second was  a Trader Joe's box mix which, despite my love for most all TJ's box mix desserts oh how I would love a pan of truffle brownies right now was terrible. Really terrible. Thank goodness those muffins went to Anderson's class for snack day because yuck. Obviously 4-year-olds will eat anything they perceive to be a cupcake. So finally I made the one I set out to make in the first place, only to find last week that I didn't have enough rotting bananas to make the recipe. Who just happens to have at least 6 over-ripe bananas lying around? Anyway, I bought the bananas, left them on the counter all week and baked this recipe up. It's very good. Not omigod amazing, but very good. I substituted creme fraiche with sour cream because, come on, who happens to have that just hanging out in the fridge and I also used almonds instead of walnuts because they are a superior nut in every way. The recipe is huge and apparently makes two loaves though I only have one large loaf pan and ended up with 1 full loaf, 2 small loaves, 6 cupcakes and extra batter that went down the drain. Needless to say we'll be sharing the banana love tomorrow, starting with Anderson's teacher. Because teachers never receive enough random treats to thank them for all they do and, well, Mrs. Berry is pretty much the best.

*Odd note: I have never ataully eaten a banaa in my whole life. I find them repulsive. I won't even let one slip in a smoothie. Yet, oddly, I really enjoy banana bread. Go figure.

Just dance

Slow on posting a myriad of things primarily due to the seemingly endless dance parties that have been taking place every afternoon. These boys have got the moves.