Archive for October, 2014

Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 31st, 2014

One of our favorite days is finally here!

-M

Schooled by a 5-year-old

Thursday, October 30th, 2014

I had a rough morning yesterday morning, and I was grumpy and grumbling about something as the girls and I got into the car to head to school. “Mommy,” Avery said in a stern voice, “God does not want you to act like that.”

There’s nothing worse than being reminded of your bad behavior by a 5-year-old – but on the bright side, I’m glad that lessons from school are sinking in!

-M

Pretty pumpkin

Wednesday, October 29th, 2014

Avery’s latest little creation…

-M

Boo at the Zoo – and other Halloween fun

Sunday, October 26th, 2014

I love this time of year, with all the various fall and Halloween activities. Today we went trick-or-treating at Boo at the Zoo (look at how much the girls have changed since our first time there, five years ago!), and a few days ago we hit up yet another pumpkin patch. (Zoe is showing off her black-and-orange fingernails, done in honor of both Halloween and the Giants, in the last pic).

-M

Soccer buddies

Saturday, October 25th, 2014

Another Saturday, another soccer game. Here Avery is with one of her best buddies/teammates.

-M

Scratch

Friday, October 24th, 2014

Computer programming is part of the curriculum in second grade, and Zoe’s class recently started using an iPad app to learn introductory skills. Zoe also takes an after-class programming class involving the app, called Scratch, and she loves it! Perhaps a career in coding is in her future – ?

-M

Overheard

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

The girls worked on some Halloween crafts after school one day. From the other room I heard the following exchange.

A: “Oh, yours is so good!”
Z: “Thanks. I really like your creativity.”

Nice to hear them support one another!

-M

Hmmmm… pumpkin

Tuesday, October 21st, 2014

This is the kind of thing that might horrify Zoe when she’s older, but it’s too good not to share. (Oh, and I swear she’s not on the Libby’s payroll.)

-M

Gingerbread house

Sunday, October 19th, 2014

The girls have had a lot of days off school this month - which has meant more time for us to take little trips and do fun stuff at home. One of our recent projects? This Halloween-themed gingerbread house.

-M

Foam!

Friday, October 17th, 2014

Before trick-or-treating with the Peanuts gang last weekend, the girls played around in a just-for-Halloween-time foam pit at the park. I wasn’t that excited about them going in (guess which parent first said it was okay?) but they had so much fun that it well-worth the wet and soapy clothes.

-M

Trick or treating at Great America

Wednesday, October 15th, 2014

Another October must-do: early trick-or-treating at Great America. The girls got all dressed up for a trip there last Saturday.

-M

Girls day at the patch

Monday, October 13th, 2014

Last year, when my parents were visiting, the three of us took Avery to a pumpkin patch not far from our house. (There are two good ones in the city, and they both happen to be very close to us.) Avery had fun, but I remember thinking she would have more fun – especially in the hay tunnel, since it’s too big for adults – with her sister. So when the girls had a day off school on Friday, I know where I had to take them!

-M

New (temporary) member of the family

Saturday, October 11th, 2014

Zoe’s class has a pet turtle, Yertle, and her teacher needed someone to take him home and turtle-sit for a long weekend. The girls were very excited when we volunteered and even more excited when we brought him home late Wed.; ever since they’ve been talking with him, showing him toys, and even reading to him.

-M

Hard being a mama

Friday, October 10th, 2014

Just as I closed the door to her bedroom the other night, Avery called to me and asked for water. When I brought a cup to her she looked up at me and asked, “Mama, is it hard being a mama sometimes? Because people ask you to do things when you’re walking the other way?” It is hard sometimes, I told her, but not for that reason. And, looking at her sweet face and wide eyes, I said there was nothing hard about that moment.

-M

Top of the world

Thursday, October 9th, 2014

The weather has been gorgeous here lately (October is our summer), and the girls and I took advantage of an early school-dismissal one day last week by visiting a hidden San Francisco gem. I had been hearing for years about a gorgeous hand-tiled staircase tucked away in the Sunset neighborhood, and I was happy to find – and climb – it with the girls that afternoon. It was beautiful (we all agreed that the top of the stairs, featuring a bright yellow and orange sun, was our favorite), and standing at the top gave us a clear view of the ocean, Golden Gate Bridge, and rest of the city.

-M