The girls typically stay at PM care at school 2-3 times a week, on those days I’m working in Palo Alto or one of them has an enrichment class. They love it there, often looking disappointed when they see me (I don’t take it personally!) and/or asking if they can stay longer. While there, they run around on the playground, do an art or craft activity, work on homework, or – as was the case the other day – pretend they’re baby birds. I had to laugh when I picked them up and watched as a little first-grader threw Cheerios in their mouths. (According to the teacher there, this had been going on for some time before I arrived.)

-M

Are you ready for some football? We are. We’re holding our annual Super Bowl party today, and Avery helped Q pick out the perfect napkins and plates.

-M

Avery got the sniffles last weekend, and Zoe wound up catching them and more: She stayed home school for two days with a bad cold and low-grade fever. (Luckily, she was a pretty good patient – mostly reading, making up games for us to play, and fooling around on the computer.) And then, I got sick – stuck in bed from Thursday afternoon until today. So, I haven’t written much – but we’re around and almost all (knock on wood) back to full health.

-M

The girls are pretty good helpers around the house; I get the occasional eye roll or “Do I have to?” when I ask them (especially Avery) to do chores, but they usually don’t mind doing them. Avery wasn’t feeling it the other night, though: This is what happened after I asked her to clean up the playroom.

-M

Zoe is still a huge reader; grabbing a book and heading to her beloved brown reading chair are the first things she does each morning. I had to chuckle, then, when I heard her yell to her sister (who had climbed up to join Zoe in said chair) one afternoon, “Get off of me, Avery! I can’t read!”

-M

For the last nine years or so, we’ve celebrated Q’s birthday by going to the horse race tracks. This year was no exception: Last Saturday, we headed there with a bunch of friends.

-M

There’s a cut-out in the staircase of the girls’ school that I never really noticed before – but at pick-up this week, Avery ran to the spot and suggested I take her photo. Good idea!

-M

Avery’s going through a particularly fun and spirited stage – she’s silly and sassy (but in a good way – usually) and always saying stuff that makes us laugh. She also likes to give me a hard time (again, usually in a good way), and when we were discussing a friend issue the other day she stopped me and said, “Mommy, you worry too much!” And a few days later, when I was asking her and Zoe for details on their day, Avery asked in faux-exasperated tone, “Mommy, is it your job to know everyone’s business?” (Uh, yeh, it kind of is.)

-M

The day before winter break, there was an all-school assembly at the girls’ school, and Zoe got to perform with both the band (for the first time) and chorus. Below, an action shot of Zoe (in purple) and her trumpet.

-M

I haven’t posted much lately, but here’s a quick update: After Hawaii, we had a week of nice, mellow family time. We hit some bookstores and other favorite spots, went to see “Moana” (and began listening to one of the songs from its soundtrack, “You’re Welcome,” a lot), had people over to watch football, went to a family-friendly New Year’s Eve party, and just relaxed. Oh, and the girls discovered (the very silly) “Fuller House” on Netflix and now have a new favorite show.

School resumed last Tuesday (the girls were super excited to see their friends), I returned to work the following day – and we’re all back to our regular routine, while trying to stay dry. As I type, the girls are in the playroom, where they’ve been all day, happily playing Barbies, LEGO Friends and other games together. No complaints here…

-M

During a recent game, Zoe asked her sister what her favorite place was. “My home,” Avery replied. “It’s nice and cozy and warm…”

-M

Our last batch of photos from Maui come from our last day, when we went exploring on our side of the island and found the most beautiful beach (which we had all to ourselves) – and spotted a rainbow. It was the perfect ending to a perfect, whirlwind trip.

-M

It’s the last night of Hanukkah, and I couldn’t let the holiday pass without a photo of, and greetings from, the girls. And while we’re at it: Happy New Year, too!

-M

During our last trip to Maui, we attempted to take the famous Road to Hana – but Zoe (then just under two years old) cried from the backseat throughout. Our trip went much smoother this time around; we didn’t make it the entire way, but what we did see (and eat!) was pretty terrific.

-M

Our first few days in Maui were spent exploring our hotel grounds, hitting the beach, snorkeling, and lounging by the pool. Oh, and we even had a play date with good friends, who were staying on another part of the island…

-M

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