A few more snaps from our trip…

-M

When traveling we like to do things that you can only do in that spot – like night swimming with manta rays on the Big Island. Mountain tubing is something unique to Kauai, so we gave it a try. Avery got cold (we were floating along a cool river), and I got claustrophobic (there were a few long, fairly narrow caves – see video), but it was still a fun experience!

-M

As with most of our Hawaii vacations, a lot of our time was spent in the ocean or pool. Bonus: the girls got to spend time and splash around with our good friends the Newmans, who were vacationing there as well.

-M

The four of us are big fans of the Big Island, but we decided to do something different for winter break and visit the much smaller Kauai (where Q and I honeymooned more than 15 years ago). It’s just as – and some would argue more – beautiful as the other islands, with one minor downside: It’s also the wettest! It rained for the majority of our one-week trip, but that didn’t stop us from exploring the island and visiting waterfalls, cute little towns (including one with a suspension bridge), Waimea Canyon, and the Spouted Horn.

-M

So, I think this is the longest I’ve ever gone without posting on the blog. Shortly after my last post (during which we were still recovering from all the bat mitzvah activities) we headed into a nice long winter break. And after our trip to Hawaii (pictures coming soon) and week of hanging out, it got crazy busy with basketball practice and games, musical rehearsals and then musical performances. Somewhere in there, we celebrated Hanukkah, New Year’s and Q’s birthday, and we remodeled one of our rooms so the girls have a dedicated study area. It’s been a lot, but: Happy 2020, everyone!

-M

“Ain’t no party like a West Coast party,” my cousin wrote on her Facebook the day after the bat mitzvah. I don’t know about that, but we did try to throw a fun party! Our aim was to take people around the world – each table featured a city that Zoe has visited – and keep everyone dancing and having fun, and I think/hope we did it.

-M

Zoe made us so proud that morning! Here, some photos from the service and just after…

-M

After big events or trips, my dad would often comment that it was almost like a dream – that is, the big day (or days) came and went so quickly that it felt like perhaps it never really happened. I feel a bit like that with Zoe’s bat mitzvah – it was such a special day, and one that we planned for and looked forward to for so long – that it really was almost like a dream! Luckily we have lots of photos to remind us it really happened…

-M

Our pre- and post- bat mitzvah schedule was pretty packed with family stuff. Among the highlights for the girls: playing tourist and showing Tanner and Brock around the city, visiting Alcatrez for the first time, celebrating Thanksgiving with a huge group of family, and playing with cousins.

Up next: Photos from the big event!

-M

It’s a big week for us! The first wave of bat mitzvah company arrived on Zoe’s birthday, with the arrival of Sandy and Cas; they spent a few days with us, and Aimee and her family came next. The girls are having a blast with their cousins: They took them to a Warriors game (where Tanner scored a Steph Curry signature!) on Monday night, and the next day they all went to school together. More family (and photos) coming soon…

-M

So here’s the thing about a bat mitzvah: It seems really far away through most of the planning process (especially when you pick the date two or three years in advance), but then suddenly sneaks up on you. About three weeks ago, it hit me that we were only a month away, and it suddenly felt very real. It also hit me that we had quite a bit to do: Though Q (our party planner) has been super organized and on top of everything, there are still a bunch of little details to work on, party decisions to finalize and outfits (and shoes) to pick out! 

Luckily, and most importantly, Zoe is totally on top of things, too – and she feels ready for next weekend. Here, a snap of her practicing alongside her sister yesterday.

-M

Zoe turned 13 yesterday, and I can’t think of a better photo for my rule-following, book-loving kid than this one. (She had indeed been saving this book for around her birthday; she crawled into our bed the night before the big day and said, “Now I can read this.”)

We’ve all been so focused on her bat mitzvah (less than one week away now!) that her birthday itself felt a bit anti-climatic. Still we made it fun by doing something very Zoe: We went to Barnes & Nobel, where she browsed for a while before picking out five books, and then went to a San Mateo restaurant where she had one of her favorite things in the world (strawberry rhubarb pie). Later we had dinner in the neighborhood with Sandy and Cas, who flew in that evening, and she blew out candles on a cake that her good friend bought and surprised her with. Not a bad way to usher in her teen years!

-M

It’s a whole new Avery! She got her hair cut in a cute, short bob (Q took her to the appointment last Saturday, and she totally surprised me with the new do) and later that day she did something she’s been wanting to for a few years: get her ears pierced! Check it out…

-M

With work, school, activities and planning for Zoe’s bat mitzvah, it’s been a super busy time – but I can’t let more time pass without sharing some photos from Halloween. Below you’ll see Avery and two of her friends (a fellow cheerleader and Ariana Grande) trick or treating in the neighborhood. Zoe had her own thing going on that afternoon and evening (no photos of her this year = mom fail) but I snuck in a photo of Maddie for good measure.

-M

The girls had a lot of days off in October, and on one of the sunny nice days Avery did something a bit different and took Maddie to the beach! This gorgeous spot is less than 10 minutes from our house; not sure why we took so long to visit.

-M