Birthday Party Switcharoo

Wow where to start with this post... I think it can best be summed up by saying all's well that ends well but it was a little rocky getting there. Gina and I decided to plan a fun 1st birthday for Jack and Sadie since they are only 4 days apart and most of our friends are the same. We had grand visions of a kick-ass party at Lemos Farm in Half Moon Bay with the works... jumpy house, petting zoo, train rides, pony rides, pumpkins, cake you name it! As the day was approaching and we were putting the final details on the plans we started to notice the weather. The nice warm fall weather known to the Bay Area this time of year was going to take a drastic turn on Saturday November 1.. the day of the party. We hoped for the best.. confirmed with the Farm that it was rain or shine and kindly told people to dress warm and wear their boots. After a morning of cleaning up from Halloween, finishing the food and coordinating naps so my kids weren't monsters at the pary we all get in the car to head to Half Moon Bay. The rain is coming down hard... the Dunns are calling to joke about "Hurricane Lemos", Mark is weaving through flash floods and 3 car pile-ups....... I will admit the mood in the car was tense and I was fragile. We are getting closer and I get a call from Gina that she has arrived and there is a big sign that says "WE'RE CLOSED". The mood just went from fragile to totally on the ropes!!! Gina and I talked each off the ledge.. then decided to quickly swing into action with Plan B.. move the party to the Farrells house. We are blessed with wonderful friends and family who all showed up to help and celebrate. This is how the Fishers and most arrived.... soaking wet but with smiles on their face that they didn't have to stand in a torrential downpour at a pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay. Instead we opened a case of Maniac (Mark's wine) ordered pizza and spent a cozy afternoon with dozens of kids running around nursing a Halloween sugar high hangover!!
The kids didn't seem to mind not getting wet and all had fun jumping on the trampoline and playing with the toys. Jack got some special time with Oma.
Makenzie decided to taste test the cake just to make sure it was ok to eat.

Then Madison and Makenzie watched and waited until the moment they could finally eat cake.Jack finally got to have a lick of his first cupcake and enjoyed all the attention and excitement.
Our little birthday buddies.. hard to believe a year ago Gina and I were just a few doors down from each other at CPMC holding our angels for the first time. Who knew they would get dragged every where together for the next year!! More good times to come.

This was us after a few glasses of wine... smiling at our husbands who made an emergency run to the liquor store for the biggest bottle of wine they could find and the party store for more balloons and decorations...Mark could be heard telling the woman at the store...'our wives are on the ropes.. I need more balloons, more decorations and one of each of these"
Happy First Birthday Jack and Sadie... maybe next year we'll make it to Lemos!!

Halloween is finally here!!

The night before Halloween Mark and I got into the spirit for ourselves and after the kids went to bed we carved some politically motivated pumpkins.... "go ooobama"
The next day it was off to Chestnut Street with the whole crew for the annual Halloween parade. In tow we had Mickey and 2 pink Minnies, Chloe the flower, Leenie the witch, and Reese the bumble bee. This is something we have done for 3 years now and it is so much fun. We were quite the scene this year with 3 strollers, two sets of grandparents and five kids under 3!! This might have been the last year for the "Minnies". Here they are giving their best "we're so over it" look.Speaking of being over it.... Jack was over the Mickey Mouse ears and over sitting in the stroller so he decided to walk Chestnut Street. Definitely one of the highlights of this Halloween was Opa's "costume" check out this green hair. I think more people on Chestnut Street were talking about him than the kids... thanks for being such a good sport Opa!!

Jack's first birthday

On October 29... Jack turned 1!! It's hard to believe where the year has gone... those sleepless nights and long bouts of crying(his and mine) seem so long ago. Today, my little man is walking, babbling and smiles with a sparkle in his eye. The night before Jack's birthday, Madison and I were busy birthday fairies.. wrapping presents and decorating the house. Mark got home at 2am.. got a few quick hours of sleep and was there to greet Jack when he woke up. Jack got some cool new toys.. including his a ride-on fire truck, his first Tonka truck, some new blocks and books.

The day consisted of taking Madison to preschool and then some alone time with mom and dad as we headed to Dr. Simons new office for Jack's 1 year check -up. Jack is 22.5 pounds but only 30% for height but still holding strong in the 98% for head size!! After getting 4 shots and getting woken up from two naps.... Jack called it a day around 6p just in time for Oma and Opa and Gram and Poppo to arrive for his first birthday dinner.
So Jack went to bed and we opened a nice bottle of Silver Oak and toasted our little man and all the blessings we've been given. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband to share this adventure with.
It was a scene that would seem sad to most and just a few years ago would have been devastating to this type-A mom.... Jack missing his big birthday dinner with his grandparents, his first cupcake, etc but if there's one thing you learn, you have to go with the flow and nothing ever turns out exactly how it was planned... a lesson that become all too real a few days later... see "Hurricane Lemos" post.
But all in all it was a great day... a great birthday and we had a wonderful dinner with Gram and Poppo and Oma and Opa and Madison of course loved all the extra attention and dishing out the cupcakes after dinner!!

Is it Halloween yet?

It feels like Halloween is the new Christmas.. it just keeps going and going. I have to admit I am feeling a little burned out and we haven't even hit the Big Day. We had a great weekend though which included a few more pumpkin patches, a great party at the Braden's in Walnut Creek and was topped off by the Serra Preschool Halloween Fair and carving pumpkins.. whew no wonder I feel beat today. Madison is almost three.. so her most popular phrase is "I can do it myself" so this is her pulling the load of pumpkins to decorate the house with. She insisted on picking them out, lifting them herself and pulling the wagon.

Saturday we headed to the east bay to the pumpkin patch in Pleasant Hill with the Brinkers... it was in the mid 80's but at least we got everyone to smile for the "annual family pumpkin patch" picture.
Jack started walking and he is a man on the move. Here he is charming the camera with those cute smiles and showing off his new big boy haircut. Not to be outdone by cousin Reese who was all smiles in her pumpkin shirt.
The Dads are leading the charge around the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect one.

How cute are these two? They have so much fun together and always love a chance to snuggle close and say cheese!!
Sunday we were off to the Serra Preschool Halloween Fair. Gina and I were on set-up and the Dads were in charge of bringing the girls in their costumes and staying for clean-up... ouch. The two biggest hits of the party were the nail painting and tattoo room and the Monster Mash dance party room.. good work Gina! Here Madison and Callen are waiting for their nails to dry and then they were ready to hit the dance floor.
Gina and Andrea took a turn in the tattoo parlor... Gina, where's YOUR costume?

The Eggerts love Halloween and Gina takes great pride in their costumes but this year takes the cake. Check out the Eggert Sisters... complete with silver crosses. Sr. Sadie at the arts and crafts table.

Halloween at the Disco Museum

In TV news we were always taught not to "bury the lead" so here it is... the world's cutest Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Sunday we headed to the Discovery Museum's Goblin Gamboree with literally "hundreds" of other families. It was super packed but the whole place was turned into a Halloween wonderland. Madison/Minnie of course loved the jumpy house.

I can't help but think if Jack could talk he would say "are you kidding mom? Dressing me in this leisure suit?"
Mark and Jack had a great time building and knocking down towers in the Tot Spot.
This is Jack in his full "get-up" is he cute or what?? Our little Mickey Mouse... only problem his head is so big that the velcro chokes him around the neck... but for a moment its cute.
Stay tuned for Jack's Halloween costume part 2.... my little "Jack-o-lantern"

Disney comes to town

It was a busy weekend... Saturday afternoon we headed to Disney on Ice. I originally thought Madison might be a little young but boy was I wrong.. we had such a great time and really got the excitement building for the Minnie Mouse halloween costume. This was a trip just for the "M&M's" so Jack and Resse got to stay home with Gram and Poppo. Mark got suckered into a $24 Minnie Mouse doll but hey it was worth the memory.
We had great box seats so the girls could move around and call out all the characters they knew as loud as they wanted.
This is one of my favorites... not sure who was having more fun at the show... Mads and Mia or the Mommies???
Madison loved the characters and the music and all the twirls they did on ice.

Trampoline obsessed

Who needs Disneyland when you have Gram and Poppo's house... Madison was treated to a wonderful surprise on Saturday when she arrived in Danville. Gram got a trampoline for the backyard and unlike hers at home this one is super cool because Gram can jump on it too. So fun, thanks Gram and Poppo!

SF Happy Hour... Eggert Style

Friday night East Bay happy hour moved across the bay to the Eggerts house. It was a rare warm evening in West Portal filled with good food, laughs and plenty of Bud Light and red wine, thanks Chuck. There were eight kids under the age of 3 so not so much the Happy Hour it used to be but still plenty of fun. The kids had mac and cheese and mummy dogs while the adults feasted on Gina's homemade enchiladas.
This is Marco Cecchin, Jack and Sadie enjoying dinner... family style.
Brooke D'Angelo is right next to them.... raising her hand so nicely for more mac 'n cheese please.
The "big girls" got to sit at the table and enjoy their dinner.
After dinner it was time for a little entertainment as they all enjoyed the latest episode of "Yo Gabba Gabba" ...
Thanks for hosting a great Friday night happy hour!!