Weekend Recap

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Friday night we had dinner at Jannie and Grampa's before Jannie jetted off to NYC to help Ann with Arte Italica stuff at the Gift Show. Uncle James, Uncle Jerry and "Big Brady" were there to entertain the little stinkers. Brady wanted to make sure I blogged this (hi to his cute wife Kristen!)

Francie goes straight for Jannie's American Girl collection every time. Grampa asked Francie if this was the United Nations crib

Jannie iPad always gets a workout when we are over there too- Jannie spoils them with screentime and they know it!

Throw in a little chocolate chip cookie baking to round out the night

Delish

Uncle Jerry juggling the big girls. Jannie is making these CUTE hats for all of them and Uncle Jerry bribed them with a dollar that is hanging out of Maisie's hat to say "Dolla make me Holla Honey Boo Boo child!" (have you seen THIS video? Ann showed me)

and speaking of hats, Thursday Jannie met us at the park for a little sunshine fun (winter has yet to show up?) Janie sporting her cute new hat and hand-me-down JanKnit sweater, love the combo!

Thanks Jannie!

"Come on, paparazzi, no pictures please."

Saturday the girls put on a puppet show with the "Rainbow Fish" props and giant story board we got on our school supply store field trip Thursday (you can now call Emmy Teacher Belding - she is amazing! The girls did a science lesson and wrote words today. You rock Emmers.)

more playroom fun (sorry playroom pics always end up yellow!) with a random picture of my Crazy Maisie - looking fine in her mermaid-used-so-often-it's-falling-apart-dress, Ariel goggles and Ariel purse. That's my girl.

Then Saturday night we met some friends for dinner at Bumble - Heff got cornered by 5 monsters under 5

and Francie with her friend at Bumble who is another regular :) she loves to put on her apron and clear plates and "take orders!"

Janie girl on a double date - don't let that high chair get too close ;)

Closing down the place - not sure how they are "helping" mop the floors by sitting on the chairs but they claimed they couldn't leave until they finished cleaning

Adios to Hawaii

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I have to finish posting the last of our Hawaii pics to remind me of the sun as I sit here cozied up by a fire! I have been running around like crazy since we got back so I've been a very lazy blogger - lots of Instagram photos to post :)

Back to Hawaii- we soaked up the sun on the last few days, lathered on the aloe to make up for it and said bye to ABA on Saturday (she left a day early since she had THREE flights to get back to Nashville).  We packed up Sunday for our 2pm flight home only to sit in the sun at the Kona airport (not as fun in airplane clothes) while a mechanical delay kept us from boarding for THREE HOURS. They finally announced the plane had a broken fuel pump and would fly with one engine to Honolulu to transfer everyone to different flights. Um, no thanks! We booked ourselves on the same flight the next day and went back to the hotel with our carry on bags. Monday was like groundhog day only not as good without bathing suits, enough diapers or toothbrushes!! We finally got home Monday night… travel delays are such a pain but it was still worth the trip :)

Janie says "WHAT? We have to stay an extra day? ok."

"Sure I'll take some frozen watermelon at my lounge chair"

ABA and JJ got some good bonding time in!

Sandy beach swimming time

Sushi dinner - plus pasta for JJ

In her own seat - pretty happy as long as she has mom's phone

Bananas and a smoothie for breakfast

and our breakfast :)

Janie wearing ABA's old sunhat with her name embroidered on it- people kept calling JJ "Ann" :)

had to celebrate ABA's last day

Trying to get Jannie to watch Baby Einstein to keep her occupied for 2 minutes. Didn't work.

Little more sun

DOn't leave ABA!!!

Sunday ride to the airport in the cute taxi baby seat - ROUND 1 of 2

Awkardness at the airport - this guy was taking pictures of Jannie the entire time we waited to board!!

Monday morning breakfast at Hualalai - in last pair of PJ's (which she wore until we got home!) 

"Are we really going home now?!"

PJ Wednesday

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How lucky are these girls to get to play with Emmy all morning! They are having a PJ day while I'm getting some work done at Bumble - the stomach bug is working it's way through the girls, no fun at all. Maisie had is last week (lucky Dad) and Francie woke up at 5am throwing up the morning after I got home - she threw up then goes "Aw MAISIE! You gave me your sickness!" What a sister :)

"WHAT?! Let's go back to Hawaii Mom - I don't want to get it next."

And Finally...

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The parallel pic just a few months late! Francie and Maisie both went to Hawaii (Kona coast) when they were 5.5 months old - Janie had to wait until she was 11 months old!

Francie and Maisie in Kona (2008 and 2009)

Janie 2012 - a little bigger and a little more attitude

now you won't have to explain the "Uncle Jerry photoshop Hawaii trip" when you get older J

She sure is a big girl :)

and a lot more mobile than the 5 month old babies had when we took them to Hawaii! JJ wore me out :) but it was fun to have her there and even though Heff offered to take all 3, I might not have known what to do with myself for a week with NO children!

Hawaii - January 2012

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Janie's hawaiian adventure is almost over! We've had an awesome week hanging out with my sister and Christian for a girl's getaway - we were spoiled to get to sneak away for a week of relaxing, beach time, pool fun with JJ, cocktails and hanging around in pj's laying on our laptops. Thanks Heff, Jannie and Grampa and Emmy for taking good care of my big girls so I could do this!!

Little Glamour Girl (she learned how to say ABA and a few more animal sounds, ALMOST took her first "step" (don't worry Heff, she's waiting on the real thing to show her Dad and sisters ;) and started baby signing more on this trip - amazing what a little only child time can do for a third kid!)

Early morning walk with ABA and JJ. Janie must have a serious internal clock. She slept in a pack-and-play in a bathroom all week (just like she loves it dark and with a fan on!) and woke up at 6:45/7 every day which as 9am at home when she usually wakes up!

fancy hat JJ (her other new word her Dad thought her is "hhhat"

"Now THIS is the life."

wide angle iPhone lens (thanks James and Em for the fun christmas present) from my chair while Jannie napped in her stroller - ahhhhhh

sunbathers (ABA might kill me for posting :)

pretty happy

sista-sista

little almost walker

an AWKY picture but just wanted to remember how much I love this little stinker attached to my hip while I try to get ready in the morning - she loves being in someone's arms and I've almost mastered the mascara and eye-liner with-one-hand-while-keeping-the-other-part-away-from-her-hands thing. I love those chunky thighs and cute little feet - especially in her lounge PJ's :) When did she get so big?!

Baby pool time (JJ got Fruit Loops and Goldfish crackers delivered poolside to rival mom's Ginger Blossom cockatil :)

love a sleeper

so sad - dropping ABA off at the front for the airport (she left a day early since she has THREE flights to get back to Nashville - 2 days of travel!) Glad you came all this way Baby Ann!!

I was sticking my bottom lip out about this too JJ

"Ahhhh our trip is almost over?!"

More Weekend

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Sunday morning we also hosted the Baby Gear Yard Sale at Bumble. Francie, Maisie, Janie and Clara were big helpers. We even made signs and had tags for all teh stuff! The girls had fun being salesladies but we didn't have many buyers that morning so the Swap was kind of a flop! Maybe in the spring? We sold 2 strollers and a carseat. Oh well it was something to do on a Sunday morning!

 

Maisie was more excited I "found her new trike!" (they have these overalls at Target right now for $16. Love them!)

Big girls walking home from Bumble (yes Francie loves this outfit right now)

and Sunday night we took the big girls and Emmy, Kat and Donald to see Cirque du Soliel Michael Jackson with a bunch of friends! It was a little crazy but a good show.

"What the heck is this all about? I just want to eat my hot dog" Luckily they took a potty break with Dad and Emmy for the Thriller scene!

Big show for big girls (Janie and Oliver stayed home with Lauren the awesome babysitter!)

JJ says "I'll show you for leaving me out"

 Oh and big girl went to gymnastics Saturday for a few hours - we were downtown and a friend picked her up to go play so she picked out this REAL gymnastics outfit from the kids clothing store downtown. We sent her and her friend in with $20 to shop!

Weekend Fun!

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Just some pictures from our weekend! We called this pictur eof Janie the "Missoni Medley" and yes passed this outfit down to our friend Chloe immediately after she peeled it off.  I am kind of overloading on Instagram pics versus REAL ones :) But it's so easy and the Instagram feed is fun! I am maryandheff if you are on there too :)  So this weekend Kat and Donald came to hang out - which is exactly what we did! Bumble brunch, walks, park, target, making cookies, cousin baths and family dinner. Very exciting :)

 

Superstars after bath time

Kat and I can't get together without a trip to the Redding OR Sunnyvale Target :) It wore JJ out

Walk to the Redwood Grove - J loves a shoulder ride

Friday night dinner waiting for Kat, Donald and Oliver to arrive - SPOT pizza on the counter, don't forget the ranch (cute plates from Shannon!) 

Saturday night cousins bath after dinner - Rub a dub dub dub... dub dub.

Francie is into dress up and helping with chores. Here's what happens when the two meet.

Popsicles for dessert while baking cookies with Aunt Kat (Oliver sitting like a big kid, yes he is seriosuly only 15 months old)

 

Girls and Work

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Last night we had dinner at Bumble with some of my favorite AT/BB girls! Janelle is busy as a nurse now (she used to run the show at Academic Trainers for 6 years!) we got together to catch up with Sarah and Rashelle. I had a crazy busy day at work but it was nice the girls came with Emmy to hang out for lunch, Francie had another lunch date with Jannie, Brian took the little girls home for naps and then they all came back for dinner at Bumble before we walked home to chill out!

JJ at Bumble sneaking some of her sister's choco milk

and a little lap nap while I worked on my laptop

and finally snuggled up at home on the couch- long day at work! :)

Just Some Pics

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Love this series of pictures Emmy took of Little J! Those are totally "her faces." My little ham...

Hollywoods in the double stroller (this stroller ROCKS- we joke it's Emmy's new boyfriend, life changing for walking downtown with three kids!!)

Yesterday Jannie picked up Francie from school (first day back since before Christmas- I'm scared for REAL school once we start, it's such a pain to have a schedule!) and they had a fun afternoon going to the Dutch Goose for lunch and games and then Jannie's house to make a doll quilt - then came to Bumble to play with the girls and I for a few hours. FUN day.

Maisie found these links at Bumble and made earrings, a "tutu" and a necklace. She wore the earrings home and until she went to bed!

If you are on my Instagram feed these picks are all old news - but Bathtime Ariel never gets old.

Just Some Pics

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Love this series of pictures Emmy took of Little J! Those are totally "her faces." My little ham...

Hollywoods in the double stroller (this stroller ROCKS- we joke it's Emmy's new boyfriend, life changing for walking downtown with three kids!!)

Yesterday Jannie picked up Francie from school (first day back since before Christmas- I'm scared for REAL school once we start, it's such a pain to have a schedule!) and they had a fun afternoon going to the Dutch Goose for lunch and games and then Jannie's house to make a doll quilt - then came to Bumble to play with the girls and I for a few hours. FUN day.

Maisie found these links at Bumble and made earrings, a "tutu" and a necklace. She wore the earrings home and until she went to bed!

If you are on my Instagram feed these picks are all old news - but Bathtime Ariel never gets old.

Weekend Recap

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We had one of the best weekends on record at the Heffs House- doing almost nothing!! We had not a single thing planned and anything we ended up doing was spur of the moment and very relaxing. We ended up going on an awesome date night thanks to Emmy, having lunch with our old buddies the Keeps (Francie was ecstatic!), cleaning out the garage and getting rid of some baby gear, putting Christmas officially away, having Friday night dinner with friends, Sunday night Sushi with Maddie and Emmy to check out their cute apartment and taking a 2 hour whiole family nap Sunday afternoon - might have been the highlight!

Weekend in photos...

Friday night dinner with friends

Saturday clean the garage and hang out at home day - take down Christmas, tune up the Troopy, start the 4-wheeler and clean up the crap

waiting for the mail, now that IS exciting! (especially when you are still in your nightgowns at 1pm)

Little Beezer saying "I wide the moto-cycle!!!"

and Francie decided to have a "yard sale" of toys so she collected all the stuff in the house she was willing to part with (aka "Oh Maisie don't you want to give your new Tinkerbell to kids who REALLY need it?!") Charity and Yard Sale-ing might be confused here.

Yard Sale Toys - if you ran by our house Saturday afternoon sorry you were accosted by a four year old

"Mom wanna buy this Thomas? It still works!"

Maisie was busy with her dolls

Friday a new BOB Double showed up in a box on the doorstep (weird Heff I don't know HOW that happened?!) Emmy had been using the Joovy Caboose with two seats and a stand on but with crappy wheels it was impossible to push and the BOB has an awesome footwell for Francie to ride while the little ones are strapped in. Emmy and I are in love with it :)

Janie says "it's just another stroller mom."

Mersa and Mercy got to ride too

So to make room for the new BOB I promised Heff I would finally clear out my collection and sell a few of the strollers that are out of circulation. (I know I have a problem with my love of baby mover with wheels but I use them all!) I set up a blog to sell all my crap (Craigslist doens't work anymore!) so Francie helped be my tester for our sale photos backdrop

and then....

The only photo I managed from our Saturday Night date night - we went to Dio Deka in Los Gatos where my friend Marty Cattaneo is the Executive Chef. Incredible food and what a sweet date! :)

Sunday morning brunch with the Keeps at Bumble!

and Sunday Night we went down to San Carlos to see Emmy and Maddie's ADORABLE aprtment and thake them out for a fun Sushi dinner!

The girls demanded a sleepover asap

How cute is their place?!


Sushi dinner - what fun with these girls!

Can't have dinner without a show! Talent by Francie and Maisie (soon after followed by Emmy and Mary singing the entire rendition of "Show and Tell" - a Mary's SUmmer Fun Camp old favorite. How do we remember it Em?!

thanks Maddie and Emmy!

Francie says "my face was like that because I didn't want all those people sitting on their laps too"

Oh Emmy what would we do without you!? :)

Randoms and Build-A-Bear

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nothing very exciting to blog but random, blurry instagram pictures! This week the highlight was when Emmy and I were hanging out with the girls after a PJ morning and I didn't have too much to do at work so we jumped in the car and headed to Valley Fair (our old favorite stomping grounds!) for pretzels, play place, Build and Bear and a few quarter eating rides.

Valley Fair's new playplace! (only slightly less germy than the old one :)

and Build-A-Bear… of course they had Ariel outfits

Bathtime for the new Playroom friends - this is "Hug Bug"

Maisie got a fuzzy blue bear (her favorite color) but decided she needed Ariel outfit too (over Buzz or Woody surprisingly!) but picked an extra Cars shirt and Cars slippers for her bear "Hug Bug" she can be a little tom-boy with her taste!

and a random cute picture of Dad and Janie in her first bow and Princess ballet outfit her sister's gave her for Christmas (they were sooo excited about this little outfit)

Cousins in Red Bluff for Christmas

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What a week we had in Red Bluff! It's always a treat to get to continue Christmas on the 26th… 27th… 28th… and on and on :) Makes post Christmas let down a lot easier. Red Bluff was awesome. We celebrated family Christmas, went on a hayride to a campfire excursion, did a little playroom makeover, tore up the barn and swings, played with the animal menagerie, celebrated Oma and Nana's 64th birthday, threw a little "sprinkle" celebration for Maureen's surprise baby on the way and made the most of RV life in the driveway (with bathroom/showers/meals in the house - cheaters! :) Thanks for another fun week Oma and Opa!

some of my favorite photos from the week…








Oma and her brood of grandkids

What she is REALLY thinking… HA :)

Santa's Elves

I wish I could remember what Francie was so mad about!

We tried ;)

more craziness...




Oma made ALL FIVE FAMILIES these awesome quilts for Christmas - so warm and cozy!!

The little buddies got Camelbaks from Oma- they were OBSESSED

the line up

board game time with patient Aunt Maureen

Thursday trip out to a ranch for some down in the dirt fun (don't worry JJ is usually facing backwards- we threw carseats in Oma's truck)

Unloading

On the hay truck bed and "cheers"-ing with the hot chocolate in new thermoses from Oma

Let's go!

Sweet Caroline

My cute godson Thomas flashing a smile

What you mad about Baby J?

the BFF's

Stop taking pictures Mom- let's go.

ready to roast hot dogs and marshmallows

Two of Uncle Ducky's biggest fans

Look who's standing!

Bow practice with Uncle Brian

Gathered round the campfire

Thanks to Doug and his family for donating the fun afternoon to a charity auction and to Oma for buying it!

heading home for NAPS

Ladies only Baby "Sprinkle" (aka little shower) at Kat's house for Maureen- due with surprise baby number 4 on April 9!

Happy Birthday to the twins!

Kids table in the new Family Room

and the big table

Love this Oliver

Friday we took a trip out to Maureen and Dougs house in Chico for some running around and lunch


lunch for 20 at the Indian restaurant in town - kids managed to not even spill 1 glass by some miracle

bedtime in the RV - Janie slept in a pack and play in the back bathroom (turns out 39 foot RV's have TWO bathrooms?! more than our old house!), Francie took the table turned bed and Maisie got a couch. Not a bad set up for a house on wheels!

Janie attacking Maisie and Francie getting her "Mole-e" fix on dad's arm (don't ask - we have weird children)

packing up "home sweet RV home" to head HOME on New Years Day

Rest stop PB&J sandwich making on the ride home

Fueling up with the truckers (my favorite part of the whole trip was leaving here when Heff passed the line of trucks parked for breaks/sleeping and Heff said "watch out for Lot Lizards" so Francie asked 40 times over the next hour what Lot Lizards were

My driver - 10 and 2!

and that's a wrap on Christmas 2011!

Oma's Playroom Makeover

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Claire added on to her house to make it a little more comfortable when we all get together up in Red Bluff - 13 adults and 11 kids under 8 make for a FULL house. She added a big family room off the kitchen and a bunk room underneath it for the older kids to start camping out. It makes for an awesome playroom where we can "kinda hear but not see" the band of holligans too!

It was just finished and empty - I knew Oma wanted some sleeping space without bunk beds (as you saw in my last post we've got some accident prone kids ;), a reading nook, a dress up area and stage for shows, art area and bright colors. Thursday we didn't have much planned so I jumped in the car to hit up the IKEA in West Sacramento to outfit the playroom- my favorite task!

Before:

4 hours of driving, 3 hours in IKEA, 5 carts full of stuff and 3 check-outs later… I came home just in time for dinner and to lots of willing helpers to unload and start building those IKEA brown boxes - it was a family team effort but we made Oma stay away until the big reveal :)

Lots of helpers!


and… it's DONE!

The kids were SO excited to show Oma

party in the new playroom

Reading Nook

Floor cushions and a basket for extra books

Big Kid art supplies out of reach from the little sticky fingers (Ellie is the keeper of the Playroom and already doing a very good job keeping the kids in line and this place organized!)

Art or train table with lots of paper for creations

Oh and one trip to Wal-Mart for some finishing touches like canvases for the girls to paint

We're still working on an official "stage" but we made these little dividers for a temporary curtain area for all the talent shows

Dress up all hung up on the walls in the utility closet

I love this map! I wanted two beds end to end for one long sleeping space and two trundles underneath but of course IKEA only had one left so we'll add the second bed for more sleepers soon.

Finishing touches before we revealed to Claire!

some shots from my wide angle iPhone lens I got for Christmas!

<

Now time to break it in!

Bruising Up the New Year

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We had a very exciting NYE sitting home by the fire checking out our new AppleTV (thanks Jannie and Grampa! the girls are obsessed with "Wonders of the World" documentaries and our DVD collection was getting old) and doing NOTHING. Brian and I made dinner and had a bottle (or 2?) of good wine. He was asleep by 10pm with the girls and I stayed up indulging in Big Love Season 5 until 2am.

New Years Day we decided to clean and organize the house/garage and put Christmas away while the girls played with their new toys. I was half way through pulling every item out of the kitchen cupboards when Maisie fell running in her sister's too-big Princess Aurora dress and stood up with a gapping gash about an inch wide on her chin.

We called Dr. Cisco and met him at the pediatrician's office - apologizing for ruining his football watching New Years morning! It was a pretty clean gash so he was able to glue and steri-strip it up. No "real" stitches! Maisie was a champ and didn't even cry

All better! Jannie and Grampa met us at the Dr's office and took the other girls across the street to the park while Maisie was fixed up so we all went to the Oasis for burgers and pin ball afterwards. Thanks to Maisie we had a fun lunch and put off cleaning the house :)

and speaking of stitchable gashes - when we were in Red Bluff little Oliver dove headfirst into a trailer and cut his eyebrow pretty good! We were out on a ranch in the middle of nowhere so we bandaged it up and called Dr Doug (Brian's sister Maureen's husband who is a CR Surgeon) to bring his stiching kit.

handy having a doctor in the house and avoiding the Red Bluff ER for at home stitches

smiling and stitched up with a popsicle!