Festival of Lights

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We headed out last night to the Downtown Los Altos Festival of Lights Parade to kick off the holiday season. The girls were tired from the morning birthday party but all napped and rallied to meet our friends the Farwells for some fun. The parade is a cute tradition - all the businesses sponsor a little float covered in lights and Santa pulls up the rear- just like the Macy's Thanksgivign Day Parade - but different ;) Bumble forgot to sigure out how to sponsor one this year but we gave out little cups of hot chocolate and warm ginger snaps when people walked by. It was a fun night just hanging out and nice to have Bumble as a homebase when the crowds roll in to DTLA!

my three little nutballs! love the faces girls

they each have a stocking at Bumble :) (might still be trying to figure out a stocking for JJ at HOME but at least they are covered at Bumble :)

We met the Farwells at Bumble for an early dinner and some wine-to-go :) and walked down the block to parade watch. Heff and Jay picked a convenient spot BEFORE the parade technically started so we watched the lining up and yelling for everyone to get in there places but at least missed the crazy crowds 3 people deep everywhere else and the kids were just as happy

kids watching intently

Best seats in the house

especially for Maisie Moo

granted it was dark out but still no good shot of all three little ladies

this was close ;)

Kelly and I with the little ones

Francie and her buddy Stella being silly

Rub-a-dub-dob four kids on a Bob

Back to Bumble for Movie Night and a refill!

Birthday Party at Bumble

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Sunday morning we got to ATTEND a party at Bumble! (usually working too hard on the other side :) It was a Car's the movie theme and pretty awesome- not just saying that :) The girls tolerate Cars as a little recess from the Princess world so they had fun with their buddies and played hard for 4 hours - nothing like a birthday party to wear your kids out!

and look who's STANDING UP!

all decorated to party it up

I mean- check out this cake! Two tiers of "polka dots" and carrot cake made by the talented ladies at Studio Cake in the Willows who do all of our custom theme Bumble birthday cakes!

Cars, hot wheels, race tracks, cars... more cars

Like a moth to a flame - this girl is to arts and crafts

Dad on feeding-Janie-the-squirmer duty while I take pictures

Maisie wore herself out helping to line up the cars

taking a break with the bink and wearing Maisie's necklace (Maisie said she "had to borrow it")

Kale chips, hummus and grapes oh my. (don't worry we threw in gingersnaps to balance the too-healthy-ness)

Heff cracking up at Janie's expressions watching the car speed past her hands and up the loop - old school race tracks were the biggest hit of course!

Thanksgiving at Our House

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We had half of the Heffernans including Oma, Opa and Demi and Cahills at our house in Los Altos for Thanksgiving this year! We were challenged to cook a 40+ pound turkey raised by the Matthews in Chico and freshly butchered on Sunday. We had a three day event getting the bird ready, pre-eating and then BBQ'ing all day Thursday starting the fire by 9am (wouldn't even come close to fitting in the oven) It was a great Thanksgiving with lots of kids, lots of food and lots of fun -especially to host for the first time at our house!

My 18 pound baby and our 40+ pound bird

Thanks to these kids - Ellie, Kate and Patrick (with Maggie and Aly) for raising this turkey for us all!

I will spare the process of how the turkey got to this point from walking on two legs - but those are some big mean birds! Thanks to Doug, Maureen, Joe and Bill for doing the dirty work. Getting de-feathered... looks like a process!

And thanks to Bill and Anne for bringing the bird to our house and brinning it for 2 days - here it is coming out of the brine to go on the spit

makes the cutting board look tiny!

3 man process

It took two engineers and one lawyer to rig up this contraption complete with a deflector to cook the turkey for 7 hours

yummmmy!

view from above - there was lots of "watching the turkey" (aka drinking beer, playing Scrabble and watching kids on the rope swing)

Heff and Baby Caroline

Bill making sure no one is cheating in Scrabble

Anne reading books to Aly and Caroline

Sweet Caroline looks more like her sister Clara everyday

Dad and JJ taking a break

Maisie-Moo and her best buddie "Care-la"

On a nature hunt for table decorations

scavengers

These girls were big helpers

Aly is pretty excited to try the bow and arrow at the Nature Preserve

Little climbers

So serious about the shot

Francie and Ariel getting a ride from Maggie - the girls LOVED following Maggie's every move this week and I loved how well Maggie taught them to clean their room and the playroom after the usual playtime tornado hit!

Love this shot of Maggie on her first attempt. and she hit the target!

patient "Uncle Bi-nan"

Francie's new favorite silly faces


JJ girl in a cupcake hat hand-me-down

big kids

big kids being crazy

thanksgiving table with the leaves and things from our walk

Cousin Kate joined us and all the chaos! she still loves us despite burning her mouth on wakefields, the girls making her paint every little finger and toenail over and over, lots of talk of changing diapers and one barfing kid (Clara was sick all day!) to round out her Thanksgiving

Heff and I made brussel sprouts and red grapes for a side in the giant lodge pot

and 7 hours later the turkey is done!

BBQ men in headlamps

it was a 3 man job just to bring the thing in the house (Donald was working hard on the couch :)

Winner winner TURKEY dinner

Now who is going to carve it?

good work cavemen

all while the girls made the rest of dinner warm and cozy inside

time to eat!

Happy Thanksgiving!

those are some worn out kids- everyone slept well!

MaryJane ~ 9 months

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Janie turned 9 months old on Friday! Janie Girl you are at such a fun age right now. You have a HUGE smile showing your bottom two teeth and you laugh when you smile sucking all the air in you can. You are a very happy baby and we are so lucky you are a part of our family- you take very well to your baby of the family role and eat up all of the attention.

You are a squirmy little baby but you are long and lean (95% for height usually and 25-50% for weight) and you still wear size 2 newborn swaddler diapers (but so does Maisie right now when she isn't wearing big girl undies so that's not saying much). Most of your clothes are 9-12 months but you pull off some oversized hand-me-downs too :)

You have super blue eyes - like your Opa and your Dad… they look like they might stay blue but your sisters both turned hazel/green so we'll watch to find out.

You have a few party tricks - "How Big is Janie" but you usually answer with one arm up, only sometimes with both. You wave HI and BYE like crazy - especially when you see your Dad. You can clap your hands pretty well too. Here's a wave when you were riding on Beezer

You always curl your left foot when you are sitting - I was a little worried about it but it seems to be just a quirk, maybe a "babinski reflex" thing!? (Uncle Bob the pediatrician says maybe when she starts wearing shoes it won't be so sensitive - you haven't had a sock on your foot a day of your life yet so maybe I need to start de-sensitizing those tootsies!) and you love to blow raspberries like this too silly girl

You have been crawling since you were 5 months old and didn't learn to sit up very well until after you were crawling- maybe survival for getting away from those big sisters! Your sisters love to come up behind you and pick you up- carrying you all over and squeezing your belly. You don't like this so much and put up a fuss until they put you down.

I think you might be an early walker- you almost stand on your own and cruise along the furniture like a champ

You love to dress up just like your sisters - okay maybe THEY love to dress you up but you are a good sport about wardrobe changes

But you sure love your sisters! Your face lights up when you see them and they make you laugh running around, being crazy and hiding from you. You LOVE your Emmy too and kick-kick your legs and wave your arms until she picks you up- especially in the mornings. Your sisters are your biggest fans - Maisie calls you Sweetie - as in "Oh I'm sorry I dropped you- it's okay sh-weetie" :)

You are a great eater - you have been on formula and big girl food since 6 months and you eat 2 jars of baby food at every meal plus some of whatever we are having. You like Puffs ok but prefer meat, pasta, bread, cookies or anything else you can get your hands on. You drink 6 ounces of Gerber Good Start about 4-5 times a day. As soon as we put you in a high chair you get very demanding for food!

You are FINALLY a good sleeper, it only took the first 5 months of your life for me to figure out you like your own space to sleep- your own crib, lights off, fan on for white noise and no one to bug you. You used to sleep in our room and you were up every hour! But since then you've been sleeping 12 hours and only occasionally get up in the middle of the night for a bottle. You were taking 2 solid naps a day but now you seem to have consolidated them to one looong nap - 3, 4 or 5 hours long! We are not complaining but sometimes you make me turn into that crazy mother who keeps checking on her sleeping kids :) But you wake up happy as a clam after a long nap like that.

You love your dad's arms best of all- it's so cute to see you reach out to him when we are in church or walking around. You are a Daddy's girl for sure

You are a great little traveler and already have 5 countries stamped on your passport - it took me 25 years to do that! You are a seasoned flyer and adapt well to time changes and being on the go.

You have a serious side and sometimes get scared and cling to us like glue - you don't like ot be turned upside down and we think you might be a little scared of dogs and big animals

You don't really like to ham it up for the camera- but Emmy and I are persistent and catch you sometimes

I love you JJ girl!!! I can't wait to watch you over the next 3 months turn into a 1 year old and continue to watch you grow up into a little lady. I predict you will be head strong and know what you want in life. You'll toddle after your older sisters but you won't let them tell you what to do. You'll be funny and like to make everyone laugh I think too. Your Dad predicts you will be be a bit off a goof, kind of like Maisie. :) We are so lucky to have you in our life MaryJane!

Today

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Life back in the real world is crazy. But I love it! Being on vacation in paradise somehow makes me appreciate our hectic, crazy, busy, lovely life even more. Nothing very noteworthy happening - just lots of little stuff making up our busy days!

Today...

Maisie and I were little sleepy and cleaned up too many blankets and soft pillows after Maisie woke up throwing up from 2am-4am. We watched some Wonder Pets (weirdest show ever) and drank Pedialyte until she felt better. (She had been telling us last night "Mom- I Don't FEEL well.") She gets extra love and binkies today and has been wearing a band aid on her head to remind us she is sick.

Brian and I worked out together. Oh wait, this might be the most noteable thing all week considering I am too lazy to EVER work out! Heff dragged me to try this Vasper workout designed for NASA he does where they pump cold water through a body suit and helmet while you do intervals on a bike thing. Hummm- exercising, being cold, in the morning = NOT my idea of anything I ever want to do! But I actually liked it and it was fun to do with Heff. And they claim it's like a 2.5 hour workout in 20 minutes and I'm all about efficiency!

I turned the heat up (don't tell my husband to 71)- we had a chminey guy come look at the fireplace and I guess those roaring fires we build (go big or go home remember?) might have cracked something. So no more fires til he fixes it this weekend. I love a warm cozy house and I can still blame the electric bill on Heff's prosciutto chillin' in the wine cellar! But I love the fall weather.

I did some work on menu and playroom stuff at Bumble- it's a challenge to figure out this restaurant business thing! But the Playroom part is fun...

Rashelle (the awesome Director of Brilliant Babies) and I worked on some big changes for the business. BIG! Lots of work ahead but exciting changes too (this picture wasn't from today- last week we all went to play at BB - feels like our old stomping grounds now that we are Los Altos kids!)

I worked on some projects at Academic Trainers and our Clear Choice SAT program - it's awesome for SAT Prep and we are going to be doing some cool things with it! If you know anyone who needs SAT Prep send them over :)

Today I was SO thankful for Emmy, as I am everyday. She is so fun to have here in the mornings and is an A+ champ getting all three girls dressed and out and about on a fun wear-them-out-for-naps excursion. Today they watered trees and collected leaves at the nature preserve, got soaking wet, came home for warm baths and played school after lunch. Emmy is EMAZING and I am so lucky she is my cousin-like-a-sister and that she makes my girls' lives better everyday while Brian and I can get some work done!

Francie paints a rainbow almost every day- glad she likes color as much as I do. I'm considering these as art for our house :) Emmy and Francie were doing "homework" too - love to see the words and things she thinks are most important- mostly "Francie and Emma" of course.

I snuck a nap in while all there girls were fast asleep for the same 2 hour period... it was awesome. (this picture wasn't from today but only sleeping baby pic I had on my phone recently!) Zzzzzzzz.

We framed some family photos to hang on a few photo walls. This has been bugging me forever- blank walls are so boring. It's so hard to pick good family photos but I feel like I cheat when I have Emmy taking these works of art on a daily basis. Now to hang them!

I purged and organized our closets and gave them to a lady I know who sells the "name brand" stuff on eBay and then deposits 50% of it into my paypal account. The rest I donated but I love the no-hassle eBay selling- it's like "free" etsy and online shopping money! and I reorganized our "family closet" and the dot system - much easier after the purge and putting all the summer clothes away to make room for long sleeves and cozy sleepers.

and Brian and I talked about our plans for BUNK BEDS in the girls room! We are all excited about this one and hoping to do some demo this weekend for the build outs. These are my inspiration photos... I love the layout of one and color of the other.

And we are all excited that Kat and Oliver are coming to stay with us this weekend (YAY!) AND Clara is coming over tonight for a much anticipated "cousin sleepover"! Glad the girls all got naps to rest up for a fun night in PJ's cuddled up inside away form the rain. Can't wait to have these two cuties sleeping at our house tonight!

and I actually missed Janie looking at these cute pictures Emmy took (just waited for her edited ones!) since she has turned from the worst sleeper ever to the BEST SLEEPER EVER. She is going form 2 long naps a day to one loooonnnng nap. 4-5 hours at least, today was 11am to almost 5pm. Love this about you my JJ!

Big Girls Still Take Naps

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In the infant sling "top bunk" of the jogging stroller! After a run w Dad... Brian said on the run they saw a police car while they were crossing a quiet street in the hills and

Francie said "Dad is he gonna give you a ticket?"

Heff "No Francie why?"

Francie "Because you are jail walking." (aka jay walking :)

So she's been sleeping in the garage like this for the last hour - Janie and Maisie are sleeping too.... better get back to organizing kids clothes for the winter, it's a major project!!!

Pink Ladies

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We became sun suit converts on the boat (my sister is laughing at me right now). They had these cool spf full body suits (in pink!) that were so much easier than putting on sunscreen. They look pretty cute too ;) except I love in the picture above with Heff that Maisie is looking cute- Francie is pissy and Janie is eating Maisie's toe- all very appropriate since right before this all three wanted the coveted shoulder seat and look who got it!

Three Little Pink Piggies

someday maybe all three of them will look at me at the same time?

"What? I wasn't playing with Ariel. Ok fine. Don't tell GaGa."

Boat school in the morning

Happy Baby after breakfast! we brought this stroller to use as a high chair to feed Janie - seems silly to bring a stroller on a boat but it worked!

Same size suit. Different size kid.

on the tender heading for dry land

found it - and right back in the water

My weak attempt at an artsy photo - looks like Janie is back in my belly- just 8 months too big!

Stand Up Paddleboarding

Dance moves by Francie

Sun suits came off- dance routine commences

checking out the tide pools

i forgot to pack a baby spoon so Janie got sweet potatoes by seashell

Heff got to go out one afternoon with Captain Adam on the open seas (in this little tender!) and they caught a HUGE wahoo! This was the third one they brought in but the first two were only heads- while they were on the line a shark or something stole the rest!!

This guy was almost bigger than Francie

Heff tried to convince Maisie to kiss the fish. No dice

Janie and I stayed on the boat away from fish kisses

and then saw this guy swimming behind the boat!

don't freak out it was a nurse shark- they guys were jumping in to dive with the shark. not a people eater!

little bums making popsicles with Kimmie

my best friend

after dinner fishing in her princess nightgown

getting a little help

moonlit walk on the plank!

Bahamas Vacation

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We had a great family getaway to the Bahamas. We managed to turn our phones off for a week (for the most part :) and focus on family in a beautiful spot surrounded with white sand beaches and blue waters. The girls became expert snorkelers, fish sighters, jet ski drivers and sand castle builders. We found some awesome tide pools and sandbars to explore, watched some movies when afternoon storm clouds rolled in and relaxed, relaxed, relaxed. It was really a special trip to take together and we were so lucky to get the time away to experience it together!

rainbows before the clouds - we saw one almost every afternoon

Dad and Francie - she was a Daddy's girl on the trip for sure, they had fun together learning to snorkel and swimming around the boat. She had no fear thanks to having her Dad by her side :)

Snorkling practice in shallow water

In full gear - it's not easy to teach kids they have to walk backwards in fins. But they learn quickly why it's recommended!! (I wasn't so mean as to take pictures of these falls like I did of JJ on the paddle board :)

Maisie preferred to stay dry on land this trip- she is usually really adventurous but she has been having bad dreams about crocodiles so as soon as the water got a little deep and the sand under her feet got "too squishy" she jumped into the nearest set of arms

More jet-skiing- Maisie was happy with this activity as long as she stayed dry :)

Heff giving me a break on "keep Janie entertained" duty so I could play with my camera

My big girl running in the waves

To the Bahamas… and beyond!

watching the kite surfers from the deck before we headed for the beach (well kids not so much watching- more like getting antsy for beach time) We were in a National Park area in the Exumas so we found little sandy beaches to set up camp on after breakfast/lazy mornings most days. We had to get creative on burning off energy too- running the kids around in circles on the boat and Heff and I swam, paddle boarded and ran after kids

Janie spent a lot of time in my arms! It's not easy to keep a busy 8 month old corralled on beach blankets or towels - and she is too wiggly for a carrier right now and just spins herself around while I attempt to hold her but sometimes I am lucky enough for a snuggle or a sleepy baby. (I saw a lady in the store the other day with an infant on her shoulder and for a fleeting second thought "aw I want one!" until I realized I still have one! JJ just seems like such a big girl all the time - I have to remember she's my baby)

Maisie is still my biggest snuggler - (I thought I was my sister in these picture- too bad you didn't sneak on the trip with us ABA!)

J does "How big is Janie?!" trick 24/7 now, especially when I take a picture- for the reaction she knows she will get :)

A new day on the beach - digging with dad

Paddle Boarding sisters

Such big girls in their floaties ;)

and Janie still eating sand

Going on a Treasure Hunt- the boat crew brought costume gear and hid some buried treasure on one of the islands and let the kids be pirates on a treasure hunt

"Where is the pirate?" (and notably the only half hour any of us wore shoes for 7 days!)

We spotted him! (it was one of the guys everyone called "Big Red" from the boat crew- Francie thought it was hilarious and Maisie screamed when he woke up) There was a big "X" in rocks and buried gold coins next to him- they dug them up before I could get a picture

Back on the boat in patriotic bikinis :) They didn't last long under the hot sun and I made they wear "stingray" full body SPF suits that day on the beach. Wonder if they'll agree to that when they are teenagers?! (just realized half my pictures haven't even uploaded- post II coming after with the hot pink stingray full body suits!)

Maisie wanted no part of photos this morning

JJ's first side pony! (haha :)

Francie and Heff taking a break - computer time only long enough to keep our inboxes from getting too scary when we get back :)

Janie crawling around on the boat getting into whatever she could (they did an impressive job baby proofing but she is a sneaky little thing)

Big sister Francie shows up to cart JJ around - the big girls favorite move but Janie is not such a fan when they squeeze the breath out of her!

PJ time burning off some energy - little jumpers

three in a crib and the little one said…

"get me outta here"

Shark watch on the back dock one night. The barracudas and fish were attracted to the light on the back of the boat- I might have spent a good hour with a fishing pole trying to catch a 6 foot nurse shark one night after a few margaritas and pricked my finger to drop a few drips of blood to attrack the shark- Heff was like "a) you are crazy and b) what do you plan to do if you actually get that shark on your line?" good thing I was unsuccessful so didn't have to find out!

chumming with puffs

I swear Francie grew up half a age on this trip. SHe was enamored with one of the girls on the boat- Alicia who was a school teacher so she taught the kids "Boat School" every day. They would run around going "It's time for boat school!" and sit quietly doing projects and reading for an hour. Francie claims she can now speak french :)

and Janie girl in her cute little outfit :) still proves she loves to eat even if it's just chewing on celery! She's on to more real people food now and is pretty good not with only her two crooked little front bottom teeth :)

We're so lucky this guy loves all his girls so much - we love you too Dad!

Bahamas Beach Babes

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We have been soaking up the sun in the Bahamas and spending lots of time on the beach! Heff and the girls and I are playing on the sandbars, riding jet skis, snorkeling and lots of hanging out on deck reading books, playing with magnatiles and coloring (not so different than home- minus the sunshine and the view!) The favorite activities: Janie- eating sand, smiling and crawling in the waves. Maisie- staying dry and clean (washing her hands in the waves a million times) on shore. and Francie- paddle-boarding, snorkeling, jet skiing and tubing- she's loving the water sports (maybe didn't get my genes after all? :) We love the beach!

Heff and the girls in the life jackets he picked out for them - big hits except they weren't princesses but after being talking into the fact there are no Ariel life jackets safety first ensued

Francie the snorkeler!

Beezer ready to jet ski

Janie in her full body infant life jacket giving me the tired eye- riding in the tender lulls her to sleep every time.

Happy girl in the tiny waves - she would play like this for hours if I didn't try to limit her sand consumption


family of five

my big girls! I didn't think I was in the picture - embarrassing myself trying to get them to "how big is Janie?!"

dancing in the water

JJ trying to get her sisters

look who learned to paddle board!

and you can guess what happened next?

She isn't actually falling in- she is doing a complex vaulting move on the side of a paddle board. so advanced!

just kidding :) but she was quickly saved by Dad and liked the salt water bath :)

more pictures coming!...