Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas!

I'm catching up - yay! Here are our Turkey Day photos. Jen visited us and we had a quiet meal (well, quiet until I exploded the roasting pan with the turkey in it, while it was in the oven, after only 30 min in the oven. but that's a story for another blog). After Zach's nap, we went over to Mark and Ramona's parent's house for round 2 and dessert. The day after Thanksgiving we walked off the carbs with our neighbors, Julie, Yann and their son, Aymeric.

Christmas photos to follow, soon!

Zach brushing Jen's hair

Massachusetts Trip

The week before Thanksgiving we flew to Massachusetts to visit family. We also got to catch up with some high school friends who live in the area and have kids of their own.

Grandma Connie (my dad's mom) and Zach


Uncle Mike (my dad's brother) and Zach. Zach's loving the remote.

Aunt Martha (my dad's sister) and Ruby (daughter of my high schoolbuddy, Yuri)


That's Yuri in the background






Lizzie, the daughter of Amy's high school pal, Lanea


My mom, Lizzie, Lanea,Zach and Amy


It took a prybar to separate Zach from his new guitar














My mom, her neighbors and Zach take a walk in the woods behindtheir house.

Batting Tee Drum

Zach is so creative. He can turn just about anything into a musical instrument, including his batting tee.

Zach discovers sunglasses

So fashionable!

Choo Choo! Moo Moo!

In early November, I was lucky enough to get a "guys weekend" away with some buddies of mine from UC Davis (thanks, Amy!). Most of us have kids now, so the moms got together and went to Tilden Park in Berkeley. One of the attractions is the working model steam train.The train takes you through the redwoods, over streams and under tunnels. After the trains, they went to a farm in the park, where Zach had fun watching the "moo moos".

They had so much fun, I can't wait to go back with them!

Isabelle, Sebastien, Amy and Zach


Carson and Ethan

Old MacDonald

One of the aspects of this age is how fun it is to watch Zach learn something new practically every day. This video is from late October, when he woke up in the morning singing "ee eye ee eye ohhhh". He was still singing when I brought him downstairs for breakfast, so I grabbed the camera and started recording.

Halloween!

We went trick or treating with Zach's friends Emi and Atti (and their parents, Ramona and Mark and Sara and Larry). We started the night at Emi's house, and then walked a few blocks to a street that every year gets blocked off to cars for trick and treaters. Almost all the houses on the street decorate their garages or porches with spooky sounds, creepy monsters, flashing strobe lights, and glowing jack-o-lanterns. Many dress the part of a ghoul or witch, and two dressed up as characters from Kung Fu Panda and danced in their windows above the street.

Zach was a biker dude, Atti was the Pillsbury Dough Boy, and Emi was a firefighter (Ramona and Mark completed the costume by dressing up as a hook and ladder - so creative!)

New Drawing Table; Chillin w/ Bunny & Bear

After music/dancing/singing, Zach's favorite activity is drawing. In late October, after a few "accidents" of pen going off paper and onto the kitchen table, Amy went on craigslist and found a used drawing table. We still enforce the "pen only on paper" rule, but now "accidents" don't require any scrubbing.

Zach brought bear and bunny onto the landing to chill before bedtime