Candy Stripers

Getting their money's worth out of their Christmas pajamas. And Tate's ball popper - a source of great contention in our household.

All Aboard!

The San Francisco Zoo is celebrating the season with a Nutcracker train! West and Tate took full advantage. Good thing Santa brought them matching conductor hats. Choo choo!

Lollipop, Lollipop

Over/Under

Ready, Set, Scoot!

Grandma and Grandpa Grandpa sent Tate a cherry-red scooter for Christmas and he has pretty much refused to get off of it ever since. Seriously, we have to hide it in the closet. He hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet - or maybe he has but prefers to manipulate us into pushing him all over Golden Gate Park. Either way, he looks awfully pleased with himself, wouldn't you say? Thankfully, he's a stickler for wearing his helmet - safety first!

Dapper Duo

We all headed over to a generous friend's home for Christmas Dinner, which meant dressing up for this special occasion. Enter the sweater vest-ments! The kiddos looked quite polished in their holiday best (with new shoes to boot!) and I couldn't resist stopping for a few quick snaps of them in their Christmas attire. They insisted on posing with two of their favorite gifts from Santa - a baby fox and a kitty cat of Tate's very own, originally named Bianca but now she goes by Blanche. ;-)

Branching Out

Much to our dismay, West loves to climb on this woodpile in the park. Even warnings about spiders fail to deter him, whcih leaves us with nothing to do other than capture everything on film.

Parking It

Scenes from a recent outing in Golden Gate Park.

Poseurs

One more so than the other ...

Stomp The Yard

Grandma and Grandpa Grandpa came bearing gifts for the kids, one of which was this Stomp Rocket for West. A perfect choice given that it involves jumping and projectiles. Aaron, the kids and I took it outside for a spin last weekend and a great time was had by all. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Grandpa! We hope you enjoy the hilarious expressions on West's face as he sends those rockets soaring over 100 feet in the air!

Pretty Boy

Now that Tate is sporting a smashing new haircut (thanks Grandma!), I can share these photos from a second "came home from daycare with a barrette in his hair" incident. Adorable. My apologies, teenage Tate!

Fall Frolic

With Thanksgiving and a wonderful visit from Grandma & Grandpa Grandpa (and Ryan, Sanem, and Roan) behind us, it was time to head out in search of fall foliage to toss. The weather was gorgeous and we didn't have to go far to find more leaves than we knew what to do with! Everyone got in on the fun - even Tate.

Copycat

Not to be outdone, Tate donned a hat of his own in response to West monopolizing the green cap. He's a true hat fan! Hilarity and cuteness ensued.

Hat Trick

Miracle of miracles, West decided he wanted to wear a hat last weekend. It was too small for him but we ran with it anyway. He cut quite the figure in his cap and curls. May this be the beginning of many more accessories!

Dude Looks Like a Lady

Tate came home from daycare the other day sporting a darling barrette. Poor light and future fallout be damned, I had to snap a few photos. Isn't he scrumptious?

Day Trip to China

The kids love to run around this Chinese Pavilion, which, in addition to being a great place to burn off toddler and pre-schooler energy, is incredibly picturesque. Next time I'll try to take straighter photos.

Fairy Tale

We recently ventured across the Bay to Fairy Land, a quaint and wonderful place where fairy tales com alive and kids have loads of fun. Tate LOVED the bubbles. He's a sucked for bubbles. They had him at hello.

A Hippo and a Giraffe Walk into a Park ...

Another Birthday Bash

A few weekends ago, we were invited to celebrate a dear friend's 1st birthday. Rylan was at Maggie's with the kids and it is always wonderful to see this completely awesome family. West and Tate were up to their usual antics and had a spectacular time. West even crashed another party's bouncy house (much to the host's dismay ...) Also, sprinkles!!!

Sidewalk Exchange

Tooth Fairy

Tate is a bona fide tooth brush enthusiast. He looooves brushing his teeth and does so several times a day. This obsession has the added benefit of getting West (always a reluctant brusher) to join in as he doesn't want to be left out. This series was taken after we got home from the Goblin Jamboree - hence the last vestiges of Tate's kitty nose and whiskers.

A Super Day

This was our second year at the Goblin Jamboree and this time we were prepared and in (semi) costume. West rode a pony named Sugar, two jumpy houses were jumped on, many fuzzy animals were petted, West raced a witch (and won!), both kids fished for prizes, Tate reluctantly allowed his face to be painted, capes were a'swirling, and, as always, there was plenty of cute to go around. And then some.

Pumpkinpalooza

It's October and that means a trip to that Autumn stand-by, the Pumpkin Patch. Ours is in the middle of the City and offers lots of hay, turkey-watching, pumpkins galore, a hayride, tunnels, and a hay maze. Not to mention tons of photo opportunities! We braved the crowds to get our share of pumpkins and pictures. Enjoy!

Bouncers

A couple weekends ago we went to a friend's preschool's open house. They had a variety of activities for the kiddos but the favorite by far was the bounce house. Actually, there were two of them. West and Tate proceeded to go nuts.

Swinger

Three's Company

Big Wheels

Sidekick

In Tune

West loves the 'monica his Great Aunt Molly gave him! He's gotten to be quite the little songster.

Hat's Off!

Dappled

This might be my favorite series I've ever, ever taken of West.

Little Cabin In The Woods

Tate was particularly enchanted with this adirondack chair at Mimi & Papa's cabin.

Splendor In The Grass

Tate and his cousin Sierra spent a lovely afternoon hanging out in the gardens in front of the Conservatory of Flowers. Tate showed off his walking and Sierra followed suit. They took turns hamming it up for the camera and had loads of fun soaking up the Northern California sunshine.

Wet & Wild

One of West's favorite things about our recent trip to Tucson (other than lots of quality time with Mimi, Papa, Auntie Kate, and the rest of the fam) was his adventures in the backyard with Auntie Kate's Slip n' Slide.

Cone Head

This is the story of how a fit of possessiveness spurred some very cute behavior.

Strike a Pose

During a recent trip to the zoo, West discovered that he was finally tall enough to take advantage of the [insert child here] photo ops. Well, almost. Two out of three ain't bad.

Rainbow Brite

We love this striped jacket - it's almost as bright and happy and snuggly as he is! Tate wore it well during a recent play session in the backyard with the usual suspects.

Father's Day

Sunshine and cuddles (and chalk!) galore.

Super Duper

The kids received coordinated superhero costumes for their birthdays. Tate still needs to grow into his but West's is a perfect fit! As you can see, he is ready to save the day.

Nap Happy

Le Petit Prince

Tate's school made him a crown for his birthday. His was the first birthday for the new center and they went all out in the craft (and snuggle!) department, coordinating a group card and everything. No wonder he likes it there so much.

Kings for a Day

What birthday party would be complete without the proper headgear? West and Tate had their own toppers and wore them to great effect at their joint bash this weekend. Even though they shared a party, they each had their own cake (a zebra ice cream cake for West, strawberry whipped cream cake for Tate). Many photos were snapped, most of whom will appear in future posts. For now, here are a few featuring the kids and their festive accessories. I make a brief appearance as well, thanks to Aunt Andi.

52 (Er ... 34) Weeks of Tate

Remember this? When Tate was born 51 Sundays ago, I decided to take on a weekly photo project in the same spot every Sunday to document his first year. After the first photo (above), I added another element - a knit bear, for scale. And, while I failed to catch every Sunday due to vacations and, well, having two kids, a spouse with an insane work schedule, and a full-time job of my own, I think 34 out of 52 isn't half bad. Some of the shots are better than others, some have me questioning what I was thinking (and wishing I'd varied his wardrobe a bit more), and one week I apparently switched locations to the sofa, but they do a decent job as a series capturing our year of Tate. Enjoy!

Man At Work

Bananas

Tate enjoyed his first banana immensely. Or maybe it was the game of peek-a-boo we played behind the coffee table. I'm warning you, there is a whole lot of cuteness after the jump. Seriously, you might want to put on some protective gear.

O Captain! My Captain!

Frogger

Tunnel Vision

Pusher

Some outtakes from our bubble/wagon/walker adventures outside. Ahhhh ... brothers.