That Sweet Jamba Juice

We were driving in the car today and Annabel made a comment about the local Jamba Juice store. Apparently, she remembered the location because she made the comment before the place was in view.

I think Jamba Juice is mainly a West Coast thing. It's basically the Starbucks of fruit smoothies if you can imagine such a thing. It has a very healthfoody, "Nature is beutiful" type vibe going.

We've gone there a few times when we've happened to walk past it, but I wouldn't say we've gone there regularly. Apparently, Annabel likes Jamba Juice more than either Kristin or I knew because her comment on approaching it was:

"Boy, I wish I had some of that sweet Jamba Juice in my Tummy!"

She even said it in some sort of fanciful southern accent. It sounded like a commercial. Needless to say, we stopped and got both she and Gaby some of that sweet juice.

They were both very pleased.

First Time On The Ice

 

Kristin spent last weekend away, which left me solo with the girls. I knew they would miss mommy so my plan was distract them from the fact that she was gone by scheduling so many back to back activities that they wouldn't have any time to think about her. Then by the end of the day they would be so tired that they would fall fast asleep. The plan worked relatively well, the only major flaw being that it left me at least as tired as they were.

On Sunday Rick met us and we took the girls Ice skating. Skating was actually Annabel's idea. She asked about it several times before I finally found an ice rink in the city with an open skate time.

It's a stretch to call what they were doing skating. Rick and I would mostly hold the girls off the ground by both hands and then gently touch the blades of their skates to the ice so they could feel how the ice moved under the skate. Annabel only stood on her own weight for a few minutes and fell several times during that period. Still they enjoyed it.

Surprisingly, we ran into Aviv, one of Annabel's favorite classmates at the rink. Aviv skated on his own the entire time. His dad is a hockey player and this was clearly not their first trip to the skating rink. Aviv was managing to get around on his own, although falling occasionally.

The amazing thing is that as we were walking back to the car, Annabel turned to me and said

"Aviv fell several times, daddy".

I was surprised by that for a few reasons: First, I was impressed with excellent use of the word "several", which I later asked her to define and she came up with "More than a couple". Even more than that though, I was shocked to detect a hint of disdain in her voice, as though she was disappointed that he wasn't as good a skater as she was. In fact, Aviv is a WAY BETTER skater she is, and apparently Annabel managed to forget her own falls only moments after they happened.

"Everyone falls when they learn how to skate" I said
"Not me daddy."
"Yes you did. You fell too, don't you remember?"
"No."

I need to develop some techniques to keep her honest! Luckily I happen to have one of her falls on video tape. :)

Inspecting The Sidewalk for Clues

 

We went to Mendocino this weekend with Roger and Sheila and the kids. It's whale watching season up there and the telescope store in town has a whole row of telescopes set up to look out the store window to the harbor across the street. We spent a few minutes in the store and Annabel asked if she could get a magnifying glass. It's a slightly modernized version of the class Sherlock Holmes type deal. It even came with a small black case that covers the lens for safe-keeping.

Annabel rushed out of the store, took off the case and began inspecting the sidewalk for "clues". Suspicious looking flowers, sidewalk cracks and cigarette butts drew special attention. Luckily there were no ants around, so we didn't need to have that particular conversation.

Gaby, not wanting to be left out of the fun grabbed the black case and started to inspect the same areas that Annabel was examining, but with the opaque case, which should would hold up to here eye and "look through" just like here sister was doing with the actual magnifying glass. Here are a few shots of the detectives in action.

Dance Around Up There

One day on our recent vacation, I took the girls to the Des Moines Science Center. For some reason we were almost the only people in the place. We really had the whole facility to ourselves. It was great. The kids could play with any of the exhibits for as long as they wanted and they didn't have to wait for other kids to finish or rush through the fun.

They have a TV news studio there. I assume they use for broadcast television classes and the like. The best part is that it came fully equipped with a green screen. I saw the potential to get some footage and then maybe key something in behind the kids later. So I said to Annabel, "Why don't you go up on that stage and dance around up there. I'll take a video". And up she went, followed by her sister who clearly thought we were taking a still photo (note her smiling and saying "Cheese"). I especially like the fact that Annabel has her purse on her arm through the whole thing.

I'm trying to figure out what to put behind Annabel on the green screen.

More gifts than anyone can reasonably justify

Annabel is back home and back in preschool after a long and busy holiday break.

As I was collecting pictures for this entry, I ran across some videos that I took last year of the kids on Christmas morning. Its amazing just how far Annabel has come in one year. Last year, she wasn't completely clear on how the holiday worked. She didn't understand, for example, that she would get to open any of the presents with her name on them. She didn't really know who Santa Claus was or why she was leaving cookies for him.

This year, she gets everything from cookies on Christmas eve to champaign on New Years Eve (for the record, She had Sprite but she asked what Kristin and I were drinking and why). She not only understood Christmas better, she is understanding everything better and making some surprising connections. For example, we have been reminding Annabel not to talk to strangers recently and she asked if she was a stranger to anyone, who might not be allowed to talk to her.

At the end of the trip, she started calling me "Dad" instead of "Daddy", a trait I think she picked up from her cousins.

Both girls really enjoyed spending time with their cousins, with whom they are surprisingly close particularly given the distance. I've got a few pictures of the whole crew below which I think conveys the overall vibe pretty accurately.

In terms of toys and gifts, both girls got far more than anyone can reasonably justify. The list includes such indispensable must-haves as:

• Talking bears
• Fire breathing dragons
• Magic Castles
• Life sized stuffed white tigers
• bath toys, new clothes, jewelry, DVDs, the list goes on...
  

I asked Annabel about her favorite gift and predictably, it was her new Princess Dress and Tiara set. She wore the tiara more or less constantly for the three day period between the 25th and the 28th when we flew back to San Francisco.

Here are some pics.

Annabel Took This Photo

This is probably the best photo I have of Gaby and me. Beginner's luck or gifted photographer? 

Max and Ruby

  I've just spent the last week with Annabel and Gaby everyday. It's nice to spend such a long uninterrupted stretch with them. They are both developing so quickly, you can actually see them progress over the course of a single week, particularly Gaby.

We just finished watching Max and Ruby and put the kids to bed. Max and Ruby is far and away Annabel's favorite show. She requests it literally morning noon and night, and occasionally whines and pouts when its not possible to put it on.

We Tivo it, so we always have some on hand. Something happened with the priority system on the Tivo here, so that some other show is being recorded during the Max and Ruby time slot everyday, so the ones we have on the system are not being replaced by new ones. This doesn't bother Annabel at all. She is happy to watch any one of three episodes that we have over and over and over again. She's seen them all at least 10 times. So, tragically have Kristin and I.

The show features Max, a bunny rabbit who behaves roughly like a one or two year-old child and Ruby, who behaves MUCH more like a mother to Max than the "sister" role that she officially plays would suggest. Maybe she is a much older 16 year old sister, perhaps.

The average episode features Ruby displaying zen-like patience in the face of Max's impossibly frustrating behavior. One of the episodes we have, for example, features Ruby being awoken in her bed by a tired and irritable Max at least five different times for various reasons including flies buzzing in the room, windows that must be shut, pajamas that are too hot or too cold, etc. I am often annoyed at Max just watching it. Ruby though, is a champ.

Annabel is clearly confused about the relationship between them too. Tonight, during the aforementioned episode, I said

"Ruby is a good big sister, isn't she?"
and Annabel said "She not his sister, she his MOMMY".
and I said "I think she's his sister."
"No, She not." said Annabel

She has the sniffles at the moment, a small thing she caught from traveling to and from Detroit for Thanksgiving.

"Are you feeling sick?" I asked her tonight,
"No, I okay. It's getting away." she said

In general she is wonderful to her sister. She shares her toys well, and displays good humor and great patience when Gaby pokes her or snatches things that she is playing with. At her worst, she can whine for an entire morning, and at her best she twirls with joy when she is happy.

She loves princesses and dragons and magic. Several times this weekend, she would approach me with a small item, like a nut or a small toy and ask me to "disappear it". Where I use some clumsy mis-direction to drop the item and then show both hands empty. She loves the magic of it. Gaby, on the other hand rarely takes her eyes on off of the item.

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween this year. It really started last Friday, when Kristin and I went to a costume party on Friday night as little red riding hood and the big bad wolf.

Then on the actual night of Halloween, we had some friends over with their kids so that we could all go trick-or-treaing together. At the start of the evening, I was the only adult wearing a costume. After an hour of drinking wine while we waiting for the sun to go down though, I managed to get everyone into a some sort of costume from the trusty old costume bin.

The kids were going to go as "The Pumpkin Sisters", which was Annabel's idea, but at the last minute Annabel couldn't resist the appeal of dressing up as a princess.

Gaby went ahead with the pumpkin plan, but only had her costume on for about 2 minutes, but that was enough time to snap a few pictures.

We went trick-or-treating at all the shops in North Beach. Most of them had candy out and the kids had a great time.

Gaby was tired by about 6:30, but Annabel was engaged and loving it to the very end.

This was our exchange when it was time to head home.

"Can I get more Candy?" She asked
"Maybe a little more" I said "It's time to head back home"
"I want to get a LOT more, Daddy"

Interestingly, she saved almost everything for later with the single exception of some Gummy Teeth, which she ate on the spot.

Little Pumpkin, originally uploaded by Rgold.

Annabel's First Ballet Class

Annabel's First Ballet Class, originally uploaded by Rgold.

I've been meaning to post this for a few weeks now. This was teken two weeks ago Monday on Annabel's first ballet class. She LOVES it. Click on this shot to link to my photo account at Flickr where there are a few more shots.

The Happy-Dream Side of the Pillow

Last week Annabel came into our bedroom at about 3:00 in the morning.

"Daddy, I had a bad dream". She said
"Oh, I'm sorry." I said. "You can sleep with us." And I pulled her up into our bed.

"I think my pillow must be on the bad dream side. I think I need to turn it to the happy dream side." She said.

"that's a good idea." I said.

"Come on, Daddy. Lets go do it." She said.

So we both got out of bed and went into her room and turned her pillow over. She lied back down and went to sleep in her own bed.

Where does she get these ideas? Hilarious!

Scary Story

Halloween has already started at our house this year. Last year it ran from early October through New Years. Annabel actually bought her plastic Halloween pumpkin with her to Iowa last year when we went out there for Christmas.

I think she saw some of the early Halloween decorations out at Walgreens and ever since, she can't stop talking about it. She had initially said that she wanted to dress as a princess (big surprise), but she has since settled on a pumpkin costume. She also suggested a matching pumpkin costume for Gaby.

"We could be the pumpkin sisters!" she said.

She really does seem to have Halloween on her mind quite a bit. She is always talking about skeletons and pumpkins. Earlier in the week, she had dreams about going to the Halloween store and when I asked her to tell me a story today and gave her the microphone, this is what she came up with...



Very scary indeed!

-rg

New Tricks

Annabel is in a new stage over the last few weeks. She is getting more complicated and surprising me with some of her questions and reactions.

A few examples:

Yesterday morning we were having breakfast and Annabel wanted to go for a walk. I told her that we could go, but only after everyone was finished with breakfast (Kristin and I hadn't started). She launched into pouty mode, which is usually just her saying something like "But I want to go NOW!". This time though there were gestures in there too. The objection was accompanied by a physical display where she crossed her arms, pouted her lip, furrowed her brow and stood up straight. I've never seen that reaction before. Where did she learn those moves? Not from Kristin or I....

Another example: Last weekend, we were driving in the car. It had been suspiciously quiet in the back seat for a few minutes when she called up to the front with a question: "Daddy, am I still three?" What was she thinking about back there?

She is also starting to be frightened of things. She crawled into bed with Kristin and I last night because she had a scary dream. That's a first for her. I asked her what she dreamed about and she said "I was at the scary Halloween store". We had walked past a Halloween store the weekend before and Annabel wanted to go in, so I took her. Don't I feel like a heel...

Annabel's 3rd Birthday

Annabel's 3rd Birthday, originally uploaded by Rgold.

Annabel had her third birthday party this weekend.

It was a princess party and she was adamant that everyone wear a costume. For the last several days, she could be seen walking around the house saying "No Clothes, Costumes!". She was primarily concerned with princess costumes for the girls and ladies. When I asked what I should wear, she grudgingly allowed for a price or king costume, but she was clearly much more concerned that Kristin wear a princess dress.

The party was awesome. Lots of kids, fun parents, a nice place and a beautiful sunny day.

Here's a Link to Annabel's 3rd Birthday Party Photo Album.

Kristin and I just got back from our trip to Florence if you want to see pictures of that...

Pine Cone Soup

Pine Cone Soup, originally uploaded by Rgold.

We spent the 4th of July weekend in Lake Tahoe. The place that we rented came with a fully equipped kitchen, so we cooked most of our meals. Seeing me preparing kebobs for the grill, Annabel wanted to do some cooking too. We gave her some ingrediants and a bowl and let her go to town.

Pince Cone Soup includes:

2 pine cones, collected locally
Romain Lettuce, leftover from the salad
Pancake Batter
Baby Carrotts
Salt and Pepper

Combine ingrediants in bowl and stir well. Chill overnight then throw away in the morning.

Daddy's Birthday

I had a great birthday today. Both kids got me very thoughtful gifts. From Annabel , I got a purple four-square ball and from Gabby, some magic markers. Kristin assures me that they really did pick the gifts out themselves and I believe her!

We are headed out to Lake Tahoe for the long weekend. None of us have ever been before and we are excited about the trip! We should probably have pictures up when we get back...

In the meantime, I've been playing with Google's new Web-Photo album service. Here's a link to a gallery of photos of Annabel and I and here is one of Annabel and Kristin.

I'll add to these and try to clean them up over time.

Fathers Day

 


We spent the day at the beach for fathers day. We went with Carrie, Aaron, Sedona and Karina. All four girls had fun and kept the grown-ups busy running back and forth to the shore for fresh sandcastle water.

Kristin did a great job of covering the kids with Sunblock so by the end of the day they were just tired and sandy. Daddy, on the other hand is badly sun-burned :(

-rg 

Drama Queen

 

Annabel likes to play out the dramatic scene from Cinderella where the step-sisters and wicked stepmother are ripping decorations and jewelry off of Cinderella just as she was ready to leave for the ball.

"Grab my dress, momma" Annabel will say, then when Kristin grabs her dress, she will spin around and say "No! Those are my beads!" 

I wish you were little

Annabel at the Aquarium, originally uploaded by Rgold.

A conversation from earlier tonight:

"When I was your age, I had glasses too, Uncle Rick" said Annabel as she finished up brushing her teeth.

"Wow." Said Uncle Rick "I wish I knew you back then"
"Yeah." Said Annabel as she thought about that for a second.

"I wish you were little, Uncle Rick. And you too Mommy. An you Daddy. I wish you were all little"

Learning at two and a half

Saturday morning was hectic. We were rushing out for our weekend vacation with another family and running about 30 minutes late. Kristin asked me to stop at the bagel shop on our way to Monteray to go to the aquarium.

"I'm starving", she said

"You Starving mommy?" asked Annabel
"No, I'm not really starving. That just means that I'm hungy" explained Kristin
"Oh mommy. Oh" said Annabel

Then about two hours later when we are arriving in Monteray, pulling up to the restaurant where we were meeting our friends.

"You ready for lunch?" I asked Annabel
"No, I not starving daddy. I not starving"

Annabel Speaking

Annabel has gotten much more articulate lately. Over the last few weeks its been amazing to notice all of the new inflections in her voice. She is now much more expressive than she has been. It is easist to notice this new expressiveness when she REALLY wants you to get her something. The please daddy is much more dramatic than it had been even just a few weeks ago.

Yesterday, I asked her to hold the microphone (which she calls the speakerphone) and tell a story. Here is what she came up with.