Santa Tea

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Last week we got together with the Mariani clan for a Christmas Grandmothers-Mothers-Grandkids Tea tradition Jannie started when Francie was born. She had to get the train set up for her buddies Joe, James and Wil and the little girls played with every doll in the house. Thanks for a fun afternoon Jannie and Santa!

Jannie's house looked great all decked out for Christmas

all glass ornaments on the tree this year

cute Emilia, Emerie and Nellie

Who is jingling at the door?!

soo excited to see Santa

Maisie not afraid of Santa anymore

and Francie's "what I want for Christmas" changes every time! now I think she said an American Girl doll to be Natalie-Emily's little sister

Going up for candy canes - I didn't notice until I looked at pictures the girls were holding hands :)

Maisie Moo

Just checking to make sure he's the real deal…

Tracy and Whitney take a turn

Group picture! Francie and her giant bow hiding behind Santa's hat

Thanks Santa!! And he wasn't even wearing "meeting shoes" like he was last year... Jannie has a really good sport on the cul de sac ;)

Nico couldn't get enough of Sophie's licks!

Crazy Maisie

is a dare-devil in a dress

Me with the Mariani girls- they make me want to keep having all girls!!

Francie looking like a rag-a-muffin with Stella, James and Wil

I see you Wil!

Christmas Cousins

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We had a full house last week Monday-Wednesday for a Cousins Pre-Christmas Slumber party. We had Brian's sister Katherine here with Baby Oliver, then his mom Claire came down from red Bluff with his other sister Maureen and her three kids - Ellie, Kate and Patrick and his brother Mark and Clara who live here came to join us for dinner's since Sarah was away on a work trip. We had people sleeping all over the house but it's so nice to finally have room for lots of guests! It was cousin chaos but lots of fun and memories.

Monday Aunt Kat and Francie made cookies in the morning then let all the kids decorate after dinner


Heff looks good holding a baby boy!

and letting all the little have a horsey ride (poor Patrick took a fall!)

Then Tuesday morning we were on a schedule of Christmas activities. First stop - SANTA at Stanford Mall.

First Kate and Ellie took their letters up - Santa took the time to open and read both of them (it helped there was hardly a line but what a nice Santa)

My girls are not so sure…

They agreed to sit next to Kate finally

Then it was Oliver's turn… his list was soooo long he took forever :)

Then Francie decided if Oliver could do it she could too- and Maisie still wasn't quite sure what was going on

Francie told Santa she wanted a reindeer and she told him her sister wanted a new binkie. I wonder how much damage a hunting trip with her dad would do her right now? ;)

Heff came over from work for a whole 12 minutes to witness his girls on Santa's lap- he's crazy busy at work right now but I love that he takes time out to be there for the little things like this-

Then the big girls tortured the foster dogs in the Macy's window for awhile.

I love the silly faces in these pictures- these cousins have so much fun together

then after some quiet time at home Heff took over Patrick and Maisie duty while we took the big girls to a Holiday Fairy Tea!

Oma and Maureen

Happy Francie

Kat and I with Oliver our only male tea patron

the Snow fairy visits our table

the girls loved her- she took them into the fireplace room after this for a magic show

OD... OD'ed on tea

then dinner at our house again- we were supposed to have a neighborhood "Hot Toddy Party" in the alley in front ouf our house but it got canceled with all the rain so Oma made pasta and we all just hung out.

Rub-a-dub-dub… how many cousins can you fit in a tub?

Oliver's first group bath :)

Then all reindeered up!

too much fun

Family Closet

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The girls and I have been sick for a few days so we were quarantined all weekend with Heff. We were sad to miss Christmas parties and festivities but it was a really nice family weekend at home catching up on all the little stuff. Heff says I'm nesting- getting ready for the baby already- but I think I'm just using any free moment for my favorite activity... organizing! I tackled the girls closets/rooms/clothes on Sunday.

I've been trying to figure out the best way to do a "family closet" system like the Duggars- (genius born out of neccessity when you have 19 children) where all the clothes are organized in the same place by size. Way easier for Dad and the girls to choose their own outfits when I let them :) I realized the built-in we put in the bathroom above a laundry shoot is the perfect spot- we just needed a few more shelves which my handy husband made and my label maker. This way if kids are sleeping in either bedroom you can still get to the bathroom (jack-and-jill style) to dress them but can just put all the clothes away in one place.

PJ's in the bathroom for the girls to pick after their baths (our wallpaper is FINALLY here and getting put up next week- only took me 6 months)

I showed Francie her underwear drawer and she goes "Wowie-Zowie it's all organized!" a girl after her mom's heart.

Undershirts (one size fits all for now) but next size up in the back- somehow Kerri Shigo managed to send me a stack of perfectly white Petit Bateau hand-me-down tanks, how did they make it through three girls like that I have no idea!?

Ballet Drawer

I know, I have serious issues. "Matching Long Sleeve Pinks" should never be allowed to be called it's own category.

and I moved the summer dresses to Maisie's closet (which will be new baby nursery after the bassinet phase) and winter matching dresses in Francie's room (which they will share soon enough I hope) So many of these are hand-me-downs, we're lucky to have such nice friends with girls!

Ahhh it makes me so happy to see this now when I get them dressed in the morning :)

Merry Christmas Cards!

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The only time of the year worth going to get the mail out of the mailbox...

Thanks for all the Christmas cards friends!

and ours- should have arrived in your mailbox unless I had the wrong address (send me updated if I missed you!) Front photo (on top) by Emmy B.

Outtakes...


and other outtakes- I remember when my dad would buy a roll of 36 (instead of 24) to take out Christmas card picture... 460 digital pics later for Francie and Maisie this tim, it's almost impossible!



MERRY CHRISTMAS! - Love, The Heff's

Babysitting Baby Lucy

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Emily and I started our own informal, two-mom, co-op... she babysits the girls sometimes and we take Baby Lucy whenever we can get her! Last time Emily watched Francie and Maisie at her house for two hours while I went to IKEA- I came back to pick them up and she said "Good luck with this!" meaning two crazy girls and a newborn :) It's going to be fun!

We put up colored lights on the front of the house - I wanted white but Heff was excited for color and they look great. He even put up permanent light hooks under the gutter so we can just throw them up every year.

and some iPhone pics from Emily's turn watching the little rascals :)

Maisie cheering Lucy on for tummy time!

What We've Been Up To

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How is it December!? Our life has been so crazy busy lately but at the same time kind of slow and quiet when we get to hang out at home. I haven't been very good at blogging though- here's a catch up.

We went on a Christmas Horse and Carriage Ride through downtown Los Altos last Friday night- the Chamber of Commerce sponsors it and you sign up for a night in December. We're making it a tradition for sure!

"I see the horse!!"

Aunt Kat and Oliver came to stay with us for six days- so much fun to have them here and Maisie just can't get enough of baby Oliver. Kat and I did some shopping and had a great time hanging out (come back soon :)

Oliver the cattle-rancher in training says "A horsey ride? kinda borrrring."

What a fun Friday Night

and we had a Iron Chef Cook-off Tasting Party at our house last week with four chefs, ten moms and ten kids (for the new business I'm opening- I need to blog it!) It was CRAZY- tons of fun food and tons of chaos... I had to sit on the couch for a few hours afterward I was so worn out- I hadn't stopped moving all week. But the party was great and we got lots of feedback from our playgroup-focusgroup :)

We've been hanging out at Shoup Park in the swings when the sun is out

Francie made a new friend and shared our fun new triple-seater-tricycle

They picked up a few passengers along the way

The trike is a big hit at the park... that's five passengers and a baby-in-the-belly on one tricycle!

Maisie finally has enough hair she gets bed head and slide static

"holding" Baby Lucy- Emily is as laid back a mom as Lucy is a baby :)

Maisie LOOOOVES her some newborn

and they're off... problem is we've learned the entire ride TO the park from our house is a slight downhill but coming home- all uphill so I end up on the second seat peddling back

and a couple weeks ago we had a little birthday breakfast celebration for our friend B. It was a fun morning at home in PJ's!

the girls helped me make slow-cooker oatmeal and pancakes.

and lots of playing around the house (building a fire and not leaving- trying to make a point to change out of PJ's before Dad gets home from work) with legos, magnatiles and the huge dollhouse Jannie found at a garage sale- the girls climb into the third floor attic and get themselves stuck... I hear lots of "Mommmmmmmm!!!" They let me get some work done while they play- I moved my "office" into the living room- and if all else fails Dora and Diego save the day :)

Light Parade DTLA

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We went to the Festival of Lights parade downtown Los Altos. We walked down about half hour before but people had been stalking spaces on the sidewalks since lunch time. We were bundled up and got Francie's favorite "warm chocolate" and treats at Satura and found a spot to watch the lights. I remember going to this parade with my parents when I was little- I think the floats are all the same ones as 30 years ago!

and then this little buzzy bee character was hanging out after (I think it was a teenage girl with her parents next to her!) and she walked right up to Francie without saying anything and gave Francie her light up flower from the parade. Francie was ecstatic!

Gingerbread Houses

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I forgot I had these pictures from when we were in Red Bluff- Katherine and I found these cute mini GIngerbread House Kits on our WalMart outing. We set the kids up with lots of candy treats and tubes of frosting... sounds like messy Christmas fun to me!

Ellie and Kate helping get the houses put together and being silly

excited for the word they can dig in!

Walmart's finest collection of all sugary things red and green

Ready GO

Oliver looking on in his Elmo onesie Emily Longhurst made at his shower- nice coloring skills Em!

Maisie pretty proud of her tower of gummies

This little project kept the kids occupied for long enough we all got to work on something without interruption... I probably blogged ;) Heff shot his bow and Maureen and Doug peeled boxes and boxes of apples for canning they harvested from their tree's at their new house!

One/two-year old reading club with Uncle Brian when they lost interest in the project :)

Smart Sprouts!

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UPDATE: A local mom's blog in Nash just posted an awesome article on Ann and Smart Sprouts! I love that I get a nod! It says "Smart Sprouts is a brilliant idea which Ann has proudly copied from her older sister." :)

Part of the article here ... (or click here to see the whole post with new photos) Go Ann!

Via Style Blueprint: "I love young ambitious female entrepreneurs who see a vacancy in the market and jump right in. I opened a lunch cafe in downtown Nashville at the age of 25 – actually signing the rental agreement at just 24. So, when I met up with Ann Williams and heard her story and saw her enthusiasm behind her new play-care adventure, Smart Sprouts, I felt a bit like I was talking to myself, but back when I was fresh out of college. Ann has as an undergraduate degree in childhood development and a masters in child studies from Vanderbilt University, my own alma mater, which sealed the deal that I claim her as the little sister I never had. But, less about me and more about Smart Sprouts and why I wish I still had wee little ones to drop off here. www.smartsprouts.com

Smart Sprouts is a brilliant idea which Ann has proudly copied from her older sister who lives in Menlo Park – outside of San Francisco. Her sister realized that moms needed a place to drop their children, for short amounts of time, that was less congested and more focused on learning than your typical drop-in center. Like her sister’s business, Smart Sprouts does not have a T.V., video game, or electronic toy in the entire play-care.
I love the wooden toys that dominate the play-time here."

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Smart Sprouts is opening this week! Ann sent me some pictures today- does't it look great!? I am so excited for her! The big preview party is Thursday night and I wish I was there to attend but Jannie is out in Nashville helping out and I'm sure it will be a success. Good Job Baby Ann!

her sister-in-law Margy painted the tree, it looks awesome!

Christmas Tree Time

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Friday night we got to babysit Clara Marie while Mark and Sarah had a Google Holiday Party. She was so cute and jumped right into our arms after so much time together in Red Bluff last week. We contemplated staying home warm and dry by the fire but finally bundled up the kids and rallied to go get our Christmas Tree at the Nativity School Christmas lot! The girls were so cute all holding hands and with my belly and them in tow a few poeple looked at us like "uh, good luck with that." We found a 9 foot tree- little different than our old house regulations (except the year half the tree went on the roof!) We stopped for dinner at Cook's Seafood (closed the place down at 9pm with three toddlers) and came home with our big old tree. Sorry about the blurry iPhone pics- I knew I would be in trouble if I hauled my camera out on this expedition :)