Yesterday we did some really fun "practice" art and science classes at PLAY with an awesome teacher, Jo. The big kids learned about nature, bugs, charcoal painting and even did a little sewing project. Then she did a little Painting with Baby Food class for Janie and a friend at the end!
JJ flipped a little tray over and it splattered all over her face - I took a picture of course before I cleaned her up, she was not happy :)
Lately we've been running around the usual fun and craziness of our life! Every day is something new and jam packed with working, playing with the girls and juggling who is home for naps or rainy day play time and who stays to help Mom at work or ride the elevator in Dad's office. Heff has been working from Los Altos about half his time which we all love! Emmy swoops in to take over the morning routine and Heff and I get to share breakfast burritos at Bumble over our laptops before we tackle the day. PLAY is about ready to open (we've taken some extra time to "test" it while it's still nice and quiet - people invading is always a challenge :) and Heff has been Super Dad lately giving me some extra time to pull it all together (including a solo trip to Alcatraz and the aquarium with all 3 girls) I love the craziness and my crazy little monsters!
Maisie and Clara at our house for a big family dinner the other night when Uncle Pat, Aunt Tricia and cousin Colleen were visiting - they change outfits about 20 times an evening but ended up with matching princess nightgowns
Jannie doing airplane rides after dinner -
pretty fun grandma!
The girls have been going to "Farm School" one afternoon a week at Hidden Villa - so JJ and I get to hang out solo
JJ supervising the guys in the kitchen at Bumble one afternoon while Mom worked (and ate) at the counter. She cracks them up on the job :)
Heart shaped coffee (not mine- still don't like coffee despite having Four Barrel at Bumble!) and soup of the day - always a big hit and the chefs have yet to repeat a soup!
As you can see Maisie loves it - but can't be interrupted on her busy call
Janie on the pin screen at PLAY! Getting organized and testing out the puppet show stage
Maisie doing her best handstand :)
Saturday morning family breakfast at Bumble (before Alcatraz!)
Alcatraz! Brian and the girls met the Pat Heff family on the island so Aunt Tricia has lots of photos to send me but she texted me this one and said "Adorable Dad!" I agree :)
We had a fun Arnreich (my mom's cousins) family get together at Bumble Sunday night - Francie reunited with her buddy Katelynn, fast friends tearing up the Playroom
JJ has been into EVERYTHING! More than her sisters ever did I think. She climbs to the highest point in a room and her favorite trick is to empty an entire drawer (diapers, clean underwear, tights) down the laundry chute one item at a time. It's a problem :)
her trick in action.
and another iPhone video I actually uploaded - the girls are really into playing wedding. They walk "through the cemetery - to the alta" to say their vows. Francie is also fixated on getting a cat (not going to happen) so she made Maisie repeat - "I wish, I wish - I wish for a cat- big or small. And I will love it with my ALL." then she says "now kiss - and we're married. And we'll get a cat." HA.
Jannie and Grampa had us over for Corned Beef and Cabbage for their weekly Tuesday night dinner w Katsy - Ann and Earl came too, just home form NYC!
Sleepy girls heading home from dinner in monkey PJS
and very exciting news - look what showed up on our doorstep today - Dad bought his big girls their own skis and ski boots! Maisie spent an hour learning how to put the boots in the bindings, take them apart and practiced skiing on the carpet = she went to bed with a shrine assembled with her skis, helmet, boots and a bouquet of flowers. She is her "gear loving" father's daughter!
Today, March 9, would have been Kaky's 61st birthday- it's been almost 3 years since she died. To celebrate her day Emmy and the girls and I picked out some balloons at Bumble and walked to the park to release them to heaven. Then we had Baskin Robbins ice cream for breakfast at 11am - Kaky would have approved!
Balloons - notice the bumble polka dot and an Ariel purple snuck in there :)
To the park with a stroller full of kids and balloons!
Janie was standing on her own (getting herself up from sitting) all morning - showing off for Kaky or she just didn't like the wet grass :)
We got better pictures on Emmy's camera and some cute ones of Em and the girls I will post after some Emazing editing. These were my Instagram (still obsessed - I'm maryheff if you instagram too)
Ready to send them UP!
It took awhile to pull the trigger - "ok Maisie, when I SAY 1 - 2 - 3..."
and away they go
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAKY. WE MISS YOU.
We went to Wyoming for a long weekend to ski, play, snowshoe and look for moose. This is the first time Brian and I have been together in the winter (only summer trips so far) and it was AMAZING! The girls loved the snow, hot tubbing in the freezing cold with dad, learning to ski and more ski, ski ski. We were only there for 4 days but we packed in activities and pushed naps to the limit :) We are already talking about when we could go back!
The first morning we had ski instructors lined up for the girls on the mountain - Heff was determined to get them there early to get suited up so he had them out of bed at 7am. J and I stayed home to order room service :)
But I was shocked when he texted me this picture a couple hours later - Maisie on skis! ANd Francie on the snow mobile to go up the big mountain
Janie bundled up for her first go in the snow
In the backpack ready to go find the skiers
We found them- Maisie on skis!
Dad and his little speed demon - her instructor said "maisie likes to go FAST"
Francie through the hoops
Janie watching big sisters get on the magic carpet
Brian and I in the same spot where we started our honeymoon 5.5 years ago! This was where we picked up our new suburban in Jackson Hole and started our road trip honeymoon back west :)
Taking Janie "sledding" outside our room while we took a lunch/nap break between ski lessons
Little Beezer - I was so proud of her out there on skis!
Hot cocoa in the ski school lunch room after lessons
More skiing in the afternoon! I thought they would be exhausted but they got a second wind and hit the slopes again
apres ski milks
Sunday morning - back to ski school! Dad laid out there outfits on the HEATED floor - spoiled little girls :)
Maisie wasn't so sure she wanted to get out of her warm bed - Francie had to convince her "Maisie. Sweetheart- remember how much fun you had yesterday? You will like it just wake up honey." (haha wonder where she hears that :)
Janie and I back to watch the ski babes
Spotted them coming down the mountain!
They looked so grown up on skis :)
Maisie laughing and waving to Janie with her instructor
Snow mobile ride up to the top
Little J in my old snowsuit - still holding together after 33 years! (not exactly water proof like the new ones but it did the job)
Heff bought the ski pants just a FEW sizes too big to last them awhile - Maisie looked a little funny :)
Janie crawled up here waiting for her sisters to take their ski boots off
Sunday afternoon we went for a sleigh ride by the snake river for a picnic. The girls thought it was "jingle bells"
Janie not so sure about this...
and more coming - so many pictures to post!
In my old snowsuit!
Our "family portrait" by Francie on magnadoodle :) This week has been a busy one - and it's only Tuesday! Sunday we took the girls to play at Jannie and Grampa's for a bit while Heff and I loaded up the truck with junk left over from clearing out Brilliant Babies. Uncle Jerry was there and Janie was smitten. She refused to come back to me or Brian!
Third child mutual love )she was about to sneeze in this picture ;)
Out with the old - so sad but we cleared out the old BB space to lease it and had to take down this little book shelf Heff made me for the space when we opened 5 years ago, right after we got married. It was the perfect little book shelf but wouldn't transport well :)
but when we go out with the old - we come in with the new! Creating a new fun playspace for kids in Los Altos called "PLAY!" (more on that later :)
Walking downtown Monday afternoon. Francie appropriately calls Janie the little beaver with her sharp front top and bottom teeth. But she was very confused when she wasn't having the stick she tried to feed her :)
Maisie Moo decked out in PINK insists on pushing her stroller everywhere. It takes awhile (especially in the "zebra flip flops" worn in the middle toes - but had to show off her first pedicure even in the COLD weather!)
Francie at school Tuesday morning painting with two of her friends (taking after her aunts - a head taller than most of the girls - why my brothers used to call my sister Ann-dre the Giant in grade school)
and this afternoon we were all tired out so everyone took a nap- JJ and I were the first ones up playing "where is your ear?" for a half hour before we heard footsteps (Francie and Maisie have been sleeping in the same bed lately - it has 12 pillows on it and they call it their couch :)
and happy, crazy Maisie after her bath - she's a nut.
Not enough pictures of my biggest baby lately - so here's a post for Francie :) She sure is a big girl these days... 4 going on 14! She is very mature and a big help around the house and with her sisters.
She picks her clothes out some nights and lays them or hangs them next to her bed complete with coordinating undies and a sweater. She would wear sundresses every day all day if she had her way.
She likes going to school but likes to stay home with her sisters and Emmy better. She HATES getting up in the morning before she is ready (wonder where she got that from) and is pretty grumpy for awhile - but give her a warm chocolate milk and a banana and she's ready to go.
She loves to dance and puts ballet clothes on at home at least three times a week (usually the 2T leotards, doesn't mind they are a little snug) She is pretty good at being the teacher too.
Practicing for "real class" (we went to one class but the teacher was kinda mean so we pretend to do our own now :)
Francie dresses her sisters up int their outfits too (they actually get mad lately if I DON'T match them! that won't last long :)
She likes to wear those sleepers... but her feet are so big the toes were poking out of the seams and she woke up a few days ago with a purple toe!
So we "fixed them" (Jannie's trick when we were little too)
American Girl dolls are a big hit of course- she loves Jannie's collection and dresses her Emily and Samantha (my old one) at home up in mermaid outfits of course
She loves electronics and anything with buttons (like most kids these days!) She will do just about anything to earn a few minutes on the iPad
Still obsessed with Ariel, mermaids and princesses in general. She likes to wear her princess nightgown, use her princess plate and princess cup and say "Look! I'm all princessed out!"
And I know I already posted a version of this photo but I love the chocolate covered faces (and knees) and the sisterly love pouring over the homemade cake :)
She LOVES her dog Ollie. I found her like this the other night, passed out on the floor with her hand on him. Oh and I made the mistake of buying PRINCESS Pull-Ups for Maisie in 2T (she was potty trained at night for a few months but not so much anymore) and Francie insisted on trying one the first night I got them. 2T Pull-ups on a 4T girl who should be in 6T clothes - not her most flattering look :) And Maisie hates them! Go figure, shoulda bought the Dora ones.
Her favorite food/snack is, hands down, a red apple. This was how we found her during the little girls' nap time one day (Francie still naps but only about 2 days a week). Heff asked her what the other apples were for and she said "Ate 1, 2, 3, 4. Gonna eat 1, 2, 3 more." Wow.
Love you France!
Some cute Emmy pics and "real camera" shots from the few times I actually pick it up lately and don't just take iPhone pics - from the last week or so!
almost a walker
I don't even know what to say
MaryJane after some Mary Jane's
Giving Daddy his big birthday book
Good morning Beezy in her favorite Dinosaur PJ's and moose coozie
Hollywood
Some Janie girl shots... love the up-on-the-knees pose lately
Sisters snuggling over books
and tickling baby sister
Love the bumsy-shot
and those teeth!
We love Emmy!
Janie turned ONE on Saturday - we had a fairly quiet family day but I think Janie was pretty happy with all the extra attention on her all day.
She woke up to a sprinkled donut her sister's got her at the donut shop. And a rainbow candle to kick things off...
calls for closer inspection
blowing out the candle - good thing there is only one :)
digging in
Heff took all three girls to a birthday party at 11 (Mardi Gras theme!) where the girls waited in line for cake and Janie couldn't get enough of the rice and beans - sounds about right! The birthday kids...
Then home for her big nap and Emmy came over to help bake cakes. One for JJ and one for Dad's belated birthday
Family dinner - just the five of us (Francie picked corn, "Janie's favorite")
Her favorite words appropriately are HOT-a (every candle) and HAT-a!
I told Heff we should do a smash cake so when he went to the store he got chocolate cake and chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles.... ON PURPOSE! He's nuts :)
After a little cry after she touched the candle episode - she's ready to dig in
"Hummmmm, not bad"
"I'm really allowed to do this?"
Two hands
Now this is a party
Maisie offering to help. Janie skeptical
Go for it JJ
Decided she's gotta stand up to REALLY get into this (don't look at the soggy diaper halfway falling off :)
and we're done.
Dad's turn (Janie appropriately chugging REAL milk for an after cake birthday treat :)
Don't worry we made her sit down
Somebody call CPS
and then Sunday - Round 2 celebration with my family and the Carters!
They are getting good at this
Little sister love
I love all of their expressions here :)
Presents.
Me: "Francie can I take your picture with Maisie?"
Francie "Ugh no mom."
Me: Francieeee (in THE voice :)
Francie: "FINE." (fake smile, realized Maisie isn't looking)
"MAISIE! LOOK right there at mom and pretend to smile!"
Nice Francie
and then after dinner Janie got to pick out her special 1st birthday piggy bank - a tradition every year. They are all on the shelf in the laundry room, Francie's on her 1st birthday had $300 dollars in it! These days there are so many piggy banks in the collection to fill... it's more like an family trip to ice cream - but no one is complaining!
She liked this big kitty - but Jannie swayed her away since "That is my American Airlines collectors one JJ... MAYBE you don't want that one :)"
She went home with the first one she had grabbed - a mini kitty! Good choice JJ and thanks Jannie and Grampa!
Happy ONE to JJ (and pretty happy for these three girls)
The big girls had a sleepover at Jannie and Grampa's last night so Janie got an Emmy morning all to herself - pretty lucky little lady!
This is what showed up on a rainy Monday morning as my early Valentines present... I was so excited I didn't even care that my hair was getting all frizzy and I was freezing. I had been joking I needed a GEM golf cart to zip to work sometimes and then Heff saw this Electric Vehicle made my Polaris that just came out a few weeks ago. It's a little 2-seater, totally street legal, just plugs in to charge and goes 25 miles an hour! Heff asked a few people who know me well (Emmy:) if they thought I would like this too - everyone's response was "DONE." Nice work Heff, I LOVE IT!
The guy who delivered it (if you want one you have to buy it from him :) took our picture in the rain
Our new work commute
Crusing to DTLA.
These stinkers like it too
Leaving Heff's party - perfect for hauling stuff home and driving right up on the sidewalk :) THANKS HEFF!!!
We pulled off a surprise party somehow! Susan's 40th was Feb 15th so her husband Erik and I were complaining a few weeks ago about what the heck to do for our spouses... we said "we should do a surprise party" YES "Together!" YES "At Bumble!" DONE. We had some mutual friends anyway and could easily fake drinks/dinner out that night before to celebrate both bdays. It was a little tricky to pull off and Heff might have had an idea something was up but Susan was TOTALLY shocked. We met for drinks in DTLA before and then I had Bumble call my phone at 7:15 and say the ABC was at Bumble arresting someone for underage drinking (the only way to get 3 lawyers to leave their drinks and follow me to Bumble :) It worked!
The set up...
Christian and Kate - THANKS for all the set up help and flowers Kisstian!!
guests outside ready for the SURPRISE
Susan's cute grandparents enjoying the quiet back by the fish tank
Coming in... it was kind of dark, Susan was like "oh my god they shut you down."
Susan - in shock! Heff, kinda surprised :)
Erik retelling the story :)
the back room was packed!
Jannie and the Keeps
Blurry picture with the new pink coozie :) We did coozie favors for our wedding (camo that said "Chillin' with the Heffs") and green ons for Francie's 1st bday but since the girls use them DAILY for their bottles and sippy cups our supply has dwindled to pretty ragged ones. They fight over one pink one we have so now there are plenty to go around :)
Friends and Family
The moms! Oma and Jannie
We did a little video for each of them with their "side" of friends in the playroom - lots of baby and embarrassing pictures :) It worked out well to have the joint party (took a little pressure of the birthday kids!) and each group was in the playroom after the video for a little
The Jans! (with their men over their shoulder) First time they haven't been in coordinating outfits at an event :)
All the Heffs! Brian was MOST shocked that every one of his siblings, spouses and his mom were there. On a Tuesday night nonetheless! Maureen, Doug, Kat & Donald drove down from red Bluff that afternoon and drove BACK after the party that night. That's serious sibling dedication. Thanks guys!
Heff gave a sweet toast to his wife after the video, I'm so lucky to be married to this guy :)
More friends celebrating
The Forty Year Olds! (Susan's birthday was Feb 15- the next day, so we made her glasses say "Susan's Last Hurrah at 39" :)
Mary, Brian, Susan and Erik (Erik and I knew each other from high school and Brian went to law school with BOTH Susan and Erik- they have three boys almost the same ages as our three girls too)
Sandra and Chirssie and going to KILL me for posting this picture so I'll make it small :) I miss my McKendry neighbors!! These two are too much fun.
The lights are on some timer to go off in the Family Room at 10pm every night (gotta fix that for parties :) and people thought we were kicking them out :) no way we went late night at Bumble! But I love the way the fish tank looks when the place is dark...
Our awesome servers and hostess at Bumble - we love these girls! They did such a great job at the party and were very nice to work late on Valentines day
We gave sparklers as favors - leave it to cousin Kate and Christian to light them INSIDE! I started imagining the sprinklers going off and made them go outdoors
Sparkler love
What a fun night!
Closing down the place
Taking wine glasses and loot back to the car - Happy Birthday Heff and Susan!
40 years later... you are just as cute! :)
I'd say you've accomplished a lot in your life...
living through FORTY Pink-and-red-and-little-hearts Valentines Day themed Birthdays and never complaining
Raising some award winning fair animals in FFA and 4H
Growing out of this phase (aww just kidding you were still cute in those "Husky Boy" jeans)
Being a protective big brother - when you weren't pretending you were an only child and making your mom drop you off a block from school
sports accolades and honors (what a stud)
somehow making it through your teenagers years looking like an angel to your mother
oh wait... I mean growing out of THIS phase! Thank goodness I didn't know you in the early 90's :)
asking your best friend to marry you (best move ever, hee-hee :)
pulling off a fu-man-chu while running a successful law practice (happy 5 year anniversary since starting your firm!)
and these little accomplishments of course...
#1
#2
and #3!
coming home with what you set out for
and passing on your hobbies :)
being a manly-man yet mastering the fine art of caring for your baby girls
keeping your brood of nieces and nephews in outdoor sports and adventure (Unca Bi-nan!)
always working hard on your home and instilling a good work ethic in your daughters
making everyday count with your girls
and soooooooo many more. I love you handsome, sweet, thoughtful, generous, loving, hard-working, daughter-loving and wife-spoiling, best friend and husband. I could go on and on but I'll leave that for spoiling you on your BIG DAY!
Happy Birthday Heff. I love you!!!
We were pretty lazy and anti-social this weekend... but somehow managed to get some stuff done around the house. The girls were big helpers and changed into about 14 different sets of PJ's over three days. I think they put on real clothes to go to church for 1 hour the whole weekend.
Heff took them for 6 hours early on Saturday morning on a "secret mission" - he hinted it was a Valentines present but since it's Heff's BIRTHDAY on Valentines Day he is never allowed to get me anything. But my curiosity was killing me so he spilled the beans Saturday night - it's the BEST GIFT ever, better than jewelry! Next blog post will tell :)
Friday night we did the final menu tasting at Bumble before we roll out the new dinner menu. Asparagus and pistachio flatbreads and a grass-fed burger with carmelized onions and BACON MARMALADE. All Heff's idea, so good.
then we stopped at the neighbors after early Bumble dinner and the girls all got in their bath and stole three sets of PJ's. Don't open the door if these stinkers knock after dark!! J says "who me?"
Saturday morning Heff had all 3 up at 6am for the "secret errand" - all he told me was he was taking all three girls and going to Santa Rosa (since he knew I could track him on Latitude ;) and I wish this picture was from the actual adventure - they were in miss-matched-dirty PJ's when he pulled them out of bed. This picture was from last Thursday when they went to Hidden Villa, I just hadn't posted it - kinda the same :)
I slept-in in a quiet house and then got to work on a new project we are getting going. Kind of a replacement for closing Brilliant Babies in Menlo Park.. it's going to be called "PLAY!" in downtown Los Altos 2 blocks from Bumble.
Rolling out the red BLUE carpet for the new space
Then the girls and Heff met me at Bumble with sealed lips
Me: "What did you get Mommy Maisie?"
Maisie: "Um. Nofing."
Me: "I'll give you an M&M if you tell me."
Maisie: "Um. A motorcycle." (not believing you Maisie)
and we had a late brunch date with my blog-friend-turned-real-friend Kerri who was in town for a super quick visit- it was so fun to catch up with her and her friend Susie! Then back home to change out of dirty-adventure-PJ's into new sleepers (oh yeah I hit the Carter's outlet 40% off sale while they were gone too - awesome Saturday morning :)
We usually eat dinner together but Saturday night, after a no nap day (Janie took 1 instead of 2) we fed the monsters, let them watch the iPad in the other room and had an in-house date night. Tri-tip on the BBQ and brussels w red grapes. yum.
See you in the morning little J. (sorry third child- sleeping with a lamby that says "Maisie" and you even have your own from the Pat/Tricia Heff's but it is Ariel's blanket right now. Can't be touched)
We even lit candles, big time ;) I only took this "awkward dinner photo" because he was firing up the computer to SHOW ME my surprise (he might be as impatient as I am) and I had to document my cheesy excitement
S'mores by the fireplace (way too lazy/cold to go back down to the BBQ - Heff called us all whimps)
Sunday we tried to start our red wine vinegar barrel finally - but the barrel started leaking so we had to soak it (smart husband wouldn't let me put this starter I've been growing for 8 months in until we "tested it" with old red wine. Good thinking. And I wish I could say this sloppy handwriting and major spelling error was written by my 4 year old. It was me. Vinegar is a weird word to spell!!!
the prosciutto is still hanging/curing. Not gonna lie this kinda grosses me out.
Francie didn't "care for" the tri-tip sandwiches Heff made for lunch so she brought down a picnic for herself. Three lunch boxes - one with 2 bananas, one with 4 apples, and one with 5 oranges. (I really did dress them cute for church - then Ariel and Tinkerbell nightgowns were on an hour after we got home)
Beauty Queens after bathtime - found my clip-on earrings from James&Em's wedding. Hot stuff :)
NOT so happy about this :)
Sunday night books climbing all over Dad. They "pause" him while he is reading books by hitting him in the nose. Poor Dad.
and finally I haven't even blogged about the latest addition to our household. Goldy and BlackSpots (aka Hot Dog) the giant goldfish who swim upside down (and Francie reminds us "do NOT have tonic immobility" - watching too many shark documentaries) Francie negotiated these "But Ollie NEEDS a pet-friend!" and Ollie isn't doing too hot lately so Heff gave in. He took them to the pet store however and we ended up with this giant, noisy thing. I would have made them survive in a jar but then again they probably would not have "survived" if I'd been in charge.
Life with our Four Marys! Raising Free Range Kids in Northern CA.
