Date Getaway

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Last weekend Heff and I escaped for a night to Napa to try some restaurants and bars. The only even-close-to-glamourous aspect of being restaurant owners! Scrubbing refrigerators and fixing HVACs was how we'd spent Friday so this was a very happy retreat. It was really the first time we'd both left the kids for a fun getaway with just the two of us since we'd had Francie! Thanks to Jannie and Grampa for watching the kids - all four of them!

Ready for Jannie's in cozy clothes - it was a rainy day perfect for couch time and playing inside at Jannie's

First stop on the drive up was Marty's favorite rec, Fremont Diner in Sonoma - food was SO good.

Cocktails at R+D Kitchen after checking out a few other bars, then dinner in Napa near our hotel

while kids are happy and being fed at Jannie and Grampa's - the best! Thanks J&G!

Headed home to the babes! what a fun

Dear Francie,

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Dear Francie,

On your last night of being FIVE - I wanted to write you a note. Your Dad and I can't believe you will be a SIX year old tomorrow. We are so proud of what a smart, kind, sweet, thoughtful big girl you have become.

Your favorite saying is "Where there is a will there is a way!" (mine too :)

Your favorite food is: pasta and fruit, and anything Dad cooks on the BBQ. maybe popsicles sometimes too.

You area an expert swimmer and can go two lengths of the pool under water. You can stay in the water all day and when I retold you the story of being in my belly breech/upside down when you were due you said "that was because I like being in water so much!"

You are very sweet with all three of your sisters. You carry Tiny on your hip like a pro. You take extra good care of your little buddy JJ, making sure she has her shoes on and helping her learn how to do things. You always include Maisie, even when playing with new friends and you two are so cute together - I hope you will always be best friends!

You teach them all you know - and like to remind me that being the OLDEST girl is your favorite position (just like Mom and Jannie!) but lots of work!

You are very proud of all you have learned and you work hard to keep learning new things. You learned how to read this summer and nothing stops you - you pretty much taught yourself (with some help from the hundreds of books Dad never tires from reading to you at night) and now you read signs, menus, books to your sisters and chapter books for yourself. It's so cool to see your eyes opened up to this whole new world! You are a math whiz, counting by 5s and 10s and doing double digit addition in your head and on paper. You quizzed ME the other day and said "Mom, what is 60 plus 60?" and when I answered "120" you said "Ahhh! Impressive!" thanks France :)

You love to do art, color, draw, create and make new things. You are very creative and also a thinker. I can't wait to see the great things you will do :) You already do so many!

You love rainbows as much as I do! You also LOVE older girls and being around them - especially your older cousins Kate and Ellie (and all of your cousins!)

and cousin Ella too!

You love the outdoors and all the things your Dad can teach you about camping, archery, fishing, hunting, raising animals and being an adventurer.

and you love to dance, practice gymnastics (you do a great headstand!) and you are wokring on a cartwheel.. but what I especially love is that somehow Maisie has perfected a cartwheel and you are the first to say "Now that Maisie is a cartwheel EXPERT!" You are proud of your strengths but always proud of others too.

You are hoping for a real gear bike for your birthday from mom and dad, and ice skates from Jannie and Grampa. Jannie is a shoe-in but we'll see what Mom and Dad come up with :)

You chose a lunch date at a fancy restaurant with Mom and Dad for your birthday tomorrow. ANywhere fancy and "Italiano!" you suggested! We can't wait :)

Happy SIXTH BIRTHDAY my big girl! We love you! xoxo, Mom (and Dad :)

TINY TURNS ONE!

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Tiny Tess you are ONE YEAR OLD! How did that happen so fast?

We have had a busy year in our family your first year of life and you roll with it and never stop smiling. You and I had a rough few days when you were born but you have a been a strong and healthy, happy and wonderful addition to our family ever since.

We moved into a new house when you were 3 weeks old and you slept in Mom and Dad's room with us until you were 6 months old. You were a pretty good sleeper but woke up more and more often as you neared 4/5 months. Just like your sister JJ you wanted your own room and a quiet, dark space. (who can blame you with loud, noisy, bright days :) I moved you into your own room at 6/7 months and you've slept through the night ever since. You nursed til you were 9 months and then took a bottle no problem.

You love to eat avocado, meat, fruit and any contraband your sisters might have. Your favorite thing in the world is the Green Elixir juice at Bumble - you slurp it up, and usually end up with a green outfit of course.

You crawled at 7/8 months (as you can tell Mom's memory is fuzzy on these exact dates :) and you are just about to walk! You stand up from the ground now and clap with a huge smile and then fall to your bum dramatically.

You cruise around pushing strollers - if you can wiggle out of your sisters arms long enough! You love to follow them around and try to do whatever they are doing.

You are very tolerant of being carted around by the bigs. They would carry you around, precariously perched on their hips all day long if they could. (you've gotten good at the squirm to get down maneuver)

You LOVE your EMMY and go nuts kicking and smiling when you see her. Mom and Dad get the same treatment when we get home from work (the big HUGE open mouth smile and elk sound!) and we all LOVE it.

You are pretty good about sharing the spotlight, your toys and anything in sight - you play the rold of the baby of the family well!

Maisie is your "Big Buddy" and prides herself on looking after you! She feeds you a bottle, changes your diaper and tries her best to wrestle clothes on you.

You have lived up to your nickname and you are the most petite of the Heffernan girls in our family so far. You fall right on the 50% mark on height and weight- just about to break 20 pounds. But you are squirlley and tiny!

You are a super happy, snuggly, lovey baby and we love that you are the TINY in the family!

You love the bath and are usually the last one to get out

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TESS - YOU ARE 1!

We love you!!! xoxo, Mom and Dad

Tainted LOVE!

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We rocked out with TAINTED LOVE two weeks ago in Downtown Los Altos at Outer Space gallery - it was awesome!!

ready to rock - and testing some awesome cocktails!

JJ solo time - warming up

end of every song - splits for the win!

Tiny dancer and her sweet buddy

our neighbor girls showed up at 9:30pm - late night rockers

we were all dancing so long we were sweaty and had no voice left - but it was so much fun!

Rosebowl Flea Market

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Alicia, Marisa and I Sprintered (yes, it's a verb :) down to Pasadena this weekend to scavenge the Pasadena Flea Market! We left early Saturday morning and drove down 101 to the Langham hotel - just in time to enjoy sidecards and the sunset! Then up EARLY Sunday morning to shop til we dropped. It was 100 degrees and PACKED! We didn't love this flea market as much as Canton Texas (could never get any better!!) or our home turf Alameda Antique Fair. Rosebowl was not well organized so it was hard to stick to a path of travel and there were lots of grouchy people - maybe didn't help we had our GIANT cart going down small isles collecting our goods!

And to top it all off it was Marisa's birthday!! Happy Bday!

we walked all over the property to find the last inches of sun

 

and we found sidecars on the terrace bar - cheers OJannie!

Early morning arrival!

We bungeed out carts together - it was awesome. and yes that's an industrial launry cart!!

what? We're pickers!

The saddest moment of the day - realizing we MISSED this white peacock taxidermy!! But we made BFF's with it's new owner. Love the flea market culture! (just better in NorCal and Texas than LA!)

 

and our final round we couldn't leave 400 year old St Francis behind. We love him even with his missing fingers (No, saints do not flip the bird)

Back to the hotel to crash- Juicy pants, club level snacks and cocktails and BAD TV! heff asked why the heck weren't we going out on the town... TOO TIRED!! And when 3 moms leave 8 kids at home, THIS is vacation.

surprise evening entertainment from our balcony. An intense Persian wedding, complete with Cinderella carriage and a 3 hour set up (guests dressed and waiting for three hours)

Monday morning heading home - love you Sprinter!

Somebody's gotta do it

Thanks for another fun scouting and scavenging adventure A & M!

I was pretty excited to come home to my stinkers... and my husband for taking such good care of them (he took all four to Target on a Saturday - he's nuts!)

 

 

 

Back to School!

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First Day of Kindergarten - just like Mom and Dad on their first days!

It's that time of year! :) We are fully back in the swing of things and have our first "real school"kid in the house. It's going well so far. We walk up to school everyday - Heff has been guilt tripping me into getting my buns out of bed to walk with them :) and the girls are getting themselves dressed and ready, I'm sure the allure might wear off soon! I'm so proud of Francie - big Kindergarten girl now and Maisie is doing a great job solo at PreK.

JJ photobomb - Don't go sis!

Maisie first day back at Preschool - in TK this year!

Big girl! (with a split lip)

Second day of school playground pics

We trying to "Walk or Wheel" to school everyday - so far we are 10 for 12 days walking or biking up to school!

First Friday Assembly - flag salute

And Tiny Tess is getting close to her ONE year birthday! Almost done with her photo of the week project - good thing she is getting tired of laying down on a blanket for photos - takes a lot of distraction!

ByeBye summer - you were a good one!

Great Aunt Marge and The Bradys

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Last Friday we had an afternoon we had a visit with the Bradys at our house! Aunt Marge is so cute - she's going to be 90 soon and is still so active and looks beautiful. Molly and her kids were up from SoCal and Beth brought her new baby Emily. Brady was a good sport as the only boy in the bunch! We had fun catching up, toured around downtown Los Altos and let the kids run wild in the creek.

Em and Em with the babies!

Marge and the Baby Girls

Creek play

Francie's got the one arm hold down pat :)

Maisie getting some baby lovin

Aunt Marge has a special place in her heart for Little Maisie - they have the same name! (Marjorie Sheehy) and Marge says Maisie looks just like her siblings

Marge and all the kids in the Sheehy third generation

Francie and Brady - the big kids

Emmy and Triple Trouble!!!

We love you Aunt Marge!

Life Now...

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I love these little stinkers... and I can't believe in 5 short days we start the next phase of life. Francie will be going to KINDERGARTEN!

We've had 5.9 years of a non-scheduled, sleep in, what should we do today life. I wasn't working much for the first 3-4 years and our days consisted of meeting friends for lunch, going to park playdates, lunch dates with Dad, hanging out with Jannie and some days never leaving the house. Francie and Maisie went everywhere with me everyday and we never really had anywhere we had to be.

Then when I opened Bumble life got a little crazier - but thanks to a flexible Dad and our amazing Emmy - the girls still get to enjoy that laid back life. Mornings rolling out of bed for breakfast, playing in the morning sun windows, making forts outside in their PJ's (some days never getting out of those PJs!) and never having to be anywhere. They walk downtown for a change of scenery and meet their gang of neighbors at the park.

Francie and Maisie started preschool near our house last year and we got in a little more of a routine. But there was no tardy bell and we'd leisurely walk, bike or get up to school on our own sweet time. Sometimes we called no school days and they'd just hang out with Emmy and their sisters all day.

Weekends we don't schedule anything except family events and sometimes a BBQ with friends - but usually informal. We don't have TV, we don't really do birthday parties, we don't have activities besides swim lessons once a week at home. The girls get lots of "dirt and sunshine" and learn how to make some fun with each other, whether they like it or not ;) I want to hold on to this for as long as I can!!

So is this all going to change next week when we start the next tens of years of SCHOOL?! I know I am naive to even think it won't... but Heff and I have been trying to figure out how to keep a simple, non-scheduled, non-overly-activities life! Is it possible?!

So Kinder is kicking us into the next chapter of our life... we are so excited for Francie to start her big kid book. We are going to do our best to keep up our unscheduled life and raise girls who get to enjoy a childhood that's not rushed (I loved this article about banishing "hurry up" from your vocabulary as a parent) but I am nervous as we get closer to the start of a school bell and tardy slips and afterschool activities, I'm sure I'll check back and look at this in 1 year, 5 years and 10 years and think what a crazy person I was to think this... but I'm sure going to try!

Black Butte Family Photos

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last of the Black Butte photos - always gotta have the photo op night!

my favorite shot (MOMMMMM.....)

at least Tess will still give me those smiles!

and then there's cray-cray-JJ

Tricia the hostest with the mostest as always

Jessica tried to get a photo of us amid the big heff family photo set up craziness

the whole gang

Heff boys (so outnumbered)

Matthews

sweet Maisie Moo

OPA and his babies!

and Oma!

Maggie the resident babyholder

Matriarchs and patriarchs

Doverspikes!

not sure where our kids were hiding... but we'll take a quiet beer drinkin' moment :)

and after dinner golf course running

pick me up mom

color wheel of cousins

little beauty Clara - looks just like her mom!

Ellie and Kate with some patriotic sisterly love

more dog-pile cousin love

ATTEMPT at a photo of my girls... NOPE.

all lined up!

and what's a family reunion without a kid pyramid!

throw the babies up there

and they all come crashing down

Black Butte Family Reunion 2013

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We had a blast in Black Butte Oregon with allll the Heffs! Recap by iPhone photos...

First day walk to the fields for Olympics Field Day

competitors ready!

team purple (Tess was a huge help ;)

and after Olympics - a group swim! 7 uncles and 26 kids in the pool

and talent show preparations - I was so proud of the big girls who took the lead and practiced by themselves all week

Tess my little Kangaroo and I checking on their progress one night :)

and Saturday Annual In-laws versus Out-laws softball game!

Opa Bob has a slide/bounce house he sets up between the houses - somehow after 4 years it's still standing

Ticket to Ride with Oma

Sweet Maggie was such a big help with Tess and by the end of the week Tess was jumping in her arms!

Dinner Sunday night at Pat and Tricia's cabin on the golf course - lots of family pic opportunities! Here are Oma and Opa with all 15 grandkids. Love all the expressions on this shot!

after dinner golf course play (sorry to the sand pit)

Talent show 2013!! The kids were so good! We had joke tellers, songs, card tricks, musical instrument playing, poems and a surprise skit by the adults too :)

iPhone family photo! (most of the BBR pics this year were iPhone - I am just going to own in and admit I am much preferring these lesser quality but REAL LIFE shots!! My big camera comes out occasionally, but I love what I can capture with my pocket cam :)

Tuesday morning horseback ride. DAD took them! what a guy

General store ice cream pop and chips stop

and then an afternoon trip into Bend to check out a barnwood supplier for The Alley - JJ approved (what is this pose)

lunch at Worthy Brewery - my cute husband! (kids were running around roughshot on the grass - it was a very relaxing family lunch!)

Wednesday Dad took these stinkers fishing!

fiesty one! love their faces

cleaning the fish at home

Craig and Andrea made a cool puppet show theater and did a show for the kids - they were into it

sleepy baby heading home - with toys piled on her by big sis

Drive to Black Butte

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We had another succesful Family Reunion in Black Butter Oregon the last week in July! We left Los Altos Thursday afternoon and drove up to Red Bluff to meet the crowd at thehalf way point for an overnight - then took off on I-5 headed to Oregon early the next morning! 12 hours on the road total -but half of the famly vacation is the forced family fun in the car!

sleepy JJ in the truck - only time we really get to talk without her noisy chatter!

pit stop diaper change

overnight in Red Bluff with cousins... 2/3 the way there!

Dad spoils them with gas station burritos and corn dogs for breakfast. ummmmmm.

Passing through WEED, CA

potty break - better than a coffee can in the back of the car!

ordering Makery stuff on my drive - these awesome 3fish prints we sell now - very fitting these are the states we have!

Picnic lunch in Oregon at the Logging Museum - Heff packs the best!

Salami, crackers and cheese (and maybe a beer for the non-driving mom)

tour of the logging museum - only people there!

we see Black Butte!

arrival!

 

let the fun begin... (custom printed Makery coozies!)

Photo of The Week Project Update!

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A little update on the Photo a Week project to document Tess' year one! We are still going strong at week 44, trying to have a little fun with weeks that we travel or fall on a holiday :) Full photo project here

44 weeks - how Tessa feels about a 12 hour road trip

43 weeks - Oregon Family Reunion! My little hipster :)

42 weeks - just looking cute

41 weeks - Happy 4th of July

40 weeks - chewing on those thumbs getting more teeth! (she has 5 now)

39 weeks - after we caught a baby rattlesnake in Red Bluff!

and the rest of 'um here

OUTER SPACE - with The Novogratz Family!

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We just opened a pop-up gallery in Los Altos called OUTER SPACE in collaboration with Bob & Cortney Novogratz from NYC and it was really 'out of this world'! I have been a big fan and follower of the Novogratz for a long time - I went to college with Bob's brother and traveled with his sister Jacquline. I followed their shows "9 by Design" on Bravo and "Home by Novogratz" and love their books, their style and their kids names :) They have 7! Wolfie, Bellamy, Tallulah, Breaker, Five, Hollader and Major. They are pretty much my idols (I mean SEVEN kids in NYC and they do all this uber cool stuff?!)

So when a space in Los Altos came available for a short pop-up during the summer street closure - and next to the newly opened Botanist - my wheels started spinning (Heff hates when they do that :) I contacted Bob to see if they had any interest in a West Coast gallery to showcase a curated collection of art they love. They were excited about the idea so we started working together remotely for a few months to bring it all together! Here is a sneak peek at the final result!

They came out last week to bring it all together and it was a super exciting week/weekend. We had deliveries coming everyday from the floors from London designer Richard Woods to the art on the walls to some of their own collection from CB2 like the FAMILY light boxes (sold out online but we have 2 for sale!) and the Breaker chair. Francie helped me unbox with them one afternoon and got to meet Cortney

They arrived on opening day of The Botanist and we were excited to show them our hard-earned flea market finds... they love a good hunt as much as we do!

We had dinner at our house Thursday night - Bellamy was so sweet to entertain the girls half the night. They were enamored with her (until Breaker and Holly stole the show with the skateboard lessons)

Marty cooked some burgers up for the crowd since it was our weekly Thursday night Alley tasting anyway! Everyone LOVED the lamb burger this week.

we showed them a good California backyard BBQ style

I tried not to take too many photos and be annoying - but I kept looking over thinking "Is that really Cortney Novogratz at my house holding my baby?!" eeeeee ;)

and the boys gave us a skateboard show - what's the only thing more dangerous than skateboarding down a hill? trying to jump a stool while doing it!

tiny tess got a front row seat and was cracking up :)

probably thinking "are these kids CRAZY?!"

Francie setting up Holly for the jump... success!

cool dudes Friday before the big opening!

we made up some t-shirts for the opening at The Makery! I was a little star struck to see my logo on a shirt with theirs :) they are way cooler but certainly fun to work with!!

people were gathering out front to check out what was going on in this bright colored, beautiful new space!

the floors are my favy. and that baby too ;)

and last minute spray paint duties... we had these "twiggy things" in Heff's old office no one really ever liked except me :) We called them the duck blind! But needed some barrier for the last minute parking lot patio we made for the party - so white flat paint with pink tips spruced up the duck blinds! (and covered my arms, legs, hands and HAIR in paint, oops.)

and photos of our opening night party - coming next post!

Outstanding in the Field

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We went to an "Outstanding in the Field" dinner Marty cooked for at the beach a few weeks ago. It was a blast! My parents had been to a few of them - it's an organization that takes "outstanding chefs in their field" to a dinner out in the middle of a field or on the beach - the chefs use local ingredients and cook out in the field and you sit communal style with a big group. Great wine and a bon fire round out the night - it was a great evening to enjoy some California weather and food!

We borrowed a Sprinter (still my dream car) to haul 10 adults over the hill to the beach - and so we could consume some adult beverages on the way :) It'd been a long time since any of us had enjoyed a little party bus action!

Arrival at the beach! (always 10 degrees colder than you think it will be!)

Date night - with great friends - the best!

This was the view as they prepped us for dinner and introduced Marty - there cooking on behalf of The Alley, which was cool to hear it so official! (and we are sooo lucky to have Marty's amazing talent)

Heff got behind the "kitchen" with Marty to check out the grill - they did a pretty good job feeding 160 people with a makeshift kitchen

This heirloom tomato, mozz and crouton salad was amazing!

Dinner - table for 160!

You bring your own plates to the dinner which makes the table really eclectic and fun!

cheers! and thanks Marty and for our friends for coming along for a great night!

Skater Girls

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The girls have turned into little skater girls :) Their new friend Breaker taught Francie and Maisie how to skateboard last Thursday night when we had dinner - I came out in the cul de sac and the girls were crusing from the top of the hill down where the boys would catch them. I almost had a heart attack but they looked like they knew what they were doing!

At the end of the night Breaker GAVE Francie his skateboard to keep. For reals it might have been the best moment of her life to date :)

 

Francie slept with her skateboard all night and when Emmy came over she opened the door and said "EMMY. A 12 year old boy... named Breaker... GAVE ME his new skateboard." 

 

and we were the first ones in line at Skateworks in Downtown Los Altos Friday morning for skate helmets - they used their 100 bonus points, hard earned helmets!

Dad and his skater chicks (oh JJ always got to be the joker)

Skating the afternoon away with Dad

CrayCray JJ

and one afternoon we went to the park so they could skate around and around.... Tess and I had time to catch up on the swings

Then Friday they had their first official skate lessons!! Skateworks has a half pipe in the back and gives lessons - all three at the same time!

 

Maisie taking it seriously - J not so much

Francie looking like a pro

and Tess is happy to watch from the sidelines!

Go skater girls! Now let's hope we don't end up in the ER anytime soon...

 

The Botanist

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The Botanist is the newest addition to The H & H :) (and for a good long while - hopefully the last new addition!!) Marisa Lyssand is the official "Botanist" and has such an amazing eye for all things flowers and garden. She and her sister Alicia, who is Director of The Makery, have been helping me with a bunch of projects around work and home. Our little town flower shop just went out of business and a space opened up - so we put our heads together and came up with The Botanist!

It's a beautiful store for all things floral and home... succulents, air plants, orchids, cut flowers that are local and seasonal and lots of awesome one-of-a-kind flea market and vintage finds. We've been scouring the fleas for months and will continue to do it to keep our stock ready for buying! Come check us out at 363 State Street in Downtown Los Altos.

Arrangements - small to large for $45-150


stop by and shop!

New Photos, New Header!

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After the Land of Nod shoot (which is still so fun to hear from friends and family who see the girls in the catalogue!) one of the photographers asked if she could come take some portraits of the girls. Her name is Lisa Wiseman and she came to hang out with us one afternoon while there were about a million things going on in the house! Marty was cooking up a tasting for Alley burgers in our kitchen, things were getting delivered for work and people were coming and going. She was really easy going in the background and got some beautiful shots of the girls just hanging out in their swim suits on a warm summer night. Great pictures to cherish those memories, thanks Lisa (and photo credit to Lisa for 3 of 4 photos on my spruced up header :)!