Fall, fall, fall

Well, Fall was a busy time for us but we managed to sneak in some fun nonetheless.

 Henry engaging in pumpkin selection and feats of strength.

Rapunzel and Captain Hook ready to go! Henry did great on his first time trick or treating.

 We got a nice weekend trip to Idyllwild, thanks to Tom and Sandy.

Beautiful fall colors and lovely weather made for a great weekend. The kids enjoyed "hiking," although you can see who did most of the heavy lifting.

Portrait of the Artist Covered in her Medium

The Rest of Summer

I'll spare the excuses for why there haven't been posts for 7+ months...life has been busy and much of that is due to these little rascals. Evidence of their rascal-dom abounds below.

Henry's First Haircut!

Serena's 4th birthday: Unicorns, Rainbows, and Rapunzel!

Henry liked the cake too.

Great day at the new splash pad at Grand Park

Henry: pre-splash

One of many great summer beach days

Henry very eager to join Recess Monkey on stage at the Getty

Little girl alert! Princess Pony Tea Party

First time on a Ferris Wheel: great times at Fiesta La Ballona

There is no better visual summation of the experience of having a toddler boy.

Good bye, summer! We most definitely enjoyed you.

Summer's coming!

Summer is almost in full swing here, but it's been a lovely, sunny Spring with many great outings and milestones already.

One child is happy. The other is not.

Henry at 11 months! (Serena included for scale)

Getting ready for CicLAvia on Mommy's birthday! (Note: both helmets were corrected before departing!)

Our first trip to Disneyland as a family of 4!

Two very happy girls

Full tummy, happy baby

Henry felt a bit wary about petting a sleeping goat, but was eventually excited for the chance to pull some hair without being growled at.

Train!

Henry turns 1!

Big boy Henry pulling up all over the place at his 1st birthday party.

Caught in the act: Father-Son dancing!

Serena still prefers being passenger. Good thing Jake is such a safe driver!

Henry was not excited about the impending cake presentation and singing...

but he was happy afterwards

Serena is developing her fashion sense.

Henry, looking very thoughtful, probably composing a followup to Walden.

Serena, very proud of having climbed a tree, all by herself.

No sleep til NorCal*!

* Please don't interpret this title as my acceptance of the phrase "NorCal."

We had a fantastic trip to northern California for Spring Break. Serena loved staying in hotels with good carpeting, Henry enjoyed having lots of quality time with mommy, daddy, and big sister. We enjoyed discovering that there are indeed Michelin star restaurants that have children's menus. A wonderful time was had by all.

Serena making her "seahorse face" at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Fisch for the passes!

Henry, mesmerized by the jellies.

Dennis the Menace Park...one of the greatest playgrounds in the country.

One of my happiest parts of the trip...snuggling and enjoying the view at the fire pit in Monterey.

Daddy finally gets to visit Lagunitas brewery.

Decked out in easter gear, ready to see some animals at Safari West wildlife preserve.

After her basket was half full, Serena declared "I'm done. I have enough."Maybe she needs more of a challenge!

Henry's first easter!

Henry, charming the camera, at Solage resort.

Solage.

Serena's first castle visit may have forever altered her perception of their purpose.

"What do they do in castles, Serena?" "They make wine."

Gorgeous morning in Napa.

Daddy, happy and relieved after surviving a goose attack.

Maybe the best family portrait ever taken by a passing stranger. Frog's Leap.

First time on the cable car!

Bye-bye, SF!