And We're Off...

Mia's first day in the Barn class, part of her school's four year old program, started off with a bang, and by that I mean a shocking array of bright yellow and animal prints. Mia picked her outfit herself, of course, and was certain her friends would be very excited about her choice. She was equally enthusiastic about her new backpack, which she told every adult about as soon as we hit the school hallway. The classroom was buzzing with lots of happy kids and Mia joined her best buddies, Alegra and Henry, on the floor for some board games. I attempted to linger with my little girl who is so big, but was given the heave-ho in the form of a gentle, "Love you Mom -- see you later!" So much for separation anxiety being a childhood phenomenon.

One Last Outing

Tomorrow we'll be getting ready for Mia's return to school, but today was another day on the grand old Bay Area tour. Oakland Zoo was the target and Mia enjoyed petting kittens (your guess is as good as mine why they are there), brushing goats, and riding the rides.


Teagan, meanwhile, enjoyed some undercover milk consumption.

Swing Batter Batter

Two firsts today on the birthday party circuit. First, Mia tried her hand at hitting a baseball off the tee:




Second, she tried her hand at the pinata. She attacked it with quite a bit of vigor. Looks like we might need to track down a Little League team.

Literally Literate

David was on hand tonight to capture what has been happening at our house during bedtime. Mia is a reader! We're in the early stages, but it gives her -- and us -- such joy to see a word click in her head as she is sounding it out. I truly love this developmental stage and can hardly wait to find her hiding under her blanket with a flashlight as she tries to get in a few extra pages before sleep.

In And On The Woods

Our summer adventures continued today at chilly Muir Woods, where Mia and playgroup buddy, Dailey, explored the redwoods. While we expected chipmunk and raccoon sightings, we were surprised by the appearance of three river otters, who delighted the tourists with their always adorable antics. Dailey and Mia were pretty adorable, too, as were their new wooden friends who were happy to pose for pictures.

Hi, Tea

Teagan was in a jolly mood today and eager to giggle for the camera. Those with motion sickness might want to refrain -- both involve daring feats of lightning fast movement. Those with sensitive ears might want to refrain, too -- Lara is humming/singing in one of the videos.

Fun In Fairyland

On our continued search for pre-preschool fun, Mia, Teagan and I ventured to Fairyland today. We've been before with mixed results, but it appears we've hit the sweet spot. Mia loved seeing all the fairy tales illustrated with statues, animals, rides and even a puppet show. Some of our fun...

Mia hanging out at the smart pig's brick house:



Riding the Alice in Wonderland carousel:


Pretending to be the characters from Wizard of Oz, complete with dramatic interpretation:









Visiting with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:


Getting a ride from the croc from Peter Pan:


Riding a PURPLE (the color's big in our house right now) horse:

It's What's For Breakfast

Teagan has reached the holy grail, otherwise known as her feet. Took her awhile to maneuver around those cute chubby thighs, but success this morning!

Sun(ny)day Dinner

Some friends joined us for a late afternoon playdate and al fresco pizza dinner. The kiddos dressed up for the dressed down occasion, including Colton, who donned a crown and a Belle dress and thus proved he is one flexible friend.

(Pictures brought to you in sepia tone in an effort to make Mia visible -- her face was washed out by the setting sun.)

Raising the Bar -- Racing the Car

On today's birthday party menu was a Cars movie theme party, complete with a cardboard car handmade for each kid that they raced around a "track" and helmets to take home with them. I'm not sure what is in store for us next weekend, but at this rate, I will be unsurprised when the party guests are transported by private jet to Disneyland for a day with Mickey.

Here's Mia's debut on the mini-Nascar circuit:

A Pirate's Life For Mia

The annual August birthday party-athon continued this weekend. Playgroup buddy, Colton, went for a pirate theme this year. Mia dressed like a pirate princess, naturally, and enthusiastically embraced the party's many activities: pirate band, airbrush tattoos, ice cream cake (that turned tongues green) and, of course, the obligatory bouncy house:

Because One Exersaucer Isn't Enough

We already were less-than-proud owners of an exersaucer that unfortunately fell victim to the elements of a Bay Area winter (read: accidentally was left out in the rain). So we are now reluctant owners of another hunk of colored plastic, but boy do the babes love these things. Teagan is warming up to her saucer o' fun and like her sister before her, I suspect this thing will come in handy while Mom attempts to grab a quick shower. We are accepting advanced requests to borrow this thing (forever) once Teagan outgrows it.

Well, She's Well

We had Mia's annual physical and we're pleased to report all is well with this four year-old. She is, drum roll please, thirty-four and a half pounds (50th percentile) and forty-one and a half inches tall (75th percentile). That means a whopping three and a half pound weight and three inch height gain for the year. She was so excited to be at the doctor's; a little less so when the vaccination was brought out. All was fine within a few seconds, with a promise of a sticker and some ice cream. Physician-approved bribery.

Fish Eyes

Teagan has been to the Academy of Sciences several times, but today was probably the first time she was actually awake and looking around. She was pleased to meet her new fishy friends, even though she seemed confused about why she wasn't able to reach out and touch them. I have a feeling the touch tank will be a favorite exhibit in a few months.

Coffee, Tea & Mia ...

... that's what's on my plate this morning.

You Never Totally Leave Sesame Street

Mia fully dresses herself these days and while some of her picks are, ahem, interesting, there are also some -- like this Elmo/tutu number -- that tug at my heartstrings as a reminder of a time not so long ago when a furry red monster and his buddies ruled my now-four year-old's world. Guess she hasn't forgotten either.

Holy Guacamole

Not sure how she will handle some spice, but Teagan enjoyed her first taste of avocado. This bodes well for future trips to La Taqueria.

Otter Sings The Blues

Mia and I quite accidentally discovered a talent that Otter has been hiding from us for more than nine years. Apparently, he was formerly a member of a blues band and liked to jam to the harmonica (listen carefully for his melodic contributions):

Rolling Green

Mia and Teagan were practicing some rolls in the grass yesterday. This pleased Mia immensely; Teagan less so, who was more content to stare up in the sky.

Cupcake Cuties

It's not just the pajamas on these girls that look identical to me. Mia and Teagan might be the first documented case of twins born almost four years apart.