In Search Of A Party

My attempt to make use of all the clothes we have before she grows out of them means that Teagan is sometimes a little overdressed. So, if you're looking for somebody to be your plus one at a party, please give her a call.

Friendly Dinner

Apparently, tonight's visit from Auntie Christie was all anybody heard about today at Mia's preschool. She was so excited to chat with her big city buddy (who you may recall is the superstar who gifted Mia her beloved Piggy Girl upon her birth) and chat she did. Poor Christie's ears are probably still ringing from the endless chatter, while Mia's mouth, even in slumber, is probably still smiling.

Hello Everybody. Again.

I swore I would never do Music Together again after going a gazillion rounds with Mia. And yet, there Teagan and I sat today enjoying another singalong with those familiar tunes that are burned on my brain for all of eternity. Fortunately, Teagan was thrilled to be there and couldn't get enough of the drums, shakers and other babies. She was especially transfixed by the guitar and the drumsticks, although the latter was used more for gnawing than beating.

Mermaid Memories

Today, David and Mia (along with buddy, Lily) participated in one of the more random San Francisco pop culture events -- a sing along presentation of Disney's Little Mermaid. It all went down at the Castro Theater, which meant lots of people watching. Spectators were given props in a bag of goodies, including a dinglehopper (a fork in Little Mermaid speak) and a crown (modeled by David below). In a moment of pure glory, I'm sure, Mia was allowed on the stage pre-show to model her Ariel costume. As you can see, she was only mildly excited about this.

Table For Four

A milestone has been reached... Teagan can join us at the table, in her own chair, while the family is dining out. Judging from the way she was eyeing our fries, it looks like she's looking forward to the more important milestone known as Eating My Sister's Lunch.

Baby Faces

Teagan is auditioning for the role of "Happy" in the Baby Faces book.

Hello, Hello Kitty

FYI, Mia has informed her family, her teachers, and that random lady walking down the street that she has changed her name to Hello Kitty. Here she is before school today, ready for action in her P.E. class.

The Mia Crawl

Mia achieved her "freestyle" button yesterday in swimming. She has one more button, for backstroke, before she gets her purple ribbon. She was so excited about performing, that she gave new meaning to "big arms," the term her teacher uses to describe the stroke. She keeps talking of a mythical swim race that she is apparently entering when she gets her next ribbon. Let us know if you know what she's talking about.

The Latest Fashion

Sitting is SO two months ago...


And in culinary news, yogurt is awesome.

Afternoon Tea

In case you are in need of some refreshments:

Blame It On The Poor Innocent Teddy

Tonight, like last night and the night before that, has been a late one for Mia. Oh, we try to get her to bed at a normal hour (circus night excepted), but that does little to actually render her into slumber. At 10:20, I walked into her room to confirm that yes, she was still awake. When I gave her a stern talking-to, I was informed that "I was sleeping, but Piggy Girl woke me up. She's naughty."

And so, the blame game begins. Or, perhaps, we need to consider a reward sticker chart for that misbehaving Piggy Girl.

Straw Woman

Teagan's getting the hang of drinking from a straw cup, an experience she is only mildly enthusiastic about. As you can hear in the video above, we were listening to our usual soundtrack -- a little music we call Mia.

Playgroup Turns Four!

There was a time not too long ago when, to get a photo, we had to prop these kiddos on a couch and hope for the best. Now they're sitting perched high on a wall and proudly waving their four digits, with some of their little siblings themselves big enough to pose for the camera. How did time fly by so quickly? Teagan, by the way, was dozing in her stroller nearby.

Wonderful Words

I bought Mia some new books that are written for early readers. She had not seen them before and I needed to get Teagan down for her nap, so I handed the books to her and told her to look at them and I'd read them with her after I got Teagan off to sleep. I was rocking the baby when Mia ran into the bedroom, excited as could be. "I can read this book. Let me read it to Teagan and you!" I grabbed my phone and was able to capture the following:



She is so excited and so proud of herself to be reading on her own. It's pretty amazing how quickly it is clicking for her now. Libraries beware!

After Hours

Mia and I had a special nighttime playdate this evening with our friends Brigette and Dailey. To the circus we went, where the girls marveled at dancing elephants and majestic tigers. The acrobats were also a big hit, as was the novelty of staying up well best their bedtime. A rare sight captured in the final picture: Mia sleeping in the car on the way home.

Dinner Conversation

I apologize, but can't help but flashing back to Mia's photos and videos. Above is Teagan noisily and messily enjoying her sweet potatoes. Here is Mia doing the same at the same age. Dinner is not a quiet time at our house.

Lazy Labor Day

We took advantage of the nice weather and took a trip to Sonoma's Cornerstone Gardens today. Several landscape architects set up garden exhibits and both kids and adults have the run of the place. While we all enjoyed the scenery (and the beverages and food that went along with our visit), Mia especially was smitten. She declared on several occasions that she would be getting married on the grounds. Talk about planning ahead. Here are some more photos of our day:

Cornerstone Gardens 9/5/11

Ooh la la

Well, what would you wear while walking the dog?

Another Helping, Please?

Like her big sister before her, Teagan enjoys her sweet potatoes. After all, we need something to fill up those sizeable cheeks:

Reading Rainbow

Mia entertained the family with her enthusiastic -- and colorful -- rendition of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Seeing Pink

Not many other colors around our house other than pink these days, a color scheme Teagan is quite happy about. David, on the other hand, ...