Oppositeland

We leaving in less than an hour for the airport to spend Thanksgiving week with Reid and her family in Colorado. Addie is super excited to see snow, go sledding and "maybe we'll go ice skating!" which would be a first for her. I'm excited to spend an entire week with my dearest friend from high school and celebrate the imminent arrival of a little baby girl of another wonderful Madeira friend (and wear my new LL Bean duck boots). Cap is hoping to snowboard, and little Eliza has no idea what she's getting into.

Good-bye beach! Hello snow!

14 months

A coworker brought in her 18-month old daughter who is probably the same height as Eliza but resembled a miniature girl. Eliza still looks like a baby, a giant baby that walks. I know Eliza could have taken her in a fight. Eliza even tackled a 7-year-old boy at Disneyland yesterday who was wearing a Nemo hat. The tackle is one of Eliza's characteristic moves often sending Addie flat out on the floor with her sister landing on top of her.

Nevertheless Eliza is learning to be gentle and is a big cuddle bug. She goes nutto for dogs and every time she sees one she points and says "dug, dug!" She powered through an extremely long day at Disneyland and fell asleep on my shoulder after the second water slide in Pirates of the Caribbean. It was fun to watch her eyes get huge during the rides. She loved the Jungle Cruise the best and had her mind blown in Haunted Mansion. Addie was a totally delightful Disneyland companion not once complaining about the lines and also quite brave going on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad twice and Splash Mountain for the first time. If you saw my facebook post you'll know which one of us had their eyes shut! (Speaking of Facebook, The Social Network is one the best movies I've seen in ages.)

Happy 14 month Birthday Eliza. You sure are turning into a fun little girl.






A trip to Franklin Canyon

The Big Sister Surprise

The girls have off from school today for Veteran's Day. We are going to surprise Addie with a trip to Disneyland as a reward for being such a great big sister. Obviously.

The Hundred Board

Addie's first Hundred Board. I love those happy, curvaceous, backward nines.

Last week she counted how long we were on the freeway and she got to 140 (with a little help). It was only one exit so not bad. Addie has this thing with freeways. She hates them. Every time we get in the car she asks if we are going on the freeway. If we aren't, we are either going the "regular way" or the "fast way." She's definitely an LA girl if she already knows that the freeway isn't always the fast way.

Sunday Art Section: Cloud Girl

Can you spot a cloud Addie? Hilarious.


Rapunzel with a crown as long as her locks.

I love taking Addie to the movies and I'm looking forward to Tangled not because I think it will fantastic but because I bet Addie will love it. Today we are going to Megamind with her friend Erica. Yay for popcorn and soda treats!

Body Art: Hand and Foot

These are school projects the girls came home with. I love the idea. Maybe we'll do this again next Halloween!


Addie's ghost


Eliza's ghost


Eliza's bat hands. or hand bat.

Dia de los Muertos

Happy Day of the Dead!

For Jamie's birthday we did a Girl's Day Out, spending three hours at the Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica learning about Mexican Sugar Skulls. There was a little too much listening for our taste and not enough crafting, but we had a blast decorating our Mexican sugar skulls once we got started. Now I want to go to Oaxaca, drink Mexican hot chocolate and learn cake decorating.


I must have been watching too much Toy Story as this has an odd resemblance to an evil Buzz Lightyear.





Our Mexican sugar skulls

More photos here!

Peace Keeping Forces

Holy Halloween, Batman!


The caped crusader family


Wonder Woman!


Supergirl!


Sister Power!


The Masked Midwesterners


Weekend festivities included:
Halloween parade at the girls' school attended by Nana, Pop Pop and Cap.
Halloween party at my office attended by Wonder Woman and myself.
Grown-ups only Dinner at Katsyua Hollywood with Nana and Pop Pop.
Addie's swim lesson.
Malibu beach trip.
Halloween block party with Addie's old daycare peeps, attended by the entire crime fighting family, Nana, Pop Pop and Papa Mit.
Day at LACMA.
Halloween party and trick-or-treating at Bobo Fet, Dorothy, Snow White and Mr Banana's house, attended by the caped crusader clan and the masked midwesterners.

Now it's time to eat all of the Milky Ways out of Addie's candy pumpkin and pass out on the sofa. Crime fighting is tough work.

Check out all the photos from Halloween 2010 here!