Acrobatic Duo

Joey may have the acrobatic skills in the family...




But Clara is definitely the bravest.

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Top o' the Morning to You!

I was paging through some of my very first blog entries from 2008, and paused (and might have teared up a bit) at this snapshot of what breakfast was like with an 8 month-old and a two year-old.

I loved our lazy weekday mornings. With both babies confined in highchairs, and content to munch on breakfast at a leisurely pace, I could actually read the newspaper, drink a cup or two of coffee... and gradually gather up the strength to take on a day of double diaper changes, naptime battles, messy meals and snacks, crazy toddler play, and all those pesky domestic chores.

I was inspired to take a snapshot of what breakfast is like now, with a newly minted five year-old, an opinionated three year-old, and a happy-go-lucky nine month-old.

Breakfast is definitely less leisurely, and I definitely don't have time to read the newspaper, but some things will always stay the same: I can't do without my morning coffee. I need it to gradually steel myself for a day of diaper changes, naptime battles, preschool runs, park dates and play dates, messy crafts and messy meals, and conversations (we didn't have those back in 2008!) that typically begin like this one, between bites of cereal:

"Mommy, did you KNOW that the brachiosauraus was taller than the tallest trees? Crazy, but true!"

I'll let you guess who emitted a high-pitched squeal in response, and who responded, "No, they weren't. They were very, very little."

Fairyland Flashback

We're taking a step back in time today, to a month and a half ago when all of the Raley cousins converged on Fairyland in Oakland, along with Hop and Mop. Four adults manning seven kids? Not exactly a breeze. Let's just say that Fairyland probably needs to revisit its kid escapee protocol, and perhaps make it impossible for two three year-olds to leave the park premises without an adult. Yikes!

But thanks to freezing January weather, we had the park almost to ourselves, and had a fantastic time on the train, the Alice in Wonderland maze, and the carousel. The Stecher girls, who were visiting for the first time, loved the fairy tale theme, too!

Operation Plump-Up

Don't you hate those girls who eat and eat and eat, and never gain a pound? And then they add salt to the wound by reporting that they really, really, really wish they could make those numbers on the scale move up, because their doctor keeps insisting they're underweight?

I didn't have a lot of sympathy for this so-called plight until Wednesday, when during Molly's nine-month check-up, we were thrust into uncharted territory: a baby in the 10th percentile for weight!

Despite eating three meals per day at the table, and nursing four or five times per day, Molly barely gained a pound between months six and nine, weighing in at just 16 pounds, 1 ounce. After reviewing her stats, her doctor turned to me and asked, "Were your other kids on the more petite end of the spectrum, too?" We both had to laugh as we surveyed the exam room: Monster Joey was sprawled on the ground paging through a book about meerkats, and Clara was slouched in a chair, showing off her still-pudgy toddler tummy. In short, no. We've never had to worry about whether they were getting enough to eat.

Our new mission is to fatten her up. Like a svelte Hollywood starlet putting on pounds for a movie role, Molly is embarking on a six-week calorie binge before she gets back on the doctor's scale. We're steering her away from her favorites -- fruits, vegetables and chicken -- and fattening her up with eggs, yogurt, cheese, bacon, and avocado.

This doesn't bode well for other members of the family who definitely do not need extra calories, but who will be tempted to streamline cooking duties.

Three Little Doggies

Davis' favorite spot for a late morning nap is our sunny back step, and last week, Joey and Clara snuggled up next to him on the warm concrete.

Googly Eyes

Joey has had a slew of park outings, ice cream dates, birthday parties, and dinners with little girlfriends this week, and Sunday was no exception. He spent the afternoon playing with Gitte, and then we had his carpool buddy, Alexis, and her family over for dinner that night. As I was tucking him into bed last night, I said,

"Joey, you are so lucky! You had two playdates today!"

He rolled over, and replied with an impish smile, "Mommy, those weren't playdates. They were DATES."

They've Got Him Pegged

No one knows a child better than his or her parents, but it's still a fascinating, nerve-wracking, and nail-biting experience to hear someone else's take on your little person... especially during their annual parent-teacher conference.

We met with Joey's main teacher, Miss Kristi, on Tuesday for a chat about our little man, and his readiness for kindergarten, both socially and academically. Luckily, there weren't any surprises, and he's right on target in both areas, although we need to work on the way he holds writing instruments, and help him overcome some shyness with adults. We came away with a written report from her that had us laughing and nodding our heads over nuggets like these:

"He is a large-framed, big-boned guy, so things like galloping, jumping and skipping are tricky, but should become easier as his musculature builds up."

"He has an endearing, slight lisp (f for th) which will most likely soon self-correct."

"Joey is watchful around new adults (an excellent habit), and once he has determined they are trustworthy, he can become confiding and share smiles with them when they both find the same thing funny."

In summary?

"Joey is quiet, thoughtful, and careful in his approach to a lot of things. He comes up with rather ingenious, creative solutions to situations, and overall is a very capable guy with a good sense of humor."

Phew! We knew he was a good boy, and a good listener in class, but didn't appreciate just how mellow he is until we compared notes with the parents of two of his little friends. They were both told that their kids needed much more exercise -- preferably a morning run before school!

Kid Bowl '11

The Packers may have beat the Steelers 31-25, but the final score of Kid Bowl '11 was 17-3... the girls won by a landslide.

Yes, I totally had to Google that football score, and have been catching up on commercials after the fact, too.

While the guys were camped out in the family room with beer and chips, the moms played defense against 20 kids and babies in the rest of the house and back yard. Luckily, with the girls heavily outweighing the boys, this mostly involved supervising dress-up, ordering up pretend food, and periodically checking in on the gaggle of girls that were sequestered in Clara's room, playing with her dollhouse and dolls.

Molly and Whitney

Dylan DeWeese

Gwen, Megan, Claire, and Clara

With only three boys in the mix, mischief of the boy kind was pretty muted. Joey, Lucas, and Frankie rode bikes, tromped around the hillside, played catch, and tackled each other.

Lucas and Joey

Lucas

Joey practices his spiral

Adding sugar to the mix didn't help matters!

Grace passes out cupcakes

Gitte

Megan

Frankie and Grace

Yes, it was warm enough for swim trunks!

We missed most of the game, except for the final minutes, when our extra-large family room suddenly seemed about ten sizes too small.

We survived the night with no injuries, which was a major victory!

Jumpaholic

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who jumped and jumped and jumped and jumped... until she couldn't jump anymore.




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A Return to "The Fort"

We miss many things about living in San Francisco, but topping the list is the fact that Fort Funston is no longer in our back yard.

A beach and cliff area that is home to a WWII-era sand-covered gun battery, trails, and hundreds of local dogs, "The Fort" was Tim's favorite spot to take the dogs, and Joey and Clara loved it, too. They grew immune to frigid temps, winds that blew sand in their eyes, and the penetrating dampness of fog -- braving it all as they learned to walk, run, bike and scoot on the trails there.

We decided to enjoy some family time there on Saturday, as a reward for the past three weeks, which Tim has spent transitioning to a new brokerage firm. With early mornings and late nights at his new office that left both him and me exhausted, we were excited to recharge at The Fort, and introduce Molly to our old haunt. Tim and I loved the walk and the view of the ocean, and the kids loved the chance to climb the "crooked trees."

Thanks to Grandma Cecchin for joining us there -- although there's no photographic proof!

A Purpleicious Ride

With an older brother to keep up with, Clara is fast and fearless, and bike-riding is no exception. She's been pedaling around on her tricycle for the past year and a half, wreaking havoc on dogs and babies, but decided last week that she was ready for a new, bigger ride -- with only two wheels.

Who knew how hard it could be to find a girls' bike that wasn't bejeweled, covered in glitter, or adorned with baskets, purses, or sidecars for dolls? Compared to the sturdy boys' bikes on display at Toys "R" Us, the bikes for the sugar-and-spice set looked like they might collapse after one use. After Clara oohed and ahhhed over all the pastel models, with themes ranging from Barbie, to Disney princesses, to Pinkalicious, we settled on the only one in the bunch that seemed like it would stand up to abuse from our little hellion on wheels (and that also would fall in line with the girlie-girl quenching guidelines in Cinderella Ate My Daughter). It's magenta, has been dubbed Purpleicious, and has already been taken for a couple of test rides!

Clara talked a big game before we took Purpleicious for its first spin at the Moraga Commons, claiming that she didn't think she needed training wheels. The cockiness faded when she first clambered on the bike, and saw that the park asphalt looked much rockier than the linoleum inside Toys "R" Us. She's just lucky that her big brother, a seasoned pro, was on hand to coax her into taking her first wobbly lap around the playground.

She's off and running now! Do I really have two bikes and bikers to keep up with now?? Maybe Molly and I need to put that jogging stroller to work!