Saturday Morning

Jeff's out of town this weekend, backpacking in the Sierra with some friends. So the kids and I are on our own and having a special mommy/kid weekend. The five pictures in the slideshow above are from this morning. We lounged around in the big bed for a while, taking turns singing songs (Andrew is nearly there with the ABC song), and eventually moved to the playroom for some princess/car action.

I am struck by the fleeting nature of these carefree days. Before long the kids will be big and will have their own plans and I'll be left to watch from the sidelines. I want to remember what they look like, how they act, in these days when they are just three and nearly five. Already I find it hard to conjure memories of them as babies and toddlers that aren't tied to a photograph that I took of them. Remembering how they moved, how they sounded, how they smelled, how they felt as babies is already hard. Just imagine how much harder it will be when I have teenage versions of them crowding out all the impressions of their younger selves. Hence, the camera coming out this morning to capture them just as they are, today, bed hair and all.

Julia is the much more enthusiastic poser. I've got to get Andrew in action, because if I ask him to smile he gives me the goofiest grin that contorts his face such that he doesn't even look like himself. That won't help me remember what he looks like!

Birthday Party at Jackson's!

Dinosaurs, a bounce house, and special guest Andy Z made it hard not to have a great time at Jackson's 5th Birthday Party. Jackson is Julia's oldest friend, in the sense that she's known him longer than any other friend. She and Jackson met when she was 5 weeks old, and Jackson was 7. Weeks, that is. They've been playmates and preschool classmates ever since. I can hardly believe he's five!

10 Years!?

Hard to believe it, but our Sonoma wedding was 10 years ago! My parents invited the kids for an overnight, and Jeff and I leaped on the opportunity to get away to celebrate our anniversary. We were able to get a last minute room at the Gaige House Inn, the very place we stayed on our wedding night.

The room we were given (not the same one as 10 years ago, unfortunately) was lovely, but most notable for the two outdoor spaces it contained. A tiny patio out back:

And a tiny courtyard with a burbling fountain in the corner:

I couldn't resist taking pictures because it's such a great example of how even tiny outdoor spaces can be wonderful if you landscape them with a great attention to detail. The design almost reminded me of a quilt, where each square inch was carefully placed and filled with color or texture to create a pleasing composition. Very cool. If only my backyard showed that level of planning and thoughtfulness.

We went to one of my favorite restaurants of all time for dinner:

On the way home the next morning, we stopped by the BR Cohn winery where we had our wedding. The site is just as gorgeous as it was 10 years ago.
Happy Anniversary Jeff! Thank you Mom and Dad!