A very brief taste of the scene on our front step around 6:30 PM on Halloween.

-M

A few more photos from Halloween, including ones of Avery heading out to trick-or-treat with her dad (and later checking her loot), the line-up of kids that wound up handing out candy on our front step, and Q’s Darth Vader pumpkin creation.

-M

Halloween wasn’t quite what we expected this year, as Zoe wound up with a case of strep and didn’t trick-or-treat or get to hang out with Cousin Isaac. After a day of rest she did feel well enough to give out candy (wearing gloves), though, and luckily I had gotten some shots of the girls all dressed up the day before.

-M

Our little princess is ready to give out candy!

-M

Zoe made us laugh by putting on a little dance performance at Navy Pier the other day. And later that weekend her sister used an empty area of SFO to put on a (martial arts-inspired?) show of her own. One thing I have to say about our girls: They have a lot of energy!

-M

During our last trip to Chicago we hit the Field Museum, but not the equally famous Navy Pier – so we made sure to visit it this time. On Friday morning we explored the Crystal Gardens (which we didn’t even know existed) and a bit of the children’s museum before running around outside. It was pretty but just too cold for us; let’s just say that our San Francisco kids don’t last long in forty-five degree, windy weather!

-M

We’re back from our whirlwind (Thurs.-Sun.) trip to Chicago. More photos and stories soon; for now, here’s a pic of Q and the girls at our cousin Rachel’s wedding. (Oh, and a picture of the girls with Aunt Wendy, too.)

-M

Last summer, I wrote about feeling like my days of bouncing a baby/toddler to sleep were about over. Indeed, within two months of my entry, we packed away the blue exercise ball and Avery was bounced no longer.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially because Avery’s bedtime is so different these days. She doesn’t need much from us aside from a glass of water and a trip to the bathroom – but she does like someone to stay with her. “Lay with me. In my bed,” she’ll say before scooting over her little body so I can climb in beside her. When in bed I sometimes sing to her, but more often we just talk, laugh, or silently hug. And when I tell her I have to go, she’ll respond, “No, stay. Just a few more minutes.”

By this time of night, I’m usually wiped out, and I have plenty of other things I need or want to do (like make dinner, check e-mail or, y’know, just relax). It’s also not the easiest, or most comfortable, to fit my 5’9″ body into a toddler bed. But despite this, I never deny the request to lay with her. Just as I knew that summer that our bouncing days were limited, I know the days of her asking for this won’t last forever. Our time to lay next to each other in her little bed, with her touching my face or giggling and calling me “silly billy,” will pass by quickly, so I try to cherish it.

And I always stay for just a few more minutes.

-M

Like her sister before her, Avery doesn’t mind wet weather at all. Last week, during the first (major) rainfall of the school year, she was very excited to debut her raingear.

-M

A few months ago Q asked Zoe what she wanted to her upcoming birthday (which is now less than one month away). I had to laugh at what she came up with: lots of Star Wars and princess stuff, and some stuff (like a betta fish) that she already has. I think it will be fun to compare this with her list two or three years from now.

-M

Q has been to a lot of baseball games lately (thanks to the Giants’ successful season), which means I’ve doing dinner/bedtime duty on my own more than usual. He gave me a break last night by picking up the girls and taking them to dinner while I relaxed at home and ran to the mall – but I had to smile when I got a “can you call home” text around 7:15. Zoe, as it turned, out “missed Mama” and wanted me to come home. And when I made it home and walked into her room not long after, she greeted me with a “Mommy, you’re here!” (The little one was waiting for me in her bed, too, telling me when she saw me, “I missed you, Mommy.”)

The girls’ words – perhaps even more so than the mall – was just what I needed to recharge.

-M

It’s fairly difficult to get Avery on video: She refuses to be “interviewed” like her sister used to be, and even if I try to be sneaky about it, she usually stops whatever she’s doing if she sees me point the camera at her. For that reason I thought a few candid videos from the amusement park would be fun to share. She’s running in both (in the first she spots her dad and sister; in the second she’s coming off a rollercoaster ride), and they really capture her bright, happy spirit.

-M

Gilroy Gardens was a a great place for us to be on Saturday: The weather was gorgeous (not too hot, like it often is down there), the park was festive and relatively empty, and the four of us were all in particularly good moods. After almost every ride, Avery would cry out in excitement, “That was SO much fun!” – and Zoe was her normal enthusiastic self. After Avery threw her arms around and told me she loved me on the one of the rides, Q smiled at me. “And you say parenting is a thankless job,” he said. (Not on this day!)

-M

We went to another amusement park today (this time Gilroy Gardens) to run around and do some trick-or-treating. When Avery and I were discussing last night her plans to be a princess, she explained to me in a serious tone, “I’m not a real princess. Not until I put on my costume. Then I’m a real princess.”

-M

The girls had a day off of school not long ago, and the three of us headed to Lemos Farm to enjoy the sunshine and Fall decor. We first had the place to ourselves, but then our good friends the Bermans and Newmans showed up to play. (I’m still amazed by the end-of-day group picture: It’s difficult enough getting two kids to sit for a photo – let alone seven!)

-M