Eight crazy nights and we are (still) exhausted. Micah informs me that the lego fire truck we got him was "just exciting", not "SO exciting." Good thing he has Christmas presents coming too. Man, tough crowd this preschool-set I tell you.
The most exciting moment by far was what I posted to facebook: the sight of levi walking around with two burning candles. That was a first night, rookie mistake, not to be repeated. I was never more grateful for Micah's whiny yell: "Levi Noooooo!"
Oops. Ok, moving on. Thanksgiving was awesome. An east coast year. It is nice to think back on how they have grown over the years. Next go-around we'll have another little grossman boy running around the birth of my nephew in March. Would you believe we didn't take a single photo with our own camera, however? damn smartphones. I'd say you could check out cousin joey's blog...but his parents are just a remiss as we are. Here are a few from DC: There were some lovely shots in the fall foliage too. You'll just have to take our word for it.
Speaking of word for it. Levi's vocabulary is blooming. He is a regular parrot these days. His latest words he likes to play around with are "good" and "funny".
He also can teach his older brother some manners. His "no" came along loud and clear about 3-4 months ago, but now he has taken to saying, "No, thank you." There is something disarmingly charming about a toddler saying "No, thank you" that completely detracts from the fact that he is still being defiant--no doubt why he is cultivating it so heavily. "Levi, come here and get your clean diaper." "No...thank you." "Levi, sit down in the bath." "No, thank you. No, thank you" "Levi, put that down now." "No...thank you." "Levi, do you want the rest of your dinner?" "NO!," (smile) "thank you."
Other words on the list as of 18 month:
Mama Dada: daddy Baw-baw: grandpa (stated emphatically whenever the laptop is in sight) Baw-baw: grandma (only a parent can tell the difference) na-nee: Nanny stated when he sees the phone pa-pa: pop-pop (this is a new one, he is still getting it down) Hi-dee: Haile Jo-dee: our friend Jody Hallo: hello Bye tank ewe: thank you food: (duh) ba-ba: bottle/ sippy cup bath show'r: shower sot: soap on/off hight: light cheese: both for the food and when he sees a camera car truck eye: iPhone eyes: sunglasses/ glasses/ eyes cheek no: nose tinky: stinky poop
And naturally with so much time having elapsed there were a few Jewish holidays in there too: Rosh Hashana (most of you got the New year card), Yom Kippur and Sukkot: The harvest festival and one of the regalim.
The boys get directions from Rabbi Lisa during our picnic in the sukkah. Micah shakes the lulav and holds the etrog: Micah follows along intently in his new preschool at TBT.
We mixed it up this year: 3 days at Montessori and 2 days at our temple's preschool which has after school enrichment like Spanish and soccer (that's Micah kicking it waaaay out of bounds):
And then there is just the mechanics of getting up everyday, getting three boys and a girl fed, clothed and out the door to their respective day cares, schools and offices (on time with lunches made adhering to each locations' dietary/ allergy restrictions).
Then afternoons with the boys after school: And bath time: And story time (in our newly painted front room): Evening wind down time with choo-choos (Choo Choos have begun with Levi) And finally bed!
Then there was the trip to Santa Cruz for the Chilean Fonda.
We made the rounds on my old haunts, including the harvest fair at Wilder Ranch State Park: The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk on a less than beachy day: Marianne's ice cream parlor, still there after 50 years and directly across the street from our hotel (score!)
What else did we do?...oh yea: I went to Ethiopia.
View of Addis Ababa from our office terrace: Me and the VSI crew in Addis: Emperor Selassie's tomb inside Trinity Cathedral: Me holding a "miso" baby from one of our project sites: Me on a site visit sharing photos from a teammates last visit: Mama and baby on their way up to the top of Mount Entoto (10,000 ft): Maryam Church at the top of Mt. Entoto, oldest in Addis and pilgrimage site for the weak, infirm, chronically ill or HIV + . A shanty town surrounds the sacred site full of worshipers.
And after over 24 hours of travel, I still made it home to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary:
Let's see what have we been up to? Most recently there was the school field trip to the painted pony farm. It was blissfully cold and dreary for these SoCal parts. I loved it. I actually felt like drinking hot apple cider which is a contrast to last year's pumpkin patch in the sweltering heat.
Levi contemplates feathers: Micah scores a Levi-sized pumpkin for our little pumpkin: Finding the perfect one: Cheep! Goes the chick: Snore! Goes Levi:
Ok, last we left you on the sunny shores of not-so-Buena Vista Lake. It is now Halloween (yikes!). We'll squeeze in a few posts before the clock strikes midnight to get our monthly average back up, but first the All Hallows Eve shot:
To infinity and beyond...Gotham.
And to make up for the fact that my eldest now gets to decide his own costume and mass-marketing prevailed, we present baby Napoleon Dynamite:
I have calculated that I have exactly 4 costumes to play with before they start to have opinions of their own. Look for gold leggings to feature prominently in Levi's costume next year. And yes, that is a hand drawn Liger on Levi's basket:
How do you get there? Drive up the 5 past the Grapevine, stay on 5 past the split with 99, drive until you smell your first factory farm, turn off just past the refinery......and there's yer lake. Yup, that's the one, right by them pumpjacks.This is where people from Kern County--apparently all of Southern, CA-- come to git their boat on.
We set up our tent amongst the titanic RVs and trailers for which the campground was built. What a contrast with the the previous weekend! Actually, we had a great time. It was super hot, so we wore few clothes. The nearest RVs belonged to our old and new friends from Ventura. We played in the water and even got out in the boat a bit. Levi still got up nice and early... ...but that allowed me to experience the day and the lake at its nicest: We took the scenic route home, which was pretty cool. I've wanted to drive that stretch of Highway 33 since we moved to Ventura. We drove near the Tule Elk Reserve, through Taft and Maricopa, near the Carizzo Plain National Monument-- where the San Andreas fault makes the ground look like zipper, stopped for some pistachios in Ventucopa, crossed the pass near Reyes Peak, dropped down through the big walls of the (upper) Sespe Gorge, then emerged into the familiar territory for the descent from Rose Valley.
Micah is learning to ride a bike. Instead of starting him off with training wheels, we got him a balance bike. First he tried it without pedals, learning to balance. Recently we installed the pedals (a bit prematurely, IMHO) and let him give it a go:
Micah had his second visit to the dentist yesterday. After having him brush his teeth, they painted his teeth with this pink stuff, which adheres to plaque. Then they rinse it off and the remaining pink color shows where you missed when you brushed your teeth. Micah had done a very good job brushing: Proud boy! At least he didn't come back like this.
Then today, both boys visited Dr. Fristoe, their pediatrician. She gave Micah the option of taking one of the two vaccinations he'll need before starting kindergarten next year. His response: "I'll just wait until I'm six." However, he was perfectly willing to watch Levi get his two injections.
Some stats...
Body surface area: Micah = 0.74 m^2; Levi = 0.51 m^2
What?
Ok, how about...
Height: Micah = 43.5''; Levi = 33.5'' (97th %-ile) Weight: Micah = 39 lb; Levi = 24 lb 2 oz. (45th %-ile)
Micah looking just "excited" but not "so excited"
Micah follows along intently in his new preschool at TBT. 
We mixed it up this year: 3 days at Montessori and 2 days at our temple's preschool which has after school enrichment like Spanish and soccer (that's Micah kicking it waaaay out of bounds):
And story time (in our newly painted front room):
Me and the VSI crew in Addis:
Emperor Selassie's tomb inside Trinity Cathedral:
Me on a site visit sharing photos from a teammates last visit:
Maryam Church at the top of Mt. Entoto, oldest in Addis and pilgrimage site for the weak, infirm, chronically ill or HIV + . A shanty town surrounds the sacred site full of worshipers.
Micah scores a Levi-sized pumpkin for our little pumpkin:
Snore! Goes Levi:
To infinity and beyond...Gotham.
I have calculated that I have exactly 4 costumes to play with before they start to have opinions of their own. Look for gold leggings to feature prominently in Levi's costume next year. And yes, that is a hand drawn Liger on Levi's basket:
...and there's yer lake. Yup, that's the one, right by them pumpjacks.
This is where people from Kern County--apparently all of Southern, CA-- come to git their boat on.
What a contrast with the the previous weekend!
...but that allowed me to experience the day and the lake at its nicest:
Micah had his second visit to the dentist yesterday. After having him brush his teeth, they painted his teeth with this pink stuff, which adheres to plaque.
Then they rinse it off and the remaining pink color shows where you missed when you brushed your teeth. Micah had done a very good job brushing:
Proud boy!
At least he didn't come back like this.
