Happy Halloween!*

After all the pre-parties, it was finally time for the main event. In celebration, we carved pumpkins, trick or treated at a few neighbors homes on our very slanted street, and stayed away from all children.

* Not the Happiest Halloween. Maya started showing symptoms of Hand, Mouth, and Foot Disease (not Hoof and Mouth which is the barnyard variety) right after dance class on Thursday. She soon had painful sores all over her mouth, a fever, and little spots on her hands and feet. She was miserable for a few days and very contagious to other children for about a week. Needless to say, it put a real damper on planned Halloween activities.

Maya, Daddy, and Mommy pumpkins.

Admiring our fine carving.

Spooky Music Class

Maya's back in her favorite music class and in honor of Halloween many of the kiddies came in costume. The main instructor, Charity, was not able to come so Kim (in the crazy red dress) taught in her place.

UPS guy (center) warms up.

UPS guy plays with instruments.

UPS guy hangin' with the kiddies.

UPS guy plays with scarves.

Where's the UPS guy?

There she is.

Uncle Boyd

Maya got a chance to meet her Uncle Boyd for the first time while he was in San Francisco for an Ophthalmology conference. Maya thought he was a very cool dude. Hope to see him and his family again soon!

Boyd has a very good relationship with our UPS guy.

Great to see the brothers together.

"Special Delivery" video

Our UPS guy in action...

Halloween Preview Party

Our Mother's group had a little Halloween get together on Sunday afternoon. Maya tried our her cool costume for the first time!

UPS guy!

Knock-knock!

Coleman and Sadie the Bat in Julie's backyard.

Maya gets some treats from a pinata.

UPS Guy Maya, Pirate Olen, Ariel Natalie.

With Corinne who didn't want to wear her ladybug costume.

Summer in October

September and October tend to be the most beautiful 'summer' months in San Francisco. Nothing like enjoying the sun at the beach with Nick and family.

Checking out the beach action.

Lounging in San Francisco summerwear.

Maya and Nick take turns watering the sand...

...and watering the bucket.

Nick.

Maya.

Hugs.

Jumpy House

It started like any ordinary Saturday morning...we decided to take a walk to Noe Valley and eat our favorite breakfast spot. To our surprise the Harvest Festival was happening and there were hayrides, booths, and the mythical JUMPY HOUSE!

Today I will discover something great...

Behold, The Jumpy House.

Maya investigates this wondrous new inflatable world.

This is great!

"Yay Pumpkins!" video

More pumpkin fun...

Yay Pumpkins!

It's that time of year again. Maya and her friend Natalie teamed up this year at a pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay (just South of SF). Thrills included teepees, wagons, tunnels, hay, and PUMPKINS!

Maya and Natalie cruising for pumpkins. Nice ride ladies.


No farm is complete without a teepee.

Daddy and Maya on a mountain of hay.

Now time for the difficult task of picking pumpkins.

HEAVY...

...and good to sit on.

We got our wagon o pumpkins.

"Oh parents, you and your curious need to buy large gourds once a year. I'll humor you...this time."

Maya's Begins Her Portrait Series

Maya has been honing her artistic skills lately. We're finding that she is beginning to move from Pollock to Picasso. Here is a recent drawing on the white board of circles and Cookie Monster on the bottom left.

Face, eyes, and mouth. Nice!

The resemblance is striking.

"Cold Face" video

In celebration of Maya becoming 2 and a quarter years old, we thought we'd show a video of her famous Cold Face. About a year ago, Maya spontaneously made a shivery face when she ate some cold ice cream. Soon, she harnessed the power of the Cold Face to illicit laughter from family and friends. In this demonstration, Maya adds some interesting variations. Enjoy...