The Great Halloween Odyssey

Maya doesn't just like Halloween, she loves it! This year, the little lady chose her own costume and was so excited when the big day arrived. Here are some photos of Maya's Halloween bliss and Dexter's introduction to the big night. I'm sure he'll remember it fondly.

Maya excitement is obvious as she starts her Halloween prep.

Maya goes to school in costume.

Maya decided to smell each type of candy we were giving out saying things like, "Mmm, that smells delicious."

Maya wanted Dexter to be her little lion cub.

Brother and Sister.

Maya hides among some of our porch decorations for the big night. Our street is very popular for trick or treaters.

Momma with her lions just before the big lion goes trick or treating with Daddy.

Grrrr.

Maya Lion meets up with Riley who is dressed up as Ursula from The Little Mermaid.

Of they go!!

Happiness.

Back at the fort, Momma handed out candy with Dexter and our good friend Don until everyone returned. In this shot, everyone is back including Layne and Karin.

Maya Lion and Layne as Thomas hand out candy.

Maya was very official in her duties saying, "Just take two." At around 9pm, we went inside after a very long and exciting day.

Maya Lunches With Her Pal

A typical moment with Maya and her good friend, Riley, at our local Mexican restaurant.

These sophisticated ladies peruse the menu.

Calistoga Retreat

Our wonderful friends, Susan and Pres, who live by our old house on Caselli invited us along with other Caselli friends to their beautiful pool house in Calistoga for the day.

Only in California is it swimsuit weather at the end of October.

It may be a little chilly for the pool, but the hot tub is super fun.

At sunset, Momma, Allysonne, and Tom enjoy the view.

Hanging out with Allysonne, Susan, Pres, and Rio the dog.

Cocktail hour on the exercise ball. Good times.

Our Football Fan

Touchdown!

Grammy and Papa Meet Dex

Right after Coco left, Grammy and Papa visited us for a five days. Grammy and Papa were great company and treated us to some home cooking and helped keep Maya and Dexter entertained for hours. We were so glad to see them!

Dexter...meet Grammy and Papa.

Grammy and Papa...meet Dexter.

Time to make cupcakes with Grammy.

Maya gets a lesson in proper frosting technique.

Maya and the Master Chef.

Now it's time for a dance party.

Nice moves.

Dexter and the family.

Grammy and Papa with their grandchildren #7 and #8.

Thanks for visiting Grammy and Papa.

Coco and Nate Meet Dex

Coco and Nate came back to the Bay Area for a wedding and got to spend a couple days with us. Hooray!

Coco holds Dexter for the first time and provokes a rare Dexter smile.

Nate, Maya, and Coco make dinner.

Chopping cucumbers.

After dinner, Maya shows off her Halloween costume to a terrified Nate.

Scary!

"Red Rum" video

Just in time for Halloween, Maya channels a bit of "The Shining." It's not quite as creepy as the original...which is probably a good thing.

Maya Expresses Herself

Maya loves expressing herself in print...

Maya keeps busy drawing members of the family.

Maya adds Dexter to her list of favorite words to type.

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures

We've all gone a little crazy to keep ourselves sane...

Dexter learns about dental hygiene with Momma.

Daddy spins around with Maya while taking random shots with the cell phone. It's something to do.

Maya prepares for rain while Mommy feeds a lion cub.

"Impromptu Dance Party" video

We got a chance to visit our friend, Vince's cool new shop in the Mission called Photobooth. While we were there, Maya decided to show us some serious dance moves.

Proud Big Sister

Maya is very excited about her little brother. She is constantly telling everyone, including strangers about Dexter. She thinks he is pretty cool.

Maya loving Dexter.

Dexter wearing the Maya's Transformers onesie. Despite our less enthusiastic feelings about director Michael Bay, Dexter sure looks cute.

"Maya Holds Dexter" video

Here's a little video of Maya showing off her baby holding skills...

Ice Cream Etiquette

Witness the proper way to eat an ice cream cone. Her friend, Riley, shows the more conventional spoon and bowl approach. Maya demonstrates a more avant garde (aka messy) licking technique.

Very dainty.

When you are tired of holding the cone, simply use the cone holder and lick away.

Family Resemblance?

We don't want to get into a habit of comparing the siblings, but are some pics of brother and sis as newborns. Right now, it seems like Dexter has a longer face, less chubby cheeks, and lighter hair and skin than his sister did at this age. However, they definitely have a similar look.