Re: Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! We had a busy, but fun holiday, with our very first Christmas at home. FUN! On Christmas Eve, cousins Chloe and Walker helped us bake Christmas cookies.



The kids definitely had too much sugar that day...

On Christmas morning, Ranier enjoyed some of his new toys (above), and also trying on mommy's new slippers (below).




Later in the day, we went to the Bissells for a tasty duck dinner.


Ranier with Baba.

...and more presents.


On the 27th, we party-hopped with the extended Bissell family (below) for appetizers, dinner, then dessert. All the little cousins (7 total) had great fun running loose in new places and playing together. On to a VERY mellow New Year's. Perhaps a movie after the kids are in bed? Such a luxury!!



Ranier is quite fond of "globos" (balloons), and has a new one to play with here:

Re: preparing for the holidays!

Just a couple of weeks ago, we went out and chose our very first Christmas tree ever!!!! We got this nice pine tree, which certainly smells nice. The boys had great fun helping to decorate the tree, although I should say that Ranier mostly helped UNdecorate the tree. As of now, the entire lower half of the tree is bare because Ranier just cannot help himself (pulling off and breaking ornaments). He's getting quite the reach!! We call him mr. trouble.


Here are the boys helping daddy pack for one of his trips. Ranier thought he might come along in the suitcase.


Nana sent a WONDERFUL package with homemade stockings for the boys, ornaments from her collection, books for Dahrius, and BEST OF ALL...a box for Ranier to play in!!!! He's had great fun with it. We are definitely re-using this box.

It's nice to see the boys beginning to play together. It's a HUGE help when they can play for 30 min. or so while I prepare dinner, rather than both whine and hang on my legs.

Here's one of their silly moments:

Re: huckamungas and gugs

Here are the boys playing at home. Ranier is hiding...
Dahrius smiles.
Ranier is quite obsessed with zapatos, esp. daddy's big ones.

Here's Dahrius trying on daddy's shoe...then Ranier. HAZARDOUS WALKING!!


On the day before Thanksgiving, we went for a hike in the rain at Inverness. S0rry, no photos of the trip. We all had a good time exploring outside, and we found a couple of king bolete mushrooms, which we had for Thanksgiving as an appetizer. Also, we found some very late huckleberries to snack on, and the kids were quite pleased. Ranier begged for "mas huckamungas" (translation: more huckleberries).

Then, the day after Thanksgiving we took a hike in very thick fog to the Sibley Volcanic Area nearby. We were sure there were some views, but we couldn't see further than about 20 feet through the impressively thick fog. It was quite fun...and lent a bit of mystery to the hike.



Here's Dahrius having a snack, resting on volcanic basalt rock.

Ranier had a bit of a cold, and when he was nearly falling asleep in the backpack, we took him out to walk...which he enjoyed quite a lot, esp. when holding Dahrius and mommy's hands.

We also saw a couple of banana slugs on our walk, and Dahrius was quite entranced. Apparently, Ranier was, as well, and said "adios gug" as we left it. This video below shows Ranier asking for Dahrius' HAND and saying ADIOS GUG....

Re: Nana's 60th bday and the tour de tucson!!

Well, the photos are not in chronological order here...this is our last day in warm, sunny Tucson at the playground. The boys loved playing on "las tortugas."

Here are the big racers of the 109 mile race...both finishing well under 5 1/2 hrs!! Impressive!!!

Papi racing towards the finish of his 35-mile race...well done in just over 2 hrs!

Dahrius really loved watching the race and had his cheering down. Hours after the brothers/tios finished the race and were showered and Irwelito had had a beer, papi finished and we cheered him on!
THe last day, feeding lot patos at the park.

Ranier has an eye for danger. He got a thrill out of sticking the plastic bag over his head. Oh dear.

The brothers, Karis and I made a tasty meal for mom to celebrate her 60th! YAY! WE started with warm spinach ricotta tart as an appetizer and champagne on the roof of the new house! Then we had lemon-garlic roast chicken, fresh bread, salad, and dad/Aaron's porcini risotto. Delicioso!! This is the delicious lemon-raspberry cupcake cake. Dahrius was a little disappointed we didn't have 60 candles...

...but he still helped nana blow them out.

Dahrius wants to race next year.


Nana took the boys to the children's museum,and they had great fun shopping for food.

Firetruck fun. Ranier LOVES hats.

OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!!

Obama victory cake. Appeared at 6pm PST...still too early to know much.
Ranier squirming with Maman.

By now we had the good news...they called Ohio for Obama, and so he almost certainly had won!!! Cake! Cake! Cake! Dahrius and his friend Kush were happy to oblige with cake consumption.

Grown-ups also had champagne.

Post Obama cheer. Ranier likes to get his chair pulled up to the counter to "help" and to just peek over. We hope we never forget how tiny and cute he looks with his head just barely peeking over the counter top.

Halloween 2008--starring Peter Pan and ladybug!!

Happy Halloween!! It seems as though the Peter Pan costume I made was passable. It will certainly last one day, right? I can't take credit for the ladybug costume, but Ranier makes it awfully cute. Here we are at home getting ready for Dahrius' school parade in the morning.

I can fly!!!
Peter Pan needs a sword to fend off pirates.

Ranier con Teresa.

Hey!!! Don't ladybugs get swords, too???
Dahrius at school. It was raining, so the singing happened inside, then it stopped enough to have a small parade later outside. Here he is sitting with his good friends: Coke (power ranger), Kush (Luke Skywalker), Peter Pan, and Sydney (purple monster).

THis year the popular girl costume was Dorothy (complete with Toto).



Holding hands with his friends Rashi (bumblebee) and Avi (another Dorothy).