Gobble, gobble

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is already and done with, Christmas is a month away, and that Sidney is 4 months old. I can't believe that the weather has been as nice as it has been - and there are people who still deny global warming?

Lola is just getting over a cold, and Sidney has gotten his second cold already! Poor boy. Can't be easy to be that little and sick.

I cooked Thanksgiving dinner. Highlights has to be the pumpkin gooey cake and the date bars which I intend to perfect. They weren't quite right. But, if you have ever had and liked my gooey cake and like pumpkin - I have got a bite of heaven for you. Lola, Paige and I also made placemats from grocery bags and turkeys with pipe cleaners. It was a funky little table. After Lola ripped off the eyes of the turkeys, it looked more like a massacre on the table.

Lola at the table

My little elves are hard at work trying to get all the Christmas goodies together - okay, I am the only elf. I am dragging out the vintage aluminum Christmas tree again this year and am going with a blue/green decor for Sid. I decorated it all pink after Lola was born. We will be attempting to take the family Christmas photo today or tomorrow.

Wanted to throw in a couple more photos:

Lola in her Princess dress - bday present from Gen and Chris.

Lola and her artwork

Sid and Dada on Thanksgiving Day

Terry and Lola on Thanksgiving

Priscilla and Sid on Thanksgiving

Cold, turkey, sickness, etc.

Here I am, last day of the best holiday weekend of the year. Four days straight off work. Feels like winter is finally upon us, temperature-wise at least. Nighttime lows in the teens recently so I finally disconnected the garden hoses. No snow yet though.  We have enjoyed a few fires in our fireplace, still learning some of the fine points of fire-making and ash removal.

Had a good Thanksgiving dinner here, with family and guests totalling eight adults plus Lola and Sid. Sorry, no photos to share. All the fixings were definitely present along with the big bird, and a good time was had by all.

In other family news, along with winter comes sickness. Lola came down with the barking cough followed closely by runny nose, and crankiness. Now Sid has it, poor little guy - he just doesn't know to cough up the phlegm at night. Last night was really bad, not entirely sickness-induced. Lola threw a big fit at bedtime, crying, screaming, vomit....the whole nine yards. Sid's frequent waking/crying/feeding/stuffiness episodes throughout the last few nights do not a good night's sleep make, either.

Other random goings-on and thoughts...we're on the last episode of season two of Six Feet Under...new neighbors across the street, including two high-school daughters eager to babysit...trying to re-frame Grandpa's arrowhead collection myself after balking at the $953 cost of a real pro job....Morgan and I celebrate four years of wedded bliss this week...maybe
our desktop PC will run faster with an extra GB of RAM I ordered this week...new tattoo in honor of Sid coming next weekend...Grandpa Dave coming to visit this week....out of thoughts for now; until next time, this is Dada, signing off.

Finally, an update

Yes, it's time again for Marc to take to the keyboard, whine about how busy he is and never gets around to updating this site, and tosses up a handful of new pictures for your viewing pleasure.  First, a fun little photo from recent weeks, we've been trying to keep the bird feeder out in the front yard filled, then enjoying as various little birds, mourning doves, and sometimes blue birds and quail.  This particular morning, the quail were THICK at the base of the tree picking up remnants...



Since I last wrote here, we: had a nice visit from Nana, had (sorta) two visits from Maggie, celebrated both my birthday (sushi dinner one night, brewed beer, dinner at Silver Peak the actual night) and Lola's (big party in which the birthday -brewed beer was consumed, Morgan already wrote about it), went in for the big V, trick-or-treated several times (Raley's, our neighborhood, Riverwalk District), got a new windshield for the van, had the kids' pictures taken, flew to California and back in a day for work and visited Ray at the same time, and visited an aunt in Vacaville and a friend in Fernley.  Whew.  And I wonder why I never have time to write.  Of course, now that the holidays are virtually upon us, it may be a while again.

Speaking of beer, I had a great shopping trip to BevMo while in Vacaville, picked up a bunch of micros and imports that I can't get around here.   Also on the horizon, a bottle of Utopias with my name on it, probably this week.

Now, about those pictures...you'll find new Lola pics in her album, including a couple from when we met up with visiting friends of the family from France in SF, and a couple from her birthday party.  Also a number of new Sidney pictures in his album.  And finally, amazingly, a couple Sidney videos so his page actually has some content.

Until I write again, and really, I'll try to get out little posts more frequently, this is Dada, signing off.

Tummy aches

Lola has been having some tummy aches since Sid has come along. They seem to come mostly at bedtime and when she doesn't want to what she is told. Dr. Cohen gave her the all clear when she went for her check-up. That really hasn't stopped the complaint. Her is a picture of Lola with her tea to help with her tummy ache.



This does not look like someone with a tummy ache!

Just had to share

Here are some pictures of Lola with her new pajamas on. She's a big girl now, as I was reminded during dinner when I tried to feed her a bite.

Happy Birthday to me, Lola

Lola has been so excited that it was going to be her birthday next. She turned 3 today. We had a big party yesterday and she was so anxious. She kept saying that we were going to sing, "'Happy Birthday' to me, Lola." When the time came, she had a very reasonable conversation with Andrew of why she didn't want to sing. She nestled up to Paige and we all sang. I think it is one of the biggest groups I have heard sing. It was a great party and Lola had a great time. We all did. Thanks to all of you that came to help us celebrate.

I am curious to see what 3 brings us. Lola is such a great girl. I never imagined that this is what she was going to turn out to be like. She is funny, beautiful, and so intelligent.

Happy Birthday, Lola. I love you!