Happy Halloween

October 31, 2008

Bat (not Batman) and Ballerina

Walnuts!

Our Sonoma family came over this weekend with a huge bag of walnuts from their friends. Our kids got a big kick out of breaking them open with a rock, and discovering the nutty pieces inside (hours of entertainment!). I think we will make a big batch of pesto with them tonight after a trip to the farmers' market... Pesto for winter!

Busy

Fall, 2007 in Cambridge, MA

We have been busy, that is why I have not posted as frequently as I would like. I don't even take as many photos as I would like! Where has time gone?

Kindergarten has been a wonderful shift for these kids. They are learning fast, and are excited about it.

I will try to snap a photo of them on Halloween this year. They finally want to dress up as someone else - imagine that!

Last Year

when autumn meant the end of warm weather...

Carmel by the Sea

What a difference Carmel is from Santa Cruz! Sure it has a nice white sandy beach, with views of the infamous Pebble Beach golf course. But there were way too many McCain/Palin signs peppering about the town; too many well-to-do yuppies (with their bichon frise) on the streets; too many tourists shopping the too-expensive stores.

I always forget about all of this, which is why we only visit this place once a year (always leaving wondering why we came), at the most! Regardless, it is nice to go away sometimes, only to come back home feeling grateful that most of the people here are at least voting for the right man for the office! (It makes the air a little easier to breathe somehow).

Fall photos

from our afternoon at the farm yesterday...

Pumpkin Field Trip

The kids' kindergarten class went to Johnson's Farm in Boulder Creek yesterday to pick pumpkins. The air was chilly, but the sky was crystal clear. A true sign that harvest season is upon us.

There will be many more pumpkins around here before the other next festive things take over... Christmas trees? Cookies? Snow? Nope... none of that this year!

Two wheels!

We took his training wheels off yesterday. It took 10 minutes max for him to get comfortable, and now, he is a pro! Just like that!

Warning: watching this video may make you dizzy!

Snoopy

Snoopy is the official friend in the kids' kindergarten class at Westlake Elementary. Each day, one kid gets to take Snoopy home with him/her, along with a journal where Snoopy (a parent) records what happened to him during his day with each child.

Our kids have both brought him home separately. I am not sure who is more excited about it, me or them. But it is a special day when we get to have Snoop here, and out and about with us! Maybe I am trying to relive my own Kindergarten (did I go to kindergarten?) with them.

Harvest Festival

The annual UCSC harvest festival was held today, amidst the first rainfall of the season (!). We had not felt a drop of rain since we got back here at the end of July... Strange, but true.

Practically every children we know in town were there, some had grown so much in the year we were gone that I did not recognize them at first. Good thing most of the parents still look the same!

Our beloved farm was not quite the same with hundreds of people, a band, food stalls, and everything else. We like it better when it is calm and quiet. Regardless, the kids had fun painting, and harvesting sunflowers and tasting apples. Our good friend, Sophia (in last picture), has been going to the event with us since the kids could walk. It was fun to have her there again today!