New Mattress

We finally got a new mattress after years of shopping and indecision. Josie loved climbing on the old one as we made the transition.

Josie Drawing

Josie likes to draw and has a lot of control holding a marker, chalk, or pen. Here she is tracing her fingers and making lines with a marker.

And this picture shows her outlining the pavers with lines of chalk.

Babies at the doctor

Josie is making good use of the doctor kit that Grandma gave her.  Her interest in doctors was stimulated reading Madeline and Curious George Goes to the Doctor.

Brushing Teeth

We're constantly looking for new ways to get Josie to brush her teeth. She often won't complete the job herself, and says "no no no!" when we try to help her.  Lisa had the brilliant idea of having Josie's dinosaur bath toy help with toothbrushing. (The toy's name is "Carousel Dinosaur.")  Josie was happy to let the dinosaur help her.  This strategy lasted a few days.

Walking in Flip-flops

We had warm weather back on March 4 and spent a lot of time outside.  A lot of it with no pants and the kids' pottie nearby.  This photo shows Josie wearing Daddy's flip-flops.

Taking Good Care of Babies

In these photos, Josie is showing off each of her babies with sunblock on its face. Josie put the sunblock on their faces so they wouldn't get sunburned when they go outside. 

In this photo, Josie is showing her baby the moon in the sky. "Look, baby! Moon."

Boppa reading to the Kids

Howard ("Boppa") reading to Josie and Colin on the sofa at Art and Osame's house in Sacramento. Art and Osame are "Papa and G-ma".  Josie and Colin are captivated by Curious George, but Josie sees the camera and starts hamming it up.

Sacramento Garden - update

The garden is coming along nicely in Sacramento. The fava beans are about 6 inches tall. The garlic look happy as could be. The peas are a little slower, but hopefully they'll reach the trellis eventually. There is more kale and chard in the ground, too.

The neighbor's leaf pile made a convenient mulch source, and so we mulched all the beds with dried leaves. This should help retain moisture and keep the ground a little bit warmer. Eventually, when the leaves decompose, they will add nutrients and improve the soil texture.

Josie helped a little bit, but was mostly interested in dumping out the container of fava beans. She'll be more excited when there is something to harvest.

Not much to do now until after the new year when we prepare for spring plantings. That will be the busy time! With so few hours of sun, the winter crops will be going at a much slower pace. Really makes you appreciate the seasons.

Patio bed, post-mulch.

Fava beans poking throug. The edges now have chard, kale & beets.

The other fenced area has garlic and now more fava beans.

Garlic peeking through the mulch.

Josie has a soft spot for Papa. She climbed into his lap after lunch.

Halloween 2011

Daddy made Josie a great kitty costume!

Posing with the pumpkins on the porch

Joining the festivities on Solano Ave (holding a ball of yarn) 

Dancing to the music

Some of the great costumes at the costume contest:

Back at the house, practicing handing out candy

"Candy... put in the bag... more kids..." She got the hang of it in no time.

Waiting for more kids to come at the window...

Yea- more kids are coming!

Wahoo! 1st Bike Ride

It was hard to find a helmet small enough to fit Josie's head. We ended up buying a front mounted bike seat that allows her to see the road ahead, rather than staring at her Dad's back, and Dad can keep an eye on her, too. She was very focused and serious about the whole thing, and when the ride was over she said, "again."