BOO-ed!

When we opened our front door this morning we saw this awesome surprise waiting on our porch!

A surprise to start the day

A fun little poem informed us that we have been "boo-ed" - how cute is that? I have always wanted to live in a neighborhood where people are as into the holidays as much as I am, and I think my wish came true. Our street has several houses all done up in Halloween decorations but I'm told that Christmas is a sight to see - I CANNOT WAIT!

Excited

Cruz dying to eat the candy corn

Our loot

In order to pass on the Halloween spirit you must boo two other homes. Cruz decided which neighbors he wanted to boo and we put together our version of the goodie basket. The first is for our next door neighbor who has a 12-year-old daughter, so we chose fun socks, Halloween sticky notes, Halloween Oreos, funky glasses and of course candy.

Basket #1

The second basket is for a neighbor a couple doors down with 3 children. For them Cruz picked out slap bracelets, pencils, Halloween themed Mac and Cheese, kettle corn, candy, and a Halloween picture frame.

Basket #2

We can't wait to stealthily deliver these to our unsuspecting "victims" later tonight! Happy Haunting everyone! 

Cruz demonstrating how to "boo" someone

And just like that, Lucas is 2

I've said the words "I've been busy" so many times that even I am tired of hearing them. Between work, Cruz starting kindergarten, traveling and life in general, I am barely keeping up! And as another reminder of time flying, Lucas turned the big 2 last week...I swear I blinked and missed it all. We debated whether or not to have a party for him, and since we recently took a mini-vacation to Maine for my cousin's wedding, we decided to forgo a party. But after giving it some more thought, we agreed we wanted at least a small celebration for him - birthdays are a big deal to me and I think every person deserves to have a little extra love and attention on their one, personal holiday a year. In an effort to keep it small and low-key, we invited just our closest friends who live in Benicia or Vallejo for a casual lunch at a nearby park on a Sunday afternoon. But if you know me, you know I am obsessed with party planning and I couldn't resist having a theme. I try to choose a theme that reflects the child at that particular stage, because the phases they go through can be fleeting. For Lucas I chose to have a "Puppy Pawty" because he absolutely adores dogs. It was such a fun party to put together! Some highlights: canine-inspired kiddie snacks included Beggin' Strips (fruit roll ups), Puppy Chow (cocoa puffs), Scooby snacks (graham crackers shaped like bones) and Fetch Sticks (pretzel sticks). I also found some adorable accessories like bone-shaped sippy cups and doggie-ear headbands from Oriental Trading Company.

Treasure Island Flea

Today's Saturday adventure took us to the Treasure Island Flea market. The weather was perfect for hunting for some finds. The boys and I had a great time browsing and listening to the live music.

I was thrilled to get some great buys: 1940's maple wood side tables, a vintage metal fan, milk glass vase, reclaimed wood candle holders and an old-fashioned water pitcher and basin. They are all shabby chic and are perfect for the guest room. 

Bay Bridge

City by the Bay

Flea market finds

We also bought some yummy treats to take home - maple bacon and coconut donuts from San Francisco's Dynamo Donuts, and delicious mini sweet potato pies!

So good

Best find of the day!

All in all a fun way to spend a Saturday with my boys!

Noodle Eating 101

The boys had ramen for dinner and it was quite entertaining watching them eat. 

Cruz's technique: blow profusely to cool down, hold noodles up to examine the amount of steam coming off, then slurrrppp!

Lucas' technique: start with a fork. If that isn't fast enough, use hands and take it to the face. 

Growing boys!

Home Away From Home

Here we are again in beautiful Maui! Anyone who knows us, knows that this is our Hawaiian island of choice and we visit almost every year. This will be Cruz's 4th trip to HI and Lucas' 2nd. This time we are combining business with pleasure: Randy is attending a medical conference and the family is coming along for the ride. And while we normally stay in a condo, this time we are staying at the beautiful Grand Wailea Hotel, since thats where the conference is being held. What a deal!

Since we come here often we have reached a point where we've seen and done all the touristy things and have been all over the island now. Now when we come its just pure R&R. 

Pool, eat, sleep, beach, repeat. 

Nihonmachi Street Fair

Today's family outing was the Nihonmachi Street Fair in Japantown (SF). It was a really small affair but we haven't been to Japantown in a long time so it was another good reason to visit. It was a sunny albeit breezy day, and we enjoyed the music and yummy food. It was a pleasant way to spend our Saturday.