Princess Fanny Surprise:

A Birthday for TWO

2011-11-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

Puh Puh Puh June is ONE! I love her!

2011-09-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe a year has come and gone since June entered this world. There is real time, dream time, animal time, football time...and then there is child time. The days are slow but the weeks and months FLY by. I can barely remember life before two children. They have both filled me with so much love and joy and they just keep on giving.
The first half of June's year was filled with trips to the ER which was no fun; although we did have some bonding time at Kaiser Pediatric Hospital! The experience quickly taught me a few things about my second daughter June -- who I was and am still getting to know -- it taught me that she is a super strong person and that she is filled with this pure light that is contagious. After those trips i was a little on edge thinking we were going to end up in the ER every time she became sick, but I always knew that no matter what she was strong and would be just fine. The second half of this year was watching June grow stronger and stronger, first crawling, and now walking! Everyday she can go faster and further. I love watching babies learning how to walk because they are SO proud of themselves. It's cute. She is a big part of our family and she makes her presence known; she is SO loud. I don't know if her loudness is why but she has always had a raspy voice.

A little more about
June Miel
is
very lovable, funny,
curious, driven, and
STRONG.

Her middle name means Honey
after the hawaian term"honeygirl"
(a term of endearment for young girls)

She loves:
eating chicken and blueberries
watching birds, signing birds, reading about birds...
headbanging
being chased
hugging
holding her baby doll "Penny Lala"
taking rides in her red car
wrestling with Frances

She dislikes:
sleeping
diaper changes
when her sister grabs a toy from her

watching dad skate

2011-08-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

hop scotch

2011-08-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Frances has been practicing her letters for a while now, but today she attempted her numbers for the first time at the park. I was so impressed with this!

Fun Video

2011-08-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

popcorn with pada

2011-08-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Got to start them young with popcorn and watching the Giants. Thanks Pada!

Who's Having More Fun?

2011-07-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Oh Plums!

2011-07-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

There is something about these pictures of Frances and Alma, maybe it is the closeness it shows. Whatever it is, I adore it and them and plums.

This is how we roll at the Farmer's Market these days: Joovy style....all are happy.

A Sample of Laloos Ice Cream

2011-07-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

2011-07-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

gymnastics fever

2011-07-17T14:24:00.000-07:00

Frances has been taking gymnastics for about 5 months and loves it. It is our one time a week that we get special time just her and I...it is even more special because Hannah and Alma are having special time with right along side of us. Frances is going to move up to the three year old class next week and is super stoked.

bear wrestling

2011-05-25T11:19:00.001-07:00

June does her circuit around the house...

2011-05-22T17:34:00.001-07:00

Fairy Garden Part II

2011-05-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Spring Festival

2011-05-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Spring at Slide's Ranch festival. It was a perfect coast day with the family: milking goats, flower crowns, bubbles, yummy food, sheep shearing and music!

Constant clothes chaos

2011-04-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here is the new dresser system for Frances. She knows where to find things and where to put things away. It is working out great...but it turns out I am a horrible speller in Spanish too. I wouldn't be surprised if Frances ends up correcting me.

Fairy Garden Part I

2011-04-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

Frances and I started the first phase of our Fairy garden. We have been planning and collecting materials all winter long and now it is finally becoming what we imagined. So fun. We are building the house and other pieces now...

Kissing Cousins

2011-04-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

We had lots of fun at the Discovery Museum with Annie!

{this moment}

2011-04-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

*inspired from Soulemama

Fun During Naptime

2011-04-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days we have been blessed with June taking long naps in the morning. This leaves Franny and Mama with lots of fun time!

Return to Farmer's Market

2011-03-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

A new Spring season at the Farmer's Market, families and kids growing!

Da Park

2011-03-31T17:17:00.000-07:00

what a crew

siblings

River was so funny this day.

Isaiah! You are with the big kids!!!??!?

Frances and Alma, a good match.

sweet

weeeee

Missing Grandma Bev

2011-03-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

Lee's Grandma Beverlee past away this winter suddenly. Beverlee had so much love for her family and we miss her so much. The pictures above are from a past trip when Frances was only one; Grandma Bev gave her a beautiful rocking chair that she loves.

Smile maker

2011-03-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

mmmm pizza

2011-03-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

Soooo good!

Frances making pizza with Soleil and Grandma.

winter beach days

2011-03-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

we love the beach in winter. we love it period!

last trip to the hospital

2011-03-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

june was back at the hospital in January. hopefully it is the last time for a very very long time. if you ever have had a child in the hospital, you know how stressful and tiring it is. i am still recovering from the whole thing. Even sick at the hospital, June was a bright light full of smiles and joy. Nurses fought over her. One nurse in paticular (the picture above) had a special bond with June and spent time with her even when her shift was over. We are thankful that it wasn't anything too serious and that both our girls are healthy and at home.

cuddling

2011-03-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

How do I summerize the last month...or two

2011-03-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

with pictures i guess. too hard to write about it all.
here they come.

tea for two

2011-01-19T14:02:00.000-08:00

Return to Pats

2011-01-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

Many Christmas'

2010-12-30T20:13:00.000-08:00

We have been celebrating Christmas since Thanksgiving ended. Frances' favorite toys, the pumpkins went outside and in came a big bertha of a Christmas tree. I've always preferred short fatty trees, so it was perfect when Frances picked out this one. She named it immediately, but it is in her language that sounds like Mandarin, so I'm not sure how to spell that sound. We decorated and Fran found her new favorite toy, the ornaments! She could decorate or un-decorate the tree for hours.
We celebrated Christmas eve with both my parents, sister and friends the Burketts; started a new tradition of checking Xmas lights out with friends; had a quiet Christmas with just us four (that was nice), had a twist-off Christmas party the next day and wrapped it up on Monday, celebrating with more family, the Merri-batians. The joy and enthusiasm that Frances feels for holidays (and most things) makes me want to find small things to celebrate from now on. She cried tonight as we started dismantling the tree and so i will rack my brain tonight to figure out what celebrations are on the horizon.

We were blessed with the queens presence

yay for Sohrob for always feeding us

sweet Soleil on xmas eve

in her new "soccer gear"

sticker gang

T.T. is cute

group 1 dance off :)

Gma Yvonnie broke her ankle

decorating

four of us

"Sha sha" being silly with one of her babies

mahalo

Frances' favorite present: a hand-made beautiful balance beam by Uncle Peaches/Patrick.

Hibernating with bear cubs

2010-12-19T14:34:00.000-08:00

I forgot how the winter season with kids causes a hibernation effect. Current forecast: 10 days of rain!
We try to make the best of it but you can only be inside so much till it turns into cranky town. Plus, Frances needs to run! Not to talk about her like an animal, but she really needs to run to be a healthy body and spirit. Often times (after being inside for three days) we will finally get a break in the clouds (YES!) and like any toddler, she doesn't want to do what you want when you want, so we often miss the clearing. It is a time to get creative, artistically, and with ideas on how to make the house new and exciting. Skyping is a blessing, so skype us please.

Poipu Love

2010-12-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

A year ago today, a few things happened: the stars aligned themselves just so, our good friends decided to go out on a date while we were all in kauai, and Lee and Katie took advantage of the moment. And that is the beautiful, simple story of how June Miel came to be. The sweetest hibiscus flower you'll ever meet.
One year later...she is 3 months old, coming out of the "fourth trimester," blooming into herself, a part of our family as if she has always been here.

Gracias dios y los amigos.

moments of frances for grandparents

2010-12-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

Giggle Forest

2010-11-28T14:20:00.001-08:00

Pat, Pat, Where you at?

2010-11-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

Frances has been loving the changing seasons and holidays, especially all the decorations. The Halloween decorations started as a huge fear, but by the time that holiday came to an end, she was photographing all the ghosts and goblins, saying she "loved loved loved them!"
She was a little disappointed when she realized these new found friends would be taken down. We had a long, drawn out ceremony where she kissed every single decoration on Forbes Street goodbye. Lee explained that a new holiday was coming, Thanksgiving! He also explained that people don't decorate for Thanksgiving but Christmas was around the corner and there would be a lot of lights to look at.
A few weeks before Thanksgiving, we were walking in our neighborhood when we came upon a giant blown up turkey and a scarecrow filled window. Frances was so ecstatic that she went right up to the front door and knocked on it. She wanted to meet the person responsible for this fantastic display. The door opened and out came Pat, an elderly lady with a love for holidays. (she told us so) Frances said right away, "I like your decorations!" They pretty much hit it off discussing their common love for decorations. Pat also did a little window show with the scarecrows. As we said our goodbyes and thanked her for decorating, Pat told Fran she could come and kiss her turkey every day if she wanted. Frances loved that and we have been back almost every day since; Unfortunately, we haven't seen Pat since! Where you at Pat? We can't wait for her giant snowman....

All things orange

2010-11-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

Two things I love: the Halloween season and baseball. On Halloween this year we went back to one of our favorite patches in Nicasio with Grandma Yvonne. It was a beautiful day and definitely needed after the previous rainy day which kept us cooped up. We weren't really there to buy pumpkins, we were there to play. If I could only bottle Frances energy I could solve the world's energy crisis. The girl can run. There was a maze, a pretty good one, and she would run through it and hide from me. Even in the daylight, and even though it takes place in a cornfield, not a hay maze, I can't help but think of the movie "Children in the Corn" and I get creeped out. The last time I went into a giant corn maze, I stopped to tie my shoe and my friends ran away from me. Thanks Pam! Jerks. Anyhow, we had a wonderful day, ending it at a parade in Fairfax with friends. Frances was overwhelmed and scared but now swears she "loves loves loves parades."
In other orange news, our beloved Giants won the world series and although we don't have cable and were unable to watch a game, we listened to it on the radio every night. Frances got into it and would call "Pada" (my dad) to say "go giants go!" Below are some picture of the last Giants game we got to go to...sniff sniff. Frances was about 8 months old and she got the full experience: nabbed a foul ball, and hassled a Braves fan. Can't wait to go back.

time is flying by!

2010-10-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

love love love her.

el alfabeto

2010-10-30T07:55:00.001-07:00

fairy float

2010-10-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

i have always enjoyed being apart of peoples "firsts" whether they're 100 or 1. and although watching my 100 year old grandma perform yoga moves was exciting, being a parent and seeing your child discover the world around them is indescribable. recently, frances has started floating in the bathtub with everything under water except her eyes and nose. she keeps her mouth closed, but has the proudest grin on her face. i can remember being there at around her age -- discovering that you can go to a sort of underwater world where the noises and voices of those on the outside are muffled. i used to stay down there forever. when frances floats she looks up and talks about the different colored fairies she sees and what they are doing, "there is a brown fairy!!! who ever heard of a brown fairy?"
(sometimes i watch frances playing and wonder what does it look like through her eyes? I picture a crazy cartoon where the colors are flavors and rainbows beam from one room to another. and of course there is little creatures that make homes of your shoes.)
now, at the swimming pool she pushes lee's hand away to float. she is so proud, and so are we.... it is the best seeing her grow and learn.
tonight she ate mushrooms for the first time and she couldn't get enough. she kept saying she was a "mushroom monster" in the cookie monster voice. oh, funny girl.

Sister Maria Frances

2010-10-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Frances refers to herself as Maria. When I ask her what her full name is she says, "Frances Maria Dillon." We were at the container store the other day and an employee bent down and said, "you are so cute. what is your name?" Frances replied, "Um, right now? Well, its Maria most of the time."

June News

2010-10-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

June, also known as "honey bear" and "puh puh puh june" has been smiling since birth. Really. She is so smiley and happy. She laughs too. She is so incredible and sweet. She has a reassuring presence about her that makes my heart feel at peace. This is June so far.
Recently, she had an urinary tract infection which can be very serious for infants, and it landed us in the hospital for three days. Although she was obviously not feeling well and sleepier than usual, her awake periods were happy with coos and smiles. She brought smiles to all the nurse/doctor staff! We are now home and recovering - me more than June - and so thankful for our health.

tired mama brain ramble

2010-10-06T16:52:00.000-07:00

even though june is only one month old, i already have come to understand that my children will need different things from me. different parenting. there will definitely be a common thread, a foundation, and it is not that i will favor one over the other; they are just different beings and i want to acknowledge that in how i parent, play, support, cuddle....i want to know them.
during a recent conversation with my dad he told me how he loves my sister and i differently, not one more than the other (sshh i know i am his favorite - wink wink), but he loves us differently because we are different people. i get it now. i am already so proud of my children but in different ways and these differences are going to make it all that more interesting. yee haw.

trick 'r treat nature

2010-10-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

today we decided to go on a family hike up behind our house on the san rafael ridge. we took along a bucket, a darth vader bucket to be more precise to gather bits of nature. we called it "trick 'r treat nature" well, frances was afraid of darth vader (i always new she was good or it could be an infant memory of me wearing a darth vader mask saying, "frances, i am your mother..") so we used her fire man hat instead. it felt great for us all to get outside breathing the fresh air. frances literally ran all the way there and back (up hills!) i can't believe her energy! i decided maybe she thought we were going trick r treating and that is why she ran, but when i asked her she said, "nope, i just like to run!" we collected acorns, rocks, sticks, eucalyptus bark and leaves.

2010-10-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

same yet different

2010-09-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

well, i am here again. back to newborn-mommy-hood. this time around it is so different yet so incredibly the same. same yoga pants, same unbrushed yet clean/wet hair, same sticky breast milk EVERYWHERE, same big mustard poop explosions, same one hand typing, same shh stance, same hunger, same home sweet cave haven/contentment combined with isolation and loneliness, same slow-fast-blurry days, same newborn smell, same smitten mama. what is different is the eyes i am now gazing down at, the person who holds them, the ease of problem solving, knowing it all works out, the shared love of our family, letting go more, understanding that this is a short season and i must remember to enjoy it -- exactly where i'm at.

Orange Juice

2010-09-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

Fran's Commentary

2010-09-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

"I am peace like a river" (as she sits in the bath)

Lee had been asking her questions and after he stopped and there was a brief silence:
"Do you have anymore questions for me?"

"Alma says I am not silly enough so my teeth will fall out."

"I have A LOT of ideas. See, these are my idea rocks." (shows me a bowl of rocks)

"Wanna hear the song I made? -- The orange eats the mouse, the orange eats a mouse, the orange
eats a mouse...."

Self portrait

A space to play...aahhh.

2010-09-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

I am so happy that we have our backyard/patio to play in!

Watching Eyelashes Grow

2010-09-11T12:05:00.001-07:00

Things have slowed down around our house. The four of us are in our own little bubble...the kind of bubble you are in when you are on vacation and don't have the everyday worries bogging you down. It's so nice to shed all of the unnecessary, and just focus on minute to minute needs, the beauty of a shower, a conversation with Frances, or simply watching June's eyelashes grow. I am so thankful for this time and that Lee gets to take time off so we can all experience it. Without him, I'm sure it would be pure chaos. The fear of him going back to work tries to creep in about once a day, and then I shake it away and tell myself to enjoy the moment. I am feeling happy and rejuvenated!

Lovin' instead of sleeping

2010-09-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

June Miel arrived on Sep 5th at 10:39! She just missed Frances' birthday...so for now on labor day weekend will be a big party weekend in our household of girls! Yay! We are all getting used to this big change, and though I think it may take a while, there is one thing that is undeniable: we all love June. Today the whole family was taking a nap except for me; I couldn't help just staring at her, looking at every part of her...quickly falling in love.

A little convo

2010-09-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

Frances: So…I have to work on Sunday and Monday…

Katie: Oh yeah, where you working these days?

Frances: I work at Wildcare sometimes. I’m a animal doctor! It’s going okay, yeah, so…

Katie: What do you do there?

Frances: I take care of the Hawks…yeah…I comb them with the brush and feed them treats. Sometimes they think the pretzels are yucky, so I have to bring the whole bag. It’s hard…

Katie: How do you get there? Do you take your red car?

Frances: No, I walk all the way. I walk there after nap time. I’m gonna go now. You stay here. Daddy stays here. I am going to work.

Storyteller

2010-09-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

Summer Nights and Open Windows

2010-09-01T22:50:00.001-07:00

The last few nights I have been taking night walks up our hill. It has been refreshing and I wonder why i haven't done this sooner? The summer heat opens up our neighbors windows and I finally feel like I am starting to get to know our street. Just call me the night stalker...you can see me strolling/waddling up the hill listening to the nightly going-ons: crickets, 40's jazz, clanking of dishes being done, arguments, laughter...at one point I got scared and ran which was a bad idea -- it hurt. I heard this lady speaking from her porch and I imagined this lady from New Orleans and well I can't explain it but I got scared and ran then tried to act normal about it. Ha.

Bloom Baby Bloom

2010-08-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

The sunflowers that Frances planted during Spring are about to bloom! We are excited to see them bloom because they are the most successful plant in our garden so far. We wondered when the flowering would come; it seemed that the stalk would continue on for ever...But it finally decided to stop upward growth and start spreading outward. Having come to my due date and now being on the other side of it, I picture these sunflowers at night and say "open, open, open. bloom baby bloom."

Chopsticks

2010-08-26T18:34:00.000-07:00

Frances has some wasabi and ginger...

Frances loves sushi -- Avocado rolls to be more exact. Tonight at sushi she attempted eating with chopsticks and she almost had it...then the waitress gave her the kid version of chopsticks and she loved it. She ate her entire meal with chopsticks and was so proud of herself as were we. This fulfilled a long time dream of eating delicious sushi with my kids.

Waiting for June

2010-08-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

the four girls: lucy, katie, frances and june

Pool time...

Frances makes sure Lucy is properly hydrated.

When the 100+ degree heat came this week, I was sure that the baby would be coming soon...but alas, she has not, and we are sitting in that sweet balance of trying to enjoy each moment before she does arrive and waiting to meet our new family member!

Franny D's Short Music Video

2010-06-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

This is a very short video clip of the "music video" Frances wanted to record. She dressed herself up, asked me to record it (we did about 8 takes of the same thing), and then we would review them together.

2010-06-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day Weekend

I have been slacking on updating our blog. Sorry. It has been almost three months since the last entry. Since last time we have moved to a new home in San Rafael, took a trip to San Diego and have finally settled in with the idea that there will be a new addition to our family come August. We are still trying to unpack our stuff, but we have been spending a lot of our spare time having SUPER FUN FAMILY DAYS! The warm weather has finally arrived and this lets us do all our favorite water activities. As for Frances, she is amazing. Her communication skills are so impressive, we have full on conversations now! She can speak in complete sentences up to 8 words long. Frances also seems to understand sarcasm, wit, negotiating, and humor very well. She is super silly all the time and likes to call me "silly goose." I know when her sister arrives she will be entertaining her a lot and making her laugh. I can't wait to see that.

Encinitas Beach - San Diego

Fran would run for an hour straight!

After running she would tell me she was tired. Something that is VERY RARE!

18 Months Old

2010-03-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

Lately, Frances says the funniest phrases: "Oh, goodness!"," Ohhhhhh NO!","Oh boy Travis", "Oh my gosh", "ahhchew (sneezing) bless you", "Awesome", and so many more but I had to share a few while they were on my mind.

On another note, Frances went to the bathroom in her potty for the first time today. The house was filled with celebration!!!

The Bugs Come Out After the Rain

2010-03-04T07:51:00.000-08:00

Frances really loves anything BUGS! After every rain we've been going out and searching for bugs. On this occasion we only found one bug, a ladybug, and it was on Frances' booty!

Markers make great "poo poo" pictures

2010-03-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

Frances loves to talk about poo poo. She telephones poo poo almost every day and when you ask her what she is drawing, 9 times out of 10 she replies, "poo poo." Not just poo poo, but very specific poo poo. She is drawing all of your poops people. My personal favorite is when she draws chamomile poo. It's a very relaxing sort.
In other departments, Frances is doing great. I can't seem to keep up with this blog, although I will keep trying. Her development is always one step ahead of me. Maybe 20 steps. Ever since we got back from Hawaii she is talking so much more, putting words together like "Oh Goodness!"

YES! We went to Kauai!

2010-01-30T08:19:00.000-08:00

thanksgiving with friends

2010-01-30T08:16:00.000-08:00

2010-01-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

2009-11-20T19:10:00.000-08:00

Dressing up is a daily activity in our household. In fact, it happens multiple times a day. Frances prefers the zebra costume over the tiger, but the poodle is a close second. It is amazing to watch her world expand -- every day she learns new things or words or makes the craziest connections. I am so thankful that I get the privilege to be with her every day. We laugh a lot during the day...she is so funny and goofy. Her smiling eyes and belly laugh could convert a devil. New words: treasure, pretty, boo, poo poo, menu, Annie (her cousin), knee, eat...i don't know...she mimics anything we say. She loves running, dancing and playing hide n' go seek. Also, she recently started singing this high pitched sound ("aah aah") that is so sweet. Most importantly, she loves people and spending time with her family and friends. That is when she is the happiest. We will be posting a bunch of photos soon from the past month....stay tuned.

Great-Gma and Aunt Pam Visit!

2009-10-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

beach days...

2009-10-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

Introducing Annie Chauvet

2009-10-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

Frances' cousin, Annie Chauvet was born on 9-9-9. She is adorable and we are so happy she is here! Frances likes to give her kisses.

Beach Party

2009-09-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Frances and all her friends met at the beach to celebrate her first year on earth! It was a lovely day filled with love and cupcakes. Thanks everyone!

We love you Frances Dillon xo

First Steps

2009-09-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since the last blog. Too fast.......this baby time goes....

Frances took her first steps one week before her first birthday and has been try ing to master it ever since. She is so proud of herself and so are we! We are excited to celebrate Frances' first year on earth this weekend: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2009-08-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

Please let me remember

2009-08-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight, while putting Frances to bed we had the sweetest connection. It seems lately, bedtime can feel like such a battle, usually it ending with me feeling exhausted and as if i've "lost." But tonight was different, and I hope that I can remember it down the road. As I sat in the dark listening to the normal lullaby, her laying across my lap nursing I felt myself really holding her. I don't know if this makes sense but you can hold someone without REALLY holding them. And I was holding her so deeply when she looked up at me and smiled and did this laugh that I've never heard before. She sat up and sort of gazed at me, and then did the laugh again, smiling. She looked down at my breast and singed the sign for milk and I said, "yes, its milk time and then night night time." She then signed, "food" and "milk" and then pointed to my breast. She giggled again so calmly and replied something that sounded like "Night" and went back to nursing. She sat up a few more times staring at me so lovingly, putting her head on me and giving me kisses. I cannot express with words the moment we had tonight. We weren't battling it out for middle earth or wresting wild monkeys. We were just two people sitting in the dark, mama and daughter winding down with one another, completely present. God, I love her.

Frances News

2009-07-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Family and Friends...I want to update you on my beautiful, funny daughter. Frances is amazing, determined and VERY expressive. I am blown away every single day as she learns and figures things out. I am so grateful that I am able to stay home with her and witness all her "firsts." It is such a blessing! Lately, she is into pushing things around on the floor. She wants to be mobile and anything that helps her in this process she becomes obsessed with. She can stand up on her own, play hide and seek, and crawl like a wild child...She is FAST! It reminds me of Scooby Doo when he runs in place for a second and then takes off so speedy. All of a sudden she is signing and saying words. I feel like she did this overnight. She signs for: milk, food, water, more, doggie, all done, change diaper, and I want. She has said: mama, dada, ball, all done, Star, Alma (her neighbor), yeah and the most popular, NO! I really can't believe how fast she has grown. My little Scooby is so happy and likes to act silly and giggle....Especially with her Auntie! They are in a secret club or something. I think its called the mischievous club!

She met her match

2009-07-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Frances' friend Maggie is her match and out "squaked" her at River's birthday party. In this video, Fran is trying to kiss her.

I LOVE LUCY...

2009-07-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

2009-07-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

2009-06-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

2009-06-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

Garage Sale With Babies

2009-06-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Craig comes to Visit

2009-06-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

Grandpa visited and he took me to my first Giants game!! I also got my first foul ball at that game (too bad it was the Braves)

Farmer's Market Fun

2009-06-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

My Cousin is a belly?

2009-06-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

Every time Frances sees her Auntie's pregnant belly she touches it and then lays her head against it.

It was a good weekend

2009-05-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful (hot!!!98 degrees!!) weekend. We celebrated Soleil's 1st birthday and we got to go to the beach. Well, we fled to the beach to try to cool down. It was my kind of perfection. Notice Frances "monster outfit" ~ we have been calling her the "friendly monster."

On the move

2009-05-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

Smile Lines

2009-05-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling Frances is going to give us lots of lines around the eyes from smiling so much. Turns out Fran and her Daddy like each other...A LOT!!

water baby

2009-05-03T08:35:00.000-07:00

Frances has been taking swimming lessons on and off for the last 6 weeks. She loves the water, but loves the babies even more! After six weeks, she can hold her breath under water, kick her legs, open her eyes under water, and fall into the water from the ledge of the pool. We are having so much fun.

Long Overdue: Meeting the Waves

2009-04-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

Horse Hill Adventure

2009-04-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

We live in a wonderful place; Where you can experience hiking with horses while checking out the beautiful view of San Francisco.

Riding with multiple babies is FUN!

Sippy cup comparison?

Swingin with my Alma (da bees)

2009-03-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

I love Alma. She shows me how to do cool stuff like swinging (and becoming mobile). Life will never be the same. Thanks Alma Noor! It was all fun and games until the bees came.........

So Cute It HURTS

2009-03-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

Fairy

2009-03-09T19:41:00.000-07:00

Frances hung out with her favorite Aunt on the morning of her wedding day, talking and giving some infant advice.

Fairy Flower Baby flew down the aisle preparing the way for the bride!!

BEAUTIFUL bride!

Mirror Mirror

2009-03-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

A Day with Auntie and Gus

2009-03-03T21:12:00.000-08:00

'C' Street Stoop Life

2009-02-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

"Mom, I'm Drumming!"

2009-02-23T19:23:00.000-08:00

Scooby was having a sesh until her momma walked in....

She's An Animal

2009-02-18T08:54:00.000-08:00

Ready To Eat

2009-02-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

And now we know why: Frances has the beginning of her first tooth!

...And Everyday

2009-02-15T15:50:00.001-08:00

Frances received her first valentine from the neighbor boys across the street. Here is a picture of it minus the chocolate that was attached. The chocolate is in my belly!