New Haircut

Toby has a new haircut. There are lots of spots that I missed - and it's not exactly strait, in the front, on the sides, or in the back - but I did it, and I did the best that I could. I've climbed a mountain, completed a marathon, and graduated from law school - but cutting a squirming two year old's hair - now that is hard!

One Track Mind

Toby's New Spaceship

I made a little bin for Toby's library books.

I thought a separate container could help us keep track of them better - so they wouldn't get mixed up with the other books, and get left behind, causing late fees.

I thought, "library book bin," but Toby had another creative vision in mind when he saw the bin. "Spaceship!" he said, as he dumped out the books and crawled inside.

Toby's new spaceship, the "USS Library Books."

Seasons!

There's a weather advisory for Fresno today. Usually it's a heat advisory - but today it's a "significantly cooler temperatures" advisory.

It's supposed to be up to 30 degrees cooler today.

Santa Barbara's whole range of temperatures doesn't fluctuate more than 30 degrees. It gets to be as low as 60, and everyone complains about being cold, or as high as 80 and everyone complains about the heat. When I lived in Santa Cruz it was the same. There's an expectation that you should be comfortable outside in jeans and a t-shirt, year round - and usually that is true. Sometimes it's foggy, and sometimes it rains, it gets cooler at night, so a sweatshirt or sweater is a nice item to have then, but for the most part, t-shirt and jeans are a year round wardrobe staple.

The last four months of our first summer in Fresno have been in the high 90's and low 100's. Four months of triple digit and near-triple digit heat - but from what I've been hearing, it gets cold here in the winter. Not cold enough to snow, but significantly cooler - and significantly cooler than we are used to in Santa Barbara.

50 degrees is the average high for December. A hot winter for Canada or Minnesota, but, when you've gotten used to 100 degrees, a high of 50 degrees is going to be a noticeable change.

Seasons.

I live somewhere now where there are seasons! There are places in California that experience seasonal changes! I'm sure you all are rolling your eyes right now, thinking this is all very mundane - but I grew up in Santa Barbara, went to college in Santa Cruz, which is not all that different, and I've lived in Santa Barbara for 9 years now --- so this whole seasonal-changes-in-California thing is tripping me out right now.

It snows in Yosemite, an hour away - enough to require snow chains. I want to see the snow, but snow chains are a little intimidating. I've never bought or used them before.

It was 97 degrees yesterday, and today I'm thinking about snow chains!

Seasons!

Crazy.

James & Laurie's Baby Shower in Montecito. The Welcoming of Penelope Pearl.

I went to my brother James, and Sister-in-law Laurie's baby shower at my dad's house yesterday. I drove 5 hours to get there, and five hours to get back to Fresno - all in one day! It was a lot of driving - but a special occasion - the welcoming of baby Penelope Pearl.

The famous cupcakes - to be featured on "The Cupcake Wars" Better Homes and Gardens, or some TV show, or something... I forget. I wasn't really listening to that part - the only part I really listened to was the, "okay we can eat them now," part.

Laurie with the sweater I knit for PP. My brother on the left, lookin' cool in his shades.

Making quilt squares for the quilt my mom will make. The blondie drawing on the right is my little sister, Isabella.

My Dad's dog Latte, who I love "a lot-tay" - she's a really great dog.

Me and my dad

My Mama

My day in Santa Barbara ended the way I think all days should, with a Starbucks' coffee date with good friends; Rowan, Justina, and Tracy. I miss you guys!

I got in late last night - around 1 am. My guys were both sleeping. I woke up Oliver to let him know I was home, but let Toby sleep until he woke us up this morning at 7. I was only gone one day - but I really missed my sweeties. It's good to be home.

Colorful cotton dishcloths, and more

I've been taking a break from knitting Christmas presents and charity shawls. I've been obsessively knitting washcloths instead.

I can't stop making them. Toby can not resist them either.

And I couldn't resist planting a lipstick kiss on his cheek when he took the initiative and decided to use one of them to clean the mirror.

That's my boy!

I also knit another kerchief for myself in blue.

*Spoiler Alert*

I also made some pink washcloths for my soon-to-be-niece.

And some booties to go with the sweater.

Happy Birthday Louise!

We went to Exeter for my Mother-in-Law's birthday yesterday.

Toby's "Uncle Al," Alastair Greene, came up from Oxnard for the occasion.

Alistair says I'm only allowed to post pictures of him on Facebook if he has his hair down. He had his hair up most of the time, of course, because it's a few degrees shy of 100 here in Fresno and Exeter. So this is a Truck, Truck, Juice exclusive, everyone. I bring you, Alastair Greene with his hair up:

Alastair is not used to this heat. Not that anyone really gets used to it - but for him, coming up from Oxnard, I think the change in temperatures came as a bit of a shock. I still complain about it sometimes, of course - okay, all the time, but the novelty has worn off for me. (And check out my hard-core husband wearing socks!)

The heat still didn't stop these guys from playing fetch outside with the dogs though.

The heat didn't stop me from taking pictures of them outside, but I wasn't too keen on the idea of touching that muddy drool coated ball. I tried to play a game of soccer with the dogs, but they both, clearly preferred playing fetch with Oliver and Alastair.

Alastair and Toby had a great time together too.

His hair is down in this one - so that means I can post it on Facebook right?

Louise trying to escape from the frame, but I got her.

Looks like I didn't get any pictures of Oliver's sister Alexandra this trip, which is really a shame, because she is really cool and very, very beautiful - and also a fantastic cook. She made us all hor d'oeuvres of veggies and dip, awesome bruchetta, and a lunch of chicken and rice followed by lemon cake and ice cream. Yum. Did I tell you how awesome Alexandra is?

Happy Birthday Louise!

Thanks for sharing your birthday with us.

You Missed a Spot Mom. Here let me help you.

Relaxing at Home

Guitar Lullaby

Yesterday we met Toby's Great Aunt Peggy

We went to Exeter again last weekend for a visit with the in-laws. This time Toby's Great-aunt Peggy was there. Toby and I had not met her before so it was a real treat. We all met up at my Mother-in-law's and then, Peggy, Oliver, Toby, and I, took a walk to Exeter High School's Agriculture campus a few blocks away. Peggy also treated us to lunch at the local A&W which was really nice. I had their Strawberry Limeade for the first time and I totally recommend it. It is sooo good. Especially on a hot, dusty day in Exeter.

Toby has two great-aunt Peggys. I have an aunt named Peggy and Oliver has an aunt named Peggy. Oliver's younger brother and my younger brother have the same birthday. My parents divorced when I was in junior high school and Oliver's parents divorced around the same time. My dad re-married a woman named Lori. My brother married a woman named Laurie. Oliver's dad re-married a woman named Suzanne, and Oliver married me; also a Suzanne. Oliver and I went to Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High School together, but we re-met and started dating when we were in law school. We went to the same incredibly small law school and both had accounting jobs at UCSB - but didn't realize it until we ran into each other, off campus, during one of the coffee breaks at law school. Oliver and Toby were born at the same hospital. Before we moved to Fresno, Toby had the same pediatrician I had when I was a kid. There's more, I know there is - but this is all I can remember right now.

Toby also had a blast playing with his Aunt Alexandra and the kitty cats at Grandma Louise's house.