California...knows how to party....

Becky took a few days to trot around Silicon valley with her little sister Chrissy. Chrissy and her beefy, accoustically talented husband needed help looking at residences, but really they just slummed around the town and made gang signs at the chulos. Becky took Nora with her to give Chrissy's beefy, accoustically talented son something to beat up. Plus, Nora turns 2 today, so it was her last chance to fly for free.


Spencer is the male toddler...the one on the RIGHT.




Nora enjoyed the 60-degree air whistling through the gap in her teeth.



And then picked fresh citrus fruits off the neighborhood shrubs.




Meanwhile, Sam created evil little snowmen with her cousin, Ella...




Lucy revelled in the enormity of her father's chin,




and dad cooked himself some shrimp, which is normally an unacceptable form of nourishment in the house.


Then everyone was reunited and celebrated Nora's 2nd birthday with a beautiful cake that Dad and the two older sisters created.

Seriously. This is what the final, unblemished product looked like.

Doombidoom

We had a few photos left over from the holidays. Rather than explain each in a boring manner, I will narrate the conversation and/or thoughts of the individual in frame.

"That's it. That's the answer I've been searching for! It was so simple. You SMOKE it!"


"Durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

"Well, I decleah. I do beleeve I'm a-gettin' a case of the vaypahs."


"Durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

"Durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

"Durrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr."

Tomowwow

We've had our first real snow of the season, as well as our first pork chops. Dad wasn't working Tuesday, so we trekked our way up to Liberty to slide down Thorne Hill.

Samantha lasted quite a bit longer than expected. Dad would have quit the 10-degree environment fairly immediately. She'll be getting a third day in a row home from school thanks to this weather so that's...just great.

Lucy, who has asthma now, went down a few times as well.

Our last couple of posts showcased the musical talents of the oldest two females in our family, so I thought I would put up a couple videos to show how evenly distributed are the golden Tolman pipes.

Water Mains and Sweet Refrains

We started out the new year with a bubbly surprise. A water main broke at the front of our yard, releasing a river down the hill and impeding any serious hygiene or food production from taking place in our home. The picture below was taken after the water dude turned the valve at the top of the street to stem the tide.

And this is what the front of our yard looks like after the city "fixed" it. We're grateful to have water, but seriously guys?

And this is beauty incarnate. My wife does not drink alcohol.

The many moods of Lucy Laree.