Happy Birthday dear Jeffrey!

This is how the day began...boys with their toys!

Then we loaded our backpacks with water and snacks and headed out for a nice family hike!


"I can't walk anymore!"

Lucky for Lizzy, Daddy's shoulders were available!

My handsome boys with a beautiful backdrop...we couldn't have asked for a better day!

The way back down...

Then back home for cake and presents.

I love having an excuse to celebrate, any excuse!

But I must say that the day this man was born was a lucky day for me!!!

Happy birthday my dear Jeffrey!

The Life and Times of Gabe Piper

written by Gabe, January 2011

There is a famous saying, "No man is an island," is made of my family, the places I've visited, my special interests and things I will never forget. All these things help show who and what I am!

My family has done many things in life. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister a Mom and a Dad. My dad has 2 websites, a Thomas train one and a cufflink one. I am related to Philo T. Farnsworth the man who created T.V. My brother Brennen builds awesome Legos sets. Our family loves the sf. Giants and 49rs.

I've visited many places in my life. I've been to Disneyland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Gilroy gardens, Portland, Chinatown, AT&T Park, Sacramento, Bear Lake, Phoenix and Santana Row. I want to go to Canada, New York and Mexico.

My special interests make life more exciting. I love "Weird al" Yankovic, the A-team, legos and football. I like video games like all boys. Traveling is fun for me.

These are several things in life I will never forget like the time my dad dropped me out of school to see a Giants game or when I had a sleepover with my best friend.

"The Life and times of Gabe" have been great so far! I know that my family will do great things to come. The special interests I have continue, to make my life awesome. Most of all, I will never forget some the thing that have made my life better. Yes, this has been "the Life and times of Gabe"

Pomagramits

Do you ever have to bribe, er... do you ever have to offer a reward to your kids to ensure good behavior in the grocery store? Well, I do. Luckily, I am getting to the point where I no longer have multiple children with me while I run my errands. (Ahhhh, the glorious benefits of preschool!) But today I thought I'd just take miss Lizzy with me for a quick trip to Trader Joe's. And hoping for a cooperative three year old, I told her she could pick some fruit to go with lunch. What was her greatest wish? Pomagramits! (aka--pomegranate seeds) I love that she loves this somewhat gourmet treat and I love even more that she mispronounces it! I am dreading the day this girl, already articulate enough, abandons her Lizzy-isms for correct English grammar. Oh, and a big thank you to Trader Joe's for making this delicious treat available without having to seed the bugger myself...totally worth the $3.49!

Timism of today...

Tim told me today, "I have an iPod, I'm not a little kid anymore!"

Gabe goes to Science Camp!

Gabe waits anxiously in the cafeteria for the buses to arrive. It's almost time to leave for SCIENCE CAMP! (I'll let Gabe tell the rest of the story...) This is my bed in my cabin.
This is my cabin, the Pelican Cabin.

What I learned in field class about the "FBI"--fungus, bacteria, invertebrates.
This is a picture of the fungus.

This is the "campfire" program on the first night, with our 6th grade teacher, Mr. Winchell, on the bass.

The beautiful, big campus of Walden West.

The Garbage Gator, trying to eat Chunky the No Waste Monkey...
he's been chewing on Funky the No Waste Monkey's tail for the past 11 years!

Chunky the No Waste Monkey teaching us not to waste food, so that he doesn't get eaten by the Garbage Gator. This was a cool program during the week in the dining hall. We were careful, and Chunky was safe!

The food I had in this dining hall was AWESOME! I even wrote home to brag that the food I was eating at camp was WAY better than Mom's cooking. I am lucky that Mom loves me, otherwise, I would be going hungry today.
My favorite dinner was tacos!!!

This is the outdoor amphitheater. We met here after every activity to see if everyone was "with the program".

This was my last day in camp. I was sad to leave camp, but I was happy to be going home. I came home very dirty, because I had become a member of the "dirty butt" club, and had also crossed a creek in knee deep water, and so I had used up all my extra pants. All I had to come home in was my pajamas.

It was a great experience!

-Gabe Piper a.k.a Viper

(all the kids chose a "nature" name and Viper was what Gabe chose. He even told all the kids that they had to say it in a cool whisper voice...what a kid!)

Lizzy and the Firestation Field Trip

Today Lizzy's preschool had a "field trip" to the local firestation. For the last week she has been learning all about fire safety and what to do in an emergency. I totally forgot the camera, so I don't have any pictures to share, but I had to write some of the funny things she said!

Fire Captain: If there is a fire, do you save yourselves, or your toys?

Lizzy: My toys!

Fire Captain: (trying not to laugh) Tell you what, you save yourself, and I'll buy you a new toy.

Lizzy: But I have a bathtub Dora toy. (as if that explained it all!)

Lizzy also was lifted up to test the smoke detector by a big fireman without a shred of fear. But when that same fireman put on his fire gear, including his mask, she was afraid. She was very afraid! One of the other firefighters asked the kids, "So when you see someone dressed like this, do you run to them, or do you run and hide?" Lizzy's reply, "run and hide!"

Lizzy got to sit inside the fire engine as the grand finale of her trip, and all in all, it was a fun outing, even if she stuck to me like glue after the man in the fire gear appeared.

Lizzy-isms

Yesterday Lizzy had been turning the fireplace on and off all day. In the afternoon, I heard a cry from downstairs. Yep, you guessed it, she had touched the fireplace! OUCH! It didn't look too bad, but it was hard to tell. I told her it may become a blister.
Today she came to me in a panic saying "there's a hole in my finger!" Two of her fingers had indeed blistered, and one of the blisters popped, leaving what looks like, for all intents and purposes, a hole. Poor girl!

Lizzy: Will the Tooth Fairy be mad if I don't wash my hands?

(I hope this is what Lizzy was picturing when she asked the question...)

Me: Ummmm....yeah.

(...but I'm pretty sure THIS was what she was picturing when she asked the question...I'd be afraid too!)