Us Right Now & Weekly Update – December 31

jake
This was a quiet week for all of us. Even for Jake. After a leisurely Christmas and day after, he only went to work for about a day and a half this whole week. It was such a joy and pleasure to have him around all week. The kids didn’t want to leave his side and I got to have snuggle time with him every day. He even got to play some video games and enjoy his new computer. We’re all calm and rested as we welcome the new year.

karen
I had a lovely week. I had originally planned to work one or two days this week but at the last minute just decided to take the whole thing off. I wanted to rest and be with my family and really take some considerable down time before the craziness of January set in. My work is about to get extra-hectic so I figured I should get some rest while I can. And I am so glad I did. It was a week of snuggling, doing art, reading, laughing, and simply enjoying out lives together. I am deeply grateful for 2011 and ready to tackle 2012 with open arms.

david
David also had a great week. He got the most toys for Christmas and set to build his lego sets immediately. There were a few sets and it took him two days to finish everything. All, Lego Star Wars, of course. He then read his books and started writing in his notebooks. He also used the watercolor paper and waterbrush this week. He even got to sort a lot of legos using his advent calendar plastic. I don’t know if he’s ready to go back to school yet but he certainly had a lovely time off.

nathaniel
It didn’t take much for Nathaniel to get into the Christmas spirit. When he realized he could finally open the presents that had been sitting under the tree for weeks, he was super-thrilled. He opened each gift with great abandon and spent time playing with the toys as the rest of us took our turns. Each time it was his turn, he was thrilled all over again and overjoyed to get yet another present. I think this was a lovely one for the little boy.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from the last week of 2011:

opening the first presents of Christmas on the eve:

Christmas morning breakfast:

stocking fun for the little one:

and stocking fun for the big one:

opening presents:

playing with new toys:

building legos. there was a lot of building legos this year:

I got Nathaniel some I Spy books and they immediately became his favorite:

playing choo-choo with Daddy.

I love all the expressions he makes:

David finally finished his awesome lego, He did it all by himself:

another fun Nathaniel expression. David reading wikipedia and Nathaniel getting upset cause David won’t lookup trucks:

finally settling down and leaving David alone:

putting together one of the Star Wars models Daddy got David.

despite his expression this is David working on his Book of Good Memories.

coloring with his new waterbrush and paper.

reading another new Christmas present with Daddy. This year, I went to a local library sale and got a lot of great books for $1-2 each. This wonderful book was $3. They made for some wonderful presents for both kids.

Nathaniel loved his legos, too. He got some lego cars.

giving mommy a smile.

my amazing boy and his stunning eyes.

we used the plastic from the lego advent calendar to store sorted legos. I used Nathaniel’s to store my art supplies.

Friday there was some Wii-playing. Despite what this might look like, Nathaniel’s remote didn’t even have batteries in it.

“big tower, take picture” he told me. So I did. Then as I snapped, he decided it was an airplane and made some airplane noises.

today was family photos. Nathaniel insisted on sitting on daddy so we compromised on his sitting on David.

which David loved (but my depth of field didn’t.)

and here we go. Another week gone. Another year gone.

Thank you for coming here and supporting me. Thank you for being a part of my journey and sharing yours with me. I have so much gratitude for this past year. And I welcome 2012 with open arms. Wishing and hoping for a wonderful year and the mindfulness to savor it fully.

Happy 2012 everyone!!


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – December 24

jake
After a lovely day at Legoland, Jake’s week started with having to drive 8+ hours to get us back home safely which he did wonderfully, as he always does. We listened to Steve Jobs’ biography on the way there and back. He had a few meetings on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday but I think his week was light overall. That meant more time home which was great. We spent the nights curling up and watching movies together.

karen
I really enjoyed my time at Legoland, too. My favorite part was the 3-d Bob the Builder movie. I remember the first time I ever saw 3-D and how amazing I thought it was. I still feel enchanted by it. I loved watching how happy the kids were and how much joy it gave them to be there. The drive back was long and painful and after another few stressful days at work, this week finally got quiet. The quiet is what I enjoy the most. For many people the holidays are hectic but not here. We relax, we play, we don’t cook or clean or have company. And to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the quiet magic and gratitude of this time of year.

david
David has the most fun of all of us at Legoland, of course. He made friends, he ate candy, he built legos, he went on rides, and even got to go home with some legos (thanks Mom!) He was wonderful on the long way home and has been great all week. He’s been playing wii, reading, building with his legos and really really looking forward to Christmas Day. Here’s to hoping it will bring him all the magic he wishes for.

nathaniel
Nathaniel really enjoyed Legoland, too. Way more than I thought he would. He built with his brother, looked at all the mini, moving cars, enjoyed the boats. He was perfect in the car ride both ways. He just looked out the window and sang to himself. He had one more day of school on Wednesday and now he’s out until Jan 9. He doesn’t really get Christmas yet but he definitely wants to open the packages under the tree already.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this very week. Again there are several repeats between these and my december daily posts of course. A lot of photos this week:

our hotel in Carlsbad was right next to a local airport. Early Sunday morning, Jake held Nathaniel up high so he could see the airplanes taking off.

a photo of the boys right outside the park. you can see david cannot wait to run in.

one of my favorite lego creations

nathaniel loved playing with these.

david with his favorite characters.

i loved that they had a place for the kids to play with legos while we waited in line for each ride.

most of the rides were david and daddy in one car and Nathaniel and me in the other.

towards the end of the day, we went into duploland so the boys could play. they had a lot of fun.

nathaniel went for the cars

and david for the cash register

he also loved the balcony.

at the end of a long, full day, we waited for the shuttle to come pick us up. Nathaniel is going through the bag to find his little truck book he asked for.

i love love love his light in this photo.

he loves any book that’s david’s.

david reading the Little House in the Big Woods, to me.

nathaniel and his lined up cars. He’s telling me to take a photo here.

the boys reading on wikipedia.

our home right now. the tree, the wii, the little boy’s blankie, my feet under the blankets as i rest and take photos. i love the everydayness of this photo.

my pile of books i’ve saved for the holidays. things i don’t read throughout the year but save for this quiet time.

my wonderful husband, relaxing and then falling asleep. which he does almost every time he stops working and relaxes.

little boy watching bob the builder movies on my computer.

and concentrating.

family shots from this morning. we did it before the movies so it was even darker than usual.

but i got my kisses.

and tickle time and that’s all I needed.

and then this morning we went to see Tintin and took some photos on the way out. Here we are at the booth: (I was trying to get Nathaniel to look at the camera and not the tv that shows us.)

And those are some of the moments from our week. Here’s to another lovely week!


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – December 17

jake
Jake’s work has been a bit quieter this week but he’s also been running errands for the family, sorting out our tax situation and still trading, trading, trading, of course. Even this quieter week included trips to the city and several meetings. We were all so happy to get to go away for a few days and have Jake around all day. He is such a joy. And he did all the driving both ways; he’s amazing like that. We love you, Daddy.

karen
Work’s been really hectic this week. More so than I’d anticipated and definitely more so that I would have hoped. I tried to balance it with my personal projects, getting ready for the holidays and our trip and going to both of the kids’ schools for their individual holiday affairs. Luckily it all worked out and I was able to come out from under most of it. Work will be hectic for a while longer but I am hoping things will quiet down even if for a little while.

david
This was David‘s last week of school until the new year. He got to sing lots of Christmas Carols with his classmates and then I went to his classroom where he read me his story (which was about how he plays on the computer.) and then the next day they had a class party. So he ended the week well and was thrilled that his vacation started with a trip to Legoland. He was exceptionally well behaved on the very long drive down and listened to music most of the time.

nathaniel
Nathaniel’s school has one more week but last week was his sharing so he spent some time making his posted and then was excited to show it to his classmates. I was happy to get to be there. He also was very excited for Legoland but I am not sure how much of it he got since he kept saying car each time I mentioned the word Legoland. But we saw a lot of lego cars there so maybe he knew what he was talking about all along!

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this very week. Again there are several repeats between these and my december daily posts of course. Also, even though this is coming late, I kept to the Sun-Sat schedule for now so Legoland photos will be next week:

nathaniel working on his poster for school:

finished poster:

david lost yet another tooth on the bottom.

family night of playing legos.

i love how excited Nathaniel is:

Nathaniel presenting his poster:

my sweet boy:

David, reading to me:

lovely present from stacy and kayce

Nathaniel with his hat.

he loves that hat!

playing with stickers.

showing me things while i work.

checking out the deer in the backyard.

david showing me his story at school

nathaniel looking through the december daily album

i love him so.

my boys, playing together.

and Nathaniel, excited in the hotel room after 8+ hours in the car.

And those are some of the moments from our week. Another lovely week.


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – December 10

jake
As the holidays approach, things are quieting down for all of us, including Jake. Though he’s been working, trading and having meetings all week, he’s still working a lot and systematically. I love watching him work and seeing how into it he is. It’s a gift to get to be with someone who loves what they do as much as Jake does. And what a great example for our kids.

karen
This week was slightly more hectic than I would have liked but it was still calmer than usual. On Friday, I went to volunteer in David’s math class and that was really fun but for some reason my day got out of sync and then I haven’t been able to catch up since. I’ve been feeling very tired. More like exhausted. This next week promises to be a challenging one at work so it won’t come with downtime but the week after should be better hopefully and I plan to get a lot of rest during the holidays.

david
David’s been having a good time at school. Making new friends even now. Preparing for the Winter Event at his school with all the other first graders, and writing stories to share with us. He’s also reading so much and I love watching him read. I love that he’s interested in reading and loves reading the same book again and again. When I was his age, my favorite thing in the world was to read so I am hoping he will embrace the gift of reading, too.

nathaniel
Nathaniel’s week was relatively uneventful. He’s now learning letters as well and loves saying them out loud. He also loves all the Christmas lights everywhere. Tonight we went to ride a Christmas train and on the way there he said, “Choo choo train, Nei Nei happy.” It made us all feel so good. So wonderful to see his joy.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this very week. I apologize in advance as there are several repeats between these and my december daily posts of course:

nathaniel shooting david:

and then me:

nathaniel down!

david down!

both up and shooting each other:

and finally quietly reading to appease mommy.

Nathaniel looking through catalogs and telling me what he wants while I work.

David. I love him so so much.

Nathaniel playing again while I work:

He loves this truck:

Can’t you almost hear him making truck sounds?

he went to the fire station this week and loves this hat.

showing off his drawing:

Thursday night we drove around the neighborhood to see all the lights:

My boys!!

I told you he loves the hat!

I woke up at 5 am this morning because I wanted to see the lunar eclipse. Even though I couldn’t get a good photo, it was absolutely magical to watch.

then we took family photos.

And night time was a holiday train:

Nathaniel was so looking forward to it, kept saying choo choo all day and even said “happy” on the way there. He felt so happy. And so did David!

He looked out the window a lot.

The sun was just setting.

and David looked out too, enjoying himself and the chocolate chip cookies!

And here’s our train car:

And those are some of the moments from our week. Grateful and full!


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – December 3

jake
Jake had an excellent week this week. He worked hard, had several meetings, and did some excellent trading. He’s also been reading a lot lately, mostly Wall Street books, of course. He’s also helped me a ton this week since I had to go to work and I went to the gingerbread house event with David. And last night, we went out since it was the seventeenth anniversary of the day we started dating. I love and adore him so much.

karen
I had a quiet week. Mostly working and doing art and reading a little. I listened to Angle of Repose on audio which was absolutely wonderful and a companion to art. I also went to an offsite with work. It was Bocce and even though I didn’t play, it was fun to be there and I am glad I went. Now that December is officially here, I am starting to make a list of activities for us and also changing my personal routines to incorporate our activities and the time to put together December Daily each day. I love this month so much!

david
David had a great week at school. He brought home and read several of the Treehouse books. He also read the Diary of a Wimpy Kid which he got from the library. He built a circuit at school. He’s been enjoying the family activities we’re doing. I was feeling so grateful on Friday that I decided to make one of David’s big dreams come true and bought us tickets to go to LegoLand during the holidays. He was incredibly happy and jumped up and down quite a bit when we showed him the tickets. I can’t wait to see how much he likes it.

nathaniel
Nathaniel has been talking up a storm. He’s definitely speaking in full sentences now and he’s learning all of his letters at school so he keeps telling me what they are. He’s super-excited about Christmas season, too and loves having his little advent calendar to open each morning. He also loves the twinkle lights I put in his room and falls asleep looking at them each night.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this very full week:

my sweet boy.

my other sweet boy.

i just love having the christmas tree behind each of the photos.

terrible photo, but still. David made a circuit this week. It was awesome.

Nathaniel opening his advent calendar.

David opening his.

Nathaniel playing and entertaining himself while I work and David’s at school.

Nathaniel loves touching the tree.

The kids reading together. “The Way Things Work.”

Wonderful art that came in the mail.

David working on the gingerbread house.

and enjoying himself.

our house (before it fell apart.)

David decorating the front yard.

Breakfast with Santa this morning.

Nathaniel was super-scared of Santa. Refused to go anywhere near him.

David, making crafts (he looks sad here but I think he was just focusing.)

Jake played along, too.

Nathaniel did too, of course.

They both focused hard.

My boys.

The daddy and the baby.

and tickle time!

And those are some of the moments from our week. Yet another wonderful week and I am deeply grateful for it.


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – November 26

jake
As with all of us, it was a quiet week for Jake. He went to work only Tuesday and Wednesday this week. We had a meeting with an accountant on Monday so he ended up working from home and then he was nice enough to stay around for Friday, too. He did work quite a bit, but also spent a bunch of time with the rest of us. I think the balance was just right and made this a lovely week.

karen
It was a quiet week for me, too. Last Sunday I made quite a few layouts and go ahead of my todo list. I then spent the rest of the week relaxing and trying to take it easy. Around this time of year, I make a considerable effort to slow down and think and reflect. I am now in the middle of two classes: I love drawing and She Art 2. And in a week the class I am teaching starts, as well. So, in preparation, I am trying to go through my todo list and finish off all the little items that have been sitting there week after week.

david
David had no school all week. He came with me to Nathaniel’s school twice this week and it was so nice to have him around. He’s been wonderful about playing in his room, being quiet, and keeping me company all week. Nathaniel, too, loved having him around all week, of course. He’s such a joy and blessing that we are all happier when he’s around. I am grateful that he’s a big fan of reading and models it often to his little brother. (They do quite a bit of loud stuff, too, of course but Daddy has more tolerance for that than I do.)

nathaniel
Nathaniel’s school was open until Thanksgiving Day so he got to go to school twice this week and he was thrilled about it. On Wednesday, the whole class had Stone Soup to celebrate the holiday and all the parents and siblings were there and it was quite lovely. but Nathaniel was super shy so we ended up leaving early and coming home for naptime. And, on a different note, he now says six and seven, much to my delight!

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this very full week:

David feeding Nathaniel some of his meatballs. I just love these kinds of photos with the two of them.

Nathaniel’s still drinking a lot of water but now that we have him tested, I worry a lot less.

The boys being mischievous.

more mischief, of course.

and some choo choo time while the big boy plays on the computer.

Nathaniel loves looking through my notebooks and I love watching him as he looks.

David making faces. Not a lot of opportunities to photograph him anymore. He has less patience for it than he used to.

The stone soup table at Nathaniel’s school.

David playing in the playground while he waits for Nathaniel to come out of class.

Nathaniel and Daddy sitting and eating (or not eating, really).

My three boys. Loves of my life.

we took the family shot on Thanksgiving this week.

and there was tickle time, of course!

I never get a good photo of Thanksgiving table. But better than nothing.

Right after dinner, we put Christmas songs on and put up our tree.

Both the kids helped with much joy. I know there will come a day they think it’s lame to decorate the tree so I am enjoying these moments as much as I can.

Nathaniel, looking out at the garbage trucks.

David playing Wii. He’s gotten quite good at the lego games.

Nathaniel loves the pockets in his pants.

So does David.

The silly boys, together.

David giving Nathaniel a hard time.

and Nathaniel attacking him.

thankfully, it often ends with hugs.

as for me, I spent quite a bit of my day painting.

And those are some of the moments from our week. It was another wonderful week and I am deeply grateful for it.


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – November 19

jake
Jake spent most of this week helping me out. I had a lot of meetings and commitments this whole week and he was there to cover me again and again. I am grateful for him so very very much everyday but this week my gratitude was even stronger than usual. Between all this running around, he still signed a new client and got a bunch of work done. He’s absolutely amazing.

karen
I had a really full week this week. Book club, coffee appointment, dinner party, and a movie date. Not to mention an event at David’s school and one at Nathaniel’s. Oh, and, a release at work, of course. Normally, just one of these things would be enough to stress me and put me over the edge, but I wasn’t stressed at all, all week. I went to all the events. Enjoyed each of them. Got all my work done and was able to be there for my kids. It was something of a miracle. (That would never have worked out without Jake.)

david
This was David’s last week of school before Thanksgiving Break. He now doesn’t have school for a week. He’s been doing a great job at school. He has a few regular friends and they have formed a club called Mouse Hole Spy Club and they have adventures. He even had a play date this week which, I’m told, went well. (I was at the movies.) He sang during the Thanksgiving chapel at school and enjoyed having me there very much and I really loved being there, too.

nathaniel
Nathaniel also had a good week. Yesterday was his sharing day at school and he brought a little elephant book and while he really doesn’t speak enough to express his thoughts, it was cute to watch him up there and I think he enjoyed the attention and having me at school with him. He is getting more and more demanding and simultaneously cuter and cuter every single day.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this week:

Nathaniel super-happy to be back with Daddy:

both of the kids hovering over daddy and watching him play:

Nathaniel looking through his books while I work.

some smiles from the big boy.

Nathaniel writing and drawing. Look at those feet.

focusing hard.

David writing his gratitudes.

Nathaniel looking through the Target catalog.

picking toys.

a smile from the little boy.

and one from the big boy.

we just finished reading the Westing Game and David saw it in the school library and checked it out.

Nathaniel up in front of the class, for sharing.

And finally today’s family shots.

drama and laughter.

and lots of tickling.

And those are some of the moments from our week. It was a special week and I am deeply grateful for it.


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – November 12

jake
This week was full of professional ups and downs for Jake and then he had to leave for a trip to San Diego. Even though he stayed with a friend, our car ended up being broken into overnight and he had a few small items stolen. The scariest part, of course, was the broken window. Not the greatest way to end the week but we’re all safe and sound and that’s really what matters, of course.

karen
I spent most of this week feeling sick. I’d like to say that I’m all better but I still feel quite ill and I can’t wait for it to be gone. I ended up taking a sick day on Thursday and a day off on Friday. Work was relatively quiet except for some excitement on Friday. I had book club which was really fun for a change, and also got to watch Sir Ken Robinson earlier this week which was entertaining and interesting. The last few days of the week was all about resting, watching TV and reading a book. Trying to get well as quickly as I can.

david
David had a good week at school. Nothing super-eventful. He read more books about Origami Yoda and and Darth Paper and he now has a spy club at school called Mouse Hole Spy Club. I am not sure what they do but I am grateful he seems to be making more and more friends. He’s been coming home with fortuneteller things, too (not sure what those are called in English) and we have started our 2012 project already so it’s been a fun week. He also got his first desk in his room this week which he loves. I am so proud of my big boy.

nathaniel
Nathaniel’s really enjoying looking through all my notebooks and art journals. He loves looking through the scrapbooks and naming everybody. He’s becoming even more vocal and I love listening to him talk. I love that he likes looking at my art and that he’s interested in the scrapbooks. He no longer sits in the high chair and has to eat at the table off of plates and bowls just like David. I hope this means potty-training will be easy, too.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this week:

Nathaniel is still obsessed with trains:

loves having them all over the house:

last week’s family night was smath: scrabble math.

there was also a lot of playing on his own for Nathaniel since I was so sick.

He found many ways to entertain himself.

and, thankfully, he was happy most of the time.

he also spent a lot of time looking through my notebooks.

he begged not to eat the meatballs and veggies (but had to anyway).

David got his first desk this week. He loves it.

He also got some books from the library that he loves (and Nathaniel wanted to read, too, of course).

My super-beautiful boy.

On Friday, I was really sick and had an emergency at work. David was upstairs in his room. So Nathaniel decided to make a bed from all of his diapers so he could sit and read.

Later, David came down to tell me a story.

And I just snapped photos as he talked.

Today, Nathaniel went through my scrapbooks.

and David played Wii.

most of the day was just relaxing since I am still sicker than I’d like.

and there was hugging of course.

I love the way David’s looking at Nathaniel in this picture:

And those are some of the moments from our week. All in all, despite the sickness and break-in, another good week. We’re all healthy and safe. That’s all that matters.


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – November 5

jake
I’d say a quieter week for Jake. Though he still went into the city several times to have meetings. We also went to David’s school for Nathaniel’s interview (for next year) and went out to a social even in David’s school. So overall, I’d say it’s still been a busy week. Running around, getting work done, having a few date nights and getting a lot of work done.

karen
This was a long week for me. Besides my parents being here and my wanting to spend a lot of time with them, I felt really ill all week between my allergies and jaw aches. I just didn’t feel right all week. I ended up going to bed around 7:30 almost every single night. Even the 10-hours of sleep didn’t make me feel better. I’ve also been way off my schedule which often stressed me out so I am assuming all of that together didn’t help. However it was wonderful to have my parents here and I am really really sad that they are already gone.

david
David had an excellent week at school and at home. He got to have a wonderful Halloween where he got to be venom (black Spiderman). He played a lot with my parents and got to eat out way more than usual. He got new legos, books, toys, and even a new desk for his room which he’s very excited about. He’s been doing great at school and reading every single night like a champ. We’ve already started thinking about our 2012 project together, too. I am so excited for us to do something crafty together.

nathaniel
Nathaniel also had a wonderful week. He had his first Halloween at school and he was a dinosaur. He got to go on a little parade with his class and loved going trick or treating in the neighborhood. He did ok during his interview, too. At first he was all shy but then he opened up and I am hoping it went well for him. He really got attached to both my parents and I am not sure how he’ll handle it tomorrow when he realizes they’re gone.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this week:

There was a lot of reading in our house all week:

and Nathaniel made sure to be a part of it too:

the boys loved sitting with my dad and doing their thing.

I finally snapped a shot of Nathaniel right before he went to school:

I snapped a few shots of the boys in the backyard on halloween.

david was the black spiderman (venom) and Nathaniel was a dinosaur (david’s costume from when he was 2.5).

Nathaniel wasn’t a huge fan of the hat and did a lot of this all night.

but he was super-cute with it on:

all the kids in our complex met up at the part to go trick or treating. My two boys took a moment to sit and hug each other.

David even gave Nathaniel a kiss.

Nathaniel spent playing a lot this week while I worked.

he has this new thing where he puts his hands together behind him. He’s so cute.

He’s been super-happy lately, too.

David, too.

Lots of posing.

and laughing.

and a ton of sitting together with the grandparents which was definitely my favorite moments.

and I’ll end with a tickle-time shot from today.

And those are some of the moments from our week. All in all, a truly wonderful week. Hope yours was, too. Thank you for your patience with me this week. I hope to be more responsive and post more this week.


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – October 29

jake
It’s going to be surprising to read that Jake had more meetings this week. All over the place, both during the day and night. He also went out with our neighbors for dinner this past week. We even got to go on two date nights together since my parents have been here to babysit. We drove all the way to the city and had a wonderful Italian dinner together. It was so nice just to walk around and chat with him. I love my husband so much.

karen
This week flew by for me. It was hectic and stressful and lovely all at once. I had my parents here all week so whenver I wasn’t working, I tried to spend my time with them. I also went to David’s school both on Monday and on Friday. I had to go to work on Friday because my computer didn’t upgrade properly so I had to take it in and get it fixed. Between family time, pushing a new build out, David’s school, date nights, and crazy computer issues, it felt like a whirlwind week.

david
David had a great week. He was the school reporter for Chapel on Monday morning and he did an excellent job reading clearly and enunciating well. He got to play with my parents all week and then had a Halloween parade at school on Friday where he was black Spiderman. And just yesterday, he got a new ribbon in his swimming class cause he moved to level 3 which means he doesn’t have to wear fins anymore so he’s super excited. I am so very proud of the person he is and how hard he tries and how kind he is.

nathaniel
Nathaniel is doing great, too. Talking more and more everyday and in fuller sentences now, too. He wants to be just like David so refuses to sit on the high chair so he just sits on a normal chair right next to his brother. They are so cute together (when they aren’t shrieking). He is still refusing to say six or seven but can go all the way up to twenty (skips sixteen and seventeen too of course.) He’s such a happy, mischievous boy.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this week:

David’s getting a little tired of the nonstop photo taking:

and Nathaniel is upping the drama:

the boys got a lego set and built them:

and the David played on the electronics set with my dad.

Nathaniel sat next to them and watched.

here’s the set.

and one more smile from the little boy.

he read to opapa:

while David built the other lego

which nathaniel immediately took over.

There’s also been a lot of choo choo playing.

and more reading.

and more trains.

some snuggle and chat and play time with my dad.

And then today’s shot of my three boys.

Nathaniel’s devastation when I take the remote away.

and the best we could do today.

And those are some of the moments from our week. Hope yours was wonderful.


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – October 22

jake
Good week for Jake. A few meetings, a lot of traveling back and forth between the city and Berkeley and here so long days. He was also nice enough to go get my parents from the airport and to get our carseats fixed. We moved them so Nathaniel’s now facing forward. Jake took the car to the professional installation place and ended up installing the whole thing by himself. A lot of work but now it’s done.

karen
Crazy week for me. I spent all of early this past week trying to get a new build done and then I pushed it out and we found some last minute issues so I had to work feverishly to get them all resolved and fix and push again. I also didn’t do as much art journaling as I am used to. And now that my parents are visiting, I imagine it’s going to quiet down even further for a while. But that’s ok. I really am so glad to have them here.

david
David had a great week at school. He took his gratitude journal to share. He got a bunch of books and he seemed to have a lot of fun. He didn’t have school Monday so it was a short week for him. With my parents’ arrival he‘s also been super-happy. He got a LEGO book, a science set and a Batman cave so he’s been playing the whole time and he’s just thrilled to have my father to play with and tell stories to. Monday he gets to talk in front of the whole school, representing his class.

nathaniel
Nathaniel is his happy, jovial self. He’s really into counting lately but refuses to say six or seven. So he goes one, two, three, four, five, eight. And no matter how much I say six or seven, he will not say them. He’s still loving school. As soon as he walks in he kisses me and says bye and goes off to play. I am so grateful that he’s so happy there. He’s also super-happy my parents are here and loves his new train set and cars. He’s been playing with and kissing and hugging my parents non stop. Wonderful week for all of us.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this week:

Last sunday’s family shot:

and tickle-time:

on Monday we played with stamps:

Nathaniel adored doing it.

So did David.

And then they colored them in, too.

Here’s Nathaniel’s “don’t take my photo” face.

and a smile from David:

Nathaniel played with his trains a lot while David was at school

I love this smile.

I love this one, too because David’s reading so much now. He loves to read all the time.

Little boy and his blankie.

David’s don’t-take-my-photo face.

I tried to snap one with my dad and Nathaniel but he wasn’t cooperating.

And it was even harder to get one of the four of them.

And here we are at the last few hours of the weekend. I hope yours was well.


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.

Us Right Now & Weekly Update – October 15

jake
This is going to come as a surprise but, yes, it was another week full of meetings for Jake. He’s been working hard and working a lot. This week was also doing the company taxes, moving the Roth accounts around and a bunch of paperwork in general. He also took both the cars in because one was due for maintenance and the other needed a recall fix. He’s been playing video games a bit which makes me happy. And he’s been helping out so much more with the kids and the house, too and I am so happy to have him around a bit more.

karen
A lot going on for me this week. I had a lot of work at work but felt like I was being productive and useful. I got my hair straightened and dyed again finally. I went out to a mom’s night out with David’s class and it was lovely. I also met a friend for coffee which was lovely, too. I finally bought a new pair of jeans and I am ready to clean up my closet of all the excess. This next week will be stressful, too but hopefully less busy.

david
David has a short week this week because he had no school on Friday. He’s been playing hockey during PE and recess lately and enjoying that. He also seems to be making friends at a good pace and still really liking his school. We went for his first teacher’s conference on Friday and everything we heard was great. He’s adjusting well socially and doing great academically. He’s above level on almost everything but still loves to learn and looks forward to going to school every day. I couldn’t ask for more.

nathaniel
Nathaniel is enjoying school very much, too. On days when he’s home, he’s bored more easily than he used to be and misses David a lot. He’s getting better and better at numbers and can count from one to ten (except six and seven which he can’t pronounce and likes to skip over.) He is still super-cute and mischievous. He loves sitting right next to me and leaning in to see what I am doing on the computer and eating peanuts with me.

Here are some of my favorite captured moments from this week:

I love how Nathaniel loves to sit on David:

I got to have a kiss during Sunday’s shoot:

Nathaniel really likes using this step lately. I think he likes being as tall as David:

He also sits on it to play.

He’s really into numbers a lot lately so this toy’s getting a lot of use:

And here’s my handsome boy:

Nathaniel loves this UFO, too especially cause it has a piece that lights up:

I love this shot of David, too:

The boys playing together (drawing together) while I was in a video conference meeting:

And one more from today’s tickle-time.

The boys are sleeping now and Jake and I are just winding down and relaxing. Here’s to another wonderful weekend.


Us Right Now is a weekly project for 2011. You can read more about it here.