I woke up this morning with something to say....

Good thing I've got a blog. Now I realize many readers have given up on me. sorry. I will do my best to win you back. Pictures, comments and consistency--to the best of my ability. And to follow up on the last post, I can now blog because that 'to do' list that initiated my blogger's block is done....New faucet: ebay....Ben's Halloween costume:And the rest of 'em...they were so dang cute!The book club dinner at at the Golden Phoenix: Pon Pon Chicken...mmmmm....The cute preschool kids Halloweening, Thanksgivinging, and Christmasing.We went to the candy factory too....The front door painted (and the stucco too--took us right out of the early nineties and into the 2000s for sure) After:Before:So back to what I wanted to say. I really want to wish everyone the best Christmas.

I sent out cards and I realize a few of you may not be on my list. Why? You must send me a card so I can send you one. I love this tradition. Even though a blog and face book are a lot like a Christmas card in that there are updates and pictures...there is just something about getting all of it bundled in the mail expressly for our family. Magic.

So without further ado, (and to those who got them in the mail today it'll just be a repeat) here's the letter and info for 2008:

Mer

ry Christmas! Here’s a little of how our year unfolded…
Stuart (1) has gone from baby to boy – he gets tackled daily by Benjamin and loves it. He boasts only about ten strands of hair, relishes his bottle, and gets carted around by Addie and friends daily --evidently he’ll be the baby for a little longer.
Paige (2) talks! She’s convinced she’s as big as the older two kids and to prove it she’ll do all the jobs they won’t. Little Cinderella is devoted to her yellow blanket and puts jammies on around 4 o’clock every afternoon.
Benjamin (4) has an active imagination that keeps us entertained and even awake at times. He’s one of the best preschoolers but what do you expect? He’s a two wheeler wonder and even braves going down into the basement himself (and with Paige).
Addie (6) sings in the school’s harmony choir and loves 1st grade. She had lasering treatments to lighten the birthmark under her nose and has recently delved into the lucrative business of losing teeth.
James takes care of all of us incredibly well and finds time to go to work everyday. He’s still running the world of Young Men and working at IHC but telecommutes every Friday. Such a perk!
I’m astounded with all the kids’ milestones. I started teaching preschool again with Ben and Paige as 2 of the 12. I raced my first, but not last, triathlon, swapped 10 frozen meals monthly with my dinner trade group and blogged a bunch. We celebrated our 10th anniversary and went to San Francisco just to bike across the Golden Gate Bridge, ride cable cars and eat sourdough. We love you all so much and wish you the best this next year. If it’s been awhile…e-mail, blog, call—we would love to hear from you.
Much love,
James, Nora and Family
www.mairmania.blogspot.com

And the picture Tom took. Isn't he amazing? And the kid's pictures on the side bar. How about that? Hey Tom...I need the engagement photo you took of me and James....It's a super cheese shot. Also, James hates sweaters...the one he's wearing I borrowed it from Target...I took it back...maybe you got it for Christmas?

Find me some time

I really love the internet and our replay tv (like tivo). Yesterday, I spent the afternoon on facebook, reading blogs from Google reader (such a time saver;), checking emails, reading my good reads updates and checking my "tabs". I made dinner and then watched Chuck and Eli Stone (it's a winner). But I've run into a bit of a problem--there just wasn't any time to fold any laundry, finish painting the front door, start and finish Benjamin's robot costume, and read with Addie, let alone wean Stuart from his bottle, rip out the front flower beds, get ready for preschool, call and coordinate book club dinner and shop for a new kitchen faucet.
No, really, does anyone have this snowballing issue? What do I do? Do I need a timer?. I will consider all suggestions to solve this current "problem".

Addie with Santa when she was about 9 months. You know... the 4th folder tag....

I never blogged about these babies but I had intentions...hence the pictures. We planted a white peach tree last year and it gave us one peach. This year we got twenty! Following this math I can expect 200 or 20,000 next year and either way I can't wait till this delicious goodness comes back. I'm convinced that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was a nicely chilled white peach at the peak of ripeness. There's no way I would have been able to resist.
And to add yet another distraction to my life I've joined face book. I don't really get it yet--I'm sure it's because I'm used to blogging where you find blasts and oodles of info immediately-- but with face book it looks and feels like a year book. Who wants to go back to high school? Give me time--I've found blogs through it and that's fun fun fun!

I left my heart....

Oh I couldn't resist.... In SAN FRANCISCO! I really wanted to tell you all about it... even though I've been home almost two weeks! It was GREAT except I was sick the whole time. Bummer...James was a trooper, though I was not my usual peppy self....at least I got to sleep. Here are our digs...Nice eh? And so close to the water--On Fisherman's Wharf--tourist central.
James on the F line trolley train. We rode public transportation the whole time and we were only disappointed once when a cable car never came. This is the Bay Bridge!
And some funky art off Embarcadero street.
We went to Alcatraz! The island isn't very far, only about a mile and a half, so the ferry ride was short and sweet. There is only an audio tour of the jailhouse which makes sense...who really likes to listen to a "tour guide" or "stay with the group" anyway?
James and I would listen and then pause it to take pictures and talk. It wasn't creepy like I thought it would be--I just kept thinking, "well if I had to go to jail, why not an island surround by beautiful water and a pretty city? Oh and I planned an escape too... I was obsessed with eating because I had been so sick with a sore throat before I left, I was hungry! But the sore throat stuck around so we ordered chowda'--at Boudin (bow-dean) sourdough bread cafe and it was heavenly--I could taste this through the Cepacol numbing throat drops.
We went to a Giants game--the stadium was huge but we left around the 6th inning when the Giants were down 15 to 3. The one full day James and I had together we rented bikes and biked the bay shore trail. I'm out of words to describe this experience. You all know how I love to bike...and the ocean was so calming... and with James...and no schedule... perfect? yes. The ride was a little tough because I had been so sick (again with the illness? we know--you were sick already, get on with it!) but so worth it. Where we started from, the bridge was so far away...but it got closer at every stop. The bridge was high but I didn't feel it sway. We did see crisis telephones in case we had felt like jumping. What an angle...We finished the 16 miles in a little town called Tiburon. We had a while to wait for the ferry to take us back to the city so we ate.
I wish this was in better focus because it was sooooo good. It was "the special", grilled fish with pesto, arugula, red pepper, on sourdough....
In my drugged state I enjoyed it to the last bite! Did it taste so good because of the long ride, the beautiful ocean side cafe, or the slathering of butter on all sides of the bread? All three.
CABLE CARS are lagoon kiddy rides for adult tourists. I could go back and just ride these all day! That night we went out to eat and rode the cable car to Capps Corner.
I ordered..... It smelled so good... I couldn't taste much due to a head cold that was moving in, but doesn't it look good?
We rode the cable cars to Union Square and saw these guys. James' shirt from the conference makes the shot, that even other tourist took pictures of him.
On the last day went to a fun science museum, The Exploratorium . Would you be able to take a drink? For the record, James just posed for the shot.... This is Lombard street--the most crooked street. Cars are only allowed to drive down the street. We just jumped off the cable car...and then jumped back on the next one that came by. Sweet.

This is what people refer to the when they talk about he "small" Sky West planes. The planes are fine, it's the bathroom that will conk your head if you're taller than 5'10".

We also attended a session at the Oakland temple, which was a great foot to start the trip on. We went to China town and ordered Dim Sum from the Chinese "soup nazi".
sn: "Dine in or take out?"
me: "Oh, I think we'll stay here...?
sn: "Dine in or take out?"
me: "here?"
sn: "Dine in or take out?"
me: "Dine in!"
sn: "fill out paper to order!"
So we consulted Frommers and had a tasty lunch of meat dumplings and sticky sweet rice with chicken. Props for Frommers travel guide--we went off a bunch of suggestions from that book and it was a winner every time. From eats to activities...it was right on!

It was a trip of a life time! I say that because of all the scheduling we did to get us there together without the kids, it'll be a while before we can pull off something like this again. I didn't even know it was destination for us but it sure feels meant to be now. Fate...patience...memories...

Look who's 1!

Can you believe that this kid is one? Yea, I really can't either. And he's fooling everyone because, he's still bald, he can't walk and loves his bottle. So he looks like a baby and he'll be one for a while, which is just fine with me.
Because when they grow up....
they don't get this excited about..... A Ball!
Don't laugh at the wrapping of his present, it's the Mair side of me that comes out (it was really wrapped in love but you can't capture that with a camera). Seriously, do you think he got the shaft? I mean if he were the first born--there would be presents galore... but there are already toys all over this house that he has a glorious time playing with...he just didn't have a ball...so that's what he got.
And look at that cute grin. Note, the unimpressed 6 year old in the back ground.
And here he can't wait for it to come back. And Addie's face--you can tell she's seen a ball or two. I hope he stays a baby for a little while longer anyway, just so I can be entertained by him being entertained, by a ball.

And a clue for about the next post. I'm off to San Francisco this week to rendezvous with James after his work conferences. I'm going to be vague about when I'm leaving and returning so that blog stalkers won't raid my house and take away my precious jewels (my kids). But a note on getting ready 4 kids for 4 days.... There will be a total of NINE people watching them at various times during my absence. How about that? Baby sitters, grandma, aunts, uncles, friends; the master schedule I typed out of who, goes where, when, is over two pages. Wow...to think I do the job of 9 folks. No wonder I need a vacation. And to all of you who are so generously watching my jewels, THANK YOU!

PS Mrs. Newman, Addie's 1st grade teacher, is by far the easiest one to coordinate, and the least put out by my leave. Wait a minute...10!

Sisters

I got on tonight to post more chronological events--my brain works that way and my posts reflect it, but I was distracted with these pictures. I'll get to the "events" later. This entry is going adorable, and sweet. These chicks came from my nest and they tell me all is right in this life.

These Polk-a-dot (coca-knots) dresses came in the mail from this online weakness and even though it made no sense at all to keep (I buy with intention of returning what's not practical or a good deal) springy summer dresses when it's fall and winter around the corner, Paige and Addie are proving that practicality and deals are not needed when they are sisters!

They'll make great Easter dresses--if Addie keeps her promise to not grow for 6 months. Have a nice Monday!