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	Fall 2018 (Sep-Nov, 2018) Allison went back to playing on a regular AYSO team this year, with Elmer coaching. Their team ended up doing really well, and winning the division. The girls also played for Turtle Rock's Harvest Cup team, for the third year in a row. In sixth grade, Allison participated in the ancient history walkthrough, went on several field trips, and even went to see the new Fantastic Beasts movie with her class. We went trick-or-treating for Halloween with the usual crowd (how many more years until the moms are no longer invited to tag along?). Though everyone's been busy with school, we made it to Laguna a few times, to witness the amazing rock invasion/sand retreat.
	Allison's 11th Birthday (Oct 7, 2018) Allison borrowed another birthday party idea from Michelle: she organized a bike ride from our house to Turtle Rock Park. Once at the park, the kids played some team games: water balloon toss, football, rock stacking, and capture the flag. Then everyone had pizza and cake.
	Summer 2018 (Jun-Aug, 2018) As has become a tradition, we attended a beach party at the Corona Del Mar beach to celebrate the end of the school year. This summer, we spent a lot more time in Laguna Beach: Allison and I went on some long exploratory walks down the coast, and Adam and Allison practiced skimboarding. Adam played a little bit of tennis during the summer as well, including a doubles tournament with Advik. Close to the end of the summer, Richard and Vanessa came for a visit and to say goodbye to Michelle. There was some major shopping, and some major packing, and before we knew it, she was off to college. And soon, Adam and Allison were back in school as well.
	Spring 2018 (Mar-May, 2018) Allison again participated in her school's talent show this year, this time as part of a production group. Her fifth grade class reenacted American history in the U.S. walkthrough. This was also the year for the mother-daughter tea. Adam had a busy high school tennis season, but found a little bit of time here and there to do other things, like fishing. Both Michelle and Adam attended the winter formal (which was actually in the spring), and Michelle went to the prom. Finally, as part of the Spring at Sage program this year, Michelle went on a trip to Iceland.
	Winter 2018 (Dec 2017 - Feb 2018) Allison's class had an elegant luncheon right before the holidays, with everyone dressing up for the occasion. They also went on several field trips this winter, including one to the Ocean Institute. Both Michelle and Adam played high school soccer this season, with Michelle trying out a (radically) new position. And here are some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Fall 2017 (Sep-Nov, 2017) Allison again played in the Harvest Cup on her school's soccer team, and they even managed to win a game this year before being eliminated. Michelle continued to play high school tennis, and competed in the inaugural Marguerite tournament. The big event this fall was Hamilton coming to Los Angeles; we all went to see it, and Allison managed to go twice. And then there were the usual fall festivities: Halloween and Thanksgiving, which for once found us at home with the family. There was no shortage of school projects, not to mention all those college apps that needed filling out.
	Allison's 10th Birthday (Aug 27, 2017) Allison's birthday parties have been getting more elaborate over the years; this year, we turned the first floor of the house into an escape room with a Harry Potter theme. It turned out to be a bit too challenging for the girls (sorry about that!), but they had fun nonetheless. Maybe this is a sign that we need to scale things down a bit next year.
	Summer 2017 (Jun-Aug, 2017) Adam graduated from middle school this year. Allison's 4th grade year ended with the traditional mining day (the only thing missing was the baby goat). As usual, we celebrated on the last day of school with a party at the Corona Del Mar beach; Ellery came with us and kept Allison company, and Michelle hung out with Haley. For the second summer in a row, Michelle traveled to Mathcamp, and Adam headed off to MathPath (where he once again made it to the finals of the ping pong tournament). Allison attended a bunch of local summer camps, went to the beach, watched the solar eclipse, swam on the local swim team, and did other random summer things.
	Spring 2017 (Mar-May, 2017) Because we actually got a decent amount of rain this winter, the scenery looked pretty green for a while there during the spring. Allison and I took a day during spring break and went to check out some wild flowers on the Flower Trail near the Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet. At school, the spring season brought with it the jog-a-thon, Irvine Junior Games, and the spring concert. Michelle tried out lacrosse and got invited to the prom.
	Winter 2017 (Dec 2016 - Feb 2017) Our annual New Year's party is alive and well, with our kids no longer the youngest ones around. Allison had a busy winter at school, with the California walkthrough and the open house. This year, she also took part in the talent show, which turned out to be quite an impressive production. Michelle played soccer and attended the winter formal - a different kind of production. Here are some miscellaneous photos from this period.
	Fall 2016 (Sep-Nov, 2016) Michelle again played doubles for her high school tennis team. Allison played on an AYSO Extra team with Angelique and Elizabeth. In school, the girls played in the Harvest Cup tournament, with Elmer and Rod coaching. It was great fun, and Lauren even organized a party after the tournament. As usual, Halloween was a big event. The Clairicias hosted a Halloween party. There was a big celebration at VanDamme. Everyone went trick-or-treating. Here are some miscellaneous photos from school, and some of Adam trying to build a drone.
	Allison's 9th Birthday (Aug 21, 2016) Allison celebrated another birthday at home this year, with her friends. The kids played a game of Jungle Speed while waiting for everyone to arrive. We then split them up into two teams, and sent them off on a treasure hunt around the house, complete with clues, ciphers, trivia questions, and, of course, treasure. After dinner and cake, they managed to squeeze in a few games of Hallabaloo and Telestrations.
	Summer 2016 (Jun-Aug, 2016) To celebrate the end of the school year, Christine organized a beach party, and it was awesome as usual. CTC Cup took place at the end of the CTC season, with the Orange County team taking home the championship for the first time in recent history. This summer, both Michelle and Adam spent several weeks away from home: Michelle at Canada/USA MathCamp in Maine, and Adam at MathPath in Minnesota. They both seemed to quite enjoy the experience. Allison spent the summer swimming, attending various camps, and hanging out with friends. Our only complaint about the summer was that it wasn't long enough, and all too quickly the kids had to go back to school.
	Spring 2016 (Mar-May, 2016) Adam finally made it into the CTC this year, and he had a great season playing with his Orange County team. At school, Allison had her annual Jog-a-thon, and an earlier-than-usual open house, which Michelle and Adam also attended. Michelle made a giant papier-mache hot air balloon for her English portfolio project.
	Winter 2016 (Dec 2015 - Feb 2016) Our Christmas tree shopping this year yielded not only a nice tree, but also a happy wooden reindeer. As usual, we celebrated New Year's at home with the rest of the family. Also during the holiday break, Allison decorated a gingerbread house and went ice skating with her friends. At school, Michelle attended fall sports awards with the rest of her tennis team. After the tennis season ended, she moved on to playing high school soccer. Allison's class put up a living museum (Allison playing the role of Amelia Earhart). Adam's cast came off one day in January, and he went back to his regular activities without any further complications.
	Fall 2015 (Sep-Nov, 2015) We drove to San Diego one weekend in October to say good-bye to Baba Fanya. Allison went trick-or-treating with her friends again on Halloween. So did Adam and Michelle, but we didn't see very much of them throughout the evening. Michelle played high school tennis and had a great experience, despite hurting her foot and being out of commission for a good part of the season. Allison won first place at the Thanksgiving Math Tournament. She was also excited about her astounding invention.
	Adam's 12th Birthday (Aug 30, 2015) Adam wanted to have a paintball birthday party, but we ended up finding an airsoft place instead. After a safety briefing, the boys (and Michelle) were given weapons, vests, and masks, and sent into the battlefield (a.k.a., a large warehouse set up with various obstacles). It was hot, the masks were sweaty and stinky, and a few of the kids got stung by the BBs, but they somehow managed to enjoy themselves nonetheless. We had pizza and cake in the party room to round out the day.
	Allison's 8th Birthday (Aug 9, 2015) Allison's birthday party this year was our most ambitious undertaking yet, an Amazing Race competition (Allie is a big fan of the show). After all the kids arrived, they split up into five two-person teams and started racing. The teams competed in a variety of challenges, including an egg and coin hunt, an AOPS-inspired task involving counting, jumping, and clapping, a food challenge, construction of a marshmallow launcher, ping pong rallies, tongue twister recitals, and deciphering of messages written in invisible ink. We had them working pretty hard for a couple of hours, and everyone eventually made it to the finish mat. After the race was over, the kids had lunch, stuffed their faces with birthday cake, and generally wallowed in the devastation that was our house after the birthday party.
	Summer 2015 (Jun-Aug, 2015) At the end of the school year, Adam's class went on a bike trip to Back Bay, where they spent several hours playing football and enjoying the beach. They also held the traditional Roman Day, with events such as javelin throwing, running, riding, and chariot racing. There was an open house, an instrumental concert, and a field day for the 2nd graders. Allison's class put on an awesome "Jack and the Beanstalk" play. To top it all off, Michelle graduated from middle school, and Adam had his 6th grade promotion. There was a pool party following the ceremony, and a beach party the day after, complete with ocean swimming, volleyball, Nathan's birthday celebration, smores, and even swing dancing. Adam didn't quite make it into CTC this year, but he still got a chance to attend a couple of their events, including CTC Cup. As summer got under way and our weekends freed up a bit, we paid a visit to Richard and Vanessa. Over the summer, Michelle again went off to MathPath, and Adam played some tennis. Allison attended lots of camps, including a Cinderella camp with Ellery. She also swam with the Sharks.
	Spring 2015 (Mar-May, 2015) As usual, the big event at the school in the spring was the Jogathon, and both Allison and Adam participated. The lap count is getting bigger and bigger each year, mostly because the laps are getting smaller and smaller... We went to visit Baba Fanya at her place in San Diego one day in May.
	Winter 2015 (Dec 2014 - Feb 2015) Adam was busy this winter in 6th grade. In December, his class started to learn swing dancing and had an elegant luncheon. In January, they went to Big Bear for outdoor ed. In February, a group of 6th graders went to the Orange County Mathcounts competition, held at UCI. Adam also participated in the district science fair. The rest of the kids didn't make it into many pictures. Allison went ice skating once at the Spectrum, and thoroughly enjoyed herself despite all the falling.
	Fall 2014 (Sep-Nov, 2014) Allison played soccer again with her team, rebranded as Purple Jaguars; the girls have all become really good friends. At school, we attended the fall festival, where everyone got to wear their Halloween costume. And on Halloween, Allison went trick-or-treating with her soccer buddies, while Michelle and Adam ran off to trick-or-treat with their own groups of friends. Allison got a chance to participate in the second grade spelling bee, and Adam this year had to do a science fair project. Adam's class also did the ancient history walkthrough, where Adam showed off his unexpected but sizable talent of quickly and thoroughly wrapping a girl with toilet paper.
	Adam's 11th Birthday (Sep 6-7, 2014) Adam celebrated his birthday this year with a sleepover party. It was basically Adam and his six best friends playing Magic, eating, playing Starcraft, watching movies, playing Magic, playing ping pong, sleeping (but not really), eating, playing Magic, going to the park, and playing Magic. For a bunch of hours. Needless to say, everyone was kind of exhausted the next day.
	Allison's 7th Birthday (Aug 3, 2014) We headed to the rock climbing gym for Allison's birthday this year. The little kids enjoyed the climbing, and so did the big kids (Haley was there to keep Michelle company). They climbed for a couple of hours, then played some wall tag, and climbed some more. We finally herded them into the party room, sweaty and hungry, to have some pizza and cake.
	Summer 2014 (June-Aug, 2014) At the end of the school year, Allison's first grade class participated in a patriotic show, featuring lots of red, white, and blue. At the end of June, Michelle played in the CTC Cup, marking the end of her second (and last) year with the program. Allison did the swim team thing this summer, complete with weekly swim meets, daily practices, and various fun events, such as a swim clinic with a former Olympic champion Kaitlin Sandeno. Michelle went away to MathPath, in Massachusetts, for the entire month of July. Adam and Allison did some summer camps as well, but much closer to home. Rob and Avelina came for a visit, and we saw them briefly at Lora's house. And at the end of the summer, Michelle's APAAS class got together for another one of their beach parties, complete with football, pizza, and smores at the firepit.
	Spring 2014 (Mar-May, 2014) Michelle spent an inordinate amount of time working on her National History Day project. Her group ended up getting to the finals of the California state competition. Allison and Adam ran in the school's Jogathon, and Adam's class reenacted American history in the U.S. walkthrough. We attended the Turtle Rock open house, and visited the site of Richard and Vanessa's new future house.
	Winter 2014 (Dec 2013 - Feb 2014) Adam's class had an elegant luncheon in December, and all the kids dressed up for the occasion. Richard and Vanessa came for a visit sometime during the Christmas season, and we played some Pictionary, of all things. At home, we had a New Year's Day party, and made a gingerbread house. Back at school, Allison's class celebrated Valentine's Day. Allison played basketball again this winter, and was one of the veterans on her team.
	Fall 2013 (Sep-Nov, 2013) Michelle's class got together one more time right before school started, for the end-of-summer beach party. Once the school year began, everyone got busy again quickly. Allison continued to play AYSO soccer with her team, and the girls have all become good friends. Both Michelle and Adam played in the Harvest Cup for their schools. Michelle continued to play in tennis tournaments. Allison's first grade class had some exciting activities take place for Halloween. For the actual Halloween, all three kids went their separate ways this year, each of them going trick-or-treating with their own set of friends.
	Adam's 10th Birthday (Sep 14, 2013) Adam wanted to have his party at Laser Quest again this year. After a few games of laser tag (with some arcade games thrown in for good measure), we took the kids outside into the sunshine. We all had some frozen yogurt from the nearby Yogurtland, and enjoyed the beautiful summer day.
	Allison's 6th Birthday (Aug 4, 2013) Allison had her birthday party at Color Me Mine. The kids had fun painting the ceramics pieces that they picked out. After most of them were done with painting, and getting restless, we took them outside for a fun treasure hunt game. Back in the studio, we had pizza and birthday cake.
	Summer 2013 (June-Aug, 2013) The last month of school was filled with fun activities. Allison's class had a get together at a local park. Michelle's class went on a bike trip to the Back Bay, where they spent a full day playing beach soccer and football, climbing trees, and enjoying the beach before heading back home. There was also Roman day, the last assembly of the year, and, for kindergarteners, a bubble day and an alphafriend dressup day. Allison was also star of the week right at the end of the school year. Mrs. Dore was retiring this year, so we went to visit her at Alderwood one day after school. The 6th graders had their promotion on the last day of school. To celebrate, Michelle's class had a beach party, complete with football, swing dancing, and even smores. Adam's class had a pool party the following day. Michelle's CTC wrapped up at the end of June, and both Michelle and Adam played in a couple of tennis tournaments over the summer. Sometimes tennis brought with it other exciting surprises. The kids also attended a variety of camps, including a deep sea fishing camp for Adam. Also this summer, our garden produced a delightful abundance of delicious grapes.
	Spring 2013 (Mar-May, 2013) This year, all three kids ran in the school Jog-a-thon. Adam's 4th grade class reenacted California history, while Michelle's 6th grade class did the analogous ancient walkthrough. The 6th graders also learned line and swing dancing (an activity which turned out to be surprisingly popular with the 12 year old crowd). All kindergarteners got to perform in a musical; Allison was thrilled to be a dancing flower. We enjoyed visiting everybody's classrooms at open house. Allison played softball in the spring, and had a fun season with her teammates, some of whom she already knew from school. Michelle played tennis with the Orange County CTC (a new and interesting experience). Both Michelle and Adam also ran in Irvine Junior Games.
	Michelle's 12th Birthday (Mar 12, 2013) For Michelle's birthday, we had the kids bring their bikes over to our house. The entire gang (minus Elmer and Allison, who drove over with the provisions) rode the bikes through Shady Canyon over to Turtle Rock Park. At the park, the kids played a multitude of sports: basketball, tennis, soccer, and football. Those not athletically-inclined went fishing for crayfish in the creek. At the end of the day, there was pizza and ice cream, and (for some of us) a bike ride back home.
	Winter 2013 (Dec 2012 - Feb 2013) Several noteworthy events took place at school this winter: Adam's mission building day, Michelle's elegant luncheon, Michelle's Christmas party (complete with another table contest), outdoor ed, Valentine's Day parties (with yet another contest), and music share. Michelle also participated in the science fair, mandatory for all 6th graders. At home, we celebrated New Year's at home with the family, as usual. Allison played basketball this winter, and took some tennis lessons as well, along with Adam and Michelle. The kids' tennis team again went to the sectionals.
	Fall 2012 (Sep-Nov, 2012) Allison started kindergarten this year; she was excited to finally get to attend the same school as her siblings. She enjoyed participating in several school-wide events, such as the fall festival and the character dressup day. Halloween was loads of fun, with a class party, crafts, and games. On top of all that, Allison also made an appearance in Michelle's class, where they had a Halloween party of their own, complete with a trivia contest and a candy toss. We went trick-or-treating in the evening, and this year, Sierra came along with Michelle. In sports news, Allison started playing soccer this fall (on an actual team, that is). It was a fun season, and the girls had a great time at the end-of-season party. Michelle made a brief comeback to the soccer world with her appearance in the Harvest Cup. Both Adam and Michelle played in some tennis tournaments, and Allison again enjoyed hosting the raffle portion of the tennis award party.
	Adam's 9th Birthday (Aug 26, Sep 4, 2012) We finally celebrated all of those August birthdays at home with the family. Adam's birthday being the closest, he got the coolest presents. We also took Adam and a couple of his friends (and Michelle and Allison as well) to Knott's Berry Farm for a day. In fact, it was the last day before the start of school, and the park was practically empty. We rode all the modestly scary rollercoasters, and played many of the carnival-style games scattered throughout the park. It was a hot day, so we went on a bunch of water rides (and utilized the dryer), and got some ice cream.
	Allison's 5th Birthday (Aug 4-6, 2012) On Allison's (and Elmer's) birthday, we had a nice dinner at Bluefin, and took a walk at the nearby Crystal Cove beach. The next day, we had a pool party for the kids at Waterworks Aquatics. After lots of swimming, diving, and playing in the water, everyone had pizza and cake. On Monday, Allison celebrated her birthday at her preschool, where she got to wear a birthday crown and treat her classmates to popsicles.
	Summer 2012 (June-Aug, 2012) To finish off the school year, Adam's class put on an Orange County history play. Allison had ballet and piano recitals, and an open house at her preschool. We had a lemonade stand again for July 4th. This year, our garden produced not only the usual strawberries and tomatoes, but a whole lot of raspberries, blackberries, some corn, and even a watermelon. Michelle and Adam played in several tennis tournaments over the summer, and Adam won himself a huge trophy. We went to San Diego for one of Adam's soccer tournaments, and spent a day at Richard and Vanessa's.
	Spring 2012 (March-May, 2012) Allison went to her friend Cade's birthday party, which featured clowns, a magic show, a parade, and even a circus tent-shaped birthday cake. She also participated in some Easter activities. One day, we finally bit the bullet and took her to Disneyland, where she got her dose of princesses, Pooh, and Mickey. For a non-Allison-specific activity, we all went on a nice hike right in our backyard. Michelle's class participated in a Revolutionary War reenactment, which turned out to be quite fun, as well as educational. Both Adam and Michelle again had a good time at the Jog-a-thon. As the end of the school year drew closer, we also attended open house in both Adam's and Michelle's classroooms. And here are some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Michelle's 11th Birthday (March 25, 2012) For Michelle's birthday this year, we took a bunch of her friends to the movies, to see the newly released The Hunger Games. Afterwards, the entire crew came over to our house to experience the mayhem that they call Rock Band, play some ping pong, and eat some birthday cheesecake, generously provided by Lan.
	Winter 2012 (Dec, 2011 - Feb, 2012) We were out of town again for Christmas this year, but we bought and decorated a Christmas tree anyway. We also decorated gingerbread man cookies. We went to the open house at Allison's preschool. Michelle's class had an elegant luncheon, where the kids dressed up in fancy clothes and ate fancy food. Some adults came to help set up, and take class pictures outside. Michelle wrapped up her soccer career with FC Blades by attending the team's Christmas party. Andy the party game expert took charge of the entertainment. Allison loved the festivities, and also enjoyed playing with the house dog. Over the winter break, we took Michelle and Calvin to a Young the Giant concert. They seemed to enjoy themselves... untill the late night caught up with them. Also during the break, Allison attended her very first tennis camp.
	Fall 2011 (Sept-Nov, 2011) Allison started playing soccer this year with Junior Blades. Jaedyn was there as well, so Michelle had a few chances to see Makena. Also this season, Michelle and Adam played on different tennis teams. Allison went to Tanaka Farms again with her preschool. They went to the petting zoo and the corn maze, picked vegetables, and picked out their own pumpkin. The kids also went to a pumpkin patch with the grandparents. Allison had a Halloween parade at school. At home, we carved pumpkins. For once, Michelle and Allison coordinated their Halloween costumes, and we again saw many old friends while trick-or-treating. The candy haul was as big as ever. Some other amusing pictures from the season: Adam build a cool Lego crane. Michelle made a teepee for a school project. Kevin was in town for a visit, and we got to see his offspring. And for Thanksgiving, the kids again participated in the math tournament, while Michelle also found some time to play soccer with a Flex team.
	Adam's 8th Birthday (Aug 28, 2011) Adam celebrated his eighth birthday at Laser Quest (enough said). Back at the house, the family came over and helped us celebrate all the birthdays accumulated over the past month. Adam and Allison (and even Michelle) got lots of presents, and Allison was happy as a clam running around in her new princess outfit.
	Allison's 4th Birthday (July 31, 2011) This year, Allison got to have a real birthday party. She invited all her friends from preschool to Wildfire Gymnastics, where for a couple of hours they ran around, jumped into giant foam pits, played some fun games, and, oh yeah, did a little bit of gymnastics. After tiring themselves out, the kids all sat down at the table for some yummy birthday cake.
	Summer 2011 (June-Aug, 2011) We had to miss Allison's open house this year due to our Europe trip, but here are some pictures from their practice run. We came back from the trip just in time for July 4th, so the kids took advantage of the hot weather and organized a lemonade stand. Michelle's soccer team went down to San Diego to play soccer in the sand, and someone came up with the idea of playing in tutus. Michelle wasn't a big fan of her tutu at first, but she enjoyed this brand of soccer quite a bit, and the whole event turned out to be a lot of fun. Not to mention that Allison got good use out of the tutu, both before and after the tournament. Adam's team played in some tournaments this summer as well, and Michelle's team again attended Surf Cup. By far the most exciting thing that happened, though, was coming home after one of the soccer matches to find a visitor in the front yard. In tennis news, their team again made it to the playoffs. Also this summer, both Michelle and Adam played in (and won!) their first tennis tournaments.
	Spring 2011 (March-May, 2011) Adam started playing club soccer this spring. Michelle's team played in State Cup and a few other tournaments (with siblings attending some of the time), and had a team party. Both Michelle and Adam played spring tennis as well, while Allison continued to take swimming lessons. Michelle's school had a Jog-a-thon (with popsicles). Also, this year Michelle got a chance to participate in Irvine Junior Games; it was a great way to meet up with some old friends. As the school year was nearing the end, we attended open houses (Adam's and Michelle's), and another string concert. Allison was invited to her first real birthday party. Michelle and Adam went to a Mad Science party. And one rainy (sort of) day, we visited the science museum.
	Michelle's 10th Birthday (March 12-13, 20, 2011) Michelle's age being a big two-digit number this year, she got a big present for her birthday. We celebrated at home with the family. The following weekend, we had Michelle's friends over at the house to compete in a treasure hunt. I am sad to say that the boys' team showed better organizational skills, capturing the bigger prize. Still, everybody had a great time.
	Winter 2011 (Dec, 2010 - Feb, 2011) Makena came over for a playdate on one of our rare free days, during the winter break. We went bowling, got soaking wet while eating lunch at In-N-Out, and saw an awesome rainbow back at our house. We went shopping for a Christmas tree, and had the family over on New Year's Day. Adam and Allison attended the tennis award party. Michelle played viola in her first instrumental concert. And Adam's school had its annual Jog-a-thon (with popsicles afterwards). Here also are some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Fall 2010 (Sept-Nov, 2010) This fall, Allison started preschool. She had a bit of a rocky start, but got more into it after the first couple of weeks. She has also been enjoying her gymnastics class; she got a trophey on her one year anniversary. We went to a pumpkin patch with the kids, and Allison went to Tanaka Farms on a field trip with her preschool. They went to the petting zoo and the corn maze, picked vegetables, and picked out their own pumpkin. For Halloween, their preschool class came in costumes, and they had a parade around the playground. And, of course, we went trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. Adam and Michelle went on a sea fishing trip, and hauled in a rather skimpy catch. Adam and Allison went to Legoland on one of our rare free days. Masha and family were in town on Thanksgiving weekend, and we met up in Long Beach, where we all went on a tour of a Russian submarine.
	Adam's 7th Birthday (August 27-28, 2010) Adam had a birthday party at Boomers this year. The kids played miniature golf, rode the various rides, played games in the arcade, and had pizza and cake in the party room. We also went out to dinner at Benihana with the family.
	Allison's 3rd Birthday (August 4, 7, 2010) Allison's birthday started out with some presents, balloons, yummy treats, and a fun birthday hat. Allison rode her new bike outside, and played some basketball for good measure. At night, she cuddled with her new soft pillow. On Saturday, we had a family picnic at a local park. The kids rode their bikes, climbed trees, threw a frisbee around, and played some soccer. Allison played a fishing game (the same one Adam enjoyed at his third birthday party), opened more presents, and had more birthday cake.
	Summer 2010 (June-Aug, 2010) Adam did the swim team again this summer, and swam in the swim-a-thon. Michelle just stuck to soccer; her team attended a gazillion soccer tournaments, including the Surf Cup down in San Diego, the NHB Cup, and so on. For her part, Allison did plenty of swimming at the pool, and played some sports through the city of Irvine. Makena came over once for a sleepover. Michelle and Makena organized a mega water balloon fight. They came up with a few more subdued activities as well, such as making costumes out of colored paper, and drawing Spongebob. They made a giant tent out of blankets and chairs in Michelle's room, and spent the morning playing games. In other news, Allison went to visit her preschool for the first time, in preparation for starting there in the fall. And here are some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Spring 2010 (March-May, 2010) Some noteworthy happenings took place at school this spring: music concerts for the parents (Adam's and Michelle's), the annual Jog-a-Thon (Adam's and Michelle's), another award ceremony, and finally, open house. Allison attended this year; she particularly enjoyed the cake raffle (she didn't enjoy not winning a cake, though). Both Adam and Michelle played Junior Blades this spring (Michelle played U12). Allison went to lots of soccer games, and found creative ways of entertaining herself. Everyone got trophies at the end of the season. Adam and Allison spent spring break in San Diego. Michelle went to Knott's Berry Farm for Makena's birthday. Some other pictures: a visit to grandma's house, and Allison's first haircut.
	Michelle's 9th Birthday (March 13, 21, 2010) We had a family celebration for Michelle's birthday, complete with presents and a birthday cake. Later, there was a much grander party for Michelle's friends at a rock climbing gym. After putting on their climbing gear, the kids played various climbing games (such as Wall Tag and Capture the Flag), and climbed with the help of belayers. Allison didn't want to be left behind, and tried to climb with the rest of them. And as usual, she was first in line when it came to eating the birthday cake.
	Best of Soccer (Jan, 2009 - Jan, 2010) Michelle has been playing for FC Blades for the past year. These are some of the best pictures of her, captured (mostly by Karen, the team photographer) on and off the soccer field. Sometimes soccer can be very pretty; other times it is quite ugly. Usually, though, it's somewhere in between.
	Winter 2010 (Dec, 2009 - Feb, 2010) Michelle's soccer team had a Christmas party. It was fun seeing the girls out of their uniforms. They exchanged gifts, played games, and received their latest medals. At school, there was another award ceremony as well, to finish off the year. At home, we decorated a gingerbread house; Allison really got into it. Some of the other things Allison has been into recently: gymnastics, swimming lessons, and frequent visits to the playground.
	Fall 2009 (Sept-Nov, 2009) We went to visit Richard and Vanessa over the Labor Day weekend. Everyone was very excited about the new chicken coop. School started again in September; here are some pictures from the family fun night. For Halloween this year, the kids visited a couple of different pumpkin patches. We went trick-or-treating with some of Michelle and Adam's school friends. Allison discovered the joy of candy, and pretty much went through the whole night with a lollipop in her mouth. And then there was the sorting on the candy back at home. Both Michelle and Adam played soccer in the fall; here are some pictures from Adam's end of season party. Some of the other things we and the kids have been up to: hiking, reading, and rolling around in the leaves.
	Adam's 6th Birthday (Aug 29-30, 2009) Adam's birthday celebration this year took place at a bowling alley. It was a big hit with the kids. Even Allison had a good time; who knew that bowling was such a fun activity for a two year old? The next day, we celebrated at home with the family. Some of the most popular presents this year included a guitar, juggling sticks, and a magic set.
	Allison's 2nd Birthday (Aug 4, 2009) For her second birthday, Allison finally had a birthday party of her own. Gosha and Mira were visiting from Boston, and they came to help us celebrate. There were lots of great presents, including a brand new toy kitchen, and a pink plasma car. Here are some pictures of the birthday girl at the dinner table, and enjoying her birthday cake.
	Summer 2009 (June-Aug, 2009) After school year ended, Michelle and Adam attended a variety of summer camps, as usual. Adam spent a week learning to build motorized lego machines, and Michelle really enjoyed her rock climbing camp. Michelle's soccer team had several tournaments throughout the summer; here are pictures from one of them. Both Michelle and Adam were on the neighborhood swim team this year, so a large portion of our summer was spent at the pool. Here are some pictures from the swim meets: hanging out between events, playing games, on the ready bench, on the starting blocks, and actually swimming. We also went to the Swim-a-thon and the championship swim meet at the end of the season. Allison didn't waste any time this summer either. She attended most swim meets, cheering for her siblings, and hanging out at the baby pool and the jacuzzi. She also spent some time with her friend Chloe. Then, of course, there were lots of good things to eat, like watermelons and popsicles. And here are some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Spring 2009 (March-May, 2009) This spring, Michelle continued to play soccer with FC Blades, and Adam played the spring season with Junior Blades. At school, we attended award ceremonies and open houses. Adam's artwork was displayed at the city hall, so we went to check that out. We also went to watch tennis for a day at Indian Wells, as part of the BNP Paribas Open. Allison has become quite the big girl. She likes doing things like packing her lunch box, and talking on the phone. She enjoys helping Elmer feed the fish. And she even got to walk another kid's dog at the playground recently. Here are some miscellaneous pictures of the kids. Also, some spring time pictures of birds and caterpillars taken in our backyard.
	Michelle's 8th Birthday (March 12, 22, 2009) We had a cake for Michelle at home on her actual birthday, and had the family over as usual. But the real celebration took place a few days later at Color Me Mine. While painting ceramics was fun, the kids still had time left over for some old-fashioned running around outside the studio. We finally had to drag them back in for some food and cake.
	Winter 2009 (Dec, 2008 - Feb, 2009) Michelle and Adam had holiday parties at school before the Christmas break. We were away for Christmas, but celebrated New Year's at home with the family. The soccer obsession continues. Michelle has signed up with FC Blades, and immediately took part in several tournaments. Here are some pictures from the Tournament of Champions, and Legends Cup. Adam played winter soccer with his fall team. Jog-a-Thon was again a huge hit this year, with both Michelle and Adam participating. Also, Michelle finally got back that painting that's been traveling around Orange County since last spring. And here are some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Fall 2008 (Sept-Nov, 2008) Adam started kindergarten this year, and Michelle is now in second grade. Both of them are playing soccer again this fall. We've also been doing some biking recently, and even Allison gets to participate. We recently went to a couple of museums: the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, and the new Children's Museum in San Diego. This Halloween, there was the usual mandatory visit to a pumpkin patch, as well as trick-or-treating. And here are some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Adam's 5th Birthday (Aug 30, Sept 7, 2008) We celebrated Adam's fifth birthday at home with the family. Actually, we celebrated Allison's birthday at the same time (there was an earlier event scheduled, but the birthday girl got sick at the last moment). In any case, all three of the kids got plenty of presents. Adam's real birthday party took place at a swimming pool at Waterworks Aquatics. The kids rode giant inflatable whales, played various water games, and combed the bottom of the pool looking for coins (which were tossed there by adults). Only at the very end did they come out of the pool to have some cake. Pool parties are awesome!
	Summer 2008 (June-Aug, 2008) There was an award ceremony at Michelle's school at the end of the school year, and an open house at Adam's preschool. Michelle swam on the neighborhood swim team this summer; this involved going to lots of practices and meets. The rest of the time, the kids went to various summer camps, and did other summer things. Here are some pictures of us on a walk at the Woodbridge lake, playing in the water fountains at the Spectrum, hanging out at home, and out and about. At the end of the summer, all the kids managed to get sick, but luckily we had Olympics watching to distract us. And at the very end of the summer, right before school started up again, we went to Legoland. Allison is now running around and getting into all kinds of mischief. She also still loves to eat. Here are some pictures of her sorting through the laundry, hanging with the animals, playing ball in her crib, attacking an apple, relishing some watermelon, and trying to get her teeth on some candy.
	Spring 2008 (March-May, 2008) In the spring, Michelle continued to play soccer, while Adam switched to t-ball. This year, he was one of the oldest kids in his division, and made it to an All Star team. Michelle ran in another Jog-a-Thon this spring at her school. Speaking of school, one of the paintings she made in art class was exhibited in a local kids' art show, and we went to check it out. Some of the other things Michelle and Adam have been trying out: rollerblading and jumping rope. We got Allison a new table with an attached walker, and she has been practicing her walking skills by endlessly toddling around the table. She is not walking on her own yet, but getting close. In the meantime, she enjoys rolling all over the house, crawling (kind of), playing by herself, playing with her siblings, sitting at the big kids' table, sitting in the stroller, and getting dirty in the backyard. We took her to the beach, and she had a great time getting dirty there, too. Some other random pictures: aunt Christine's visit, Easter egg hunt, and Adam feeding the ducks at the Turtle Rock park.
	Michelle's 7th Birthday (March 16, 2008) Michelle wanted to celebrate her birthday at home this year, so we invited all of her friends over to our house. We broke the kids up into teams, and organized a scavenger hunt. The three teams collected various items for their scavenger bags, and the in process, they made some milkshakes, played the piano, and kicked the soccer ball around the backyard. A couple of neighborhood trolls stole everybody's prizes, and gave them back only after we cooked them a nice troll birthday treat. While the trolls were sampling our cooking, we sampled the birthday cake. And after the party was over, we opened and sampled the numerous presents.
	Winter 2008 (Dec, 2007 - Feb, 2008) We spent Christmas in Hawaii this year, but all the usual Christmas activities took place at home. When we were back in town, the whole family came up to celebrate New Year's. This winter, Michelle and Adam discovered ice skating at the Spectrum. We also went to Big Bear for a day of skiing. Michelle played winter soccer again this year, and one of Adam's new hobbies has been looking through his new heavy duty binoculars. Allison has made a bunch of progress: she can now roll over, sit on her own, and eat solid food. Adam still loves hanging out with his baby sister, and Michelle comes up with some fun activities for her, like going for rides in a laundry basket.
	October-November, 2007 Allison has been getting bigger and doing more things. She is starting to grab things and play with her toys. Here are some pictures of her taking a bath, and that happy time right afterwards. Adam and Michelle (and everyone else) love hanging out with the baby. On Halloween day, Adam's preschool held their annual Halloween parade. We went trick-or-treating with Makena this year, and met many of Michelle's other school friends along the way. Soccer season ended in November; after the last couple of games, trophies were distributed and celebrations held. Here are some pictures from a visit to Disneyland, the results of our most recent fishing expedition, the kids gearing up for winter, and some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	September 2007 Over the Labor Day weekend, we went down to San Diego to celebrate Fanya's 85th birthday. The whole family was there, and we stuck around for a couple of days. It's soccer season again, and both Adam and Michelle are playing this year. Allison comes to watch most of their games. She's been going to more places recently; here are some pictures from a trip to Huntington Botanical Gardens. When not traveling, the baby is busy at home doing the things that babies do. Here are some pictures of her: on her tummy, some closeups, with Natasha, in the swing, with Adam and Michelle, on her back.
	Adam's 4th Birthday (Aug 26, Sept 9, 2007) Most of the family came over to celebrate Adam's birthday. There was the customary opening of a gazillion presents. The best presents were the ones which were immediately played with, by kids and adults alike. This was also everybody's chance to meet the new baby. Allison took a break from her rigorous sleeping schedule, and hung out with us throughout most of the party. Adam stayed close to his baby sister, protecting her from those pesky adults. A couple of weeks later, we had a party for the kids at Chuck E. Cheese's, as well.
	August 2007 Now that the baby is home, everybody wants to hold and cuddle her: mom, dad, siblings, and grandparents (who've been staying over and helping with the kids). As for Allison herself, she mostly just wants to sleep. She also loves going outside, especially in her stroller (which turns out to be a very comfortable place to sleep). When awake, she spends her time studying the people around her.
	Allison (Aug 4-8, 2007) Allison was born on Saturday, August 4 at 6:55pm at the Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, CA. Here she is soon after birth, and hanging out with mom and dad. And here are some pictures of the baby's first bath. Michelle and Adam came to visit us at the hospital on Sunday. They were both very excited to see their baby sister (Adam thought she looked a bit like a pet in that little cage of hers). After a couple more days at the hospital, we brought the new baby home.
	June-July, 2007 Adam's school held an open house at the end of the school year. The kids did lots of swimming again this summer; Michelle participated in several swim meets. We paid a visit to Richard and Vanessa at the beginning of the summer; Michelle and Adam loved playing with the new kittens. The kids got dressed up for Tanya's 55th birthday. And here are some other miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Spring 2007 (March-May, 2007) Adam was just old enough to play t-ball this spring, through the Irvine PONY league. The opening day was a bit long for the 3-4 year old crowd, but the games themselves were lots of fun. To celebrate the end of the season, the team went to the Big Wheel park, where the kids rode bikes, climbed trees, ate pizza and cupcakes, and received their trophies. Michelle's school had its annual Jog-a-Thon fundraiser; we went to watch the kids run. It was hard work for the kindergartners, but at least all the runners were rewarded with popsicles after the race was over. Here are some of the other fun things we did this spring: picking strawberries at a local farm, an Easter egg hunt, and a trip to Legoland. And here are some other miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Michelle's 6th Birthday (March 11, 17, 2007) Michelle's birthday party this year was at a local bakery. It featured cookie-decorating, a tour of the bakery, opening of presents, and a birthday cake. At Michelle's request, we also organized a treasure hunt. The family (including Tania and Phillip, who were visiting from Ohio, along with some of their friends) came to celebrate the following weekend. There was another round of presents, cake, and all that good stuff.
	Winter 2007 (Dec, 2006 - Feb, 2007) Adam's preschool had a winter open house, where the kids entertained the parents by singing Christmas songs. At home, we decorated not one, but two Christmas trees, tried on winter clothes, and opened lots of Christmas presents. Adam's favorite present was (what else?) a stuffed cat. We finally finished the work on the pond, and put in the first batch of goldfish. Richard and Vanessa came to visit one weekend, and brought a whole lot more fish, including various bug-eyed varieties. We also spent a day together at the Huntington Botanical Gardens up in Pasadena. Michelle played soccer again this winter, and had as much fun as in the fall.
	Fall 2006 (Sept-Nov, 2006) We went on a city-organized sleepover in Bommer Canyon over Labor Day weekend. It wasn't much as far as camping trips go, but the kids had fun sleeping in a tent, and making smores at the bonfire. Michelle played soccer this fall, and attending her games became a weekly family event. We found out just how competitive our girl is; she learned a lot, and made some new friends. Michelle also went to some swim meets at a local pool, and brought home a few ribbons. Adam played some sports as well, through the city of Irvine. Adam went on a field trip to a pumpkin patch with his preschool; he got to pick some vegetables, and even his own pumpkin. Then on Halloween, there was a parade at Adam's school, and at night, we all went trick-or-treating around our new neighborhood. Here are some other pictures from this period: Arianna's birthday party, our visit to Disneyland, and miscellaneous.
	Adam's 3rd Birthday (Aug 27-28, 2006) Adam's birthday party was at Legoland this year. The kids had fun building with legos, painting suncatchers, and playing the fishing game. After the party, Jimmy and Calvin came along with us on some rides. Adam was finally old enough to go to the Legoland driving school. The family came over the next day (Adam's actual birthday), and we had another celebration at home, with food, cake, and lots more presents.
	Summer 2006 (June-Aug, 2006) To mark the end of the school year, Michelle had a piano recital, and a pre-K concert. It was also the end of the T-ball season, and of gymnastics. To top it all off, we went to the parent-organized preschool graduation picnic, where all the pre-K kids got their diplomas. We went to the Del Mar Fair, and saw the animals, and did the rides. Also this year, Michelle finally made it to the San Diego Zoo sleepover. We moved to Irvine in July. Michelle spent a lot of time with Calvin this summer, and also made some new friends. We went to some nearby beach towns: Laguna Beach and Newport Beach. We also went back to San Diego a few times to visit the family and some of the old friends.
	Spring 2006 (March-May, 2006) Lan and Calvin joined us for a trip to Legoland over spring break. It was nice and warm, and Adam had a blast running through the fountains in nothing but his underwear. We went on lots of rides, and spent the last couple of hours just playing with legos. Adam loved racing his little lego car against other kids. Adam's friend Henry had a birthday; here are some pictures from the birthday party. Once we caught a big old frog in our backyard, and played with it for a few hours before letting it go again. And here are some other miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Michelle's 5th Birthday (March 12, 19, 2006) We had a party for Michelle at home on her birthday. It had all the usual good stuff: balloons, cake, and lots of presents. Michelle and Bill took turns playing the piano. The following weekend, we had a party for the kids at Quail Gardens. They had fun playing in the children's garden, and doing crafts. There was also storytime, a pinata, and another birthday cake.
	Winter 2006 (Dec, 2005 - Feb, 2006) As usual, both the house and the kids got decorated in time for the holidays. We spent Christmas at Big Bear (here is Adam, gearing up for the snow), and New Year's at home. Both kids have been spending more time with their friends. Here are some pictures from Alexita's birthday party, attended by Michelle. Adam likes going to Gymboree, and hanging out with his friend Grisha. Here are some of the places the kids love to visit: the carousel at Balboa Park, Legoland, and Quail Botanical Gardens. Here are some of the things the kids love to do: drawing, playing the piano, and cooking catfish. And just hanging out.
	Fall 2005 (Sept-Nov, 2005) Now that Hale's family is only an hour away, we see them relatively often. Here are some pictures from a hike we went on together, in the canyon next to our house. We went to a Halloween party with lots of kids from Michelle and Adam's preschool. For Halloween itself, we carved lots of pumpkins, and, of course, went trick-or-treating. Adam really stuffed himself with candy this year, before we had a chance to stop him. Calvin turned five in November, and we went to his birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. Here are also some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Adam's 2nd Birthday (Aug 28, 2005) Both kids were a little sick for Adam's birthday this year, but the birthday celebration took the edge off their suffering. As usual, the entire family was there, showering Adam (and Michelle) with a multitude of presents. Adam quite enjoyed blowing the candles on his birthday cake (so much so that he wanted to do it again the next day, when eating the leftovers). In fact, by the end of the night, he forgot all about being sick, and was running around being his usual happy self.
	Summer 2005 (June-Aug, 2005) We went to the Del Mar Fair again this year. Adam really liked the petting zoo, and both kids enjoyed the rides. Masha and family came to stay in a beach house in Oceanside for a week in August, so we got together a couple of times. Once again, Michelle and Adam were enamored with baby Sasha. We hung out at the beach in Oceanside one day, then stuck around the house for dinner. Calvin (and the rest of the family) came to visit a couple of times in August. Richard and Vanessa also paid us a visit; we went to the beach, where Vanessa impressed Adam with her sand art. Here are also some miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Spring 2005 (March-May, 2005) We had a rainy winter this year, so in the spring everybody headed for the desert, to see the flowers bloom. We spent a fun day hiking around, picking the flowers, and enjoying the scenery. On another occasion (on our way back from Legoland), we visited the Carlsbad flower fields; they were a bit more crowded than the desert, but the flowers were beautiful. We also went strawberry picking a few times this spring (always a popular activity with the kids). Many of Michelle's friends have birthdays around this time, so we went to a few birthday parties. Michelle has also added dance lessons to her long list of extra-curricular activities. As for Adam, he still spends most of his free time hanging around playgrounds; sometimes we get together with his friend Grisha. Here are some pictures from a couple of visits to baba Fanya's house. And other miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Michelle's 4th Birthday (March 12-13, 2005) We celebrated Michelle's fourth birthday at a local park. The kids had fun tearing apart the pinata, making their own candy, playing with hover discs, devouring pizza and cake, climbing the big rock, and opening birthday presents. At home the next day, a somewhat more relaxed celebration took place with the family. There was of course more food, more presents (Michelle especially liked the big art easel), and more dessert.
	Winter 2005 (Dec, 2004 - Feb, 2005) The kids got some new vehicles for Christmas this year, and were happily riding them around the house. Speaking of riding stuff around the house, Richard and Vanessa came for a visit, and had to endure some abuse from the over-enthusiastic 4 year old. We've been going to Seaworld a lot recently; both Michelle and Adam really like playing with the starfish there. Adam has also been playing more with kids his own age; here are some pictures of him and his friend Grisha at the playground. Michelle got all dressed up for Valentine's Day at her preschool. And here are some other miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Fall 2004 (Sept-Nov, 2004) Adam continues to grow and pick up new tricks. Some of his current favorites are trying on other people's shoes and talking on the phone. He still has quite a healthy appetite. His communication skills have also improved significantly; he is now pretty good at telling us what he wants (usually, more food). Michelle and Adam have been playing together more and more. We are also back to the pool this fall for swimming lessons, this time for both of the kids. Halloween this year was lots of fun, with numerous visits to the pumpkin patch, and trick-or-treating.
	Adam's 1st Birthday (Aug 28, 2004) We celebrated Adam's first birthday at home, with the family. Michelle was in charge of obtaining the balloons and setting the table; she did a great job with both. For Adam, of course, the best part was the food. After stuffing himself during dinner, we were afraid that he wouldn't have any space left for the birthday cake, but he made a herioc effort and managed to consume a good piece of the cheesecake. Adam's favorite present, by far, was the Wiggles guitar, although he enjoyed opening the rest of the presents as well.
	Summer 2004 (June-Aug, 2004) Michelle's friend Natalie had a birthday party at Legoland in June, so we spent the day there. Del Mar Fair was once again a big hit this summer. So was Richard and Vanessa's house (especially the pool). Adam started walking (running, really) at the beginning of the summer, and hasn't sat down since. His appetite has also not diminished, so it's sort of a good thing that he runs around so much. He does pause every once in a while to play next to Michelle. We had a 4th of July picnic at the Poway Lake; Michelle got to ride on a boat, and Adam got to stuff his face with food. Phillip came to visit at the end of July, and put in some good babysitting time. Lora moved to her new place around the same time, and we went to visit her nice new pool.
	Spring 2004 (March-May, 2004) For Adam, spring has been the time of major developmental milestones. He has been sitting, crawling, standing, and cruising. He developed quite an appetite, and has been consuming all kinds of new food (including the unpeeled variety). He likes going to the playground, and trying out new things (like sand). Now that Adam is mobile, he follows his big sister everywhere. Michelle loves cuddling him and giving him lots of hugs. They have also been taking baths together, and playing in the pool. We went to the Wiggles concert (Adam is a big fan). Michelle was excited for a while, but got bored half way into it; Adam was dancing the entire time. Michelle loves going to preschool and playing with her new friends. Here are some pictures from her friend Emma's birthday party. Michelle went through a ponytail phase; here are some crazy hair pictures from that period.
	Michelle's 3rd Birthday (March 12-13, 2004) Michelle's third birthday celebration was a multi-day affair. First, Michelle got her birthday crown at the preschool. Then, there was a family party with presents, food, and of course the birthday cake. On Saturday, there was another party just for kids (mostly from school), at a local playground. The kids had fun swinging, twirling, and climbing, taking breaks only to grab a slice of pizza and to enjoy yet another birthday cake. Adam thoroughly enjoyed all the festivities. He particularly liked the opening of presents (mmm... yummy wrapping paper), and the balloons.
	February 2004 We've had some great weather this month; here are some pictures of the kids outside the house, and at the beach. And here is Adam trying to sip some beer back at the house, to relieve that thirst. Adam is becoming mobile; he's been crawling around on his tummy, occasionally propelling himself across the room when really excited. Sometimes, when he gets tired of crawling, he goes for a ride on the sled with his sister. Michelle and Adam love hanging out together; they can always make each other laugh.
	December 2003 This month, Adam has been turning over, and spending more time playing with his numerous toys. Here are some random pictures of him studying the mobile in his crib, and trying to stuff both of his fists into his mouth. Grandma and Christine came to visit for Christmas, bringing lots of presents as usual. The rest of the family came over for New Year's, and there was another present-opening session on January 1. As always, Michelle ran the show, distributing the presents and entertaining the crowd.
	November 2003 Adam is growing longer and wider day by day, as demonstrated by these bath time pictures. He is starting to master the art of grabbing things and trying to stuff them in his mouth. Here are some pictures of him on a swing, and some other miscellaneous pictures of Adam from this period. Michelle is starting to pay more attention to Adam; here are some pictures of them together. There are also more pictures of Michelle on the potty, and some other miscellaneous pictures of Michelle from this period.
	October 2003 Richard and Vanessa (the fire refugees) hung out with us on Halloween night, playing with wedgits and giving out candy to the neighborhood kids. We went trick-or-treating with Michelle, who was dressed as a frog; this year, Michelle actually got to enjoy the fruits of her labor. Michelle recently started wearing underwear; sometimes she likes parading around the house wearing nothing else. Here are some pictures of Michelle trying on Adam's car seat, and some other miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	September 2003 We have all been adjusting to having a new baby around the house. Adam has been growing fast, and is starting to look more like a real person; here are some pictures of him hanging out by himself, as well as with his parents and grandparents. Michelle has taken up some of the responsibilities of a big sister. She likes picking out diapers for Adam to wear, and patting him on the head. Here are some pictures of them together, as well as some other random pictures of Michelle; Michelle drawing with chalk; and Michelle trying on her Halloween costume.
	New Arrival (Aug 28-30, 2003) Adam was born on August 28 at 3:16pm at the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, CA. Soon after birth, the baby was given his first bath. My parents came to visit us at the hospital, and brought Michelle. (Michelle had a bit of a cold, so she wasn't allowed close to the baby. She watched from afar, however, and thought her brother looked really funny.) After two days at the hospital, we brought the new baby home.
	Two to Two and a Half Years (March-Aug, 2003) Michelle has been taking swimming lessons since February, and enjoying her time in the pool. This summer has been pretty hot in San Diego, so she's also had plenty of chances to go swimming in the ocean, and play in the sand. We went to the Del Mar Fair a couple of times this summer. Michelle loved the petting zoo and the rides. She even got to ride an elephant. Michelle has also been picking up some new hobbies and skills. For example, she recently learned how to put on her shoes. Sometimes she gets into a cleaning frenzy, and sweeps everything in sight, particularly out in the backyard. Another one of her recent fascinations is Nemo; she knows the names of all the fish in the movie, and loves reading her Nemo books. Here are some more miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	Second Birthday (March 12, 2003) Michelle turned two, and had her second birthday party. We brought in some balloons, and Michelle once again enjoyed decorating the house and the guests. She picked out her own Pooh decorations, including some cute party hats that everybody had to wear. The birthday cake was a much bigger hit than last year's - although we still couldn't get her to blow out the candles. And the presents were just as numerous.
	Twenty One to Twenty Four Months (Dec-March, 2002-3) We put up a tree this year, for Chistmas and New Year's. Michelle had lots of fun dancing around it, and making everybody else dance with her. Grandma came to visit for Christmas, and brought lots of presents; and then there was another celebration, and more presents, on New Year's day. Holiday decorations proved to be a big hit with Michelle, who decorated not only the tree and the presents, but herself, her parents, and her toys. After the holidays were over, Michelle got back to the business of running around, playing both indoors and out - in other words, being an (almost) two year old kid.
	Eighteen to Twenty One Months (Sept-Dec, 2002) Michelle didn't have a real Halloween costume, but she wore her spider hat while trick-or-treating. And here are some pictures of Michelle hanging out in the backyard earlier that day. We went up to LA one day, spending a good half a day at Knott's Camp Snoopy. Michelle hung out with the goats, went on a couple of car rides, and a pony ride (definitely the highlight of the trip). Before heading back home, we also spent some time at the Santa Monica beach, and the local FAO Schwarz.
	Fifteen to Eighteen Months (June-Sept, 2002) Michelle had great fun this summer playing in the backyard. She turned out to be quite the little gardener: she loves smelling and watering the flowers, and pulling out the weeds. She also spent many long hours playing in her pool. When inside the house, Michelle likes reading and playing with her parents and grandparents. She is getting better at building more sophisticated structures with legos. Some of the other things that happened this summer: Michelle's first real haircut, and Michelle consuming a large number of peaches.
	Twelve to Fifteen Months (March-June, 2002) Now that Michelle has mastered walking, she is on to more sophisticated forms of movement, such as running, climbing, and even dancing. She loves practicing some of her new skills in the park and on the playground. Michelle has been accumulating toys at an alarming rate. She can still be a very messy eater. And here are some more miscellaneous pictures from this period.
	First Birthday (March 16, 2002) We celebrated Michelle's birthday a few days after she turned one. It was a small party, just the family, but it was plenty exciting for Michelle. She had a great time welcoming the guests and opening the presents. And then there was the birthday cake. The little plastic ducks that came with the cake were certainly a bigger hit than the desert itself.
	Ten to Twelve Months (Jan-March, 2002) One moment, Michelle was taking her first steps; the next, she started running around the house. She still does her share of crawling, climbing, and investigating, but she no longer waits for us to follow her. In fact, she will often hide - behind the bathroom door, inside a laundry basket - and sit there, giggling, until somebody finds her. Another one of her new hobbies is hugging her favorite stuffed animals, and sometimes, when she is particularly gracious, even her mom and dad. Michelle loves live animals, as well; she recently made her first visit to the San Diego Zoo. We've had some real beach weather here in February/March. Michelle loves hanging out at the beach; it's got dogs, birds, rocks, and sand; what else does a baby need?
	Eight to Ten Months (Nov-Jan, 2001-2) Now that Michelle is more mobile, she loves going places. She is mastering some new skills around the house, such as climbing stairs and cruising. She's also getting a bit more sophisticated at reading (that is, she doesn't only try to eat the books anymore). Michelle is becoming more of a messy eater now; she likes to practice her pincer grasp and try out new kinds of food. Luckily, she sometimes helps around the kitchen, as well. In January, Michelle finally got to meet Sierra. Sierra was only six months old but weighed more than Michelle. We told Michelle it would be embarrassing if she got in a fight and we had to rescue her from someone barely half her age.
	Four to Eight Months (Aug-Nov, 2001) In the amount of time it took us to put up some pictures, Michelle has progressed from sort of sitting, to really sitting (and crawling), to sort of standing, to really standing. These days, she even tries to take small steps while holding on with one hand. Soon after becoming mobile, Michelle discovered a taste for books... particularly not her own. Speaking of taste, she has been tasting lots of new things... some of them of the food variety.
	Two to Four Months (May-July, 2001) Now that everybody's gone back to work, Michelle spends a lot of time in the home office. Sometimes she gets to go hiking in the canyon next to our house. In June, Michelle took her first plane flight to Atlanta, for Zoher's wedding. She hung out at aunt Sister's house, and paid a visit to her old friend Calvin. Somewhere in her fourth month, Michelle figured out how to grab things and how to turn over. Her potential for trouble making instantly shot up... She can do lots of other things, too - laugh, stick her feet in her mouth, hang out on her tummy...
	Two Weeks to Two Months (March-May, 2001) These couple of months have been pretty busy, so there hasn't been much time to sort through the pictures. But here they are finally, organized roughly by week: week three (not going to sleep), week four (monkey baby), week six (pretty in pink), week seven (big mouth), week nine (bad hair day), and week ten (welcome, aunt Sister). Well, ok, it wasn't really a particularly bad hair day. That's how wild her hair is every day...
	First Two Weeks (March 15-25, 2001) During the first couple of weeks at home, Michelle has been engaged in all the usual baby activities: sleeping, eating, and producing dirty diapers. She's also been practicing some innovative "projectile pooping" techniques... Here are some pictures of Michelle being taken for a walk, being changed, and just hanging out at home.
	In the Hospital (March 12-14, 2001) Michelle was born on March 12 at 8:42am at the Mills Peninsula Hospital in Burlingame, CA. All the grandparents were there for the occasion. Soon after birth, the baby was given her first bath. After two days in the hospital, baby and parents went home together for the first time.