Hey Batter! Hey Batter!

(9/28/04) Dale and Maxine arrived last night, and Hank is thrilled to have more playmates. We called them before their flight left and Henry delivered the following lines, which he spontaneously said several days ago and honed to near perfection: "pack suitcase, fly airplane, I see you!" The Bequettes will be watching Henry while we're on our trip.

Henry and Alex

(9/25/04) Pete, Ariste, and Alex Wright visited for the weekend from Encino. The boys played great together. After lunch on the beach at Padaro Grill (where we also met the Whelans), it was a busy afternoon of outdoor fun. In the evening, babysitters watched the boys while we had an adults-only dinner at Quantum.

Bee Chasing

(9/19/04) We spend an afternoon trying to get our bee kite airborne in the backyard breezes. Today feels like the first day of fall--fresh winds off the ocean, sycamore leaves dancing across the road, and just a hint of the "icy 60 degree blasts" that foretell winter in California. The bee doesn't want to fly, but we have fun anyway.

Reunited!

(9/18/04) Babysitter Jennifer Snider returns after two weeks vacation between her semesters at UCSB. Henry often asked, "Jenn--where is she?" while she was away. Jill and I went out for dinner at Blue Agave restaurant with Kevin and Kristin while Jenn and Henry caught up.

Berry Picking

(9/17/04) Hank loves to eat food from the yard--strawberries, apples, and pears. We were all surprised tonight to find a bumper crop waiting for us in the strawberry patch.

Tom Watson

(9/17/04) Tonight our friend Tom joined us for dinner and a visit to the strawberry patch. Tom was our neighbor when we lived on Laguna Street.

The California Kid

(9/11/04) While getting ready for a trip to the Farmer's Market, Henry requested his sunglasses. They coordinated perfectly with his favorite pacifier, which he is only allowed to have in the car or in his crib.

Happy Ultrasound

(9/9/04) The 18-week ultrasound looks great. Dr. Alex Soffici examines the fetus, now almost a foot long. With his 3-d ultrasound he is able to examine the spine, brain, extremities, heart, kidneys, stomach, and other organs in great detail. We couldn't see her face because she had her hands in front of her eyes, just like Henry did. Dr. Soffici says everything looks perfect.

First Day of School

(9/8/04) Henry's first day at Joyful Noise is a joyful one. He is excited to go to "school", finds lots of things to do, gets along well with everyone, and is not in a rush to leave. But it is a tough day for his mother, seeing her little bunny so grown up. He seems to sense this and says goodbye to his mommy by blowing her a kiss.

Lunch With The Governor

(9/6/04) We decide to have a Labor Day lunch at the San Ysidro Pharmacy, and who is at the next table? Governor Arnold, his wife Maria, their kids, and the Rob Lowe family. We munched on our food and tried to look nonchalant while also trying to eavesdrop. Unfortunately, their kids were at our side of the table so we couldn't hear the adults. They left without talking to anyone and the owner later said they were "not friendly." Hmmnnnn...I guess they were on vacation.

Bill H., Mark D., Norm W.

Garden Party and Rock and Roll

(9/5/04) After a nice family Sunday of churchgoing and lunch at a new Mexican restaurant in Montecito, Jill and I attend a garden party at the home of some friends who have just moved into their remodeled home. I run into my friend Norm, on the right, who invites me to a rock concert that night at the SB Bowl. We leave the party early and become the oldest fans of the band, Incubus.

Butterfly Beach

(9/4/04) We spend a couple of hours having a picnic lunch (Jill's BLTAs) at the beach before splashing in the waves. After naptime, we go to a friend's house for a cookout.

"Fixing" Henry's Hair

(9/4/04) We have a problem with Henry's hair. He melts down when we take him to get it cut. We had a few successful trips to the kiddie barber but now he won't do that, and is so afraid of my barber, Bob, that whenever we drive by the Montecito Barbers shop he chants, "no Bob, no Bob, no Bob." Today we tried having me go at him with a beard trimmer. It lasted about 30 seconds. Maybe with 30 seconds each day we can get some results...

Play-Doh

(9/3/04) Henry's new favorite activity... we like to create herds of animals with the cookie cutters, then either roll them into balls or perhaps spread them on a Play-Doh pizza. We created a presumably delicious "five bunny pizza pie" today, and countless multicolor pancakes. We also like to roll out long strips of dough and cut them with scissors. Approximately 7,546,031 Play-Doh chunks have been created this way in the last 24 hours alone.

End of Summer Party

(9/2/04) Jill hosted her Trinity Church mother's group (and their kids) for an end of summer luncheon and pool party. Much of the activity took place earlier, but there was still some splashing action when the photographer arrived. "Fun" and "Relaxed" were the words of the day, according to the hostess and numerous guests.

Sightseeing in Colorado

While on a business trip to Boulder, I had time to see some of the beautiful country: