Isabel and Annabel Go for a Walk

Squatters

Contemplative

Getting ready to roast a squirrel

Isabel gets tired

Annabel Turns 2! (A belated post.)

Annabel and her mini birthday cake.

Annabel goes to Chuck E Cheese's and plays "Whack a Mole" with the help of Dad.

Annabel on a mini carousel, going round and round...

Frank, talking to himself again....

"Yeah, it's gonna be the nerdy crowd. I'm gonna have to push them in that direction. NERDS. Oh, but wait, nerds can get frisky as well. Okay, nerdy, dorky GIRLS. That should be safe."

TILDEN PARK

We spent the day at Tilden Park in the Berkeley Hills last week-end. Basically, it's along this long, windy road with different pit stops: A merry-go-round (it's one of the only solid wood merry-go-rounds out there), a petting/zoo, a steam train, and various picnic and play areas. The only negative thing about this area are the bikers. They're just plain suicidal -- the roads are so narrow and windy and hilly. I remember once when a car hit this biker and Frank had to stop and treat the dumb guy who, thankfully, probably just had a concussion.

Monterey

A couple months ago, mom and dad spent a few days in Monterey without the Hunnybunnies for Kaiser's annual shareholders meeting. It was VERY relaxing without the kids but we realized that without them, we are quite lame when it comes to taking pictures. Here is one of the only shots I took, just because I liked the plantation shutters in our hotel room. And that's Frank being a geek as usual, obsessively reading about web design while wearing his name tag.

Jelly Belly Factory

Two Hunnybunnies took a field trip to The Jelly Belly Factory last week. We got to see how Jelly Bellies were made; ate Jelly Belly shaped hamburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches; and bought a 5 lb. bag of Belly Flops (the "mistakes") and now, we are bouncing off walls. Did you know that the Blueberry flavor was created for Ronald Reagan's presidential inauguration in 1981 when over three tons of Jelly Belly jelly beans were consumed during the festivities? Betcha you didn't.

Two Hunnybunnies & Mr. Stuffed Jelly Belly

Hunnybunny and her Jelly Bellies



Two Hunnybunnies & Mr. Gigantic Monster Jelly Belly

"Tickle Me"

Not fighting for once

Booger

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE FREDDY!!!

BALLOONS

The Hunnybunnies went to a birthday party a few weeks ago where they had a professional balloon artist and can I just say, she was SO talented! I never knew there was such art, such technique, such creativity in making balloons into all sorts of animals and characters. I was flabbergasted and believe you me, I don't flabbergast much these days.

She made a lot more: penguins, crowns, horses, monkeys, wands...but I don't want to make you jealous.

NEW ADDITION TO THE FAMILY

We've been a bit busy these days with our newest addition to the Shic household -- cooking it special meals, tucking it in bed, giving it butterfly kisses and gentle caresses on the backside. Stuff like that. Here's the little beauty:

Her name is MacBook Pro and she arrived at 15 inches and with a 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. Apparently, our old computer set-up (which we still have) was too ghetto. Actually, I believe the exact words were "Dude, your computer is so ghetto. Get a new one." We won't name names BUT YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, THE PERSON WHO SAID THIS. But it's okay, we are not offended because as we are a family who drag around their kids in plastic file boxes for entertainment in a neighborhood where homes these days (not our's, thank goodness!) run at least $1M; and was still watching DVD's on an old laptop up until a year ago, I think we are pretty hick and proud of it. Mac is great -- she's fast, she's sleek, she's skinny, she's sexy and she's got wifi.

EASTER

How I wish I had wiped Isabel's runny nose before taking these pictures...

SHIC-FAMILY FUN, GHETTO STYLE

Frank was about to throw away these plastic file boxes he's had since college when he, that smart and cunning fellow full of fab ideas, placed the Hunnybunnies in them, tied up a robe, and started pulling them all around the neighborhood. I don't know where Annabel got that branch she's holding on to but she sure looks like she's having fun, huh? Later, for dinner, I cooked up them grits and that opossum I killed yesterday with a rock.




And here, Isabel entertains herself in one of Frank's most recent creations: melamine cabinets for the garage.

WE'RE BACK!

So, did ya'll miss us? All, er, three of you who read this blog. That was probably the worst round of stomach flu we have ever experienced. Even after the Hunnybunnies stopped puking and pooping, they continued to have poor appetites which means they ate like most kids their age who are in the 50th percentile for weight. I knew it was bad when I had to cajole, yes! cajole!, Isabel into nibbling on a chocolate chip cookie. And how do you bribe a kid into eating a chocolate chip cookie?? But just today, their appetites seemed to have returned with a vengeance and I am frantically trying to keep up with their eating demands.

TWO SICK HUNNYBUNNIES

We havn't been in much of a picture-taking, blogging kind of mood these days because both Hunnybunnies have been sick with a horrible stomach virus which means a lot of puking and diarrhea. Poor Annabel got it the worst. And since she's still in diapers and can't quite control her bowels just yet? Well, you get the pretty picture. I've actually resorted to just throwing away her clothes because, honestly, who's gonna want a onesy that had watery diarrhea all the way up to the neckline? We'll be back...

BELLE CABINETS

Before

After

Isabel's 4th Birthday

So Frank and I aren't big birthday people. I don't know what Frank's deal is, since I didn't grow up with him (and thank goodness for that - I've heard about those tight shorts and Hawaiian shirts and great taste in high school girls, too) but when I was a kid, it was all "your birth day was the day your mother was in the most pain so it should be a celebration of HER, not YOU." (And you thought that as the only child I was the little princess, didn't you?) Hear that, Isabel? And you, too, Annabel little miss won't turn her head down in the right direction even though the doctor tried and tried to turn you and it was so painful I wanted to die.

But whatever. Out baby girl still got her strawberry bunny cake and a few presents and was all happy, happy, happy because it's really about setting the expectations low. Every Saturday morning Frank takes Isabel to get bagels and then to Starbucks for my Americana where he gives her a little plastic stirring straw and it's like he gives her a new puppy each time or something. She will hold on to that red straw all morning long. It's like a little treat! It's great! It's red! It's so straight! Sounds kind of sad, doesn't it but see? LOW EXPECTATIONS.

Here are pictures of Isabel blowing out her candles and our two little cream puffs.

Can you tell who's who?

Isabel loves to write letters and lately, her writing is actually starting to make a little sense. She especially likes to write in her special writing outfit: a pink tutu over her purple pajamas.

Look! Look what mommy did to my hair! So there I was, just sitting in the bathroom this morning watching her brush her teeth and pretty much minding my own business when all of a sudden what does she do? She whips out a pair of little scissors (the kind you use to trim your nails) and she starts cutting away! And the amazing thing is, she did it WITHOUT THE AID OF A BOWL! And with a toothbrush in her mouth! And yes, that's my sister in the background with a bib around her neck. It's a long story...

It's too bad you can't be here to have some of these sugar cookies Isabel helped bake. She was in charge of the sprinkles. Happy V-day!

Everyone needs their own little space. Isabel's got her favorite corner in the house where she keeps her library books. It's a fine little corner.

New blog space

Per A Girl Named Adenine's suggestion, we've created a new home for our blog! If only it were really that easy to find and move into a new house. Welcome!