Busy Friday Night
First we made a quick trip to Kohls’ where the kids got some new clothes (including Katelyn’s first “jeggings”). Then we dropped Haley off in downtown Burlingame to markch in their little holiday parade with the Burlingame Aquatic Club. While she was busy with that, Katelyn and I picked out a Christmas tree. We got Haley, and walked down to Isobune for some sushi. I was enhausted when we got home! The kids had to go to bed relatively early because they were planning on getting up in the morning and hitting a mall with Glynis and Susan. Yikes!
MEF Night Out
One day a year, local businesses donate a portion of their proceeds to the Millbrae Education Foundation (MEF). W=On 12/5 we decided to patronize these businesses to support MEF. First we went to Naked Fish Sushi but the line was an hour long, even for to-go orders! So we ended up a Big Mouth Burger, where we found they had a vegan option, a falafel burger! Haley got yogurt at Nubi Yogurt for dessert. It was a long evening getting food to go, but it felt good to support MEF.
A Concert And Another Concert
On Saturday, December 1 I had two concerts with the West Bay Community Band. The first was holiday accompaniment music before and after Santa’s arrival on a helicopter at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos. Then I went home and tried to rest my chops preparing for the evening. At 5pm we headed out for dinner at Max’s in Redwood City with a crowd, including our family, Mom and her friend Mary, George and Linda, and Glynis and Susan. Then was the WBCB Winter Concert at the Veteran’s Center in Redwood City, where Stacy also joined us. It was a great time, and I especially loved sharing my music with family and friends.
Thanksgiving!
We had a fabulous time! Here’s who attended:
- Susan (who helped with some prep and a ton of cleanup)
- Joel
- Apple (who brought a from-a-real-pumpkin pie)
- Nathan
- Glynis (who made an apple torte, with help from Susan and Katelyn)
- Susan (who made veggie pockets, with help from Glynis and Katelyn)
- Jennifer (who made the gravy)
- Selena (who made a gingerbread)
- Mom (who made the vegan stuffing and help with LOTS of shopping, setup, cleaning, and tons of dishes, in addition to an endless supply of ideas and moral support)
And of course me, Val (who made cranberry sauce and bread sauce and helped a lot, in spite of her back being all messed up), Katelyn (who lugged things around, prepped brusells sprouts, and help with cleanup and dishes), and Haley (who prepped brussells sprout and green beans, and helped with all kinds of setup and cleanup and dishes).
It was a small enough crowd that we could actually have one table conversation and sit at one table, and everyone seemed to get along well. Games were played (pinball, Jenga, chess, etc), we watched some football, and Joel and Nathan played the piano a bit.
Pictures here. Apparently only one side of the table got photographed. I think Val is the only one who didn’t appear in any pictures. She was there! 🙂
Thanksgiving Prep and More
I took Wednesday 11/21 off work – too much to do!
- Gym: appointment with my trainer
- Mammogram
- Costco
- Pick up Haley
- Mollie Stone’s
- Wash all of the holiday dishes
- Cooking and prepping for Thanskgiving
I was exhausted!
Halloween!!
The girls finished their costumes over the weekend, so they were ready to go. Haley was a “Weeping Angel” from Dr. Who, and Katelyn was the March Hare. I dressed as a Silly Sorceress. Val didn’t dress up this year. Check out our costumes.
On Halloween morning they were up by 6:30 to get ready. After makeup and nail angst I got Haley to school on time, and came back for Katelyn. She had to fill a whole gallon thermos with boiling water and package up some tea bags and cups (after a stop at the store), to take to school for a tea party, then off we went.
I went to work, one of about 25 people on my floor to dress up. I’d been coordinating events at work, decorating a bit (my colleague Glenda did a lot of it) and organizing a potluck and costume contest. I was the emcee, and it was great fun. You can see pictures from the party here.
I left work early and picked up both kids, then tried to get some work done. At 5 I took Haley over to her friend Ari’s house in Burlingame. Haley’s parents took the two of them plus Ari’s little sister out in their neighborhood, and they had a great time. Meanwhile, I dropped Katelyn off to meet her friends near downtown Millbrae, and they went off on their own, after which I went back to pick up Haley. An hour or so later I took Val to the airport for a business trip to Arizona, and then picked up Katelyn. Basically I just shuttled everyone around all evening, and we all had fun.
Oh, and we’d carved pumpkins on Sunday, which you can see here. My friend Sabine helped, and Katelyn wasn’t able to do a pumpkin because she was busy doing homework. Sad!
Visit with George and Linda
George and Linda visited us on Friday. Val and I cooked a relatively simple dinner, before which we lit Shabbat candles and ate challah I’d purchased earlier at the day when I went to the gym at the PJCC. After dinner we ate the dessert they brought and watched one of George’s favorite movies, Sans Soleil. The kids were with Glynis & Susan so we had some adult time.
Suprise Party for Kathie
Kathie’s birthday was today (the 22nd), and we all gathered last Saturday afternoon for a surprise birthday party for her. She’d been moping around all week about nothing happening for her birthday, so it was really fun to surprise her.
Synagogue and Friendship
On the 13th, while Katelyn was at her third Drivers Ed class, Haley, Val and I joined George and Linda for services at their synagogue. Then later on that day, Liza and Jody came over for dinner, games, and visiting. A pleasant day!
Yom Kippor
Mom came up and joined us for services and hanging out. We all fasted, even Haley, who lasted from the evening before until about 4:00. (She ended up breaking her fast with a couple of pieces of frozen pre-cooked bacon – very irreligious!) We broke our fast a bit early to accomodate Haley’s birthday dinner at Lai Lai.
I always like Yom Kippor because it’s such an introspective holiday, making you look within at yourself and the world you create around you. I really do feel like Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippor give me a fresh start every year.
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