November 08

We were actually here all month, well technically we got back Nov.2nd but I'll let that slide. It was an ok month, I took Alex to a ukelele concert, we went to another birthday party and for the first time in a while Alex actually did more work on the house. It was nice to get back into a rhythm here and see friends, go for hikes or bike rides and just relax. But we also got sick the most this month, there is apparently a lot of good to being on the go constantly. We all got an awful stomach flu that really set us back and then a pretty bad cold with LOTS of coughing so glad that is all done, ugh!!

We were healthy for Thanksgiving and had a great time at our friends Miae + David's. David made the best gravy I have ever had, I'm not just saying that so you have us back next year, it truly was so good!!! All the food was and we figured out the key to all good meals..bacon. It was wrapped around the turkey, in the stuffing, in the vegetables...everywhere and it all was SOOO good.

Sasha saw Cinderella for the first time- I was leary and she only watched maybe a half hour but I thought that would open the flood gates for princesses and we'd be finished. Luckily that hasn't happened and while her favorite color is still pink, her favorite girl is still DORA. During Thanksgiving the girls played with their usual love/hate relationship. It is really funny, they both talk about each other, get very excited to see each other and then when together, yell, hit and at times go full on WWF style for a toy. It used to be Sophia that took what she wanted and Sasha never really fought back. Well now Sasha is quite the battler and does this screaming fit where she actually shakes to fight back. We try to let them work it out as long as no one is really getting hurt. But then we laugh b/c after we seperate them and we leave Sasha is crying for Sophia...two year olds who can figure them out!

There aren't many pictures for this month but check out these few:
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/Nov08?authkey=3xdksN5Ex1M#

Oct 08

October had it's mix of travel and home fun! We were here the first few weeks and had friends in town. Which gave us an excuse to go check out Renzo Piano's new California Academy of Science. It was pretty nice and Sasha loved seeing all the fish as well as going into the rain forest and trying to catch the butterflies. The whole place, while expensive, is great to go check out. It was nice seeing Donna and Andy, the ex-Berkeleyites now Burlingtonites, and we were so happy they found time to join us for dinner and catch up.

We also had our block party, which we missed last year, and was amazed that there was entertainment. We had a live band and a neighbor did some fire dancing, I think called Poi. It was really cool and the kids as well as adults were mesmerized. Most of the party for me was spent running back and forth pushing Sasha on her tricycle [she can't reach the pedals yet] to keep up with the older kids on their bikes. I got a good little run in and she had a great time "playing" with the other kids. One little girl was super cool and was on her skateboard which now Sasha likes to balance on one of my legs and pretend she's skateboarding...one day we'll try it.

This month we also went to 2 birthday parties, a pumpkin carving party and even 2 sukkot parties. Sasha has really settled into school and seems to be enjoying it. Now she runs off into the classroom without saying goodbye. Her teachers are incredibly loving and I see her giving them big hugs when she says hello and goodbye. We try to do some fun things as a family there as well- they have an incredible amount of events and the sukkot dinner party was really nice. We were the last ones to leave as Sasha cried while we dragged her out...

At the pumpkin carving party, our friends Andrea and Ray found these great accessories for kids that you push into pumpkins so they feel like they are doing it themselves. Hard to explain and I didn't take a picture...but we put stickers on our pumpkin, Alex helped cut a mouth and Sasha put on the two eyes and nose to help make a good creepy pumpkin that sat out on our porch for almost a month!

One weekend we actually took a day trip down to Half Moon Bay to hit a bunch of pumpkin patches. We found that at age 2 it was a little more difficult to get the nice "sit on the pumpkin and smile for the camera" picture. Sasha was more interested in these rocking horses that the pumpkins could have disappeared. She had a blast riding them and we probably went on all 7 that were at the pumpkin patch. And we got great pictures on those! We had some free alone time in the bouncy house as well, so Mommy joined in on the fun and at one point bounced into Sasha taking her completely out and the fun ended...oops!

So of course we still went back east for my cousin Julie's wedding and to do our whole East Coast visit. We had a great time seeing everyone and the wedding was amazing! Julie looked beautiful, Mark her now husband handsome and everything was over the top! The food was great, the band one of the best I've ever heard and the whole decor elegant. It was a fun night dancing and stuffing ourselves silly. Congrats again!

While there my parents took Sasha to Adventureland - it's got rides and is like a big carnival, we used to love it as kids. She had a blast and is surprisingly more of a daredevil than we thought. She asked if she could go on the roller coaster and due to my parents fear they told her maybe next yr! HA! Ok and maybe the fact she wasn't tall enough...

Alex and I met up with friends that day and I dreamed about what it would be like to move back to NY...surprisingly other than the snow I think it would be nice. Alex says I always say that when we go back during the fall b/c it is so beautiful with all the leaves changing. He suggests we go back during the winter to see what I think, and then I realize I may stay in CA forever.

After the wedding we headed to our friend Mary's in Brooklyn and had two days to explore Manhattan. The first day was beautiful and we just wandered around the village. We met up with Mary for dinner and it was so nice to catch up. The next day was pouring rain- like what you see in the movies- all day! We got soaked going from her apt. to the subway and it's literally a block and a half!! We bought another umbrella and luckily Sasha thought it was hilarious. Considering all this we just headed straight to the Met and spent the entire day in the museum. I hadn't been in a really long time and it was Alex's first time. While it was packed, due to the weather, it really was amazing. We gave into Sasha using her pacifier the whole time we were there and she even napped for an hour and half so we enjoyed seeing all of the art. It really is HUGE!!

The next day we were off to Maryland, on the train and Sasha had a great time. Since she's at the stage where she loves trains we figured we'd just take one from Penn Station to Baltimore. It shockingly wasn't that expensive and only took a little over 2 hrs!!
Once there Alex's sister Julie and her fiance Mike picked us up and we headed out to lunch with Grandma Nellie and Aunt Carol. Sasha had no nap and wasn't the happiest unfortunately but luckily they still love her. The next day we headed over to Alex's other grandparents [the Hills] and had a really nice time. We raked leaves and Sasha had a great time jumping in them while Alex pretended to hide and tackle her. It was hilarious! While it took some time for Sasha to feel comfortable, she ended up on Grandad Hills lap by the end and I think made him incredibly happy. This trip was a bit hard for her, with so many new places and people...so it was nice to see. We also saw a bunch of college friends for dinner and brunch, got to go to a farm with Grandma and take a hay ride and see Sasha's cousins. Overall it was a great trip!

Here are some more pictures of all the fun we had this month!
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/Oct08?authkey=4oxr0GsHbD0#

September 08

September was an amazing month and incredibly packed. For Sasha's 2nd birthday we went to Tahoe with my Dad, we had a great time and are always in awe of how beautiful it is. We spent some time at the beach, went on a hike and just relaxed. I think both Alex + I knocked out two books thanks to my Dad being there to play with Sasha. We celebrated her actual birthday with an ice cream cake, chocolate is by far her favorite and luckily she is quite neat.

The next big event was heading to Portland/Hood River for Abby + Will's wedding. I flew up by myself on Thurs. evening and helped Abby do last minute things before driving out with her to Hood River to start the wedding weekend. It was so nice to get some alone time as we all know how crazy those weekends are for the bride. We went to the spa with all the girls for some pampering and had a great time. Robin and Ted flew out for the wedding and we got to meet little Cameron, at that point only 2 months old!! She is such a cutie and they are great with her. It's so nice to see how happy they all are! Then that evening was a BBQ at the group house we were renting and we had fun relaxing and chatting with everyone who flew into town. Sat. we had a breakfast for the bridal party to do a rehearsal and after this is when all of our running around finally calmed down. We headed out to a winery, Cathedral Ridge, and it was a gorgeous day to hang out on the grounds. Most people were in town by now and it was good to enjoy being out in the sunshine. I even bought a bottle to celebrate the weekend!

That afternoon Alex, Sasha and the Wines' came out to Hood River in time for the BBQ that evening. Thanks again to the Wines' for shuttling us around and letting us stay at your house! It was much appreciated and as always good to see you and little Henry! We have a video of Sasha singing "My Bonnie" and she lets us know that Henry likes that song- it's adorable. Anyway, the BBQ that night was in such a great setting, there were playgrounds for the kids and really amazing stone fireplaces to keep us warm as the sun set. Will's crew did all the cooking and everything was delicious. It was a really nice way to get everyone together and kickstart the party.

The next day was the wedding!!! We went on a hike with Kristen and Rick in the morning. After the hike Kristen and I got ready and met up with Abby, Robin and Abby's sister Laura at Laura's house. Abby had gotten her hair done there and she looked beautiful. We then all drove out to the B+B together and had a lot of fun on the car ride. We finished getting dressed at the B+B and the place was amazing!! Mt. Hood was in the backround and it really was impressive. After some toasts + champagne in the suite we were told it was time to go!! We took a few pictures and then headed out to the ketubah signing and ceremony. Abby was radiant and Will beaming- it was so nice to see how much love was surrounding them from all their family and friends! After the ceremony we had a great time and even learned a square dance. The whole weekend was a blast and we're so happy for them! Congrats again and thanks for letting us be such a big part of the weekend!

The next trip, yes we travelled again, was back to MA for Rosh Hashanah. We were going to surprise my grandmother who was coming in from FL but that didn't work out...so while we were sick we went anyway and although it was an incredibly quick trip we got to see Lisa's new house and have a short visit with my parents.

In between all of that we were exhausted! And you wonder why I don't write this blog more consistently! Here's some pics of the months happenings!

http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/September08?authkey=LUwKupir-10#

August

August is a birthday month...Alex's birthday is at the end of July and mine a week later. So we celebrated together when Alex's mom was in town. We went to see the new Batman movie and ate at this great little restaurant across from the newly renovated theater in Alameda. We had a great time with Nellie visiting. We headed to a street fair by Lake Merritt and Sasha went right into the bouncy house. It was so fun watching her in there laughing and running around. Although she's often quite timid, sometimes she surprises us with her boldness and in the case of the bouncy house we were happily surprised. For our birthdays we also all headed to see the local MLS soccer game. We saw the LA Galaxy vs. the SJ Earthquakes here at the colliseum in Oakland. For those of you that know soccer that means we got a close glimpse of Mr. David Beckham which with all his stardom was quite fun. I do have to say thought that the best part was the game. We won 3-2 and scored the final goal in the 89th minute. Really it was awesome! Sasha's first soccer experience when she was much younger didn't go so well, but dealing with the loud crowds and cheering she's getting much more comfortable.

We really stayed put the rest of the month considering Alex just took his new job and we knew we were heading to Tahoe at the end of August to celebrate Sasha's birthday. We had a little party the weekend before Sasha's real birthday. And it really seemed like she enjoyed herself playing with all her little friends. It also turned out to be a beautiful day, but our backyard gets a ton of sun and people were definitely migrating to the few shady spots. Alex and I made a Curious George cake which came out wonderful! Unfortunately, we didn't take a picture of it alone to show off our cake making skills...next year. When we sang Happy Birthday Sasha became quite shy and wasn't as excited as we hoped. But when the spotlight was removed from her, she happily ate her piece of cake and went back to having fun. For her birthday gift we bought her this play kitchen which was the best thing we could have gotten her. She plays with it constantly and loves to cook for us. Our friends were awesome and bought her different foods and pots and pans to help get it started. She just LOVES it! The day really was a lot of fun and I'm so glad everyone could make it!

Check out the pictures of the festivities:
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/August?authkey=jAGLoUoz8zY#

July

July was a big month with lots of changes! First off Alex took a new job with another high end residential contractor, Ford Mazzola in the city. He is now working on three jobs all with the same architect which hopefully will bode well. Due to him changing jobs the best part was that he took 2 weeks off between them. During his time off, he finished the front stairs, entry door and railings. It looks amazing! And as a little treat he went on a solo backpacking trip to the Jennie Lakes area. He said it was really beautiful and enjoyed the solitude, which is a rare treat. We also took a little family trip for 3 days up to Guerneville and the Russian River. It was incredibly relaxing and warm! We went swimming and played in the river and just did a whole lot of nothing.

Then I left on my first solo trip since Sasha was born and headed to Whidby Island, off of Seattle, to partake in Abby's bachlorette camping trip. We had a blast and I have to say it was nice to be on my own for a few days but by day 3 I was ready to head home and see my family. We went to an ollalieberry festival on the island and did a little hike along the water. Most of the time the weather was nice but we did get rained on while camping. Oh Seattle, you and your rain. Then we headed back to Portland where I got to meet up with some other friends in the city. I met Mr. Henry Wines who is adorable and such a great baby. It was so nice to finally meet him at 3 months old! Jenna and Aaron seem to be doing really well and are naturals at parenting. I also have to say I forgot how nice it was to hold an infant again, he's not even that small for a 3 month old but I realize it's all relative. It really is amazing, and so cliche, but it goes by so quickly! And Sasha, although only 2 is such a little girl now.

Also in the beginning of the month Lisa and Scott were here for a quick visit. We had an amazing breakfast in North Beach and headed to Coit Tower. Then they came over for a BBQ and I think we would all agree we ate well that day! It was nice to see them both and we were thrilled to have them here.

Other than that, there were a few neighborhood BBQ's and lots of play time outside. Sasha loves her little pool and we use it weekly. She also has become a great little hiker. Literally on our hike in Armstrong Redwoods Park she ran 2/3 of the time, did I mention while singing? It was a lot of fun discovering things in the woods and we had such a nice day. Like most kids she also loves her bath- lately it seems like she's in there at least for 30 min. and comes out as a little prune. She shows Alex how she goes swimming, they blow bubbles and sing at the top of their lungs. It's hilarious and quite a lot of fun. The other thing we often do in the evenings is sit out on our stairs before we head out for a walk. Sasha likes to see people walking through our neighborhood and asks us, "Who's that?" And we reply, "A neighbor." She then says, " What's their name?" We say, "We don't know but you can introduce yourself and say Hi I'm Sasha. What's your name?" She has only done it once to a little boy around 5, but it was adorable. It feels very old school sitting out on your front porch watching the neighborhood before you but we love listening to all that she sees and then we head out to the cul-de-sac to see who's out playing.

Here's some pictures for you to enjoy!
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/July?authkey=u-UZ5Tg2R9o#

June

The summer always flies by...however living here the summer weather has really just begun. Mid August is when the days are hot, the evenings warm and it feels a tad like the East Coast w/o the humidity. It usually lasts until Oct. and as I write this it is close to 90 degrees outside!! But back to June...we were actually in town for the entire month. It was so nice to be home! We went to various street fairs, bbq's and brunches with friends. I even was able to scrapbook a bit for a gift for Father's Day.

Other than the fun stuff, I was focusing on studying for my MEP exam which took up all of my "free time". Alex was using his time working hard on our house...the never ending project. It is looking beautiful though and the last big interior project is really now just the bathroom! This month he also became a green certified builder and attended some all day seminars learning more about sustainability. This month we celebrated Father's Day and Sasha made Alex a painting while I gave him a full day to go biking on his own! He did a great 4 hr. ride and was thrilled when he got back. We also all got ice cream to celebrate!

Our little Sasha is approaching 2 and we are just amazed by all she is doing. She is such a good kid and really is a joy to be with. What are these people talking about when they say the terrible 2's...maybe she's just not there yet but we love this age! We laugh alot, talk alot and play with our dolls quite a bit. Sasha is definitely what I would call a "girlie" girl, she loves pink, she loves her dolls and really I think if she could wash her hands all day she would stand in front of the sink for hours. She is also a little chocoholic, really it's hilarious how she gets so excited about it. Even when she is pretending to cook she always makes sure to add in some chocolate and cinnamon. I guess the Resnick sweet tooth is in her afterall! She has a huge vocabulary and is quite imaginative in her play....she enjoys playing doctor, as you'll see in the pictures, and it's so cute how she listens and says, "bump,bump, bump" for the beating of your heart. We have a stethascope she plays with and we sometimes even get a band-aid after she is done with her examination. She also plays with 2 little boys, Nico + Liam, every Tues. and Thurs. and she adores them. From what I'm told she is Rosa's [her nanny] little helper, she gives everyone their milk, snacks and even tries to clean them up afterwords. They are the cutest together and I love watching them all dance and give kisses and hugs goodbye.

Check out the photos this month:
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/June?authkey=nW5dpY7a-j8#

May

May was filled with lots of travel. We headed to Tahoe for Mother's Day weekend where we napped, hiked, had a chance to read and swim. It was a beautiful weekend and the scenery there is just gorgeous. We discovered a few smaller lakes around the "Big Blue" and had a chance to spend some time there. Some areas still had snow and Sasha loved licking it.

But the big trip and event of the month was Lisa's wedding! We did our east coast tour starting in MD visiting Alex's family. All was smooth and we enjoyed spending time with his Mom + grandparents. It was a quick visit but we were glad to see everyone. We went to a park with Alex's mom, Nellie, and Sasha actually wanted to go on the carousel, in the past she's cried when we've taken her on it...so it was a bit of a surprise. While still not completely sure what to think, she decided she wanted to sit on one of the bench seats in a swan instead of bob up and down on a horse but we went 3 times as I think she enjoyed it. Daddy after one time around had to get off though...he was dizzy! Then we went on the train, which Sasha loves right now, and from the expressions on her face didn't seem overjoyed, she kept asking to go on again. The park was huge and we wandered through it with Sasha stopping to play on the swings, these huge wooden cars and another play structure. It was a fun outing and we'll definitely have to go back there.

That Friday we flew up to Boston for the wedding weekend. The first night was Lisa's bachlorette party in the city. We went out to dinner, a very hip tapas place and a comedy club where the comedians were lukewarm. It was still fun hanging with all the girls and we laughed on our own plenty. Then the next day we all headed out to Williamstown in the Berkshires where the wedding would take place. It was a beautiful drive with all the green trees and rolling hills as we made our way out there. The bridal party went straight to a spa for some girl time and pampering and the guys went on a golf outing. Alex and Sasha had lunch with Oma at the hotel and got settled in. We had been moving around so much sleeping was not going well for Sasha..or us for that matter...so Alex and her took a nice nap before the rehearsal dinner. There were about 20 of us at dinner and it was a great way to kick things off. I gave my speech to the happy couple that I think came off ok, I was surprised to find myself tearing up as I read it. But I am just really happy for them and it seemed like the past year had so much planning around it, I just couldn't believe the big day was finally here.

Sunday was the wedding day! We all gathered in Lisa's suite and got ready starting at 8:30...the wedding was at 2:30 but we had to be ready for pictures at noon. It was fun just hanging around all getting our hair and makeup done. Thanks to Julie who did an excellent job on my makeup! I wish you would have done it for my wedding!! Lisa looked beautiful and the vail she wore, made from my Mom's dress, was gorgeous! I really loved it! Everything went off without a hitch, other than we were running a little late with pictures but you can't start the ceremony w/o the wedding party! Sasha with no nap was melting down during pictures...so I wasn't sure how she would do down the aisle or the wedding for that matter. The whole weekend she was SUPER attached to her Daddy so I wasn't even sure she would come with me without having him by her side. To my happy surprise, right before we all walked out she was hilarious and singing at the top of her lungs...we were having so much fun and then when it was our time to go she did great. Other than wanting to jump in a small pond in the middle of the courtyard, she made it down just fine. The ceremony was short but sweet and then we all could just relax and party. The rest of the day was spent dancing, eating good food and talking with friends and family. Everyone had a great time and we're all happy to celebrate the newly married couple. Congrats Lisa + Scott!


Then our caravan headed back to my parents house and while I drove with my Mom we decided to stop for ice cream. They had 30 soft serve flavors, how could you not? However, it took forever to get two cones. The funny part was along the drive we got stuck behind a Mem. Day parade and my Mom was just saying how she's learned to relax more after leaving NY- and that this "country" living [it's pretty rural out there] was for her. While Alex and my Dad behind us were wondering who, my Mom or I, would freak out and lose our cool first...patience is not our strongest virtue. Well, I have to say we both did quite well with the parade but the ice cream wait almost killed us- we were both so impatient and I think my Mom's NY nature is still in there...HA!

Other than these trips, I found out I passed my Pre-Design exam!! Yea!! And signed up for MEP...in July. We'll see how that one goes...

Here's some pics from this month! Hope you enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/May02?authkey=q3v1xENZo_s

April

Okay, I know it's June and I've missed a few months but I'll try to catch up. So April, not that many pictures this month, most likely b/c I got a nasty flu that took me out for about 10 days.

For us, April is special b/c it is our Anniversary and this year we celebrated our 5th wedding anniv. and 10th overall! That night we went out to celebrate and checked out a new hip restaurant in Oakland. It ended up being packed and we found out it was b/c Chris Rock was performing next door that very night...so once the crowd left we settled in to an excellent dinner and enjoyed having some time on our own. As a gift, I surprised Alex with a really nice uklele, for those of you that don't know he's really gotten into playing and enjoys it so much he goes to a class to play bi-weekly with 40 other dorks, I mean uke players. Ha! This year is wood and while we haven't always stuck to those traditions, it seemed like an appropriate gift. And being the thoughtful, project driven guy he is, he is making me a necklace holder from wood at one of the cabinet makers shop that he works with. Once I see it, I'll definitely post pictures. It is incredibly sweet and I'm excited to get it.

The next weekend we headed to Portland to visit with Abby + Will, Aaron + Jenna, Ann + Desi and Julie [Alex's sister] and her new boyfriend Mike. It was a packed weekend but luckily all of them are incredibly warm and inviting and opened their homes to our entire group! Thanks so much! Upon our landing, we got a glimpse of Greg Oden picking up a lady friend when Will got us at the airport. Now we can say we've seen as much star power in Portland as we have in LA. And thanks so much for getting the car seat and making the time to get us!

Then on Sat, Abby and I went and checked out her wedding site in Hood River. It really is going to be beautiful and we can't wait until Sept.! Hood River is gorgeous and I love the place she chose! Unfortunately, I started feeling awful during this day trip and wasn't able to shake it until a week after we got home...we still had a nice time but as I said to her, I had the type of headache that felt as if someone hit you in the back of the head with a bat. OUCH! It was a hot sunny day and we enjoyed lunch at a restaurant with a outdoor patio overlooking the river- it felt great to be in the sun! But better yet we got some ice cream to cool off down on the main street of the town.

I am also so glad we got to see Ms. Jenna pregnant and the awesome renovation they are doing to their basement. They seem like they are all ready for "pancake" to arrive. We can't wait to meet the little one this summer. We also went on some nice walks around their neighborhood with their brand new BOB stroller- Sasha enjoyed getting out and luckily that was her chance for nap time. It is such a cute area and the bungalows are adorable. I loved "dreaming" about where we would live and amazingly for half the price! AGH! Also we got a chance to spend time in their backyard and they have an incredible garden that gave us much inspiration. Alex + I have decided to start a garden of our own upon our return!

It was great meeting Julie's Mike, he seems like a great guy and is incredibly sweet on her. She's smiling bigger smiles than I've ever seen and as long as he makes her happy we're thrilled! We really are looking forward to getting to know him more! On our last day there, Ann gave us a great tour of the Nike campus and access to the employee store where we bought our share of schwag. Sasha even got two little pairs of Nikes' and is now hip on the playground. Desi unfortunately was in Liberia so we missed seeing her...but we'll definitely be back with so many friends there!

Other than that, I took my next exam for my Arch. License - Pre-design and Alex continued to work on the house, the never ending project...

Here are some pictures to check out from this month:
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/April?authkey=V9I5JRoTVGY

March

This month was a lot of fun and we had a lot of visitors. We started the month out with Alex's father Mike. We had a great day doing a hike on Mt. Tam, the weather was perfect and we got to show off our beautiful coastline. We did the Matt Davis trail down to Stinson Beach. With Sasha in tow, she did walk for parts of it, it took us about 3 hours. We then had lunch at a cafe in Stinson and Alex the rockstar he is ran back up to get the car so we wouldn't have to take another 3-4 hrs. getting back. Mike decided to hike back up and meet us at the parking lot on our way out. Sasha and I went to a great playground before heading over to the beach. We had a lot of fun playing in the water and sand. It was windy but she had a blast chasing the seagulls. Then Alex amazingly did the run in an hour- mind you these are crazy steep switchbacks and a pretty big feat for someone who doesn't run regularly. So he picked us up, we got ice cream which Sasha horded and happened to time it perfectly with Mike who was entering the parking lot as we pulled in. It was a really fun day!

The next week my parents were in town. It was great to see them but unfortunately the weather wasn't as nice. We went to the farmer's market, they love the almonds and raisins and go every time they visit. They watched Sasha when I worked and took her to the park and out to lunch where she devoured beef + broccoli as well as wanton soup. Those are her favorite chinese dishes. Over the weekend we went to the Discovery Museum in Sausilito. It was Sasha's first time there and she loved it so much we bought a membership! She played outside where they have water tables and inside they have these great leap pad play gyms [hard to explain but it's like a waterbed concept] At night my Mom + I beat the boys in canasta, now what could be better than that! We had a really fun visit and were sad to see them go.

Also this month we had a few friends in town that we got to spend a little time with. Sharmila was in town for work and we got a chance to see her twice. We had a girls night out for dinner and then she came over so she could see Sasha + Alex one night. The best part, other than seeing her, was she brought Girl scout cookies!! Thanks again! We also got to have Kieran, Alicia and Brendan over for dinner one night. It was great to have them over to see our house, considering we went to architecture school with Kieran and he appreciates all of our work! And we loved seeing how Brendan treats Sasha- he was so sweet! We then spent the day with them in the city and met up for brunch at the Ferry Building. We ate on the docks and walked around a bit before going to the Exploratorium. We were excited to finally check it out and it was super cool for the science geek in you. Brendan had a blast and even Sasha loved some of the exhibits. You could really spend a whole day in there. We really would love to plan a trip again and get the whole UMD crew together.

Then the last of the visitors, which was a great surprise, was Auntie Lisa! She had work in Vegas and then decided to take a cheap flight over to us! It really worked out nicely and we spent the day at the Discovery Museum and went out to lunch in Sausalito. She had a great time being with Sasha and now Sasha always asks to see a picture of "Isa", we look almost every morning. Lisa also brought Sasha a baby doll which she loves. Her favorite part is that she can give the baby a bottle. Sasha LOVES her bottles... Lisa's wedding isn't too far away so we also went shopping a bit and I got a little makeover. We had a nice lunch and it was fun having a sister day on our own.

Thanks to all of our guests for visiting! Whew what a busy month!!!
If you want to see some pictures follow the link below
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/March?authkey=C0Xrq9LZMA4

February!

February started off with a great trip!! Alex and I both worked incredibly hard before leaving for FL + Costa Rica but in the end it was all worth it! We flew to FL to spend time with my parents and grandparents and they got to watch Sasha for 5 days while Alex + I headed to Costa Rica on our first trip alone! While we were sad to go- once we got there we were thrilled to be able to just relax and not worry about any nap times, feeding times or needs not associated with our own.

We went to Playa Esterillos Este which is about 40 min. north of Manuel Antonio Park and it was gorgeous!! We splurged and stayed at a beautiful and peaceful resort- we hardly saw anyone else and it was incredibly relaxing laying on the beach, reading and sleeping. After 2 days of that although I think we both could have spent the entire time there....we headed inland to the La Fortuna/Arenal area. This drive was incredibly long and for someone who doesn't ever get car sick I was pretty close. The landscape is beautiful but you drive on switchbacks and the roads are curvy and bumpy, there is also a ton of elevation gain and decline. Once there we were a little more active and went on a hike, did a waterfall repelling adventure and a zipline tour. I almost backed out of the zipline tour but in the end was glad I did it!! If you are afraid of heights it will make you pass out!! It was so cool though and the longest stretch was a 1/4 mile!! We definitely recommend heading to CR- the food was decent, the people incredibly friendly, and the scenery amazing!! We hope to go back soon!

While we were away Sasha had a great time with her grandparents!! You can see in the pictures, it was like mommy daddy who? She went swimming, went to the zoo, the beach and was showered with love and attention...wait a minute nothing changed at all. Nana + Papa [as they are now known] had a great time as well- I think they would like to keep her...we figured we'd be happy to take another trip but for the long haul she's ours! Her great grandparents also enjoyed having her there and she took to them pretty well. At Oma's she curled up and I think could have slept right in her arms.

The rest of the month has been a mix of catching up from being away and doing some fun local things. Workwise, Amy has started the RE thing and has a ton of trainings she has been attending. Alex has been picking away at the kitchen and working hard at work. We also enjoyed the 3 day weekend this month and decided every weekend should be 3 days!!! Really why not? It allows us to get our projects done, while also relaxing and feeling refreshed for the next week. Does anyone not agree? We attended a fun Oscar Party and even fit in a date to a great Tapas place in the Gourmet Ghetto. On my own I even got a chance to fit in a movie at the beer theater with a friend [the Great Debaters] which was great if you haven't seen it. And Alex enjoyed his ukulele class and is learning a bunch of new songs- even some Beatles. We'll have to record him and post a video! HA! [He'd never let me do that...]

Hope all is well with you! And if you have some time check out the pictures of CR + Sasha in FL!

http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/February?authkey=sWNp0VhtKZs

January

Well '08 is already moving...January was a good month for us, we got into a preschool for next fall after getting caught up in the frenzy. Can you believe over pre-school? For those of you who don't know the schools in the Bay Area aren't great, that being said all of the parents go insane trying to get their kids into the few schools that are "acceptable" whatever that means. Anyway, after a few days of stress we decided not to join in on the craziness and visit 15 schools...I'm not kidding people here do that and we selected the school based on location, cost and not having to have already been on a waitlist while Sasha was in utero. Not bad criteria eh?

Our weekends were filled with fun outings with friends. And we actually got to go out on our own a fair bit this month. We saw Jamie Oliver from The Daily Show- our friend Tristen treated us and we had a great time! And we also got out to see a live band at Yoshi's on an actual date night [Thanks again Tristen for babysitting!] We also went down to San Jose to see a hockey game, which we won. The Sharks are actually pretty good, we haven't been since DC and were surprised at how much fun we had. Maybe next month we'll try for a GS Warriors game, the games are a lot closer and our team is also doing quite well.

Sasha is talking more every day and starting to put sentences together. She really is a chatter, I'm sure no surprise to many of you. She is a lot of fun and is getting a little more daring each day. She is starting to really enjoy the slide and is more independant going off on her own to explore. She LOVES bathtime- there has been more than one night that she's stayed in for 45 minutes. We still read a lot but her favorite thing is playing at the park in the sand or with other kids. She knows all the names of her friends but we think she has a crush on a little boy named Nico she plays with twice a week. We've been told they hold hands while in their strollers and she talks about him quite a bit at home. She is also singing- yes she knows the tune to, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "ABCD" and "The wheels on the Bus". She may not know all the words- but she sings like she thinks she does!! It's adorable! I think she'll be quite the karoke singer. She definately knows what she wants and can clearly communicate- even with picking what song to sing, if I start she'll stop me and say, "No No" until I say the title of the song she wants. It's a lot of fun and a great age- we get to see her learning new things every day!

Workwise, Alex is working on 3 major remodels in SF and his company is revamping their image to be more "green". Alex taking an interest in that a long time ago [in school] is quite excited and is hoping to get LEED certified this year. January was incredibly busy for Amy, the remodel in Crocker Highlands, a 900k project, was fast-tracked and we had to crank out a permit set in about 3 weeks while still getting the contractor enough information to price. It was stressful and a lot of hours but with working on her own she knows other months will be slow so you have to jump on it when it's there! Amy also started her foray into the real estate world. She is working for a local broker called Red Oak Realty and is getting geared up to start up that business as well.

That's just the beginning of what will hopefully be a great year! Here is a link to some pictures of this month:

http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/January08?authkey=-V8TZ6K6-xA

December

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and had a great New Year's! We were home for Hannukah and managed to light the candles most nights. Sasha's favorite gift was her Mr. Bubbles for bathtime. She adores taking her bath and although she's blue and shivering when we finally pry her out of the tub she always puts up a fight.

We are still cranking away on the kitchen and will hopefully have pictures up next month when we'll be about 85% done! You can see little bits of the progress in some of the pictures. Other than the kitchen this month was filled with holiday parties and cookie making with friends- you can see one of Alex's masterpieces.

For Christmas Sasha got sick so we only were able to celebrate in the morning with our friends Miae, David and their little girl Sophia. We had a really nice brunch and Sophia danced for us all.

For New Year's we rented a house in Shasta with Alex's brother Chris + his wife Rachel and his sister Julie. It was so nice to get together and the weather was perfect. There was enough snow to go snowshoeing and x-country skiing but it was sunny and beautiful out. It was way too cold for Sasha to just hang in our Kelty pack while snowshoeing so we took shifts. Chris went twice and while he had fun I think it tired him out! IT was a lot harder trudging through the snow than we thought but the scenery was gorgeous and worth it. We were able to take Sasha with us x-country, that meant Alex pulling this sled with her in it. The pictures tell it all, but he was a trooper and we all had fun. I tried to pull her for a bit and finished the day with her so Alex could see what it was like without the sled, however my 20 min. of pulling and his 2-1/2 hours didn't compare!

Well we wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year's ahead! Check out the pictures if you get a chance!
http://picasaweb.google.com/amyres/December?authkey=WBvtSQ6Iw2U