Just Chillin' on a Lazy Afternoon

16 Months old and already too cool for school...what's up
little man?

Happy Holidays...Happy Holidays!!!

Whew!! What a social whirl this year for Theo--at 16 months he is much more attuned to the
people around him and trying to engage everyone he meets. Where does he get it??? The holidays
included a cookie exchange party at his friend Calista Brady's home, a little house party in the towers and Auntie Jen's annual Christmas Day feast. It was so much to see and do--so many new rituals to understand--ripping boxes open causes excitment! yes!! Trees can be indoors as well...hmmm! If I continue to smile at everyone they will give me more cookies...

Louise Bourgeois' Spider and the Boys

Theo and Caskey picnicked by the Embarcadero last week just so they could see the amazing spider sculpture on display. Unfazed by the enormity of the thing or its potentially creepy quality
the boys ran around it, dodged between the legs and Theo even wrapped himself around the steel legs in a quiet moment. They are two little monkeys without a moment's rest--too much too see in the big ol' world!

Madison's Birthday

Theo spent some time with his big cousin on her 14th birthday--there was green cake and delicious soup made by Auntie Jen. Papa made friends with little Daisy too! Happy Birthday
Madison--we love you!

Hanging with his Nonna

Theo loves his Nonna because she understands him and has really cool stuff at her house for him whenever we go over...

Whine with everything

But check out his duds--how stylin'!

Theo's Italian Heritage Shines Through

mmmmmmmm pasta!

Seattle Weekend

We went to Seattle in November to see Rik Allen's exhibit at the Museum of Science Fiction.
Theo slept through most of the opening in the Ergo carrier and did great on the flights to &
from Seattle. We got a chance to spend time with Rik and his wife Shelley and have them see
Theo. Seattle, while always beautiful, was bitterly cold & damp--reminding us as ever, that
the Bay Area is the place to be.

Spending Time in Sausalito

Theo went to the Bay Area Discovery Museum for the first time
as a toddler. He loved playing in the stream with the fishies and
really enjoyed the Clifford the Big Red Dog exhibit.

we just returned from our annual and perhaps final visit to see Michael in Naples. Where he will relocate is still uncertain-but now that he & Theo have met and become instant buds, we will follow him wherever he may go.
Theo was a great little traveler and charmed the Italians with his red hair and sweet smile--"Bello Bambino"! they all exclaimed-or "Chuchinno" which I still don't know what it means but he was called this often.
Traveling always makes home seems so welcoming and right after being away. San Francisco for all its quirks is a lovely little city--
Now if we can just figure out what time it is and stop waking up at 2 am!

UNHAPPY HALLOWEEN...REDUX

HALLOWEEN 2006-THE UNHAPPY CLOWN BOY





















HALLOWEEN 2007--CRANKY TIGER....SO NEXT YEAR MAYBE WE'LL GO WITH A STORE BOUGHT COSTUME.

Jimi

To be sensual, I think , is to respect and rejoice
in the force of life, of life itself, and to be present
in all that one does, from the effort of loving to
the making of bread.---------James Baldwin

Jimi Davis-my beautiful friend

When people say he looks like his father I say , really?

GO SOX!!!!!!

All I can say is Theo has now learned when baseball is on one should yell at the television
and if necessary pound on the screen with little fists until something happens....like a homerun or something.

Entertaining Theo

Some days are full of parental promise and a sense of purpose-we are going out for an ADVENTURE and we are all going to have an unforgettable family moment. The zoo seems full of that sort of promise on a Sunday-so you find yourself amongst throngs of other well intentioned, newish parents dragging their equally underwhelmed babies through the expansive sprawl that is the SF Zoo. The zoo is a trip best planned, much like a camping trip with multiple layers of clothing, various baby rolling and/or carrying devices and food of your own making. Theo, while oblivious to many of the animals, did seem to enjoy (if moderately) the large plastic wagon he got to ride around in....
Other days are more realistic in their parental participation-entertaining a newly energized almost walker takes creativity and at times, a fallback to the simple standbys such as a ticklefest.

Downtime

Just some pictures of our favorite visitors Little Calista and Little Caskey-Theo's BFF.
Calsita is blooming into a beauty with her big blue eyes and Caskey and Theo like to
eat spaghetti on the floor and run around in diapers. "These are the days you remember"....

October Evenings in Oakland

The first weekend of October found the little Chastain family deep in the woods of Piedmont, somewhere accross the bridge-stopping in at the McBirney/Prisco household. An early autumn BBQ and swapping stories with more Texans! Theo scooted after the Cat Buster who was about as large as Theo himself...Bethany and Joe, still newlyweds, joined us for dinner and Miss B. taught Theo how to behave at a UT game. "Hook em' horns"!! So much to learn.....