Gran, Tahoe, Thanksgiving and more!

The Holidays are here!!!  Halloween kicked off my favorite time of year.  After my wind turbine costume was safely stored for hopefully many future uses, it was time to prepare for Thanksgiving.
Gee went off to visit Uncle Ben, Auntie Aubree, and Cousin Rinnah for 2 weeks.  We made sure to keep Grandpa occupied while she was gone!  Gran also came to visit for 2 whole weeks from PA and joined us for a trip to Tahoe and Thanksgiving.  Then, the day after Thanksgiving, it was time to prepare for Christmas and Baby Sister's arrival!

Take a look at all the fun things I did this month.

4.5 years old

With Gee & Grandpa right before Gee leaves for Jordan

First stop with Grandpa - the Oakland Zoo

Two spiders in a web

Zoom Zoom!

Chugga chugga choo-choo - off to the outback we go!

Living in Napa is kind of awesome!  I got to pick some "late harvest" grapes right off the vine!

At V. Sattui winery where Mama and Dada got married 10 years ago

I think Grandpa and I could both fit inside that barrel!

Then we headed up the Mountain to Tahoe!  

First order of business - make a snowman with Gran!

Notice snowman has a mohawk like me!

Warming up with Gran


First trip up the gondola for the year

No more harness for me!  

Hot Coco! The best part of skiing

Off on a hike

Say cheese Gran!

Then it was time to come back to Napa for Thanksgiving festivities.

Thanksgiving jog up SkyLine park with Dada

The Gratitude lunch at school

Dada made a great turkey!

Kids table with Zander and Felix - I decorated it myself: note the photo of me in the center!

The grownups:  Warren, Dave, Dada, Nancy, Charlie, Mama, Kalie and Brian

Zander, Felix and me tackled Dada!

Mama doesn't mess around with Christmas.  Bright and early the day after Thanksgiving, the pumpkins and haystacks were put away, and the Christmas boxes were pulled out of the garage. It was time to get our tree!  She usually ensures we get decorated Thanksgiving weekend, however she is even worse this year since baby sister is coming so soon and she wants the whole house perfect now!

Santa was at the tree lot!  For the first year, I didn't cry!

I want this one!

With Gran and Dada

Mama with baby Candle (33 weeks) and me!

Family photo

Phew - just when we got the tree in the house, Mama announced it was time to get the nursery in order for baby Candle.  It was our guest room, and we had to combine all the office and guest room furniture in one room, and make a nursery in the other.  We waited until Gran went back to PA to make the furniture swap - (Mama's impatience meant we waited about 30 minutes after Gran left for the airport)! I can't believe that I used some of the furniture that my baby sister will use!

reconnecting with my old crib mattress

helping dada assemble the crib

All done!

And here's me still enjoying my gymzone classes

Making like a flamingo

The Great Pumpkin was here!

Halloween was here!  I had a magnificent weekend celebrating with a Harvest Carnival at my school, then Halloween trick or treating, and even an afternoon at the park with my friends.  You have to wait until the end to see my costume.

Here's my school picture for the year!

Today, Mama is 29 and 2/7  weeks pregnant with baby sister Candle.  At this time in history 4 years ago, I was 3 days old!  When asked now why I was born so early, my typical response is "I wanted to come out and meet Dada!" or "It was too dark".  When prompted what I was doing in Mama's tummy to keep busy I say, "I was playing Hungry Hungry Hippos".

This is me:  2lbs9oz, at 3 days old on 7/10/2011

And here's Mama now:  apparently baby sister listens a bit better than I did at that age. She promises to stay put for 7 more weeks

And now on to my Halloween festivities.  I spent the weekend before Halloween with Gee and Grandpa in Elk Grove.  It's always so much fun to explore all the fun toys and treasures they have there - all sorts of things from when Mama was a little girl!

Carving pumpkins with Grandpa and Mama...I refused to touch the pumpkin guts (AGAIN!) 

Cuddle time with Grandpa


Gee set up a table and chair just for me so I could eat dinner while watching the sunset.

Gee and Grandpa are nicer than Mama and Dada - they let me dig trenches and make rivers in their back yard!

And they let me drive Uncle Ben's truck on Great Grammie's old (vacant) property.  Watch out world, only 12 more years until I get to do this for real!

Getting excited for Christmas already!

Then it was time for Halloween weekend.  It started with a Harvest Carnival at school, where I got to make Fall crafts, dance and play all sorts of fun games!

I conquered the haystack

Made crafts with leaves

Enjoying the playground

Square dancing!

poor quality but you get the idea! I love dancing!

The Great Pumpkin exists!

And finally Halloween night! I decided on my costume the day after Halloween last year, and stuck with it for the entire year.   Poor Mama had to figure out the execution, but I dictated all every detail.

Hercules the Wind Turbine!


It spins! Of course!

My haul for the evening! 

And finally, Mama and Dada at their grown-up party.  Baby Candle is a bit scandalous for Ms. Poppins and Bert the Chimney Sweep!