Bear Valley

We had our Biagini/Hagel family trip in Blue Lake Springs in Bear Vally this year. It was a great place and had a clubhouse and pool and a few swim lakes. The girls had lots of fun with their Disney Princess fishing poles (who knew?). Hot days and warm evenings, roasting marshmallows, playing cards, the girls searched for "pearls" little plastic b.bs from a pellet gun that were scattered all around the grounds. It was great fun and hopefully we will get to spend more time there in the future!

Luca loves the mountains-but not the heat!

Nono and Luca

Sunday in the Park

San Francisco Summer Days

We luckily did not experience too much of the "June Gloom" that San Francisco can be so famous for. We spent some fun weekends just hanging around our town and having fun with little girl Cecily and little girl Luca.

Day At the Beach At Crissy Field

Running on the deck at the Crissy Field Cafe

Sunday Morning at Fisherman's Wharf

Arts and Crafts at the Bay Area Discovery Museum

Potty Training Success

I have been scared to post anything about Cecily being potty trained because I dont want to jinx it, but I think we just might be there. No accident for over a week now. It almost seems like a long journey bc she started being ABLE to use the potty a year ago, but we didnt want to go "cold turkey" so were very relaxed about the whole thing and didnt start with the panties until a month or so ago. We did the pull ups for awhile (and usually still use those at nap time) and then finally took the plunge of letting her wear the panties and have accidents, which there really werent that many of. She fights us alot, does not want to interupt what she is doing to sit down and do her business, but she is getting much better! We've now had experience using public bathrooms in a variety of places (the zoo, IHOP, the beach). Luckily she has gotten over her fear of public restrooms The fear was caused by a situation last month when we were driving down to LA and stopped at Harris Ranch to use the potty. They have a cute "little girls" stall with a short little potty perfect for kids. She peed, she wiped, she flushed, she flushed again, she flushed again...water starting rising up and I started screaming "Oh No! Oh No!" I grabbed her, and my purse, and tore out of there. Yes, of course I stopped to wash our hands, and aplogized to the other patrons who were staring at the overflowing mess. Anyways, she (and I) have gotten over it and have braved the public restroom experience again, to much better outcomes.

Anyways I feel very happy to have her "trained" in time for preschool which starts two days a week at the end of this month. It wasnt a requirement of the program, but it dosent hurt! Now if I could only train her to do anything else....

Good Vibes

At Speedway Meadow for the Life is Good Festival

Enjoyed very warm San Francisco weather this weekend. In the upper 80s. Music and fun in the park on Saturday and then the crazy Bay to Breakers through the park the next day. We strolled over to watch the extravangaza and Cecily loved all the costumes and naked people. She was a bit jealous and wanted to know why I wouldnt let her run "naked baby crazy" (what I call it when she tears around the house with no clothes on) through the park.

Day At the Beach Collage

Photos from our day at the beach down in SoCal. Cecily loves to be in the water! Not much fear of waves or sandcrabs.

PV Visit

We had a great visit down at my parents in Southern California last week. Unfortunately due to the swine flu we had to cancel our trip to Cabo with Erin and Juan. Huge disappointment but we made the most of it. We went down to my parents house and then left Cecily with her grandparents and Greg and I escaped to Palm Springs for a few days. Stayed at the Viceroy and had a great time, despite it being about 100 degrees out in the desert. Cecily did very well being without us for a few days (not going to lie, the first night apart was difficult for everyone) and she had lots of fun with her grandma and grandpa and Auntie Leen (and Rascal and Xena and the kitties when they werent hiding). Here are a few pictures of the newly remodeled house. When I get some pictures of Cecily from that weekend I will post them.

Me & Greg-in Palm Springs

Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny

Bikini ready?

The Aunties (Jennifer and Shelly) got Cecily the cutest polka dot bikini, complete with terry coverup, matching hat and sunglasses of course. She did a little fashion show and was quite pleased with the new get up, despite it NOT being pink. Cecily loves pink. She will flip through a catalog and point to whatever is pink on the page and say she wants that one. Cecily's perfect catalog would be titled "All Things Pink". She has informed us that she wants a pink computer and a pink vaccuum cleaner. Hmmm.

This weekend we also went to the Butter & Eggs day parade with Cara and Addison.

I Love My Daddy, My Daddy loves naps

The future's so bright...

Hot Spring Days

Playing with water, definitely one of her beloved past times. Here she is on an unusually hot spring weekend. Notice the "big girl" panties!

Easter 2009

Cecily was fascinated with Easter this year, Easter Bunny, Candy, looking for eggs, Candy. We told her all about the Easter Bunny and when she saw her basket filled with treats on Easter morning she was a bit hesitant to go up to it. Sitting next to it was an adorable new plush bunny. She finally went up to look at what she had gotten and then said "thank you Easter Bunny" to the stuffed toy!

Making Muffins

Cecily making muffins with Jasmine (her nanny).

She has been very interesting in cooking lately, well she just wants to help with pretty much everything. Still a very finicky eater...although we just discovered she likes Brie cheese.

But more than actual cooking her favorite thing is "Play Cooking" or rather using all her play food to arrange elaborate picnics for all her "friends" (Ernie, Tinkerbell, Prudence (the potty doll), etc.) We, of course, must be present as well and act out the voices for all her friends. The picnic scenario, along with playing doctor are definitely her favorite games. And Little Red Riding Hood which involves both picnicking (since she brings a picnic basket to Grandma) and playing doctor (since Grandma is sick and needs medical attention along with her picnic snack) A new "game" she also enjoys is Beauty Shop. Where we use some clean makeup brushes to put pretend makeup on each other.

In like a lion...out like a lamb

The month of March was very busy for us. Full of birthday parties and thunderstorms, milestones being reached..almost (i.e. potty training), the preschool anxiety, Greg working ALOT (tax season) tears, laughter, and just everyday life.

On the preschool news, we got into our favorite one! I know, I know, is this such a hard task, acceptance into PRESCHOOL? But yes, as anyone who has been through this in San Francisco will tell you, it is a difficult and emotional process, involving applications and essays and tours and thank you letters and follow up emails and anxiously waiting for the mail everyday. And we had to deliberate over a couple of school for the one which would be best for Cecily. In the end we picked a charming school located on the Presidio, gorgeous surroundings away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. She will be going 5 days a week, mornings (8:30-12) starting in September. She will also go to a summer program there in July, just two days a week for a couple hours a day.

Potty Training- Halfway there, probably would be all of the way there if I wasnt so wishy washy and kept her in diapers most of the time. Jasmine (Ceci's nanny) is much better with her about it and she is much more consistent during the week. As a matter of fact most things go better during the week. With her nanny she uses the potty (even goes in public places like Starbucks and the Zoo!) and takes pretty consistent naps in her crib. With me on the weekends she fights me about the potty and makes me drive her around to sleep in the car. I need to get tougher, I know.

Singing-One of Cecily's obsessions is watching movies. We let her watch a movie or two on the weekend and she much prefers a movie to an episode of Word World or Angelina Ballerina. She can stay interested for the whole movie, although plays and dances around and talks about it while watching it. Her favorites: Nemo, Tinkerbell, Sleeping Beauty (which is very scary), and all time fave: Toy Story and Toy Story 2. Her favorite part is to sing the songs from the movies, to which she memorizes the words pretty well. Her favorite songs to sing: "Once Upon a Dream" (Sleeping Beauty); "You've Got a Friend in Me" (Toy Story); "I've got no strings" (Pinnochio-she's not seen this one yet); and "Prince Ali" (Aladdin). Its very cute, maybe I'll figure out a way to post a video.

TV Trance