Getting to the zoo was a zoo, for Kellen, anyway. Since he doesn't like his car seat for more than five minutes, the 40 minute drive meant Grant and I had to put up with something that sounded like a tormented wildcat screaming into oblivion. Unbelievably, Grant caught a few zzzs through it all.

We made it, though, and met my good friend TamiJo, along with her two girls.

If they could talk, I know Kellen and Grant would say the trip was well worth the wait. There's nothing like feeling the dirt on your face from a giant camel slapping his tail onto the ground. Nothing like seeing an elephant in real life rather than just in books. Nothing like crawling into a meercat hole designed at toddler height and peering into that animal's underground world. ---SM

The boys have recently taken to drawing on anything, anywhere. While we're trying to keep the medium narrowed down to paper with removable marking utensils like pencils and crayons, some of their favorite drawing opportunity comes into play during bathtime.

Both Kellen and Grant adore the soap crayons cousins Ivy and Mazzy gave to them, and tasting the soap has been a temptation. Still, they've decided to stick to drawing with rather than eating the crayons, and each boy is proving to be quite the little Degas. ---SM

(Note: Kellen says "degas, degas," all the time, including when he's drawing, and I'm not exactly sure what he means. I gotta chalk it up to the artist Edgar Degas for this post because it ties in nicely not only with what Kellen says but my interest in Degas' work depicting dancers, as well. Gotta use creativity where I can most days!)

Thanksgiving brought more than a great feast: the highlight had to be the fence that Dad, Justin, and John built---expanding my parents' backyard several feet. The little boys looked on, wanting to help, but they had to settle for playing in the trees and looking out the windows instead!---SM

I was able to visit with several friends from high school while I was home for Thanksgiving, but one visit in particular, was extra special because we took a walk to a park with our kids---the first time we've ever done that together. I was delighted to see this second generation of friends play on the slides and swings.

Over the years our conversations have evolved: we used to talk choreography, and now we're chatting train tables, trucks with lights, and throwing baseballs because our boys seem most interested in those things. Still, we sprinkle in a little bit of discussion about our dancing days---remembering where we've been and celebrating the mothers we've become. ---SM


Above: Jackson, Grant, and Kellen take a playground break to munch on some granola.

Kellen Restless becomes
Kellen Contented when
Kellen Marcucci's hands
Grab ahold of a bus.

Sometimes it's with a toy,
Sometimes it's the real McCoy,

Either way, his admiration inspires a miraculous hush.


Below: A Sunday drive calms Kellen's nerves and the rest of ours, too!

Church, ahh, church. I'm amused by the process of dolling up the boys in their best duds, spending three hours in church, then slowly watching that process unravel. It's laughable. Literally.

Today when Justin questioned my efforts to brush the boys' hair, I guess he had a point. Kellen does alright with it, but Grant absolutely hates it all: the gel, the brush, and mostly sitting still to be worked on. The moment the the brush's final stroke slides off his head, Grant reaches up, tousles his few front strands, and it's back to bedhead. By the time we got into the church building this morning, Mom and Justin had been cracking jokes about how Grant looked like he'd just taken a long steam bath, noting his hair lay on his head like a man sweaty from an after-workout rather than a boy gelled-up and church-going. It really was funny.

And when I stop to think of it, almost every moment associated with church today held some form of humor.

Kellen is now so proficient at saying prayers that when I asked him to fold his arms for all of the four prayers said in Sacrament Meeting today, he thought I was asking him to say the prayers. Audibly, he mumbled a monotonous melody, saying, "Amen," before any of the official prayers had concluded. Truthfully, I wanted to "Amen" to Kellen's prayers---he has a short but sweet style that I appreciate. Mom and I busted a gut in silent laughter, and his nursery leader, seated in the pew in front of us, turned around once to deliver a compliment.

"Very nice prayers, Kellen," she said. And Kellen smiled proudly.

Even Justin made a funny in church today: he was nominated to change Kellen's poopy diaper and did so in the car. A reasonable thing to do: the weather was pleasant and no one could hear Kellen screaming from his loath of the diaper-change, but Justin (accidentally?) left the diaper in the car that had a warm, thick, sour smell wafting throughout the car during the drive home!

Most importantly, though, we made it home and managed to sneak a few pictures in. Grant was ready to fall asleep, Kellen was ready to run a marathon, Mom's heels had sunk completely into the wet grass, and Justin wanted just to relax, but the sun was too bright and the day already too humorous to not give it a try, anyway. ---SM

Our backyard elm trees have dropped thousands of leaves in the past week, creating the most well-made bed (of leaves) this house has seen since we've lived here. This afternoon we decided to "unmake" that beautiful bed, and an adventure ensued that appealed to everyone's senses.

Upon their first step outside, the boys heard the "crunch, crunch" under their feet and their eyes lit up. When I began throwing the leaves in the air, they danced, gasped, and copied me. Kellen tried to crunch a few leaves on top of Grant's head but received little appreciation.

Overall, the fun lasted no more than 15 minutes, but not without an in-person visit from mother nature. She blew a strong breeze through the yard, making even more leaves fall from the elms, and the boys squealed with delight. ---SM

Today found us at the Children's Discovery Museum in San Jose with our friends Becky and Ben. The best part about the place is Clifford the Dog---not sure if it's the giant balloon figure sitting atop the museum, visible from the freeway, or if it's the Clifford exhibit itself.

Either way, the boys---who are infatuated with dogs and particularly Clifford---must feel like they're right at home at the museum. It's the second time we've gone, but they've watched Clifford the cartoon and read Clifford books a quadrillion times.


Above: A mesmerized Kellen stares at the colorful glass-enclosed carousel in the toddler room at the CDM.

Below: Thanks to Becky whose slide show, including pics of all of us, follows...