San Ramon with the Aurelios.

Me, Zachary and Marino Zack is a rambunctious, and all boy. He loves Star Wars and Swords. I had more sword fights than I have in my lifetime, with him. He didn't care if I had a sword and he had a light saber he just attacked me. Zack is going to be Indiana Jones for Halloween and he wore his costume to the pumpkin patch, and machete swatted everything he could with sound effects.

Gabriella and Marino. Gabby is a devil/ angel type all weekend she would go from sweet and coy to loud whiny and crying. I think it is being two aka the terrible two's. She would speak to me but not let me pick her up or help her out of her car seat not even push the grocery cart. She played very well with Marino and vice verse, they liked playing in the backyard together.


Our Pumpkins from my first pumpkin patch!

We always purchased our pumpkins from the grocery store. The place we went to was in Livermore and it had a petting Zoo and an old western town with a jail and a saloon. Tons of pumpkins from very small to award winning. The kids were so happy to be in the dust bowl of a field and running through the maze and eating popcorn and icees. I on the other hand was a bit uncomfortable, I was planning for cooler weather being that I was in Nor Cal but no, it was about 88 degrees and I was in jeans and a button down shirt and flip flops so I was hot sweaty and with dirty feet. I know I sound like I was complaining but really I had a good time seeing all the kids happy.

My trip to San Ramon CA, to see David and Tanya. David and I have known each other since being in our mothers' wombs. Our older brothers went to the same pre school where David's mom worked and my mom dropped Chad off and picked him up until one day my dad picked him up and Karen David's mom was terrified because of my dad all 6 foot 6 of him was coming into her classroom and she freaked out. Chad saved her the call to the police (dad was the police) because he ran to him yelling daddy. Ever since then Karen and Jim and Mom and Dad have been friends.
Friday I got into town and Tanya still had to work a couple of hours so I watched TV and read my book. Then we went and had a Mani- Pedi and picked up the kids. Later Tanya's sister and family and a family friend an her daughter came over for a cookout. Man was I over whelmed, six kids a dog 6 adults and the TV, radio, and beer.. wow I had to sit outside with the two guys at the grill to get away from it all a couple of times. Tanya joked that she may have given me a reason for a tubal ligation. Saturday we hung around the house most of the morning then went to the mall I found some really cute shoes at Nordstrom( I was trying to avoid that store) but they were only $59.

Later we all took naps and got ready to go out( just the adults) They arranged to have a baby sitter. We were going to Sha Boom, but we could not get in because David had on tennis shoes. Who knew there would be a dress code in San Ramon. So we went to Outlaws (sports bar) and had a few drinks and chatted up the evening and the waitress. She and Tanya bonded over baby and breast feeding stories. Dave and I reminisced about the early years. We then went to have dinner AT 9:30 @ a great Italian restaurant I cannot think of the name. We sat outside under the heat lamps and chatted about anything an everything. I had a great time. We had to be home before eleven to get the babysitter home. Sunday Tanya Gabby and I went grocery shopping then we all went to the pumpkin patch after Gabby through a fit because she didn't like her Abby Cadabby costume she just wanted to carry the wand, which she wasn't allowed without the whole costume.

We went to the patch and came home and ordered Z pizza (I love that pizza) and carved our pumpkins. Tanya and my pumpkins came out the best but we have to give big ups to David for letting Zack carve and carve and carve more. The three wolves howling in front of the moon turned into 1 tooth in front of the moon.

All in all I had a great time, other than my dad falling asleep and picking me up at the airport 45 min after I landed.