Mall Santa - 2007

Maeve hid behind Baby like her life depended on it. Maeve's anxiety spread to Teaghan. Santa was all about the ho ho ho.




















Buddy: Santa!

Santa enters. Children and Buddy cheer and call out.

Buddy: Who the heck are you?

Santa: What are you talking about? I’m Santa Claus.

Buddy: No you’re not!

Santa: Why of course I am! Ho! Ho! Ho!

Buddy: If you’re Santa, what song did I sing for you on your birthday this year?

Santa: Uh…Happy Birthday, of course.

Santa:(To little boy on lap) So how old are you son? You’re a big boy. What’s your name?

Little Boy: Paul

Santa: What do you want for Christmas?

Buddy: Paul, don’t tell him what you want. He’s a liar. (to Santa) You disgust me! How can you live with yourself?

Santa: Just cool it, Zippy!

Buddy: You sit on a throne of LIES.

Santa:(getting angry) Look, I’m not kidding…

Buddy: You’re a fake!

Santa: I’m a fake? How’d you like to be dead?

Little Boy:(whispering) Fake.

Santa: (to the little boy, laughing) He’s kidding!

Buddy: You stink! You smell like beef and cheese. You don’t smell like Santa.

Buddy pulls off Santa’s beard.

Buddy: He’s an IMPOSTER! (Santa tackles Buddy... they begin wrestling) He’s a fake! He’s a fake! He’s not Santa Claus!




















Buddy the Elf.

The Return of Annie and Greg

Our good friends Annie and Greg (and Appa) came over for dinner after watching the Raiders lose yet another game. This was the first time we had seen them together since they got engaged. So of course, out came the camera!














The happy couple/family.














Teaghan, Uncle Greg and Appa Bear.














Uncle Greg, Appa Bear, Auntie Annie and Serious Maeve.














You're on your own here.

Ryan's Birthday

Teaghan's best friend Ryan celebrated his 4th birthday this weekend. It was a lot of fun with a bouncy house, bubbles and good food and drink, but Teaghan had a tough time sharing Ryan with all of the other kids.















Ryan receives his cake.














Teaghan checks out the cake.














Teaghan supervises as Ryan opens his presents.

As we headed home, we told Teaghan she could come back soon and play with Ryan. She said, "just me and Ryan?". Sharing is so hard to do. Harder yet when you're only 3 years old.

Maeve.

Maeve. No further words needed.














Except maybe "fearless". "I'm trying to give my parents a heart attack" also works.

Stache

I said goodbye to a dear friend over the weekend.









You will be missed.














"A Farewell to Whiskers" Key of Bm. sempre legato

In all seriousness, the stache was grown in solidarity with Team Mo-Mentum. They raised thousands of dollars in November for the fight against prostate cancer. More info here.

Snow

In a lot of places, you can walk out your front door and voila, snow. In the San Francisco Bay Area, we wait in line for 45 minutes so that we can spend 5 minutes in 40 sq feet of trucked in, hard packed snow.














Maeve makes her first snowball.




















Teaghan loves snow, even if she can't feel her fingers anymore!














Maeve. In the snow.














Teaghan. In the snow.




















Maeve and Mommy. In the snow.














Teaghan, Daddy and Maeve. You guessed it, in the snow.

You better believe there was confusion and anger from a certain three year old when after 45 minutes in line, we were asked to vacate the snow after only 5 minutes. Such is life. Of course the free candy cane on the way out didn't hurt.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Brian and Kelly arrived a couple of days before Thanksgiving, much to the delight of Teaghan and Maeve.














Can you feel the love?

On Thanksgiving morning, we played our traditional round of golf at Deep Cliff, as the Turkey cooked in the oven. Brian and Kelly won the team scramble this year with a final score of 1 under par.




















Brian and Kelly celebrate their victory with the inaugural winner's trophy.

After golf, we headed over to Saratoga for Thanksgiving dinner.














Papa Jack and a turkey. Which is which?














Great Grandma Joanna plays a perfect C Chord on her wine glass.














Papa Jack had a great time with his granddaughters. First, they played on the pool table.














Then they retired to Papa Jack's room to eat popcorn and watch Shrek The Third.















Los Lynches














Los Lynches and a Watt.














Some of the Lynches. Is that Magnum P.I.? Or Earl? No.














Some of the same Lynches with other Lynches.

On Friday night, we celebrated Papa Jack and Grandma Joanie's 40th Wedding anniversary at The Plumed Horse in Saratoga. 40 years. Anne and Scott and Kelly and Brian don't even have a combined 10 years! Uncle Brian was kind of enough to pick up the tab! What a meal.














We got our picture taken in their incredible wine room














And then one more in front of the fireplace in the lounge/bar area. Looking good Lynches!

On Saturday, we said goodbye to Kelly and Brian.














Papa Jack and the girls say goodbye to Kelly and Brian.

After Kelly and Brian left, we went to visit with Papa John and Grandma Bernie.














Maeve enjoys a treat courtesy of Grandma Bernie














Yes, Teaghan likes her ice cream.














Papa John and Scott play the Trip to Durrow.

It was a wonderful Holiday weekend filled with friends, family and great stories. We only wish it could have been a few days longer...