New Years Day 2011

My parents have had a New Years Day party for over 35 years...and before that, my grandmother.  My mom, aka "Baba" prepares all of the authentic japanese new years day food for the party. It's a tradition in the Japanese community to have new years day "open houses" where family gathers to socialize and eat food that will bring whatever fortune you're seeking in the coming year. Because my mother thinks of her 100+ friends as family, they're also invited...It's quit an event.   Lots of new years joy fills the house, tons of sashimi, prepared by Ricki the parties sushi chef for over 20 years and endless sake is shared in the spirit of the coming new year!

I found a hapi coat that we think my great aunt, Mama Weda made me.  I know my time is limited to have Finn wear semi girl looking outfits... 

Christmas Morning 2010

Finn woke up later then normal, and was only into doing what he wanted, which in the beginning, was not opening gifts. He had stayed up late playing with his cousins the night before and it was showing.  All he wanted was to eat an apple and chase McCovey around the house.  He could really care less about the huge pile of presents that cascaded around the Christmas tree...We SLOWLY, throughout the morning, opened all the gifts.  He was excited to get lots of Thomas the Train toys and by the end of the morning, he'd played so much he fell asleep sitting up... 

Christmas Eve 2010 at Bachan and Gechan's House

We were grounded this Christmas, so we stayed in Santa Cruz for the first time in many years.  We had Christmas eve at my parents house in Capitola with both sides of the family.  Finn had too much fun playing with Benjamin, who is such a sweet and wonderful big cousin!  They played with toys, Benjamin pushed him around in his new trike, and they mostly made each other laugh by being silly! 

Finn has become obsessed with my dad's ipad... he calls it "Mimi" and can be in a room full of total chaos and hardly blink... We're in the process bringing down his mimi time...

 Marisa and uncle Barry

 Finn quickly discovered the dessert table... and would somehow, without anyone seeing, sneak over to the table and steal a cookie... I think he eat 1/2 a dozen "goco's" as he calls them.

 Great Auntie aka Bachon holding Lily 

getting the perfect picture...

As you can see from the pics below... it takes a lot of attempts to get the "one" picture.  McCovey is a perfect model and a good sport, he loves the camera :-) Finnly, on the other hand, needs some work with looking at the camera... and focus in general...I guess that's all part of being one and a half :-) We had too much fun taking these, hope you enjoy and get your cards soon :-) 

Fort building

It has rained each of the last 3 weekends... making Erik, Finn and McCovey a little restless.  So, Erik decided to build Finn's first pillow fort.

 McCovey got really excited about what the boys were up to... and joined in the fort :-) 

Christmas tree time!

Erik woke up Friday morning with a fire underneath him... ready to get a Christmas tree, decorate the house and put the outdoor lights up!  SO, we bundled up and headed up the mountains in search of the perfect tree.  We usually go to a pre-cut tree farm in Watsonville... but this year I thought Finn would like to see a real Christmas farm.  I wanted to go to a farm in boulder creek.. just about the furthest farm away from our house because I read it was cute for kids... and it was.  There was a general store, farm animals, cookies, hot cider and hay rides.  What I didn't read was the type of tree I wanted doesn't grow in Santa Cruz :-) Poor Erik and Finn walked around the whole farm so excited to cut a tree down... but we never found one.  Instead I found the Noble Fir in the pre-cut tree section imported from Oregon State.  Not too green of me, but it's a beautiful little tree! Erik was excited that he didn't have to drag a tree down the mountain to our car ;-) Finn didn't even realize where it came from... all he cared about was the "coco" (cookie) he got at the general store...