Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Jess and Greg found a great house in Kings Beach (Tahoe) for rent, so we headed up there with Montie too for a weekend in the snow.  Ryan actually made it to the snow park this year (last year, Steve took Ryan but Ryan had a meltdown in the parking lot shortly after getting his ticket) and had fun going down a small hill in a tube, climbing a snow mountain, and building snowmen. 

Keira just stayed bundled up in her little bear outfit and hung out in the Baby Bjorn.  Montie got to chase a tennis ball in the snowbanks around the house.  Her health is deteriorating due to her year-long battle with skin cancer, so this may be her last jaunt in the snow.  If you were to see her, you'd swear she was just a pup, as she could not get enough of playing fetch.  We had a great time hanging out, playing MJ Experience and Taboo, and being snow bunnies!

Welcome to Keira Naomi Liu!

Pink Power! Keira was born on 11/18/10 at 1:17 PM.  She weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and measured 19".   We think she looks like Ryan did at the same age.  Ryan is getting used to having a baby sister and was quite surprised to learn that she does not have any teeth (it's one of the first things he tells people when he talks about Keira). 



Here's one of the few pictures we have of her with her eyes open. She's a pretty mellow baby (except when she has a bubbly tummy) and sleeps a lot.

 Ryan finished his first round of soccer school with Kidz Love Soccer and enjoyed it tremendously.

 He also enjoys reading, although I think this book is a little advanced for him!

More funny Ryan-isms

• "I just want...I just want to say...BEANS."  This all started because one day SOMEONE in the house (who shall remain nameless) tooted and I said, "Beans" because that's what we had eaten with dinner.  We all laughed, and so now Ryan says "Beans" anytime toots happen or he wants to try to get us to laugh.  
• "Something's wrong...something's wrong with my feelings."  I think he was thinking about a spill he took earlier that day where he smacked his face into the ground.  After awhile, I think Steve may have asked "are you still hurt or are your feelings hurt?"  Thus, Ryan was commenting on not feeling happy later on when thinking about getting hurt. 
• "Hungry intruders appear!  This was NOT part of the plan!"  These are actually a couple of lines from a book called Scaredy Squirrel at Night.   This particular scene is when Scaredy Squirrel has an elaborate scheme to get rid of things of which he's afraid, but then they all turn out to be raccoons, a moose, an owl, and a frog just showing up to snack on the bait Scaredy Squirrel has left out. 
• "Exclamation point...say it loud!" Ryan can recognize letters and has learned which ones spell things like "STOP", "GO", "NO", "TO", "PLOP", and "RECYCLE".  When we were reading a book called I Stink ! (about a garbage truck), he asked me what the exclamation point was.  I said it means we're supposed to say the word or sentence loudly. Now, any time he sees a word with an exclamation point, he says, "Exclamation point...say it loud." and then says the word/phrase REALLY loud.

this kid says the craziest things!

Here are some things Ryan says that make me laugh:

• You Rock!
• I slow dance with girls. (Steve prompted him to say this when Ryan was swaying along to "Find Yourself", the closing song from the movie Cars)
• No, not today.  Saturday. (in response to various questions like, do you need a diaper change?  shall we take a bath?  do you want to put your shoes on?)
• Delicious!
• Watch out, Montie, Ryan coming! (said to our dog when we enter the house)
• ohhhhhh...mommy....look what I have...cooooookies! (and then he takes out his play cookies)
• no, I good (in response to questions like "are you still hungry"?  "do you need a diaper change" "do you want a drink?)
• his sing-along versions of "Real Gone", "Life is a Highway", "Sh-Boom", and "Route 66" (the last one gets him making a funny rockin' out squint and pout as he shakes his head back and forth) with lyrics that sound like "GO SAYNLEWIE CHOC'LATE MIZURI" (for "goes to St. Louis, down to Missouri)
• his recitation of The Lorax.  He's memorized most of the story - I think he knows it better than I do!

just a quick update

• December brought excellent holiday celebrations with friends and family.  It's always a hectic time as I'm finishing up grading for the semester and then trying to prep for Christmas.  However, we really enjoyed time with our families and friends at things like Christmas in the Park, my annual cookie baking day with my girlfriends, Xmas eve at my parents' house (this year was Espana year with paella on the menu instead of our regular posole and tamales...what, someone didn't tell you that we're actually a Mexican family?), and Xmas day with the Stachnicks and Lius. 
• Just before the new year and through mid-January, we went to Albert and Pat's home in Hawaii Kai.  We got to spend time with Valerie, Nathan, Daniel, Eleanor, and aunt Grace in addition to visiting places like Haleiwa, the Honolulu Zoo, the Waikiki Aquarium, and the beaches at Ko'Olina and Ala Moana Beach Park.  
• At the end of January, Steve and I got away to Sonoma to celebrate Wendy and Sharon's birthday.  It was a great weekend of wine, excellent food, and fun with our friends.
• Flu season took Ryan and I out (we're still recovering) of school for some time, although I'm battling to go to work so that my students can keep moving forward with their work.  While I have to work this week, Ryan and Steve went up to the snow with some of our friends.  As of 6 PM today, Ryan was already having fun making snowmen.  The picture is of Ryan with Gia, Tim and Wendy's daughter. This is his first time to the snow, so I'm sad that I can't be there but am happy to hear that he's having a good time.
• Bad news of the season is that our dog, Montie, was diagnosed with cancer.  It's showing in her skin; the lesions are what initially drove us to get her checked out several months ago.  However, after going through different tests to get her diagnosed, we now know what caused the lesions and are currently having her go through chemotherapy.  It's not really about curing her as this form of cancer is very aggressive, but we're trying to make sure she's as comfortable and as happy as possible.  If you were to see her now, you'd never guess anything is wrong.  She is still super hyper, wants to go out for walks and to play fetch, and will eat anything that is put in front of her or left out within her reach, so we're happy that at least she's feeling well enough to be acting like her usual self.  We're also watching Kobee right now, so we have two princesses in the house (one is sleeping on the futon on the floor, one is sleeping next to me as I type this).

Cisco myPlanNet

I designed this game. It sapped most of my Chi over the last 9 months. But it's released. Seems to be going well so far!

Cisco myPlanNet on Facebook

Happy Fall! Happy Halloween!

Ryan now loves his school and seems to have made some friends (Cole and Sebastian are the names I hear most frequently when I ask who he played with at school).

We braved the traffic and went to Half Moon Bay this year to get pumpkins and play around the pumpkin patches.



During a non-soccer weekend, we took Montie to Carmel and stayed overnight. It was a gorgeous, warm weekend, so we went to the leash-free beach and played fetch with Montie in the waves. Ryan spent his time watching Montie and smashing sand castles. We also stopped in at the Dennis the Menace park in Monterey on the way back and visited the train, maze, and playground.



For Halloween, Ryan and the Rosenthal twins (Joe and Brian) all went as dinosaurs. Steve and I dressed up as cavepeople, although Steve was more into his costume and new personality than I was.