8/31 - Nigel has breakfast all locked up

*Somebody* took a bite of the muffin…  Nigel is not pleased. (It was me! I was hungry!)

Nigel was hoping to get a bird bath from the fire standpipe, but it was locked up and his key didn’t fit that lock.  He was NOT happy.  Sorry, Nigel!

8/30 - Dad Alien thinks he found his spaceship

He was ready to go home to his planet, but the spaceship was really a fire hydrant… So he’s still here with me at work.  Zorp.

We had lunch with new work friend Kari today. She has a cute little doggie at her house named Fido!

Kindy update:  The twins are still loving school!  Yay!!

8/29 - First Day of Kindergarten (and a few Very Important Birthdays)

Pink Frog wanted to go to school too.  She liked the train ride in and thinks my desk is nice, but she wants to be a kindergarten kid like you guys. Hope you’re having fun today and learning new things!

Hey, those are not flies! (Pink Frog thinks the poppy seeds on my coleslaw are flies.)  Silly.  I would not pick flies at the salad bar!

A Very Happy Birthday to Grampy and to Linda!  We love you!

8/28 - More family festivities

Pogo sings a little coffee song:  "C is for coffee. That's good enough for me."  (Especially when the kids' table was up chatting and whatnot until 2am...)

Here is Pogo's new friend Smudge. Apparently, it's nap time...

Pogo picked a pack of peppers.  Vaughn's making us a BBQ!

Ogee loves company...

And then, dear Reader, I flew home.  I took my sunburned shoulders back to the fog.  Stay tuned for the twins' first day at kindergarten.

8/27- Operation Grampy's Birthday Surprise

So we thought for a minute that it was Grampy's 80th birthday and started making plans to have us kids fly out for a surprise party.  When we found out that he's merely 77, it did not deter us at all.  We figured this way, he'd be REALLY surprised.  :)

Lil' Guy was the only one (barely) up as I was leaving for the airport.  He handed me an alien blaster from our space station, which he informed me was a pogo stick.  (I love how we shelter them.)

Hi guys!  Pogo and I are at the airport.  We miss you already!

Pogo found a pirate ship... Do you remember we saw this when we went sailing with Captain Dave?

Grampy and Pogo say hi.  He was so surprised to see me and uncle Tod here!

Uncle Tod is silly (and way sunburned).  He says hi...

Pogo met a large snake after hours.  It was sleeping.... thankfully

8/26 - Barrel wants a package

Today, we saw a “train” of package trucks.  Someone must have done a lot of online shopping!

Barrel says "Fill me up!" But this standing pipe for firefighters is bigger than Barrel.  It would wash him away faster than it would fill him up!

8/25 - I would not leave Woodstock's Heart in San Francisco

Woodstock's Heart says "I love you this big."  My love for you guys is way too big to measure with a ruler!

We saw a whole line of cable cars taking a break.  Woodstock’s Heart thought they looked like a train.  Clang clang choo choo!

We saw Linda and some lovely ladies from my old job at lunch. It’s Linda’s birthday on Monday – the same day you guys start kindergarten!  What a big day that will be!

8/24 - Tigger/Stickie bears witness to the Great Greek Salad

Stickie (today also called Tigger) spied a cable car.  He really liked seeing it and the electric poles on the bus (moving too fast for me to take a picture of it).  Good luck at the doctor today!!

I do love me a big salad… How did it go at the doctor’s?

8/23 - Tigger dives into documentation updates

Tigger wanted to BOUNCE!  He found this stapler at my desk and used it as a diving board. Watch out Tigger!  The only water here is my cup of drinking water….   Oh no! SPLASH!!

Tigger found this little guy outside of a hotel and wanted to take him home for a pet.  He named him Fido.  Unfortunately, he would not fit in my bag.  And the hotel wanted to keep their statue.  Oh, well.

8/22 - Captain sails the sniffly seas

Captain and I are sad that you guys have the sniffles today.  We thought this tissue box looked like a ship, so Captain sailed it around my desk. Hugs to you all…

Captain says, "All hands on deck!" He’s pretending to sail the ship in my calendar to a tropical island, in search of treasure and fine cuisine. Let’s hope I have smooth sailing on the trip home tonight…  the treasure there will be no delays due to BART protests!

Sidebar:  There is way too much Monday in this Monday for my liking.  Thanks to Mike for sending me Tuesday  from his earlier time zone!

8/21 - Piracy for plants

I was out in the backyard with the twins today and happened to notice something unusual about one of the plants...  This one belongs to Lil' Gal, and I guess when the dead flower stalk broke off, she figured out a way to stick it back on.  I love it.

8/19 - Flapasaurus, watch out for the lions!

Flapasaurus is king of the markers.  Every time I try to use one, I have to ask, “Please, your Majesty?”  He is silly. And he misses you!  He’s so excited to have dinner with you guys in the city tonight!  (Me too!)

We looked up at the tall buildings and AAAAAAH!!  There were lions up there!  (We were OK. They were just statues.)

Here are my shorties, getting their meeting on.

8/18 - Ladder lunches with the ladies (and Raj)

We saw this tall red ladder on the way into work. Once we started looking for ladders, we saw lots of them! Folded up on top of trucks, on fire escapes…  some buildings even have detailing on them that looks like ladders.  Ladder is very excited to meet more friends today.

Raj took a picture of Ladder and the ladies at lunch.  Here are Elizabeth, me, Mila, and Jeanine.

Mama brought the kids to see me at derby practice today!  No photos, since many of my derby sisters were trying to pass their skills assessments, and were concentrating.  Thanks to Pia Mess and Karen Ya Apart for their help assessing!

8/17 - Dora meets a family of giants!

Dora and her twin brother and sister found some giants on our way into work!  (They’re really just some statues.  The work is called “Agriculture” and is by Ralph Stackpole.)

Dora says, "Mira! Una ensalada muy grande!" This ensalada has lechuga (lettuce), maiz (corn), tomates (tomatoes), queso (blue cheese), and higos (figs).  Delicioso!

In other exciting news, the replacement Roo has arrived!  (History lesson:  Roo the First went missing.  Roo the Second was accidentally tossed over the fence and was Lost Forever in the brambles and ivy.)  This is Roo the Third.  May he stay around for a long time.  (And if not, at least we have a photo this time.)

8/16 - Blue Jack has a point

This is the only sunshine we found in the foggy city this morning.

My new work building is right by a fire station!  What numbers and letters do you see?

8/15 - Pilot Jack watches over you while you sleep

Pilot Jack wanted to chomp on bananas at lunchtime, but we opted for a veggie Vietnamese sandwich instead (not pictured).

Mama sent me this picture of you guys sleeping in the van.  Pilot Jack and I say, “Awwwwww.  So cute!”  Hope you had sweet dreams!

8/15 - Letters to a derby girl

Last night, Lil' Gal had an urgent need for paper and a pen.  "I need to write an important note."  Turns out it was for me!  This says, "Dear Mommy.  I hope you have a good time at roller derby practice.  Dear, Lil' Gal."

I had my derby sister take a photo of me in my gear to show the kids.  Here I am, in all my padded glory.  With the note!

8/12 - Bulldozer plows through lunch

Bulldozer and I had lunch with some new work friends.  Here are Damien, Lucy, and Rachel.

Bulldozer thought my desk was getting messy, so he pushed all the office supplies into a tidy pile.  Thanks, Bulldozer!

Rosemary and I found a grown-up bulldozer and his person on the way to dinner.

And then it was all grown-up talk and food and stuff and all -- not pictured.  Can I get a "heck yeah" for the weekend?  Thanks.

8/11 - Take your Shipping Containers to work day

The shipping containers Lil' Gal snuck into my bag for today really liked the train ride in to work.  That makes sense, since they are part of a wooden train set.  You can’t see Shipping Containers well in the pictures, but they were so excited to see the grown-ups at work.  Can you say “intermodal freight transport?”

Here, the Shipping Containers gobble up a takeaway container.  We’re having Chinese food at my desk today so I can leave early for derby practice.  NOM!

Highlight of the day:  I made it through a pack of my fellow roller derby girls without falling down!