12/26 - Race Car Pen draws his own finish line

We had a lovely Christmas, despite the twins waking up at 3:30am.  It took about an hour for me to get them back to sleep, but they did.  Zzzzzzz.  Today, it was back to work for me.

This tow truck is all geared up for the holidays… Gotta love a truck that’s willing to wear a wreath in public.

I found Race Car Pen very helpful at the Post Office, where I mailed some late presents to Grandmother and Grampy.

12/24 - BowlMouth finds a winter wonderland

It’s very quiet downtown today.  Most of the stores have closed early, and the streets are all but empty.

This is the elevator lobby of a building where I used to work (you haven’t been there with me).  They put up fake brick walls and hung icicles from the lights and put snow and penguins everywhere!  I hardly recognized the place.

Look how cute you guys are getting ready for Santa!

12/21 - Slugina and the clouds of doom

It sure was cloudy and blustery this morning.  I thought we were going to have a big loud storm, but am only finding some gentle rain here in the city.  Work, however, continues to be loud and blustery.  Gotta love that year end stuff…

At lunch, Slugina did her best Christmas tree impersonation.  Not bad, eh?

Slugina asks, "Is there something behind me?!"  No, Slugina.  There is not a delicious chocolate Beard Papa cream puff behind you.  Not at all… Just slime right over here and I’ll take care of it for you.

12/20 - Caiman and Red Angry Bird start a parade

They got Raj to join in, but when they tried to turn it into a conga line, Raj said he had a meeting.

Nick gave us all cookies and some other holiday goodies. (Thank you!) My little friends started demanding a share, but when I asked them to ask nicely, I shared right away. Manners matter.

12/19 - Caiman and Red Angry Bird start a band

Caiman and Red Angry Bird got bored with all my napping (still sick), so they looked for something fun to do.  They got together with Christmas Snoopy and his bongos and started a band.  They named themselves the Jingle Bell Boyz and now they want to go on tour.

12/18 - Caiman and Red Angry Bird play doctor

I think I have Lil' Gal's stuffy nose...  I woke up this morning and felt really sick, so I called out from work. These guys are taking good care of me, so I thank them much.

* spelling words are in bold font.

12/17 - Red Angry Bird finds a matching nest

Jeanine’s boyfriend is a MUNI bus driver.  Today, Josh's bus broke down, so we went to say hi (he has to stay with the bus).  Caiman was so excited to meet a real bus driver!  Look at that grin.

Um, Red Angry Bird?  That is not a nest.  That is Santa’s cuff!

12/14 - Koopa and the amazing talking curry

There was something about the JapaCurry truck that called to us today… Pumpkin croquette, get in my belly!  NOM!

Sadly, the cupcake truck drove away before we could get any dessert.

12/13 - Jeanette has a new admirer

We had lunch with my silly friend Adam, who works at my company in a different city.  He is here for a big work project and we went out for lunch.  I guess he really likes Jeanette!

Jeanette and Mommy say hi!  I guess the lady walking behind us was in quite a hurry – she’s a blur.  (We were not so sharp ourselves this afternoon.)

12/12/12 - Jeanette does some reading while I am in meetings

She’s reading the Roller Skates book David gave me.  She told this carriage to stop driving on my desk.  Plus, the horses’ clippity cloppity was disturbing my coworkers. I think Jeanette wants to be a librarian when she grows up.

What were you doing at 12:12 on 12/12/12?  I was in a meeting.  I made a wish, and no -- it was not to get out of the meeting!

12/11 - Jeanette would like new glasses for Christmas

She thought these designer frames would be perfect, if only they came in a smaller size.

Jeanette found an enchanted Christmas tree forest.  We knew it was enchanted because there was a BLUE Christmas tree!

12/10 - Jeanette is tired of meetings

We haven’t left the building today.  It’s almost 5pm and we’re waiting for our last meeting of the day to start. Jeanette would much rather have come on a day where there were cupcakes, she tells me. I agree. There is too much Monday in this Monday.

One good cure for a bad case of the Mondays is cookies.  Cookies also go well with Christmas.  So Jeanette and I rounded up some supplies (she was especially interested in the almonds) and started baking...

12/02 - Weekend fun: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas edition

Last weekend, we started getting ready for Christmas.  First, we picked out a tree.  Then, we had cookies and eggnog and decorated it.

The next morning, we put the ingredients for homemade soup in the slow cooker. I also made my famous Mommy Bread.  Between that and the Christmas tree, the house smelled delicious all day!

After that, we got all gussied up and went to see Santa.  Lil' Guy stepped right up and charmed Santa.

Lil' Gal has always been shy, but this year, we had a Plan B.  A letter!  Santa was very touched and thought she did a great job drawing him and Rudolph.  She was SO proud.  And when he asked for a hug, she gave him a big one!  (I was on the other side, and her face was beaming.  So cute!!)

My attempts at getting a holiday card photo were not as successful as I'd like, but I'll keep trying...

12/07 - Fishie makes a fish wish

This morning, both escalators were out of service at the BART station, so everybody was trying to use the stairwell at the same time. Fishie told me that salmon have to swim upstream when it’s time to lay their eggs, which also sounds like a hard commute.

Can’t we all just get along?

12/06 - Beagle goes bats

My building had a big holiday breakfast set up in the lobby today by the fountain with the silver balls.  There was even a harp player playing Christmas songs. We got a pastry and some coffee, but when we returned for more coffee and maybe a breakfast burrito, they had packed all up all the food.  Sorry, Beagle!

This construction company has a sense of humor and an excellent logo.
Bay Area Traffic Solutions = BATS
They also have super cute cones with polka dots.  Who says you can’t be cute *and* safe?

12/05 - Beagle sings in the rain

While I was grumbling about how people walk more slowly when carrying umbrellas, Beagle wanted to stop and sing a long song to the rain.  People looked at us, but we didn’t care.  If it’s OK to howl at the moon, why isn’t it OK to sing at the rain?

Beagles do not eat chocolate.  Or Christmas cakes that look like logs covered with lumberjack elves.  Beagles are smart like that when it comes to food.  Beware the elf with a hacksaw...

12/04 - Beagle spots the first eggnog latte of the season

It’s been a long time since I’ve had one of these.  It must be Christmas time!

Beagle wants to pull the sleigh.  He wants to bring presents to the boys and girls and wear bells that ring on his collar.  He thinks he’d make a fine reindeer!

* spelling words in bold font

12/03 - Beagle barks at the wild mushrooms

What humongous fungus!  I guess we did get a lot of rain this weekend…

Here, Beagle sniffs the new dragon.  This dragon wants peace and harmony for the world.  I wouldn’t mind that myself. Beagle licked his knobbly dragon fingers and the dragon giggled.  

Silly dragon.  Licks are for kids.