Tyler Feeds Himself

Tyler has grown up so quickly in so many ways. Especially at meal times, we are reminded what a "big boy" he is as he pounds down an incredible quantity of food in no time at all - all on his own. With two self-feeding kids, we've definitely turned a major corner at meal times!

Like his big brother, Tyler loves to "cheers" with his milk. It just gets more and more fun capturing him on video. The only snag is that our Flip camera has little images of cars on it, and every time I start to film him doing something cool, he gets distracted by the little cars and starts pointing at the camera, exclaiming, "Car! Car!"

Russian River Weekend

After the crazy Dreamforce week, we were in need of some serious R&R. Eunice found us a great house to rent up on the Russian River, and we decided to escape the week before Thanksgiving along with the Canadas.

The house was great-- huge deck with a hot tub, vineyard in the front yard, and just a hundred yards from the river. We had a ton of fun with the Canadas, including some tasty home-cooked meals, relaxing in the hot tub, wandering down to throw rocks in the river, skuut excursions into town, Persimmon picking at a local organic farm, and a killer game of chess, played with shot glasses that were consumed as the game progressed (we lost by a pretty big margin, but everyone comes out a winner in a game like that!).

The house was outside of Guerneville, which has quite a reputation (which we were not aware of). Mostly, we just noticed a very large transient population... some of the happiest, friendliest homeless guys we've ever run across. We'd walk over this big pedestrian bridge on our way into town (oftentimes through huge clouds of pot smoke), and the guys hanging out would tell each other to "watch your language, kids passing through" and would let Ryan know that he's the "luckiest man in the world" to be with family.

Our last day was probably our favorite-- after a lazy morning we had lunch at the beautiful outdoor cafe at Korbel winery. We drove up Russian River while the boys napped, stopping at one of our favorite vineyards, Hop Kiln. We then headed to the coast by a little town called Jenner, where we found a path out to a deserted beach at Russian Gulch. It was a calm, warm November afternoon, and we had the beach to ourselves as we played with the boys and watched the sun set. The boys started to melt down in the car since it was way past dinner time by the time we left (complete disaster was staved off only by a raucous sing-along of popular Christmas carols), but a little restaurant in Monte Rio saved the day. It was called Cafe Les Jumelles-- totally kid friendly, great steaks, outstanding homemade mac and cheese, and Lagunitas IPA on tap. Heaven.

Click here for a slideshow...

Dreamforce

Dreamforce is Salesforce.com's annual user conference, and is the biggest week of the year for Appirio, Ryan's startup-- this year 18,000 customers and prospects descended on Moscone center, and Ryan was fully occupied for the week with the booth, the speaking opportunities, and of course throwing the best party at Dreamforce-- a VIP event at the historic San Francisco Mint.

Since Eunice's non-profit is a Salesforce customer, she was also up at the event-- although she spent most of her time at the fancy hotel where Ryan's company put him up, catching up on the 4 years of sleep deprivation she's endured since our boys were born. (Ryan was only at the hotel a few hours a day, so Eunice had to make sure the room was put to good use!)

One highlight of the week was Ryan's 15 minutes of fame on stage with Appirio's customer, Avon. It was flattering to be asked by Avon to get on stage in front of 10,000 people and help demonstrate the application we'd built for them while Salesforce.com's CEO Marc Benioff bantered with our client.

Then Marc turned to Ryan and asked some questions about how the app was built. The only problem: that wasn't in the script, and Ryan didn't have a microphone! Ryan gestured grandly to indicate that the customer was supposed to do the talking, but Benioff came back 2 more times with questions, until the client said "Marc, he doesn't have a mic!"

It was definitely one of Ryan's most frustrating professional moments-- to have the opportunity to share a cool story but to be unable to do so! This video captures a little bit of the absurdity/humor of having a 6'5" guy pantomiming on stage.

Another highlight of the week was when Adam (who works at Salesforce) hosted a panel.... with Ryan as one of the panelists! The Nichols boys rocked the house (as much as possible given that it was a 7:30am session after the night with all the big parties). With Eunice in the audience showing her support, it was definitely a family affair to remember. You can catch the audio here, and learn a little big about what the Nichols boys are up to these days!

And where were the boys through all of this? Po Po to the rescue! Terry came out for the week from St. Louis, taking care of Spencer's pre-school drop-off and pick-up, entertaining Tyler, cooking up a storm, and putting the boys to bed at night. The boys had a great time hanging out with their grandmother while their parents were a world away up in San Francisco, and Eunice got 3 glorious days and 2 nights away from the kids - the longest stretch she has ever been away from Spencer and Tyler!

Train Hopping in San Francisco

Another one of KB's fantastic days in the city, this time entirely on trains! It really was Spencer's dream day-- Ryan brought him up to join KB, Lee, and Charu for this adventure, while Eunice spent some quality time with Tyler back on the home front.

We started in the Castro, catching the F train all the way down market street to the Ferry Building. We grabbed brunch at Cane Rosso, checked out the transit museum, and then continued our ride along the Embarcadero. We hopped off in Fisherman's Wharf, and then walked through Fort Mason to Grandpa Nic's house for an afternoon nap. Then we took the 22 Muni all the way back to where we started, just in time for a late night burrito at a Castro Taqueria!

I hope Sencer remembers this one-- it really doesn't get any better than this for a 3 year old... or for a 30-something year old!

Click here for a slideshow....

Light at the end of the tunnel

After months of largely ignoring each other (or worse, competing for our attention), the boys are finally starting to really play with one another - and we're starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel for the craziness that has become the norm for our family life.

All four of us playing together is still a rarity-- we've definitely decided that the "divide and conquer" strategy works best for now, but every once in a while we capture a moment with all of us together that is very happy indeed.

Whether horsing around in bed in our pajamas, or the magical stretches when the boys entertain each other outside or in our new playroom, it's the moments below that keep us sane during what's a pretty crazy time in our lives!

Halloween in San Carlos

We spent Halloween in San Carlos this year, helping Adam and Rachel celebrate Lilah's first Halloween (and first Halloween in their new home)! We started with some pumpkin carving before getting dressed up in our costumes (yes, we're still dressed as a pride of Lions!), mixed up an outstanding batch of Dark 'n Stormies, and then heading off to famous Eucalyptus Avenue, where the neighbors go all-out for Halloween.

The street was closed to make room for the hordes of pedestrians, and some of the houses actually featured performances throughout the evening (think fire-eaters). The boys were much less fearful this year, and really got into going door-to-door with their baskets. Our favorite picture? The angelic Lilah oblivious to the fact that her mother has transformed into a faceless Mexican wrestler (lower right photo in the collage above).

Click here for a slideshow....

Roosevelt Beach

Eunice headed out to Half Moon Bay for yet another perfect October day, this time roping in Grace, Theo, and Reah. They decided to check out Roosevelt Beach this time. It was Grace's first beach outing with Reah (it was warm, but not warm enough for her first swim!). The boys had lots of fun kicking the ball around the beach and playing "train" with a long string of seaweed. Craziest moment? When Theo ran off down the beach, with Tyler eagerly chasing after him.... Eunice and Grace had to head off in hot pursuit, leaving Spencer to watch Reah!

Click here for a slideshow....

Daycare Halloween Party

It's time for the annual Little Kingdom Daycare Halloween party, complete with lumpia, spaghetti with hotdogs, fruit, cupcakes, and of course lots of cute kids in costumes. Animals were the theme this year-- Rosalyn was Minnie Mouse, Isaac was a Bunny, David was a Kangaroo, and Kaira was a Hippo. And of course, our boys were re-using their lion costumes from Julia's birthday princess party. And the zoo-keeper of this wild bunch? Juanita, dressed as Snow White.

Dune Beach

Now THIS is what every Monday in October should be like-- a fantastic outing to the beach with the boys, chasing seagulls (with Spencer yelling "Seagull, don't take my food!") and romping around in the sand. It's a turning point to see the boys laughing and playing with each other these days, even giving each other an occasional impromptu hug.

Click here for a slideshow....

Next Step U

It started out as an innocent enough side project-- Eunice and Maggie volunteered to help our church put together a day of community classes (which Ryan cleverly named "Next Step U"). Hundreds of hours later, there was a high-class logo, advertisements running during the weekly service, gourmet lunch and beverages, dozens of volunteers and attendees, outsourced childcare, and a fantastic curriculum of how to take the "next step" in your spiritual journey.

The day was a smashing success-- we actually had the chance to sit down to think and talk like adults for a change, discussing subjects that don't get enough mind-share in our daily craziness. We attended a morning class exploring the intersection of social justice and faith, took a nice lunch break with the kids, and then rounded out the afternoon with a turbo-speed class on reading the Bible for all its worth, taught by our good friends Phil and Kevin. Eunice managed to rope our daycare providers in as childcare workers, so our boys had a fantastic time too!

Pumpkin Picking in Half Moon Bay

While Ryan was out of town at an IT conference, Eunice attempted to take the boys to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival, only to encounter stop-and-go traffic minutes into the trip. She managed to salvage the morning, with the help of the Canada's who joined her for pumpkin picking in decidedly more sunny climes at Webb Ranch in Portola Valley.

Click here for a slideshow!

The boys had a fantastic time running around, sitting on pumpkins, selecting pumpkins, taking pictures with pumpkins, and climbing in the wheel barrow. With a jumpy house to boot, this turned out to be the perfect place to spend the morning.

We've never ended up with so many pumpkins for Halloween-- the boys didn't want to stop loading up our wheel barrow!

Click here for a slideshow!

Hudson's Birthday at Marvin Gardens

You might not guess it, but Marvin Gardens is just about the perfect venue for a kid's birthday party... Beer and pizza for the adults, a huge, contained play area for the kids, and, best of all, thundering trains that whiz by practically overhead. Hudson had a great day, as did his best bud Spencer. The favorite activity of the afternoon? Coordinated jumps off the side of the patio to the gravel below. Simple pleasures, what could be better?

Click here for a slideshow....

Julia's Princess Party

Our friend Julia has ALWAYS wanted to have a princess party. What better opportunity than her 40th birthday? It was a costume party, with the theme of "royalty." She encouraged creative interpretation, so the Nichols and Canadas came dressed as a pride of Lions ("king" of the jungle, get it?). The boys were adorable in their lion outfits, but their parents looked like complete freak shows at an event where most adults came dressed as princes and princesses... But the Princess party theme was flawlessly executed, with a castle jumpy house, pink decorations everywhere, and fantastic ribs to gnaw on, medieval-style.

Click here for a slideshow...

Lionesses Eunice and Grace get a photo with the birthday girl, pretty in pink.

Adam & Therese Share a Birthday

Now that not one, but TWO of the most important people in my dad's life share October 2 as a birthday, what better way to celebrate the big occasion than a dinner party in the Marina, complete with juicy steaks, tasty wine, and carrot cake?

We all decided to spend the night in the Marina...with all 3 kids - a fateful decision that worked out well enough at first, but for which we paid the price the next morning after Ryan and Adam were out half the night. Ryan paid penance by taking the extra early morning shift with the boys, heading out to the beach for some play-time without waking up the rest of the house.

SF "Triathlon": Brunch, Bikes, and Beach

KB has started a fantastic tradition of organizing themed, kid-friendly "days in the city," with enough forewarning to tempt us up from San Mateo. Tyler and Ryan joined in the festivities with Lee and Charu on this beautiful September day. Highlights included brunch at Greens, getting geared-up at the Sports Basement, Tyler's first ride in a bike trailer, frequent beach-breaks for wave splashing every time Tyler got fussy, navigating the embarcadero with a sleeping toddler in tow, lunch at the Ferry Building, and a looong ride back in a stiff headwind. We finished the day by meeting up with Eunice and Spencer for Thai Food back at Nara and Tracy's apartment in the Richmond. Thanks for getting us all together, KB!

Click here for a slideshow...

Theo's Third Birthday

We were very happy to host Theo's 3rd birthday party at our place this year. It was a beautiful day to be hanging out in the backyard-- highlights included yummy BBQ, the balloon man's amazing creations, trying to get the kids posed for a group picture, and, best of all, some quality time with Spencer and the birthday boy in the hammock after it was all over.

Click here for a slideshow...

Joyce Family Reunion in San Diego

This has definitely been the year of family reunions. The week of September 13th, we joined Ryan's step-mom, Nancy, for her family reunion in San Diego. We decided to drive instead of fly so we could stop in Los Angeles to introduce Tyler to Eunice's grandmother for the first time.

All of our travels were centered around the boys' sleep schedule. We did the first 3 hour leg during the boys' nap time, stopping in Coalinga where some friends recommended Harris Ranch as a kid-friendly place for a rest stop and some good food. We had no idea this oasis existed in the middle of nowhere, halfway between the Bay Area and Los Angeles! The boys had an awesome time burning off energy in the inner courtyard. Best of all, we had a fantastic meal, dining on some of the tastiest steaks we've ever had! We drove the remaining 3 hours to LA during the boys bedtime, arriving at Eunice's mom's apartment just before midnight.

The next morning, we spent some quality time with Great grandma Tao - and as an added bonus, Eunice's Uncle Ben was in town from Abu Dhabi! The agenda was predictable: food, food, and more food. We snacked on fruit, scallion pancakes, and black sesame dumplings at Eunice's grandma's place, and then left shortly thereafter for a tasty dim sum lunch. Tyler ate a ton, but got as much food on him as in him. We had to strip him down to his diaper to get him out of the restaurant. :)

Later that afternoon, we headed off again during the boys nap time, pulling into our Mission Beach house in San Diego just before dinner. By the end of the evening, multiple families had converged, including Nancy, the Barrons, the Joyces, the Leinbachs, and of course the matriarch of the family, Mimi.

Our days were filled with strolls along the boardwalk, cold dips in the ocean, sand castle building, bike/stroller rides out to the nearby playground, and naps. Nights included gorgeous sunsets, large-scale group dinners, cut-throat poker tournaments (with card shark Mimi winning every time!), and even midnight games of volleyball... Spencer and Tyler had an especially good time getting to know their second cousins, Owen, Pearson, and Colby.

Ryan's step-dad, Fran, managed to join us after work one afternoon, and Ryan's mom Susan and her partner Jim made it out another night.

We're so glad we were able to catch up with Fran, Susan, and Jim while in San Diego - it made this into the family reunion to top all family reunions!

After a great week, we sadly bid farewell to Mission Beach. We braved an early morning drive to LA with the boys awake for once, meeting up with our good friends Jon and Allison at Griffith Park where we got to catch up with one another while the boys were entertained by train rides and pony rides.

A fantastic brunch outdoors topped off our time with Jon and Allison. Then we did an exact repeat of our earlier trip south, but heading north this time, making it to Harris Ranch during the boys' afternoon nap, letting the boys run around the courtyard, eating yet another great steak dinner, and then tackling the final leg home during the boys' bedtime.

An epic journey to be sure, filled with good friends and family! Click here for the full slideshow.

Labor Day in Twaine Harte

Becoming an annual tradition, we headed up to Twaine Harte again this year for Labor Day weekend with the Hills and their new dog, Penny. Adam, Rachel, and Lilah came as well, joined by Rachel's brother Simon, and Susan and Jim flew up from San Diego, making it a bona fide family reunion.

As usual, the boys enjoyed the lake, we took turns cooking tasty meals at the house (including Adam's memorable bread pudding!), played some fun (and loud) family games at night, and engaged in interesting conversation. Two fun activities were added to the mix this year: a walk downtown with the boys to check out Twaine Harte's fun playground and a 4 hour-long mountain bike ride through the redwoods. Click here for a full slideshow.

Here's a video of our group of hard-core mountain bikers tackling the trail... Looking forward to another fun-filled gathering next year!

Dinner with the Gates

We had an impromptu dinner over at our place with the Gates and served up fajitas and our classic homemade guacamole! The Gates may well be the busiest family we know, so it was a real treat to spend some quality time catching up with them. :)

Todd & Jenny's Visit

Adam and Ryan's childhood friend, Todd, and his wife Jenny flew into town for a visit. We haven't had a chance to see them since before they were married, so it was a treat to catch up with them over the weekend. The weather was beautiful, so we hung out in Half Moon Bay (Lilah's first time at a beach!) and then headed over to Adam and Rachel's for a tasty BBQ dinner.