Flashback to February

The Sanchini-Gorchini cousins had a clandestine playdate on Valentine's 2010 at a previously unknown park somewhere halfway between Santa Rosa and Richmond.


Uncle Chris, as he often is, was a source of stability for the young ones as they carried out their usual antics.

Sparrow was the daredevil of the crowd and conquered several twisty slides while the rest of us just gawked in astonishment (see Uncle Chris in the background gnashing his teeth with nerves? Maybe not such a stable force after all...)

Her Daddy, however, sucked it up and gave it a go on the tamer version of the inclined diversion. After nearly losing more than a few brain cells, he abandoned the mission to scope out a suitable locale for family portraits.

Crazy cousins nestled in the nooks of a tremendous tree. Sequoia is gleeful as the younger cousins are stupefied at the thought of having to pose for longer than 10 seconds. I mean, those of us in the under 2 crowd just don't ever stay put for that long!

Lucas looks adoringly at his older cousin while Sparrow plans her escape.



The dads get in on the action, desperately hoping they can squeeze out just one photo in which everyone is seated and smiling.

It was too much to hope for. Lucas went hog wild and tried to slide right out of Chris's firm fatherly grasp. Sparrow tried to pick up a few pointers, while Sequoia mildly melted away.

Freedom!!

On the Road Again

Try as I might, I just can't get this thing going! Is my problem that there's a set of knees gumming up the works? Thank goodness my dear cousin Lucas has come to the rescue! Turns out a nonchalant tweak to the hood ornament was all this baby needed!

I'm back in business!

Bay Area Discovery Museum

Despite the picturesque location of the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sequoia isn't so sure she should enter. Sparrow scoffs at her older sister's nerves, and mild-mannered Daddy carts them away to the entrance.


Sequoia took several laps around the Wisteria maze, still not quite feeling right about the place.



Sparrow, however, immediately settled in to a large, cozy nest.



Sequoia found her way to the cozy nest, and Sparrow taught her the subtleties of rock egg patting.






Sequoia perfects her simultaneous flapping and tweeting skills.


Before we could blink cousin Lucas had joined the mix and there were suddenly 3 rock eggs. Sparrow felt she had other nests and rock eggs to conquer and promptly flew the coop.

Yahooie! Yippee! Sequoia's Turning 3!

Well, she turned 3 in November and I'm just getting around to posting it now!

There was all kinds of fun stuff to do at Sequoia's celebration:

Tunnels galore...

Right this way to the balloon room extravaganza!

My family almost got swallowed up!

Bubble magic was a favorite with the younger crowd

And of course, hatching my plans to take over the world while sweet Grandma Iris and dazed cousin Lucas stand by.


I've got Grandma Karen in on the plan now, but Lucas is going to take a little more convincing.



Thank goodness Uncle Chris stayed after the festivities to help me with his superior medical skills. I have developed a nasty habit of swallowing puzzle pieces a la Curious George and have become a frequent flier to the imaginary ER. Nothing a little tickling, surgery, and band-aids can't fix.

Bench o' cousinquoia

Sequoia and her cousins try their darnedest to contain the excitement of sharing a swing bench together.


Unable to maintain restraint the joyous reunion explodes into a cousiny cacophony.


The next day, back a home and cousinless, Sequoia attempts to befriend a neighborhood fixture but finds it is just not the same.

Cousinquoia

Sequoia snags 40 winks after a long morning of infant anticipation.


By the end of the day Lucas Lee Famini had emerged. To follow more of the little man visit: famini.blogspot.com

Cousinquoia

Way back in the heady days of June Sequoia was visited by her cousins Rebecca (once removed) and Tayla (second cousin).
Sequoia appreciates the attention but is a wee bit distraught at being surrounded by such lovely locks.



Later on, Sequoia is invited to investigate the hair of wonder and is promised that someday she'll have a full head herself.



Sequoia finally finds peace in the company of trusses she can relate to