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!!

Lowchini

Sparrow blithely endorses the minimal altitude posture of perceiving the world from a belly bound perspective.


Sequoia polls her elders on the upsides of stairs and ladders.


Soon the entire clan adopts the infant's laid back position.

Beachini

Stephanie sits down and comforts the beach, preparing the landscape for the frenzy that is Sequoia


Dan calmly combs the mats from the beach front, while Sequoia's wild smile reveals more deviant intentions.


Sequoia lands waterside and taunts the fading tide.


Sparrow buries her head in embarrassment at her elder sister's irreverent actions


Before departing Sequoia and her father leave a silhouette stamp on the abashed beach.

Napchini

Dan tutors his youngest in the fine art of snoozage. Sparrow scowls in concentration to keep up.


Sequoia demonstrates her well practiced napping form.

Sistertree

Perched among bucolic branches the Sanchez sisters show the wee Sanchini's proper portrait poses


Sequoia signs on the smiling scene while Sparrow remains reticent.


The fifth little piggy does indeed to wee wee wee all the way home. Which is apparently located in the belly button.


Sequoia gags at the overly sacherine notion of a classic family photo


The honest portrait of a twice toddled family.

Sparbrow

Sparrow unleashes the might of her browful glare


On first meeting Sparrow gives her mother a mighty browful.


Sparrow maintains moderate browage despite her grandmothers coo.


Sparrow peaks at maximum browtitude while her father's is restrained to mild forehead flutter.

Quakequoia

Sequoia remains unperterbed by the risk of catastrophy. Her overprotective father wisks her away mere microseconds before meandering into the underfounded edifice.

Snakequoia

Dr. Dad shares occupational wisdom with Sequoia concerning the finer points of reptile anesthesia.


Sequoia returns the favor by educating father on the subtle joys of tongue flickering.

April Flashback: Sequoia's facial dominance

Auntie Amy and Stephanie gently encourage wee Sequoia to smile. Sequoia sassily rejects them both with doubletime "talk to the hand".



Dan takes a more hands-on approach with equally unsatisfactory results.



Succumbing to Sequoia's overbearing expressionlessness, Dan and Stephanie fall in line.

Seqouia and the Sloth abduction

A wayward prehistoric sloth envelops Sequoia and Stephanie in a gargantuan embrace.



Great Grandma Iris deftly holds the beast at bay while Dan blithely smiles unawares and Sequoia picks her nose in appreciation.

Sequoia tutors her parentage

Envious of Sequoia's aerodynamic cranium, pater familias Dan mimics Sequoia's subtle hairstyle.


Trendsetting Sequoia teaches the lady of the house the newest lounge move combining a hearty chest thrust and easy smile.