Oakland Zoo

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We visited the Oakland Zoo this morning.

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Look who else was there: Sophie, Sadie, and Theo!

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Here are the 2nd cousins checking out the giraffes together.

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The giraffes are always a hit with this little one.

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This monkey was showing off for Janie.

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Janie liked seeing the tiny frogs up-close.

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They were in so many bright colors!

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Look at the Janie-sized door!  So cute.

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Oakland Zoo has a little petting zoo with sheep and goats.

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She was certainly not scared of them.

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She tried giving this one a kiss.

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It was so fun to see her saying “hello” and petting them.

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There was so much to explore and Janie had a good time running up and down the hills.

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Getting all four kids in one picture is really tough!

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It’s like wrangling squirrels!

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Here’s the best shot we got out of all our cameras.

What a fun morning!  It was so fun seeing all of you today!

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Little Hostess

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Janie was a good little hostess this evening at Mommy’s work party.   I was thoroughly impressed with her behavior today.  She eagerly shared her toys with all the kids (including Vivian) and didn’t have to cling too closely to mom throughout the party.

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In fact, I was able to leave her with Tia Patty while I took Auntie Stephanie upstairs with Vivian without falling apart.

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She also greeted everyone who arrived, played with various grown-ups and kids, waved “bye”, gave a few rare hugs, and blew lots of kisses to everyone.

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At dinner, she ate with Sophie at the toys table and when I tried to get a photo of them together (with matching bibs!!), I got this.  She was saying “CHEESE” but she might as well have been saying “CARROTS!” instead.

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Lights

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This evening, we went to Embarcadero Center to see them light up the buildings.  Janie watched the fireworks and didn’t get too scared when it got really loud.

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We also went to the Hyatt for the lighting of their tree and the atrium.

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It was the perfect occasion to wear the coat we got from Reese.

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Here are the Cheeksters in front of one of the fancy trees in the lobby.

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Unfortunately, this is the only photo I got of Janie with the lights after they turned on.

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Cheekster Afternoon

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In the afternoon, we met up with Sophie and Auntie Ranee in Golden Gate Park.

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There’s a Children’s Playground with lots of room to roam and explore.

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These two little girls had fun climbing and sliding.

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They also spent a good amount of time playing with the sand.

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We got some swinging in too before heading out for a snack.

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You wouldn’t be able to tell from this picture but they had a ton of fun at the playground.

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For our afternoon snack, we went to a tasty Hawaiian restaurant.  The girls had fun pretending to be teenagers with their pretend phones.

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Here they are texting too.  Silly girls.

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Lunch Date

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The Cheeksters had a lunch date today.  It was the first time their newest member, Vivian, was able to join them.

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The girls had their lunch with Mommy, Auntie Ranee, and Auntie Stephanie while Baby Viv took a long nap.

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When they were done eating, Janie and Sophie compared and exchanged Magna Doodles.

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Here they are “clinking” their MagnaDoodles together.  Cheers!

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They’re really starting to interact with each other now.

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Once they traded, it was like each of them had a brand new toy.  Funny girls!

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After lunch, we stopped at CREAM.  Janie was offered a little bite of cookie but she refused it.  Oh well.  She had her chance!!

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We sat on a bench and hung out until it was time for everyone to go home and take a nap.

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Janie sat on Auntie Stephanie’s lap for a bit and Vivian actually started to get a little jealous.

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We had so much fun today!  Until next time, friends!

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The Giant Race

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Janie was up early this morning to wish Mommy good luck on her 10K this morning.  As Mommy was getting ready, she popped up out of bed.

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Daddy took her to the baseball stadium finish and did some exploring while she waited.

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Here they are watching from the promenade.

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When Daddy gets her ready in the morning, she usually sports the “mop top” look.

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Check out the blinged-out finisher’s medal!

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Sophie was also there to cheer on her Mommy.  What fun!

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By the way, Janie has 5 more inches to grow before she can ride the twirly slide.

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Mini Playdate

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Sophie came over for about an hour to hang out and play.

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The cheeksters got a kick out of Peek-a-Boo with Auntie Ranee.

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That game never seems to get old.

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Then they compared tummies.

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Here they are side-by-side.  It’s totally out of focus but you get the point.

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I guess Janie wasn’t done showing off.

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They also got a lesson in sharing toys.  They’re so cute together!

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Thanks for coming over, Soph!  Until next time!!!

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Dim Sum and Playtime

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This morning, Janie introduced Uncle Nathan to dim sum for the first time.

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Afterward, Janie got to roam around the fountain area with her gal pal Sophie.


Fountain a video by beakatude on Flickr.

Janie was a little scared of the fountain at first but eventually warmed up to it.


Toddlers a video by beakatude on Flickr.

It’s fun to see the two toddlers next to each other. Sophie’s gait is so much more refined than Janie’s.


Walking & Clapping a video by beakatude on Flickr.

This is Janie’s more advanced version of walking. She’s so proud of being able to walk and clap at the same time.

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