tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58006182012-02-16T06:11:39.980-08:00Dell, Sarah, Nora & Otto: Our Family Blog - San Francisco, CASarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-76376683712334555122008-02-26T19:56:00.000-08:002008-02-26T19:57:12.660-08:00

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-10980005766422021302008-02-24T18:13:00.003-08:002008-02-25T15:14:45.064-08:00

Nora and the other kids at the Sippy Cups concert at Bimbo's rockin' out to "I Wanna Be Sedated." View the still photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-61083240676062307142008-02-14T21:41:00.011-08:002008-02-14T22:00:24.535-08:00

Guess what... I'm riding my bicycle from S.F. to L.A. this summer in AIDS/LifeCycle! That's 545 miles in 7 days starting June 1st. Yep. Me. On a bike. For the first time in 7 years (I know, seven years!).Hear that tin cup rattling? I am trying to raise at least $2,500! Please support me and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation by giving what you can. Donate online at: http://www.aidslifecycle.org/

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-3096134623541396702008-01-14T21:24:00.000-08:002008-01-14T21:29:14.535-08:00

Nora's best Christmas present was a card game called Sleeping Queens by Gamewright. She wakes up in the morning saying, "Can I please have some milk, and then we can play Sleeping Queens?" Truly. Every day starting on Boxing Day. And it is the first thing she asks to play when we get in the house after school/work.This company makes the most amazing games. Be sure to check them out if you haven't

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-60706284681045901062007-12-31T19:27:00.000-08:002008-01-14T21:28:36.594-08:00

The last sunset of 2007 over the hills of San Francisco. Look out 2008, here we come!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-25130172109671577172007-12-27T12:12:00.000-08:002008-01-14T21:13:57.826-08:00

Well, it was sad to see em go, and oh so quiet once everyone went off on their airplane... even Otto had the blues!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-71187890852931731792007-12-24T20:56:00.001-08:002008-01-07T18:33:40.639-08:00

NOTE: The video no longer works. OfficeMax has taken down the Elf Site.I know Elf Yourself is a couple years old, and I know everyone and their brother is doing it... but it makes us laugh every time we watch it. Something about Dell's head on the female body just gets my giggle going. Merry Christmas!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-91564087913620231142007-12-15T12:27:00.001-08:002007-12-15T12:30:16.279-08:00

Nora, Dell and Otto playing Trouble! Nora is green, Dell is blue, and Otto is yellow. Otto is a ruthless popper... he keeps knocking Dell and Nora back into their home bases.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-84371259121329245652007-12-13T13:07:00.000-08:002007-12-13T13:08:42.621-08:00

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-48314731193638895262007-12-10T11:10:00.000-08:002007-12-13T11:11:13.905-08:00

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-11502279577616724482007-12-08T21:00:00.000-08:002007-12-09T21:07:05.761-08:00

Shelly & Chad hosted the family for a great evening of crab, kids, and a sighting of Santa! Chris, Liz, Sammia and Isabella came down from Chico. Grandmama Meena and Papa Ray were surrounded by all their kids and grandkids. We shared special Christmas memories around the table, and made a new one in the process. View the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-72451256432907858612007-12-04T21:54:00.000-08:002007-12-04T22:41:48.903-08:00

How did it get to be December? What happened? I feel kinda like this Santa, needing a stiff dirty martini and a change of pants. I can totally relate to screaming Dougal-Baby Scott and dumbfounded Little Dell (photo circa 1967). "Wha Happan?"It's only 21 days till Christmas, and I am so not ready for it. Trying to get in the spirit, but it is slow coming. Maybe soon, hopefully soon... Nora is

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-90900612070347034712007-12-01T23:59:00.000-08:002007-12-02T12:38:38.199-08:00

Thanks to the Westbrooks for an amazing holiday party! Everyone was in their Rat Pack finery. View the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-46782562859886513492007-12-01T18:45:00.000-08:002007-12-02T12:04:39.912-08:00

View the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-28683867048762078542007-11-23T22:32:00.000-08:002007-12-04T22:35:34.915-08:00

Nicki and Andy hosted a lovely Thanksgiving this year. It was a smaller group, but it was still full of love and thankfulness. We missed those who weren't with us this year. Love to everyone! View the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-76683664570653992692007-10-28T21:34:00.000-07:002007-10-29T21:47:29.487-07:00

HOPSCOTCH! (if you haven't seen the movie, you won't get it)Like mother (2005), like daughter (2007). Nora found my Corpse Bride costume in the "Boo Box" and wanted to wear it. So we stitched some elastic to hold it up around the neck. We fashioned a bone arm out of an old pair of tights and an undershirt. The remaining part of the tights went to the bone leg. The rest was straight from my

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-42673557146103863702007-10-22T22:00:00.000-07:002007-10-23T10:04:52.636-07:00

This is the gratitude dance. Be grateful and have some fun.Every morning when you wake up, follow this three step process:1. Think of what you're grateful for at that moment,2. Watch the Video, and...3. DO THE DANCE!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-83772609831310072802007-10-14T21:22:00.000-07:002007-10-15T21:47:23.161-07:00

Nora's mermaid party was a smashing success! View the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-27596408703332706672007-10-10T19:58:00.000-07:002007-10-11T21:56:01.941-07:00

(click to enlarge photo)

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-51594859011094486242007-10-05T21:35:00.000-07:002007-10-08T21:57:07.358-07:00

Nora's JBBP had a huge "sports day" festival called Undokai, and I took the day off to attend and volunteer. The teachers said "if you are going to go to only one of your child's Japanese celebrations this year, this is the one to go to... it truly is a spectacle." I couldn't agree more! Here is a video of Nora and Ketarie at Undokai doing the ball rolling race - it was great fun for the

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-35634550554571337712007-10-02T22:46:00.000-07:002007-10-03T09:00:56.557-07:00

These two videos have been floating around and I have had about 10 people tell me to watch them... So, I finally did, and I had to share them with you. Enjoy!All the things a mom says in a day condensed down to 3 minutes, set to the William Tell overture.A dad's sweetly hilarious bedtime song set to Pachebel's Canon in D.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-19610842212232704542007-10-01T21:14:00.000-07:002007-10-03T09:15:28.932-07:00

Freakin' amazing...

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-69518272406345825482007-09-28T19:14:00.000-07:002007-09-29T22:52:16.691-07:00

Nora is trying out karate and seems to be liking it. She doesn't have her white uniform yet (it's called a Gi), so she is in her purple t-shirt in the video. I also get a huge crackup out of the boy to Nora's right with the blond hair and yellow belt.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-9262496106871215952007-09-19T06:22:00.000-07:002007-09-18T22:24:02.823-07:00

Ms. Tsukamoto and Tanaka Sensei were both very gracious last night in spending time with all the parents at Rosa Parks JBBP for Back to School Night. Nora is doing well in kindergarten, and already knows lots of words and songs, and some hiragana characters.Nora's drawing is the one in the bottom left corner, with the long dangly earrings. Just click the photo to enlarge and see her rendition of

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-90221713699841291442007-09-18T06:07:00.000-07:002007-09-18T22:23:20.499-07:00

Nora, Sarah, Dell & Otto say Happy Birthday to the best dad in the world! Ray, hope your day is as special as you are... we love you tons. See you soon!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-88376894945700081472007-09-16T17:26:00.000-07:002007-09-16T17:43:24.292-07:00

Don't spoil the covert operation... Nora doesn't know it is her birthday today. We are celebrating a month late (on October 13th), due mostly to the Salesforce.com Dreamforce conference that Dell attends each year, but no worries, she doesn't know the difference... she still doesn't have the months/days thing down yet. I bet we wouldn't be able to pull the wool over her eyes if this was her sixth

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-53978043193627073262007-09-09T21:15:00.000-07:002007-09-10T09:24:23.204-07:00

For all the times you wonder... "How long till hummus goes bad?" or "If I eat those maraschino cherries, am I gonna get sick?"Table of Condiments That Periodically Go Bad (click to enlarge image)

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-22570181923729390342007-09-08T21:09:00.001-07:002007-09-09T10:21:36.805-07:00

Dell, Justin, Nora and I went down to Japantown in SF and had a little celebration... We met Bobbi and Sam and had a great fun meal at Benihana. Then we went out to the Peace Plaza and watched the dancing (Sarah & Nora joined in!).Nora singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" in Japanese, after just NINE days in her new Japanese Bilingual Kindergarten:

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-82340083982227218392007-08-27T09:13:00.000-07:002007-08-27T10:17:37.410-07:00

First day is under-way! VIEW THE PHOTOS from before school on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-10049574945198225692007-08-24T06:55:00.000-07:002007-08-24T09:59:32.632-07:00

Angie: We miss you SO MUCH and wish we were there to share a hot fudge sundae and give you a big birthday hug! Sending love across the miles to Florida...

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-46359684951954476932007-08-17T18:49:00.000-07:002007-08-20T09:36:52.749-07:00

Today was Nora's graduation from Children's Village preschool. It was a bittersweet day, as Nora has been at the daycare/preschool since she was only 18 months old (most weekdays for the last 3-1/2 years!). I was up and down all day - fine, then teary, excited then melancholy. There was a lovely ceremony where the kids sang a few songs - one in English (a jazz number called Little Red Rooster -

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-47940930431140546462007-08-09T21:23:00.000-07:002007-08-10T09:27:44.523-07:00

From Cool Mom Picks:Zwaggle is a brand new site especially for momstuff-swapping. It's a very cool cash-free world where you can donate your old exersaucers and strollers in exchange for the stuff you'd rather have today. While there's not an enormous selection just yet, we hear the landfills are giving Zwaggle two thumbs up.Another resource is Swaptree which helps you trade books, cds, dvds and

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-2570482830721971292007-08-07T23:40:00.000-07:002007-08-07T23:49:39.101-07:00

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-56040590927478290002007-08-05T23:07:00.000-07:002007-08-06T22:10:01.649-07:00

Everybody Wang Chung-ed! A huge thanks to all the folks that came from near and far to attend the CLHS Class of 1987 20 Year Reunion. Everybody looked so great and grown-up! I wish we had more time to visit; it seemed to go by way too fast. VIEW THE PHOTOS on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-54432035794377072542007-07-20T21:36:00.000-07:002007-07-23T22:13:43.825-07:00

My best friend Melinda's husband Jeff Breiholz unexpectedly died in his sleep last night; he was only 43 years old.He leaves behind his wife Melinda, their two beautiful daughters, Claire and Camille, his parents, Buck Breiholz and Anne James, his brother Brad, uncles, aunts and cousins, as well as many close friends. Please send your healing prayers and love to Melinda, Claire and Camille, and

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-32572540716567070322007-07-15T16:01:00.000-07:002007-07-15T16:11:02.590-07:00

Check out Nora swimming for the first time without a life vest or arm floaties! She is a little dolphin now... we are so proud of her!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-57901691240233149022007-07-12T08:45:00.000-07:002007-07-15T14:06:00.758-07:00

Great news... My brother Chris's wife Liz gave birth to their daughter Isabella Ray this morning! 6 pounds 5 ounces, and 19 inches long (very healthy for being two weeks early!). I only got to have a quick phone chat with him, so I don't know the details, but Chris says Liz and the baby are doing great. I am sure big sister Sammia is very excited to have a new sibling. Congrats to the Cox family!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-4848841019219953492007-07-09T21:18:00.000-07:002007-07-15T13:25:27.686-07:00

July Fourth weekend was spend out in the wilderness with Joel, Josh and Sweet Melissa. We had way too much fun, food and libations. Once again, they treated their guests like kings and queens. View the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-84342857572507220652007-06-27T19:28:00.000-07:002007-06-28T12:19:27.934-07:00

This is the best! I have no idea what they are saying, or what the ad is for, but it doesn't matter one bit - what a hoot! Click here to watch the video.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-55960498330392844722007-06-12T22:22:00.000-07:002007-06-14T18:30:02.880-07:00

I got to babysit for Grant and Quincy (and Nora too). I can't tell you how amazingly perfect Nora and Grant were. Truly. I got to pay full attention to Quincy - giving her a bottle, changing a poopy diaper, singing her a song, cuddling her up. I got a nice "infant fix".The two preschoolers kept themselves busy with pretend play (saving the princess - Nora, of course - from a dragon), and lots of

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-52182031301951243442007-06-10T10:13:00.000-07:002007-06-11T19:35:57.150-07:00

Teresa made this super fabulorific, amazingly spectabulous tablecloth for Nora this weekend. More importantly, she made the table under it! You have admired the lovely handmade piece of furniture in Nora's room, no?We went over to Oakland, met Teresa at her house, headed over to "The Taj Mahal of Fabric Stores" - Poppy Fabric - and picked out the oilcloth fabric and dingleballs.We spent the

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-86489288887546814732007-06-07T21:59:00.000-07:002007-06-11T19:14:06.766-07:00

Miss Lotus (a former coworker at Mortar) had a little get together at Mars bar, and Nora and I stopped by...It was a "rockstar" party, so Nora wore her "My mom is a rockstar" tee, but we pinned a Nora-hand-written note over the top replacing mom with Lotus, because Lotus truly IS a rockstar.Nora didn't last too long, as it was pretty loud, and I gave her a Shirley Temple before giving her food.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-56479652626050034782007-06-06T19:34:00.000-07:002007-06-06T19:40:10.593-07:00

I found myself laughing out loud to this article, "Just Say Yes" written By Sandra Tsing Loh (on the Wondertime website). It begins:I'm not going to sugarcoat this, and anyway, I don't know the politically correct wording. The fact is, I have an impossible 4-year-old.I can totally relate to her plight (too strong a word?), and think I will have to try her technique on Nora sometime soon!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-66377637525340797212007-06-05T10:44:00.001-07:002007-06-05T11:26:42.256-07:00

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-70855313518055981502007-05-27T11:51:00.000-07:002007-05-27T12:03:52.740-07:00

Lakeport's Memorial Day parade was a hit with our family. Nora and Grant scored big on the candy grabbing. There were lots of floats to support the veterans. And there were about 100 Corvettes!View all the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-10058727776567857192007-05-21T23:11:00.000-07:002007-05-22T07:45:59.406-07:00

WOW - A truly awesome experience tonight. Mortar treated for a night at the ballpark in the bullpen seats. They are just to the right of the visitor dugout, basically IN the visitor bullpen area. Catered food and beer/wine, a really nice usher named JT, and lots of perks like Lou Seal coming down to visit.A few kids from the Mortar family got to join us, including Charlotte, Georgia, Bea, (Mark's

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-56271471242909977672007-05-19T22:36:00.000-07:002007-05-20T17:41:51.679-07:00

Children's Village had a lovely picnic today out at McLaren Park. Lots of Nora's friends were there, as well as teacher and parents. The weather was perfect, although it was a bit gusty. View the photos on Flickr.Dana Smith and his amazing Jack Russell terrier named Lacey were there for some impressive juggling and fun family entertainment. Here is a video of Lacey doing her Evel Knievel

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-29619392314261263162007-05-15T20:48:00.000-07:002007-05-17T20:49:28.997-07:00

Nora, Grant & Dell do a cheer old skool style. Lots of extras in this one!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-86339306512372965612007-05-14T20:19:00.000-07:002007-05-17T20:50:09.422-07:00

Nora & Grant do a cheer, coached by Grandmama Meena

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-87284117336400478372007-05-13T20:35:00.000-07:002007-05-17T20:46:00.673-07:00

What a special day it was - especially for new Mama Shelly! Not even a week before, she got the best present a mother could hope for... a healthy child.Joan, Shelly and I (and Quincy) went to a great brunch at Palomino. Dell and Nora stopped by after playing at the park on Embarcadero near AT&T Park. We got hugs and kisses from them both.View all the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-83932739778025961922007-05-11T21:26:00.000-07:002007-05-11T21:49:59.411-07:00

Nice and full from a fun dinner at Buca di Beppo with Kierstin Coovert and her kids Harry, Sophia, William (don't forget "Mr. Bonus Baby" in her tummy!). This restaurant totally wins the award for "Best Place to Play 'I Spy' with the Kiddos." The young foursome were semi-wild, but good enough to warrant ice cream sundae desserts all around. Plus, the volume of that place is so loud, that it

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-34623312316436163772007-05-08T16:00:00.000-07:002007-05-11T21:53:08.480-07:00

Baby Quincy is here! She is absolutely perfect, and Shelly, Chad and Grant are all doing well. I am sure you want to know the timeline and details, so here is the scoop on how it went down...Shelly and Chad checked into CPMC around 8pm Mon 5/7, while Meena (Grandmama Joan) & Papa Ray stayed with Grant at his house. They started to induce Shelly around 9:45pm, and contractions started in earnest

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-11664532060727972912007-05-06T18:00:00.000-07:002007-05-19T18:21:29.387-07:00

One of Nora's friends from Children's Village celebrated her 4th birthday in super princess fairy style! Kelsey and her parents had a fun bash for all of us. Tinkerbell showed up and did face painting, magic trick, balloon animals... she was amazing! It was a great party! View the photos on Flickr.Here's the whole gang singing Kelsey "Happy Birthday to You"

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-84685504499092486962007-05-03T22:19:00.001-07:002007-05-03T22:19:39.577-07:00

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-71574339211867304322007-04-30T23:50:00.000-07:002007-05-11T22:08:21.405-07:00

Just got back from an awesome show at Great American Music Hall... the "Fountains of Wayne" concert. Nice to have some grownup time after all that crazy kiddo time at Disney.Lead singer Chris Collingwood had a toothache, but still rocked the house, and gave a great performance. I love the bass player Adam Schlesinger. He really made the show for me.If you haven't heard FOW, check them out: funny

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-19651387153593007612007-04-29T23:58:00.000-07:002007-05-24T23:02:36.209-07:00

Here is a video of Nora throwing a crying fit in line for the Astro Orbiter ride. I am not embedding it here, because Nora was embarrassed about the video, so you have to pop over to YouTube to view it.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-66530171632600177442007-04-29T22:15:00.000-07:002007-05-02T10:37:40.862-07:00

For those of you too busy, lazy or plain uninterested to browse the three sets of over 150 photos (and that's less than half of the photos we actually took!), here are 40 photos showing just the highlights. Enjoy!If you want to see the photos for each day, here they are:Day One - ThursdayDay Two - FridayDay Three - Saturday

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-36463530608959191752007-04-28T23:50:00.000-07:002007-05-01T22:02:32.833-07:00

Well, we made it to the last day... just barely. A little too much grown-up fun at dinner (read: wine/cocktails) made for a rough morning for Mommy. Luckily Nora and I slept in while Dell took Uncle Scott to the airport bright and early. Once Daddy got back, he lovingly took Nora down to breakfast then out to the pool for some swimming. Thanks Dell!A late afternoon start at the California

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-57585340779002057022007-04-27T22:26:00.000-07:002007-05-01T22:03:52.028-07:00

Another day at the Magic Kingdom. Lots of fun rides, waiting in not-too-long lines, cotton candy, corndogs, slurpees, the works. The highlight of the day was when we rode Autotopia. Nora was pitching a fit in line about not wanting to go, and of course, when we were done with the ride, she said "can we do it again?" The nice young man working the ride said we could go again without waiting in the

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-81845982953695099112007-04-26T20:02:00.000-07:002007-05-01T22:01:28.814-07:00

We had a great first day at Disneyland! Nora woke us up like it was Christmas morning, all excited and raring to go. Dell and I were a bit slow getting going after the long drive down last night (we finally got to bed after midnight). We hit the park and spent the day enjoying the magic of The Magic Kingdom. It was extremely special for me to be there with my daughter. I kept getting choked up

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-31379971517824658692007-04-22T15:11:00.000-07:002007-04-22T15:14:51.368-07:00

Nora got a new sassy short bob haircut today. Check out the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-91578034914269803192007-04-21T18:51:00.000-07:002007-04-21T19:06:58.848-07:00

Ran across this today and wanted to share. Very cool art by Chris Jordan that, in the words of Anna Hecker from Threeminds, "makes a statement about American consumption and spending that’s a little more than just 'cool' and 'fun'. The way the pieces look has been considered as carefully as the messages they portray, and the artist allows the numbers to speak for themselves rather than flinging

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-84273294775644157862007-04-20T04:20:00.000-07:002007-04-20T15:44:31.235-07:00

Laughternoon Break: Check out this funny video. Will Ferrell vs. Pearl the Landlord. Hiiii-larious! Mild language...

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-19062984060545893832007-04-13T08:47:00.000-07:002007-05-11T22:03:22.746-07:00

Wow! I was blown away by the Jersey Boys show last night. Truly amazing... The cast is dynamite; I even swooned a tad bit over Christopher Kale Jones who plays the lead role of Frankie Valli. The story keeps you charged-up the entire time (one little sad point in Act 2, but even that was very moving). Great songs throughout. I didn't know that "December 1963 (Oh What a Night)" was a Four Seasons

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-84268939852681526632007-04-08T20:55:00.000-07:002007-04-10T12:18:27.868-07:00

Easter at the Ranch this year was nice and mellow. Joan and Ray had a simple brunch with just a few of the family friends. Nora was the only kid there, so she got lots of attention (and three separate baskets of candy!). View the photos on Flickr.Here's a video of Nora and Otto...

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-3905942024936707312007-04-05T16:47:00.001-07:002007-04-05T16:47:37.776-07:00

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-19717002038679190872007-04-01T08:43:00.000-07:002007-04-01T08:52:04.290-07:00

We saw Meet the Robinsons in Disney Digital 3-D at the Metreon. The movie was great! Funny, touching, had a good message, and amazing animation. Definitely worth seeing!The film ends with a great quote from Walt Disney himself:“Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-13793280456316996922007-03-30T07:13:00.000-07:002007-03-30T08:37:58.456-07:00

It's Teacher Appreciation Day at Children's Village (the preschool/daycare Nora attends). A huge thank you to all of the staff that have been so wonderful to our daughter over the years (since Nora was 18 months old!). We feel very blessed to know she is in such a loving, engaging, and fun environment during her days.Special thanks to Molly Skuse who has brought major positive changes to the

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-82296762672984334312007-03-28T19:35:00.000-07:002007-03-28T19:41:08.284-07:00

What We Call the News | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-77483095817065083072007-03-26T22:13:00.000-07:002007-05-02T09:53:44.067-07:00

So, we get to the venue super early, about one hour before showtime. There are like five people in the bar at the Hemlock Tavern. Teresa, Nir, Lotus and I walk around and get some food. When we get back, it is totally packed - a line circling the bar. So we get in line, and of course, don't make it in. Waaaah!!!Since we are already out and about, we play a little 2x2 pool. Our friend Lotus leaves

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-76677819593089489392007-03-17T23:00:00.000-07:002007-03-18T16:21:22.823-07:00

Oh Wow! We can't believe it - we got our FIRST CHOICE for Nora for her San Francisco Public School Kindergarten! Nora will be starting at Rosa Parks Japanese Bilingual in the fall. And talk about serendipity... Lisa Finnemore just went to Japan, and she brought back this amazing kimono for Nora. She gave it to her today - the day we find out that Nora is going to a Japanese bilingual

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-38119323977541732992007-03-15T22:19:00.000-07:002007-03-16T21:31:15.703-07:00

Nora's Kindergarten placement letter should be here Sat 3/17 or Mon 3/19! Wish us luck on getting her into one of the seven schools we put on the list (out of about 71 public schools in SF)... it doesn't always happen that you get assigned to a school you put on your list.Notification letters for Round One Assignment will be mailed on Friday, March 16, 2007. Parents/Guardians must register their

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-24668107151259213152007-03-14T21:16:00.000-07:002007-05-11T22:04:02.538-07:00

I am in a Yahoo Group playing against my coworkers for the NCAA Men's basketball "March Madness." Here is the bracket showing my picks (PDF). I have UCLA winning the whole thing... but these are pretty much just wild guesses!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-32806380839729666392007-03-12T21:43:00.000-07:002007-05-03T21:04:12.850-07:00

Our spring training trip in Scottsdale, AZ was a total blast! We went to a fund raiser at Gordon Biersch where some of the A's and Giants were going head to head on video games for charity... Melissa got a photo with her crush Nick Swisher, outfielder on the Oakland Athletics! WOW... what a hot couple!View all the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-17773929448142756972007-03-11T20:29:00.000-07:002007-03-15T15:35:10.696-07:00

Nora & Dell went to the My Little Pony Tea Party stage show while I was in Scottsdale watching spring training. View all the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-71660165986444554692007-03-05T21:05:00.000-08:002007-03-05T21:39:15.650-08:00

Nora and Daddy Dell watching Star Trek (the original series). Nora says, "This reminds me of when Daddy was a little boy." Dell refers to his compendium book and says things like, "William Shatner's daughters are in this episode." Wow. Amazing. But honestly, it is absolutely awesome to see Nora sharing the experience with Dell. She actually asks to watch Star Trek with him. And she gets it - the

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-78398713647143034002007-03-04T21:38:00.000-08:002007-03-04T21:59:59.070-08:00

Here are some pictures and videos from Nora's second ice skating adventure (her first wasn't documented). You won't believe what a natural she is on the ice... or maybe you will. She is so darn coordinated for a 4.5 year old. She even wanted to go around the rink a few times all on her own. No daddy skating beside her for moral support. Just her. I just love this little gal and her big

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-39242635932247517532007-03-03T21:14:00.000-08:002007-03-05T21:38:13.953-08:00

We gave Nora a challenge of not getting into time out for 4 days straight. She wanted the game Cranium's Balloon Lagoon. We said she could have it if she didn't get into time out for 4 days straight. She's 4 years old, she can do 4 days of no fits. Keep in mind, this is a kid who normally gets into time out multiple times a day.You aren't going to believe it. SHE DID IT THE FIRST TIME! I have to

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-52840127678184790722007-02-26T16:25:00.001-08:002007-05-11T22:09:17.740-07:00

I liked this years Oscars... but lots of the "critics" didn't. Oh well. My favorite part was when Will Ferrell, Jack Black, and John C. Reilly sang a song about "a comedian at the Oscars is the saddest, bitterest allllllllll-coooooooo-hoooooooo-lic clown."You USED TO be able to watch the video courtesy of CollegeHumor.com, but the Oscar people got pissy and pulled all their content from non-Oscar

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-62315283830406047762007-02-23T08:39:00.000-08:002007-05-11T22:01:58.711-07:00

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More! is an absolutely amazing, fun, musical, magical book. Nora got it in her weekly "Raising A Reader" red book bag from her preschool, Children's Village. We read it last night... four times. Yes, it's that good (from the adult's perspective as well as the child's).A little snippet of a review: "Karen Beaumont's zippy text and David Catrow's zany illustrations turn an

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-21613496394273853382007-02-20T07:19:00.000-08:002007-02-24T11:05:25.645-08:00

Happy Mardi Gras from Nora & her best bud Maya... Let the good times roll!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-36623645737902375232007-02-19T09:16:00.000-08:002007-02-19T17:03:22.266-08:00

Nora & Dell had a "Daddy + Daughter Day" this morning. They went to the movies, rode on the Zeum Carousel, and played in the Yerba Buena playground.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-57800922691953277102007-02-19T08:12:00.000-08:002007-02-19T14:02:06.113-08:00

Though commonly seen written as Presidents' Day or President's Day, Presidents Day is technically the correct form of the holiday's name. The holiday does not belong to the presidents, but rather it is a day on which the United States honors them. Presidents is considered an "attributive noun" and acts as a modifier.[info above is from Wikipedia]A couple of my favorite quotes from our presidents.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-7302747645378764332007-02-14T08:12:00.000-08:002007-02-19T14:31:26.019-08:00

Love to you from the Thompson Family! Get more sugary sweetness of Miss Nora from our Flickr pictures.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-14687493991954678762007-02-09T22:44:00.000-08:002007-02-12T15:06:12.697-08:00

Los Romeros honored by GRAMMY! I am so proud of my friend Celino and his talented family! Way to go, guys!"The Royal Family of the Guitar" adds the President's Merit Award to its regal legacy. The Old-World elegance of the Los Angeles Millennium Biltmore Hotel was well-suited for this year's GRAMMY Salute To Classical Music honoring the Romeros. Originated in Spain by Celedonio Romero, founder

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-18415668037288486532007-02-06T21:09:00.000-08:002007-02-06T21:22:34.371-08:00

Nora liked Mommy's short haircut so much she wanted one of her own. It isn't as short as mine, but it is a cute bob with nice short bangs. It sure is nice in the morning to not have a rat's nest of tangles in her hair!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-50904943774331251532007-02-05T23:44:00.000-08:002007-02-06T21:16:47.575-08:00

Since registration/sign-in is required to access this Washington Post article, I am just pasting the entire thing inline here... Interesting reading, and very timely to what is going on in our lives in choosing a kindergarten for Nora.How Not to Pick a SchoolBy Brigid SchulteSunday, February 4, 2007We are a white, middle-class family. Our children attend our neighborhood public school, Mount

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-16903389103591055872007-01-31T23:11:00.000-08:002007-02-03T19:23:19.050-08:00

Another rockin' Little Texas show at The Rodeo Club in San Jose. The band sounded great, and the new song "Missing Years" is very moving and plain amazing. Listen to some of the best songwriting coming out of Nashville at their website: http://www.littletexasonline.com

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-79843272240667751752007-01-31T19:32:00.000-08:002007-02-03T19:23:01.965-08:00

What do you think of my new haircut? Dell says it is the best haircut I have ever had... that's saying a lot!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-35867356933492202492007-01-29T23:18:00.000-08:002007-01-31T14:20:00.922-08:00

I am heading in for a major haircut Wed 1/31, and thought it would be really funny to look back on my hairstyles over the years.I threw together this album of a decade-worth of my cuts and colors (please ignore the weight changes in my cheeks!). Amazing when you see it all together in one place. I am surprised at how many of the photos I have SHORT hair! Much more than med/long hair.The pix are

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-38779314779757567742007-01-28T20:20:00.000-08:002007-05-11T22:00:00.117-07:00

The Dudley family came for a visit to SF, and we had a relaxing, hang-around-the-house weekend. A little kareoke party for the girls, a little wine for the adults. Every time we hang with Carol and Brian, it seems like no time has passed, and we jump right back into the familiar waters of a great friendship, grown-ups and kids alike. Baby Sophia LOVED Dell, and was the sweetest angel the entire

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-80227491725664337952007-01-26T11:57:00.000-08:002007-01-26T15:54:50.069-08:00

Get ready to laugh your booty off...

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-42393068467558438422007-01-14T16:49:00.000-08:002007-01-14T17:53:19.305-08:00

Today, Nora started combo ballet/tap class at Metronome Dance Center. Her teacher, Miss Heather, says that they will have a tap recital this summer! All the parents leave the class and the kids are solo with the teacher for a full hour... Nora did great for her first time!

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-34500962391183518982007-01-12T16:51:00.000-08:002007-01-14T17:00:13.155-08:00

Thanks to Aden for a great, HUGE undersea puzzle! The thing is as tall as Nora when fully assembled. Dell and Nora had a great time putting it together for the first time.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-34271016138960224652007-01-11T09:28:00.000-08:002007-01-14T19:40:19.547-08:00

Well, we turned in our Public School Enrollment form today... here is how the choices came out for Nora:1. Rosa Parks Japanese Bilingual2. Alvarado General3. McKinley4. Rosa Parks General5. Starr King Mandarin Immersion6. Harvey Milk7. RooftopPlus, we are going to enroll at Creative Arts Charter School.Now we just have to wait till March 16th for the lottery/assignments! Lordy...I made a cool

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-15970492933119493512007-01-07T20:51:00.001-08:002007-01-11T15:43:07.546-08:00

Nora got a great easel for Christmas, and I was finally put it together today. The whiteboard is going to be great for Nora to practice writing and drawing. Today, I gave her a writing assignment to copy what I had written. My letters are green, Nora's are blue. She did GREAT! View the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-64013072154274554842007-01-05T21:08:00.000-08:002007-01-26T15:55:14.635-08:00

If you haven't seen this yet, and you are even remotely interested in photos and Kodak, you HAVE to watch this little video. It is a total crack up. Good for Kodak for having the balls to do something so truthful and hilarious. My boss blogged about it on the MortarBlog, but I want to share it with my peeps... Mark writes:"This commercial was produced for Kodak's internal use. But it has become

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-82281926353708195542007-01-02T22:03:00.000-08:002007-01-03T22:10:32.507-08:00

We flew to Houston on Wed 12/27 for a visit with the Thompson Clan. Lots of hanging out, visiting, eating, playing games. Nora stayed up for her first New Year's Eve celebration. Very relaxing and fun to spend time with Dell's family. View all the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-76853706877468886292006-12-28T13:38:00.000-08:002006-12-29T13:47:15.856-08:00

This is a GREAT article from the New York Times... It is like the writer is living in my exact world!What’s Wrong With Cinderella?By Peggy OrensteinPublished: December 24, 2006One mother’s struggle with her 3-year-old daughter’s love affair with princess culture.BTW, Nora got about 7 princess dress-up outfits for Christmas, as well as a cheerleader get-up, complete with pompoms. But that is

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5800618.post-63339896685311879052006-12-25T19:25:00.000-08:002006-12-28T14:18:24.689-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Thompson Family!View all the photos on Flickr.

Sarah Thompsonnoreply@blogger.com0