Gymnastics Video

The girls love their Wednesday morning gymnastics class. Here are some clips. My favorite scene is Lauren jumping in front of Rachel's balance beam summersalt.

Great Grandpa Sam's visit: Home and Parks

We had a great visit with Great Grandpa Sam. Everyday we took the girls somewhere fun. You have to pry Rachel and Lauren off merry-go-rounds. They also both loved driving the cars into the tunnel at Bonfonte Gardens.

Bonfonte Gardens.



















Snacks at Cuesta Park.


Merry-go-rounds at Happy Hallow.




















Here are the girls' "nest beds" when we have guests overnight.

Reading time on the couch.

Still an ALZA employee

The wait is over. On Thursday I got a letter officially confirming my continuing employment at ALZA. I am in a completely new group, along with about 30 others. It is a global group within Johnson and Johnson called the ChemPharm PD, Oral Controlled Release Department. The final reporting structure is still being decided but I have a job. More details of the new job to come when I/they figure it out.

Smart little chip

We are in the process of potty training. Rachel got her training at daycare with the peer pressure method and stickers. She would come home and tell us she only used the potty at school. Lauren, on the other hand, wants to be like Rachel. We also upped the reward to chocolate chips. Rachel also gets a chocolate chip for helping encourage Lauren each trip to the restroom. So Lauren our smart little chocolate chip lover, has developed a three step surefire way to get the most chocolate. One, she drinks a lot - she can really pound a sippy cup. Two, she only goes about 1 tsp at a time so she can maximize the number of successful trips. And three, she tries to go as often as possible. So the last couple weeks both Lauren and Rachel have gotten a lot of chocolate.

Nightly routine

The girls get to sit on the bathroom counter to brush their teeth and wash their faces.


Rachel's hair is getting so long.

Huck Finn

Painting the wall of the house with water is a great summer activity. Rachel and Lauren are standing in the access way to under the house now named "the pit". I am in charge of refilling the water buckets when they get too murky.