then and now

the first picture is of marcella this time last year...and the next one is of her in the same costume today. she's changed and hasn't changed all at the same time.

quincy boy is 6 months

well he's almost 6 months old. he's figured out how to roll both ways now. we're figuring out how to fall asleep with out the binky. he has MANY smiles.

the three of them

this is as good as it get's trying to have all three in a pic together. you can see the love even if their faces aren't straight on.

here's lookn' at you

logan taken by xavier. he takes some pretty good shots.

cassius update

well things are looking up! brian and i have been giving cassius the antibiotics that the vet gave us and the thing on his head is shrinking. so, possibly it was an infection and not a tumor. we've got a week left of pills...let's hope it continues to work!

cassius update

so we took cassius to the vet today, poor guy he was so scared. when he gets nervous he puts his paws around my waist hugging me in nervousness. so after looking at the thing on his head she's not sure what it could be (shocker) the thing on his chest she said just feels like a fatty mass and nothing to worry about. because of the hair loss around the thing on his head she is worried. so, she wants to remove both of them and have surgury to removes the masses and then have pathology done on them to find out what they are all to the tune of $900. YIKES! so in the mean time she sent me home with antibiotics to see if the lump is an infection like the one he had on his leg, and we'll go from there. so i'm kinda back where i started with knowing nothing. ugh!

cassius

thank you to all that either called or emailed to check on cassius. i had to change the apt today because i realized that although i think i can do anything...i drew the line at, 3 kids, a nervous dog, a small vet office and no doors that lock with a toddler that opens ANYTHING she can. so, alas, i will be taking him saturday morning...keep your fingers and toes crossed that he's ok ;)

ok, this is it :)

that's dayle makn' drinks...um, yeah, they were FANTASTIC! yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy. then just a fun pic of my mom and me. and finally a beautiful bouquet of flowers from richard and lori singer. richard came to my mom 23 years ago to her store Sunbow, which was located downtown, and posed this vision for her to come to 23rd ave and open a store there too. if anyone has been to san francisco and been to union street, this was what richard wanted to turn 23rd into. and 23 years later, the ave is fabulous. that is were you go when you need to find something wonderful, and Dazzle is the flagship store for the street.

and, yet, more pics of the party

this is rhonda. long time dazzle employee, she's gone and come back a couple of times. i've known her over half of my life...wow :) then she's standing with curtis. he is the genius behind the window display. he's been apart of my mom's life for many, many years and we love him. and then there's the "store baby" all grown-up

more pics of the party

above is dazzle's trademark...the gift horse. he is a beloved monument on 23rd. that's my mom with her dear friend lee, and then just a cool shot of flowers from my mom's super good friend janice.

23 years and 23 more!

can you say holy smokes!? dazzle has been on 23rd for 23 years this month! last night was a little celebration to commemorate this momentous feat! my mom is so amazing. her creativity is unmatched. she is the Madonna of portland. she continues to re-invent herself to keep up with the times. i'm so proud of you mom, and so proud to be apart of something to beautiful! dazzle has been my home. i was the only 5th grader with a job on the weekends. when my mom took me to paris in 1990 i was able to go to the Chanel store and purchase a FABULOUS handbag from there, and i used my monies that i had earned working at dazzle. what 17 year old do you know that could whip out $600 for a purse....um, yeah, hee hee...it was kinda spendy, but hey it was Chanel baby! when i had xavier mom said to bring him to work with me so that he wouldn't have to be in daycare. so, 4 days a week dazzle had a "store baby" and he hung out there until he was 3. by the end he was bringing ladies jewelery and telling them it would be pretty on them. he would go home having been "dazzled" with glitter and hair pretties in his hair. bellow you can see the "store baby" all grown-up. he sprayed his hair colors to look cool for the event. thank you mom and dazzle, for all you've done for me in the past and in the present. i'm so proud to say that dazzle is apart of me ;)

waiting for xayxay

when xay leaves the house and marcella is awake, this is where she goes. to the sofa, looks out the window and says "byes xayxay" "bye" "bye bye xayxay"

she LOVES her brother

old friends

our long time friends, val and karla, came over to visit this weekend. they brought two of their three kids...ronnie, and valentino. i can't believe how big they are getting! i remember them both when they were little, now ronnie is a man! both of them are so sweet and nice to xavier and he LOVES them. something about big boys that makes little boys giddy. he couldn't wait to show them his room, lizards and his bike. it was great seeing them...we need to do that more often!

some more of sugah buggah

cassius is the most handsome dog i know. when you look at him and he looks at you, you see a soul in his eyes. love, and curiosity all at the same time. i'm not ready for cassius to go yet...i want him to be here long enough that marcella and quincy will remember him.

all bout our first baby...cassius...aka sugar bear

i'm freaking out just a little. cassius has had this weird bump thing on his forehead that brian and i have been in denial about being something really bad. whelp, i was loving on him this morning and found a big lumpy thing on his chest...ACK! i made an appointment for him to see the doctor on thursday. please send him all your positive thoughts. he's our first baby, and although i know they don't live forever...it's not his time yet. here's a collection of some photos of him when he was a young buck.

happy birthday auntie nicky!

Happy birthday chica! today auntie nicky is 34 :)
we hope to see her this weekend to give her a birthday hug!

oobi

when xavier was marcella's age his favorite show to watch was on NOGGIN and was called 'Oobi'. it's a simple show of a family of handpuppets. it's really sweet and simple...perfect for the little kids. well, marcella has fallen in-love with 'Oobi'. she goes to the TV and says "Oobi, Oobi, Oobi" and then makes the sign for more. this is her watching 'Oobi' in style with my sungalsses on...and notice her bestfriend with her again...blanket. blanket needs a bath.

blanket

this is marcella's best friend...her blanket. she often puts it over head as shown here and then proceeds to walk about the house running into things. when she falls she giggles uncontrolably. go figure...who knew knocking into things was so much fun..who needs toys?!

purple day

for the last week everyday was been a new color day. the kids have to wear the certain color of the day and then they write about it...or you
know whatever it is that they do to celebrate that color. well today was purple day...as you know they don't make a whole lot of boy clothes that are purple...sooooooooooo we sprayed his hair purple today per his idea. he was a big hit with the kids and his teacher was impressed with the creativity.
















i love that he's willing to sport purple hair...defiantly nana's grandson!
















on a side note... is it wrong that i want to wax his eyebrows?!?! all my kids have uni-brows...i have to hold back from tweezing them lol

black and whites of baby girl

that title still makes me giggle :)

dress-up

cella bella has been loving putting my shoes on these days. she actually can walk quiet well in them. she shuffles around acting liek a big girl in them. the glasses are a favorite of hers...they are as big as her face :)

de ja vu'

these top two pics are of xavier when he was a little baby...he was 14 months old. the bottom pic is of marcella at 11 months old. i swear this is the same log...ok, wait i see grass behind the one of marcella...ok, maybe the ocean moved it...but anyway...super fun!