A Spoon Full of Sugar...

 The Lopezjones', Linda and Dante attended the Mary Poppins Sing-Along in the Castro Theatre on Sunday. Everyone was really excited and the crowd attending was even more excited.

There were goodie bags handed out (left overs from the Wizard of Oz sing-along) that kept the twins pre-occupied before the movie started. Ada and Navi did very well for the first half.  But by the end, having seen the movie before, they were seeking out other modes of entertainment.  Thank goodness Linda came prepared with little treats to keep them in their seats. Perhaps next year will be the year...

Land's End Hike

 It's 'officially' Summer in San Francisco, our first heat wave of the season. The Lopezjones' left the house early before it got too hot and went for a hike.

 There was a little stop to the beach of course.  Kaana, Ada and Navi got to dip their feet into the cold Pacific Ocean.

 Navi built sand castles and Ada practiced writing her name.

Thanks to a friendly jogger we were able to get a great family picture.

Wakey Wakey

The other morning Navi had to be woken up.  It was 7:20am, the latest he's slept in...

Labor Day Camping

 It was that time of year again when the twins hosted many family and friends for a big camping weekend.

Ada got to share a tent with her big sister, she was very excited and did very well. They both decorated their space with items found all around them.

 Navi was very happy to see his cousin Benji.  They both were stuck at the him all weekend.

 ZiaNonna was there too and she was very happy to spend time with the twins.

Ada loved getting a lot of attentino from her Nonna.  She would leave camp and hang out with Nonna, ZiaNonna and Elio hours at a time.

At the lake Ada and Benji were the two brave ones, under 5 feet tall, to walk through the shallow part of the lake.  They did not completely submerge themselves, but enjoyed being tummy deep in water.

 Camp was so much fun.  There was lots of good food, conversations and games.  Every morning PapaJason made hot chocolate for all the little ones and the teens.

 Elio had so much fun hanging out at camp.  Smoures time was everyone's favorite activity.

Although Navi might have enjoyed his ride on the ATV with ZioRoger over the smores.

 Noah had brought a hammock and set up to share with his friends.

A great time was had by all. Happy Labor Day.

Urban Art

 Before heading home after pick-up from school the twins got a little sidetracked. Navi thought the Robot made out of Victorian Homes was the coolest thing ever.

 Ada went for the flowers on the Golden Gate Bridge.

 The twins enjoyed looking at neat artwork in The Mission.

 The whole building was covered.

Artist Sirron Norris.

Party

On Sunday the Lopezjones' through a get together BBQ for the neighbors to introduce Kaana.  But the small get together turned into a fun party when Family members joined in the fun.  Ada had so much fun playing with Ximena and Navi enjoyed his time with Marcus, a boy who lives up the street.

Sisters

Ada and her big sister have been spending some great time together. They have been surprising their dads with vegetables, vegetable that were in desperate need of picking, from the garden. Ada loves the bonding time between girls.

Mechanical Engeneering

This may look disturbing, but Navi has been learning the mechanics of a pulley system.

Big Sister

Ada and Navi have been loving having a big sister around. They like to play, color and watch movies with her. The first they say after coming home from school is, "Where's Kaana?" Everyone seems to have adjusted just fine.

La Scuola

The twins started school on Monday and all seems to be going well. Now that they are five days a week they get to meet all the students in class. So far they are very tight lipped on their daily school activities, but are very happy to share what they ate for lunch.

Family (Sun)Day

 For the Sunday family activity the twins were anxious to get on their bikes and ride in Golden Gate Park.

 After a quick bike ride Ada and Navi showed Kaana the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers.

Afterwards... Sushi Boat! Navi ate so much on this visit. Nonna and ZiaNonna joined the Lopezjones' for lunch.  Ada and Navi did very well in sharing and tasting the food with them, as it was their first time having sushi on boats.

Kaana

 The twins have a new sister (a 'host' sister). Kaana is from Japan and has joined the Lopezjones family to experience the American life for one school year.

 Ada and Navi were very excited to show her around the neighborhood.

And are especially excited about having someone to play with all the time.  Come Monday, Kaana will get a little break, the twins will be back in pre-school - 5 days a week.

Extended Long Weekend

 Benji and Alex ended their week with the twins camping. They had a lot of fun and ate plenty of marshmallows. Benji was very brave. He and his sister shared a tent and he went to sleep alone until his sister joined him later in the night.

 The Chaix family was also camping with everyone. When the Chaix's went home they took Alex and Benji and met TioLeo half way to their home. The twins stayed behind in Huntley Mill for the afternoon.

 That evening the Lopezjones' were in Reno, they needed to spend the night for a small errand in the morning. It was turned into a mini vacation, the weather was warm and the Peppermill Casino had three pools.

 Uncle Jeff joined them for dinner that evening and the next day met newlyweds David and Rochelle for lunch. The twins are fortunate to have family and friends in all places.

 The restaurant was fascinating to Ada and Navi, the walls were glass, lots of lights, sparkles, shiny things and sea creatures hanging off the ceiling.

 When the twins first saw the Casino their eyes dropped. It took a little explaining that the slot machines were adult toys and not for kids. Luckily the hotel had an arcade room.

 They spent an hour playing games and enjoyed every minute of it.

Some games required a little help from their Daddy, they could not reach the gas pedal on this one - good thing DaddyQuique has long arms.

Great SF City Parks

It took me a few days to read the comments on some postings, but here is a reply.  The best parks in SF are those with bathrooms and for a 2-4 yr old the twins would recommend;
Lafayette Park, east of Pacific Heights
Presidio Heights Playground, Presidio Heights
Alta Plaza Park, Pacific Heights
Franklin Square Playground, in the Mission (no bathrooms)
Noe Valley Children's Playground, Noe Valley (no bathrooms)
Upper Noe Recreation Center, Noe Valley

Cheers.

Outings

 Navi, Ada and Benji have been spending a lot of time at playgrounds. A few special outings changes up their routine. Even though the sun was not out all three kids were able to enjoy the beach and make sandcastles.

On another day the kids got to ride the merry-go-round in Golden Gate Park. Ada and Navi have been enjoying showing their cousin all the pretty parks and spots their city has to offer.