The great outdoors

The great thing about California is the ability to enjoy the outdoors and all it offers. I'm determined to give the girls an appreciation for nature.

Last weekend, we took the girls up to Tahoe, where they got to see it snow for the first time.

Today, I took the girls on their first hike to the Edgewood County Park in San Mateo County. The girls said they had a good time because, "We got to play with sticks and get dirty!"

Katherine even did a full-on belly flop into some mud by mistake. Rather than cry, she shook it off and kept on hiking. I was very proud of her!

Here are some photos from our adventures:

The girls made a snowman.

Hanging out in front of the cabin.

Checking the trail map with their sticks.

Hiking!

Mountain fever made them silly!

Click on any photo for a larger view.

Change happens in small steps.

Last night as we were watching Barack Obama's victory speech, the girls stopped playing "Candy Land" long enough to look up at the T.V.

The following conversation ensued:

Caroline: "Daddy, what's he doing?"

Me: "He's giving a speech."

Caroline: "Why?"

Me: "That's going to be our next President of the United States."

Caroline: "The black man?"

Me: "Yes."

Caroline: "Oh. He looks nice."

[Resumes playing Candy Land]

It occurred to be at that moment that Katherine and Caroline will grow up in a world where it's is NOT a big deal to have a person of color as President of the United States.

That thought made me very, very happy.

Thank you, Darth Vader!

At their Halloween parade at daycare, one of the other fathers showed up dressed as Darth Vader.

The girls have never seen Star Wars, and didn't know who Darth Vader was. But something about the mask impressed them, because all week they've been walking around the house saying, "Thank you, Darth Vader!" in low, growling voices.

The Candy Organizing Gene

All children must be born with a gene that instinctively teaches them how to dump out their bucket of Halloween candy and sort it into little piles.

How else do you explain me finding Caroline, without any prior instructions, in our living room doing this:

Caroline sorting her loot.

Here are some more photos from Halloween night: