Rebko Web - rebkoweb

Another Christmas has come and been celebrated in fullness. Despite getting sick the two weeks leading into the big day, we enjoyed decorating and visiting the Charlie Brown Christmas tree grove at our Town Green. Anna, Nana, and I sat spellbound through SF Ballet's production of The Nutcracker and feasted afterwards at Max's Opera Cafe. Anna's class visited the Charles M. Schultz Museum and the Snoopy Ice Arena just before school let out. James joined his class this year in singing Christmas carols and dancing around on stage.

The stockings were hung with care and word play. Christmas morning began early and subsided into happy playing and lounging before dinner at Nana and Apu's with family.

Photos are below. Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

In early June, right after school let out, the kids and I  drive down to SoCal to visit family and Disneyland with friends. We had lunch with Grandpa and Grandma, then dinner with our cousins. Unfortunately, we had such a good time that we did not take pictures.

We did get some when we met Celine at the beach and with Robin at dinner. What fun the kids had, to run about on the beach and waves. It was good to catch up.

Disneyland was a fun adventure, as always. Our friends made our mornings special, and I got to take hundred of pics. A very condensed photo gallery of our trip is down below in the photos section.

We had a busy Easter! There was an egg hunt that the Town of Windsor put on the day before Easter. On Sunday, we met up with family in Healdsburg and enjoyed a long, delicious brunch together that lasted throughout the kids eating, hunting for eggs & prizes, and swapping candy after.

Although the morning started on a cold & chilly note, the day was quite sunny and warm. It was good to gather and catch up, as well as watch the kids play together. Pictures are below on this page or on the Photos page.

Family and friends came to help us pick some of the zillion ripe cherries from our tree yesterday. We enjoyed a wonderful day together, playing, picking, and picnicking. Pictures are posted below.

Last month we met up with our friends, Marsha, Kenley, and their daughters for a picnic and afternoon of fun. As usual, it was mostly chasing the kids and snatching a minute or two to catch up on news and socialize in parental shorthand.

It was a beautiful afternoon, and the children were delighted with both the outdoor water play areas and the temporary exhibit "Play It By Ear."

Pictures are shown below.

The Easter Bunny brought lovely baskets for all. We met up with family for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. It was a fun and relaxing day.

We brought a big ol' fruit salad and stuffed 65 plastic eggs. My cousins stuffed 160 eggs, so each of the 6 kids got to find at least 37 eggs each, over two levels of their garden. My folks were there, as well as my uncle and his friend, and my brother and his family.

We had 4 kinds of quiche to go with the fruit salad, berry & savory mini muffins, and appetizers. Rob & James went home early for naps and Anna went on the zip line (a big change from last year), watched Alvin & the Chipmunks, and did some hip-hop dance with her cousins.

We have had several lazy weeks,trying to stay dry & healthy when it rains and freezes, going outside to play when the sun is out and warm(ish). The kids love to sit on the sofa together, watching TV or Anna making pictures on her laptop.

When James and I picked up Anna after school on Friday, the kids had a great time playing on the little playground on the way out. Yikes, they are getting so tall!!!

Pics below ...

Hard to believe our little guy had his fourth birthday yesterday. He had the best time opening presents with us in the morning, ad having a pizza lunch party at our local pizza restaurant in the afternoon. His first party with classmates. It took a little while but we all ended up having the best time!

Check out the pictures (right now they are below the Journal section)

So as we take down Christmas, we put up pictures from our days of fun. This is a work in progress -- enjoy!

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Snoopy comes to the Town Green

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James gets ready to decorate the Autism Speaks tree

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James likes decorating

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One of the 150 sponsored trees at the green

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Autism Speaks

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Anna took this photo of leaves in the fountain

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James, just playing with another boy

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Launching things down the waterfall

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The Miss Piggy Tree

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Kids posing with Miss Piggy (we'd recently seen the new Muppet movie)

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Big sister love

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cheese!

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the art tree

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just liked this one

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It was such a nice community feeling to all be meeting, talking, and decorating our trees!

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The Town Green is lovely

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Playground at the Town Green

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James!

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Top of the play structure

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House near ours

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they actually added more later

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making cookies for Santa

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all different kinds

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Many happy minutes

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wreath at Opera Plaza

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waiting for the ballet to start!

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very happy

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Max's does dessert - oh, yeah!

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more Opera Plaza

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over our fence

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it's been in the 20s

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very winter-y

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and foggy

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snow!

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looks just like the real thing

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ooh, ahhhhhh!

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Happy snowflake girl

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James isn't sure what to think

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snow in the grove

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Anna on a field trip at the Snoopy Ice Arena

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James, getting ready to sing

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cutest elf, for sure!

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Hi, Mommy!

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Crazy Hat Day

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Joyeux Leon!

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my reindears

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A little pre-Christmas prancing

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Twas the night before Christmas

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and all thru the house

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the creatures were waiting for stockings to pounce

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Christmas cookies, baked by hand for Santa!

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Dawn, Christmas morning

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Dawn, Christmas morning

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Having brekky; getting ready to open stockings

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The Joyeux Leon stockings!

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Excitement

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openings!

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It's ... a megaphone -- thanks, Grandpa!!

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On the shore at Huntington Beach

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Anna, striking a pose

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Robin and Celine

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Corey, Celine, and the kids (Anna, 8, & James, 6)

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Robin & James

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James on Alice in Wonderland

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Anna in Critter Country

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In line for the Pooh Bear ride

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almost there ...

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Special spot in New Orleans Suare

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Watching the Mark Twain

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river kids

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Mickey ice cream -- so good!

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The double stroller comes in handy!

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Waiting to try the new Little Mermaid ride

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It was good!

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Hi, Ariel!

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Enjoying lunch at Tattoria

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It's for big monsters AND little monsters!

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Back again at the castle

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trying for double smiles ....

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the Hat Trick

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Looking for Nemo, with our ears protected

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Darla!! Swim away

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strolling about Tomorrowland

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near Pixie Hollow

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At the Castle

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people watching

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wishing at the well

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making her wish

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our spot at the Snow White fountains

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Cheese! Or else!

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Mr Happy

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Singing to Snow White

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Back to the Hundred Acre Woods

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another photo?

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dancing

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in our honeypot

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making Pinnochio dance!

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Best 25 cents spent at the park!

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Hi, ho the merry-o ...

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So much fun, they had to do it again

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Main St. hugging

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Waiting for Mom to stop taking photos

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Dancing

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so graceful

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Over at the Disneyland Hotel

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Back in Bug's Land, playing in water

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I feel like an ant!

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A wet ant ...

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James and Pluto

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Pluto and James ...

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Jungle Cruisers!

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One of the fab fountains in DTD

James, waiting for Windsor's Egg Hunt to begin
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James, still waiting
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James, bored with waiting
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James, finding eggs among pandemonium
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James, hustling to pick up some eggs
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Lots of eggs & kids!
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James, hunting Easter Eggs at the Windsor Egg Hunt
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Anna's friend, Anna, and James compare eggs at the Windsor Egg Hunt
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Anna and her friend from school
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Anna and James on Easter morning
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Anna makes bubbles with the wand from her basket
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James, going out to play with his Easter baseball & bat
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Cousins at the Kids' Table for Easter brunch
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Fueling up for the egg hunt outside
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James and Jack
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Anna and Merrick
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James wants to play with Cousin Don's iMac
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Anna finds lots of eggs
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Hurry up, Mom, so I can get back to the eggs!
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Jack and James look together
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Nico finds lots!
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more!
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Emma has swept the trail
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James and Jack, working up a sweat
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Anna has found her eggs
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Merrick, hunting for eggs in Healdsburg
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After the egg hunt came the great candy swap!
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After the Egg Hunt, the candy swapping began!
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Ivan and Nico
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Excitement in the kitchen
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CANDY!
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Looking for sugar
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More egg sorting and swapping
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it's a SW figure, I forget which one ...
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thinking on a possible trade
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James and his Daddy
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Cousins on the stairs: Nico, Emma, James, Jack, Anna, and Merrick
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Cousins: Nico, Emma, James, Jack, Anna and Merrick
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more cousins
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getting antsy
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just about done
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footsie tag on the stairs
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1/18/2012 3:39:06 AM - 003064452368
Dear Rob, Jeanne-Marie, Anna, and James,

Thank you for allowing us to view your holiday. We enjoyed all of them tremendously!  How wonderfully you photographed the events.  I felt as though I were there.  Anna and James are looking more grown up every time I view photos.  Great job of parenting, both of you.

Love you,
Red, Celine, and family

1/8/2012 6:49:48 PM - 002096940638
These Christmas pictures are absolutely fabulous! I am enjoying reviewing them over and over. You've captured the whoe season, from events at the Town Green, the lighted neighborhood, baking Christmas cookies, photos at your house on Christmas Day, then at Judith and Ivan's house, and more. What a treat; it is the next best thing to being there. Thank you!!