The Mannings

Jayna's 1st Birthday Party!

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:01:00 +0000

Jayna LOVING the music

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:29:00 +0000

Jayna loves music, when she hears it she rocks and sways and does a little body jiggle...it's the cutest thing! Here she is listening to Chad, Jody Stecher and Keith Little rehearsing at Jody's. I love her squishy face smile!

Jasper's first gig

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 05:56:00 +0000

Jasper had his first gig! He got to sit in with Chad, Jody Stecher and Keith Little when they played at the Jupiter in Berkeley last Sunday, August 24th. This also happened to be our 5th Anniversary! It was a nice way to spend the day, Chad, Jody and Keith sounded really great together and Jasper just had a total blast. He was so excited about being on stage with Papa, he put on a special shirt and when we got there it was hot, I asked him if he wanted to take the shirt off and he said, "no, it's my gig shirt" at the end of the gig, he asked, "why did I only play one song?" Of course, Chad did ask him if he wanted to come up for a 2nd tune but he said no because he was too busy having fun with his friends Ella and Zane!

Zane, Ella and Jasper

Frida!

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 05:34:00 +0000

Thanks to our friends Mari and Simon we have a great kids book about Frida Kahlo, it was their present to Jasper and Jayna when Jayna was born a year ago. It has been perfect for getting Jasper prepared to see the Frida exhibit at the SFMOMA. We read the book and then looked at a book of Frida postcards that I had had since my college days (for some reason I still have it around)

Strangely enough Jasper's favorite painting by Frida is "The Broken Column" (see below) He got super excited when he saw it, and said, probably a little too loudly for the museum, "This is my favorite one!" with which we got a few strange looks from strangers who were probably thinking we were bad parents for letting our child even look at this art.

We got to spend the day in San Francisco with our friends Amy (who was visiting from Seattle) and Arann (who was visiting from Petaluma ;-) We started with lunch at Burma Superstar...yummmmmmmm! and then a fun trip to SFMOMA. I felt incredibly moved by the Frida exhibit. It could have been because Jasper and I had been looking at these tiny postcards of her work and then to actually see the real paint on canvas---WOW! I kept thinking how cool it was that the real Frida had created all of these pieces, her presence, agony and life were so strong in each piece of work.

Jayna walked TODAY!

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:23:00 +0000

Jayna took her first steps TODAY! Well actually yesterday because it's so late now...it was Friday August 29th. Chad was playing with her in the living room and he said, she's going to do it, she's going to walk! and sure enough...she DID! her first independent steps. and they made her laugh and laugh she thought it was so funny.

Jayna's 1st Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:15:00 +0000

We're having a party for Jayna's birthday tomorrow with friends, but on the actual day of her birthday (which was last Friday) we spent the day doing all of the things that she loves. We went to San Francisco and took her to the botanical gardens and the rose garden in Golden Gate Park because she loves flowers! We took her on a boat ride around Stow Lake where she got to see birds (she loves birds!) and we got to see lots of turtles, which Jasper thought was really cool.

We had lunch at Cha Cha Cha's (this is a picture of us there) and walked around San Francisco. I can't believe how fast this year went and it no longer feels like we have a baby. Jayna seems like such a kid already, she wakes up and just wants to go off and play with Jasper, she climbs on everything! and Jasper and Jayna are just SO cute together, they laugh and giggle and just crack each other up.

Jasper our sweetheart

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:56:00 +0000

Today we took Jasper and Jayna out to the Berkeley Marina for a walk. While Jasper was walking around with Chad looking for "treasure" he found a camouflage plastic egg (i'd never seen one of those before!) and inside was $1. What a great little treasure to find--he was so excited! then he said, I want to put more treasure in it and leave it for somebody else to find!
So he put some rocks in it, left the $1 bill in it and found a new hiding spot. What a sweetheart!!!

Ocean City New Jersey: July 2008

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:51:00 +0000

Avalon New Jersey All The Cousins: July 2008

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:41:00 +0000

Max (4), Evan (8), Jayna (11 months), Emma (11), Clayton (12), Jasper (3), Hunter (15)

Jasper was in heaven on our trip to Avalon with the family. We went to the beach, he got to dig in the sand, play with water, play with his cousins. What more could you want? We got to visit with my sister Helen's family in Philadelphia for a few days before heading to Greyfox, then after Greyfox we drove back down to Avalon, New Jersey and met my whole family for a week on the beach.

Avalon New Jersey Chad and Jayna: July 2008

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:35:00 +0000

Jayna fell asleep on Chad and then Chad took a little nap with Jayna and guess what.....? Chad had forgotten that he didn't use the waterproof sunscreen and had jumped in the ocean, therefore...all of his sunscreen had been washed off! He got a serious Jayna shaped tan on the front of his body.

Avalon New Jersey with the Family: July 2008

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:30:00 +0000

Jayna (11 months) and Aunt Lichee in Avalon, New Jersey

Avalon New Jersey with the Family: July 2008

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:26:00 +0000

Chad playing at Greyfox Music Festival

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:21:00 +0000

July 18th, 2008

We have had a BUSY July! On our way home from Portland we dropped Chad off to go to camp, and for once Chad was going as a student rather than a teacher. What an opportunity, one of Chad's favorite fiddle players was going to be teaching and practically all of the best, young, fiddle and other instrumentalists were going to be at the camp. Chad was gone for a week and we got several phone calls a day giving us the update as to what he had learned, heard, played etc. It was very exciting for him.

At home we had a chill week, I wasn't so sure how the entire week was going to go with just me and the two kids. But as it turns out, in some ways it was easier. I had both kids in bed and asleep by 8pm every night! i think when Chad is home, Jasper gets to stay up and hang out with Chad or watch a video....I can't remember if I posted anything about our TV. About 3 months ago Chad's brother Chris had given us an HP 37 inch HDTV/LCD TV, it was on loan to him and he needed a place to keep it....up until then we had been watching movies on our little 17 inch monitor. SO Chris ended up having to give the tv back to HP, and well ....we were so hooked on having a big TV, We actually realized that the bigger the tv we had, the happier we were. It sounds sooooooo bad and it's been hard for us to admit, but it's TRUE! Anyway, we went straight out and bought a 50 inch plasma TV. YES 50 inches!! and we kind of had a pit in our stomach when we got it home, but it went away as soon as we played the first scene from Revenge of the Sith.

Anyway, as our friend George said to Chad. He believes there are three things people should spend money on, a good bed, good eye glasses (if you need them) and a big tv.

OK, back to July. Chad got back from fiddle camp and 3 days later we were on a red eye to Philly. We spent a day in Philly with my sister Helen's family and then drove up to Ancramdale, NY. Chad was playing with the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience at the Grey Fox Festival. How fun going to a music festival with the kids, it's so great to be able to just hang, listen to music, and being on west coast time on the east coast, the kids could stay up and see Chad play. When Jayna saw Chad on stage she was SOOOO cute, she kept doing the sign for Papa.

Jasper at Greyfox Music Festival

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:21:00 +0000

Jayna at Greyfox Music Festival

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 05:18:00 +0000

Portland visit with Olivia and Mark

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:34:00 +0000

We went out to Kruger's farm one night and had a blast! They had swing music, food, fresh farm veggies and fruit for sale, hayride. Jasper got attacked by a rooster, he said he was trying to feed it grass. I LOVE this picture of Jasper and Mark!

Jasper is at this great age right now, he has so much innocence and joy abounding from him. He's dancing a lot and just DANCING, there's no self consciousness, just purity.

Jayna putting TWO signs together in Portland: "MORE LIGHTS" and climbing up stairs

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:29:00 +0000

We went out on the 4th for fireworks in downtown Portland, Jayna LOVED the fireworks and she put two sign together for the first time. After the fireworks were done, I told her the fireworks, "lights" were "all done" and she immediately started doing "MORE" "LIGHTS" and then kept on doing it, "MORE" "LIGHTS"!! it was SOOOO exciting. The next day she did "MORE" and then she said "BOO(k)". YAY!!! her communication skills have been so cool. She also started signing "Jasper" and said, "more Jasper"

Today, at home she crawled up the stairs all by herself for the first time! We also had her 10 month appointment and surprise, surprise! Jayna's weight is now in the 5th percentile. This is exactly the same time as when Jasper's weight dipped down below the 3rd percentile. Dr. Marcia said she's not going to run Jayna through all of the tests that we did with Jasper, and in a small way it's kind of comforting knowing that we just produce small children instead of just Jasper being small. So we'll see what happens and how all this size stuff works out. I feel bad thinking this but I feel like it's not as much of an issue for Jayna because she's a girl, but that being small as a boy matters more.

Visit to Portland, the 4th, Chad's Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:18:00 +0000

Last week we celebrated Chad's birthday on the 4th up in Portland! Jan drove with us and Amy took the train down from Seattle and we all stayed at Mark and Olivia's new place in Portland.

A few days before we were supposed to go Jayna came down with a fever, she had had a runny nose for several days before that and we thought she was just teething. I wanted to be sure she didn't have an ear infection or something else so we took her into the doctor on Monday. Chad thought she had the fever for more days than I thought so the doctor said they should probably do a urine and blood test, I had stayed home to teach so didn't have to witness Jayna getting a catheter and her blood drawn (they tried one arm and it didn't work so they had to stick both arms :-( Jasper went along and after Jayna was getting her blood drawn he told Chad, "Jayna was getting the owie but why did it hurt me? it's like magic" What a SWEETHEART!!!!!

They didn't find anything so even though Jasper came down with the fever too, we decided to go ahead and do the drive to Portland. The 12 hour drive was a lot easier than I had anticipated it being, Jasper was a rock star and didn't complain at all. Jayna on the way there was still worn out from the fever and we had given her tylenol so she slept quite a bit. On the way home she only had about a 15 minute crying stint, but that was it!

Liz and Jadu's wedding: Family picture

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:52:00 +0000

Here we are at Liz and Jadu's wedding, Saturday May 31st, 2008 at Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma, California

Liz and Jadu's wedding: May 31st, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:48:00 +0000

and with all my crazy, mad blogging I got it all out of order! The end of May was Liz and Jadu's wedding in Sonoma---oh it was SOOOO beautiful. They got married at Westerbeke Ranch in Sonoma, the entire event was warm, meaningful and joyous! Tamiko flew in from Michigan and Olivia and Mark came from Portland, it's not every year that I get to see Tamiko and Olivia in two different states within a one week period!

Catherine's 35th Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:43:00 +0000

AND I got to celebrate my 35th birthday in Michigan for the first time in years. It was great being with my whole family, Lichee and Emma came from Ann Arbor and Helen and Randy and Max came the next day and of course, my Mom and Dad. I also got to celebrate with the Rothhorn's twice! They made me a cake the night before and we celebrated at their house and then they came over to my Mom and Dad's the next day! and of course, it was wonderful being with Olivia and Jasper and Jayna.. I really missed Chad and was bummed he couldn't come, he had a gig though and couldn't make the trip back this time.

Olivia, Jayna and Tamiko in Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:40:00 +0000

and we got to spend time at MC and Tamiko's wonderful co-housing community in Lansing. They're really creating a beautiful oasis in the middle of downtown Lansing.

Jasper and Mori in Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:38:00 +0000

getting MUDDY!!

Jasper and Kata having fun in Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:38:00 +0000

More Okemoids: Meredith pregnant!

noreply@blogger.com (chadandcath) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 06:36:00 +0000

And I also got to see Meredith 8 months pregnant with Lil' Sharp! YAY!!!