Fall Comes to NorCal

We are a week tardy for this month's post. Sorry about that. What we failed to give in puncuality, we'll try to repay in good pictures. So here are some pics from Month 7 of Daphne. We'll be posting a special international post in the next week, with tales and photos from the NorCalAllen's trip to their ancestal island of Britain.

At NorCalAllens, we like to cook food. We believe that how a family eats is as important as its language or anything they do on the weekends. So, we are teaching Daphne how to cook. Here's Dad showing Daphne how to open an oven door.

Daphne just finished her first lesson in music (theme: the fiddle) at our local JCC, here in North Berkeley. She's playing the keyboard in this shot.

We also think that excercise is a great lesson to teach our youngest member. Here's Daphne in her Polo track suit and New Balance (thanks Emma). She's about to go for a nice long run up in the fire trails of the Berkeley Hills.

Halloween is an important holiday for the NorCalAllens. We try to remember the old traditions of connecting with the dead that our Celtic ancestors celebrated. Here's Daphne, Cortney, Emma and Kelly posing with the family patriarch, Papa. As you can see, Cortney is connecting with her cow-girl heritage while Kelly and Emma are celebrating their Papist roots. Daphne seems to be connecting to her ancient Duck roots. You can see the family resemblance when she is upset and extends her ominous duck bill, which warns those closeby that she will cry within 10 seconds.
Carving pumpkins in NorCal. Here we are with grandfather, Dan, in the nation's (I mean state's) capital, Sacramento. Oh and yes, we are wearing short sleaves at Halloween. Reason #143 to live in California.
The artists in action. Dan won the creativity contest for his use of other vegetables (cauliflower ears, carrot nose, cabbage hair, etc.).
Emma and Daphne sharing a special hug. Emma is very affectionate with her younger cousin.
Pumpkins, Indian corn and...citrus. Fresh, local citrus in November is reason #144 to love California!

We'll be adding another post that covers our London adventure soon. Thanks for the patience. Hope you all had a great Halloween and Thanksgiving.