Graduating

Mara is taking piano lessons which has unleashed her inner musician.  

She is always singing and playing musical instruments - a natural performer! 

For her summer break, we took Mara to visit Lake Tahoe, her visit to a lake.  Here Emerald Bay.

Mara swimming in the lake with the geese.  She never seizes to impress us with her ability to pace herself and to gain confidence instantaneously.  

At first she was scared of the lake, but by the end of the day we couldn't her out!

Mara playing go fish with her Frozen playing cards and rainbow sweatshirt.

 

 

 Mara graduated from Kindergarten.  Not only was the entire class blown away by how much she'd grown and advanced throughout the school year, we were blown away by how well she behaved during her graduation ceremony.  Such a big girl!

Best friends!

Mara started the year as one of the smallest kids in class and ended as one of the biggest!

Her classmates were so kind, caring and patient with her. It truly was a wonderful experience for her. 

Mara with her amazing and beautiful teacher Ms Christine.

She was absolutely wonderful with Mara and the rest of her class.

Clare meeting her idol Dianne von Furstenburg at the Watermark conference.

 

Enjoying dinner with her cousin Max is one of her favorite past times. 

Add some bubbles to the mix and it blew her mind.

 

 Mara still loves to visit Happy Hollow and riding the Danny the Dragon Train.

Mara is now taking swimming lessons.  Her teacher is wonderful with her, not only teaching her how to swim but also giving her physical therapy (which is helping with her walking).

 

 

Mara is such a Daddy's girl.  Here she woke up from a nap asking where he was.

 

Mara's best friend at school is Kara.  Here they enjoy their first tea party together, where they also learned etiquette!

 

Mara loves to sing.  Here sending a special 40th birthday wish to her Uncle Bennett.

Mara is building her social skills.  She makes friends with other kids easily.  Here at a party in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Mara still is infatuated with Frozen and tells everyone that she has two sisters named Anna and Elsa.  Here they sit waiting for her in the car.

Riding her bike in head-to-toe Frozen garb.

 

 Mara has exotropia and has to wear an eyepatch for 2 hours a night.  

She's pretty good about wearing it, especially since it comes in fashionable prints like animal print!

Mara is still a little afraid of animals but is getting better.  

Here she is intrigued by an adorable labradoodle name Paddington.

Mara and her proud Mama on St Patty's Day

Clare took a business trip to Boston and brought along the family. Here sight seeing at Nathaniel Square wearing her custom couture cashmere coat that her Momma designed & made her.

Mara and Nick took the train up to Kennebunkport Maine while Clare presented at Auntie Liz's school in Amherst.

Enjoying lunch in Kennebunkport Maine.

 Hanging in the lobby of our fabulous hotel in Boston, the Liberty, a converted prison!

Here the "real" sisters, Liz and Clare, enjoying dinner together in Boston.

Catching up

Hard to believe that it's been before Christmas since we last posted!

It was a marvelous Christmas season with Mara enjoying many firsts, including her first train ride in Santa Cruz on the Santa Town train.

Sitting on Santa's lap with her cousin Wesley.

Partying at Clare's work Toy Drive party.  A Christmas angel?

Mara's Winter Performance at her school. Mara continues to LOVE her school: to learn and to play with her friends.  She is absorbing so quickly and her teacher comments on how her cognitive abilities are right there!  We are supplementing her school with speech therapy and are investigating getting her physical development therapy.

Visiting with her friend Alessia, where we made ginger bread houses and shared gifts where Mara got a Doc McStuffins player, her new found obsession next to Frozen.

Mara and her Dad visited San Jose's Christmas in the Park.

For the first time she rode the merry go round with a horsey that goes up & down! What a brave girl!

Deep in thought - maybe contemplating what she wants for Christmas?

It was a very Frozen Christmas this year.  Here Christmas morning with her two dolls, Anna & Elsa.

Now that's one happy kid who got an Elsa dress and tiara from her Auntie Mimi!

This year her Granny treated her to her first Nutcracker at the Santa Cruz Ballet.  Her Granny also gave her a Nutcracker for Christmas which she quickly befriended and carried around the house constantly.  We caught her talking to her and saying that she loved it - how cute is that?!

At the top of Mara's Christmas wish list to Santa was Frozen sheets!

The "pretend" sisters

Mara also got a ton of Frozen clothes and it's nearly impossible to get her to wear anything else.

Now that's one happy kid!

Posing in her jogging suit that her Auntie Amy gave her.

One of Mara's greatest joys is to spend time with her family.  Here getting ready for a walk with her Auntie Mimi and Granny.

After Christmas we took Clare's new car (a Cadillac SRX - woo hoo!) up to Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite for Mara's first exposure to the snow.  Here Mara showing her Auntie Mimi that we bought her a vintage "Go Climb a Rock" t-shirt in our beautiful, upgraded room.

Mara getting bundled up to head out to the snow. Note the Frozen snow boots ;-)

The growing excitement of nearing Yosemite Valley.

Icicles

The girls at Inspiration point.

There's nothing like Inspiration point - you never get tired looking at it or blown away no matter how many times you see it!

Exploring the base of Yosemite Valley in full ski garb.

A very frozen Bridal Veil Falls.  Mara hiked all the way to the top of the base!  She likes to hike!

Yosemite Falls

Building her first Snow Man. We viewed this trip as "confidence building" since although we did not get up on skis Mara got to walk in the snow, try out ice skating and just get comfortable with it.  Hopefully we will make another trip this year to build on the momentum, as it's really important to us that she grows up skiing.

Mara singing a medley of Frozen tunes at the lobby of Tenaya Lodge.  She drew quite a crowd!

Mara and Mom in front of the massive Christmas tree in the Tenaya Lodge lobby - what a great place!

At home enjoying her first experience with chocolate pudding! She has developed quite a sweet tooth! And yes you do see another tooth missing, putting it at a total of three!

It's been a busy 2015, starting with a trip to Vegas with our friends Rob & Di.  This kid lives the life since we got the opportunity to fly in a private jet there.  Let's just say she adjusts to the good life well!

The jet setters!

Hanging out at the Bellagio.

Clare had a training in Miami for work which provided us an opportunity for a family vacation! While we were there we got to visit grandparents and cousins and enjoy the Miami culture.  Here Mara making herself at home in the hotel lobby.

The ladies at Clare's work were nice enough to make Mara her own badge with a title of "CEO of Markovits enterprises".  Who would have thought that a kid would love a badge this much!  She was quite the hit with Clare's co-workers, certainly not a shrinking violet.

Enjoying the sites of downtown Miami!

While Clare was in training Nick and Mara got to enjoy the local sites, including the Miami Children's Discovery Museum. Here the musician.

And the dancer.

From Miami, we flew onto Cancun for Clare's birthday to enjoy the warm weather and to see Chitzan Itzen.

A view of the unfinished side of the pyramid.

Mara and Clare soaking in the energy & grandeur of the pyramid.

A shot of the base of the pyramid.

More Mayan artwork, lots of skulls!

The surrounding area where they made human sacrifices.

Lots of iguanas everywhere.

Mara was disappointed that she couldn't climb the actual pyramid so luckily we were able to indulge in a nearby ruins of Ek-Balam.  She was quite the explorer and a great little traveler!

Rooftop view.

Surrounding jungle

Mayan hieroglyphics

More Mayan art on the grounds.

 Climbing the Ek-Balam

Mom and Mara having fun climbing the pyramid together. Talk about confidence building!

Nick climbed the top and looked down.

A view from the top and the surrounding jungle.

After visiting Chitzan Itza, we drove to a watering hole, Ik-kil.

Climbing pyramids aside, Mara favorite activity continues to be swimming!

Mara makes friends so easily (or is it the power of the ipad?). Here her playing with a Mexican girl at a fancy restaurant on Clare's birthday. Who needs to speak English anyway?

One of the days we visited Playa de Carmen.  Here having lunch at a local restaurant - Mara with her Day of the Dead skeleton friend.