Holiday 2008

This was a snowy white christmas for the family. Piper loved playing in the snow and helping to shovel the driveway.

Of course holiday gifts were a big hit this year. Piper scored with the guitar and harmonica she had been asking for along with some great games from uncle mark and learning games from mama from Montesorri.

Because she is becoming a big girl who is very independant and thoughtful, she also got her own milk pitcher, mop and bucket, vegetable slicer and sandwich maker. She is excited to be able to get her own cereal in the morning and pour her own milk. She is growing up!

snow times

Piper and dadda braved the cold winds and snowy blizzard Sunday to play outside. Piper got some sled rides around the backyard and then her and dadda chased each other around the cars and threw snowballs. Mama was stuck inside sick but able to watch from the window and take a few choice snowball photos. Of course the inch of snow led to a school closure the next day, so we sat around drinking hot chocolate, drawing candy canes and watching spiderman.

preparing for the Holi-daze 2008

The Zurbano family gets ready for a quiet holiday this year at home. We started it all off with a nice Saturday evening filled with Yule tree decorating while listening to Peter and the Wolf. Piper did a spectacular job decorating the house and tree.

OH NO! The wolf just ate Sasha the Duck!!!!!!

Piper and mama get silly
cutie pie

growing up

Piper has been busy in the kitchen these days. She is our big helper- stirring and measuring, peeling and cutting. The last few mornings she has tried her hand at flippin' the pancakes. She is very careful and does a super great job. Few more years and she can start making breakfast all on her own (does that mean mom and dad can sleep in?)

Daddies little girl for sure. Piper spends an evening playing learning games on the computer. Only the daughter of a computer geek like daddy could pull this off. Pretty soon she will writing this blog on her own.

A new World

Piper is witness to one of the most important days in our history. Today we elected Barak Obama to be our President. Although she is too young to understand and her sister even younger, this will change their lives forever. She knows who our new President is as she watched on the screen of the TV and pointed saying "there's Barak Obama" .

whats been happenin'

Piper's Grandmother Evelyn just returned from a cruise to Greece, Turkey and Rome. She picked up a nice little belly dancer outfit for Piper while touring Turkey. Of course Piper loves to wear it and shake her booty, jingling her outfit and dancing around.




Piper has been busy at school and she recently started back at her ballet class after a summer hiatus. She is having a great time in ballet and remembering all of her moves. She is quite the ballerina.

She has also been spending time with her friend Sydney who came over recently for a play date. Here the girls are dressing up for some saturday fun times.

Pumpkin Patch

Piper and her friend Sydney headed to Lee's Farm Pumpkin Patch for some prime pumpkin picking and tons of smiles. They also got to ride a pony, hold baby chickens and hang out with some calves. It looks like these girls had a great time for sure.

School Days

No doubt that Piper loves school and all of her friends there. We recently went to the fall parents meeting and had a nice talk with her teacher. Piper has been quite the helper with the new kids, showing them how to do different things around the class and helping to keep the classroom clean (why doesn't she do this at home too?)

flower project with classmates Sydney and Hannah

lunch time with Ana and Hannah

Her favorite 'work' right now are the geometric shaped tiles and grouping them together to make patterns, shapes and pictures. She has intense concentration and comes up with very elaborate pictures complete with a story.



We are so glad we choose Harmony Montessori School for Piper. She grows and learns so much every day and has truly opened up her world, and ours.
-a big thanks to teacher Katie for taking these great pictures to share

Birthdays, Friends and Fun!

September is the month of birthdays for Piper's friends. A party every weekend has had Piper bouncing off the walls with birthday cakes and games and lots of friends.

COMBO BIRTHDAY PARTY 9/6

Grace, Ruthie and Elyse celebrate birthday number 4 with a big party at Jen and Josh's.


piper, ruthie and grace


frank holds pipers hat and purse and looks so stylish.


Piper gives the pinata a good swing


the party girls

SYDNEY'S PARTY 9/20

Piper was super excited to go to her friend Sydney's party. Piper and Sydney have become wonderul friends this year at Harmony Montessori. Two peas in a pod really.
Sydney, Athene, Piper and Eli play on the swing set



LOGAN'S PARTY 9/20

What luck, 2 birthday parties in one day. Piper went to Logan's party later Saturday and had a great time making new friends, playing on another swing set and eating more cake. Does it get any better for a bunch of 4 year olds.

Kristine helps Piper pin the license plate to the truck
Happy Birthday Logan

Oxbow Hike

Piper and Mama set out for a beautiful hike at Oxbow park. Piper has been before with her school for a field trip, yet despite the fact that it is only 15 miles away, Mama had never been. What a beautiful place to spend an wonderful morning. We started our hike going down to the banks of the Sandy River where Piper played in the sand amongst the geese and osprey.


We Headed up into the deep mossy forest and sat down for an orange and granola bar. As Piper and Mama enjoyed our little snack, a deer decided to come say hello. She was not shy at all and was curious of Piper as Piper was of her. They watched each other for a while and the deer walked around our bench, hung out for a while letting mama get photos and Piper to get a closer look. We let the deer eat amoung the flowers and ferns and then headed back down the trail with a great story. Piper was very excited to see this beautiful deer so close. What a great day!!

Zurbano Family Reunion on the Coast

piper writes her name in the sand
Piper had a super fun time on the coast this weekend and had a chance to meet all of her Zurbano relatives. Family came from Canada and the East coast, California and Washington to gather for food, fun and games , some to meet for the first time, others had a chance to catch up on old times.

Piper had so much fun playing in the sand, collecting sea shells, flying her kite and playing tag with the ocean waves. After warming up to her relatives, she had a good time playing with all her second, third, fourth cousins and many other cousins once, twice, five times removed.
Piper and Mama play in the ocean waves

making sand castles


Daddy and Piper get silly with the wavesPiper sits with all the cousins

Piper and mama at sunset

Piper plays with second cousins Maddie and Avery