Semi-formal Attire Required

We are going to a wedding next month for a good friend of my sister's. When the invitation came in the mail, I noticed that the fine print at the bottom read "semi-formal attire". Hmmmm...what exactly does that mean? I think I know what it means for me, (I'll have to wrestle myself in to a pair of pantyhose...maybe), but what about Rob? A tie? A coat and tie? A suit? A tux? If I didn't know, I was certain Rob didn't.

Praise God for Google. After searching, "what is semi-formal attire for men?", Wiki.answers.com told me that:

"For men, semi-formal attire means wearing a full suit, with vest optional. A tie, either bow or straight, should be worn, and the shirt should be a simple button down. Suit fabric choices are primarily wool gabardine or cashmere. However, a wool blend will do. Linen or seersucker suits are not formal enough for semi-formal attire. Dress shoes like oxfords are worn. It is not necessary to wear a tuxedo, and one might be considered a bit overdressed for a semi-formal event showing up in a tux."

You can be sure Rob has never owned such garments. Men's Wearhouse here we come!

Rob was a pretty good sport about the whole thing. We went big and got the shoes, socks, belt, two shirts and even the "suit preservation kit" (I know...suckers!). Rob would have much preferred a new one of these suits...


But instead he got this...

Doesn't he look handsome?

The Fair(est) of Them All

Yesterday Hannah's class set off on a field trip to the Fair. We managed to mostly avoid the main fairway which was cluttered with the usual junk food establishments and souvenier kiosks. We enjoyed fair skies and had a fair amount of fun watching the judge fairly determine the fairest swine of them all. But, our favorite was petting the rabbit which I am fairly certain was an angora.

Here are some pictures of the fair fun.

A Weekend Away

This passed weekend Rob took a road trip to Carpinteria for a wedding. We stayed in a great little Bed and Breakfast which was walking distance from the beach and lots of cute shops and restaurants. It was a much needed break from our hectic lives and the hot valley weather.

The Princess and the Worm

Diggin' for worms in your best gown...where girly girl meets earthy tomboy!

Happy Birthday Grace and Sarah

We celebrated Grace and Sarah's 4th birthday this past weekend with cake, ice cream and a pool party. They were very excited about their birthday this year. This is the year they understood that birthdays mean cake and presents. Here are a few pictures of the poolside festivities.

We're Going on a Snail Hunt, a Snail Hunt, a Snail Hunt

Grace and Sarah have been early risers lately. They were up at 5:45 this morning in spite of my efforts to get them to go back to sleep. After a quick bowl of oatmeal and Cheerios, they were ready to start their day with a backyard snail hunt. Grace came and asked for a Ziploc bag to put her snails in so they couldn't "slime away from her", and the hunt was on. By 6:30am our backyard was filled with the sounds of "here snail, snail, snail" and "where are you snail?" At least we don't have to buy snail bait!

Off to School

We've officially begun the school years here at the Cobb house. Hannah managed to hold it together for her first day of Kindergarten despite looking like a deer caught in headlights as she walked in to class. I on the other hand had to explain to her that sometimes mommies cry when their babies grow up. This is a little hard to explain to daddies too. Anyway, we all survived. Grace and Sarah were really excited to see Hannah's desk and when she got home, Grace asked Hannah, "so, did you learn to read?" She is also convinced that Hannah will be learning to drive in Kindergarten. For the life of me I can't figure out where they come up with some of their stuff.

Checking out her desk with Daddy.


Group hug!


Lined up and ready to go.

As I write this post, she is at her second day of school and she handled it like a champ! She was nervous this morning and said she didn't want to go. In fact she said she wanted to be a mommy so she could stay home all day and do nothing (hmmm...is that what I do all day?...well that and eat bon bons of course).