Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

we had a few hours between checking out of our house and getting on the airplane. so obvs we spent the afternoon at the excellent ace hotel pool and the kids got in a couple more jumps.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

serious stocking contemplation on christmas morn.

kale can swim a video by riley bo biley on Flickr.

maybe you remember the beginning of this vacation when kale had to wear a floaty. well now he can swim (above and underwater) and jump right in to the pool.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

this is the part of our vacation where we ran into santa at the liquor store on christmas eve. classic.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

snack attack.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

how beautiful is this landscape? i am freaking out after the fact.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

boots and kale are besties 4 eva.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

joshua tree. epic.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

marco. polo.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

one of our fave palm springs activities is family viewing of 'chopped'.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

quite a view from the top.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

do you remember the time when a stranger walked up to me in trader joe's and offered me 6 free tickets to the aerial tramway. because i totally said yes and it was awesome.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

on our way to the aerial tramway. get excited people.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

super casual pool jumping.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

night swimming.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

books by the backyard fire feature.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

total go cart domination.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

you know, just trying on ear cuffs at the craft fair.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

mmmmm, donuts.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

so. many. choices.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

my, what a big head you have.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

art appreciation.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

katrina has a posse.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

and now for the main event (complete with a photoshopped in kale who was protesting the retaking of the photo from another angle). happy christmukah to all and to all a good night.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

behind the scenes at the annual christmukah photo shoot.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

post dinner thrift shop fashion show dance off.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

dinnertime and the living is easy.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

after a mere four years of trying, we finally made it to cheeky's for brunch. worth the wait.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

gratuitous fun time pool shot.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

kale and colbs are hair twins!

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

sometimes, when you go on vacation the week before school lets out, the skate park is all yours, all day, every day.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

kale is dying from too many good times.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

maybe you are wondering about this giant, round, 3-d, marble run-esque, puzzle that riley is holding in nearly every picture. well it is all those things and, as rye says, it's very addicting.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

riley is reading the hunger games while kale entertains the folks with his magical talents. just another night in casa verbena.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

unintentional post-chin-trauma eyebrow raise.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

(multiple)someone(s) in the kitchen with colby.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

wolverine gives a shout out to his uncle hubie for those fierce wooden claws.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

sometimes (when we're not in the pool) we like to shred it up on the smooth driveways and empty streets of ps.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

aqualeisure is the brand name of these floats. speaking truth to power, my friends.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

palm springs farmers market. amazeballs.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

nothing says 'we're on vacation' like that first dip in the pool.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

we had kind of a long wait in the airport. good thing everyone brought their own entertainment.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

our littlest leapfrog is ready to head to palm springs.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

sharing the secrets of paper folding.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

the 3rd grade origami group.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

extreme concentration.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

cookie decorating crew.

Untitled, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

working on his 'origami table' poster during the school cookie decorating craft evening.

, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

city living.

, a photo by riley bo biley on Flickr.

an actual device to suck the snot from an infant's (or in this case, a big kid's) nose. there is a baffle that keeps the snot from rocketing into the adult's mouth so don't freak out.