Just So Rough

Today we drove back slowly down from Booneville to Santa Rosa after four of the most relaxing days I think we’ve ever spent.

RELAXING is an understatement.  The most strenuous task we undertook was all that arduous lifting of the wine glasses to our lips at the vineyards.

Oh, and the even more strenuous hoisting and lobbing of rocks — for hours, I tell you — into what Tau dubbed “The Cool Creek,” a tiny stream that ran just next to our private little cottage, one of just a handful on 400 acres.

The rest of the time, we slept in late and read, we baked brownies, we made a swinging fort in the hammock (add one blanket, and presto!). And yes, we watched Iron Chef reruns, Sue’s brain-candy thing to do when we stay somewhere with TV.

Et cetera, et cetera, you get the picture.

A small set of pictures of the rock throwing and the vegging is here – just so rough to have to lift your arm constantly to take all those photos.

We Interrupt This Game …

“Dad! You CAN’T pitch yet!” They are playing baseball in the driveway in front of our cottage. “Da chicken is walking in the way!”

Today we leave Mar Vista Cottages after four memorable days here to head inland for another four days at a remote cottage near Booneville. The plan? Reading, sleeping, playing card games and (I imagine ) more baseball, sans chickens.

Our Mar Vista Flickr set is here … I’ll let the pictures illustrate the wonderful time we have spent here!

We Had to Count All the Buses That Passed in Spanish Too

So we’re driving to school this morning …

Sue:  I see a big red truck coming!

Truck passes …

Tau:  That truck isn’t red …

Sue:  You’re right … it’s red from the front (the cab) and white at the back (the whole trailer part).

Tau:  No … it’s not, Mom …

Sue:  ?

Tau:  It’s rojo e blanco.

Sue: !

Last Weekend in the Park

Last Sunday we met friend James, Vix and Harry in the park for a picnic, and Vix snapped a few family pics for us.

I haven’t had a chance to really work with them but will be sending them out throughout the year for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays and so on.

First Snow

Yesterday we went up to Palomar Observatory for the first time. There were small pockets of snow still left from the last snowfall — the observatory sits high on top of Palomar Mountain, one of the few places nearby that actually gets snow.

Tau got to see and touch the white stuff for the first time, something he’s been longing to do since watching Curious George Plays in the Snow and reading Snow is My Favorite and My Best numerous times over the holidays.

Living the Dream

 

“I have a dream that my … children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Martin Luther King Jr.
I Have a Dream

 

Holding Our Breath …

Thank You, Captain Obvious!

Don’t you love it when the media states the obvious as though it’s leading-edge news?

Some U.S. Cereals More than Half Sugar

“WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Some breakfast cereals marketed to U.S. children are more than half sugar by weight and many get only fair scores on nutritional value, Consumer Reports said on Wednesday.

A serving of 11 popular cereals, including Kellogg’s Honey Smacks, carries as much sugar as a glazed doughnut, the consumer group found.

And some brands have more sugar and sodium when formulated for the U.S. market than the same brands have when sold in other countries.”

Reuters Newsfeed

While I admit that my mental acuity is not quite what it was before parenthood, even I know giving small children breakfast cereal laced with high-fructose corn syrup is not a good idea.

Go Puffins, no-sugar Raisin Bran and multigrain Cheerios!

Mendo-Frisco Photos Up on Flickr

We’re back and photos of our trip up to Mendocino, down through Sonoma and a few days in San Francisco are on Flickr.

There are some good ones … enjoy!

August

I just had my pronunciation corrected by a two-year-old.

Muttering to himself, I hear him talking about days of the week and August. They discuss the day, date and month every day at MY NEW SCHOOL.

“Did you say August, Tau?”

“Is not August … is August.”

I’m a bit slow on the uptake. “Did you say it’s August?” I’m all impressed that he’s remembered the name of the month after only hearing it once on Friday the first.

With a touch of annoyance in his voice … “You don’t say Orgust … is Aahgust.”

“Oh!… Aahgust!?”

“Yes — is August.”

I stand corrected.

The Circus is Coming to Town

One of the not-so-thrilling aspects of living in Southern California is dealing with termite infestation in our wood-framed homes.

Our townhouse development (about 250 units in all) is being fumigated this month, which means double-bagging all our food and medicines, moving all our houseplants out into the yard, packing up everything we need for work and daycare, and moving out for three days while our home is tented.

We’ll be living it up in a local budget motel — watching junk TV, eating out and swimming in the hotel pool.

With all the packing, living out of bags and then unpacking again later in the week, I think I’m going to take a little holiday from blogging. Our hotel has wireless Internet access but I think we’re going to take those three days to just hang out!

See you all next week!

Independence Day

This boy, he’s fearless! Last weekend, we spent the Fourth of July BBQing and swimming at friends Mark and Tonya’s place.

Tau’d had water wings for only a week or two but that didn’t stop him from taking off down the slide — at least 20 or 30 times — and wanting to do it all on his own. “Mommy! You go ‘way! You don’t catch me!”

We dragged him out the pool several times, little body shivering, teeth chattering, and mucho complaining.  “I NEED to go downa slide ‘gain!”

When it was time for fireworks (the first he’d ever seen) he was a bit more wary. It didn’t stop him though from wanting to hold his own sparkler, like all the bigger kids!

MY NEW SCHOOL

This post is mostly for
the grandparents

This week we moved Tau to a new daycare center.

Hmn. I’m not supposed to call it “daycare” according to the kid — it’s “MY NEW SCHOOL!”

MY NEW SCHOOL is a bit closer to our house (by one block) but it has a lower ratio of kids to teachers, a slightly more structured environment and, well, a number of things that we hope will be slightly better. It was very sad saying goodbye to Tau’s friends and teachers — Miss Gaby, for example, has known and been with Tau since he came into the infant room there at four months old.

I went in to pick up a beautiful art and photo album she made for him and when I opened it, I burst into tears. And when I turned around to thank Gaby, she was all teary too. It’s hard to separate from people who’ve become part of your extended family, who’ve cared for your child since he was so brand new.

The first week at MY NEW SCHOOL went very well. Tau and I had visited for an hour a couple weeks back, so he knew the early morning drill — playing on the cool new climbing structure, circle time on the colorful mat, picking your job for the day and counting out the days of the month.

One thing I find a bit strange — and I say this at the risk of offending American readers — is that circle time includes reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, hand to heart. I’m all for pride in country (within limits) but isn’t 2 1/2 a little young?

After circle time, the kids do free play … cars, trucks, dinosaurs, dolls, blocks, puzzles, shaving foam … yes, messing on trays with shaving foam … icky, gooey fun. Throughout the day they have two snacks, lunch, nap time, art time, outside play on the jungle gym, in the sand pit and at the water-play tables. The routine is very similar to what we had at the old daycare, so the adjustments have been minor. Tau’s two new teachers seem very nice and he’s taken to them well so far.

The biggest change has been that we now have to pack a lunch every day. Tau has a new lunch pack and lunch box that he’s very proud of … his one teacher says he struts around the classroom with it.

Another big change is that they say he’s definitely ready for full-on potty training — they’re trying him on the potty every half hour and he’s doing really well. So we’ll be trying that cold-turkey, underpants-only this week.

Good luck to them … and to us!

The Hood

I took Tau to the park to ride the train yesterday and took a few snaps along the way.

Thought I’d post them for the family who haven’t had the chance to visit. They are in our La Casa set on Flickr.

Enjoy!

All Downhill From Here, Huh?

I don’t believe it! I’m standing by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said, “The road uphill and the road downhill are one and the same!”

We had a wonderful time in Palm Springs for my 40th birthday this past weekend. Dave rented a gorgeous place with a pool and a hot tub, and we spent the weekend relaxing, sleeping in, going for coffee and yes, the three of us ate a whole birthday cake! It was mostly fruit and sponge cake, or so I keep telling myself.

Also, I have been wanting to buy a digital SLR camera for a long time now and with birthday contributions from various family members (thanks again all!), I was able to order my Canon Rebel XTi and a 50mm lens last week. It arrived in time to take away with us.

Thanks for your lovely cards, calls and flowers all!