Why I Smile . . .

Mother's Day and what I always ask for--a picture with my two angels. These two keep me going when I think I'm done and when I've had a tough day they know just what to do or say or how to giggle to bring out the smile in me.

Summer, Swimming & Turning Four . . .

Turning Four
This is my birthday wish for Emma; it's a song by Yusuf Islam, or Cat Stevens. Since I started this blog as a type of journal for my kids, I'll post this here and hope that one day down the road when she needs to hear this message, she'll find it. Right now at almost 4 she seems to get this, but there's going to come a day, when she needs to be reminded of it. Like when her bestfriend won't talk to her, or she breaks up with a boyfriend, or if, try as we might as parents to prevent it, that she doubts herself. So here it is, a wish in a song.
To Emma:


Love is better than a song
Love is where all of us belong
Don't be shy just let your feelings roll on by
don't wear fear or nobody will know you're there
just lift your head and let your feelings out instead

Summer
We are officially on summer break. We just finished the first full week of vacation for Luke, its been 2 wks for Emma. We spent most of it at our swim club, aka, "The Pool." We joined a pool club here and to us, it's like living the high life. And it helps that we know a lot of the other families there, so it has a block party feel much of the time. We were there 4 hours one day, 5 hours the next and it was really relaxing. The other day we were sitting on some lounge chairs in the shade, eating the lunch we had packed, as a breeze came in and it felt so great to be able to be in that moment with my kids. No running to baseball practice or camp or even the park or a playdate but to just sit at the pool and eat lunch in the shade with no stress. Just enjoy my children. We are very fortunate. Poor Troy was working but he comes when he can. He's like a rock star when he is there because the kids love swimming with him.



Swimming
And now Luke can swim. He was swimming last summer but his confidence level just took off earlier last month after our 1st week back at the pool. He's diving in, doing cannon balls and working on perfecting his strokes. Next, we need to get Miss Emma past her fear--or is it just dislike ?--of putting her head under water. She too is getting there. She had 2 weeks of lessons and made some progress. The big thing is they are enjoying it. And so am I. I wasn't sure really if I could manage it--watching 2 kids at 2 different ability levels, sometimes even in 2 different pools, but I can and I am and we are having lots of fun!

Comments feature: Not just there to take up space. I'd love to get a comment or two on the blog. Just to know someone is out there. So, if you visit, post a comment and let me know. This means you K.A.

Random notes mostly to self: Wishing I could learn how to do a few things on this blog faster. But I'm the student here and need to keep patience in mind and remember that I'll get it sooner or later.

Golden Gate Bridge: Now THAT'S a Field Trip

Last week, Luke and I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge together, along with 59 other 2nd graders from his school, some of their parents and their teachers. The kids had worked all year on the Golden Gate Heart Walk during PE. They logged the miles they walked, with a goal in mind. Walking the bridge was the culmination of their hard work. There was magic in the air. Really. Here's the thing. It was 90 degrees--on the Golden Gate Bridge--in San Francisco. That NEVER happens!!! Kids were walking in tank tops and shorts. We were hot. That is about as atypical a day as any of us had experienced in the Bay Area.

Even though it meant we had to arrange a special babysitter for Emma, and Troy had to miss a few hours of work in the afternoon, I really wanted to go on this field trip with Luke. I am so glad I did. It was an incredible experience to walk the Golden Gate Bridge with my 8 year old son. As I walked, I thought, "Wow, I'm an adult doing this for the 1st time, some people will never do this in a lifetime, and here's my son doing this at age 8." Incredible.

Now we are all caught up in the end of the year madness. There's school plays, talent shows, Fine Arts Day, Field Trips and the Big Daddy of them all the OPEN HOUSE and Ice Cream Social. That was Wednesday night. On Tuesday, I was at the school for 2.5 hours putting up bulletin boards, decorating the classroom and simply helping our teacher get ready. That was a drop in the bucket for the number of hours she prepared and the various other parents who also helped. Even Troy came in and helped hang some gallery panels (see photo) that displayed some of the outstanding art projects the kids did this year. Luke was very proud to escort us around his classroom and show off a little. We now have the end of the year picnic next week, followed by a few stray days in early June, and 2nd Grade is complete. I committed to making a "Memory Book" as a class gift for the teacher, so I have some work to do. The students did half the work themselves, though. They wrote out their "favorite second grade memory," and now I'm going to add their photos. I adored Luke's teacher this year, so I'm happy to do this and know I'll enjoy the project. It gives me a chance to use some of those photos I've been taking all year!

Our school had a fantastic year, due in no small part to our new principal. We are quite possibly the envy of the other schools in our district, because we got the cool new guy this year. He's in his 30's, not burned out, full of energy and enthusiasm, the Dad of young kids himself. He introduced inventive new programs, like a monthly award ceremony where students are recognized in several areas for their positive achievements. He shakes their hand and gives them a certificate and there's a lot of pride in that accomplishment for the student. You can see it on their faces. He added "Monday Morning Meetings," where the whole school (all 18 classrooms & the teachers/a total of 400 students) gathers on the blacktop to kick off the week with announcements, recognition of achievements and the school pledge. He invited parents to attend these meetings and it is fabulous to see this type of community building in a public school. He initiated an enrichment program during school hours, taught by the teachers. Both teachers and students (temporarily) got to leave behind standards, assessments, testing, & the failure of NCLB, and do something they were passionate about, like photography, cooking, yoga, gardening, rocketry, etc. These types of multi-sensory learning experiences are so vital to higher learning and just plain fun. And he even plays Ball Wall with the kids. I like the guy!

Hanging out with the Boys. . .

Luke's 8th Birthday Party

Luke had his birthday party at the park on Friday. Here he is in the middle of his "boy crew", with Ben and Alex to his left, and Miles and Jacob to his right. He knew exactly what he wanted this year and we pretty much did just that. We had pizza, chips, and orange soda. The boys played, ran around, acted crazy and yet managed to be so COOL!! Because we all know that being 8 and being a boy is just about the coolest thing ever! That and squirting your friends with water balloons and turning the play structure into a water slide! Other highlights were toasting each other with orange soda, riding scooters and just having some extreme fun! I knew the party was a success when I heard him tell his friends, "This is so much fun. Isn't this the best birthday party ever!" After the party "wrapped,"at the park, the after party got started with a sleepover, to keep the fun going. Luke and Jacob stayed up watching movies until almost midnight. Yawn!!! As a Mom, I have to step back and realize how much Luke has grown up. He is turning into a 'tween, he knows who he is, he's confident and likes to have a good time. What more could a Mom hope for?? We've got a great kid!

Favorite Princess Moment

Emma meets Snow White. Here are a few photos that capture some of the moments from our trip to Disneyland. Unexpected moments were the highlights for me, like this day when we were walking along and saw Snow White sitting outside her cottage. Riding Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain with Luke was also cool. Nothing makes you feel more like a kid again than roller coasters and log flumes!

More Disneyland photos in this album:

Family Adventures

Monterey

We went to Monterey to celebrate my birthday in January. We managed to ask a passerby to take our photo so we could all be in it together. A cute pix, even if Troy does look like he's just escaped from San Quentin. We had great weather and on this particular day the kids explored the tide pools and then ended up in the ocean. Luke is a natural when it comes to getting wet, sandy, & messy. Emma on the other hand, well, she plays the diva. Once her pants were wet, she had to change them. When sand was in her shoes, the shoes had to come off. But after wiping off her sandy toes for her, the shoes needed to go back on. Ok, yes, she is a little high maintainance. It can come as a surprise to me and Troy, since we've had years of boy energy where being wet and dirty are not only the norm, but big pluses!

Experience Change

Note: YouTube says the video is no longer available. What's that all about??
Check out this video clip from Thursday's Democratic Debate on CNN. I think Hillary makes a strong case that she's the candidate with the experience to lead. I've been volunteering for her campaign by making phone calls to absentee voters in California. It's been exhilarating (and exhausting) to be part of something like this. On Friday, Feb 1st, Troy & I were at a Hillary campaign fundraiser at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco. I was impressed with her warmth, her intelligence and her strong commitment to move our country forward. She communicates her plans for our country very clearly and YES she does come across very likeable! Go to hillaryclinton.com to find out what she proposes to do if elected, & how she'll do it.

Carlos Santana in Training

Luke had his first "real" guitar lesson on Wednesday with a real music teacher. And he proceeded to master "Brother John" (Are You Sleeping) in one night. He's loving it. His guitar teacher is also his school music teacher--"Mr. V." Luke thinks that's way COOL! He's finally old enough to have the hand & finger coordination needed to attempt lessons, although still on the young side. To say he was excited would be an understatement. Mr. V gave him some homework that was suppose to take a week to finish but Luke finished it in 2 days time. Amazing how he can focus when it's of interest to him. Since he's been playing guitar for a while, (ok, since he was 3.5!) he'd already figured out a few of the basics. And not to mention he's got that crazy confidence typical of the younger set that allows him to say things like "I'm the best guitar player in 2nd grade--probably my whole school." Kids are so fortunate that way! They have an inherent belief in themselves. Now if we could only bottle that up and save it for him for those "awkward" middle school years . . .

Oh, and for you observant types, yes, that's a Bass in the photo, and no, that's not the instrument he is taking the lessons with. He's learning on an acoustic guitar.

On the campaign trail . . .

16 Jan. '08 Wednesday was my first HC campaign event. I attended a speech by Bill Clinton in Napa. It was fan-tas-tic! It was made all the better by the fact that it was a day before my birthday. He is an unbelievably gifted speaker and my heart was pounding as I listened to him talk, share stories & inspire the crowd. You should have seen him work the rope line and shake hands. The crowd turned into a mob with shouts of "I love you Bill" from all around. One of the great things about it was the diversity: seeing so many young people there, 18-22 year olds, along with the 90 year old grandmothers in walkers. I got some fairly good video and will try to post it later.

The kids came along for a lesson in democracy in action and off we all went to the event. The line reached down and around two city blocks for about .5 mile. We ended up in the overflow crowd but they brought out a speaker and we were able to hear the speech. Bill Clinton is a Rock Star. You have to be in his presence and among REAL people, not the talking heads on T.V. that do a fairly good job controlling us all, and then you can see and feel the reaction of the crowd, of ordinary Americans. You're swept up in the moment and the enthusiasm. It was clear that THIS crowd on THIS day LOVES President Clinton. His support of Hillary will matter in California.

My Birthday Dinner in San Francisco

12 Jan. '08: San Francisco for dinner and a show. Dinner at Kuleto's. Favorite dish: the baked clams appetizer. We saw the play "Speed the Plow" by David Mamet at ACT. What a great birthday surprise: A date with my husband!

Why We Live Here

One reason at least: sunset on the Pacific Ocean. New Years Day 2008.







Here's another . . . the natural beauty that surrounds us. It speaks to my soul.

If you want, check out some more of my nature photography in this web album.

Album: Nature, Places

525, 600 Minutes Later

Remembering Mom
How do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life? How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of love.

It’s time now to sing out, tho the story never ends let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends. Remember the love! Remember the love! Remember the love! Measure in love. Seasons of love! Seasons of love.
from "Rent"

Thank you to M, M & E who spent the morning with me and helped make it hurt just a little less. And to my siblings who help keep Mom's beautiful spirit alive.

“Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss
(I'm trying, Mom, really I am.)

Ringing in 2008

Dinner with our friends, "M & J" and 5 kids under the age of 10. A fun time. I want to ask them before I post their photo, but here's our crew.

Just Being Funny Together

. . . as we wait to ring in the New Year. Emma says her resolution is to eat grapes. Luke says learn to play guitar even better. Grownups shouldn't make resolutions (see previous post). But I do have hopes: for my entire family--health. For Troy--a good night's sleep. For my children--Dreams. Dream Big and Just Go For It. And what's the worst that can happen. As a friend said, "We always have band-aids in the car." Be kind. Give more than take. Love. Keep Dancing.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
Henry David Thoreau

Our New Year's Eve Hike

Everyone indulged dear old me with a nice, rocky hike on New Year's Eve. It's a beautiful spot in one of the county parks in our area. We hiked up the hill and were rewarded with some outstanding views. This photo was one of the favorite parts of my day. We took it "old school style," just held the camera out in front of us, clicked the shutter and hoped we had our heads in the pix. Looks like we got it. Happy New Year. Here comes 2008. I'm looking forward to better things for all of us ahead. To our family and friends--much love, peace and joy in the New Year.
My resolution: To wake up inspired.

Christmas morning

These are a few of my favorite photos from Christmas morning. Luke & Emma are always hugging and kissing and just fooling around. Sometimes it makes it hard to get a good photo, but this one turned out cute and pretty much captures the two of them! Emma just can't get enough of her big brother and for the most part, Luke is a good sport about and soaks up all the attention.


The kids got these new robes and jammies on Christmas eve--a gift from the Christmas fairies. Christmas fairies are an Italian custom. They sneak in the house before Christmas to leave gifts for children.

Speaking of gifts, Emma's favorite gift was her "Just Born Rescue Pet." As usual, she loves anything having to do with animals so she also really likes her "Littlest Pet Shop" play set. Luke's favorite was his Nintendo DS. Santa finally felt comfortable with video games . . . Mom's still not sure! To say it was a "big hit" would be a big understatement.

To the left is Emma's "so cute" pose. She said Santa is "so cute" when she opened her rescue pet and her snow globe.

Santa Train

There was so much that was really sweet and right about Christmas this year. One of our favorite traditions is taking the "Santa Train" in Napa, which we did again this year. It is a nice chance to slow down and just be together. I have to admit I felt all "warm and fuzzy" when Luke said, "To me, this is what Christmas is. Not the presents or the shopping but being with family." There was hot chocolates and cookies and carolers, and finally a visit from the big guy himself. Kris Kringle, "Mr. C" . . . Santa Clause.

Getting the Tree

We got our tree at Moon Mountain Tree farm in Sonoma. It was a beautiful family-owned tree farm. You head up the mountain and pick your tree. Of course, you could just walk a bit and find something adequate. But not with our kids on the case. We went just about to the top of that mountain and then Luke declared he had found the "perfect" tree--a Douglas fir. Emma found all the baby trees and just had to talk to them. She looked so cute in her Santa Dress and boots.


And here is a link to our Christmas photo shoot. There was varying degrees of fun being had, but the kids mostly went along with it and I was able to capture some nice moments. Just click on the photo and the album will pop up.

Christmas 2007

Boo

Truth be told--I love Halloween. Probably as much as the kids. I don't care about the candy or any of that. I just love the dressing up. I like to help the kids come up with ideas for the costumes weeks before the day arrives, I like to do the make-up, to help them get dressed. It's like being a kid all over again. When else do you get to dress up, go to folks houses and say "trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat?"



This year it was Beauty and the Beast of sorts. Emma went with the classic beauty--"Snow White" while Luke found his inner beast with the whole "Living Dead," aka "Undead," aka "Zombie" thing.

First Day of School

Luke's ready to "rock" 2nd Grade! Emma is off to the Three's Class. For Luke its: New friends. New experiences. New Challenges. New Math!!

For Emma it means: more art, more projects, more paint, more sand, more mess--did I say more mess. That's the great part of being 3 and being in preschool. You get to make the kinds of messes it's never really quite ok to make at home. So away we go to a whole new school year with new backpacks, new lunchboxes and lots of dreams . . .