affectionately calls them, "dog-dogs". The weather was fine, the sunset was gorgeous but that wasn't enough for our little Rai. He needed more. He sought a pack of hounds to run the sands of the beach with. He took their slobbery licks to the face with a smile. He grabbed their tails, holding fast even as they began to run, dragging him right off of his feet. rai's love of dogs knows no bounds. Sometimes, it's possible to love something too much (watch the video below).
form of a communal ceremony intended to invoke rain or to ensure a successful harvest. Whether you believe in the power of the rain dance, or not, there is no denying that this ritual has been, and still is, an important part of the lives of people the world over.
that food in our future. Rai, you used to have an appetite that was without equal. Lately, you're not eating much. So, we've put together a little song and video (the pig dance) for you, hoping that our call for the return of Rai-ski "Pig Face" Sequoia will be heard. The sun is going down. When we wake tomorrow, our little piggy will be back, we're certain.
week that began tough but ended perfectly. For some reason, all four of us arrived without appetite and unable to sleep that first night, Monday night. For Ashe and I, it seemed that we got only a quarter hour's sleep before one of our boys was calling for our attention... all.... night... long. Needless to say, on Tuesday, we sat around, completely lethargic, wondering if the long journey out to the cabin 
and the 250 meter hike through fresh, 2-foot deep snow, carrying in all our food, water and supplies had been worth it. That night, we slept much better.
visited our favorite spot, the library, where we received the kind of warm welcome that, in the big city would be reserved only for the closest of family or friends. Later, when the boys had gone to sleep, we put the mattress right by the fireplace and lay there relaxing, reading, and watching movies into the evening.
warm. We had food. We had nothing to think about. Rai had re-introduced himself to the cabin and had made himself at home. Ko ate and slept all day long. The sun was out and we went for a beautiful walk in the warm afternoon. As always, hotsprings valley was amazing blanketed in snow.
our chances with the weather on Saturday. Ashe was so excited to be 'allowed' back into the springs after almost a year's wait (pregnancy and hot, hot water do not mix) and this is the first time we've seen Rai look quite so grown up, the way he lay back and relaxed in the hot waters was much beyond his less than two years. Soaking in the hot waters, a holiday that had begun with us doubting our decision to come during a cold and sleepless night had turned into one that was too short. Where had the week gone? We could imagine ourselves sitting in the hotsprings every day for the next week, or two, or three...
for the 600th post/story on this blog. It's also hard to believe that these words come to you from the wonderful little library in Markleeville. Somehow, despite the 6-week old in our family and the massive 12-inches of snow that fell here over the past two days, we made it to the cabin. The Thanksgiving tradition that 
began last year with only you, Rai, continues this year for your little brother Kotaru who, like you did last year, experienced his first snow here at our cabin!
the first day but, today, we had the energy to brave the snow and made a trip into town. There may be nothing more beautiful than those giant pines covered in snow.
boats. They played with stuffed animals and wooden blocks cut into shapes. They climbed in play structures and swung in nets and swings. They splashed at water stations and worked on simple art projects. Then -- all of a sudden -- the San Francisco Bay was discovered ! That is the story of how the San Francisco Bay and the Bay Area were 
discovered hundreds of years ago.
had made about this museum (if you can call it that) based solely on its name, were all wrong.
to imagine the shock of tourists who may end up here expecting the same thing I did. It's definitely an out-of-the-way journey across the Golden Gate Bridge, to Fort Baker to visit this museum. To avoid any confusion or disappointment, I 
think I'll write to the museum folks to consider a name change. The 'Fort Baker Giant Playground' or the 'Marin Children's Play Zone' or the 'North Bay Play Center' may be more appropriate names. Somehow, I don't think my suggestion will be taken too seriously.
baby talk (or is it just Rai talk?), that translates to 'blanket'. For as long as we can remember, Rai, your myriad blankies have all gone by the same name, huh...huh...huh...huh. Readers, if you can't quite sound that out, imagine Rai grabbing a blanket, stuffing it in his face (or his face into it) and making a panting kind of noise. To this day, when requesting his blankie or simply when 
seeing a blankie lying around somewhere, Rai emits that panting noise. Not a day goes by when Rai doesn't get 10-15 minutes on a bed, rolling around in and smothering himself in a pile of blankets.
acceptable to tear a blanket off of a sleeping newborn, leaving the trembling newborn exposed and cold. That type of behavior may not go over well in other homes but this is a home filled with humor, sarcasm and prank. Ko, Mom, Dad, and 
Rai all get a good laugh, we all get a good look at Ko's cute little chicken legs, then put the blanket back on the baby and give Rai some other huh...huh...huh...huhs that he can play with.
park, around the lakes, through the forest, and out to the beach. We've spent so much time in the park together that you probably thought that anything is possible in this park. In this park, there are no limits to what you accomplish, the future looks clear and bright.
No biking. No skateboarding. No in-line skating. No scooters. No dogs. No sports. No picking flowers. No trampling flowers. No feeding squirrels. With a list like that, you were left wondering just what you could do in the park. Walking 
and running may be okay, right? Actually, probably not because those could fall under the 'no sports' rule.
easy to grab you, Rai, and to kiss your little feet, your legs and arms. Once you started running around, though, that became a near impossibility for us parents who love to grab you, hold you, and kiss you. That's not to say it's entirely impossible, though. We can still pin you down and smother you when you're on the changing table or right before bed.
With Ko, though, we're reminded of just how easy this was before you started walking, Rai. Ko is giving us another chance in this life to hug and kiss a little baby to our heart's content. While he's just lounging around, on the bed, on a table, on the couch, he's an easy target. We can inspect all his tiny little digits without worrying about him complaining or running away. He has no choice but to lie there and just take all that love. He's helpless and we're taking full advantage. Does that make 
us bad people?
beach. The good news is that we can easily satisfy both those just by heading a few blocks down the hill to Ocean Beach. It's a beach and there's always some dogs running around. You tagged the beach hoping to mark it as your own 'Rai' territory.
I can't take two steps in our home without running into one of my sons. I go into the living room and there's Rai, running around, tugging at my pant legs. I step into the dining room and there's Ko, on the floor by the bookshelf. I go to the bathroom and 
open flies the door, Rai laughing at the other end. I sit down to do some grading and there's little Ko, right on the dining room table.
