Jacek

Every few months, Jacek passes through town. They boys always like seeing old, uncle Jacek. So do we, of course!

The Last of the Threes...

We attended what may be the last of the three-year old birthday parties last weekend. It's sad to see those parties come to an end as it cements the fact that Rai is no longer just three. He's now "approaching four".

 

 

 

 

Future Father-Son Sport

I've had my eye on kite-surfing for a while. I know that it's not as expensive to get into as one might think. The only thing that has kept me from pursuing the sport is that one is at the whim of the elements... constantly waiting for "the perfect windy day" and windy days don't always fall on weekends. Yesterday was one of those perfect windy days. We took the boys down to Ocean Beach to see dozens of kite surfers out on the waves. Looking out at the surfers, Rai said, "Daddy, let's do that together!" How can I say no to that?

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas the Tank Engine!

After months and months of reading the same old Thomas the Tank Engine books to Rai, he may not be our favorite children's character but, today, Thomas was elevated in importance in our home, once again. Ko has been a lot slower in speech than Rai was, but in the past month, we've seen him really take off. Today, he showed some serious progress when playing with their train set. Out of nowhere, he said "Thomas" very clearly. We did our best to capture this proud moment in a video. We are so proud of our little Ko, and know that this is where the floodgates open and words, words, words begin to flow out! So, in our home, Thomas really is #1, again!

Stress Relief

Not that we have much stress in our lives, but it sure is nice to end the day with a sunset walk on the beach. Everything else is so easily forgotten when we walk in the sand with our boys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekends - Valuable Again

With almost 3 months off this summer, weekends kind of lost their meaning. Every day was like a weekend. Actually, if you asked us what day it was sometime this summer, we probably wouldn't be able to answer correctly. However, now that we're back at work, the weekends have once again regained their value. We just enjoyed our first weekend and how lovely it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where to Go When It's Foggy

The streets of S.F. and its beaches may be the last place one would like to be on a foggy, damp, cold and windy day like today. Lucky for us, we know just where to go to find some magic when the fog makes the rest of the city undesirable. Forest walks, especially along hillside forests, are amazing on days when the fog filters the light perfectly and allows amazing beams of light to cut through the forest. We chose Mt.Sutro.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rai is 40 Months Old Today!

Thirty wasn't too difficult, but I've heard that turning forty is a tough milestone. I'm not there yet but, now, I can go to my son to ask what it's like to be over the hill. Rai is forty months old today!
 

 

 

 

Rai and Ko Can Now Play Baseball Together!

Rai has always been quite good at baseball. He's a great hitter. We began with the t-ball post, then slow pitches to him. Now, he can even use a ball launcher. It's quite impressive! And, to see Ko get involved, running around, retrieving the balls, is so much fun!

Back to School

Back to school today. It's always tough after 12 weeks off, but going back to a new classroom (with windows!) made it much easier. While we're talking school, it's time to show off all the Math Babies once again! They are growing up...

 

 

Where's the Sun?

When I first moved to S.F., I was told that it's "always sunny in the Mission". The 'Mission' refers to a large neighborhood on the eastern side of the city, south of downtown and 'always sunny' means that even if it is cold and foggy elsewhere in the city, the Mission still has sun. Back then, not yet acquainted with the city's hills and their ability to create micro-climates in the city, I didn't understand that bit of local advice at all. Today, having witnessed the S.F.'s thick fog blocked and dissipated by the central hills many times, I now understand. So, on a day like today when the fog rolled in wet and cold from the ocean and hung heavily over the entire Pacific facing half of the city, it was great to just drive 15 minutes east, up and over the hills, and into the Mission. Yes, it was sunny and warm in Dolores Park where we planted ourselves and enjoyed our little vacation from the fog. It was interesting to watch the quick-moving fog cut to shreads by the hills looming above us. To our north, with no hills to block it, we could see the fog wrap around the hills that protected us and engulf downtown S.F. As the fog reached around the hills in either direction, we sat happily in our tiny oasis of sun and blue sky. The boys, still uninitiated in the ways of weather in the city, just enjoyed being back at the amazing new children's playground in Dolores Park.