Water Fight

While I was away in Disneyland, little did I know that Rai and Ko were actually having a lot more fun than I was! It turns out that the happiest place on Earth is actually Grandma's and Grandpa's backyard!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rai's BIG 4th Birthday Party!

A week after the big day, Rai finally had his BIG party! Much less of a production than his past three birthdays have been, this one was much easier to organize. Rai had to step back, out of the spotlight, as this was a party shared by him and three of his friends from pre-school. Four Kids Turning Four, that was our theme for the afternoon. Sharing can be tough, sometimes, so we made sure that the entertainment was something we knew Rai would enjoy: The Magic of Chin Chin. What a show!

 

 

Succulent Time!

Goodbye, State Testing

We just finished a week of State Testing at our school. Some students do well, some do not. Of those that do not do well, many are actually quite bright. Every year, most teachers are left thinking: is standardized, multiple choice testing really a good measure of what students know? And -- beyond student knowledge -- do standardized test results accurately reflect what has been taught and the quality of teachers? Should teacher pay be influenced by these test scores? With all that in mind, not many will be lamenting the end of this kind of testing next year as a new era of testing begins.

Spring in San Francisco

The Happiest Place on Earth

I spent this past weekend at Disneyland and I didn't even have to win a championship to go there. Instead, I 
got to chaperone a group of 30 high school Seniors. Spending a weekend with 30 teenagers was the easy part. Hearing Grandma ask, "how could you go without the boys?" over and over is the hard part. Don't worry, Grandma, I'll make sure to take the boys to Disneyland by the time they're 18. In the meantime, I'll be sure to visit alone again to check things out a bit more...

 

Earth Day Birthday - Rai is 4 Years Old Today!

Springtime is here again. Earth Day has come again. Today, Rai turned 4 years old. How is that possible? Ashe and I still remember with such clarity the first nights we spent with him in the hospital 4 years ago. Everything we've been told about these years flying by is true. But, it's Rai's birthday. We should be celebrating. Happy Birthday, Rai! In every, single way you are the best son we could ever have hoped for. We love you! (and thanks, Grandma and Grandpa for the wonderful celebration this evening!)

 

 

 

Back from the Dead

Although Easter has come and gone, the Easter Bunny has risen from the dead in our home. Every day, we get to hear the jingle from the Easter cards that Rai and Ko received from Grandma and Grandpa. They keep them at the breakfast table and can't get enough of listening to them. Rai has even memorized his little song...

Rai and Khaya

One of Rai's best friends at school is Khaya. They spend a lot of time together. Here's a video we received this week showing an amusing conversation they had with Khaya's mom about the flat tire on their car. Rai looks so cute and innocent, nodding his head, going along with everything while Khaya's inquisitive, gestural questioning is so entertaining!

Postponed Due to Rain and Wind

It's been a bit rainy and windy lately. That has kept us indoors. And, indoors means that I haven't had my requisite skateboard time these past few weeks. Oh, how I've missed it!

 

 

 

Everyone Look at the Camera

As the family gets bigger and bigger, it gets harder and harder to have everyone looking at the camera at one time. A good family photo with all eight eyes visible and smiles on every face is nearly impossible, a miracle even.

 

 

All You Need is Love

If all you need is love, then our boys have more than they need in this life. And, if there is no love like a mother's love, then they're doing pretty well in that department, too. Thanks, Ashe, for giving our boys all the love you can give. They are the wonderfully happy and confident boys they are as a result of the security you give them.

 

 

 

Kotaru is 30 Months Old!

Today, Kotaru turned 30 months old. All multiples of ten are milestones of a sort so we decided to visit the very block where we took Rai's 30 month photo in order to capture Ko, at this same age, in the very same spot. It turns out that finding the exact spot in San Francisco was much easier than getting Ko to co-operate. It took some complicated negotiating to finally get Ko to stand still, wear a hat backwards, and smile long enough to get the photo we wanted. Happy Birthday, Ko!

 

 

Always Climbing

Rai and Ko, always curious, always climbing, always looking for something new to explore and discover.

Hoop Dreams

We got one step closer to my dream of playing sports with my boys last weekend. While at the playground, Rai grew very interested in the activity on the basketball court. Minutes later, we had borrowed a ball from someone and were playing basketball together. Rai still needs to work on his dribbling, his shooting, his rebounding, and his understanding of the rules and scoring. Otherwise, he's already mastered this sport!

 

 

Bedtime Story - Part 2

Getting a story read to you by Mom and Dad is nice and all but, when the boys heard that Grandpa was coming over to read some stories to them, they were so excited that they sat outside on the front steps, waiting for him to arrive.