We got up this morning, ate breakfast (eggs, Zadie's favorite), and cleaned the house. We had the "alternative" music channel on, and Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll" came on, and Zadie ran around the house yelling "I love rock and roll!" We were done by ten, so we got ready to go on a nature walk. Unfortunately, my brain doesn't work very well, so I didn't connect that lots of recent rain = river is high = no trail along the river. We walked down our trail to find that it ended in water. So we turned around and left. As we were walking to the car, I was just idly chatting, telling Zadie that she could be a skateboarder, a dancer, a martial artist, a cook, a stamp collector, a geologist, a soccer player, a seamstress, a knitter, a mechanic, a computer engineer, a writer... and I ended it by saying "Yep, you're going to have a wonderful life." Zadie quickly responded, "I do have a wonderful life."
We then went to McKinley park and played on the playground for quite a while -- she was awesome, taking turns, nicely waiting for the swings, asking kids (and their parents) their names, and being careful around a baby. I actually ran into two old friends and another guy I know (although it's been years, so I didn't think he'd remember me and didn't say hi). One I had worked with at Tower Books, and the other I knew from the junior high I worked at for five years.
We came home, had a snack, and then took a nap. When we got up, we went and got groceries. We needed things from both Save-Mart and Trader Joe's, so we did both in one trip. I don't normally park in the lot next to Trader Joe's, but we popped into the beauty supply store and got a few things, so I felt like I had earned the spot. Zadie helped me pick out a blue nail polish, and at Trader Joe's, she asked very loudly "May I have a balloon please? A purple one please!" Everyone around smiled and commented on her nice manners.
Then we came home and it was almost time to go to dinner. We haven't eaten out a lot lately (thank you, furloughs), so it was a special treat. We went to Kamon and bribed Zadie with ice cream if she was good. She was... pretty good. She yelled a little and stole my menu and threw a fit when I tried to touch it, but other than that, she was pretty awesome. She vacuumed down edamame as fast as we could shell them, and liked her sunomono and pickled ginger, too. We ordered her her own California roll, and she loved it. She then said she was still hungry, so she and Sweetie split an albacore sashimi. He ate part of hers, but she ate most of it. When the waitress came back with the bill, I asked Zadie to say "domo arigato," and instead she yelled "domo arigato Mr. Roboto!"
We determined she had been good enough for ice cream, so we went to Big Spoon (frozen yogurt, actually). Zadie had vanilla with strawberry sauce, I had chocolate with peanut butter and chocolate sauce and chocolate chips, and Sweetie had a concoction that involved strawberry-kiwi, chocolate, fudge sauce, nuts, and cocoa pebbles.
Now we're home, about an hour from bedtime, and I think I'll share my blue nail polish. It really is wonderful -- this life.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
The terrible, horrible, no good very bad day
No, we didn't have a bad day, actually. We had a nap, and some trike riding, and some curry and mango, and later a bath. But we did read the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. It was the first time I'd ever read it to her, and she was totally engrossed. A few pages in, she said "I had a very bad horrible day today... while Mama was at work teaching the kids to read and write." I told her I was sorry, and wasn't it nice that Grandma was so good at making her feel better... A few minutes later, she said "I might go at Australia* when I have a bad day. I might cry." I told her that if she had a really bad day, she could come to me and we would cry together. She ran off, laughing, and yelling "Mama said we would cry together!"
Incidentally, I hadn't read this book since I was a kid, and the one I used to read more often was Today Was a Terrible Day. But that one has an uplifting ending, where the kid realizes he can read and the next day is going to be a great day. Alexander... ends with the simple "Mom says some days are like that." True, but a little nihilistic for the pre-school set.
*In case you're unfamiliar with the book, one of the refrains is that the kid wants to run away to Australia.
Incidentally, I hadn't read this book since I was a kid, and the one I used to read more often was Today Was a Terrible Day. But that one has an uplifting ending, where the kid realizes he can read and the next day is going to be a great day. Alexander... ends with the simple "Mom says some days are like that." True, but a little nihilistic for the pre-school set.
*In case you're unfamiliar with the book, one of the refrains is that the kid wants to run away to Australia.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Imaginative and cranky baby
Zadie has been a lot of fun lately, and also a terrible pain in the ass. I think she's sick (possibly teething), because not only does she have a very runny/stuffy nose, she's been in a bad mood a lot of the time. She's also testing our limits a lot -- throwing food, climbing on furniture, even hitting. Her new trick is to get out of bed immediately after laying down and come wandering into the living room saying "I woke up!" It's a challenge, but I hear the terrible twos just keep right on going through the "fuck-you fours." So I'm bracing for the long haul and trying to teach her what's acceptable and what's not while also letting her know we love her and are here for her.
But here's what's interesting and fun lately -- she has been very creative and imaginative. For some reason, a lot of it is focused on a show called "Mama Mirabelle." The other day she was talking about all the adventures she would have with Mama Mirabelle, and how Mama Mirabelle would nurse her. She was with Grandma at the time, who asked "Are you sure that would be okay?" Zadie replied something like "Oh yeah, I asked her and she said it's okay." The other night I actually called Mom to ask if Zadie had an imaginary friend named Beau after we had this conversation: "Beau said his shoes are too tight, and he wants to take them off. Beau will hold my hand, and we will walk." "Oh? Is Beau your friend?" "Yeah." "Where did you meet him?" "I met him in the backyard!" Beau (or Bo, I guess) is a cheetah on the show.
The other thing that cracked me up yesterday was this: We were walking next to the parking lot in a shopping center, and I was saying how important it was to hold my hand. We have talked previously about how cars could "bonk" her and it would hurt and she would cry. Anyway, she tells me "Cars could bonk me. I would yell 'No, cars! You never ever want to bonk me!'" Way to boss the cars around, baby.
But here's what's interesting and fun lately -- she has been very creative and imaginative. For some reason, a lot of it is focused on a show called "Mama Mirabelle." The other day she was talking about all the adventures she would have with Mama Mirabelle, and how Mama Mirabelle would nurse her. She was with Grandma at the time, who asked "Are you sure that would be okay?" Zadie replied something like "Oh yeah, I asked her and she said it's okay." The other night I actually called Mom to ask if Zadie had an imaginary friend named Beau after we had this conversation: "Beau said his shoes are too tight, and he wants to take them off. Beau will hold my hand, and we will walk." "Oh? Is Beau your friend?" "Yeah." "Where did you meet him?" "I met him in the backyard!" Beau (or Bo, I guess) is a cheetah on the show.
The other thing that cracked me up yesterday was this: We were walking next to the parking lot in a shopping center, and I was saying how important it was to hold my hand. We have talked previously about how cars could "bonk" her and it would hurt and she would cry. Anyway, she tells me "Cars could bonk me. I would yell 'No, cars! You never ever want to bonk me!'" Way to boss the cars around, baby.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Re-committed to cloth
When Z was first born, we used disposables, because we had several from the hospital and I didn't want to worry about irritating her umbilical stub. But the day after it fell off, we started using cloth diapers. I figured it was better for the environment, better for her butt, and less costly overall.
We had a few issues -- the first covers we tried were not at all waterproof, which meant that we had to wash them after each wet, which meant that we quickly ran out. I called a friend and asked which covers she would recommend, and she happened to have a bunch she was willing to lend me. They worked great, and when Z outgrew them, we bought a few other, more colorful ones called Bummis wraps. They lasted almost a year before the velcro closures started to wear out, and we bought a few more. Those lasted until just recently, and now the velcro is pretty shot on those, too. We have used disposables off and on for travel or times where we knew it would be difficult to change her while out, so I've bought a few packs here and there.
Anyway, she's also potty training. It's up and down -- one week she'll use the potty consistently and hardly have a wet diaper and the next she'll scream "no no no!" if we so much as suggest that she try the potty. But she's definitely getting there. So I kind of thought, well, maybe I'll buy some pull-ups (which will be easier to get up and down if she has pants on), and we'll just use those until she's completely trained.
I was surprised how expensive they were -- there were sales to be found, but in general, they're about $15 for 25 diapers. And as we've used them, I've noticed how quickly they fill up the trash bin. I started feeling really guilty about how much landfill space we were going to fill if we used these for a few months. And at 4-5 diapers a day, we'd be spending close to $60 a month on them.
So I changed my mind. I spent just under $40 for three new diaper covers (we already have plenty of the cloth diapers themselves), and we can use those for as long as they last or until she is potty trained. It's a money saver and it will relieve my green guilt, so I think I made the right decision.
In related news:
Here's a post from "The Onion" about being green...
Here's my friend Christie's online store, from which I got the cute diaper covers.
Here's the blog that periodically helps me replenish my green guilt.
We had a few issues -- the first covers we tried were not at all waterproof, which meant that we had to wash them after each wet, which meant that we quickly ran out. I called a friend and asked which covers she would recommend, and she happened to have a bunch she was willing to lend me. They worked great, and when Z outgrew them, we bought a few other, more colorful ones called Bummis wraps. They lasted almost a year before the velcro closures started to wear out, and we bought a few more. Those lasted until just recently, and now the velcro is pretty shot on those, too. We have used disposables off and on for travel or times where we knew it would be difficult to change her while out, so I've bought a few packs here and there.
Anyway, she's also potty training. It's up and down -- one week she'll use the potty consistently and hardly have a wet diaper and the next she'll scream "no no no!" if we so much as suggest that she try the potty. But she's definitely getting there. So I kind of thought, well, maybe I'll buy some pull-ups (which will be easier to get up and down if she has pants on), and we'll just use those until she's completely trained.
I was surprised how expensive they were -- there were sales to be found, but in general, they're about $15 for 25 diapers. And as we've used them, I've noticed how quickly they fill up the trash bin. I started feeling really guilty about how much landfill space we were going to fill if we used these for a few months. And at 4-5 diapers a day, we'd be spending close to $60 a month on them.
So I changed my mind. I spent just under $40 for three new diaper covers (we already have plenty of the cloth diapers themselves), and we can use those for as long as they last or until she is potty trained. It's a money saver and it will relieve my green guilt, so I think I made the right decision.
In related news:
Here's a post from "The Onion" about being green...
Here's my friend Christie's online store, from which I got the cute diaper covers.
Here's the blog that periodically helps me replenish my green guilt.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Meh.
Not a heck of a lot going on here. I did see the news that my brand-new, twelve-day-old car has been recalled because the accelerator can get stuck in the "kill" position. Apparently, they'll notify us when there's a remedy. Good thing it doesn't have a fatal floor mat, too.
Zadie is having some toddler issues. Like, she thinks it's hysterical to climb on the furniture, stand on the scanner, yank shreds out of the shredder, kick at Grandma while she's getting her diaper changed, shriek in restaurants... and she is not a big fan of sharing. Daddy wants to play her xylophone (he's working on "Iron Man"), but no matter whether she's playing with it or not, she insists "No! Daddy DOESN'T want to play with my xylophone!" It's good times around here.
But then she makes up for it by sitting in my lap to watch Alice in Wonderland or smiling sweetly to us and calling "Daaa-deeee" when she first wakes up.
She doesn't lack confidence, that girl. Oh no -- tonight she smashed two colors of play-dough together and said "This is you, Mommy!" I admired her sculpture, and she went to show it to Daddy. He said "That's awesome." She replied "Yeah, it is awesome!" And when she bangs at her xylophone, she declares "I'm makin' beautiful music." She brings home swirls of paint on paper and says "It's a frog. It's a bunny. I'm an artist." I just love that about her.
I'm trying to lose weight again. Strike that - I AM losing weight again. I'm really unhappy with my current physical fitness level, and a lot of it stems from just eating too much. So I'm on Weight Watchers, with which I've had success before. So far, in two weeks I've lost 5.5 pounds, and if yesterday's unofficial weigh-in stays stable until Sunday's official weigh-in, it'll be 7 pounds in three weeks. No, I guess that's not super-amazing "How does Gwyneth Paltrow lose all the baby weight in just five days?!" tabloid headline news, but it's good and steady and healthy for me. I've been working out, too. My goal is three times a week, but it's been more like two. Still, that's something. I also went from 20 laps in the pool to 26.
Interestingly, I do Weight Watchers so well because I am a little obsessive-compulsive. I really enjoy measuring my food and counting points. I sometimes wonder whether, if things had tipped just a slightly different direction, I could have had a pretty serious eating disorder. Not that being this overweight isn't a kind of eating disorder itself... I have some pretty ugly self-talk about the whole thing. I don't want to use ALL my points, and if I don't, I've been "good." That kind of thing. I really don't think healthy eating equates to goodness, but there's some part of my brain that obviously does.
School is good. Finals are next week, and I hate finals. I mean, how do you multiple-choice whether someone can integrate quotes, build an argument, read critically, recognize bias...? You'd have to make a pretty mind-blowing test, or you'd have to grade, oh, 100 essays in a couple days. And why should a kid who has been working his ass off have his grade made or broken by what happens in one two-hour block instead of the last 90 days? So I usually find something pretty simple to do that doesn't affect their grade too much. Except in IB. It's internal assessment time, so those kids are giving presentations that are worth a boatload. Some interesting moments? A kid argued that the Handmaid's Tale is, in fact, a utopia. Another kid described something as an "epic fail." A girl sang, and either had laryngitis or a whiskey-and-cigarette habit to rival Janis Joplin's.
I've been reading a fair amount again. I mean, I always read, but sometimes it's just magazines and newspapers for a while. I'm back on the book train. Since I got them for Christmas, I've read two Sarah Vowell books, a Nick Hornby book, and an Augusten Burroughs book. I've actually enjoyed them all -- not a stinker in the bunch. Except for the Hornby, they were all non-fiction essays, so that sort of tips the scale in Hornby's favor, since I love getting lost in a good, long story.
Did I talk at all about my birthday? I had such a lovely one this year. I think I forgot to mention I turned 34! First, Suzanne sent me a gift and the funniest card. Then we had cake with my cousin (whose birthday is a day before mine) and the family the weekend before. On the day of, I opened presents from Mom and Boompah (and one that Sweetie snuck in, although my real present was the Santa Cruz trip), then went to Roxy (which I love more every time I go) with Dad. Then the next weekend, we went to Santa Cruz together. We got back Sunday and I was treated to dinner at the Firehouse by Jenny, and then on Monday Mom took me to 33rd Street Bistro. What a two-week whirlwind of good, birthday fun! Thank you to everyone who always makes me feel so special. I got lots of good loot, but deserving of special mention is my new stained glass from Dad! I asked for calla lilies, and it's just beautiful. I'll post a picture soon.
Okay, time to head to bed and start my new book, The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. I haven't read anything of hers since The Poisonwood Bible, although I really love her stuff. Can't wait.
Zadie is having some toddler issues. Like, she thinks it's hysterical to climb on the furniture, stand on the scanner, yank shreds out of the shredder, kick at Grandma while she's getting her diaper changed, shriek in restaurants... and she is not a big fan of sharing. Daddy wants to play her xylophone (he's working on "Iron Man"), but no matter whether she's playing with it or not, she insists "No! Daddy DOESN'T want to play with my xylophone!" It's good times around here.
But then she makes up for it by sitting in my lap to watch Alice in Wonderland or smiling sweetly to us and calling "Daaa-deeee" when she first wakes up.
She doesn't lack confidence, that girl. Oh no -- tonight she smashed two colors of play-dough together and said "This is you, Mommy!" I admired her sculpture, and she went to show it to Daddy. He said "That's awesome." She replied "Yeah, it is awesome!" And when she bangs at her xylophone, she declares "I'm makin' beautiful music." She brings home swirls of paint on paper and says "It's a frog. It's a bunny. I'm an artist." I just love that about her.
I'm trying to lose weight again. Strike that - I AM losing weight again. I'm really unhappy with my current physical fitness level, and a lot of it stems from just eating too much. So I'm on Weight Watchers, with which I've had success before. So far, in two weeks I've lost 5.5 pounds, and if yesterday's unofficial weigh-in stays stable until Sunday's official weigh-in, it'll be 7 pounds in three weeks. No, I guess that's not super-amazing "How does Gwyneth Paltrow lose all the baby weight in just five days?!" tabloid headline news, but it's good and steady and healthy for me. I've been working out, too. My goal is three times a week, but it's been more like two. Still, that's something. I also went from 20 laps in the pool to 26.
Interestingly, I do Weight Watchers so well because I am a little obsessive-compulsive. I really enjoy measuring my food and counting points. I sometimes wonder whether, if things had tipped just a slightly different direction, I could have had a pretty serious eating disorder. Not that being this overweight isn't a kind of eating disorder itself... I have some pretty ugly self-talk about the whole thing. I don't want to use ALL my points, and if I don't, I've been "good." That kind of thing. I really don't think healthy eating equates to goodness, but there's some part of my brain that obviously does.
School is good. Finals are next week, and I hate finals. I mean, how do you multiple-choice whether someone can integrate quotes, build an argument, read critically, recognize bias...? You'd have to make a pretty mind-blowing test, or you'd have to grade, oh, 100 essays in a couple days. And why should a kid who has been working his ass off have his grade made or broken by what happens in one two-hour block instead of the last 90 days? So I usually find something pretty simple to do that doesn't affect their grade too much. Except in IB. It's internal assessment time, so those kids are giving presentations that are worth a boatload. Some interesting moments? A kid argued that the Handmaid's Tale is, in fact, a utopia. Another kid described something as an "epic fail." A girl sang, and either had laryngitis or a whiskey-and-cigarette habit to rival Janis Joplin's.
I've been reading a fair amount again. I mean, I always read, but sometimes it's just magazines and newspapers for a while. I'm back on the book train. Since I got them for Christmas, I've read two Sarah Vowell books, a Nick Hornby book, and an Augusten Burroughs book. I've actually enjoyed them all -- not a stinker in the bunch. Except for the Hornby, they were all non-fiction essays, so that sort of tips the scale in Hornby's favor, since I love getting lost in a good, long story.
Did I talk at all about my birthday? I had such a lovely one this year. I think I forgot to mention I turned 34! First, Suzanne sent me a gift and the funniest card. Then we had cake with my cousin (whose birthday is a day before mine) and the family the weekend before. On the day of, I opened presents from Mom and Boompah (and one that Sweetie snuck in, although my real present was the Santa Cruz trip), then went to Roxy (which I love more every time I go) with Dad. Then the next weekend, we went to Santa Cruz together. We got back Sunday and I was treated to dinner at the Firehouse by Jenny, and then on Monday Mom took me to 33rd Street Bistro. What a two-week whirlwind of good, birthday fun! Thank you to everyone who always makes me feel so special. I got lots of good loot, but deserving of special mention is my new stained glass from Dad! I asked for calla lilies, and it's just beautiful. I'll post a picture soon.
Okay, time to head to bed and start my new book, The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver. I haven't read anything of hers since The Poisonwood Bible, although I really love her stuff. Can't wait.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Our trip in pictures
Here's the tea set we got.
And the xylophone.
This is a pretty baby.
This is all the other stuff we got her. I love that "People" book, even though it's kind of odd. For example, on the games page, the U.S. is represented by horseshoes.
She asked us "Do you like my beautiful music?" How can you say no?
There was another cute picture where she was the shark.
She fell in the sand, then decided she liked it there.
My high-energy baby.
And the xylophone.
This is a pretty baby.
This is all the other stuff we got her. I love that "People" book, even though it's kind of odd. For example, on the games page, the U.S. is represented by horseshoes.
She asked us "Do you like my beautiful music?" How can you say no?
There was another cute picture where she was the shark.
She fell in the sand, then decided she liked it there.
My high-energy baby.
Our weekend (in a bit more detail)
On Friday, we decided to hang around the house until around 11 so that the car ride would coincide with Z's nap. It worked well, and she slept for about 80 minutes of our drive. When she awoke, we stopped for lunch at a Togo's in Menlo, then we kept on to Santa Cruz. We checked into the hotel, unpacked, and relaxed for a bit.
Then we went shopping on Pacific Avenue, one of our favorite pastimes. Sweetie and I both love Book Shop Santa Cruz, and we went there first. He bought Zadie two new books, I got a little something for myself, so did Sweetie, and then we were on our way. We popped our heads into several shops, and we found a couple cute tea sets at the Baby Shoppe. I've been wanting to get Zadie one, since she wants to play tea party, and the only tea set we have is my 30 year old porcelain one.
Then we went to Saturn Cafe for dinner, where we had a big plate of fried goodness (man, I love those little beer-battered jalapeno slices) and I had a "Buck Rogers" veggie burger with chipotle sauce. Reza loves their taquitos, and Zadie went face-first into some tofu-spread on her quesadilla plate.
Then we went back to the hotel, read, and turned in. But not for long. That hotel is a little noisy, and I think between that and the unfamiliar bed, Zadie didn't sleep well, so every 15 minutes or so, she'd wake with a start and yell "I need my mommy!" So I'd crawl out of bed, lay down with her, get her back to sleep, then crawl into our bed again to try to get warm. Repeat.
In the morning, Sweetie torqued his back, and he was in a lot of pain, but we soldiered on. We went to the Walnut Street Cafe, where we always have a lovely breakfast. It was a little too early for anything to be open, so we went down to the boardwalk area and tried to decide whether to walk down the boardwalk or the wharf. In the end, we decided to walk on the sand, and that was lovely.
Then it was around ten, and I knew the Seymour Marine Research Center was open. I really wanted to go, since Zadie is always begging to go to the aquarium. I had never been there, but the Yelp reviews all said it was small, but great for kids and easy to take in. I didn't know where it was, so I programmed the address into my new GPS thing. We got a little way past our favorite beach, Natural Bridges, and the end of the public road. The GPS announced "You have arrived at your destination." There were several cars parked, so I parked, too. I noticed that there was one of those wooden fences with a gate in it, and the gate was open, but the path beyond looked like a bike/walking trail, so it didn't even occur to me to just drive in. But after we'd been walking about half a mile, several cars passed us. We walked another half mile or so, and there was the parking lot. I felt bad for not knowing we could have driven in, and Sweetie clearly blamed me for it, too. Ouch.
The good news is that I LOVED the place. It was much, much smaller than the aquarium in Monterey (not just a little smaller, as I had thought from reviews), but practically every time we wandered to a new tank, some young docent would come by to talk to us about it and ask if we had any questions. The signs on the tanks were also really focused on science and how they do the research and such -- very informative. Finally, there was an area where kids could touch things, and Zadie touched a starfish and mussels, and we also saw a gumboot chiton and a sea cucumber. The docents (undergrads, I'd guess) were all very kind and helpful. We had signed up for a tour, and it was time to start, so we followed a lovely young lady into the research area. First, she showed us the skeleton of a blue whale they had on the campus, and she told us about whales, bringing out several different kinds of baleen and jars of krill for us to hold and look at. At this point, Z was getting a little cranky (probably over-tired), but we kept on with the tour, because next up were the dolphins! We had to wait for another tour group to come away from the dolphins, and then we went up. Apparently, usually the dolphins are just swimming around and aren't much to look at, but something was going on, and the trainers were getting them to jump, poke balls with their noses, etc. It was really cool. Then there was another part of the tour where they walked down to the beach, I think, but Z was over it, so we left. Not before getting her another book, a t-shirt, some chopsticks, and a pair of shark socks at the gift shop, of course.
We went back to the hotel for a nap, then went out for lunch. There's a falafel place we like, and we got take-out to eat at the beach. Unfortunately, on the way to the beach, it started to rain. We had a car picnic instead of a beach picnic, which was okay (bye-bye new car smell, hello tahini smell), but we hoped the rain would clear up, because we really wanted Z to be able to run barefoot in the surf for the first time. It didn't clear up, though, so we went back downtown. We did a little more shopping that we hadn't gotten to on Friday (the comic store for him, the sock store and undie store for me, and a new toy store for all of us (Z got a xylophone). Then I had to get gas, we couldn't decide where to eat, we had to find parking and got cranky at each other over that, and finally decided on a cafe I'd read about. It was fancier than we'd expected, and after Z decided that what the place really needed was a soundtrack of high-pitched screaming, we left. We ended up getting pizza by the slice to take back to the hotel.
In the morning, we had our own version of "who's on first" about which of the two Brazilian places in town to try for breakfast, couldn't communicate effectively, and ended up pissy at each other. Happily, we ended up at Cafe Brasil, which I've been wanting to try again for YEARS (I went there about 15 years ago and had a great breakfast), and it was a fantastic breakfast. I had the acai bowl, which was like a smoothie with granola in it and sliced fruit on top. But words cannot describe how lovely the smoothie part (it reminded me of the old Ben and Jerry's passionfruit sorbet), how light and almond-y the granola, how fresh the fruit... Zadie was happy with her breakfast, and I tried her breakfast potatoes -- they were seasoned really nicely and cooked perfectly. And as much as I loved my breakfast, I was jealous of Sweetie's. He ordered gallo pinto, a rice and beans dish that also came with fried plantains and the most amazing lime-y sweet pepper sauce. If I can find a recipe for that stuff, I'm making it.
Anyway, we decided to quit while we were ahead, and we drove home pretty uneventfully. It is probably evidence of how tired Z was that she fell asleep in the car before ten a.m.. We dinked around at home, then I went shopping, made some dinner for Z and Sweetie, and went to pick up Monkeygirl.
She and I had reservations for the Firehouse restaurant downtown, a fancy-shmancy place I'd only been to once before. They were offering a $30 prix fixe meal for Sacramento's "Dine Downtown" program, and we took advantage of it. She brought a bottle of wine, and so at a super-nice place, with corkage, three courses, and coffee, the two of us ate for under $100. My food was all lovely. I really liked the mushroom risotto and the perfectly cooked veggies on the side, and my dessert (a several-layer chocolate mousse) was a dream.
Today, the last day of our four-day weekend, we made waffles, then I read the paper while Zadie played xylophone and found various ways to be naughty (climbing on the furniture, grabbing my glasses, etc.). She was asking to go outside, and it had been sprinkling, but there was a break, so I decided we'd walk to Trader Joe's. Apparently,I am stupid that was the calm before the storm. We ended up walking home in a downpour, and apparently we looked so bedraggled that two separate people asked if we were okay and if they could help.
Sweetie saved the day, though. He ran us a hot bath and made us tea, and now Z is napping and I'm about to catch up with the last bit of newspaper I haven't read.
I still chalk it all up as a win. I just don't know when I'll be able to convince Sweetie to go out of town again.
Then we went shopping on Pacific Avenue, one of our favorite pastimes. Sweetie and I both love Book Shop Santa Cruz, and we went there first. He bought Zadie two new books, I got a little something for myself, so did Sweetie, and then we were on our way. We popped our heads into several shops, and we found a couple cute tea sets at the Baby Shoppe. I've been wanting to get Zadie one, since she wants to play tea party, and the only tea set we have is my 30 year old porcelain one.
Then we went to Saturn Cafe for dinner, where we had a big plate of fried goodness (man, I love those little beer-battered jalapeno slices) and I had a "Buck Rogers" veggie burger with chipotle sauce. Reza loves their taquitos, and Zadie went face-first into some tofu-spread on her quesadilla plate.
Then we went back to the hotel, read, and turned in. But not for long. That hotel is a little noisy, and I think between that and the unfamiliar bed, Zadie didn't sleep well, so every 15 minutes or so, she'd wake with a start and yell "I need my mommy!" So I'd crawl out of bed, lay down with her, get her back to sleep, then crawl into our bed again to try to get warm. Repeat.
In the morning, Sweetie torqued his back, and he was in a lot of pain, but we soldiered on. We went to the Walnut Street Cafe, where we always have a lovely breakfast. It was a little too early for anything to be open, so we went down to the boardwalk area and tried to decide whether to walk down the boardwalk or the wharf. In the end, we decided to walk on the sand, and that was lovely.
Then it was around ten, and I knew the Seymour Marine Research Center was open. I really wanted to go, since Zadie is always begging to go to the aquarium. I had never been there, but the Yelp reviews all said it was small, but great for kids and easy to take in. I didn't know where it was, so I programmed the address into my new GPS thing. We got a little way past our favorite beach, Natural Bridges, and the end of the public road. The GPS announced "You have arrived at your destination." There were several cars parked, so I parked, too. I noticed that there was one of those wooden fences with a gate in it, and the gate was open, but the path beyond looked like a bike/walking trail, so it didn't even occur to me to just drive in. But after we'd been walking about half a mile, several cars passed us. We walked another half mile or so, and there was the parking lot. I felt bad for not knowing we could have driven in, and Sweetie clearly blamed me for it, too. Ouch.
The good news is that I LOVED the place. It was much, much smaller than the aquarium in Monterey (not just a little smaller, as I had thought from reviews), but practically every time we wandered to a new tank, some young docent would come by to talk to us about it and ask if we had any questions. The signs on the tanks were also really focused on science and how they do the research and such -- very informative. Finally, there was an area where kids could touch things, and Zadie touched a starfish and mussels, and we also saw a gumboot chiton and a sea cucumber. The docents (undergrads, I'd guess) were all very kind and helpful. We had signed up for a tour, and it was time to start, so we followed a lovely young lady into the research area. First, she showed us the skeleton of a blue whale they had on the campus, and she told us about whales, bringing out several different kinds of baleen and jars of krill for us to hold and look at. At this point, Z was getting a little cranky (probably over-tired), but we kept on with the tour, because next up were the dolphins! We had to wait for another tour group to come away from the dolphins, and then we went up. Apparently, usually the dolphins are just swimming around and aren't much to look at, but something was going on, and the trainers were getting them to jump, poke balls with their noses, etc. It was really cool. Then there was another part of the tour where they walked down to the beach, I think, but Z was over it, so we left. Not before getting her another book, a t-shirt, some chopsticks, and a pair of shark socks at the gift shop, of course.
We went back to the hotel for a nap, then went out for lunch. There's a falafel place we like, and we got take-out to eat at the beach. Unfortunately, on the way to the beach, it started to rain. We had a car picnic instead of a beach picnic, which was okay (bye-bye new car smell, hello tahini smell), but we hoped the rain would clear up, because we really wanted Z to be able to run barefoot in the surf for the first time. It didn't clear up, though, so we went back downtown. We did a little more shopping that we hadn't gotten to on Friday (the comic store for him, the sock store and undie store for me, and a new toy store for all of us (Z got a xylophone). Then I had to get gas, we couldn't decide where to eat, we had to find parking and got cranky at each other over that, and finally decided on a cafe I'd read about. It was fancier than we'd expected, and after Z decided that what the place really needed was a soundtrack of high-pitched screaming, we left. We ended up getting pizza by the slice to take back to the hotel.
In the morning, we had our own version of "who's on first" about which of the two Brazilian places in town to try for breakfast, couldn't communicate effectively, and ended up pissy at each other. Happily, we ended up at Cafe Brasil, which I've been wanting to try again for YEARS (I went there about 15 years ago and had a great breakfast), and it was a fantastic breakfast. I had the acai bowl, which was like a smoothie with granola in it and sliced fruit on top. But words cannot describe how lovely the smoothie part (it reminded me of the old Ben and Jerry's passionfruit sorbet), how light and almond-y the granola, how fresh the fruit... Zadie was happy with her breakfast, and I tried her breakfast potatoes -- they were seasoned really nicely and cooked perfectly. And as much as I loved my breakfast, I was jealous of Sweetie's. He ordered gallo pinto, a rice and beans dish that also came with fried plantains and the most amazing lime-y sweet pepper sauce. If I can find a recipe for that stuff, I'm making it.
Anyway, we decided to quit while we were ahead, and we drove home pretty uneventfully. It is probably evidence of how tired Z was that she fell asleep in the car before ten a.m.. We dinked around at home, then I went shopping, made some dinner for Z and Sweetie, and went to pick up Monkeygirl.
She and I had reservations for the Firehouse restaurant downtown, a fancy-shmancy place I'd only been to once before. They were offering a $30 prix fixe meal for Sacramento's "Dine Downtown" program, and we took advantage of it. She brought a bottle of wine, and so at a super-nice place, with corkage, three courses, and coffee, the two of us ate for under $100. My food was all lovely. I really liked the mushroom risotto and the perfectly cooked veggies on the side, and my dessert (a several-layer chocolate mousse) was a dream.
Today, the last day of our four-day weekend, we made waffles, then I read the paper while Zadie played xylophone and found various ways to be naughty (climbing on the furniture, grabbing my glasses, etc.). She was asking to go outside, and it had been sprinkling, but there was a break, so I decided we'd walk to Trader Joe's. Apparently,
Sweetie saved the day, though. He ran us a hot bath and made us tea, and now Z is napping and I'm about to catch up with the last bit of newspaper I haven't read.
I still chalk it all up as a win. I just don't know when I'll be able to convince Sweetie to go out of town again.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Birthday trip to Santa cruz
The good: drive was easy, Saturn Cafe rocks, shopping on pacific always fun, ocean is lovely, walked on the beach, Seymour Marine Research Center was wonderful, good food so far everywhere, and plenty of good treats to take home.
The bad: Sweetie threw his back out, Z slept horribly (which means we all did), it rained at exactly the time we'd planned a picnic and running on the beach, Z is being such a screamy, whiny toddler that we had to leave a restaurant and the tour at Seymour, and Sweetie is about ready to sell her to gypsies (or at least not go on trips for a while, which bums me out, because I like trips).
The ugly: Z stepped in dog shit, and I had totally picked her up and held her before I noticed it was all over her leg.
All told? I'm still having a good time, but I don't think Sweetie is, which makes me sad.
The bad: Sweetie threw his back out, Z slept horribly (which means we all did), it rained at exactly the time we'd planned a picnic and running on the beach, Z is being such a screamy, whiny toddler that we had to leave a restaurant and the tour at Seymour, and Sweetie is about ready to sell her to gypsies (or at least not go on trips for a while, which bums me out, because I like trips).
The ugly: Z stepped in dog shit, and I had totally picked her up and held her before I noticed it was all over her leg.
All told? I'm still having a good time, but I don't think Sweetie is, which makes me sad.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
New car! (And what a weekend...)
Well, this whole weekend has just flown by. Yesterday we ate breakfast and cleaned, then put Z down for her nap. I dropped some stuff off at Goodwill, then I went to the Toyota dealership to get an estimate on my old car, and that took a long time. (He was really pressuring me to trade it in and buy a new car that day. There was a car on the lot I really liked.) Then I dropped by Trader Joe's and the grocery store, and then it was practically time to make dinner! After dinner, we stopped at a dessert place and had cake.
This morning I made waffles, then quickly headed out. I drove by a smog check place that wasn't open, so I went to the car wash. It wasn't open. So I went to the co-op and bought a few things, then checked online for a smog place that WAS open. I finally found one, but it didn't open for another 20 minutes. Instead, we went to the farmer's market, where I got a boatload of broccoli, plus apples, kiwis, mushrooms, and I can't remember what else. Then we went to the smog place, where my car passed with no problem. And finally, it was off to the car wash. The guy said it was going to take 2 hours, so we went to ArtBeast. After about an hour and 45 minutes, I decided to walk back, hoping to get there right as my car was ready so I could get Zadie home for her nap. But no, the car took another 45 minutes! Finally we got home and Z took a short nap. When she got up, we called my mom, who came over and picked us up.
We went back to Toyota to buy the car I liked. I would have negotiated more, but they knocked off $1500 before I even opened my mouth, and they showed me how much they had paid for it -- I was only paying $150 more than that. The whole thing took a long time in itself, but then to add to that, my dumb ass forgot that I had lost my driver's license, and I had to ask Mom to drive ALL the way home and back to get my passport. But then they gave me the keys! Anyway, I have a fancy new "nautical blue" Matrix with alloy wheels, in-deck navigation, cruise control, and a few other fancy features you'd probably dig if you were a car person. I love it. And tomorrow I make sure to update my insurance, then drop off the old one to Drummergirl!
Then it was dinner, and bedtime for Zadie, and here we are! I have some schoolwork to grade, but to be honest, I think I'm going to skip it tonight. I haven't even read the Sunday paper, and I feel funny if I don't read it before bedtime Sunday.
Hope you're all doing as well as I am!
This morning I made waffles, then quickly headed out. I drove by a smog check place that wasn't open, so I went to the car wash. It wasn't open. So I went to the co-op and bought a few things, then checked online for a smog place that WAS open. I finally found one, but it didn't open for another 20 minutes. Instead, we went to the farmer's market, where I got a boatload of broccoli, plus apples, kiwis, mushrooms, and I can't remember what else. Then we went to the smog place, where my car passed with no problem. And finally, it was off to the car wash. The guy said it was going to take 2 hours, so we went to ArtBeast. After about an hour and 45 minutes, I decided to walk back, hoping to get there right as my car was ready so I could get Zadie home for her nap. But no, the car took another 45 minutes! Finally we got home and Z took a short nap. When she got up, we called my mom, who came over and picked us up.
We went back to Toyota to buy the car I liked. I would have negotiated more, but they knocked off $1500 before I even opened my mouth, and they showed me how much they had paid for it -- I was only paying $150 more than that. The whole thing took a long time in itself, but then to add to that, my dumb ass forgot that I had lost my driver's license, and I had to ask Mom to drive ALL the way home and back to get my passport. But then they gave me the keys! Anyway, I have a fancy new "nautical blue" Matrix with alloy wheels, in-deck navigation, cruise control, and a few other fancy features you'd probably dig if you were a car person. I love it. And tomorrow I make sure to update my insurance, then drop off the old one to Drummergirl!
Then it was dinner, and bedtime for Zadie, and here we are! I have some schoolwork to grade, but to be honest, I think I'm going to skip it tonight. I haven't even read the Sunday paper, and I feel funny if I don't read it before bedtime Sunday.
Hope you're all doing as well as I am!
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Another couple funny bits and a wee bit of news.
We were bouncing on her bed, and Zadie said "Mama, go boom on your butt on the bed!" Instead, I flopped forward onto my face. Delightedly, she said "Oh Mama, you done things like a nonsense!"
Zadie always wants to go into the "cat room" (the 1/2 bath where we keep the cat's food and water) and play with the cat's stuff. Sweetie asks her, in warning tones, "Are you a cat?" Usually, she answers no, and he says "Then you don't belong in the cat room." Today she walked into the cat room announcing "I'm a cat! I'm a cat!" Then later, she watched the cat go in there, and in a perfectly intoned imitation of Sweetie, she asked "Are you a cat, Mina?"
She is such a toddler. It's hard to keep up with the mood swings. All day long, it's laughs and fun, then in half a second, a screaming whine and "I DON'T LIKE CAKE" and then tears. It's like, what? You're crying over cake? Tonight we went to get dessert, and she didn't want to share, didn't want me to touch the plate, didn't want me to help cut pieces off for her, and didn't like cake. Dude! If you get cake, just be happy you've got cake! Then on the way home, she pitched a serious fit because she didn't like the car and didn't want to go home. She also didn't want to go night-night and doesn't like sleep.
On the other hand, she can be such fun. She helped clean today, wiping what she could reach with a dry sponge and putting her magnets back on the fridge. She also laughed and played with us while we wrestled and kissed her and tried to lick her nose. And of course, we heard several rounds of her favorite joke, "One two boobies! Mama, laugh!" She also made two of her dolls give each other kisses and happily recited several nursery rhymes.
During her nap today, I went to get an estimate on Jellyfish, my car. It's a 2004 Toyota Matrix, and it's been such a great car that I'm going to get a 2010 Matrix! I'm hoping the one I saw today is still on the lot, because it's the exact color I want and has several upgrades, including an in-dash navigation system. Given that I got lost for about 20 minutes on the way to the dealership (normally a straight shot down the freeway*), I think I could use one of those. I wasn't planning on getting a new car just yet, but Drummergirl needs one, and the specs she described were pretty much exactly my car. So I figured, what the heck. There's no reason I'm waiting other than just enjoying not having a car payment for a while. It'll be nice to start over and see what kind of ridiculous dents this car can suffer.**
Speaking of my car names -- my first car was Jasper, this one is Jellyfish, and I'm leaning toward Jujube for this one. Any suggestions? I would call it Junebug, but that's my bicycle's name. And Jezebel is taken, because that's my bass.
* Okay, I've only been to the dealership once, so while heading out there, I looked up directions on my phone. The phone thought I was on Mack Road (I was on the freeway), so gave directions beginning "Go west on Mack Road." "Shoot," I thought, "I just passed the Mack Road exit!" So I went to the next exit, got off, and tried to get back on the freeway, but it was a freaky offramp, and I ended up right back on the freeway going the same direction. So I went to the next exit, Elk Grove Boulevard, and turned around and got back on the freeway to Mack Road, where I began following the directions on the phone again. Guess what they said? Get on the freeway heading south and go to Elk Grove Boulevard. If that didn't make sense to you, don't worry: it barely made sense to me.
**I have dents on this car from, among other things, a gate blowing closed in a gust of wind onto my car just as I was driving through, a chunk of asphalt bouncing across three lanes of traffic onto my hood, and a drugged-up cyclist hitting me head on and getting splayed across my hood while I was at a complete stop. In other words, most of the time I was minding my goddamn business trying to be a good driver, and stupid shit would fall out of the sky onto my car.
Zadie always wants to go into the "cat room" (the 1/2 bath where we keep the cat's food and water) and play with the cat's stuff. Sweetie asks her, in warning tones, "Are you a cat?" Usually, she answers no, and he says "Then you don't belong in the cat room." Today she walked into the cat room announcing "I'm a cat! I'm a cat!" Then later, she watched the cat go in there, and in a perfectly intoned imitation of Sweetie, she asked "Are you a cat, Mina?"
She is such a toddler. It's hard to keep up with the mood swings. All day long, it's laughs and fun, then in half a second, a screaming whine and "I DON'T LIKE CAKE" and then tears. It's like, what? You're crying over cake? Tonight we went to get dessert, and she didn't want to share, didn't want me to touch the plate, didn't want me to help cut pieces off for her, and didn't like cake. Dude! If you get cake, just be happy you've got cake! Then on the way home, she pitched a serious fit because she didn't like the car and didn't want to go home. She also didn't want to go night-night and doesn't like sleep.
On the other hand, she can be such fun. She helped clean today, wiping what she could reach with a dry sponge and putting her magnets back on the fridge. She also laughed and played with us while we wrestled and kissed her and tried to lick her nose. And of course, we heard several rounds of her favorite joke, "One two boobies! Mama, laugh!" She also made two of her dolls give each other kisses and happily recited several nursery rhymes.
During her nap today, I went to get an estimate on Jellyfish, my car. It's a 2004 Toyota Matrix, and it's been such a great car that I'm going to get a 2010 Matrix! I'm hoping the one I saw today is still on the lot, because it's the exact color I want and has several upgrades, including an in-dash navigation system. Given that I got lost for about 20 minutes on the way to the dealership (normally a straight shot down the freeway*), I think I could use one of those. I wasn't planning on getting a new car just yet, but Drummergirl needs one, and the specs she described were pretty much exactly my car. So I figured, what the heck. There's no reason I'm waiting other than just enjoying not having a car payment for a while. It'll be nice to start over and see what kind of ridiculous dents this car can suffer.**
Speaking of my car names -- my first car was Jasper, this one is Jellyfish, and I'm leaning toward Jujube for this one. Any suggestions? I would call it Junebug, but that's my bicycle's name. And Jezebel is taken, because that's my bass.
* Okay, I've only been to the dealership once, so while heading out there, I looked up directions on my phone. The phone thought I was on Mack Road (I was on the freeway), so gave directions beginning "Go west on Mack Road." "Shoot," I thought, "I just passed the Mack Road exit!" So I went to the next exit, got off, and tried to get back on the freeway, but it was a freaky offramp, and I ended up right back on the freeway going the same direction. So I went to the next exit, Elk Grove Boulevard, and turned around and got back on the freeway to Mack Road, where I began following the directions on the phone again. Guess what they said? Get on the freeway heading south and go to Elk Grove Boulevard. If that didn't make sense to you, don't worry: it barely made sense to me.
**I have dents on this car from, among other things, a gate blowing closed in a gust of wind onto my car just as I was driving through, a chunk of asphalt bouncing across three lanes of traffic onto my hood, and a drugged-up cyclist hitting me head on and getting splayed across my hood while I was at a complete stop. In other words, most of the time I was minding my goddamn business trying to be a good driver, and stupid shit would fall out of the sky onto my car.
Friday, January 08, 2010
Some recent Zadie funnies.
Zadie and Grandma say a lot of nursery rhymes together, so last night I was asking her to finish some of them. We did "Jack and Jill went up the...?" "HILL!" and "Humpty Dumpty sat on a...?" "WALL!" and "Mary Mary quite...?" "CONTWAWY!" She was getting them all right, so I was surprised when the next one was "Simple Simon met a pieman going to the...?" (She hesitates, then answers.) "SPACESHIP!" Apparently they don't do that one. Good guess, though, right?
In the car yesterday, out of the blue, she told Grandma, "momma and daddy take a shower." Grandma said, "yes, in the morning, they take a shower." She said, "momma and daddy take a shower...Momma laugh...Zadie cry." Grandma asked, "why did you cry?" She said, "mommy and daddy have playtime."*
She's a little obsessed with butts. The other night, we were in the car and she was talking to her stuffed pig, Pigoboto. She was kind of in the middle of a long monologue and I was paying attention to my driving when I heard "...and you can put it on your butt."
Then this morning, I said "Doesn't Daddy smell good? He uses nice soap in the shower." She said "He puts it on his butt."
She's also really into the "Name Game" right now. Seriously, EVERYTHING is turned into the name game song. Earlier I asked her to be careful, because she was holding my wedding photo. She said "Wedding wedding bo bedding banana fanna fo fedding!"
I'll also throw in Sweetie's current favorite. She for some reason thinks "Hyena" is pronounced "Hi-meena." So he's always asking her to say she's a hyena, to which she responds "I'm a Hi-meena!"
(It sounds so awful, I just have to clarify; I have not had "playtime" in the shower with Sweetie any time lately while Zadie cried outside. We suspect this is related to when Sweetie tickles me and I laugh, because she frequently gets upset and we have to tell her "We're only playing.")
In the car yesterday, out of the blue, she told Grandma, "momma and daddy take a shower." Grandma said, "yes, in the morning, they take a shower." She said, "momma and daddy take a shower...Momma laugh...Zadie cry." Grandma asked, "why did you cry?" She said, "mommy and daddy have playtime."*
She's a little obsessed with butts. The other night, we were in the car and she was talking to her stuffed pig, Pigoboto. She was kind of in the middle of a long monologue and I was paying attention to my driving when I heard "...and you can put it on your butt."
Then this morning, I said "Doesn't Daddy smell good? He uses nice soap in the shower." She said "He puts it on his butt."
She's also really into the "Name Game" right now. Seriously, EVERYTHING is turned into the name game song. Earlier I asked her to be careful, because she was holding my wedding photo. She said "Wedding wedding bo bedding banana fanna fo fedding!"
I'll also throw in Sweetie's current favorite. She for some reason thinks "Hyena" is pronounced "Hi-meena." So he's always asking her to say she's a hyena, to which she responds "I'm a Hi-meena!"
(It sounds so awful, I just have to clarify; I have not had "playtime" in the shower with Sweetie any time lately while Zadie cried outside. We suspect this is related to when Sweetie tickles me and I laugh, because she frequently gets upset and we have to tell her "We're only playing.")
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Tonight
IMG_1125
Originally uploaded by countmockula
we were fairies, and we flitted to and fro. I haven't even told you about our TV-fest day, or our New Year's Eve, or much about the zoo. Maybe I will, or maybe I won't. My evenings (when I normally blog) have been quite taken up with essay-grading, thank-you-note-writing, laundry-attending-to, and gym-going. Perhaps it will slow down soon. In the meantime, enjoy my little faerie.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Saturday, January 02, 2010
New Year's Nature Walk
Yesterday morning, I got up, played a bit on the internet, and drank my coffee. When Zadie woke up, we both got dressed and headed out to Cafe Bernardo for breakfast. There was only one other table filled, as apparently people do things on New Year's Eve. But we had big plans -- to eat our breakfast and head out on a nature walk.
On the way out of the cafe, Zadie requested that I sing "Oh the Water" (Van Morrison's "And it Stoned Me"). So I sang, and we headed down 28th Street to Sutter's Landing Park.
When we first got there, there were only three other cars, but one belonged to the organizer, who had cookies and hot cocoa. Zadie loves hot cocoa.
We walked around and met several other kids. First was Jane, then Zoe, Liam, Garrett, and a few others. One of the little girls was very impressed that Zadie could speak so well. We stayed around the parking lot for a long time waiting for everyone to show up. Zadie was impatient and kept trying to walk to the edge of the path, where there was a steep drop-off. Finally, we headed out.
It was only a few steps down to the water, and Zadie was very excited. I had told her we might see animals, and asked her what animals she was hoping to see. She wanted to see giraffes.
The bigger kids found a big rusting wheel-like thing, and they did an impromptu archaeological dig to find out what it was.
Then the big boys stopped to throw some rocks into the river. Zadie wanted to do it, too.
She found some pretty rocks and a mussel shell, and I told her she could put them in her pocket to show Daddy later.
At one point, we saw some ducks, and one of the bird-watchers told us they were goldeneye ducks. All I could think of was James Bond.
Some of the older kids were splashing in the water, and she really wanted to also, but I prevented her. She said "I want to go in the water." I told her that we could only go in in the summer when it was warm, and that any time we went in the river, we would have to have a life jacket. I further added that she didn't know how to swim. Petulantly, she said "I know what to do!"
One of the older folks on the walk said "Boy, she's a pistol!" I said "Yes, she's independent. But we wouldn't have it any other way.
She was also nominated for best-dressed on the river walk for wearing her tutu.
We saw the train tracks and she hoped to see a train, but we didn't.
Finally, the path along the shore sort of ran out, so we turned around and went back.
I talked for a while to a man who told us that the vines along the path had blackberries in summer. I recalled picking berries when I was a kid. I mentioned how my relatives from Oregon can't believe we have a lemon tree right in our backyard. He said he was part of a gleaning project, and asked if I'd like to get involved. I said I would. Finally, he told me that they were having a sing-a-long on Sunday at the McKinley Park library. We've been before, so I reminded Zadie of singing "This Land is Your Land," and we sang a verse together. He remarked that this really is our land, all this public land.
On the way back, Zadie took her jacket off and refused to put it back on. She also wanted to go up a steep hill to a higher path. Rather than argue with her, I helped her up the steepest part. I want to help her learn to be independent, but sometimes it feels like she's always walking away from me.
Although we were there for over two hours, Zadie didn't want to be carried at all. It was a short path, but still, she walked the whole way. She hurried to catch up with "our friends" when we fell behind. We drove home quietly, and when we got there, she fell asleep curled up in my arms.
If this is 2010 so far, I'm in.
On the way out of the cafe, Zadie requested that I sing "Oh the Water" (Van Morrison's "And it Stoned Me"). So I sang, and we headed down 28th Street to Sutter's Landing Park.
When we first got there, there were only three other cars, but one belonged to the organizer, who had cookies and hot cocoa. Zadie loves hot cocoa.
We walked around and met several other kids. First was Jane, then Zoe, Liam, Garrett, and a few others. One of the little girls was very impressed that Zadie could speak so well. We stayed around the parking lot for a long time waiting for everyone to show up. Zadie was impatient and kept trying to walk to the edge of the path, where there was a steep drop-off. Finally, we headed out.
It was only a few steps down to the water, and Zadie was very excited. I had told her we might see animals, and asked her what animals she was hoping to see. She wanted to see giraffes.
The bigger kids found a big rusting wheel-like thing, and they did an impromptu archaeological dig to find out what it was.
Then the big boys stopped to throw some rocks into the river. Zadie wanted to do it, too.
She found some pretty rocks and a mussel shell, and I told her she could put them in her pocket to show Daddy later.
At one point, we saw some ducks, and one of the bird-watchers told us they were goldeneye ducks. All I could think of was James Bond.
Some of the older kids were splashing in the water, and she really wanted to also, but I prevented her. She said "I want to go in the water." I told her that we could only go in in the summer when it was warm, and that any time we went in the river, we would have to have a life jacket. I further added that she didn't know how to swim. Petulantly, she said "I know what to do!"
One of the older folks on the walk said "Boy, she's a pistol!" I said "Yes, she's independent. But we wouldn't have it any other way.
She was also nominated for best-dressed on the river walk for wearing her tutu.
We saw the train tracks and she hoped to see a train, but we didn't.
Finally, the path along the shore sort of ran out, so we turned around and went back.
I talked for a while to a man who told us that the vines along the path had blackberries in summer. I recalled picking berries when I was a kid. I mentioned how my relatives from Oregon can't believe we have a lemon tree right in our backyard. He said he was part of a gleaning project, and asked if I'd like to get involved. I said I would. Finally, he told me that they were having a sing-a-long on Sunday at the McKinley Park library. We've been before, so I reminded Zadie of singing "This Land is Your Land," and we sang a verse together. He remarked that this really is our land, all this public land.
On the way back, Zadie took her jacket off and refused to put it back on. She also wanted to go up a steep hill to a higher path. Rather than argue with her, I helped her up the steepest part. I want to help her learn to be independent, but sometimes it feels like she's always walking away from me.
Although we were there for over two hours, Zadie didn't want to be carried at all. It was a short path, but still, she walked the whole way. She hurried to catch up with "our friends" when we fell behind. We drove home quietly, and when we got there, she fell asleep curled up in my arms.
If this is 2010 so far, I'm in.
Friday, January 01, 2010
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