Spring Break

We're just at the end of a two week break and I can honestly say that aside from going to Sea Ranch for two nights we did not do much. The children would probably disagree, they loved being at home, eating breakfast at Boogalooz, many playdates with Leon, a few with India and basically loads of free time to just be and do what ever they wish.

One of my favorite days was when I crashed a party hosted by and for parents from the Waldorf nursery program. I spoke with Susan in the morning she said she was going to Jillian's. I then spoke with Julianna and she said she invited herself and encouraged me to do the same. I called Jillian and she was excited about our wanting to make the trek to Mill Valley.

We packed in to the car, stopped by Destination Baking Company to get a dozen hot-cross buns and made our way to Jillian, Troy, Zeb, Cole and Violet's magical house on the hill. This family got out of the city as Cole longed for space, renting this lovely home that was perfectly suited for a crafting day with mama's and kids.

Everyone brought great food and there were eggs to be died with tissue paper and Nora came with a box full of pipe-cleaners, fake flowers and raffia. Eli ran around with Henry, Eva hunkered down and made two beautiful baskets, I drank coffee (which I'm currently off of) and proceeded to pace and talk too much. It was a perfectly fun day.

We made it back to the city in time to get ready for Passover at Naomi, David, Leon, Marcel's home. It was fun sitting around the table with 20 people going through the text, mostly in Hebrew with parts in English and many rowdy songs. The children were a little wild in the beginning waiting for supper. Eva, Eli and Leon ganged-up on a few of the other children especially little Theo. If I had to tell them one more time to let Theo join them on the bunk bed.....anyway, once it all began E + E was so good. They sat and listened and answered all the questions. Later, Tawney and Ann Paige from MWC stopped by. They walked in as we were enjoying dessert and just in time for a round Arak (anise flavored liquor). After 30 minutes I went back and checked on the children and Eli was no where to be found. I started to get a little worried when I called and called his name with no response. I went in to the dining room to find him slouched down on the sofa (which was pulled up to the table) eating piece after piece of mazta brittle. He'd been there for a long time....He was thrilled and could not stop talking about how good it was and quite proud of himself for staying under the radar for so long. I left at 8:45. Evidently Art stayed until Eva, my late bird, said she was tired and wanted to go home.

The children were fine the next day, much to my surprise but boy oh boy the following day was unbelievable. Eli cried all day, Eva was mean as a snake!

Getting Ready for Easter

The count down for Easter started three months prior to the event. I do not know if the children are influenced by our routine attendance at church or if they are so starved for sugar they know this is one of the few free-for-all days allowed. Anyway, most nights before bed I'd get, " how many days to Easter?" It started out as months and half months. By the time we got to weeks, Eva was concerned our house was not properly decorated for the holiday. So the Friday before Spring Break I went to the florist and got, for free Im proud to say, a lovely quince branch that was at the end of its flowering. I decorated it with eggs, put the proper amount of chicks in nooks and on mantles, voila Easter. The children arrived home with their own little baskets that had the grass they grew, eggs painted and hung on the handle.

Some time that next week our yearly package from Esperanza, Diana's mother arrives. In it was Eva's beautiful Easter dress and stuffed animal. Much to Eli's chagrin all he got this year was a t-shirt and shorts. This sent him in to a fit. You know my boy has style and he needs to express himself too! So I told him I'd ordered him some seersucker pants. He lit up and asked if we still had the sailor suit from Quinn. He ran back and got it - I had it laid out to send back to Sydney, as it is only a size 4. Last year when I borrowed it for Uncle Allen's wedding (photo of Eli at the wedding), I had to talk him in to wearing it and as I recall there may have been a bribe included - oh yes, two pieces of wedding cake if he wore it. He struck the bargain that he'd wear it but not the coat or hat. Fine, we had a deal. Well this 5 year old was in love with this suit. He put the entire outfit on and declared his love. Needless to say the suit JUST fit him thanks to the extensions Sydney had sewed on the straps. The pant are a little too short, his fat cute legs stuck out of the bottom and the coat - JUST buttoned. All the same this is one proud little guy. He asked if he could keep it forever. I told him that we'd have to give it back by the time he's 20. He seemed happy with this. Our friend India came over for a playdate and Eli had to run and put on his suit for her. She seemed uninterested but Eli was all smiles. Alas we were ready for Easter.

Easter Eggs

The Springs for Spring Break

A month before we had our break from school, I arrived to pick the children up from school after hiking day. Dagmar looked a bit chagrined as she handed me a bag of we clothes. She admitted the children got very wet at the "springs." In turn I looked over and saw Eva BEAMING with joy from her experience. As the day went on, I find out that Eva basically sat down in the water and all the children followed. She confessed that Dagmar at first tried to stop them but alas she let them. Eli on the other hand was regaling me with stories of the cement pile. It really made no sense to me but I enjoyed his enthusiasm.

A few Saturday's later, after I'd had a long run I was pleased as pie to go in search of the Springs in the Presidio. The children told us where to park, showed us where to walk. It turns out it was a place we'd been to many times before. I curled up like a cat in the sun and took a nap while the children carried cement from a pile over to the water and formed smooth balls and set them to dry.

This spot became a site for Naomi, Leon, Marcel, E + E and I spent the first day of our break. We were there for 4 hours. It was perfect. Naomi, Marcel and I just relaxed under the tree while our busy bees worked diligently at their tasks.

Trading going on

The new thing with E + E is that they do a lot of trading. There is an imbalance that I'm not comfortable with, also being the youngest child in my family. For instance, today I went to pick up the room, after the children took their turn at "cleaning" . Eva had Eli's big treasure trunk moved near the book shelf. I asked her why Eli's box was there. She explained that they'd traded. He got a coconut shell from last summer from the Costco frozen desserts Syd/Sean brought to North Garden, plus some gravel that was excavated from Shu Shu's driveway. She also said that she got all the treasures inside the box and that Eli has relinquished his rights to the books and they were now her library. It is difficult for me not to step in and defend Eli but I bit my tongue...

Teeth

Now Eva's big transformation began last May 10, 2008 when she lost one of her teeth. It was the typical long approach to the big day. She claimed her tooth was loose the previous November. The final stages of the tooth took weeks. It would twist, turn, bleed but those roots of hers were tough and not willing give this little tooth away without a fight. When she went to school on a Friday, we knew it would not be long. Only one other first year classmate lost a tooth at this point, Cyrus lost one the day before turning 5. The second years were loosing theirs on a daily basis, looking more like a boxing club than a kindergarten.

Art picked up Eli at the pink curtains a.k.a. nursery first and then walked up the hill to the grade school campus. When her got there, a crowd was gathered around a single child - it was Eva, the mood was full of excitement and joy. He arrived seconds after her first tooth lost the battle and came out. When he got close enough to see there was a proud little girl with a big bloody smile.

Our friends Helen, Joel, Isa and Felix came for dinner that night there was so much excitement over the tooth. I suggested several time placing it in a safe place. This would last a few minutes and then the tooth would be scooped up and admired by the children all over. Eventually it got lost. Eva was barely upset. She takes things in stride. With the help of Isa who can write, all the children made notes for the tooth fairy explaining what happened to the evidence of the tooth.

I made a little pink bag in my sewing class a few weeks before and gave it to Eva to put her tooth in. We decided she'd get a shiny quarter and a tooth I'd needle felt out of wool. It was exciting to go in to her room and place the little tooth and quarter in the bag. I took all the notes but accidentally left one behind much to the childrens' chagrin. Eva loved her prize. I wish I'd thought it out better because you never know when a child will loose a tooth and some nights she'd loose one just before bedtime as Art and I were heading out for the night. I've been up making wool teeth until midnight! Maybe we'll switch to a dollar soon and no Tooth!

Two days later, Eva lost the pink bag walking home from Gialina Pizza, somewhere on Chenery Street. Art drove back looking for it, to no avail. Once again Eva takes it all in stride. She's so great.

It's taken me a while to get used to her big teeth. She talks differently, she looks different and it has ushered in a big girl.

Hands

It was a last month when Eli put his hand in mine walking down the side walk, as he does everyday several times, that I realized his new paw. I could always feel the difference in the children, though only 11 months apart, when I held their hands. Eva's hand has always been bigger. Her long, slender fingers always felt more substantial then Eli's. I remember making a note, maybe even in an earlier blog, when Eli started to loose the baby fat of his chubby little hand. Now his fingers are strong and the nails are so big - why would they all of a sudden grow like this? Eva's hands are now callused from her love of monkey bars and the addition of the trapeze in out doorway to the living room. I know they are little marks of how much they've grown the last few years but this is my most tangible record of measurement.

it has been too long

I'm going to give this a new try. I'm ready. I've jumped over to the other side of parenting. With Eli being 5 and Eva, 6 life is different. I'm back. What does this mean? It all has become easier - the children, the me, life with Art.

I observe my children from much farther away now. We are not always in each others space. There is a distance, a perspective that I was lacking for the last 6 years. I would not trade those years for the world. The blurring of my legs, hands, faces with those two was wonderful but it is easy to loose track of oneself along the way.

I'm enjoying a bit of creative energy that this new space has allowed. I'm hoping to document projects, how I go about my day and the movement of the childrens lives along side of me and us as a family.

Let's see how it goes.

Sea Ranch heaven

My friend Susan and her daughter Stella invited us to join them at their house in Sea Ranch. I was in heaven from the moment I sat behind the wheel. I miss road-tripping, it was part of my East Coast life but I seemed to shed the habit when moving to SF. The 3 + hour drive went quickly, wending through the spring hills of west Sonoma county and heading to route 1. I'd definitely been in the city too long, everything looked magical to me, it helped that the end-of-winter light was still low in the sky. Susan is a fount of knowledge and she regaled me with stories of the beginnings of Sea Ranch (http://www.mcn.org/searanch/history.html) the entire way. The children were so tolerant of how much we drove around once we were there scoping the architecture of the development and spotting the signage designed by Bobbie Stauffacher Solomon, including the famous rams head sign and the wave road graphics.

The children did not want for nature. We spent a morning along a fern-lined fairy trail and a hot spot for my children was the magestic madrone tree out front, E + E spent a good part of the last day in it. I even climbed up a few levels and devoured some of the new biography of Zelda Fitzgerald that Susan loaned me. I loved how protected I felt in the tree, with the low-lying branches, and the tuft of greenery that seemed to only be on the ends of the branches, leaving smooth branches to scramble on. Before heading home we went to glass beach and went tide-pooling, spying periwinkles, starfish, and collecting treasures for future art projects, which made the ride home all the more memorable with smells of the seaweed wafting through the car.

Link to photos....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/janhammockphoto

hopefully this should get you to a link of my photos...request to become a friend and I'll grant it.

Eli had these two little bumps on his face that were there for ever and I was curious finally to know what they were. Well not really but he was really close to me and I scraped my finger across one and said, "What is this bump?" Eli responds, "This is part of me, I was born with it and I like it."

Music critic

After having 6 days of flu, i'm feeling better but still in my pj's having a mellow day home. i was just listening to mellow music of mine (which i never do) Beth Orten was singing out and then eva comes up and starts singing in Ethel Mermon style, "I don't like this music, I wish I could here my music...." this is when I thinkg they've heard enough show tunes......hold off on the sound of music and singing in the rain.....

Good night

I just sang my final good night song to Eva and Eli all snug in their bed. I added, " I love you all the way from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes." Boy did I start something. I forgot about my and Eli's little game we've been known to engage in and he replied, "I love you all the way to Virginia, back to San Francisco, then to New York, up to the stars, and on to B.A.R.T." What's a mama to do with all that love?

It has been quite a while

I got a fabulous new laptop from Art for my birthday so I hope to keep this blog up to date more often. Art works on the computer at night so my time to upload photos and write was limited. They lit'l ones are growing so quickly I must capture some of the "here and now"

I'll try to go back and get from Thanksgiving on soon.....

The Whole Truth

Tonight I was getting the children ready for bed. I reminded them to take a pee, Eli promptly ran down the hall. Eva said, "I already went...." I inquired when? She said after she brushed her teeth. I was skeptical but said, " I believe you." Less then a minute later Eva scurried out the door to the bathroom. She came running back a few moments later and said,"I did not tell you the truth before, I told a lie, I had not gone pee." Ah a good moment indeed.

Holiday in Virginia

Eva's coat from Neema

While in Vancouver in November, Neema got this lovely coat for Eva as a birthday present. She is so cute in it. It is eggplant cordaroy with plaid flannel inside.

Eva's favorite birthday gift

Eva loved her sewing basket the most. It was an old picnic basket I found at my favorite Thrift Town. I filled it with needles, embroidery thread, scissors and loads of felt.

Eva's classmate birthday celebration

After celebrating at school we invited a few new friends and one old one (Avalon) to come over to tea. Most all these girls have not been to our house and Eva really wanted to celebrate with them. So we had Ariel, Isabella, India, Etta, and Beatrice on the guest list.

So this did not happen glitch-free! Art and I arranged to both go to school and shuttle the girls across town to our home. We had all the girls loaded into our cars, which were double parked in front of the school. I went to start the Saab and NOTHING! my battery was completely dead. arghhhhhh luckily a mom that offered to come over and help was still in front of us. I ran up to hear and explained our situation. She not only gave us the jumper cables to get my battery going she drove the second half of the girls. Poor Eva was so mad as Etta kept saying how funny it was that my car did not work. Eva was not amused.

Luckily this was long forgotten when they walked in the doors. Each girl dressed up in a favorite dress and then we had some snacks. Eli was not present for this part, he went to the park with Delilah from his class whose sister was at our party. After the girls had their fill of tea we put on the "Sound of Music" soundtrack and we had a performance.

Eva's turns 5

Eva loves a good birthday morning. She woke up and immediately came to tell me she saw the decorated breakfast table. Once the entire family was awake she found her loot. She loved the newly configured art table. Art pounded throughout the evening to get the Ikea wooden boxes assembled.

We had a nice breakfast and then it was off to school. Eva was excited about taking her new slippers to school. She's been complaining for months that she did not like her dirty slippers. As it turned out she now has matching slipper to Isabella, India and Kathleen - how wonderful is that.

The kindergarten had a lovely ceremony for three of the December birthdays. It was so sweet watching Eva parade in to the room clad with crown and cape. Dagmar told a lovely story about each children's first 5 years of life. The entire class sat around a circle and each child was flanked by their family. It is a tradition for the teacher to make an elaborate centerpiece to house the birthday candles. We then had cake and fruit. Eva was a happy girl when we left her. I was very proud of her, needless to say. This is why we pay the big bucks for her education - right?

my cuties - december 2007

Eva's birthday - turning 5

Eva had a schedule of birthday events beginning the Saturday before her birthday. We met friends (Dahlia/Amy, Erin, Kyle, Haley/Heather) at the B.A.R.T. station for a trip downtown to Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. We took Eva's old friends to see ODC's presentation of the Velveteen Rabbit. The children were pretty good listeners. I was a little tense, making sure we negotiated our way through the station and the crowded holiday streets to the theatre. Chloe and her Dad Peter met us there. I love this theatre because all seats are good. Lucky for us as we were all the way on the LAST row. The children seemed thrilled with our seats as I kept hearing echoes, "the higher the better." The venue did not disappoint. The children all remained captivated the moment the curtain went up until the end. ODC does such a fabulous job telling this tale of a boy and his beloved lovie.

After the performance we had a little snack by the water fall, threw a penny for a wish into the water and headed back to the Glen Park B.A.R.T stop. The ride was fun, the children all got along very well with each other. The 15+ minute walk to our home was wonderful. I was in the first group that was lead by Eli sprinting along. There were a few dragging their heals up the hill but swiftly caught up with the leaders down Chenery Street.

The children all had some soup. Some did not like it but most were able to eat enough to get the go-ahead from their parents that it was fine for cupcakes. Art got fun vanilla cupcakes with sprinkles from Noe Valley Bakery. Eva felt feted.

Christmas tree decorating

Winter Fair

Christmas tree