Capilano Suspension Bridge

This tourist destination in North Vancouver has been welcoming guests since the early 1900's. They charge a steep price for a "tree zoo", but the suspended walking paths are beautifully built, and who doesn't love a nice walk in the forest? Zoe and Julian had a blast! They hiked all over the park, up stairs, down stairs, through the woods having a great time. Chris and Chris have met us here in Vancouver, and being the really down to Earth, kid friendly people that they are, the kids have awarded them a natural affection. They helped carry them up hills and over bridges, helped wipe popsicle stickies off their chins, and chased them down endlessly. We all had a wonderful day together.


Can you find Nico and Julian, and Chris and Zoe on the bridge?



Once you cross the swaying suspension bridge to the other side of the canyon, you can walk through a network of wooden bridges built halfway up to the canopy of this Fir and Cypress forest.




Chris and Zoe pose at the picture spot next to one of the three trout ponds.

Poofies

Poofie garden in the sun. Blow it Zoe, make a wish!

Doesn't this image remind you of the picture that came with that frame someone gave you in 1977?

Travel Day

Finally! Our trip to Vancouver is here!
11:30 AM flight... perfect... not too early, time to have breakfast, get over the bridge and park the car, and get on the plane in time for Julian's bottle and morning nap. Except, we realize when we check in that our flight is delayed almost two hours. Crap. Julian is still ready for his nap on schedule, but we are waiting in a very boring place, and the snackies are depleted, the stickers are used and the new "Backpack of a thousand enchantments" is wearing thin. This damn SF summer fog.

Hmmm. Julian is contemplating the overhead compartment... there's an idea...

When did I shoot this? I don't remember her holding still?

Finally, on our way

Summer at the Boardwalk

It's mid summer, and funtime at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz is in full swing! Lots of teens, and families, San Josers and Cruzians alike, licking ice cream, eating corndogs, dipping into dots, and wandering around dripping wet. Everybody grinning (except those who need naps). Half the fun of going is getting there. A relaxing drive through the artichoke and brussel sprout farms perched on bluffs above the ocean. The fog rolling in and out around each curve of Hwy 1. Counting hippie buses on the edge of town (is Phil Lesh playing?). Parking in the Seabright neighborhood, locals know, then walking over the train trestle, down the path to the Boardwalk where the San Lorenzo River meets the beach.

Everyone's first solo ride begins with Bulgey, the whale


"Let's get this show on the road!!"


Ice creamy grins



Our little Amelia Earheart


Wandering through the tidepools at Pigeon Point Lighthouse on the way home

Sandbox

At Lincoln Park, Alameda

In The Clubhouse

Suddenly, it gets quiet. The kids were headed into their room, but it's very, very quiet. I go into the room. No one in sight. They aren't anywhere in the house. Is there a wardrobe I don't know about?
I open the closet door, and there they are. Sitting bum to bum, quietly. Each as happy as a kid in a candy store.
Zoe with her books and Julian with his toys.

Rain Forest

We're burning a hole in our Academy of Sciences membership card! It's the perfect way to spend a morning in the City in between Tot Zone days. The kids love the museum. Now we have to go directly to the Rain Forest which is an enclosed, clear, sphere 3 stories high inside the museum. It's filled with humid air and butterflies, birds, frog exhibits and fish. From the top, you can look down a total of 4 stories into the basement level- that means looking from the tree tops, down through the swampy water at the bottom with huge fish swimming around, right down to the people walking beneath them. From the basement level looking up, the ceiling is clear, and you walk through a tunnel with fish swimming around you on three sides. From there, you can look up through the water and see the tree tops of the rain forest sphere above you.

Zoe loves the rain forest so much, she doesn't care how long the line is to wait to get in. Usually, about 20 minutes. But there is lots to see while in line.
After the sphere, we head to Early Explorer's Cove, a special room for kids to play and wind down. They have mini exhibits and lots of toys for creative play. Zoe makes a bee line for the cupcakes in the ship's kitchen. She must hoard the cupcakes.
After all, cupcakes are the new black!

In Daddy's shoes

Hellooo flirty man!

Oldies but goodies

I know, I've been super busy lately, haven't been shooting or doing anything fun or photographically pleasing. I've been filling out paperwork for The Dole (and desperately looking for work) and writing a business plan. The Mommy needs an exit strategy. In working on said business plan, I've been perusing past photographs, and came up with these little gems that I'm not sure whether they made it onto Keeping Up. So here are a couple of oldies but goodies to keep you coming back for more. Have faith, there will be more...

Upper Terrace Playground

Upper Terrace playground is our local park. The mailman told us about it, and it's a very quick drive up the hill. Also known among us as "The Kid Park", you've seen pictures many times. It has slides, swings, sandbox, a big grassy lawn ringed by tall redwoods, and toys left behind by families who have outgrown items that need new homes. We often go after the afternoon nap, when we don't have a lot of time, but need some fresh air.

The Doctor Visit

Something happens when you hit the magical (read, "advanced")age of 35, stuff starts to break down, weird pains creep up. Something goes wrong, or hurts and won't stop hurting until your husband is tired of hearing you whine about it, and sends you to the doctor. But something as "routine" as going to the doctor becomes a whole lot harder than asking for the morning off when you have two small kids permanently attached to you.
So if you don't have an easy daytime babysitter to call, or grandma nearby or friends who don't work day jobs and are up and coherent before noon, you have to take them with you. There was a time when I thought that just wasn't done- I never see women with small kids in the waiting room at the GYN. The GYN is a quiet place where women go alone, silently, to be tortured. And then treat themselves to pizza and ice cream and wine, afterward. Yes, I thought it just wasn't done, until I realized that if I didn't bring at least one kid with me, I wasn't going to be able to make an appointment until like, Christmas.
So I plan ahead. Snackies? Check. Bottle? Check. Book? Yes. Car toy? Darn right. Crayons? Always. Sticker book? That too, always. My purse is like an endless pit of enchantments. I am prepared to keep the wee one busy while we get down to business. Today's visit like every other GYN type of "visit" will have me undressed from the waist down and lying on my back. This very sight is bound to make the little ones uncomfortable- something is wrong here. Add medical personnel in a white coat (just like the folks who probe and poke them) and we've got a problem.
Julian will be my little shadow for the day and we head into SF after dropping Zoe off at preschool. He's in a great mood, and he's not nearly as shy as he has been recently. He's wandering around the lobby pushing his stroller, charming people right and left. A middle aged Chinese man in a white lab coat opens the door and mangles my name. Yup, that's me. I have to wrestle the stroller from Julian who goes from giggles to noodles in 2 seconds flat. Then into the slippery board position, my favorite when trying to make a graceful exit. While I'm trying to sweet talk Julian, I glance at the guy in the lab coat. He gives me a "time is money", "I'm not amused" sort of look. Not what I am hoping for. He sees me with my arms full of slippery, cranky baby, large bag, handful of toys and half folded stroller and turns to walk through the door, leaving me to quickly grab at the door so as not to be left behind him in the waiting room. Where did he go? Oh, down the hall- he must be in the room with the open door. Thanks for the hand, bub.
The room is darkened. It's a sonogram room. I've done this before. Last time it was to see pictures of Julian in Utero. But I'm not pregnant. We're here to take a look at my ovaries, to see if the cyst that was there 6 weeks ago is gone. And I know it is, because I can't feel it hurting anymore. It's pretty routine, but the appointment was scheduled 6 weeks ago and I just want to get it over with. I figure Mr. No Sense Of Humor Or Family with his back to me is probably going to enter some stuff in the computer and leave so the person who will perform the internal sonogram can come in. I try to press The Slippery Board into the stroller, barely get him locked in, as he yells and squirms. Mr. No Personality is still not amused or warm or saying, "that's okay, I have nephews at home! ;) " I get the bottle out and into Julian's crying mouth. Ready. Quiet. Okay, now I can... wait a minute.
"Are YOU going to be the one doing the sonogram?" I asked.
The cold, dry-as-a-cracker middle aged Chinese guy jumps up and asks if I would prefer a female.
Hell yes, what are you f*&%ing kidding?
"Yes, I would, please".
He practically runs from the room on his heels. I think he is just as relieved as I am. See, I've done this sort of sonogram before. In order to get the picture, they need to insert the camera inside. It's like laying up on a table with your legs spread open while the practitioner inserts the equivalent of a huge dildo with a camera at the top end into your vagina and steers the thing around inside of you with their hand jammed up against your pubic bone to get just the right angle.
Now, I have to admit, I used be embarrassed changing my clothes in the locker room. After having two babies, I have zero modesty left. None. It's the first thing to go.
But even this is a bit much to take from a cold, middle aged Chinese guy who won't even look at my baby, sniffling in the corner of the darkened room.
I was almost mad that they didn't assign me a female in first place.
So, I'm waiting for the replacement practitioner, and waiting, and realizing that I had this all worked out- that bottle will last about 12 minutes max- enough time to get this thing well under way- but the clock is tick tick ticking, while the baby is sucking and the milk is disappearing... this doesn't bode well for said torture appointment. One mad baby may add a new twist on the torture element- for everyone involved if this doesn't move along soon.
Click click click- I hear heels. The curtain parts and a smiling woman my own age walks in and cheerfully introduces herself in a warm, friendly manner. She turns to Julian and says, "well now, who's this cute young man?". Aces. Love you.
Just then, SMACK- tink tink tink. The bottle is tossed to the floor. The bottom lip curls up and the crying starts all over again. I apologize profusely and explain that I didn't have anyone to leave him with, and I couldn't reschedule, etc. etc. She says, "Doooooon't worry about it. I have two at home. I have a big family. I know how it is. Should I take off my coat, Julian? You don't like my coat?". She removes her white lab coat. Shakes her head. Tisk tisks that I should be sorry. She looks for ways to make us both comfortable. She suggests calming him down first.
"take a minute and calm him down. I'll step out. Then take off your clothes from the waist down. Sit him up on the table next to you, however you want."
I pull off my pants quickly and grab The Purse Of A Thousand Amusements. I pull out a plane. Hucked onto the floor. I pull out The Snacky Trap full of Elmo crackers and feed them to the beast one at a time with him on my half naked lap. He is finally quiet again. The sonogram technician returns and gives him some cutsey faces and explains how this is going to work, while dangling her ID tags in Julian's face and raising the bar on the hospital style bed where I'm laid out. Now he can sit safely next to me, or rather half straddling me (as he will not let me put him far enough away that can't be warmed by my body heat) and not fall off the table. So he is content, and the exam begins. The camera is fitted with a condom, and ton of lube and I am allowed to insert it before the technician takes over with the steering. It is jammed up so far inside me, bumping at my cervix (which you ladies know can be quite uncomfortable) and poking at my tonsils. It's almost like she's playing a video game up in there. First gear! Second! Third gear! Shift! Meanwhile, Julian is actually full from the bottle, and trying to cram Elmos into my mouth.
"I don't want one, thanks honey." Oh no Mommy, you do. Maybe you want one dropped down your shirt? Smashed in your hair? Up your nose? Elmo crackers are falling all over my face one after the other. Mario Andretti is shifting into high gear trying to find my left ovary which seems to be tilted in a weird position and my insides are cramping up while my knees are splayed east and west.
Evidently, she can't get a good picture.
In an apologetic yet sing-song voice the technician explains, "I need you to raise your pelvis up off the table and hold it there for a minute, can you do that?" Great, so I am rocked back on my shoulders while bucking my pelvis up to the ceiling in Table Pose, which Julian finds very amusing and tries to climb up on my chest thinking this is a fun game, and raining Elmo faces down on mine the whole time. Oh yeah, and there's a GIGANTIC DILDO CAMERA jammed up my Hoo-Hoo probing frantically for God only knows what.
"Can you raise up for me again, and hold it for another minute?"
I almost reached for The Purse Of Endless Enchantments thinking I needed to document this with the P.A.S (point and shoot), but luckily for you, did not have an extra hand, or the room on the table.
"Got it!" She announced. And it was over.
She apologized profusely for putting me through such a session, and I apologized for bringing my baby along to our date.
Once I wiped all the lube away, pulled my pants up, and put Mister back in his stroller, we were out the door. On the way to the car, I just kept thinking about how intrusive bringing your kids along to various situations can be to other people, no matter how unavoidable, and how surrounding yourself with other moms who understand can be so reassuring and supportive.
Now, let's get some ice cream.

Moss Beach Tidepools

Today I did not have a plan. I like to wake up with a plan, or it takes too long to leave the house, and meanwhile the kids start messing around, fighting, screaming, ransacking, etc. So I got online and started looking around. It was sunny outside, and looked as if it was even sunny along the coast. So I checked the tide chart. Low tide was at 6 AM, and the high at 1. So at 9:30, I figured we'd better get going if we wanted to see the tidepools (and get over the bridge for free as carpool). So we hustled and left in a hurry. Who needs a shower?
The weather was beautiful. There is something so nice about a sunny summer day along the ocean, during the week when most folks are either away on vacation, or holed up in an office. The lanes were clear. The sky was blue and the horizon felt open and free. I could've driven down hwy 1 all day. At Devil's Slide Zoe shrieked about how far down the beach was. "But how do we get down there"? And as we curved along the coast, looking out over the ocean Zoe started in about the waves.
"Are there waves at the beach mommy?"
"yes, honey. But the reef keeps them back so they can't surprise you. They're small ones."
"But will they try to get me?"
"No honey. The waves won't get you there. I'll watch for them".
And on and on about the waves, and are they going to get her, or are they nice etc.
She is obsessed about waves, and I'm lucky just to get her on the sand.
So we arrived at our destination, and as promised, the beach there is protected by a reef so the waves that dragged off a mother and daughter down the way at Montara last week, won't come near my babies as they dig in the sand.
Still, Zoe is fearful of the ocean. It's good to have a healthy fear of the ocean- everyone should. But when does it border on nonsense?
We set our stuff down near the water's edge at the end of the beach where it had been closed off with pylons to keep people back from the roosting harbor seals that were frolicking in the sand where the reef opens up for a clear path to the ocean.
I needed 6 hands. 3 to keep Julian from throwing himself into the water, two for Zoe to cling to, and one to hold the camera. I was juggling. Julian would run for the deep screaming and splashing, then protest, squeal and go boneless as I lifted him out of the water. He wanted to squish snails with his fingers, plunge himself into the clear cold water in the nooks and crannies between the rocks, strand himself on the islands between tidepools, and investigate every piece of seaweed, rock, or stinky looking morsel. I pointed out a hermit crab that had taken over a snail's shell.
"Zoe, come look at the hermit crab,"
Next thing I know, Zoe has raced to the safety of the sand and is SCREAMING that the hermit crab is "going to get me".
This may be where the fears start to get nonsensical. It was all I could do to calm her down- which meant dragging Julian out of the tidepools and back onto dry sand which sent him into a hissy fit and then I had two rioting toddlers on my hands, here on this gorgeous beach, on a warm sunny day, with seals barking nearby, and water sparkling all around me.
Ah, the joys of motherhood. What other time in your life can you wake up on a Wednesday and say to yourself, "I think I'll drive along the coast today and roll up my pants and splash in the tidepools until I get hungry and then go eat handmade Pizza in a garden and drive home counting the kinds of wild flowers that grow along the roadside?

Little Farmers

Little Farm is full with a fresh new batch of four legged critters- and two legged critters can't get enough!
Zoe shows Juju how to get the chickens' attention, Juju checks out the goats (and develops a love/hate or rather interest/fear relationship) while Zoe knows better, and prefers to steer clear of those creatures.
And of course, Zoe strikes a sassy pose...
Not bad for a Monday.

Sunday Walk

Who loves a parade?

Kids love a parade!
We went out to Alameda to see America's second longest parade. It was amazing that anyone was watching, because it looked like all of Alameda was in it! At least all the kids.
We met up with Brad and Caryn and their son Reed to cheer on the participants. Later, they came over for a mini-que here in our backyard. After the kids fell asleep, Nico and I stayed up and sipped white sangria by the firepit, and enjoyed all the crazy illegal fireworks going on in the neighborhood.

Trial Run