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Dear Zealand at 17 months

Dear Zealand,

You are now almost a year and half! This Fall we started going to what we call "school." You call it "ool." San Francisco Community College offers classes everyday and at multiple locations throughout the city for toddlers to pre-k and their parents. On Mondays we go to the main campus off of Ocean Avenue. The facility is brand new. One room has tumbling mats, tunnels, tubes, slides, monkey bars, horses that rock, and a huge tub of balls. The other room looks like your standard preschool - books, play kitchen, trucks, train table, art, baby dolls, etc. You love "ool." When I tell you that we are going to school you smile and say "ball" you then say "neigh" for the white horse that you love to rock on. When we first get there you ask the teacher for the balls. They aren't usually out when we first arrive. You know exactly where they are kept and you will walk over and stand near the door where they are kept. Once she pulls out the tub of balls you proceed to pick up and throw each ball. You then grab a favorite, usually a big blue ball, and carry it everywhere with you while you climb slides, crawl though tunnels, and walk on the balance beam.

October Photos

The muffin frown has got to be one of the best pictures yet!

Grandma Mary's Visit

Sitting with the frogs at the Discovery Museum.

(Splashing happily at the Discovery Museum)
(Enjoying a swing ride with Grandma Mary)
(Riding the Duck boat with Mama)

Grandma Mary visited with us the fourth week in September. The first day she treated us to a ride on the Duck. The Duck is a land/water vehicle that was used in WWII and now takes tourists along the Embarcadero, in the bay, downtown, and through China Town. We were blessed with a gorgeous San Francisco day so we decided to go for it. I felt like a saw the city through the eyes of an outsider marveling at all of the noteworthy places in San Francisco. Zealand's favorite part was the bay tour. The Duck went slow enough to allow all of us to really take everything in.

Mary and I especially enjoyed the tour through China town. There was quite a bit of traffic so it gave us an opportunity to really see the area. We went down a few streets that were outside the tourist attractions and offered a glimpse into real Chinese American culture. Duck feet hung alongside shirts drying in the afternoon sun on fire escapes. The street vendors selling fruits, vegetables (dirt cheap but who knows about pesticides!), and Chinese cuisine flavor the streets with an old world market feeling. Chinese women with greying temples sift through the offerings quickly and decisively, no doubt getting the best deal for their families.

The very next day we visited the Discovery Museum in Sausalito for the first time (Grandma Mary brings a lot of fun with her). Luckily Zealand has enough energy to keep up with her. He has met her match! The Discovery Museum is our new favorite place to visit. It is located within an old military base at the foot of the Marin side of the Golden Gate Bridge. There is a cement creek that the kids can splash around in, an indoor toddler room with water filled areas to jump up and down on, an outdoor playground (with trucks!), nature walk areas with features built in (a maze, plastic frogs that "croak" when you play their back like a musical instrument, statues, outdoor puppet theater, etc.), art room, science rooms, and more! Zealand had a blast and we have been back several times now. Grandma Mary bought us a family membership which we have already gotten great use out of.

In between all of this excitement the three of us would often go on a morning walk to Buena Vista Park for swing time or in the afternoon head to the Panhandle park for even more playtime. We all enjoyed having Grandma Mary visit. Thanks Mary for the memories and all of the fun things you treated us too, including homemade bread!

We love you!

Dear Zealand at 16 months

(You are pointing to the moon ("noon")

Dear Zealand,

You are growing and changing so quickly and on top of that your fifteen month letter fell to the wayside. I will do my best to capture who you are at this point but it will be a challenge. You are always on the move and your personality is evolving in all sorts of directions. Before I go on further, I have to say (although I have said it many times before) you are such a joy to parent. Lately I have been feeling so blessed to be your mama. You are so much fun to be around. Your exuberance for life is so pronounced. You wake up every day ready for anything. You find everything around you to be a thrilling adventure. You are bold, curious, and just plain happy. If I could bottle up and sell what you have we would become a rich, rich family. For now we are simply rich with your essence.

You continue to be an exceptionally active little boy. You love to walk on your own and you even enjoy walking up the steep hills of San Francisco. I suspect that the fact that you spent the second week of your life on a seven day backpack has made you into a natural hiker. You are also now quite fast. You practically run when you walk, so excited are you to be out and about.

Your motor skills continue to impress. You climb stairs (while holding a hand) with the greatest of ease and you expertly climb up and on playground equipment. You love any opportunity to practice a motor skill. If you see raised stone slabs on the ground you want to hop from the one to the next. A tall flight of marble stairs, perfect! The other day in the library you made a wild dash (one of many) out of the baby rhyme area and toward the long flight of stairs to the first floor. You asked for my hand and then proceeded to go down the stairs and then up for a good fifteen minutes. You would have gone longer too if I hadn't called it quits.

Lately you have taken to getting to the top of slides all by yourself and then flying down with great glee. You also love to walk and climb on uneven surfaces - anything to mix it up.

In Tahoe about a month ago you fell in love with the moon which you spotted during the daytime. Since then you can't get enough of the "noon." You point out the moon in all of your storybooks and on rare clear nights here in the city.

Although you still use just a handful of words, you are extremely expressive. You picked up the sign for more and use it at least a dozen times a day. I always thought the sign for more was used mainly in relation to food. But, you use it in all kinds of creative ways. If we are doing something you like you ask for more - more rubbing of your head, more of "do you know the muffin man" song, more pushing of the swing, etc. You also shake your head "no" and say no to great effect throughout the day.

You continue to love books and can point out most of the things we ask you to in your books. We probably read about 15 books a day together, if not more. It is a nice counterpoint to all of your activity. A chance for mama to rest and for you to also have some down time.

At some point we need to record your laugh. You have a deep belly laugh that comes fairly easy throughout the day. You love to be tickled and you love to laugh. You are quite the silly boy. I can tell that you already have a good sense of humor. I can't wait to see it develop more with language and time.

When we ask you to dance you turn yourself around and around in a circle. I am not sure where you learned this but it is really cute to watch. You also love to rock in your rocking chair (especially while we sing) and to climb up into chairs to sit all by yourself.

What I finally want to note here is what a sweet boy you are. You are already learning how to listen and to help us out. The other day on our way out the door you stopped, turned around and picked up my big black purse and brought it to me. Today in the midst of you excitement to leave on a bike ride with your daddy you paused and said "bye bye" to me. You then came over for a hug.

I continue to marvel at all the connections you are making and how so very alive you are. You bring to our lives so much happiness. You really do have a first rate temperament. We love you little guy.

Love,

Mama

Scroll down for update to old post - Subtle Shades of Zealand

Historical Snapshot #4

A few weeks ago when the weather was unusually warm I jumped at the chance to take Zealand on an outing of grand proportions - the San Francisco Zoo. It turned out to be a good call on many levels, one being the cool breeze from the ocean that kept this corner of the city temperate and enjoyable.

The San Francisco Zoo is just a stone's throw from the Great Highway and the Pacific Ocean. It was originally called the Fleishhacker Zoo after its' founder, Herbert Fleishhacker, who was a prominent banker, philanthropist, and president of the Parks Commission in the 1920's.

The zoo opened its doors in 1929 and since has evolved into an attraction that can't be beat for little ones. In addition to gaping at the tall giraffes, Zealand goes bananas for the steam train. On this visit he insisted on sitting next to me while he held on to the side. He oohed and ahhed the whole ride and was just plain thrilled. He also took an instant liking to the metal tractors in the Family Zoo. Even though he was exhausted and the zoo was close to closing he pushed these guys around and probably would have done so until the sun set if I hadn't finally injected some sanity into the picture and scooped him up.

Zealand right now is most interested in the non-animal attractions at the zoo. It turns out the history of the non-animal features of the zoo are also more interesting (to me at least). Before the zoo was built, Fleishhacker funded the completion of, at the time, the worlds largest pool. The pool along with a playground, a Mother's Building, tennis courts, and baseball fields would become the foundation, or surrounding attractions, for the animal exhibits which opened four years later.

The pool opened to the public in 1925 after hosting exclusive athletic competitions. 25 cents gained you admission and the use of a bathing suit and large towel. The pool was 1000 feet long and 150 feet wide and was full of ocean water that was pumped in from the sea and then heated slightly. The pool was so large that lifeguards had to tool around on kayaks and rowboats to make sure they could get to everyone.

(Photos taken from WPN website)

The Mother's Building also opened in 1925 and was intended as a place for women and their children to rest after play at the adjacent playground. The walls of the Mother's Building were adorned with art completed by WPA artists during the Great Depression. After the building closed the zoo used it as a gift shop for a spell. It is currently closed to the public.

An enormous pool filled with sea water and an Italian Renaissance inspired building for mother's to lounge in with beautiful art and antique oak chairs and tables! All within walking distance of each other! Sign me up. Although a Mother's Building concept has survived until today with cafes and such designed for families, I am afraid they lack the historical charm.

And, I know Zealand would have given the huge pool his signature thumbs up, "OOOOHH." The pool is now covered over with dirt and cement and never did become part of the zoo parking lot as was intended in the 1970s. As we stroll leisurely through the zoo we can only dream of the fantastical attractions that once were a part of the Fleishhacker Zoo. Now that I know a bit of the history, I just might see 1000 x 150 feet of water, instead of cement, the next time we visit.

Sources: Wikipedia and http://www.outsidelands.org/index.php

1st Annual Kubischta/Dooner/P. Tahoe Trip

A lovely weekend with an old dear friend and her family in Lake Tahoe. It was a weekend full of: mid-afternoon raindrops at Fallen Leaf Lake followed by a vanilla ice cream cone, running into the water throwing rocks, pushing Thomas the Train, Paloma squealing with delight while Zealand "chases" her up the stairs, grilled chicken and hamburgers, a long morning at Lake Tahoe making sandcastles, exploring the edge of the lake, collecting rocks, picnic on blankets, ice cream cones at Camp Richardson, a run behind the house for the mamas, cold beers on the porch in the sun, Raquel's first meatballs, stargazing at night with the daddy's, Thomas the Train carwash, a nature hike with Paloma, Zealand, and Duane, and a delicious homemade lemon curd tart. All of this ended with a hug from Paloma to Zealand with sweet heartfelt words said between big tears rolling down her cheeks: "I am going to miss you Za Za." It brought tears to the rest of our eyes. So innocent, tender, and precious. Zealand is very lucky to have captured the heart of Paloma who is a very special, silly, and kind three year old. Wonderful memories.

Historical Snapshot #3

Today we visited the Randall Museum in Corona Heights Park just a mile or so from our apartment. The park is located on a hill that was once blasted apart to produce bricks for Gary Brother's Quarry in the late nineteenth century. The roads that were built to transport the bricks later became residential after the quarry was shut down and houses began to line the streets for the eye popping views of the city.

The Randall Museum was named after Josephine Randall who was the first Superintendent of Parks and Recreation for the city of San Francisco. Josephine earned her Master's degree in zoology from Stanford in 1910 and organized one of the first Girl Scout Troops in the United States. She dreamt up the idea of an educational and cultural children's museum in the 1930's at Camp Mather in Yosemite with a man who later worked for the city's park system. The museum, called the Junior Museum, was originally housed in an old jail and came to its' present site in 1951. She had hoped to create a "spot in the heart of the city where young people could spend a day in the country."

The contemporary Randall houses a combination of interactive arts, crafts, and natural science displays. The first curiosity upon entering is a puppet stage with curtain and a tall rack filled with animal puppets. I tried to engage Zealand with a gangly legged frog but he wanted nothing of it. He was too eager to explore this newfound place.

To the right of the puppet stage is a reconstructed earthquake refugee shack used by displaced locals after the 1906 earthquake. I tried to take a good peak but zippy pants was off and running toward the live animal exhibit. The Randall is home to over 100 animals who are unable to live in the wild. San Francisco's very own Noah's Ark.

There were turtles, bunnies, roosters, a barn owl, a hawk, quail, robin, squirrel, snakes, frogs, fish, bees, and probably many more that I am forgetting or missed while chasing a certain someone we all know and love.

On the way to a room with a model train we passed several rooms that hold woodworking and art classes. I love how this place brings together art, science, and the natural world in one big workshop to play and experiment in.

In between exhibits Zealand would dart outside and there before us was the city laid out flashing pinks, greens, blues from all of the diverse buildings Victorian and otherwise. In the far off distance you could see tall, edgy buildings from the financial district and a section of the Bay Bridge.

The sun was out today and it all felt very stimulating and lucky. Zealand got to pet a bunny (more like grab its' face), play with rubber turtles, have his first go at Legos (which were part of an earthquake stimulation exhibit), and roam around in the treehouse playroom for toddlers. It was all very hands on as the founders had intended.

How very fortunate for us that Josephine Randall cared enough to fight for this space on behalf of San Franciscan children. Her legacy lives on.

Subtle shades of Zealand

Since we are pretty good about recording the big milestones for Zealand I am not worried that we will forget when he learned to walk, etc.. It is the small, even sweeter perhaps, details that I am afraid will vanish down the drain of time. So, before that can happen I will add the drain catcher of a few observations of Zealand.

Right now Zealand goes "ooooh, oooh" when he spots something new or exciting to him, which is just about everything. He purses his lips and lets out these heart felt ooh oohs.

He shakes his head, no no, now when we are opposing his will. When he does this he looks at you very solemnly and seriously, somewhat earnestly, to let you know he means it. At mealtimes if I am trying to feed him the 12 ingredient soup that I labored over while he napped and he's not having it, he will extend his arm out, rest his head on his arm and point to what he would like instead, say my salad (which he really doesn't want). He will shake and then rest his head on his arm with the solemn eyes until I let him try what it is he wants.

The way he curls his arms in to keep his hands cozy and warm when he rests on your chest. Nothing sweeter than a cuddly little baby with his head on your shoulder.

The way he says "mom." He now calls me "mom." I can never in writing capture the sound of this, but he says it real matter of fact like. A quick, "mom," like ya, your my mom. My reality is firmly established in his world.

The way he calls all bikes "da da." He loves riding on dada's bike handles in his bert seat and so all bikes to him are dadas.

The way he leans on his crib rail with a huge smile on his face when we first open the door to greet him after a nap.

His Winnie the Pooh butt. Our reusable diapers create a very big baby butt. His tiny legs coupled with the big butt makes him look like our very own Winnie the Pooh.

The way he will suddenly look at you when you are holding him and he his caught in a fit of excitement. It is as if he saying, can you believe this?

When he is busy handing things to you or doing something "important" he will mumble to himself as if to stress that he is very, very busy.

The way he mimics "Where'd it go?" with his huge blue eyes and the exact inflection of the phrase.

And, this is just this the tip of the iceberg. I know it is a cliche to talk about how fast it goes, but it is true. He is growing so fast and you only have space in your heart and brain for what is happening now.

Historical Snapshot #2

We are going to wait for a break in the cold and fog for our Angel Island trip. San Francisco's non-Summer has been particularly chilly and foggy this year. Hopefully the Fall months, when the city heats up for a late Summer, will repay the debt. In the meantime, we put on our sweaters and brave the day.

One such day was Monday morning. Mama needed (needed with a capital N) to buy more coffee. After oatmeal I strapped Zealand on and out the door we headed. Six blocks later we were were with the bikers, joggers, and dog walkers in the Panhandle of Golden Gate Park.

We are so fortunate to live within a mile from Golden Golden Gate Park and less than a quarter of a mile from the oldest park in the city, Buena Vista Park. Walking to parks together has been a daily and constant activity for us. You took your first stroller run at 3 months here in the Panhandle.

The Panhandle became a park in 1870 after its founder, William Hall, figured out a way to plant vegetation over the sand dunes that used to make up much of Golden Gate Park. The area on a 1856 map was called the "Great Sand Bank." Hundreds of non-native trees, including Eucalyptus, were planted on top of the "Great Sand Bank" to become the park with trees that we have always known.

Zealand and I will often meander through the eastern portion of the Panhandle on our way to Peet's coffee. There are always at least six or so dogs that Zealand can admire.

On our way back we cross Haight street and walk through Buena Vista Park. Not only is Buena Vista Park the oldest park in the city, estb. 1867, it also has a children's park. We often visit this park before or after naps when there is just an hour or so to play.

The views of the North part of the city are extraordinary. Duane and I will often come up here as the sun is setting. In fact, this park was the first park Zealand visited as a newborn baby. Dada wrapped him up in a sling when he was less than a week old and took him out for his first park outing.

I often think that we are in the wilderness, the old San Francisco, when walking through these richly forested parks. But, in reality, this wilderness is a result of urban planners who desired nice, public spaces. The trees covered up what was native and wild to the area. Like the many times painted over historic Victorian homes in the city, so too the parks. It is nice to imagine what was here before.

Jumping on Daddy's Clothes