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

See updates below Mom and Son Chair

Mom and Son's Chair

Historical Snapshot #1

To

To celebrate the centennial of the Angel Island Immigration Station I planned to visit Angel Island with Zealand. We arrived at the Ferry Building in the middle of the day expecting to buy a ferry ticket to the island. Upon arrival we learned that there is only a morning ferry on Wednesdays. Angel Island will have to wait until next week.

With our original plan sunk I felt a little unmoored there on the dock. Zealand practically leaped from the carrier I had him in and raced to the railings to watch a ship arrive. He then raced back and forth from the railings to inside the building while I scurried behind him to make sure someone didn't step on him.

Inside I subdued him with his "ba" and browsed artisan cheeses for a gift for our new neighbors and my new good friend, Susannah. The Ferry Building is full of small shops full of high priced but truly yummy food - organic produce, wine, seafood, cheese, olive oil, and chocolates to name just a few. People congregate here to enjoy good food, restaurants, farmer's markets, and on Friday evenings all local vendors produce their best for an evening of music and meals that can fit on paper plates.

On our way out I wondered where we could go for our first historical hot spot outing. It was then I realized we were already there - the Ferry Building! Duh.

The Ferry Building represents an old hub of transportation for the city before cars overrode everything and the Bay and Golden Gate bridges were erected (1936 and 1937 respectively). At its height over 50,000 people commuted by ferry per day. A bulk of the passengers came in from the East Bay and Marin to work in the city.

Now there is cement and commercial space filling in what used to be a waterway for the ferries to enter the building to unload passengers.

Ferry service has been resurrected with regular trips to Oakland and Marin, among other places. Some people are even following in the footsteps of their historical predecessors by using the ferries to commute to work on a daily basis.

Zealand and I left the Ferry Building by bus down Market street. On the way home we started to hear murmurs of what will certainly become a historical day in the annals of law and civil rights. Federal District Court Judge Vaughn R. Walker struck down California's Prop 8 ruling it unconstitutional. Unconstitutional indeed. A big victory toward civil rights for same sex couples even though this will inevitably twist and turn through the courts for years, decades?, to come.

Exclusion and discrimination - two forces in human nature that we thankfully have a Constitution to address. This brings me back to Angel Island. Next week!