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