Friday, April 25, 2014

16 Years!


Today is my 16 year anniversary of riding home on my first motorcycle! It's raining in San Jose and so today, rather than ride to work to celebrate, I am "riding" around on my desk at work where it is dry. Thankfully, I did get to ride this week and it should be dry this weekend. In the mean time... Mwaaaaaaaaa-ahhhhh-yahhh... Vrooooommmmm-mwaaahhhhh-ahhhhhh...

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Bundles of Joy

Happiness is created by these kiddos. 


Earlier this week I woke up with Enzo sleeping next to me, face to face. Waking up next to one or both kids is pretty common. If they wake in the night or early morning they often come in and join us. Usually I know when Ana joins as she is a bit obvious. Enzo can be a bit of a ninja and get in without us noticing. 

So, I awoke and see my beautiful boy in front of me. A short while later he starts laughing in his sleep. My day was made from that. After a bit of a laugh he settled down and continued sleeping, without waking during his laugh. Laughing during sleep is high on my ultimate scale of goodness. It warms my heart to be able to witness it in someone I love so much. 

Yesterday I got to watch Ana in her dance class. And that was fun. But the most awesome part was towards the end. The kids were to do do somersaults on the mat which was about 12 feet long. Each kid got up in turn and then a teacher would direct the kids head down with a gentle nudge and sort of push them into a roll from their hips. It took a while for each to cross the mat as the kids did about 5 or so rolls to cross. Ana was last. When she got to the mat the teacher was just moving to direct her head down when... she was too late. Ana was already rolling! Super fast, roll after roll, the teacher just trying to catch up but never quite catching the rolling Ana! Ana came up to standing for a second after each roll and dove back in with a flurry from her skirt and dress, yes- she put on both. She looked like a swimmer doing a butterfly stroke, popping up briefly and then back in with skirts instead of water whirling around her. When she got to the end she popped up and it was all done in no time, the teacher just catching up. The teacher, me, Phyllis, and Tami were left laughing as Ana casually went back for the next activity. That was a good laugh. 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Recent Pictures, Part 2 of 2


We celebrated Shea's birthday with our own small party.

Shea cooked and decorated her cake. It was delicious and beautiful.

Ana and the rocket man.

Ana in dance class.

Me and the kids stopped at a park on the way home one day. A nice treat. I surprised them with pizza that I picked up on the way to get them. Then we ate in the park watching a kids soccer league practice. After, we played. Enzo and Ana are also very into paper airplanes lately.








We went to the annual Clubmans British Motorcycle show at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. They also have a Japan and Europe exhibition in another building. I took them myself this year. And, I have almost no pictures because of it. Kiddos are a lot of work.
There were two moments of relatively mellow peace when I took pictures. They were during the 10 minutes it took them to eat nachos on the floor of the British bike flea market area and the 3 minutes they were mesmerized by the little motorcycles they found as they struggled with my repeating "no touching" as their brains compelled them closer with every desire to touch and sit on the bikes.


After the bike show, we hung out at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Enzo got a haircut.
Ana got a pretend haircut because she wanted one too. Ana, when you read this, I love you, and, your haircut was staged.




The rain was coming down steady. Neither rain nor bubbles, apparently, photograph well from my phone. But, I took pictures anyway. The kids sat in the door way blowing bubbles out into the falling rain for quite a while at Grandma and Grandpa's.



Much more recently, we went to Charlotte's birthday dinner and played in the park after.




Just this past weekend the kids and I went to the annual Kelly Park VW show. My parents met us there also.

The kids were looking for the points where train tracks came together and left a gap in the rail.

They like trains and Kelley Park has several.

This was my favorite VW accessory. A pop up tent on top of a bug. Cool.


A special treat at the show; we had ice cream. They look happy about the rare treat.

This is cool. After the show my parents took me and the kids out for dinner. Look at the butterflies. Ana was totally coloring inside the lines. I had never seen that before. My mom was not surprised and told me how the last time she hung out with the kids, she and Ana were practicing coloring in the lines. I am impressed.

And here, because of our crazy weather, the second first rose bloom from our yard this year.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Recent Pictures, Part 1 of 2

Here is some of what has gone on in the last several weeks, recorded in pictures.

 My kids playing in the yard.

I bought them this lighted magnifying glass because, well, because I am trying to subtly direct them to a life of science.

 Tami got free tickets to an organic farm tour in the Santa Cruz Mountains. A parent at our kids' school already had purchased the tickets but then couldn't go. It was an interesting tour.

I believe they said it used to be a small vineyard and that, at one time, it was a childhood home of the Smothers Brothers. The big deal now is that they specialize in edible flowers and we got to sample many on the tour.




 Here the kids are eating more flowers they had just been given.

They weren't excited by the flavors so much.

 I think I had more fun watching them interact with the animals at the end of the tour. They got to pet two goats and a chicken.


 Another day I went for a ride with Nathan, always a treat.

Then there was the annual Bring Out Your Almost Dead event hosted by the Norton Owners Club. A good time to learn, socialize, look at bikes, and eat.

That silver bike in there is only the second Norton Atlas, other than mine, I have ever seen on the road. And, only the third other I have seen in person. That third having been in the Clubman British Motorcycle Show this year and last.

This picture was taken for proof. Tami took me to a see the musical Spamalot that my sister in law was performing in. My parents watched our kids. After, we planned to go out for a drink. My mom and my sister-in-law laughed and said Tami wouldn't make it out that late. Tami made me take this picture with her phone as proof. I do enjoy date nights.