sea ranch

We just got back from two and a half stunning days at Sea Ranch with Steve and Elizabeth... and after a harrowing drive back in late night storms we're snug in our apartment.

For some photos click here.

Our Holiday Video

So a Turkey called up a firetruck...

We spent the morning with friends at a playground, then went to their house for lunch. The kids were having so much fun I didn't want to drag them home yet, so I returned alone, preheated the oven, and put in our Turkey. Then I went back out to grab Anna and the kids -- maybe a 15 minute journey.

On my return there was a lot of noise. We like to cook our turkeys hot -- which should only really be done when people are in the house. We opened windows and calmed down the alarms, but were too late. The firemen had arrived.

At least we got a picture:

Max's poetry reading

Max: I learned a poem at school today, Daddy.
Me: Yeah?
Max: Yeah. You be my echo.
Me: OK.

Max: I walked through Autumn woods today,
(me: I walked through awesome woods today)
Max: No, no, NO, Daddy. I walked through Autumn woods today.
(me: echoed)
Max: I cupped my hands along the way
(me: echoed)
The leaves shook down with pure gold
(me: echoed)
Too much for my two hands to hold.
(me: echoed).

Max: And then... (he started giggling) I dumped them on the ground!

Blast Off

So we were coming out of a week of Swine Flu, and both kids were pretty depleted. Nevertheless, after spending 3 weeks on the costumes, we were definitely going to trick or treat. At least at 3 or 4 houses. But let's rewind the clock:

At the beginning we made the engines of the rockets. Max calls these "baga-boosters." This video is of us paining the pipe cleaners for Olin's -- Olin's rocket is horizontal, so the fire needs a little wiriness:

Then, finally, we try them on outside earlier today. When the kids are still sane.

And last but not least. They trick-or-treated at maybe 6 houses, and each got to eat one piece of candy on the trip - a gummy life saver -- calling them "gummy bobos." Olin started by putting it in his hair.

A few minutes of getting freaked out by skeletons on the street, and then, clearly, it is time to go home. Olin at the end repeated what he would for the rest of the night -- "scary robot man" -- referring to a kid dressed as a storm trooper. Later, Olin kept thinking scary robot man was in our house.

Both kids were asleep in their beds, fully clothed, by 7:30. Success.

The Halloween House

This morning Max and I were drawing and he drew this:

It was the story that went with it that I loved:

Me: Who is that guy?
Max:
He's the scarecrow. Those lines hold him up.
He's in the Halloween house.
First you have to get past him and he's scary.
Then you get in the elevator, and it takes you up (sound effect)
(thinking)
Somebody got in an escalator and got up to the highest shelf.
Then they went through all of those scary vines (to the left), until they got to the stairs.
That the end up step by step, then they swinged over stop signs, one then the other.
Then they put on suction cup shoes,
and climbed to the highest path.
They went all the way down the path to the other side.
Then they stepped over a stair,
and went down the highest slide.
And then they were done and then they went home.

A Brother's Love

There are moments that Maxwell is sweet.

When he was younger, he liked the book "Guess How Much I Love You," and sometimes he describes his love in distances, like between two outstretched hands.

Today he said to me, "Daddy, I love you all the way around the world and back." I told him that meant a lot to me. But he wasn't finished. "I love Mommy to outer space and back." Yeah? I said, that she loves you to outer space and back, too!

"And Daddy... I love Olin around the house and back."

Nice.

Value of money

This morning we were running late to school and Olin was crying because he didn't want Max to go. Max turned to him and said, Olin, I have to go to school so I can raise money for you to have toys. Olin, stopped crying, looked up at Max and said, "oh."

Binky Madness

To say that Olin is attached to his binky is an understatement. If he had his way he'd have 3 on hand and two in his mouth at all times. Last week he had a bad fall in his stroller which hurt his mouth so much that when he saw the binky he just screamed "NOOOO.!!! He also walked around with his fingers in his mouth saying, "crawly bug." A stock phrase for sore teeth, mouth, gums, and too much food in the mouth... The dentist said this was our window to get rid of the binky and we did...or so we thought. This week Olin appeared in the kitchen binky in mouth, smiling and proclaiming, "BINKY"..reuniting with his old friend. Then we were all driving in the mini this weekend and Olin had his binky in his mouth. I asked him "Olin, why do you have your binky in your mouth?" and he responded "why not?" Note to self: time to get rid of the binky.

Turtles like Hot Dogs, apparently

We went to paddle boats around Stowe Lake in Golden Gate Park and the line was too long. So we walked around the corner to look at the turtles and met a nice girl feeding them hot dogs. I fetched a stick for Max, and she gave him a torn-off piece of hot dog flesh.

Good times...

"Rollercoaster" with cousin Kelly

Okay. Not a real rollercoaster.

Shark Family

I really enjoyed watching Max draw this picture this morning. He was narrating it as he went.

He drew the big shark and then the friend sharks at the bottom. And then he started drawing a shark in the big shark's belly. "It doesn't have fins because it isn't finished being made." And then he crossed it out, and drew the "baby shark" below the big one, but only an outline.

"Baby sharks are all white. They don't have colors. They get the colors when they eat and grow."

Then he drew pink food, and the shark at it, and got a pink fin. Then he drew blue food, and continued the process. Until he was as colorful as his friends.

All in all, a really nice picture.

Planite Granite

Took Max to Planite Granite, the climbing gym in the Presidio. Third time there, he felt a little more at home.

First we bouldered.

Then we hit the ropes.

Two boys tired after Trader Joes

Max's First Soccer Game

2 goals were scored, both by Max. Olin wouldn't leave my lap -- Thanks Nate for taking the pix!

Olin Loves the Shower

Used to hate it. Now he loves it.

5 minutes of fun

I went to the SAP User Conference for work last week, and brought home some silly trinkets from the show. Two of them were little rubber bouncy monsters that flashed lights when they shook them. Disposable junk, but you should have seen Max and Olin shrieking with delight. At least for 5 minutes.

Afternoon at Uncle Nate's Farm

On the last day of my Dad and Dot's visit we spent a fun afternoon at Nate's farm. Burgers, wine, great company in a truly magical place makes for a great day. Nate gave Max a long ride on the tractor and Max was completely awestruck. Olin slept for most of the visit and then woke up on the wrong side of the car seat. I then led him to the vines with Max for a picture. Clearly Max was more into the photoshoot than Olin, who defiantly screamed "NO" the whole time. He finally perked up when Frankie picked him up during Max's tractor ride.

Max and the Other Dave

When my dad visited this weekend, Hang Art was having a nice event where artists worked throughout the day, and sold their pieces as they were made. Dad, Max and I headed down there in the afternoon for a couple of hours.

When I arrived, I was excited to see Dave Warnke doodling his usual creatures. I've been a fan of his ever since I saw his stuff at a San Francisco fashion show about 12 years ago. I said hello, he said hello, Max said hello. And then he asked Max if he wanted to sit down and draw.


Excited, Max sat down and he and Dave started trading drawings on address labels... see some of the ones Max got on his art tube:


The sticker Max gave Dave was of a "bad guy" which to me looked more like a sheep. And then for 50 bucks we bought the poster Dave was making, and now it is decorating Max's room:


All in all, a memorable afternoon.