Home Projects Continue

We spent far more than we set out to spend and our children will never go to college, but at least we have a nice new fence and staircase in the back yard.

Despite the financial hit, it really did need to be done. The old fence had been there for a good sixty years at least and it was leaning so far in the direction of our yard that a strong wind could have taken the thing down. Then there's the fact that Max would periodically come around the corner with a piece of rotting wood he had ripped off of the fence shouting, "Look Mom -- rusty nails!". I may not be a perfect parent, but I know that rusty nails and toddlers do not mix.

After much back and forth and negotiations with the neighbors, we chose a construction company and decided to move forward. I have to say, the entertainment value alone made the whole project worthwhile. The boys LOVED watching the workers with all of their tools. They had a particularly good view of the new deck and staircase going up directly outside of the kitchen sliding door:

I should have been better about taking "before" pictures, but the few I found while going through my iphoto gallery will have to suffice. Thanks to Anj and her family for being my unwitting models!

Fence Before:
(Behind the boys and the sand table you will notice a rotting fence with boards missing. You will also notice the out-of-control trumpet tree that we had removed).

Fence After:

Deck and Staircase Before:
(What a death trap! Notice how when you stepped out of the house you had a big step down. Plus, the deck didn't extend along the entire opening of door which made it very dangerous for kids).

More Deck and Staircase Before:
(Here you can see the dangerous alignment with the door and the fact that the whole structure was not attached to the house and was basically sitting there on top of the concrete on a few planks. Are you kidding me? Who ever thought that this was a good idea?!)

Deck and Staircase After:

Hurray! We're so pleased with our home improvements. Now if we could only afford new windows, new paint, new brick stairs in the front, new landscaping, a master suite addition...

Max's First Day of School

It was a momentous morning for us, but I'm pleased to report that Max (and his mom and brother) survived the first day of preschool! We've been talking up this preschool thing pretty heavily over the past few weeks, and Max seemed calm and mildly enthusiastic about the idea. My feeling was that he would do just fine and not experience much separation anxiety, but you never actually know for sure until the moment is upon you.

This morning Max got all ready to go, and we took a few of the obligatory first-day-of-school photos (see below). He LOVES his new alligator backpack, and that alone would have made the day for him. Once we arrived at school, we waited outside and met a few of the other families. Max's friend, Mick, arrived shortly with his parents, and it was nice for Max to see a familiar face.

A few moments later, Ms. Vee opened the door and ushered everyone inside. The three-year-olds were told to sit on the carpet, and parents took the tiny chairs around the circle. Ms. Vee had a lot of information to share, but it was hard to focus with all the craziness going on around us. Max did a good job of sitting still, but many of the kids were running around and getting out toys, including our own Henry G. who did not seem at all intimidated to be the youngest one in the room. He probably would have been perfectly happy if I'd left him there all morning to play with the three-year-olds! In any case, a few minutes later, the teacher told us to give the kids a hug and quickly make our exit. I told Max that I loved him and that I'd be back to pick him up in a few hours, then I left the building without looking back.

Outside, I paused to talk to a few other parents, and I kept my ears open for the sound of crying. Someone was wailing inside, but I knew that it wasn't Max. I was holding it together pretty well at this point and was feeling pleased with myself. All of that changed, however, when Henry and I got in the car. Henry kept yelling, "Mac! Mac!" and pointing anxiously back at the building. It was as though he were saying, "Mom! You idiot! You left my brother back in there!" For some reason, it was this that got to me more than anything else -- little Henry's sadness and concern over his missing brother. The two of them have barely spent and hour apart since Henry was born eighteen months ago. Well, I sat in the car, sniffled a little, imagined a midlife crisis when both of my children were in school and my life was lonely and empty of meaning, and then I pulled it together and went home.

Henry and I went for a walk, read some age-appropriate books, did an age-appropriate puzzle and generally reveled in the sorts of activities that one can never seem to accomplish when there is a demanding, camp-director three-year-old around. Occasionally, Henry would ask about his brother and wander around the house looking for him. The three hours passed VERY slowly and then finally it was time to go pick Max up.

The teachers had all the kids ready and sitting on the rug. Max was wearing his backpack and clutching his "homework" (an art project) in his hand. He gave me a huge grin and sauntered out of the room. I asked him a million questions, and got only the briefest of answers. Yes, he had a good time. Yes, the teachers were nice. Yes, he liked the other kids. On the drive home, a few more details came out -- "Some of the kids cried when their mommies left them, but I didn't cry," "On Wednesday we get to play with play dough," "Miss Katie is nice, " "I used the bathroom at school," "One little girl kept laying down on the rug."

It felt so strange to think that my little boy now had a life apart from me -- people he knew and things he knew about -- that had no relation to me. I'm so used to being involved in every aspect of Max's life -- his playdates, his "insider" jokes, his every meal and snack, his skinned knees, his warm hugs. What kind of kid is he apart from me? How will these new, independent experiences change him and shape him as a boy and not a baby?

There's a whole world ahead of Max, and I will be less and less a part of it the older he gets. That's the way things go. I know that, but knowing doesn't make it hurt any less. Sometimes being a parent breaks your heart.

Ariellah Ties The Knot

Yesterday we had a lovely time at Scott's step-sister's wedding. "A Wednesday wedding?" you might ask yourself? Yes indeed. And not just any Wednesday, but the highly "auspicious" 9/9/09!

This wasn't the only unique touch to the event. There were many things about this wedding that set it apart, as one would expect from a bash thrown by our favorite family gothic bellydancer . Arie wore her mom's old wedding dress which had been embellished by her friend and costume maker:
The setting was a venue up in the Santa Cruz mountains that boasted lovely grounds and kid-friendly amenities such as a train and a treehouse:


There was also a pond where you could feed the giant koi fish. One of more harrowing moments of the evening was when another little boy (not one of mine, thank God!) jumped into the pond and had to be rescued by his mother. He was absolutely fine, but you can imagine what that did to their formalwear! Little Caden spent much of the rest of the event wearing Henry's jammies and fleece. Here's a shot of my dry and well-behaved boys in front of (not actually swimming in) the aforementioned pond:

Before the ceremony, we watched a troupe of sideshow circus performers:

There was a guy on stilts:
A guy who juggled knives:

And various other acrobats. Max and Henry enjoyed the show. Below you can see sweet Henry giving his brother a pat on the head:

We kept the kids quiet during the ceremony by feeding them a constant stream of yogurt-covered raisins. Can you say, "Sugar high"?!



It was especially fun to visit with Cousin Sarah Sakai and her parents:

A shot of the family. Don't my guys look spiffy?!

We also enjoyed visiting with Uncle Omri and his girlfriend, Tina. Strangely, they're now living in Alexandria about 3 minutes from our old house.

Max was happy to hang out with Papa and Nana. One of the sweetest moments of the wedding, for me, was when Ron and Lynn were walking back up the aisle during the recessional, and Max spontaneously darted out to give Nana Lynn a hug.

A few last "Arie" touches. Skeleton cake-topper and personalized wine-bottle favors:

Here's wishing Arie and Bruce a long, happy life together...

Curb Appeal

My house needs some serious help with curb appeal. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say it is the ugliest house on the block, but maybe I'm just deluding myself. The house is lovely inside -- wood floors, curved archways, interesting "architectural details" -- but the outside of the house leaves much to be desired. Some woefully shortsighted former owner back in the 1950s decided that metal awnings, vinyl siding and juniper trees would be a good addition to the property. We've finally taken care of the trees (hurray! see photos below), but the other features still haunt us.

Before

After

What does this house need, dear readers? I'm soliciting advice. Clearly, a new coat of paint would do wonders, but what color? Can vinyl siding be removed? Would it look too bare and plain without the metal awnings?

The best ideas will be rewarded with a lavish cash prize. Ha! Just kidding, but I am willing to offer my undying gratitude...

Here Comes Trouble...

This week, Henry did the following:

1.) Dunked his toothbrush in the toilet then popped it in his mouth before I could get to him (envision a cinematic, slow-motion scene with me screaming "NOOOOOOO!!!" and stretching out my hand...)

2.) Pulled a chair from the kitchen table over to the counter where he began eating Splenda straight out of the sugar bowl with a spoon.

3.) Emptied ALL of the kleenexes out of two separate boxes -- one in the living room and one in my bedroom. It was like a fresh coat of snow all over the house. How lovely.

It's a good thing he's so cute...

A Morning in San Francisco

I'm so excited that my good friend Anjali has moved back to San Francisco from London! The boys and I spent a lovely morning hanging out with Anj and her son Kairav at the California Academy of Sciences and the playground in Golden Gate Park. Here's to many more adventures together!

A Day at the Races

I'm not sure if this makes me a terrible mother or not, but I took my children to the races today. In my defense, it was Dollar Day today at Golden Gate Fields -- $1 parking, $1 entrance, $1 hot dogs, $1 sodas, $1 beers. Who could possible turn down that kind of deal?!

The more morally upright among you will be appalled to hear that I found myself uttering phrases like, "You can have your hot dog when Daddy finishes placing his bet," but it really didn't feel like a sleazy and morally bankrupt afternoon. Really. Trust me.


We all found something different to love. Max was obsessed with the horse poop and the people who scurried out on the track to scoop it up. Henry enjoyed climbing the fence and clapping for any horse he saw -- even the decrepit-looking "helper horses" who escorted the race horses out to the gates. Scott enjoyed placing bets -- especially when he made back everything he lost in the first three races (plus two dollars extra!) when #8 ran to victory in the last race. Go #8!!!! I enjoyed eating hot dogs. I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I consumed two of them and man were they tasty!

All in all it was an unexpectedly enjoyable family afternoon.