Waterfall hike

A mom from school mentioned this hike one day. It is just a short drive across the freeway so I decided to brave it one day after school.

We headed out...

It was an easy hike though we had to cross the creak in two places which was easy for me but not so easy for the boys. Next time we'll wear our rainboots.

When we finally saw the waterfall, the boys were so excited I was afraid they'd jump right in.

It had been threatening to rain on the hike out to the waterfall. The walk back ended turned out sunny and warm.

We'll be back before the end of the rains happen and it dries to a trickle.

The Skate Park

Euan has taken the boys to the Skate Park a few time with our neighbor and his kids. They go right when it opens in the morning before the big kids get there. I haven't seen it personally but I love the look of it in pictures. Like a moonscape.

It is my understanding that they all go down the hills sitting on the skateboards.

And sometimes need a little help up from their friends...

This boy may be doing that now but I know it won't be long until he's keeping up with the best of them...

California Academy of Sciences

Over the break, we did a quick visit to the newly reopened California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. We got there too late to get early enough Planetarium passes and the line for the Rainforest was too long for the patience of two six-year olds (and one 40 year old). But, the boys enjoyed the Steinhart Aquarium and the African Hall.

We'd been talking up the living roof for some time. But the boys were not that impressed. They were disappointed not to be able to run all over it.

We'll need to go back again earlier and when the crowds die down. It was really too crowded for Euan and me. But it was a lovely day and we will return.

A little hike

Last week during a break in the rain, we took a little hike up a very nearby hill to look at the sites. I don't know why we haven't done this before. It's an easy hike on fire roads. There are hundreds of trails in Novato that we need to start exploring. We are lazy but it is one of my New Year's resolutions to get out to nature more with the boys.

Daddy's work is in the background.

A rainbow.

How the boys react when I ask them to look cute.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Author's Day

It was Author's Day at school on Wednesday. This is a yearly event where one or two authors come and talk about their work and their process. This year they had one Author/Illustrator, Elisa Kleven.

I was helping out at the event so first I sat through the 1st/2nd grader presentation. Elisa makes collages out of all sorts of things for her illustrations. She showed some to the original artwork (rough drafts and final) for her books. They were really beautiful and very inspiring.

I was looking forward to seeing the boys reaction to the talk. But the Kindergarten talk was edited down to a half hour to fit the kids attention spans. She mostly talked about her stories while she drew different characters. Not as interesting for me, but then I'm not a Kindergartener. The boys seemed to enjoy it. And they do like her books, a lot.

Basketball

Saturday, we traveled to Napa to watch Ben play basketball. He and his team played great. It is amazing to see how hard and well these kids played. It was a long game. Which of course led to two squirming boys by halftime...

So I took them out back to play a little b-ball themselves...

Then afterwards we had a yummy dinner...

A break in the rain

In Motion....

Still...

Boomerang

Euan received a boomerang for Christmas from Santa. The boys and I took advantage of a break in the rain to take it out for a test drive. Aidan figured it out pretty quickly. Though the results of where it lands can be pretty unpredictable and it's path of travel a little scary.

Three Kings and a Mermaid

Conner wanted me to take this picture, call it Three Kings and a Mermaid and put it on the computer. So here it is.

Also, a picture of us testing out the self-timer on the camera.