Busy Week, Crazy Toddler

It has been an odd week.  Between the new job, flip-flopping daycare schedules, and 4th of July occurring on a Wednesday, which made Thursday feel somehow like Monday and Friday at the same time, my brain has been a bit muddled.  The pictures below, which go back at most a week, seem like they were taken months ago. 

Last Saturday (Was it really only last Saturday? Yes, yes it was.) we attended a birthday party in Golden Gate Park.  Carlene, one of our daycare providers, was holding a party for her son, who was turning four.  It was firefighter themed, so we had to go!

 Mimi got her very own fire chief hat.

She enjoyed hanging out with her daycare friends and spilling juice all over her father.  He told her where she could go should she do it again.

The highlight, I think, was the body painting.  Mimi wasn't quite ready for Carlene to paint her face, but she readily gave up her hand.  

She was quite proud of that lady bug...

...but it wasn't her favorite memento from the day.  After her bath that night, the ladybug was gone, but the fire chief's hat managed to stay on.

The next day we headed down to Palo Alto to get together with Sumie's family (it had been a few weeks).  Mimi and Asuka, closest in age, are really becoming pals.  Mimi brought out Asuka's toy stroller which, amazingly, still fits our petite two year old.  

Asuka, playing Mama, pushed Mimi back into the house to get some toys...

...across the giant lawn...

...and around the entire courtyard.  Poor Asuka must've been exhausted that night. 

Mimi, having relaxed in her stroller the entire time, had plenty of energy to entertain her cousin Haruki, and even give him a kiss or two.  

We got home very late from Palo Alto that Sunday night, which was an appropriate start to a week that has been a complete blur.  Two things I remember quite clearly.  First, I constructed a giant tunnel from Japanese letter and vocabulary cards (at Mimi's request).  This tunnel stood for nearly half an hour until Mimi ran it over with her wagon.

The other moment that sticks out took place on Friday, right after I picked Mimi up from daycare.  For some reason she insisted on lying in the street.  She wasn't tired.  She wasn't fussy.  She wasn't ill.  She just wanted to lie down on the pavement for a minute or two.  Odd, odd girl.  

This weekend Sumie's on call so I'm home alone with Mimi.  It's been fun so far (knock on wood) and she's been a sweetheart (knock even harder).  If she behaves, I'll probably blog about our time together in my next post.  And if she doesn't behave, I'll definitely post about it. 

Unorthodox Easter Sunday

Of all the Christian holidays Americans have secularized, Easter is perhaps the oddest.

My family never celebrated a traditional Easter - we weren't church-goers of any denomination or faith - but we did "recognize" the holiday in our own way.  Most years we'd head down to Sacramento to visit my mom's parents, Grandma and Grandpa Mac.  We'd sleep over Saturday night and wake the next morning to hunt for our Easter baskets.  For breakfast we'd have rice muffins, but only after we'd donned our fancy dresses and "nice pants."  It was a bit like Thanksgiving - a fully secular formal family function.

For the past 10 years - 1 in Japan and 9 in New York - I didn't really celebrate Easter.  Sumie and I often didn't even know it was upon us until we woke to find stores closed and longer-than-usual brunch lines on the Upper West Side.  Mimi's arrival didn't make much difference either.  It wasn't until we came back to California, and back to my side of the family, that I started thinking about Easter again.

It's an oddly secularized holiday.  How a holy week commemorating the sentencing, death, and resurrection of Christ is now wrapped up in a Sunday of giant rabbits, plastic eggs with jelly beans, ridiculously formal clothing for children under 6, and large plates of lamb or ham, I don't know.  It's just plain strange.  But that didn't keep us from dabbling a bit in the American tradition of a secular Easter this Sunday.  In fact, I think we did a pretty good job of making it even more our own!

Unfortunately, Sumie was on call this Sunday.  That meant no Mama for Mimi to play with.  Saddened by Mama's required absence, Mimi took solace by hiding in the fridge.  

But it wasn't all bad.  Mama couldn't come out, but Grandma and Grandpa were free, so we planned our own little picnic brunch in Golden Gate Park.  The traditional heavy ham or lamb was replaced with cheese, bread, roast chicken, and some additional jelly beans for Mimi.  

We laid out our spread on the picnic tables on the edge of Stow lake.  It was a perfect day for it.  The only thing missing was Sumie.  

Mimi ate well for a while, but soon became distracted by ducks.  What is it about a duck that is so endlessly entertaining to a two year old?  

Everyone stuffed, we walked off some of our brunch by heading down to the lawns below the lake.  There, at Mimi's request, we had an impromptu Easter Egg hunt.  

Mimi's egg hunt got me to thinking.  Finding eggs or Easter baskets is fun when you're really little and everything's hiding in plain sight, but once you get older, it's rather aggravating.  You know what you want - all that Easter chocolate - but someone has gone to the trouble of hiding it so that you have to go through the trouble of finding it.  This drove me nuts when I was a kid.  I hated looking for my Easter basket, which only made my parents hide it in more and more difficult spots.  Yes, there was abuse in my family, but it was always of a "bet you can't find it now!" nature. 

Honestly, why do we hide Easter baskets?  Think about it this way: do you ever have a great time looking for your keys or the remote control?  No, of course not!  So why would finding something a giant bunny or mildly sadistic parent tucked away be any more enjoyable?  OK, that's enough of me being an Easter Grinch.  Will I continue to hide things for my daughter if she enjoys finding them?  You bet.  All I ask is that she please not hide anything of mine.  Particularly the Apple TV remote.  That thing is so damn hard to find to being with!

Alright, digression over.  Grandma and Grandpa headed for home around nap time.  Mimi, worn out from all the running at the park, fell right to sleep and stayed that way until Mama came through the door.  It was still early, so we packed up the car and headed for dinner in the North Beach section of town.  We stopped in at a little Italian place with great pizza.  Mimi approved. 

 It was nice to sit out on the street again.  It took us back to our time in NYC and made us appreciate our new city a bit more.  The massive overhead heaters helped to keep the SF winds at bay.  Pizza, and clams linguini aren't the most traditional Easter fare, but they fit us perfectly. 

Back at home, Mimi was worn out from a rather adventurous day.  She refused to climb the stairs, so I carried her up.  This kind gesture infuriated her to no end and resulted in a massive tantrum on the hallway carpet.  I retaliated by throwing myself on the floor and throwing my own tantrum, mocking Mimi's every sound.  Within 30 seconds she'd gone from wails to giggles.  A change definitely worth the rather humbling pose and fantastic view of my bald spot. 

As the night came to a close I was happy we'd finally celebrated Easter again this year.  And even more pleased we'd done it in our own unique way.  And Mimi, she just can't get over how many damn jelly beans she still has!

Backyard Botanicals

It was a sunny but very blustery morning.  But, like Pooh, that didn't stop Mimi and me from heading out for a little adventure this morning.  Mimi's goal: play.  My goal: wear the toddler out so we can both take a nap. 

We decided to take a stroll through the Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park.  These gated grounds require an entrance fee, unless you just happen to be a San Francisco resident.  NYC, take a tip from San Francisco on this one.  Even small perks for your residents can go a long way! 

As soon as we entered the grounds, Mimi leaped from her stroller and started running down the paths at random.  In order to take a picture, I had to let go of the stroller, which was rather stupid given I'd failed to put on the brake.  This resulted in the stroller following Mimi on its own, eventually passing her, and then being chased by a toddler in a pink pea coat who decided she wanted juice. 

We headed over to the moon garden.  Well, Mimi decided we'd head over to the moon gardern.

Hidden in the trees is a small viewing platform in the middle of a serene little pond.  The only paths leading into this secluded spot are pocked with sparsely laid stepping stones.  The zen-like feel they give the garden is great, but they're not exactly ideal for tipsy toddlers and fat men wielding strollers.  Despite the rough terrain, we made it to the platform.  

The view, even with minimal sunlight, was far better than my ancient iPhone camera can reveal. 

Mimi was intrigued.  She stood there watching the pond, chin on a plank, for a full 2 minutes.  That's a good 3 hours or so in toddler time. 

From the moon garden we headed over to the Garden of Fragrance.  Tucked behind the largest hill in the Botanical Gardens, the Garden of Fragrance offered some shelter from the wind and a host of pungent plants for Mimi to explore.  "Iiniyoi!"  (smells good, in Japanese). 

We only stayed about an hour and a half in the Botanical Gardens, but they were a perfect place for Mimi to explore and work out some pent-up energy.  Mimi's still a bit young to get a lot out of the gardens, or most of San Francisco's attractions for that matter, but she still enjoys her outings nonetheless.  I'm looking forward to revisiting the places we frequented with Mimi as a toddler when she's several years older.  I wonder how her perception will change and if she will have retained any memories or connections as a result of her toddler visits.  One thing I do know, though.  It'll be nice to explore without a stroller. 

Dolores Park: Hipsters and Homeless in the Hills of SF

There are few things better than a great city park on a Sunday afternoon.  They are, in contrast to the grinding hustle of the city, oases for the body and mind.  Places where you can sit only five feet from your closest neighbor but still be a world away.  Sumie and I love them.  

In NYC, we made the most of our parks.  It was a rare weekend that we didn't hit Riverside, Carl Shurz, or Central park in spring and summer.  So, when San Francisco presented us with a 65+ degree Sunday in January, we figured we'd make the most of it.

We considered taking the short walk over to Golden Gate Park, our current back yard, but then held off.  The park is genuinely breathtaking in both acreage and beauty, but the massive scope of the park tends to make it a bit impersonal.  We wanted a place where we'd be rubbing shoulders and sharing sod with our urban neighbors.  A place where people watching outweighs peace and quiet.  And so we hit Dolores Park. 

Dolores Park, nestled between the Mission and Castro neighborhoods, is famous for its city views, sloping lawns, and permissiveness.  As we circled the park looking for a parking spot (we eventually found one atop what must be the third steepest hill in San Francisco) we noticed a light haze hanging over the lawns.  "Must be moisture evaporating off the grass," we thought.  It wasn't until we settled down on our picnic mat that we realized we were only kind off right.  Grass was causing the haze, only not the type we were sitting on. 

We found a relatively quiet spot overlooking the city and the children's playground (under construction, unfortunately) and got down to the business of relaxing.  Mimi followed suit.  For about 7 minutes.  Just as the sun was really beginning to soak in, Mimi decided it was time for soccer. 

Her ball control has really improved over the past several months.  We've turned to working on throw-ins as well.  These are Mimi's favorite.  I think she deliberately kicks to ball out of bounds just to throw it back in again.

Tiring of soccer, Mimi joined us back on the mat and people watched.  Well, Sumie and I people watched while Mimi dog watched.  I haven't seen that many dogs here in San Francisco - nothing like the Upper East Side - but I got my fill at Dolores park.  There were at least 20 dogs of different breeds, from dachshund to doberman, circling our small plot of lawn.  And they were all off leash.  This led to one ecstatic little girl.  It also led to a few anxious owners who'd lost track of their pooches - they were the ones walking alone with a leash in one hand, a doggie treat in the other, and a squinty look of "Where's that damn dog?" on their faces - and one man who, having lost his dog, had inadvertently gotten lost himself. 

The mix of people in the park was considerable.  The lawns were dotted with families, couples (of all iterations), bleary-eyed students, unshaven hipsters, the ever-shuffling homeless, singles with books, singles with drugs, and the occasional wide-eyed tourist.  Everyone was out enjoying the sun and fresh air - though I think half were doing so to escape the house and the other half to nurse a hangover.  Speaking of nursing hangovers, about halfway into our stay a man came walking down the hill yelling out, "Cold beer!"  This was fantastic.  I didn't partake, but I loved the man's approach.  Other substances were being sold at the park "under the table," so to speak, but here was a man who had cold beer and just wanted to know if you happened to want one.  It reminded me of being at a ball game.  Unfortunately, a burrito guy never came by. 

After about 2 hours of lazing about, it was time for Mimi's nap and for us to head home.  As we walked up the slope toward our car we snatched a final snapshot of the Dolores Park's awesome views. 

This is definitely a great city park.  One of San Francisco's best oases and one we'll be coming back to soak in soon.