Seeing Yourself in Your Kids: Things for which to be Thankful

There has been a great deal to be thankful for this holiday season. So much so, that it's been nearly a month since my last post. The last month has been a time for family, which has also been the main reason for the delay between posts. This is, of course, the main blessing I'd like to recognize, but that will take a major post for which my brain, sadly, is not quite yet prepared (look for it soon). As such, tonight's post will deal with smaller topics. Specifically, the happiness I feel when I see my own kids taking an interest in the things I love.

The first love regular followers of this blog might readily guess: cars.  This Sunday, I snuck away, while most of the family and our family guests were asleep, to the January gathering of Cars and Coffee in Marin. For the first time, I took Kuri with me. I wasn't sure how he'd do, but he had a fantastic time. I met lots of dads there with their sons, usually 6-12 years old, but my little boy was only pushing 14 months. Yes, I'm starting early. Here he is with the car that brought him there.

We saw a ton of amazing cars, but the one that really stood out was the original, unmolested, 300SL Gullwing. Kuri approved.

Although the car had numerous cracks and imperfections, I could already tell that Kuri deeply appreciated the original patina of this timeless classic. He was so blown away, in fact, that he couldn't even look at the front end of the car. It was just too much.

Mimi has also taken an interest in cars. One of her favorite things is to help Papa wash the cars in the driveway. Here she is cleaning up the BMW for our family visitors who would arrive the next day.

I'm also amazed by Mimi's creativity. Already, at 4 years old, she likes to dress up like Elvis Costello...

...and re-enact favorite fairy tales like "The Princess and the Pea." This last pic occurred following a family visit when we'd stacked all the bedding we'd used in Mimi's room. She couldn't resist reaffirming her princess status.

When I think back to before the kids were born, and what I'd hoped they'd love, three topics arise. The first, of course, is cars. As we've seen, this has already occurred (hooray!). The next is reading. While both are a bit young for this, they both love having stories read to them. My chance for introducing books for them to read on their own (at least for Mimi) is just around the corner. The last is music. It was my hope, and perhaps a vain one, that Mimi and Kuri would appreciate some of the same bands that I loved as a kid and continue to cherish now. To date, Mimi has a passing interest in The Beatles, but, I am quite thankful to report, she has become a genuine fan of They Might Be Giants.

I first discovered this band from my cousin John, who had a tape of their single "Don't Let's Start" when it first came out. I heard this and absolutely loved it. I was all of 9 years old. I've followed their career ever since. It is virtually impossible to explain how excited I am that my daughter, before the age of 5, loves the same song.  Of course, she calls it "Donut Star," but that's part of the fascination.

So far, she's enjoying the classics. "Minimum Wage" is one of her favorites. She likes to act this one out in particular.

When playing TMBG the other night, Mimi surprised me. As anyone who has been to a TMBG show knows, as soon as "Birdhouse in Your Soul" kicks into gear, you start jumping. Innately, Mimi knew just what to do. She was a bit obsessed with trying to get her little brother to play along, but she definitely had the right idea.

Lastly, Mimi is beginning to show a capacity with complicated lyrics. A capacity her father possesses and one her mother quite egregiously lacks (I love my wife dearly, and while she can remember the melody to countless tunes, she cannot access the lyrics to even the most common song outside of Happy Birthday). However, while bouncing on the trampoline the other day, Mimi spouted off the following:
     The sun is a mass of incandescent gas,
     A gigantic nuclear furnace.
     Where hydrogen is built into helium
     At a temperature of millions of degrees.
Yes, "Why the Sun Shines" (slow version, for now) is her favorite TMBG song. I never really expected this to happen, but perhaps that's why I'm so thankful for it. Even so young, I can already see my daughter taking enjoyment in, and having an affinity for, the same kind of wordplay that I have always loved.

It's been a great start to the new year. More to come on the adventures of the past two weeks with friends and family. A happy New Year to all!

Mendocino via Vintage 911

This weekend was the first time in two years that Sumie and I slept under a different roof than our children.  They remained at home, kindly, and excitedly, watched over by Grandma.  Sumie and I blocked off a luxurious 30 hours of "us" time and fled to the north coast of Mendocino.

Looking back over nearly 5 years with kids so far, I think it's safe to say that Sumie and I still travel quite a bit, but it's always as a family.  Christopher, in his first year of life alone, logged more airline miles than I did in my first twenty.  Traveling with young kids can be a lot of fun, but it's never quite a vacation, so this was a real treat for the two of us.

Our trip began with a quick drive up 101 and then crossing over to Bodega Bay.  From there, we drove up the remaining 100 or so miles to Mendocino along Highway 1.  We marveled at the scenery and completely different pace of the small towns through which we passed.  This is perhaps the only place in the world in which it takes 15 minutes to toast a pizza bagel.  And when it finally arrives on the counter, it's a pesto bagel.

We arrived at our bed and breakfast, The Agate Cove Inn, in the late afternoon.  The setting had looked fantastic on the website, but was even better in person.  Quiet, serene, with just enough ocean roar to calm the senses.

The inn even matched our car!  Upon arrival, I put the top back on the Porsche.  It did not come off again on our trip.  I love a targa or a convertible, but Sumie is not a big fan.  "You can't talk!"

While unfolding the roof, I brilliantly managed to pinch my ring finger in the hinge mechanism, resulting in a nice, steady stream of blood.  Sumie, always the doctor on call, quickly responded with a very manly Dora the Explorer bandaid, which I wore proudly through the rest of the trip.

Despite the somewhat humbling arrival, we were quite pleased with our room.  Gas fireplace, a soaking tub big enough for a moderate-sized high school swim team, and a supple leather couch with an amazing view out the front windows.

This is the basic view we had from our sitting room and the front porch.

Back in NYC, Sumie and I ate out all the time.  We reveled in good food.  Today, it's an exceedingly rare treat that the two of us can enjoy a good restaurant.  Young kids have a way of keeping fancy food at bay.  As such, our trips as a couple often center on good food, and plenty of it. For our first meal we had reservations at Coq au Vin, a country-style French restaurant in Andersen Valley.  By the time we headed out (top on the car, and Sumie much happier), it was already dark.  Now, anyone who has driven through the Northern California coast knows that cell phone reception is, at best, spotty. And anyone who has driven a stock 911sc at night knows that the factory headlights are about as bright as a 1 watt bulb hooked up to the exercise wheel of a lethargic hamster with emphysema. This delightful combination resulted in us overshooting our hard-to-see restaurant...by 14 miles. But, thanks to my German obsession with being on time, and a similar German obsession with fast cars, we still made it.

Coq au Vin is by no means fancy.  It's a favorite of the locals and the decor and comaraderie matches the laid-back atmosphere of the north coast.  The food, however, is first rate.  We started with mussels and an order of French onion soup.  Sumie pronounced this soup the best she has ever tasted. I heartily agreed (and nearly ordered a second cup).

Sumie followed with the cod...

...and I tucked into the roast tenderloin with Normandy sauce.  Both were simple, but wonderfully done.

The next morning we enjoyed a breakfast at the inn (which had the best muffins I've ever enjoyed) and pottered around the grounds.

 Upon check-out we made the very short drive down to the town of Mendocino proper.

 The downtown was very cute, and also very dangerous.  Well, at least for my wallet.  We found a little shop that specialized in jams and jellies, and another in Belgian chocolates and automobile memorabilia.  We even came across a man who ran a perfume shop and built custom speakers.  This, for me, was perhaps the most dangerous.  Sumie, however, had the strength to pull me out before I could be led to the listening room and a potential purchase that definitely would not have fit in the back seat.

Our last stop in town was Cafe Beaujolais, a California-French restaurant (heavy emphasis on the California).  Sumie and I split crab cakes, and then she tucked into her fettuccine.

I had a bacon and chicken sandwich, Frenched up with the addition of brie and served on a baguette. Mine was great, but Sumie definitely won the lunch food round.  Her leftovers are still in the fridge as I'm writing this, but may well be gone by the time she gets home with Mimi from shopping.

 Our drive home on highway 128 took us through dense redwood stands.  It was gorgeous.  Sumie mentioned that she saw an Ewok or two.  We'd had a remarkable time.

We'd also made it home quickly, safely, and comfortably in a 32 year old car with over 200K on the odometer.  Our little 911, which I'd equipped with a spare battery, jumper cables, and a set of tools, saw us through and helped to make our little road trip a bit of an adventure. I can also proudly say that not a single person passed us on highway 1 or 128, despite our keeping, for the car at least, a rather leisurely pace.

After 30 hours away, we returned home to two very excited kids.  They had been amazing for grandma and we couldn't have been prouder of them.  That night, Mimi snuggled into her favorite spot on Mama's lap for a story.

The next morning, I cuddled my two munchkins.

After this weekend, I've realized that a night or two away isn't simply about spending private time with your spouse (though that's much appreciated).  Perhaps the greatest benefit of a weekend away from the kids is remembering just how much you love what you left behind.