Regular readers of this blob probably never think about what our morning routine is like. And I'm sure that occasional readers have never given it a second thought. However, I'm going to share it all with you anyway to kick off this blog post because I have some cute pictures.
Every weekday begins at 6:05 when my iPhone alarm goes off. It then begins again at 6:14, and on most days one more time at 6:23 when I finally stop hitting snooze and decide to get myself, and the rest of the family, out of bed. As Sumie steps into the shower, I check my work email and then begin heating up Kuri's morning milk. After a quick shower, I wake up Kuri (who is always happy to see me and raring to go) and wake up Mimi (who is, shall we say, less than enthusiastic to wake up) and get them going.
My job is to dress the kids, feed them, prepare their stuff for school/daycare, etc. while Sumie gets ready for commute into the city and her long day at the hospital. It's a pretty good system. The last step is "KIDS IN CAR!!!", which I generally shout around 7:30. When Kuri jumps in, he needs to have at least one of his Thomas toys and his favorite Thomas book. He's now able to hold it up the right way on his own.
Mimi watches over Kuri, making sure everything is ready.
Of course, jumping into the car isn't as easy as it sounds. On most mornings they enjoy chasing each other around the front yard and peaking through the front fence to say "Hello, Papa!"
A couple weekends ago we enjoyed a special visit from my sister and Mimi and Kuri's cousins Alder and Brynn. Alder is just a month younger than Mimi and Brynn is only 3 months younger than Kuri. They don't get together as often as they should (which is partially our fault for not getting up to Oregon as often as we should), but when they do, they always have a fantastic time. All four of them made use of the trampoline.
Mimi, Alder, and Kuri were especially fond of their time on the tramp.
I think you can see the family resemblance in all three in this photo, but there's no denying that Mimi and Kuri are related.
The kids played pinball in the bedroom.
Which occasionally meant sitting on top of the pinball for a better view.
They also went for a swim in the wading pool in the back yard. This was great fun for all, save Kuri. He decided he'd cry through the whole thing...
...except for the 12 seconds he was distracted by a bubble wand. At least Mimi and Kuri had a great time.
During our weekend together we were even honored with a visit from Sumie's cousin - all the way from Taiwan - and Sumie's sister and her family. Saturday night found a very busy dinner table.
As the younger kids napped, Mimi and Alder would enjoy a movie together. Here they are completely immersed in "The Incredibles."
They at least had the courtesy to look up from their movie and peanut butter sandwiches to smile for a picture.
On Saturday, Mimi, Alder, and I made a trial shopping run in the Porsche for groceries. I needed to see if they'd be OK in the back before we made a longer journey the next day. As I suspected, they loved it. Porsche 911 back seats were made for kids under 12. It's a fact.
On Sunday the two kids again bundled into the 911 for a trip to the Larkspur Ferry. We were taking the ferry out for a day in San Francisco!
When we arrived at the ferry building, we weren't sure what to do, so we walked around. The large fountain downtown was turned off thanks to the drought, but that didn't keep Mimi and Alder from exploring it.
We gorged ourselves on burgers and shakes at Gott's Roadside. Very, very good.
Sadly, Alder, at least in this picture, reflects the general mood and the oppressive heat we faced before our food came.
After lunch, we headed out to see if we could do a San Francisco specialty Mimi has never taken part in - riding on a cable car. Somehow, my sister and I, with two kids apiece, made it work.Mimi and Alder loved looking out the windows.
Mimi was impressed by the slope of the hill.
She was so impressed that by the end of the ride, she'd slid right into her cousin.
Kuri sat on my lap the whole way.
He had a great time taking in all the sights.
Our time with the cousins was a ton of fun and over far too quickly. Before we knew it, we were back to our small family, making the most of the evenings we shared together. One night, Mimi decided she'd be a professional artist, complete with improvised beret.
And Kuri, though virtually naked, insisted on joining in.
A few days ago, Mimi decided that Mama and Papa needed a special ring to share. She measured Mama's finger and then created this ring all on her own. She then put it in a jewelry box - incidentally, the same box that once held Sumie's engagement ring.
Despite the busy schedule, Kuri and I still found a few spare hours to make it over to Cars and Coffee. I really can't wait until he's a few years older and can run around with me, probably with a camera, ogling all the cars there. We saw a few amazing ones, including a Maserati Bora...
...and a V8 Daimler, direct from England, which I'd never even heard of.
Life has been filled to the brim these last few weeks between work, family, and friends, but we wouldn't have it any other way. With Mimi starting Kindergarten in a few weeks, we're going to try to eek out a very short vacation before the storm hits. I have a sinking suspicion it is about to get even busier over the next few months. Kindergarten is a big deal! At least I remember it that way.
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