Swimming Lessons

When a friend mentioned her girls were in swimming lessons, I pounced on it and signed Cal up for the same class. It involved racing down to the community center last minute to register, but it was completely worth it. He had so much fun, and was excited to be in his friend Keira's class.

 His instructor was Natalie; all the teachers were from the high school. It was just perfect.

While I was mainly in search of a fun summer activity, I really do feel like Cal progressed. He got an official report card at the end of the two weeks, which was adorable and hilarious.  He's always loved being in the water, but now, if he has his floaties or life jacket on, he jumps off the side into the water (touching the bottom of the pool with his toes and everything!) and swims over to the stairs to repeat. I've got to get this kid swimming so I can stop having heart attacks when he does "brave" things.

 The bonus: when we come home, we head to our complex pool with our friends to show off our new swimming skills.

 I just have to include this next story. One day, down at our pool, a group of high school girls came to chat and sunbathe, and my little flirty boy went right over and invited himself to join them.  Of course, they just encouraged him by cooing and fussing over him, saying "He's sooooo cute!"

 And I mean, I pretty much agree. :)

Gymnastics

Starting in January, Cal and his friend started a gymnastics class. He was very excited to get to try something new and play with a friend, and I was looking for an outlet for some of his energy!

This was their first week. Don't they look excited?

Cal is very proud of his forward roll, his ability to walk like a bear, pointing and flexing his toes, and walking on the balance beam. Everywhere we go now, he balances on the curb and says, "Look, Mommy! I balance!"

This one's hard to see, but it's a video of Cal doing flipping his legs over the bars:

We finished up the class last week, and Cal got a blue ribbon which he is very proud of; it's currently on the fridge, and he shows it to all who enter our apartment, saying, "Dis from my nastics!"

We'll be back for more in the fall!

Stanford Continuing Studies Classes

This past year, a friend and I have been taking classes through Stanford University's continuing studies program. I have loved driving up to the beautiful campus in Palo Alto each week.

Fall semester, we took a course on the Arab Spring; it was interesting to realize how much I do not know about the Arab world. Our instructor was a reporter for the New York Times, and was in Egypt when the Mubarak regime fell. His first-hand account of his experience was harrowing and unbelievable. And to think, he was available to teach at Stanford! I felt very blessed to be receiving such an authentic instruction.

Winter semester, we took a class called Architecture and Archaeology of Ancient Rome. I absolutely loved  it. As a humanities major, Rome seemed more or less familiar to me, but I was amazed at the amount I learned from the professor. It was wonderful to narrow my focus and learn about the detailed chronology of one place. I feel like it really strengthened my humanities foundation, and I will never forget how engaging the professor was. He had us laughing at his colloquial explanations of history, and his fervent hand gestures as he was trying to explain things were very memorable. Loved this class.

We are currently enrolled in a class about the Catholic church after the Vatican II council of the 1960s. Each lecture is taught by a different visiting professor, priest, or nun, and handles topics such as the ordination of women, the involvement of the laypeople, the liturgy being changed to native languages, missionary work vs. tolerance, etc.  My friend and I have even had the opportunity to attend mass at Stanford and talk to the priests afterward. It's a very respectful, non-threatening conversation about what our religions have in common, plus some of the common challenges both our churches are facing in today's world.

I have loved being a part of the learning and discussions and discoveries going on at Stanford, and I have enjoyed the 25-minute commute with my friend. We have great discussions, and it has definitely strengthened my already wonderful friendship with her. I'm hoping that CSU classes remain a part of my life here for a long, long time.

Saturday in the City

One of my birthday presents this year was a day trip to San Francisco.  As I've probably mentioned before, I find SF a little intimidating.  Before I moved to the bay area, I never would have considered myself a "country girl", and honestly, I still can't say those words with a straight face, but I am realizing that I tend to gravitate toward wide open spaces.  And that is one thing you will find none of in San Francisco: free space.  Thankfully, there are enough cool things in the city to overcome my doubts about driving down endless, winding roads in search of a rare parking spot. Exhibit A: Tartine Bakery.

Check out that line out front!  I was coming on a recommendation from a friend, and this place did not disappoint. 

They are famous for their morning buns, but I opted for a fruity scone and a hot chocolate.  A perfect breakfast to start my day!

I am nuts about historical buildings, and that is one thing that San Fran has in no short supply.  One of California's crowning historical legacies is its chain of Spanish missions running up the state along the Camino Real.  I had been to several growing up (they are standard fare in 4th grade classrooms all over California), and was excited to visit a new one; each has their own specific personality and story. 

The Mission Dolores in San Francisco:

It was built in 1776, and is the oldest extant building in San Francisco.

 It even survived the earthquake of 1906, although the same cannot be said for the more recent basilica to the right, which had to be nearly completely rebuilt.

The museum had photos on display which showed the damage to the basilica roof, and hearses out front carrying victims of the earthquake:

The basilica today:

 The inside was peaceful and quiet, lined with beautiful stained glass windows (many of which had to be replicated and replaced after the earthquake shattered them).

I just kept gasping and pointing, reading plaques and graves with excitement... what a historical treasure.

By the time the (self-guided) tour was finished, I'd worked up quite an appetite. Look at this cute little restaurant next to Golden Gate Park.  We killed time waiting for our names to be called by shopping for kids' clothes at a consignment boutique up the street, and then got to sit up on the rooftop addition, next to a cozy fire.  Lovely!  (And Cal scored two new shirts!)

After lunch, I made us go over to the Conservatory of Flowers, a beautiful Victorian structure dating to 1878.  (There's actually a controversy about its origins. COOL! History Mystery!!!) Isn't it just stunning?  It was one of the few structures to escape largely unscathed from the earthquake.

From there, it was a lovely, meandering walk to the de Young art museum lookout tower, which offers a panoramic view of the bay.

The last stop was an adorable bookstore across from the goodwill boutique.  (I had much more luck at the bookstore than with the clothes, as usual!)  I took pictures of about 10 new books to add to my to-read pile...which is getting frighteningly large...

It was a wonderful day in San Francisco, a city that intimidates me less and less with each visit. :)

Planting Flowers with Friends

We have had this ugly, dead plant on our stairwell since we moved in almost two years ago! Don't ask me why I haven't replanted it. I figured it must be our neighbors', and that they'd notice if I threw it away, but lately it's been looking so horrible, I decided they wouldn't mind saying goodbye to it.

I took Cal and his two friends to Home Depot and O.S.H. to buy plastic planters, soil, and flowers. Boy did they have fun digging and scooping dirt, planting flowers, and watering the soil! Here are a few shots of their collaboration:

And look how much nicer the view from our front door is:

I'm sure even the neighbors won't mind. Happy Spring, everyone!

Preschool Silkworms

Cal is loving his twice-a-week preschool, and every time I pick him up, it's easy to see why. The teachers are so good at providing stimulating activities for these busy, curious kids! The latest project involves three boxes of silkworms. Cal was thrilled to show me. Here he is explaining everything:

At the most recent session of preschool, many of the worms were in cocoons. I asked Cal what they were going to turn into, and he said, "Big flying BUGS!!!" It's amazing how his little mind is growing. He understands more than I expect him to, and remembers concepts and conversations, even if I just briefly mention things. I'm constantly amazed by my little preschooler!