Visit from Tracy

My bestie Tracy came to visit on Thursday.  On Friday morning, we went for a lovely hike even though it was still a bit overcast when we got to the top.  

 Friday night, Tom, Tracy and I went out for a vegan food adventure.  We took the BART into San Francisco for vegan sushi.

 The restaurant we wanted to visit wasn't taking any more names on their wait list but Tom saved the day and found another vegan Japanese restaurant just four blocks away.  He was our hero.

 It was right next door to a fun chocolate place that we had to visit.

 My friend Kristi and her husband were also in the city after attending a baseball game.  Kristi and Tracy know each other from her New Year's Eve visit a couple years ago.

A quick Lyft ride and we were all together at a funky bar.

It was a great visit with Tracy but we didn't take enough pictures.  Oh well.  Hopefully she'll be back for New Year's Eve again.  We have lots more vegan food to eat.

Leo's first day of school

Leo had his first day of school today.  He was cool as a cucumber, but I was a bundle of nerves.  His drop-off time is after his sister so I had time to walk Serafina to school and come back to drive him to school.  

Here he is before we left.  

 His school is sandwiched between two preschools.  I joked with him that he shouldn't accidentally go to the preschool instead.  He thought that was funny. 

 He was kind of annoyed with me that I wanted a picture by the school sign, but a mom walked by and said "we did the same picture this morning".  Ha!

 This is his classroom.  It's a fourth grade/fifth grade combo class.  There are 11 students total, four of them fifth graders.  There is a teacher and an aide in the class. 

I was busy during the day (trip to the gym, a birthday brunch and an airport pick-up) so I tried to stay distracted but I was definitely worried about him.  When I was waiting for him to come out at pick-up, I was so tense.  What if he hated it?  What if he was upset and never wanted to go back?  And then came out with a smile.  He told me it was great and he really liked it.  I was so relieved; I blinked back tears of joy.  I hope he continues to like it as the work load ramps up.  His teacher seems so incredibly nice and the class size is a dream.  I'm optimistic it's going to be a great year. 

Computer History Museum

It's the final days of Leo's summer break.  I've been having him go to bed at the same time as Serafina and I wake him up around the same time too.  He doesn't actually get out of bed while his sister gets ready and leaves for school, but at least he's awake.  He loves to sleep in and hopefully the transition to the school year schedule will be a little easier this way.  I wanted to do an outing with him today before he goes back to school and after some discussion we decided on the Computer History Museum.  It's in nearby Mountain View so we headed there in the late morning.  Most kids in the area are already back in school and it's too early in the year for field trips, so it was blissfully uncrowded.  

It was a super geeky experience.  He was in heaven.  

Here's the PDP-1 demo lab.  

 World's smallest computers.

 Some old school music formats. 

 Programming a video game. 

 Sitting in the self-driving car.

 Finding our house on Google Earth.

 An old Atari system like his dad use to have. 

Playing PONG. 

We enjoyed the experience together.  It was like being on a field trip with just one kid that I like a lot more than most kids.  But after a while, all the old computers looked the same and felt pretty done. 

After lunch, I made him help me take my fundraising flyers to deliver to teacher mailboxes.  We were there at pick up time so he saw some friends and old teachers and it was really nice. 

Serafina's first day of school

Serafina started school today.  Leo did not.  She wanted me to get her up early, but then she ended up ready for school with time to spare so she wandered around the house anxious and agitated.  

There was plenty of time for pictures. 

 New backpack for this school year. 

 And some new shoes. 

 Serafina and Sunny are in class together this year.  They haven't been together since kindergarten. 

 Their teacher is Mrs. Ghelfi, who is also Sunny's aunt.  I'm friends with Mrs. Ghelfi and I'm very happy she is Serafina's third grade teacher.  She's no nonsense but very kind. 

Sunny and Serafina are at the same table group.  I hope this works out okay.  

She told me she had a good day and likes her teacher.  I can't ask for much more.  

 Serafina ended up wearing the same top as her friend Raz.  They were in class together last year and there was lots of drama between these two.  They seemed happy about having the same fashion choice today though. 

Since Leo doesn't start school until next Thursday.  Today we stopped by the pediatrician because his ears have been clogged since the return flight from Mexico.  Turns out he has a double ear infection.  After the appointment, we had a lunch date.  

Lunch with Dad

Today was our last official day of summer break.  Serafina starts school tomorrow and Leo starts next Thursday.  I suggested we go to Santa Cruz for some beach time and ice cream, but the kids didn't love that idea.  I think Mexico spoiled them since the beach was steps away with white sand and incredibly warm water.  Anyway, I couldn't let the final day go by without something special happening and fortunately Tom was available for lunch.

We picked up some In-n-Out and headed to the park.

They even got a chance to throw the frisbee around before we had to take Tom back to work.

I'm having lots of mixed feelings about sending these kids back to school, especially to separate schools.  Serafina was a little disappointed when she got her class list today and there weren't more of her friends in her class, but her BFF Sunny is in her class so that made her feel better.  Sunny's aunt is going to be their teacher.  She's very good and I really wouldn't have tolerated any other teacher this year so I'm happy about that.  I know Serafina will be easy to get up and ready tomorrow so there will be plenty of time for some first day of school pictures.  She's been planning her outfit and hair for days now.

First ballet class at new studio

At the end of last dance season, Serafina seemed pretty burned out.  She had already dropped her hip hop class many months before and she wasn't really enjoying her jazz class.  She was even talking about quitting dance even though it is something she really loves.  After some discussion, she told me she really wanted to try lyrical dance.  I knew her usual dance studio didn't have a lyrical class for kids her age so I began a hunt for a new studio with a lyrical dance class option for young dancers.  I was lucky enough to find one in nearby Cupertino.  We went over the summer to find out more and they told us she needed to be co-enrolled in a ballet class.  She hasn't taken ballet in a couple years but they let her enroll in an advanced beginner class.  The first class was last week, but since we were in Mexico, today was her first day.  She was beyond nervous.  It made me so nervous.  I knew she didn't have anything to worry about, but she was so worried about everything.  We made sure we followed the dress code, bun requirement and got there a few minutes early.  Of course it was all fine.  The teacher was nice and she enjoyed it.  She'll have her first lyrical class on Thursday. 

I love this quick picture I snapped as we were walking to the studio.  Doesn't she look the part?

And check out the look on her face.  Pure annoyance with her goofy mom and my insistence that I take a picture. I'm confident this is a look I'll be getting for the next 10+ years.  

Mexico, day 7 - last day

We didn't have to check out until noon so of course there had to be one last visit to the amazing hotel pools and the warm ocean.  

Waiting for the airport shuttle after a successful Mexico vacation.

We went for a quick walk to grab some pastries and I had to document the pizza place that was a lifesaver on two separate, sweaty nights.  My kids couldn't do Mexican food every night so delicious slices for just 25 pesos came to the rescue.

We had a long bumpy flight from Cancun to Salt Lake City during which Leo lost a tooth eating a piece of candy.

Love a photo op and we kinda love Delta now for their individual TVs in the back of each seat with a huge selection of movies.  It made the long travel more tolerable.  

And that concludes our amazing Mexican vacation.  I just love Mexico so much and it was wonderful to show my children such a special place.  It wasn't without it's challenges but they were outweighed by good times and natural beauty.