First day of Preschool

Marley started preschool today. As you can see, she was excited! She is in a little setting with a total of 6 kids. She has been dreaming of school. However, tonight was melt-down time. She started balling at 6pm and didn't stop. She asked me to put her to bed at 7. Actually, all the kids have been that way since school started. Every evening is a mess when they all crash from exhaustion. I think we must be in the minority of parents that like summer better than the school year.

Look Who's Crawling Now

Yes, Kate is crawling. She continues to be one of the happiest babies we have met. She has a ready smile for everyone. However, Asher was worried because our friend, Kaliegh Anne, who is a month younger has been crawling for weeks and Kate was lagging behind. He must have felt sister competition because he resorted to coaching her and giving crawling tips. Needless to say, he was relieved when she started moving her caboose.

Pinecrest Part 2

The big attraction at Pinecrest is always the beach. The thing we like best about the whole trip is that we don't "have" to see or do anything. Most of our time is spent sitting and playing at the beach. Add to that the fact that I didn't drive the entire week and you have paradise. We ride our bikes most days to anywhere we need go. It is a mere 1 mile from our cabin to the beach. We even have a trailer to carry Marley and all the gear. Our spot on the 3rd beach (the least crowded one) is already picked out. We have a routine for relaxation.

Depending on the time of year, the water can be cool and refreshing (August-ish) or cold and frigid (June and July). It is interesting to see which kids mind the cold water and which ones don't. Our kids like the water for about 5 minutes. After that, they come out of the water a shivering mass of goosebumps. However, keeping them warm is always a nice part of the day.

On Wednesday, we took all the kids for a hike around Pinecrest. We went 1/3 of the way to the dam. It was a nice workout for me since I got to shoulder Marley a good deal of the way. The kids loved hiking the rock although meghan had a rough go of it in her Crocs.

The highlight of the whole week might have been our trip to Cleo's bath. Cleo's bath is an area 2 miles above Pinecrest. The stream that feeds into the lake comes down through the granite mountains. On its way down, it makes its way through Cleo's bath. Over time, the river has worn the rock smooth and spun boulders around depressions in the rock to make deep pools. The pools are smooth and round and vary in size from hot tub to swimming pool. Our favorite pool features a waterslide that drops into a pool 20 feet deep and 25 feet long. This water is snow-melt so although it is warmer in August than it is in June or July, it is still quite brisk. The hike up is as exciting as the arrival. I suspect that Asher and Ella liked it better. This was Ella's first time, and I thought she might have some troubles, but she was a champ and kept up with Asher the whole way. Last year Asher refused to even try the water. This year, he took the plunge, but once was enough.


The tradition on the way down is to stop for a Rootbeer Float at the snackshack. We canoed across the lake to the trailhead on the way in, but Asher and I raced the canoe back on the trail going home. In the canoe's defense, Tom and Jain didn't realize we were racing until we caught up to them, but it did give me an idea. Asher and I decided to run the lake that Friday. The lake is 4 miles of up and down rocky terrain. Though we went when it was getting hot Asher ran a great time. He ran around the lake in 1 hour 6 minutes. So we were all pretty impressed.

We did also have our usual trip to the Ranger Station, smores for dessert, and an evening show put on by the kids. It had all the elements we have come to love.

On our way to Pinecrest

We started on our way to Pinecrest right about on time. The only problem is that Stefanie's back went out, and she needed to lay down for a while before driving. ONn the way, Stef also needed to get out of the car for a bit, so we stopped at REI. While we were there, Asher tried climbing the rock wall. He was able to make it all the way to the top although he had to do it barefoot which couldn't feel good. We left again and made it to Tracy. We stopped at a gas station for some gas and a break. I was so excited that gas in Tracy was under $4! How frightening that $3.98 is a good price. We thought we were on our way. We enter the freeway and Marley tells me that she needs to pee. That's my fault; I should have asked if she needed to go. We take the very next exit and use a grimy port-o-let. Finally we made it to Oakdale. Every year we stop at Dorada Park for a break. It is a cool old park with a lot of character and nooks 'n crannies. The kids had a great time not sitting in the car, and Kate tried her first swing. We got back in the car and drove. We almost got hit in Confidence by someone looking at their radio on a big turn. We missed the head on collision, but Ella got hit in the head with a rice cooker in the process. That's my fault; pack the heavy stuff down low. So the upshot of the drive up is that we turned a 4 hour drive into an 8 hour drive. We arrived at 8:30 after dinner was done and packed up. But at least we made it.

Biker Chick

I love seeing my kids to learn to ride a two-wheeler. The feeling of running with them as they pedal frantically and then letting go of the seat as they teeter unsteadily on their own is one of a kind. It is hard to see them grow up and do these things on their own, but I also feel a sense of "rightness." It is like a metaphor for parenting as you let go and they venture on their own.

Being the third in line, Marley is always trying to keep up. Lately she has been determined to ride a bike without training wheels. We worked a little on it last week, but she lacked the confidence. She still is unsure, but she is riding on her own. You can hear her shout in the video, "Dad! Hold on! Hold on!" I am sure all kinds of symbolic metaphors could be drawn here, but the really it is just fun to see her learn to ride a bike.

Daddy-Daughter Hip-Hop

So the long-awaited Daddy-Daughter Hip-Hop class began last night. Here is the history. Ella took a few dance classes at the Sonoma Academy of Dance, but she always had her heart set on a Daddy-Daughter class they offered. When she asked, I agreed. "But..." I said, " I don't want to do the recital."
Her face got a little long. She sort of turned away to leave and mumbled, "Ok, then I don't want to do it."
"Wait a minute. Why don't you want to do it?"
"Dad, the whole point of a dance class is the recital! (You have to say that with a 'No duh' tone in your voice)"
Total manipulation, but I was cornered. "Alright, we can do the recital."

So the January class got moved to March. The March class got moved to May. The may class got canceled to late summer. Ella was getting so impatient that I had to ask the dance studio, "What's the hold up?" They told me to get 2 other Dad's and their daughters, and we could have a class. After some recruiting efforts, 7 dads with their daughters were ready to hip-hop this past Tuesday.

Although I can't post pictures in good conscience, I can say that Ella and I had a great time. I'll let everyone know how the recital goes after it is over--don't expect me to publish the date or time...

Kids Rock

Ella, Marley, and I went up to Sacramento to see a "Rock Circus" by a band called the Sippy Cups. I was a little wary, but my friend Sandy recommended them, and we are sold. It is music the kids like that I can actually bear to listen to. In addition to their own songs, they did some covers of Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, and the video shows the girls dancing on stage with the band to "I want to be Sedated" by the Ramones. It was a great hit. Check out their site if you are interested: http://www.thesippycups.com/