Exploring the Mission

Alec spends about half of his week hanging out in SF's Mission District, but usually without the parental units. Yesterday, however, we were lucky to join him. First stop after picking him up from spending the morning with V and L -- Taqueria Cancun --

He helped us finish (get through, proclaim victory over) our veggie burritos...



... and was particularly taken with the chips. He even didn't mind stepping over the guy, ummm, sleeping in the doorway as we left.

Later that evening, we had a special treat since we have a friend visiting from Quebec. Dinner at Slow Club. This wasn't Alec's first visit there (that would be on Nov. 2 2007 with A on her birthday when he was just a babe in arms), but it was the first time that he really appreciated the location - right across from the Muni garage.

boooo!

When you have a limited vocabulary, you want to use every word as often as possible. This gave him the opportunity to practice one of his favorites - booo (bus)

Auguri a Luca

After our walk Sunday morning, we went to Luca's 2nd birthday party. Quite a scene!
Here's the birthday boy looking very mature


and here's his friend

who slept very soundly after a very fun afternoon! Grazie!

Playground alternative

N is up skiing in BC this weekend, so Alec and I have been making our own fun. This morning instead of braving the wet and shady playground, we took a walk on the Embarcadero. Alec didn't need the jungle gyms to tire him out or amuse him - after being pushed in the stroller on the way to the Ferry Building, on the way back he was ready to walk. He walked (actually ran!) screaming or singing the entire time, from the Louise Bourgeois spider all the way to the Bay Bridge.



Short stops included this very fascinating short staircase and porch, which he didn't want to leave



and every manhole cover or similar metal street hardware, on which he does a little stomping dance. I hope this doesn't foreshadow OCD!

Vroom Vroom!

Shifting into 5th gear

The weather has finally changed, but just today. Last weekend saw another drive down the coast to Half Moon Bay to visit Adair, A, and K. By chance, my parents also had decided to take a drive there, so we met up for a quick stroll in the downtown.

We walked them to the car, which fascinated Alec. He couldn't wait to get behind the wheel. Luckily, he speaks Italian, so he felt right at home.

Now if only he could see over the dashboard!

The funny thing, my father had a photo in his office of me as a small child getting out of the same driver's seat at the Palo Alto Baylands. He gave it to me when he switched offices recently, so it is on the bookshelf in my office.

Too big, too small...

This afternoon after a very nice outing at the SF MoMA to celebrate MLK Day, we were showing our pregnant friend the infant car seat, borrowed from Miss T., lent to Miss M. and just returned this week.

Seeing it on the street seemed to spark some deep memory inside A's mind - he hopped right in. Too small!

Of course now he was looking at it as a little car, not a seat, so the sound effects were different.

What's wrong with this picture?

Alec was too excited to get in the bath at the end of a long weekend!

It was one of those winter weekends where Northern California really shines - cloudless, no wind, and sunshine, with temperatures in the mid-70s. We spent both days at the beach - Saturday with the gang in El Granada, and then Sunday took the Tennessee Valley hike to the beach. Of course I forgot my camera, so you'll have to envision us frolicking in the sand!

and a little sunshine

After a quick stop in SF, we flew to Maui to spend a week with my family and cousins. We arrived on New Year's Eve, but didn't make it past 10pm!

But it was a wonderful place to wake up on January 1st. My sister left that morning, and we spent some time before her flight just watching the waves come up to the sea wall.

Alec adored playing in the sand, and N made him some wonderful sand castles to destroy. But he was afraid of the ocean; the waves scared him, although by the last few days he was enjoying the water a bit more.

waiting for the sunset at Napili Bay

The sea was great - we went snorkeling every day at Kaanapali and Napili beaches - saw clownfish, needlefish, angelfish, many others, as well as green sea turtles. N went scuba diving one of the days and saw a Hawaiian monk seal, lobster, and eels. December is whale migration time, and even from the shore we could see the whales breaching. It was quite magical.

Aloha!