Recorder

The recorder, even when expertly played, is not the sweetest sound. But it is a relatively easy instrument to learn, which may explain its role in the Meadow Heights curriculum.

Pinewood Derby 2017

As was the case last year, the Pinewood Derby scouting event follows on the heels of the scout snow trip.

Silas designed his racing car himself, and constructed it mostly by himself -- except for operating the band saw.

None of this would happen without the tireless volunteering efforts of Keith Matthews, who leads Silas' scout den.

Come Saturday, the cars were painted, passed muster, and were checked in for racing day.

Silas' car is at the far left of this picture:  The Black Baron.

Rooting for a win, with Jonas and Henry.

Winter Snow

Silas, Rosemary, and I spent a weekend in Arnold, CA, on the cub scout "Snow Trip."

We had made the same trip the year before.

This time, there was considerably more snow, and at lower altitudes.

Silas engaged in a five-hour-long snowball fight, which ended only because it became too dark to see.

Here he is with Jonas and Henry defending against an attack by a photographer.

Winter Rain

If there is rain on the weekend, the kids get wet.

Fortunately for the drought-ridden state, there have been a lot of rainy weekends this winter.

These photos are from a hike through Laurelwood Park on Sunday.

Thanks

If you give our children a gift, you will get a thank-you note. 

But it might not be this funny.

Washington Xmas

We traveled to Washington State for Christmas this year.

The kids were treated to Grandma's cookies and Christmas carols by both grandparents.

They even got a smidgen of snow.

Santa Claus somehow knew where they were.  (And a second Christmas morning awaited them several days later, in San Mateo.)

On Christmas Day we drove north to see Aunt Pam and her clan, including her two granddaughters, Bailey and Lila.

And we had Christmas dinner with Uncle AJ and his clan.

Here is AJ telling the kids stories about the ghosts of Christmas Past.

Rainier Birthday

Tess turned three in Rainier, Washington, at the Coffee's farm.

For her third birthday Tess received her first driving lesson, on one of John's beautiful Farmall tractors.

Carolyn had Tess' favorite birthday treat on hand -- chocolate cupcakes.

Tess at 3:

Tess -- whether by nature, or as a byproduct of having four doting family members -- is a happy, quick-to-laugh, easygoing kid.

She is also extremely independent.  For instance, Tess has not followed the crowd in its shoe-wearing habits. 

As a general rule, Tess chooses to ignore all instructions.

And Tess goes where she wants to go, without notice.  I lost her at the farmer's market in a split second.  We all spread out to find her.  Silas finally tracked her down... at the cookie stand.

If Tess wants to leave a playground, she just up and leaves the playground.  We have found her, at different times, wandering in the nearby woods; chasing birds across a field hundreds of yards away; and, once, hanging seven feet above the ground from a pole on the big-kid play structure ("Hi Dad.  Can you help me get down?").

The transition from two to three was a little hard on Tess, I think.  She has told us more than once that she still wants to be a baby.  She absolutely clings to her pacifier -- we will tackle that issue this coming year, but potty training comes first.  Meanwhile we are praising the heck out of her big-girl steps, like attending preschool and sleeping through the night. Luckily for Tess, as the third child, she will always be our baby.

Christmas Is Coming

Rosemary has the most Christmas spirit this year -- and the length of her wish list is proportional to that spirit.

She targeted our victim at "Santa's Tree Farm" in Half Moon Bay...

... and she made a box lid's worth of crafts at the Meadow Heights Elementary holiday fair.

Silas has told her, repeatedly, that Santa Claus does not exist.

Rosemary refuses to believe it.

When it came to hanging tree ornaments, all three kids did their part.

This is important business. You can see the intense concentration as they try to get those little hooks over  spindly branches.

Planetarium

I chaperoned Silas' third-grade class on a visit (by city bus) to the planetarium at the College of San Mateo.

If you want to hear what Silas' third grade class sounds like, please watch the video with the sound turned all the way up.