May 24, 2010

I don't seem to be able to write more than once every few months; oh, well. When you see how much we've done lately you'll undertand why... we're just too busy!!

This is what we did in March alone:

• Val and I met up with Jay & Timnah (at Wicked Grounds) for some social time on March 7.
• I had lunch w/Francesca on March 10.
• I got my stitches out on March 12.
• Haley performed with the Whelan Academy of Irish Dance at the St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 13. I was a judge at the parade, but of course didn't judge dance units!
• Val and I attended Jay's birthday potluck on March 14.
• I attended another Menttium dinner on March 15.
• Glynis & Susan took the kids to the Taylor Play-A-Thon on March 19.
• We all celebrated Joanie's birthday at fish and chips in Pacifca on March 20.
• I was on a panel at Leather Traditions on March 21.
• Jennifer & Selena came over for fun and games on March 21.
• Val took the kids to Synaplex Shabbat on March 26. There were lots of different Shabbat celebrations throughout the weekend. They attended a few different celebrations.
• Katelyn had a meeting for all returning Leaders in Training (LITs) at Coyote Point on March 27. She will be volunteering there for 2 weeks over the summer, in addition to being a camper one week.
• Liza & Jody came over for fun and games on March 27.
• My friend Sabine was traveling from San Diego back to England where she lives, and ended up with a 5-hour layover at SFO on March 28. So I picked her up at the airport and brought her to the house, and we had a lovely visit.

Katelyn held up her end of the "good grades" bargain, so she will be getting another lizard. We ordered the cage through the Vivarium on March 28, and I picked it up on May 22. Katelyn is in the process of deciding which lizard to get.

The kids were very busy with their music, Katelyn on saxophone and Haley on drums. In addition to regular practices (Katelyn twice a week before school and Haley once a week after school), they had several additional practices because of a special event: All of the Millbrae music students played the national anthem at the opening of the SF Giants game on April 26. Check out the pictures.

We drove down to Susan and Joel's for Passover, leaving on Thursday April 1 and coming home on Saturday April 3. A quick trip, but it was a lovely seder. In addition to seeing Susan and Joel and Mom, we got to meet Lee's girlfriend and see him before he went off to Navy boot camp, and we got to meet Ed's daughter and granddaughter. It would have been much better except Val came down with some kind of stomach bug so spent much of the time in the hotel room. She was able to get up and come to the seder, but most of her time was spent resting on the couch. Luckily she was well enough to drive home the next day. Check out pictures of the trip.

Val and Katelyn and I went see "To Kill a Mockingbird" on April 11, put on by Theaterworks at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts. It was a well-performed show, emotional and compelling.

Val and I attended the IMsL weekend (again) April 15-18.

We had a crazy weekend towards the end of April. Over the course of 5 days, we did the following:

• Thursday, April 22: Taylor Open House
• Friday, April 23: Haley performed "Ode to Joy" in the Spring Valley Variety Show (see pictures)
• Saturday, April 24: Karate, Services, short visit to Michelle, and a trip to the Vivarium to get Haley's new pet, a rosy boa named, of course, "Rosie".
• Sunday, April 25: Val's stepmother Nelee visited Katelyn's religious school class. She is a Holocaust survivor, one of the "hidden children" who lived with non-Jewish families during WWII to protect them from the nazis, in her case in southern France. She told her story to the class; they were interested and attentive, and asked great questions. Afterwards we all went out to dim sum.
• Monday, April 26: National anthem at the Giants game (see above).

All in all it was a crazy, exhausting, fun weekend.

Then we went into May. Just in the first few weeks of May we did the following.

• Val and I attended the Northwest Leather Celebration April 30-May 2.
• After the 7th grade family Shabbat services on May 7, Katelyn went with the other 7th and 8th graders to "Extreme Bowling" at Sea Bowl in Pacific. She was out until midnight!! That was a first... but she had an awesome time, and was only a little tired the next day.
• I took the kids to the Spring Valley Carnival on May 8, after which Jann and Trev joined us for a late afternoon bagel snack.
• The kids skipped religious school on May 9 because it was Mother's day. Kathie and I took them down to Cupertino and met Mom, Ed, Susan, and Joel for brunch at Hobee's. After that the kids and I met up with Val and went to see Wicked at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco. What a great show!!
• On May 11 I attended the Professional Business Women of California's annual conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco. It was educational and insiprational, with speakers like Jackie Spear, Geena Davis, and many others. Totally worth paying for myself and missing a day's wages.
• I had lunch w/Francesca on May 12.
• On May 14 we took Val to the airport to begin her trip to her mom's in Italy, to London (especially to visit Tracey and Jason and their new arrival, who came on May 19), and to Manchester.

We continued to just do the regular stuff too:

• Haley has Irish Dance classes once a week.
• Katelyn has Karate (blue belt) 2 or 3 times a week. She got her first stripe (1/3 of the way to a "second degree" on her blue belt) in April.
• Both kids attend religious school every Sunday, and Haley also attends Hebrew on Wednesdays. (We're on summery break now.)
• We attend Shabbat services a couple of times a month.
• Katelyn got new glasses.
• I took my motorcycle to the shop for a tuneup.
• Val and I continued our activities with the Exiles.

Coming up in the next 6 weeks:

• This week alone: Taylor Spring Concert, Spring Valley Concert, Spring Valley Open House.
• Kathie and I are taking the kids to Ithaca to see Christopher graduate with his Master's from Cornell. This will include a 1-day whirlwind trip through Manhatten, and brief visits with relatives in NY.
• Stephanie will visit June 4 and 5.
• Marilyn will spend a day at the Nolose conference in Oakland.
• School is out on June 11.
• Kids will visit Grandma for a few days.
• Marilyn will spend a weekend in Palm Springs at Desire.
• Val will attend the QWOCMAP film festival.
• Jennifer & Selena will come over for a visit.
• Katelyn will visit Susan & Joel.
• Pride
• Ruth & Tyler & kids will come over for a visit.

Life is full and exciting and fun and challenging!