Golden Gate Park - Fly Casting pools

Nate, hamming for the camera. 

Golden Gate Park

After a morning of apple-tree trimming, we went into the City for a walk through Golden Gate Park. We saw all the western attractions -- bison, motorized sailboat lake, police horse stables, and even stumbled on the large fly casting pools tucked along a small road. Nate's favorite seemed to be the lone turtle swimming in one pool. We visited Chloe at her house then ate hamburgers near the Muni train tunnel, giving Nate front row seating of course. 

More quotes

Nate:

• "I'm growing soooo big! And sooo tall! I'm going to be so tall, I can eat the clouds. *chomp*"
  
• "I'm growing sooo long. Daddy, you need to buy me another bed." - motioning length of his room
• "Where's the Easter Bunny's car? I don't see it" - looking outside day before Easter.

Julie:

• "Ooooh, Wow-wee!" - whenever dinner is served
• "Excuse me, Daddy" - said this morning, first time, as she tried to scoot by me
• "Happy birthday!" - singing, while looking at candle-sized plant bulbs coming out of ground.
  

San Francisco Zoo

While I was stuck behind a computer screen at work, Gina took advantage of the first real nice day and took Julie and Nate to the San Francisco Zoo. By all reports, it sounded like a fun time, capped off by picnic lunch and a ride on the steam train of course. Notice the sole passenger here (click on the picture for a larger version).

Easter 2006

The first wet and blustery Easter I can remember. Nate was upset he couldn't find the Easter Bunny's car at his house the day before, but was excited to wake up to baskets full of books, stickers, plastic eggs, and a couple of chocolates. We hid eggs around the house, then took off for the Martins'. Gina brought over a wonderful spread of ham, carrots, green beans, scalloped potatoes, and asparagus, and Julie/Nate did another egg hunt. For the kids, of course. 

Al Gore

The rightfully-elected President from the 2000 election came to Google to give his Global Warming presentation. He's an amazing speaker: passionate, smart, and very funny. Besides working with Google on his TV network Current, he's finishing a documentary called Inconvenient Truth that comes out in May.

Mobile SF Zoo

While Gina had lunch with her cousins, I took Nate and Julie to the mobile SF Zoo in a nearby park. Baby alligators, armidillos, snakes, turtles, owls & more. Julie was most bold at touching of course.

Grandma in York

 

More Gualala Pictures

 

Gualala Getaway

After my work project finished up, we decided to spend three days in a house at Sea Ranch. We picked the house Kyuka which was almost on the water and near the rec center. The days alternated between warm sun and drenching rain showers, and we had enough good weather to walk along the beach, swim at the nearby pool, soak in the hot tub (twice), and enjoy champagne out on the deck. We saw whale spouts the first day we arrived, and ventured out one day to visit the Annapolis Winery 20 minutes outside of town. The wines were great and the winemaker was nice enough to answer all my junior winemaker questions (and even gave us an inter-winery discount for the wines we purchased.) Best of all from this vacation was spending so much time with Gina and the kids with no other agenda than to get wet some point during the day and fix a satisfying dinner before we all passed out.

Recent Julie quotes

"Happy (birthday) to meeee." - singing this afternoon, again and again.
"Mommeeee!" - her first and favorite word.
"Daddeeee!"
"Bubbles!"
"Hiii!" - whenever she enters the room.
"Bye!" - whenever she leaves the room.
"No." - her second word.
"I love you."
"Na(te)"
"mooo!" and "neeeiggh!" and "meow!"
And lots of mimicking of words and babbling where she thinks she's telling us how it is.

At the table

Julie and Nate are enjoying playing with each other more lately. In a typical morning, Julie is hitting the books and Nate is the conductor (thanks to Grandma Martin's "beautiful" model train). 

Spring time...

...finally, and a break in the rains give Julie and Nate chance to check out the flowers. 

Collection of Nate quotes

Nate: "I just need a job."

Nate: "I just need a beer."

Me: "Nate, please don't slam the closet door."
Nate: (in dejected voice while walking away) "Oh, man...."

Nate: "Let's talk about tuna fish."
Me: "People like to eat tuna fish, but my and your mommy's favorite is salmon."
Nate: "I don't eat salmon. I like to eat chocolate salmon."

More Google photos

This time about the food: SF Chronicle
Here's the article.

Managing the Crew

Uncle Dan and Uncle Dave putting in new sod at Grandmom Martin's house last Friday. Nate was anxious to get his lawnmower out on the grass...mom had to tell him to wait until the lawn was all there.

Redwood City Fire Station

Two weeks ago Gina took Nate and Julie for a firehouse station tour. Here he is practicing being a "firefighter guy". He was particularly excited about seeing the fire poles, which mom kept him a good 6ft away from. He also liked that there were 4 refrigerators and that each freezer had at least 3 cartons of ice cream. Julie liked sitting in moms arms up four flights of stairs. (p.s. mom wrote this, can you tell?)

Double rainbow above our house, Sunday

 

Busy block builders

Time Magazine

Their photos from Google: Life in the Googleplex