'SO California'

Over the past few weeks, I've run into a few things that have struck me as just 'SO California'

A few examples….

No Pepsi for you

Our kids are at a fab charter school that emphasizes the arts.   As such, before the holidays they had a 'Makers & Thinkers' fair - where each class produced something to share / sell / perform

Zoe's class held a dinner theater & sold handmade cards...

Xavier's class did a dance..

Quincy's class displayed & sold their 'zen-doodles'...

(should I be concerned that this is what they do in math?!)

Parents sold their creations...

Of course, there was food for sale.   I got SUPER excited when I saw soda listed on the menu….

...turns out 'soda' was not the caffeinated, chemically deliciousness I craved, but a fruit beverage

Honestly it's pretty hard to sustain a diet soda habit in this city.

Watch out for the trees

Especially after living in Ukraine, America strikes me as comically cautious / warning happy.  California takes that a step further.

The sign that cracked Quincy & I up while skiing….

Seriously, are they warning us we might find nature out in nature?! 

Church of random

OK - this one is more 'SO San Francisco', but one of my faves!   Zoe's class recently had an afternoon get together…..where?

Looks like a church, right?

Used to be….but, now it's "Church of 8 Wheels"

Full on disco lights, music AND even pro-skaters to add sass…

And irridescent wings….

So one can burst through them….

Now that's a religion we can all agree on!

Happy almost-the-weekend - time to go get those sparkling fruit juices ready!

Here's to loving the hilarious & tolerating the healthy.

Cramming it in

Happy New Year!   I hope this finds you in a 'plumped & happy' post holiday state…

Like with corporate P&Ls, most cram in as much as possible into the end of year.  We've been a bit AWOL of late & who knows when the holiday cards will get done.   So I'd like to take a moment to explain what's been occupying us:


Some usual holiday fun…
Cookies:

Getting festive:

Driving to see family:

(this IS boy bonding now, right?!)

Some SF style holiday fun…
Santa's - waiting for their sleigh (J-train) to a Castro district parade

A neighbor who takes spirit & runs with it

(Tom & Jerry have built up to this Christmas spectacular over 30 years)

Some happy to get there…
Logan started a new job with Google mid-December

Some super happy to get into…
We got a new 'vintage' house!!!  

 (Moved in the same day Logan started his job)

Zoe showed her enthusiasm for the move…

And, once again, prioritized packing the important stuff

Some 'kind of wished it didn't' get here….
We are finally reunited with our container shipped from Kiev ~9 months ago

While I fantasized about the boat losing our container, we were happy to be reunited with 'Mr. Yellow'…

(A special call out to Jen & Amy for coming to help place prized objects like him!)

Some YEAH for visitors!
Once again loaded with the 'essentials' - e.g. sic-fi books, wine glasses & Lego's for the masses - we were ready for visitors!

Mom & Dad flew in & EJAM drove up for holiday festivities…including a Union Square scavenger hunt

The good news:  all 3 teams think they won...

The bad news:  the prize……

'Feliz Navidog' - awarded to Q, X & Z - does NOT stop singing :)

The Scheidelman's came for New Years…

All in all - a fun, but a tad exhausting - December.

But as my Dad found out….take a break in December & you might just miss something….

Here's to the holidays & the merry outshining the hairy!

Free-cycle love

While San Francisco's enthusiasm for recycling can at times cross in righteousness, I admit, I ADORE having even our compost picked up at the door.

In addition to the compost / recycle love, there is a serious culture of 're-use'.   
That + generally good weather = 'Free-cycling' galore.
(Think 'garage sale' with no 'garage' and no 'sale' - stuff left on the curb for a new home)

Logan can attest, I have become somewhat obsessed with 'free-cycle' 

We got a sock drawer for our closet…

(OK, maybe not the cutest - but with a coat of spray paint, I have faith!)

Quincy got a new dresser…

(He picked orange for the spray paint transformation)

And a chair…

The fab neighborhood community site - Nextdoor.com - also fosters free-cycling - where very nearby neighbors post stuff they are getting rid of: 

We picked up some free moving boxes…

Even got a cushy, Pottery Barn chair….

Taking it to the next level, was a physical store we found that even had a whole room of free kids stuff

We got Zoe a bike there!

But my fave new concept, was a 'Clothing Swap'…..a bunch of girls invited to bring a potluck item + their old clothes.   We set out all the clothes & then it was a free-cycle bonanza!   Totally fun to 'shop' in a group & best yet - everything was free.

I brought a big bag of stuff ready to purge - but ended up bringing home at least half as much as I got rid of

So while you will get the 'evil eye' if you dare pack lunch in Zip-Lock baggies, the friendly 'sharing is caring' spirit & fun of street side finds shines way brighter.

Here's to if you're not using it, pass it along!

Lovin the taxpayer $$ at work

Everyone knows San Francisco isn't cheap.  People talk about the cost of housing all the time - most live in way smaller than average houses - yet pay way more than average.  Expensive housing = lots of property tax $……

And while no one likes that - I do love the perks of what appears to be a well funded Parks & Rec ($160MM well funded)

Silly amazing parks
With non-rusted out toys...

Fab views….

…even from the top of the slide

(tho I suspect that's wasted on the kids)

And people doing random things in them...

(Zoe & Ruby crash a bubble birthday party)

Seriously wide range of enrichment opportunities
If you are a dull person in SF, it is NOT the city's fault.  The SF Parks & Rec puts out so many enrichment programs & classes it needs its own fat catalog…


Zoe tried dance (too intense)

And is now in Holiday Sparkle Art crafts

(way more her speed - and while others grummbled about the strict Russian teacher 'Tanya', Zoe didn't seem to notice)

There is even free Zumba in the park right next to her Sparkle class

The boys are in their 3rd session of "Yo-yo tennis"

(YES, they learn tennis AND yo-yo skills in this class :)

And while the view (see the bridge?) wasn't enough to convince X to love Golf…

(Made it only once - I suspect the stand still and make tiny tweaks to position were not his thing!)

He LOVES his Carpentry class…

Meanwhile Logan & I have been partaking in 'boot camp' - a fairly typical circuit type gym class - but with a serious range of people & outfits..

The teacher looks like he is ready to go on a hike...

But the one that really gives me the giggles is the guy who looks like he is going to a BBQ...

(Lululemon?!   Nah - why not cargo shorts, short sleeve button down + black socks?!)

Have a random interest?   Odds are they have a class for it….one could seriously do it all in the SF Parks & Rec!

Here's to focusing on the park perks vs. the silly pricey