Nami, Author at Hoppin World

August 25, 2015November 24, 2017

Our Escapist Weekend

A few weekends ago, the weather forecast showed temperatures in excess of 100 in San Jose both Saturday and Sunday, so we got out of Dodge and had two days of family adventure:

Saturday in Santa Cruz @ Harvey West Park
John John is proud of his walking stick.

There was as event being set up for a Boys and Girls club, which meant we eventually left amid the booming bass of a sound system manned by a millenial (as indicated by musical selection and order), but while the morning was still cool-ish, and quiet, John John had fun with this enormous beach ball, the likes of which he’d never seen.

Sunday in Mill Valley
Throwing rocks in to streams with friends. John John later tried to scale that rock.

This photo was followed by naked romping in the water. A good way to cool off!

Refreshed after a much needed bath to remove mud and grime, having some cheese on Papa’s lap.

August 23, 2015August 23, 2015

Another John John Installation

One of my favorite things is walking into a room and discovering the remains of some exploration and play that John John has left. This one was intricate. Notice the placement of the camels under the plastic lid as a detail. #lovemylittleinstallationartist

July 31, 2015November 24, 2017

Monterey Bay Aquarium

On the 18th my mom and I took the bean to his first visit of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. “John John,” we told him, “we are going to go to a place where we will see lots of different kinds of FISH!”

“Viff!” he exclaimed (That means fish, for those of you who didn’t already know).

“Yes! And maybe we’ll see jellyfish and sharks and crabs and penguins!”

“Octopus!” he added on his own.

“Yes, and maybe even an octopus!” I said, amazed.

He was excited. My favorite thing about watching him be engaged is that ‘quiet attention’ face of pure engrossment and concentration. You’ll recognize it on the second image down. He is a little sponge.

^^^Quiet attention forever!^^^

Now, he can pronounce ‘fish’ correctly (though I must concede, I’m a little sad…’viff’ was so cute, though he does still say ‘Sea Animo.’ I’m sure that, too, will be short lived. He’s growing up!) and can properly identify those ‘animos’ on his ocean-themed pajamas: Sea Turtle, Hammerhead Shark, Mako Shark, Whale.

Good times! Nice memories!

June 28, 2015

Celestial Awakening

We packed the car after John John went to sleep. The thinking was that we’d wake him up and load him in the car and he would sleep on the two hour drive. Of course he stayed up the entire drive. But he was quiet the entire time and when we arrived I took him out of his car seat. The moon was three-quarters and bright up in Santa Rosa at 11pm. I pointed to the moon and asked John John what it was. He knows the moon: he says the word when you point to a picture, whether in full or crescent or with a funny face. But being a child that goes to bed when the sun is still out, those depictions are the only moons he knows. So I pointed and asked him, “John John, do you know what that is?”

“Egg!” he said.

“No, it’s the moon!” I said, “The real moon!”

He looked intently. “Moo(n),” he said.

“And those little white dots,” I said, pointing to the stars littering the night sky. “Those are real stars!”

“Stah,” he repeated.

We looked at the moon and stars for a few more moments, naming them . In the morning it was the first thing he did to point to the window in the direction we’d seen the moon, and sleepily said, “moonh.” Love this little guy.

June 8, 2015June 8, 2015

April Peonies

We pretty much missed the cherry blossoms in Japan (aside from the few trees at the Hakone Open Air Museum) but were lucky enough to see my mom’s peonies in perfect bloom. It stormed the day after I took these pictures and the flowers were destroyed. Ah, such is the transitory nature of all things – but these things of beauty will live on in my memory.

Also, my uncanny knack of capturing blossoms with a bug attached astounds me.

June 3, 2015

At the Farm

On Memorial Day we went to an open house – well, open farm – of one of the farmers who comes to our year round farmers’ market. It was about 50 minutes away, near Watsonville. John-John picked and ate raspberries and strawberries from the plants at this organic farm. “No pesticides, maybe just a little dirt,” we were told. And, as they say, dirt don’t hurt.

Added bonus – FARM EQUIPMENT:

May 28, 2015May 28, 2015

At the Hakone Open Air Museum

On day two or three of our Japan sojourn, we went to the Hakone Open Air Museum and had a little tail end bit of Hanami. Even a bit of the kind where the petals fall off in the breeze, like gentle snow cascading through the air.