May 10
Peak Oil...and we still fill 'er up and drive to the beach...but we willfully destroy the earth for the girls. Today we went back to the fun tidal pool beach below Pacifica and timed it just right for low tide. Ursula had a blast seeing hermit crabs, seals and anenenemomes. There is something extraordinary about a place with a complete ecosystem functioning as it did 10,000 years ago (minus a few species, but still pretty close.)


opening up with the incoming tide...we looked, but couldn't find Nemo


crap, time to baby proof the house from a soon to be cruiser.


Tilda enjoying the sweet sounds of Battlestar Gallactica while cradled in her Mommy's arms

May 4
Ursa's notable quotables in the last week:
on waking up, "I smell like pasta"
after drinking Mommy's tea on the table "I'm caffeinated"

Poor kids...their parents are the personality types that are a little obsessive...all the Netflix lately are about Peak Oil, End of Suburbia, Global Crisises...we haven't seen many fun, furry documentaries like "The March of Penguins", or "The Life of Birds" lately. Here below are some must read analyses that may change your habits (we're certainly looking at an implementable 3-30 year plan for the household. The easiest solution, besides moving to Alaska, is to live in a medium or large-sized city, near farm production, and renewable water resources).

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net
http://www.peakoilassociates.com (pdf.)
http://www.theoildrum.com (pdf.)


Yep, the harbor seals near Half Moon Bay are aware that a toddler is screaming on the beach...(our camera has a great zoom lens)






Ernie getting much love (and drool)


"Tilda, we got a real problem...our cousin Spencer is cuter than we are"


We asked Ursula who she was drawing...apparently Mommy has a goatee like a WWF wrestler.

April 28 Here is a cute exchange:
Ursa: What's that?
Susan: It's a spoon
U: NO, what's THAT?
S: Um, that's a handle. That's the handle of the spoon.
U: NO! What's thaaaaat?
S: Oh. Um. That's....I don't know what that is. It's part of the spoon handle, honey.
U: No. It's strrrr-anger. It's a stranger.
S: It's a stranger?
U: Yes, it's a stranger. And what's THAT?
S: what do you think it's called?
U: It's aaaaa corrrrn...isss
S: A cornice?
U: NO, it's a piece.


caught this rogue painter working on the USF murals...




Never ever leave your toddler alone for one minute (sharpie)

April 17 After getting up and rocking on her hands and knees for about a week and a half Tilda started to crawl the other day. It really is darling, but requires such agonizing vigilance. I've enlisted Ursula's help keeping crayons, Playmobil people, books, etc. out of Tilda's reach. Ursa looks so proud whenever she rushes in to redirect a stray item, and then I get so proud, and flushed in the glow of motherly goodness...but soon completely innocuous toys are being exchanged and regulated by an overzealous prison guard - I mean toddler.

We try really hard to restrict television viewing and revere all those parents that keep it turned off completely. I think these people are superhuman. We don't have cable, just to keep it less tempting. But somehow Ursula has developed a little crush on Jim Lehrer, or I should say, "the man." That's bad, right? That she's seen enough of the News Hour to be concerned about the welfare of Mr. Lehrer? (The first time he disappeared from the screen she asked if maybe the man had to go to the bathroom.) Probably about as bad as when I let her sit watching an infomercial about some floor-swiffer-sweeper-thing for a half hour because I was so tired of racing to turn off the TV that day. Still working on that will power thing. [s]

Apparently some people were starting to wonder if Tilda ever frowned. Here she is immediately following an overzealous Big Sister toy exchange.

I asked Ursula to show me how she managed to get a bite out of that tomato. Here she is demonstrating her patented disjointed elasto-reach.

Check it out. Sometimes I just regret reading the news while trying to be hydrated and environmentally conscientious. ... Not to mention that those bisphenol-a-free aluminum bottles are really expensive...

April 13 Dang, it's really hot. Our flat is about 80 degrees this morning...poor Ursula and Tilda are down to their diapers...enjoying that freedom, but a little low on energy. We hiked down to the tidal pools near the Legion of Honor yesterday...saw some starfish, which Ursula named and 'tried' to physically organize as a family. We 'left no trace'...which is the new #3 slogan on our collective family hikes.

Tilda, here's your close-up


"Mommy, Daddy, and baby sister starfish"


Enjoying her nursing necklace on the ascent from the beach


World record for curviest tree branch. The park helped out with weight distribution.

April 11 [Ursula is playing with her Playmobil people and cars. Tilda is napping. Daddy is at work. Mama is working on the computer.]

go in this car
go in this car
go in this car

oh this one ehh wehhe ...

don't sit, don't sit! sit! sit!

don't stand, sit here.

sorry, I didn't wiawia ...

i get in this car. in this car.


Ursa and Daddy line up the eucalyptus nuts on the picnic table.


This poor sheep has to wear this thick black sweater at Tilden Farm



Mom made a cute bjorn to allow Ursa to feel like a big girl


Ursula's description: "the rabbit and the pig hiked up the mountain"


here is Puku getting a diaper change ...symmetrically placed on the table ...weird


some wonderful drawings of people that started in her drawings yesterday...here is "Ursula drinking milk from a cup", from her own description

Tilda enjoys a good joke on April Fool's Day


such is life in a box...she really likes us when we open up the lid


Tilda cheers on her favorite bowler in the world


Happy Easter!


so cute...she deserves two in row


sharing the easter egg hunt booty with grampa


'no eggs are hidden over here'


now that's a cool easter cake


even Erik Satie began with one note ;)


a cookie teaser for Tilda (she's only on bananas so far)


holding a hot-crossed bun and making some sugar cookies


Ursa and Aunt Erin play with an antique barn and the more modern Playmobil characters


walking into a sun bath


we let Ursula name her new super bunny...she chose 'Peaches'


this crayon is angry


Mommy made a cute camp fire and tent out of fabric, yet look at the strange face down Playmobil family on the table...are we praying, sleeping or in some form of deeper trouble? Toddlers are strange creatures


competitive synchronous playdate reading


the renegade runs off the trail and interrupts the salamander sanctuary


the cattle gate


mid-day stick dragging on the Mt. Burdel trail

March 19 The update is coming from 34,000 feet. Daddy is returning from a trip and can't wait to see the lil' ones. This is the first time within Tilda's 6 months that they have been apart...Daddy has a lot of catching up with housework and baths and diapers... he left Mommy alone with 'two in diapers' for three days. Bad Daddy.

A shout out from SF to all the kind people Daddy got to meet on Tuesday. [e]


this sign paints a gray future (yes, this is San Francisco in spring, not the predictable Labor Day prices)



Ursa in the 'must climb slide' toddler development stage


thanks for the Easter dresses...!


We're happy to have this storm by-pass the city


Tilda getting initiated in the age old buried feet ritual


something appealing to adults about a beach that stays at the beach (though rock throwing isn't nice either)


don't worry, she isn't burned...we take extra special care of the fair skinned warriors


Tilda graduates up to the big girl fun



designated driver


"Who did dat"...Ursula gets excited seeing other people scribble on forbidden surfaces


the good Twin Peaks weather...(the bad usually is 'wog' = windy fog)

March 7
Ursula is getting excited for someone's birthday...we picked out something fun and she keeps whispering 'cake, cake, cake'...hope she remembers the song ;)

Tilda is slowly emerging with some consonant sounds..'mmamma' but this sometimes ends in 'baabaaba'...thus ending the cute, cuddly feelings. [e]


happily interrupting the mid-term studying


Daddy made an artshow just for me


Daddy and Ursula beat the golden gate nannies to the park


waiting with Mommy for the library reading


the little nugget just can't wait to go camping for real. (trying out the tents in REI).

Feb 24

Tilda still can't fully roll over 360. She is making wonderful sitting-up-alone progress...and her giggling skills are between 9am - 5pm. (Witching hour is 5-6pm, especially when Daddy is home alone).

Ursula has been picking up new skills...like attaining markers and pens off of surfaces we previously thought safe. Luckily we haven't had a major incident and are crossing our fingers.

And lastly, do you want to make Ursula's day? Send her a postcard...she's been re-reading a Nani and Grampa card non-stop since it arrived a month ago. [e]


high in the sky


a cute little wire man atop a local roof


watch out for the crocodiles in the tub


Someone (with See's candy chocolate face) takes over the Princess Tent at the Disney Store


first one to the concrete graffiti walls gets all the shells


browsing the new easter toys at borders


"so high in the sky"


saw this around town...couldn't explain to Ursula why an uncle was over there...


The new game.

Morning makes her laugh.

I love a baby with a furrowed brow.

Feb 11
I don't want to be an obnoxious parent ... but yes, I admit those are flash cards.

Ursula is playing this game with ulterior motives. Today she insisted I write out "peanut butter" - probably so she can work it into that letter to Santa this fall. And I think she senses she's missing out on something when Eric and spell out fancy words like t - e - s - t - i - c - a - l and c - h - o - c - o - l - a - t - e.

Last week when she started identifying the flash cards completely on her own I squeaked "You're freaking me out!" She lit up and squeaked back "No! YOU'RE freaking ME out!" [s]

a nice end to a warm day...Dark Chocolate coated Pomegranate Ice Cream Bar...


liking the warm temps


feeding the locals


Heck yah! 65 degrees warm in SF in Feb.? We'll take it.


Mom showing bad judgment with food as Ursula watches...


Is she bigger than a breadbox?

Feb 9
Tilda discovered her toes yesterday (as soon as we gave her some sock-free time) and rolled over from tummy to back - although only twice and not since repeated. Not an epidemic like the rolling from back to from and then crying because she gets frustrated.

Since the baby push-ups aren't working out I'm thinking of switching to hula hooping. I think if I could pull this off it would be endless entertainment for the kids. [s]

Feb 8
We have this apricot baby oil that we just love. We used it with Ursula and invested in a bottle for Tilda. I use the word "invested" because it's expensive - like $8 expensive. I like to imagine they have to charge that kind of price because it's harvested by moonlight then cold-pressed from hand ground apricot kernels by 100-year-old virgin priestesses. But it is so worth it to whiff that aroma from Tilda's head fresh out of the bath. I will pay $8 to be handed a steamy happy apricot baby several times a week. She gets a healthy amount of head-sniffing from both parents this way.

Well Ursula has been pretty curious about the bottle of oil sitting on the bathroom counter and today she got ahold of it. She immediately dumped the entire contents in the sink. I was so sad *sniff* to see it go *sniff, sniff, sniff* down the drain. *Sniff*. [s]

Earthquake safety TV viewing, AKA the "Sesame Street Nest." It gets her back from the television, away from the towering bookcase, and something exciting to do (build the nest) while I prepare lunch.

Feb 7
Tilda eagerly grasps everything. Trying to walk into a room while holding her is sort of like trying to placing a cat in a tub of water. Every corner and surface she encounters is an irresistible chance to touch! something.

She started the drooling weeks ago which has had unfortunate consequences for my workout routine. I had just discovered that babies love mommy sit-ups (they work like a game of peekaboo). So I tried mommy push-ups - lie on the floor and lower Tilda down toward my face for a kiss, repeat. But remember the drooling? I would get in a few "push-ups" but by the fifth one a long string of drool would be swinging over me. Swinging with a jittery fervor from a giggling baby mouth.

Ursula's favorite book right now concerns a boy and his pet housefly. I am relieved she hasn't yet followed his example and started eating garbage. It's not as crazy as it sounds really. She likes to "eat like the kitty cat" face down on her plate so ... I expect I'll have to hold her back when she sees her first roadkill. [s]

Voting always tastes better with hot chocolate, marshmallows and peanut butter.

This one was so tired out by voting she had to be wheeled back in a cart.

Did you miss the last couple weeks of pictures?