Celebrating Barak

Fall update

Sorry it has been so long. I wouldn't say life is crazy, but it is busy. I get up at 5:30 every morning to get everyone ready to go to our friend Nhalia's house for their before school hang out. I head to work where I feel there are entire days where I don't get to sit down. Pick the kids up between 4 and 5 at Nhalia's again, do the dinner homework thing and usually fall asleep with them around 8:30.

There is so much to say about each of the above. We are so lucky to have Nhalia, she is an old friend from Stanford and her daughter Cosi is in Clem's class (and they live 3 blocks from the kids school). We were fortunate to not get into the after care program at Ohlone and then find her. Nhalia is like having an aunt in town.

My job is really hard. The kids I teach are tough and the school is dysfunctinal. (this is the widely held opinion of staff, not just mine) Discipline is what I spend my day doing without much teaching. I miss my fantastic job at the University of Missouri.

I also miss our great friends in Columbia, but every day I am so grateful to be here. I feel like I am home and as if I won the lottery to able to be here. I am just trusting that the job thing will soon sort itself out soon.

Adele is thriving! She was looking at her Shepard school yearbook this weekend and I asked her if she was missing it. She said, "no, I miss Anna and Maddie and nothing else". She would have full days at Shepard where she was at loose ends socially and she told me that she almost has too many friends to hang out with at lunch here. She plays handball with some, goes to the farm with others, library with still others and has been practicing her mile for P.E. somedays with another. We had a fantastic 45 minute conference with her teacher Rick the other day and he said how impressed he was with her comfort level and her confidence in class, me too.

I think Clem's adjustment is harder. He doesn't really remember it here and it is another new school for him, but his teacher and Nhalia agree with me that he seems more himself every week. We went to the urgent care yesterday for a slight concussion he received after falling on the concrete on our way into the shoe store. He seems full of it today though so I don't think we lost many brain cells.

We think of all our friends often and wish you would all come for a visit.

Bobbing for donuts

Adele's friend as Sarah Palin

Adele and Amy Halloween parade

Carving Pumpkins with Adele's room

Patrick and Clem/room 5 buddies

Camping with Clem's room

Putting the animals away at kid's school

Camping with room 5

Putting away the Ohlone chickens

After the dive

Adele and Amy Scuba Diving

"The Clement Monterey"

Cold Waves

Wood Fairies

Tall tree

Unbelievable

Okay, so let me back track for a moment.  I believe you all are aware of the ridiculous cost of living in Palo Alto.  It was one of the main deterrents for moving back.  {There  is nothing renting for below 2,000 a month for a two bedroom on Craig's list. }  Last year my friend Sylivia, who seems to know everything told me that I should get on the lists for below market rate rentals and housing purchases.  I did for purchasing but waited on the rentals until I got here.  The first two days I went around putting my names on lists.  There were about 10 properties we qualified for.  (to qualify you have to make below 90,000 a year...no I am not kidding)

 

  Our favorite was a complex that was not all low income, just 10 units out of more that 50, had a pool and hot tub, dishwashers, washer drier in units, balconies...a great midtown location just 3 minutes from the kid's school and the freeway.  When I called they said that they had a two page waiting list and they wouldn't even take my name but to call back as they thought the list would be moving along soon.  I called back the next week and they took my name and a week later they called to say they had an apartment for us!  She said that no one ahead of us on the list had responded, some had been on there for years, and that it was ours.  I was thrilled but not entirely surprised, it just seemed like it would happen.  We move in on the 4th.

Oh ya, this was the only place that took cats.

Sightings

The other night I was picking Adele up from a playdate. It was sunset after a sunny day. We were in the street saying our goodbyes when Adele spotted this rainbow. I think it was the first time I have ever seen a rainbow without rain first. Of course, we have had our fair share of rain this year. We marveled at it for quite a while and then went to 7-11 to buy a lottery ticket. (Adele's idea)

Rockin in the front yard

Clem Rocks Video

Santa Cruz Boardwalk

Great minds...

The Universe

Today I was at a birth; a second baby, born at home. It spun out into the world, tightly wrapped in its cord, purple and unmoving.  The midwife placed her on her mother's chest and after a few moments she began to sputter and cry.  No one in the room could make that happen, the life just came up through her. 

A dear friend recently told me that he didn't believe in the Universe with a capital "U".  For many years I don't think I knew what I believed.  I do know that I thought I was in control of my own destiny.  I don't think that anymore.  What is interesting to a control freak like me is that I am beginning to find that comforting because lately things seem to be lining up in ways that I couldn't have imagined.  What about you?

Goodbye party: John, Justine and Yan

Back at Escondlido Village

Amy and Adele: hippie chicks

Ian, Kai, Joel and Robyn in Utah

Sunny on drugs

My brother gave up his bed