OMG—Vancouver BC Aquatic Centers Rock

I know the Bay Area has public pools that are fairly cheap to visit but most of them are pretty old and very small.  In the Bay, you pay about $3.00 to swim in a 25 meter pool with about five or six lanes.  It’s pretty bare bones.  The locker rooms are from the seventies usually with old cracking tiles and showerheads that might or might not offer hot water.  The hours are also very limited.  I’m not complaining, just comparing.

This past weekend, my friends took me swimming at their neighborhood aquatic center--Hillcrest Park.  Seriously, our public pools are put to some serious shame.  You wonder why urban kids in the US don’t know how to swim?  Well if we offered them affordable and state of the art aquatic centers, we might be able to inspire them to learn.  No brainer right?

For $6.00 or less, BC folks have access to an indoor and outdoor Olympic size pools, a family pool, a diving pool, family hot pool, and more.   For my fellow mothers, there is even a family locker room and pack n play to hold your baby while you change. 

It’s an understatement to say that I was very impressed.  Maybe in a few generations, our public money will be spent on creating community centers such as this.

Family Alien Day at Habitot

Calling all outer space aliens to  Family Alien Day, an out-of-this-world event. Children are encouraged to arrive dressed in costumes from another planet – those in alien costumes will even receive an outer space prize!  Families can use glow-in-the dark face paint in Habitot’s Face Painting station, and create alien antennas and build recycled planet sculptures in the Art Studio. Fun outer space-inspired games all day, including planet bowling and crater making. Thirst-quenching Moon punch and delicious crater cookies will be served at noon.

Costumes and Moon Punch?  What more can you ask for?  Hop on over to
Habitot on Saturday, August 28 from 9:30 am - 4:30 pm.

Gems on Park

Nothing beats an evening stroll with your family after a busy day at work or running errands around town. Over a year ago, we knew how good life was when we walked the baby along Lake Merritt’s path in Oakland under the twilight sky. Nowadays, when we get a chance to stroll, it’s down Alameda’s Park Street where we see the competing cafes housing chess-gamers, cramming students and relaxed readers. There’s an evening karate class with parents waiting patiently for their kids’ final “aaiiiii-yyaaa” of the night. Next door the neighborhood kids are hanging out at Quickly that serves fried food and boba tea.

Our favorite stop is another block down at 1355 Park. It is a quirky place with a cart of books and a rack of clothes out near the sidewalk to lure people into the store as effectively as a brightly lit “Open” sign. This store is called Blue Rectangle, a name I will never remember but will always know it is simple. Blue Rectangle always pulls me in with the front-counter used cd rack. On the back wall is a projection of some random black and white movie that I never have time to watch except only to appreciate that they are projecting some random black and white movie. And despite all these cool racks and bowls and displays of music and film, the best part about the Blue Rectangle is the books. In particular, the basket of free children’s books for every kid that walks in with an adult.

The last time the family strolled in there, I was feeling much appreciation for the store’s straightforward concept as a mild-mannered 2nd hand shop.So I skidded my finger across a bookshelf until it found a gap between books. Tucked between seemingly larger “normal” sized books was a baby of a book called “The Prophet” by Lebanese American Khalil Gibran. This book written in 1923 has been on my short list ever since Saul Williams tweeted about it shortly after the Haiti earthquake struck. I bought the book and brought it home feeling like I had discovered a rare gem.



The book has found a new home in the side pocket of my car and I find myself drawn to this particular passage:

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies,
so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Thanks to J as our guest blogger!

Slow and Sunny Petaluma: Recommended trip with the Baby

For Bay Area folks looking for a quick getaway, this might be the spot. We were pleasantly surprised by this little town known for its egg and butter parade. There are beautiful parks, plenty of farms, and good food to keep the kiddies happy and entertained. You’ll also be inspired to start your own garden.

Recommended itinerary:

Shollenberger Wetlands is a stunning expanse of wildlife and view of the rolling hills.




For those interested in history, the Adobe State Park is worth visiting.

Eat fish tacos at Café Zazzle. We took our food to go and had a picnic lunch.

Eat dinner at Namaste Kitchen, they were super nice to Kai.

Visit the chicken coup at Green String Farms and buy fresh produce and seasonal jams.



For those urban farmers, there is a seed bank in the downtown area that was opened up by the Baker Seed Company. Literally it's in an old bank and houses thousands of seeds. Heirloom everything.

I can’t forget the freshest and cheapest French cheese around direct from the Marin Cheese Factory.

Stay overnight at the fun Metro Hotel. Located on the main drag and just two blocks from a playground. The rooms are set in an old mansion and are Parisian themed. Complete with hardwood floors and clawfoot tubs.

You could do Petaluma in a day but there’s so much to see. Overall a fantastic and educational place to take your toddler. Everyone is really nice too.

Thumbs up!

Surprise Mini-Vacation: Point Reyes

Originally we had plans to spend the weekend in Santa Cruz, but the Lockheed Fire changed that. Instead we drove on over to Point Reyes. This is the perfect place to take your little one and feel like you’re on vacation.

It’s absolutely gorgeous and only a little over an hour from Oakland. You can beach hop since there are several beaches along Sir Francis Drake Blvd. I highly recommend going to these places:

Hearts Desire Beach—It’s a sweet little cove that’s perfect for kids to hang in the water. There isn’t much wind and no big waves unlike most Bay Area beaches. You can even find a spot that gives you half shade and sun. Just try to arrive before noon to get a parking space.

Check out the Farmer’s Market at Point Reyes Station for goodies to bring on your picnic lunch.




Before hitting the beach, stop by this super cool and well thought out toy store, Into The Blue. This has been one the most impressive toy boutiques I’ve visited. Wooden toys and pretty kites fill up this small storefront. I grabbed a tie dye octopus kite for little Kai. The owner provides a map of best beaches to fly a kite and safety tips as well.


If you like oysters, there are plenty of farms and cafes that serve ‘em up raw or barbequed.

Parks Inequality: Why are parks in the burbs so much better?

This past weekend we went to a birthday party out in Mountain House. You probably never heard of this town out near Livermore. It’s one of those track home communities out in the hot valley. It’s easy to blow off a place like MH but I was very impressed with their park. It was beautiful. This place was equipped with multiple Corocord rope play structures, water sprinklers for play, bocce ball, and big fields. There were no signs of litter, needles, or drunk folks hanging out either.

Sure some playgrounds and parks are decent in Oakland, but the suburban folks know how to do parks. Now if only the urban Parks and Rec departments can take note.

Suburban Parks worth driving to in Northern Cal:

Mountain House

Cuesta Park in Mountain View


Please add to this list. These are the two parks I’ve personally experienced.

Summer Kiss in Santa Cruz

Cool Sighting: Tandem Bike with the Kids

When I was driving to Kai’s daycare this morning, I saw the sweetest thing. A dad plus his young daughter riding tandem and his toddler on a baby bike seat in the back. They were going uphill too! That’s dedication.

Read more about the benefits of tandem biking with the kids here.



Image by illustrator Barbara Pollack

Night Out: SF Dining with A Cause

For parents looking for a night out with or without baby, I highly recommend checking out Mission Street Food. Local chefs guest star on Thursdays and Saturdays putting together special menus. Go early cause the line is usually out the door. Tonight Carlo Espinas is the star. CE will be dishing out plates for meat lovers and vegans. He'll be trickin' out a special Filipino Sisig too.

Eat up and be thankful your money will benefit Delancey Street Restaurant.

Bart Responds

Following up from my post about my semi-scary experience taking baby on the BART elevator.

Mmoran@bart.gov to me

Follow up message

I regret the unpleasant experience as described. Certainly there are some urban areas such as that near the Civic Center SF BART station where activities in the surrounding neighborhoods may find their way into the periphery of the BART station. Such infractions as described appear in a flash--that brief moment of opportunity.

We continually watch for inappropriate behavior and the BART Police will respond to calls based on the priority of the calls at the moment. We also look upon the assistance of the eyes and ears of our passengers to help us and report immediately when something perceived as inappropriate is occurring. A prompt contact to the BART Police at 1-877-679-7000 or to the station agent works much better than an email message to an office that is unoccupied on weekends.

All I have to say is when we were in Oaska and Kyoto, Japan, the subway elevators did not reek of urine and there was no element of danger. Plus despite the fact that people are allowed to drink on the trains, there is still no litter anywhere in their stations or trains. Plus every single station agent and ticket seller were amazingly nice and helpful. They never made it felt like you were bothering them. Hmmm...something to be learned from other countries. Anyways, just beware of your surroundings when taking bart with a baby in the stroller.

Baby’s First International Trip

I’m back from Japan and still getting adjusted to the time. Looking back at our trip, here are some reasons why Japan is a smart first international trip for babies.

- Japan certainly favors cartoons and animated characters in advertising and other public canvases. Everything is so cute!




-Super clean family friendly bathrooms almost everywhere even in their subway stations. Not only can you appreciate the TOTO high tech toilets with warm seats and bidets, but most Japanese bathrooms are baby friendly. Many restrooms have a full-on hybrid adult/child bathroom with a big person’s toilet and mini toilet for the little ones. Plus the musical device that masks your "bathroom" sounds is an experience!



-Every restaurant immediately offers your baby a kid’s bowl and utensils. Good to share meals and also can be used as a distraction while you eat. Plus baby loves slurping up ramen, udon, and soba!



-Subway and buses have plenty of seats that are clearly designated for lap babies, pregnant women, and seniors. I never saw anyone who didn't fit those categories sit in those areas. Elevators are normally near those cars.



-Biking in places like Kyoto is pretty safe with babies. Bikers can ride on the sidewalks or scenic river pathways. We rented bikes with the Kyoto Cycling project. They have baby seats and helmets.



-Tokyo and Kyoto have an awesome international toy store and playland...
Bornelund which will keep your child entertained for a good few hours.

- In the city of Nara, deer roam freely in the temples and grass parks. They're very friendly and aren't scared of us. For rainy days, you can duck into a cool mom's group and activity center at the Nara train station on the second floor.




The only bad aspect is that smoking is still allowed in restaurants. We had to leave 2 restaurants because there were smokers near us. Other thing is that nursing isn’t normally done in public. I did it anyways but very discreetly.

Overall Japan is a super fun and safe place for your little one to explore a different culture. Happy travels!

Related Links: Flying International with Baby

More Japan Travel: Monkey, Monkey

A childhood friend recommended that we visit the Arashiyama/Sagano area. It's a beautiful town full of temples and bamboo groves. The highlight though was visiting Iwatayama Monkey Park. It was quite a trek heading up to where the macaque monkeys play. I'm talking about climbing at least 100 steep steps and walking a winding upward trail with a chubby baby. However it was well worth it to capture a baby monkey nursing:

Aaahh, Mother’s Day

I experienced my first this past weekend. I’d have to say for a Hallmark holiday, it was pretty sweet. Here’s how I spent it:

Friday:
- Celebrated a dear friend’s 90th birthday at the SF Metropolitan Club
What a beautiful place! I hope my kids write me poems when I’m 90.

Saturday:
- Picked up falafel and had a picnic at Golden Gate Park

-Walked around the Conservatory of Flowers. Definitely worth it for $5! I love how each exhibit has a different room temperature. We went from humid tropical weather to cloud level cool.

- Had Thai Tea Ice-Cream at Joe’s

-Picked up chicken karaage and sushi from Nijiya Market in J-Town for dinner

Sunday:

- Brunch with all the mother’s in our family

- Nice swim at the YMCA with the baby


I ended my weekend by mopping the floors! It wasn’t so bad after having such a fantastic weekend.

My babies are sicky sicky

I know my posting is a little late today. What can I say? My little guy caught a bad cold after spending time with lots of family in Tahoe. It seemed that everyone had a sniffly nose or cough. Tis the season.

If you're wondering what to do about your little one's runny nose since baby can't blow their nose, here's advice from my brother in law who happens to be a pediatrician:

- Squirt saline nasal spray gently up both nostrils
- Then use the rubber sunction bulb to suck up nose residue from each nostril
- Expose your baby to steam by placing them in the bathroom in their favorite car seat/high chair and run hot water in the shower.

Taking care of a sick baby is more straight forward than figuring out a sick pet. Choco fell ill several days ago. We thought he was sick from nibbling on our xmas tree which I just learned is hazardous to cats. Turns out after leaving him at the emergency pet hospital last night that Choco has early stages of arthritis on his back leg and a possible UTI. It's not easy trying to juggle taking care of a sick baby and a sick pet. Poor Choco is on four different types of meds. I'm still trying to figure out what's the best way to give him pills. My other question is how the heck people can afford having multiple kids and pets? Vet bills are expensive!

Anyways as I'm nursing these boys back to health, I'm prepping for a reading this Wednesday. I'm not big on reading my work out loud but once in a blue moon a friend can convince me to do so. Come to hear other local artists read and grab a yummy snack at the Mixing Bowl on Wednesday:

The Word is Out: Oakland’s Emerging Writers Mix it Up!


TIME:7 PM

WHERE: The Mixing Bowl Cafe, 4920 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609

Literary artists: Grace Loh, Sian Jones, Caroline Kim Brown & me

What's ahead on Thursday's post: OVERparenting

Noteworthy: Thermocamera

Sometimes it's hard to motivate and drive to San Jose but we discovered a spot worth driving to. Our weekend excursion included visiting the San Jose Tech Museum. It's brainy and stimulating. Kids will love the wet lab and moonwalk but everyone will enjoy taking supercool pics at the Thermocamera.

If you go from now until the end of December, you can visit Christmas in the Park right across the street from the museum. Photo-Ops galore. There are hundreds of holiday trees decorated by local schools and non-profits plus food vendors selling mexican hot chocolate and fresh tamales.

Baby's First Trip

We just came back from a fabulous trip to Seattle. It was baby kai’s first airplane ride and excursion outside California. It went way better than I imagined. The sites and sounds at Pike Place made him giggle. The rest of us loaded up with clam chowder, piroshkis, and dark chocolate.

Suggestions and Realizations for travel with baby:

- Gone are days of kiosk check-in, you must show baby’s birth certificate and do counter check-in.

- Bring a Sit n Stroll. That way your bulky car seat and stroller stays home. The 3 – in 1 transformer like stroller was great for the trip. I even tested it on steep hills and cobblestone…it does the trick. I recommend checking it in at the gate. They’re expensive, but I found one on Craigslist for $75.

- Pike Place Market is a must see. Go early. The stroller was fine even with a crowd. Worried about nursing in such a crowded place? I found a quiet secret hideaway. There’s a little corridor next to The Souk Indian Market with chairs in the back. Seriously it provides privacy, warmth, and a place to rest.


- People always doubt me on this recommendation but visit the Seattle Central Library. The library is beyond any one's imagination. It can take your breathe away with all the ingenious and creative ways to encourage folks to read. Go, Go , Go.



- Visit the Seattle Center at night. If you’re like us and don’t want to pay $16 to go to the top of the space needle, just go here. You still get a great view of the needle plus your baby will love all the lights of the merry go round and Ferris wheel. Free admission.

- Stay at the Alexis Hotel which is run by the Kimpton Group. Not only are they kid-friendly, pet friendly, and earth friendly, it’s beautiful! You get more bang for your buck. Nice art on the walls, spacious rooms, and Aveda products. Alexis provides cribs, play yards, and a welcome kit for kids. Their rooms can start at $300 but there are always internet deals to be found for $170 a night. Wine receptions in the evening too.

- Do eat at Green Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant in the International District. The neighborhood has a rich history but it is more gritty. Food is authentic with Banh Xeo and Bun Rieu on the menu. Cheap, clean, and cozy too.

The Great Pumpkin Patch

Maybe my black cat and love for the color orange is a dead give away but Halloween is my favorite holiday. Before Kai was born, I even made him an orange hat with cat ears which he started to wear last week.

Naturally the spirit of Halloween has rubbed off on J too. Last weekend he surprised us and drove the family down the coast to Bob's Pumpkin Patch. Though you could buy a pumpkin in the parking lot outside of Longs or Safeway, nothing beats going to the real thing. Even at four months, Kai enjoyed all the elements of the patch. With the sun shining, ocean view, and a patch of giant pumpkins, we were all happy campers. Whether you drive down the coast via Highway 1 or take the inland road of 92, there are many farms along the way fully equipped with corn mazes and scarecrows. Plus you can handpick pumpkins right off the vines and throw in a wheel barrow for cheap.

This weekend kicks off the Pumpkin Festival in Half Moon Bay.

Pumpkin Patch Guide