Thinking of Oklahoma

This guy. He is so complex and emotional. I wish we had more time together, just the two of us to talk about space and Boba Fett and real estate. Tuesday nights is our date night. I let him choose what we do, but chances are he picks an ice cream outing or a Star Wars and popcorn night. Which are both fine by me.

This Tuesday night I took a moment to snuggle him up and breathe in his hair. We talked a little about natural disasters. About how we don't have tornados here, but we do have earthquakes. About how no place is 100% free of natural disasters, but that we are safe here. He seemed to accept my words of assurance, but I know there will be questions popping up at the oddest times over the next few weeks. It is a fine line, I think, about sharing world news with children. In the past year there have been several events that we simply chose not to discuss when the boys were around. Six is a funny age. At times seeming so grown up, but of course, still so young.

The other day Finn realized that we have a lot more photos of Leo than of him. I told him it was because Leo likes to have his photo taken, and doesn't make crazy faces and hide under his shirt when I get out the camera. So he immediately asked if I would take a few nice photos of just him. I jumped at the chance!

San Pablo Reservoir

Our beautiful weather is back. It seems the house is too small to hold all the energy the boys emit, and so we are forced to enjoy the great outdoors. Poor us, right?

What is it about being outside that can smooth our ruffled feathers? A warm breeze, water view, the Giants on the radio, good BBQ, and a new playground to explore. It set everyone's mood right.

I'd never heard of the San Pablo Reservoir before we journeyed out there this weekend. But now we know there are gazebos to reserve, boats to rent, and fish to catch. More fun for another day.

Seeds of Kindness

One of the reasons we love our neighborhood so much is the people. When we left San Francisco we were looking for a greater sense of community, and a place where we would know our neighbors. Imagine how happy we were on the day we moved in when several people came over to welcome us. Someone even baked us banana bread.

We are lucky to have wonderful neighbors to both sides of us. A couple of weeks ago, we had to have our fence repaired. While the fence was down our neighbor noticed that we were putting in a garden. Imagine my boys' delight when they found a package containing a dozen packets of seeds left sweetly by our front door.

They were so happy. Leo spent the rest of the day lining up the packets, planning what he would plant and where. Finn opened the packets and examined their contents. Marveling at how different each variety of seed was.

These are truly seeds of kindness. The boys were impressed that someone would leave us a gift for no reason. This summer I hope that we will be able to pass on the love. To leave some tomatoes or eggplants on a doorstep and brighten someone's day. To teach the boys that even a small kindness can make a difference.