I was mesmerized by the new space. Love the new addition with winding spaces, grand windows to the new SF skyline, outdoor patios, and overall, a museum that would take multiple afternoons to enjoy. It's huge with so much to see.
Yesterday, we spent a few hours at SF MOMA. With membership, I look forward to mini-lunch dates with Dav (since he works a block away) where we'll take in 1 floor at a time, then sit and enjoy the space.
We met up with friends who are walking around the perimeter of S.F. today (takes over 12 hours). We had our bikes (Dav's tall one), and tagged along for a tiny stretch just to say hi. Fun part was an old friend from Tokyo blogging days, Justin Hall, was there too! Small city where like-minded friends from different circles meet up : )
A last minute decision, but we stopped by India Basin near our home for a neighborhood Easter Egg hunt. Beautiful views and goats too!
At first Tesla was a bit, "I'm too old for this," but got into the fun of finding egg surprises. There were so many! I think we have like 40 eggs!
Another year quickly gone by as the girls grow. Aila will finish preschool this summer, and next year, we look into Middle Schools for Tesla! Crazy.
Here is Aila's handmade Hinasama decoration from preschool. Rather scary eyelashes on the prince and princess! Aila has been into hiragana lately, and you can see her pretty good attempts : )
Stumbled across this lovely story. If you have time, it'll warm your heart.
This video particularly touched me as I too once found a tiny white kitten. She was meowing on a Tokyo street hidden in bushes on a rainy night. I couldn't walk away knowing how young that meow sounded, so I searched for her. Luckily I didn't have to deal with dire circumstances as the video story, but I found her 6 days before moving to S.F. to be with Dav. Tickets bought, I was packing, and I already had my 2 cats Wakame and Katsuo. I found her after dinner with my brother-in-law. Of course I took her home, hoping luck would help me find her a home.
This was back before blogs really took off, and while I had one for a while by then, posting about the kitten was the first time I saw the direct usefulness of it vs. chatting about daily stuff that while fun and interactive, wasn't doing anything really.
Then, the perfect match happened when Tracey stepped in to take her! Just in time before I moved, btw. I couldn't think of what I'd do had I not found a home for her.
Tracey sent me updates for many years so I could see how happy and rambunctious this little one was. She was named Tutu. Unfortunately, she passed a few years back, but I feel very connected to Tracey and her family because of Tutu.
It's been so long since it rained, and really, since Aila was born it's been a drought, so to her rain is AMAZING. She wants to drink it, stomp in it, finally wear her raincoat, and use her dinosaur umbrella.
As usual, she's a blur in all pics.
Our annual Sports Day Undokai at Rosa Parks was on Friday. I do enjoy this whole day of fun competition where the Rosa Parks community comes together to volunteer and hang. Kids compete earnestly, and it's a memorable moment each year. I can't believe it's already a year since my parents were here, and cheered Tesla on.
This year was Tesla's 5th year counting from kinder. Next year will be her last. Acknowledging this year's 5th graders as their last made me emotional (I was the MC) as I totally know these kids...some from preschool!
And this year, Aila joined for 1 cute event as part of her preschool Nihonmachi Little Friends (from which a lot graduate to Rosa Parks). Next year, she will be a kinder at Rosa Parks fully participating in Undokai. That was emotional for me. I remember being at Undokai when Aila was a new baby. How times flies, and these annual events highlight that all the more to me. Slow down please!!
Today, at dusk, is our 10th wedding anniversary. "Today" is not a date. We go by Wed. at Burning Man, and that date shifts. This makes it easier for us to remember, which is great, as both Dav and I are not into remembering dates. In fact, the 10th only dawned on us as a fellow couple who also married at Burning Man that week posted on FB that they were celebrating their 10th. Holy cow, 10!
I knew we'd be here tho. I remember that first year I met Dav at Burning Man, then flew back to Tokyo where I lived as we started a 1 year long distance relationship. I knew we'd grow old together, and had a distinct vision (documented in an email to Toni!) of pushing Dav in a wheelchair when we are super old, him wearing a colorful funky hat with cute bunny ears I knitted for fun. I felt it in my bones that we'd stick, and thus I moved from Tokyo to be together.
Our wedding on the playa was in secret from everyone (as friends know, we both don't like planning hoopla around us)...except for dear wonderful Douglas Frey who had no idea what was in store when we asked, "can you spare an hour with your camera?"
In some ways, OMG, I'm wearing wings and a snake! None of the traditional stuff that I grew up thinking I'd wear. But you know what? That moment, when we exchanged vows, was the most powerful, pure, blissful moment in my life. It was RIGHT. And we both felt that in our souls.
The BM camp that married us was one I found when cycling around earlier. A "drive-by chapel" shall we say. When I learned weeks earlier that Dav had an elaborate proposal in mind that didn't make our beloved BM timing, I surprised him (and got tears out of him) with ME proposing to him on the playa. We were engaged (in secret) for 3 hours, then cycled over to the camp at dusk that I had found earlier. This camp did playa weddings...fun in a light ha ha way. But we showed up in total seriousness. The camp rallied. The whole camp came out and wept for us. It was magical, and absolutely the wedding for Dav and Mie.
But, back to Doug. He had no idea. He came with us with no questions, to be the ONE witness from our BM camp, and to document, bless his soul. Here are the pics. His pictures are SO precious to us. It was the real deal. So thank you, for witnessing a most precious moment for us. Forever, you are connected to us.
Thank you, Twight Zone. We are 10 years in, and still in Love! You married us!!
So ok, I need to add that I still feel like the luckiest girl around. Some know, some don't, but I had quite a personal journey to be in the position to meet Mr. Amazing Dav. I worked for it, but didn't know Dav was the reward. I walked a dark journey by myself. Then I found the most wonderful, fulfilling, HOT partner I could have imagined. Still pinching myself. Someday I will tell my daughters, be true to yourself - your fire, your creativity, your way - and you'll get to the place to meet the people you are meant to meet.
Dav is that for me. Love you.
p.s. Dav's post about our wedding.
At Aila's kindergarten in Yokohama, they had a "lunch observation day" where parents could come see how their kids ate lunch. Since I was on Tesla's field trip, my mom went and took pics for me.
She has been thrilled to finally have obento for lunch since I always make for Tesla, but it's not needed for Aila in S.F. When she came home with an empty bento box, I couldn't believe it since she's such a picky small eater, but my mom confirmed she ate most of it. Yay!
Such a wonderful little school <3
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