Finding Balance in San Francisco

Bhutan and the "gold medal"

We just got a care package from Nana, which included t-shirts from Bhutan. Both boys wanted to wear their shirts from "The Land of the Peaceful Dragon" today

and we're (mommy is, anyway) excited about Quinn's soccer season ending... good memories, yet also nice to not have every Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning tied up with soccer. I wonder how much different Quinn will be during next year's soccer season. It does seem like the boys change so much each year at this point.

The boys are particularly excited about the medals- here's a surprised looking Quinn with his pal Will, showing off their soccer medals, and then a bunch of boys from Quinn's class, examining their new hardware

The days feel shorter and colder- fall is fully underway. Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner... and then Christmas will be here before we know it.

Last day of soccer practice for 2008 and the Discovery Museum

We've had an action-packed day... an action-packed week, for that matter.

These photos from the Bay Area Discovery Museum earlier today:

How great does Meglet look for just having given birth!? Baby Danica is looking all grown up at 8 weeks-

and baby Zak is a little over 8 months now-

Jordan and Owen are only 6 weeks apart age-wise, and get along great-

and these from Quinn's final soccer practice of the year, in Golden Gate Park- near the Rose Garden. Their final game is Saturday.

Halloween photos

Halloween moments... in no particular order, except for the last one.

Funny things kids say

Jordan to Quinn: "Oh, scary! It's the real Darth Vader!"

Quinn back to Jordan: "No, I'm just a kid in a mask."

***

While watching a You Tube video on my computer, of Spiderman entering a kid birthday party doing handsprings and backflips:

Quinn: "Mommy, Spiderman is exercising."

***

Jordan (to me): "Mommy, I'm a mean Polar Bear named Will (rooooaaaarrrrrr)"

Me: "Ok, Will."

Jordan (crawling over to my lap): "I'm a mean Polar Bear named Will who likes to snuggle."

***

Quinn's friend Brock from pre-school, to his mom:

Brock: "Mommy, how come they keep saying my name on t.v.?"

I'm a Switch Witch convert!

On Halloween night, my friend Suz told me about a Halloween deity I now know and love: the Switch Witch.

The Switch Witch is nice (think Glinda the good witch from the Wizard of Oz)

and she loves candy.

You and your children are each allowed to select and keep 3 pieces of candy, and if you leave the rest of your Halloween candy in a bowl with a note, the Switch Witch will come to your house on Halloween night and switch out the candy for presents... one present for each kid.

The Switch Witch is also very intuitive: for example, she knew that our boys love superheros. So she got them new Spiderman electric toothbrushes. Very cool.

I'm so very glad that I heard about her, because the Switch Witch was a monster hit in our household. The boys could hardly wait to get to the candy bowl to see if she'd come in the night.

And they're now brushing their teeth several times a day.