Morning Coffee

Now that I am a working mother. That term comes with a lot of sociology and strong feelings. Mine are still to new to be formed.
Daniel and Joaquin drive me to my carpool most mornings. There is a coffee shop at the carpool stop where we often get a coffee. The coffee shop has a great red sofa where Joaquin takes it all in.
Joaquin also had developed lightening fast reflexes. We call him graby-graby because he wants everything in sight, including my glasses. I am surprised to find out that he does seem to understand the word gentle and is these fierce when he goes for my earrings or glasses.
As I head across the street to the carpool pick up, Daniel and Joaquin enjoy the coffee shop for a few minutes before they head off to drop Joaquin at the babysitter.

Father's Day

Joaquin and I were very excited for father's day. Mostly, I was excited about giving presents. I had thought of gifts that I knew Daniel would love. The best was to be a new pocket knife. When I met Daniel he always had a pocket knife at his ready. I liked that. He would come to the rescue. While other men were helpless to fix a jammed ... or slice a mango, Daniel would come to the rescue. Then rushing to catch an airplane, he had to surrender his knife.

One Wednesday, Joaquin and I rode the bus across town to buy Daniel at new swiss army knife at the Wilderness Exchange. Joaquin, now a master sitter, sat on the floor drooling onto miniflashlights, while I examined the various sections. I picked a nicely pocketable one. And Joaquin and I trekked back home. That night I asked Daniel if I could give him his gift now. He said no. I had to wait.

The next week I was invited by my friend Christianna to paint father's day mugs at Brushstrokes in Berkeley. At first I wrinkled my nose- a paint-your-own-pottery place. There is a hilarious music video about those place called Lazy Monday. (Actually its a response to an equally hilarious Saturday Night Live music video Lazy Sunday.) Why is there an assumption that paint-your-own-pottery places are kind of pathetic? Anyway the thought of babyfoot stamped onto ceramics was just to cute for me to pass up. Actually Brushstrokes is really cool. I would go back. I like painting and its a great studio with a wide selection of paint brushes and paints. And my mug was quite fetching, if I say so myself. Joaquin did a good job of foot printing and of course having adorable toes.

At last Sunday morning arrived. I planned to make breakfast with Joaquin and let Daniel sleep in. Joaquin decided to sleep in until 8:20 that morning. He's been a regular 6:30 a.m. early bird of late. So I rose alone at 7:30 and went to wrap the pocket knife. Suddenly I couldnt remember where I hid it. I started looking around in my usual hiding spots and I couldnt find it. Not anywhere. Lost.

I laughed as I told Daniel. He did drink breakfast tea from his new mug- his world's best dad mug as he calls it.

The day turned into a lot of fun. We worked on our outdoor kitchen with our neighbor, listened to an outdoor concert with friends at Stern Grove in SF, and stayed for a city barbeque with fellow parents Jolie and Brian and their babe, Chasin. Joaquin has quite a joyful cooperator. It was a day to remember.

Epilogue:
Daniel found the pocket knife himself in my messenger back as he scrounged for bridge toll money on Monday night.

Firsts

First backward crawling last week. First swing ride ( he laughed so hard!).

Here is Joaquin's first strawberry. Possibly one of the best strawberries I have ever tasted, at Full Belly Farm in Guinda, California.

Hmm, what's that?

That's good

more, more

Observations

I am now a working mama. 3 days a week I travel over or under the bay to San Francisco to become a solar policy advocate. So no time for long blog posts while I find balance.

#1 Sea Otter Pup
Joaquin recently perfected his art of rolling over. Now he can roll left or right, tummy to back or back to tummy at will to reach an object of his desire. He reminds me of a sea otter pup when he rolls onto his tummy to get a toy and then rolls on to his back to examine and play with it on his tummy.

#2 Sitting
Joaquin is picking up a new skill every few days right now. On Saturday, May 23rd when my friend Carol came over to take me for a trail run, she asked if Joaquin could sit. I said not really he falls over. Then I plopped him into sitting position and he sat by himself from then on. He still topples over now and again. It happens in slow motion, so he's easy to catch and it's kind of funny.

#3 Thank You Thievery Corporation
There is a music group called Thievery Corporation. I love their world influenced electronic beats and dub sound. And so does Joaquin. But I am totally astonished at the power the song Lebanese Blond has over Joaquin. Just now he was tired and fussing. I laid him in his little pen and he was writhing around, fussing. I start Lebanese Blond within 4 minutes he is sleeping like a dog. The song has been a magic switch for putting him to sleep for about 2 weeks now.
Its not a bad song to have to listen to over & over. Here it is if you want listen.

Joaquin & his auntie Clararose

Thoroughly Modern Baby

Joaquin is a thoroughly modern baby. He called me on my cell phone when he woke up from a nap last Sunday. I was in Amy's backyard and he was in the second floor guest bedroom sleeping.

Okay, he didn't call me. But the iPhone called me when he started to make noise. The iPhone has an amazing app (that's application for those not in with know) called Baby Monitor. Since the iPhone has a speaker, the app senses any new sounds above the background noise level and then calls another designated phone number when the baby makes noise. So we leave Daniel's iPhone near Joaquin with Baby Monitor app on and then when he starts to coo or sqwak, I get a call on my cell phone.

So Joaquin calls me when he needs me. It was pretty funny to get a call from him.

I have one wonderful grandmother. My abuelita, Maruja, has her first great grandchild. It is her first boy offspring in almost 35 years. Here she is with my youngest sister Maita, the baby and I.

Il Giro Del Bambino- Stage Four "The Dash"

Daniel and I awake our third morning at Hotel Cecio at 8 a.m. The baby is sleeping contently but we all rouse ourselves so we can catch a 10 a.m. train from La Spezia to Rome. The night before we forgot to check the train schedule for Corniglia to La Spezia. So we hope for the best.

By the time we hit the stairs for our third (fourth?) descent, it is nine a.m. This time I have the baby on my back and Daniel has the heavy backpack with all our things. We hurry down the steps knowing we are cutting it close. We finish the stairs and start the 300 meter long straightaway to the train station. I swear I hear the chime that indicates trains a-coming in stations in Europe. I start to walk rapidly. Then we definitely hear the rattle of an approaching train. The station is still 200 hundred meters away. We begin to run in earnest. Me with the baby on my back and Daniel with a 50+ pound backpack. A light drizzle has started. We run as fast as possible. Amazing, we arrive at the platform as the train is opening its doors. Out of breath I grab a metal handrail and pull myself aboard. My chest is heaving as we pick a seat. It was like a scene out of a movie, running for a moving train. What Joaquin thinks, I dont know.
It is definitely the sprint at the end of the Giro.
We sprinted the length of the pavement sidewalk on the left. Full length not pictured.

Two trains and a few hours later we are back in Rome.