More Travel & Happy 2nd!

We're getting settled into the new place, finally, although we are a little hamstrung by all the going out of town, plus someone's (OK, mine) foot-dragging when it comes to making decisions re: bedding, picture hanging, etc. Brennan loves having more space - just ask the downstairs neighbors about the speed he builds up in the long hallway - and he also seems to enjoy the rearrangement of his bedroom furniture. Now that Daddy can store his 80 bazillion CDs somewhere else, Bren gets the whole bookshelf for his stuff, and Mommy made the brilliant decision to put his books where he can get them out all by himself. I wouldn't have bothered to take a picture had I known how often I was going to see the above carnage.

We went to visit our friends John & Suzanne and their girls in Colorado - plus it's nice to have some more real summer. Loveland, CO has some exotic locales for a kid from San Francisco - for example, the Build-a-Bear store, where you can magically turn an $18 teddy bear into a $60 one. Thankfully, Brennan chose to Build-a-Pony, and there aren't really any outfits for the pony. Also he found this teddy bear car, squeezed himself into it, and remained there while his parents completed the pony-building.
Much more successful was a romp in the dancing fountain outside the Build-a-Bear store. Catching him with a towel when it was time to go was kind of like trying to net a butterfly, with the added challenge of not getting soaked myself. I can't remember the last time he's laughed so hard for so long. Too bad we don't have one here. Of course, all the kids would become hypothermic, so it's probably for the best.
We also went to the County Fair, which despite being the approx. temperature of the Sun, was a good time, if just to see how fairs compare to ones I went to as a kid. For instance, I don't remember corn dogs being the size of my head, or getting to pick from more than one flavor of lemonade. Or the petting zoo including a young camel - sadly, not pictured, as it seemed very curious about the camera and all I have are a bunch of close-ups of its nostrils and teeth. Bren enjoyed meeting some pygmy goats and a tortoise, which he tried to push to go faster. On the other hand, some things at the fair don't really change -

Bren had a great time playing with Grace & Audrey, throwing pebbles in the lake, and eating every kids' Clif Bar in the house.

He wasn't quite sure what this big green open space was, but he sure liked running across it.

We got home and unpacked and then it was time for a visit from his grandparents and a birthday! He started his 2nd birthday with 2nd breakfast at Zazie, then a nice walk to the Science Academy to show Marshall & Mary all the fish, followed by a long nap. When Daddy came home, we all went to dinner at the Presidio Social Club, where there were no tantrums or emergency changes of pants, AND there was a chocolate cupcake with a chocolate dipping sauce (remnants can be seen in the lower portion of the photo, and all over his face). We did not intend to dress him as a cowboy, but since Mommy forgot to pack a bib, the restaurant napkin had a certain "rawhide" quality that went nicely with his shirt. All in all, an exciting and successful birthday.

But the fun didn't stop there - we also took Gangi Mary over to Marin to visit the Discovery Museum, where Brennan showed her how many rubber frogs he could carry at once. We had a nice lunch in Sausalito and looked at boats, too.
And even more news - our family has gotten a little bigger and our apartment a lot noisier! No, the baby isn't early - it's a different kind of baby: now introducing....Roux! She's a red & white border collie, 11 weeks old, and a big fan of shoes, slippers, or little feet in footy pajamas. While she looks very sweet, the next picture probably gives you a better idea of what she brings to the household. Probably not the wisest move on my part, but I have from now 'til end of December to get a dog settled and semi-trained, otherwise it won't happen for about 2 years. I really missed having a dog! Since we lost Laika in May, there's been a empty furry spot next to my bed. Bren breaks my heart every time he rushes out the door at the YMCA, saying "oof oof" and making a beeline for any hapless mutt who happens to be tethered in the "dog parking" - I think he really missed having one, too. Although he might beg to differ every time she steals his stuffed Nemo fish.

Summer Fun

Various media outlets are saying this is NOT actually the coldest summer in 40 years - it's the unusually persistent fog that makes it feel that way. Or something. The entertainment value of watching tourists shiver in shorts and freshly purchased fleece pullovers doesn't last long, though. Just so we didn't forget what the sun looked like, we made a field trip over the Golden Gate to the Discovery Museum in Marin.Brennan had so much fun riding mice, running, splashing in water, running, playing music with Daddy, running, bouncing, and running some more that we rolled our tickets into a membership. We've been back a few times -
Bren really likes the splashing tidepools -
and the dumptrucks. Missing are the alarming images of him trying to play with some older boys who were pushing or riding the metal trucks down a ramp as fast as possible, with the apparent goal of wiping out in a bed of gravel or smashing into each other.

Another cure for the foggy, glacial summertime blues is to have an excuse to leave town for a few days. Luckily two of my colleagues thoughtfully arranged to get married at Lake Tahoe at the end of July. Mornings in Tahoe City were a good source for pancakes and entertainment -

We stopped at a bike rental spot to check out their baby seat options. We didn't necessarily mean to set out on a bike ride right then, but after we put Brennan in the seat, he more or less refused to get out. So we spent a couple of hours cruising along the Truckee River out to our rental in Squaw Valley & back.

The events were at Painted Rock Lodge, a really lovely spot on the river. Brennan was invited to the barbecue the night before the wedding. He particularly enjoyed the ceiling fans and the brownies. If we can ever sort out the video upload, his dad got some great footage of him shoving almost an entire brownie in his mouth.
Here are Kristen and David, getting hitched. The ceremony was very sweet, and included the passage from The Velveteen Rabbit where the Skin Horse explains how toys become real. With 40 fast approaching and my waistline expanding even faster (although I think that has more to do with Brennan's impending younger sibling than my eating habits), it was comforting to hear about still being loved even after all your fur is rubbed off. This is early morning on their first day of married life -
Anyway, they make a lovely couple and I'm very happy for them. (now come back from your honeymoon already, your clients are driving me nuts, especially that lady with the Tibetan terrier)