Spring Jellyfish

March: traditionally the arrival of Spring, the return of daylight savings time, budding trees, rain showers, lengthening days...

Or there's the local version: Another Relentlessly Beautiful Day, brought to you by your good buddy, the Drought.

This particular beautiful March day, Lucie got to play hookey from pre-school and spend the day with Mommy, since the kids had an afternoon dentist appointment.  We celebrated with a Dynamo donut breakfast on the waterfront, a visit to the sea lions and carousel at Fisherman's Wharf, and most importantly, wearing Queen Elsa's crown all day.

It's also time to pick up our quarterly wine club box.  Yes, we could have it shipped, but then we wouldn't have an excuse to go up to Healdsburg for the day.  This time we convinced our neighbors to join us, so Beck & Willow could meet the Preston cats and play in the Michel Schlumberger courtyard.  I like to imagine that Beck & Bren are debating the merits of the 2011 Petit Verdot:

It's also a good time to get back to our Learn to Ride a Bike project, which started Christmas 2013, and did not allow the introduction of training wheels (thanks bunches, Internet Know-it-alls).  So a mere 14 months later, Brennan is semi-confidently riding his bike around the playground, and can be coaxed into riding somewhere, as long as that somewhere sells ice cream, or candy.

Lucie, having the benefits of a smaller bike and being closer to the ground - as well as general bad-assery - has been a quicker study.

And then there's our favorite non-seasonal pursuits - LEGO, of course, for Brennan:
(I'm supposed to submit this photo to the Kids Club Magazine, but I've forgotten the name of this creation, and he looks like he's being forced to share it with a bigger kid he doesn't trust)

For Lucie, sleeping in with her many friends - and for Roux, finding new & fun ways to hide herself in plain sight:

March also means the start of spring microsoccer - the Grattan Jellyfish have returned for their second season.  We lost a few players to spring t-ball, and a few more to general disinterest, but we rounded up some newcomers and will be spending the next 6 Saturdays running up & down Marina Green.

Lucie is continuing her mascot duties, which include:  hoarding the pink leopard print soccer ball, ignoring the game, asking Daddy when he's going to coach "her team", taste-testing all the snacks, and making sure her stuffed animals stay hydrated.

 

Kids' sports are hard to read at this age.  Brennan has been enthusiastic about being on a team, doesn't protest (much) when it's time to go to practice or a game, and he seems to enjoy running around.  On the other hand, he'd rather pass the ball to a teammate than charge across the field and take a goal shot, and I often see him having imaginary light-saber battles when he's supposed to be playing defense.

 

But I am certain of one thing:  he LOVES the after-game snack.  All of them do.