Making the Most Of a Sunny Day

Unbelievably, the sun is shining today and the high temp is expected to reach 63F, which seems unusual for this late in October. I just recently spent two weeks in southern and northern California (my former home base), and boy was the weather nice! The air quality was a different story, but then maybe that's one good reason for living in the Northwest. With that, I am heading outside with the little one's for some lawn mowing, trike riding, pumpkin carving, vitamin D generating fun. Hopefully this weather will last a bit longer, but reality probably dictates that the chilly, grey days are not too far off.

Trying Out Blogging From Facebook

It's been ages since I've written anything to my Blogger blog--mostly due to page overload for accomplishing blogging, facebooking, myspacign, flickring, etc.--so I thought I might try a one-stop-shopping interface that allows me to do it all (or most of it) from facebook.

Anyway...maybe I'll blog more now. Or maybe not. We'll see.

A Lion Named Tiger

We enjoyed a beautiful sunny day in Seattle at the Woodland Park Zoo. The girls hadn't seen their uncles Corey and Bern in a while, and we were stoked to see them as well. We saw lots of cool animals, though the penguins--a favorite of Viv and Liv--were not around. We had to make up a story about them heading back to penguin island or something like that. We also spent some time in the gift shop--another favorite of the girls--and came out victorious with two new stuffed pals. Olivia chose a lion, who she promptly named Tiger. Vivienne picked a yellow chick that she named Ducky.

Dalai Lama Day

Rachelle and I are happy to be taking a well-deserved break from the day jobs to go over to Seattle and spend a couple of hours listening to the Dalai Lama speak about compassion and other peaceful stuff. I find it especially interesting that we were fortunate enough to get these free tickets and get to hear him impart his wisdom during a very volatile political time in his homeland; not to mention our connection to China as parents of Chinese twins. It should be a wonderful event, and thanks to the jet stream, the weather is going to be nice, too.

One Sock == "Dangerous!"

During our morning ritual of wrangling the kids into their school clothes, Olivia came up to me with a grin as wide as her face. She looked down at her feet and said, "Look daddy, I only have one sock!" I replied with a surprised, "Oh! You do, don't you?" The funny part came when she quickly responded with, "Yeah. That's dangerous!" I naturally broke into laughter, which made her laugh and also peaked the interest of Vivienne, who was lurking nearby. Vivienne then began describing how several other things in her room (e.g. her bear, bunnies, etc.) were also "dangerous!"

Having kids is great.

Adobe TV

OK. Maybe I am a bit biased since I DO work for Adobe, but we just launched a cool new product that I had a difficult time ignoring; the Adobe Media Player. Another cool thing is the price. It is the future of course, so naturally it's FREE! It is also painfully easy to use, and looks cool, too.

You can view all sorts of video content, including old Star Trek episodes. You know, the ones where Kirk gets his shirt torn while fighting some alien dudes, only later to romance some alien babe who has a soft glow about her. Wait...that is like, every episode. Anyway, it's cool.

So go and get it and enjoy browsing around for your favorite content. Here is the link: http://www.adobe.com/go/getmp

Reaffirming Our Commitment and a New Baby!

Today we reaffirmed our commitment to the Vivienne and Olivia by re-adopting them in Washington state. Our international adoption was final and they are officially American citizens, but we wanted to go the extra mile for them so they will have an easier time with life events that require official U.S. paperwork (e.g. getting passports, things that require U.S.-issued birth certificates, etc.). It was a fun family day for us that included a morning ferry ride (we almost missed it!) to Seattle to see an adoption Judge, and a nice lunch on the Bainbridge waterfront after the proceedings.


And at about the same time we were finalizing the re-adoption--within a few minutes actually--a new baby entered the family down in L.A. Please welcome Jaden Lee Robinson, born at 9:38 am, 7 pounds 3 ounces. Baby Jaden--the girl's label for him--was born to proud first-time parents Gregory and Debbie. Both are recovering and doing fine.

We've Got Ears, Say Cheers!

It's been a long time since the last entry, mostly due to being busy with the daily grind and also because I really didn't have much to report. So why am I writing now?

First of all, I have been thinking that I needed to write SOMETHING, since it has been so long, but mostly it's because we are having a great time at the house that the MOUSE built! Not the one that most of our fellow west coast types are used to, NO. We are at the MAGIC COMPOUND in Orlando, Florida! This place is HUGE!


The other reason relates to WHY we decided to make the long journey from Bainbridge Island to Florida. We are reuniting with the families we traveled to China with back in 2006. It has been great to see everyone, especially all the girls, who are all looking happy and healthy. Unfortunately we are missing one family, but I'm sure we will see them again on the next reunion!


The twins are having an AWESOME time here at Mickey's House, as they refer to it. However, we are a little scared of the Mouse and his friends in person, at least up close. The girls have been more than happy to meet up close with their beloved "Princess Movies", such as Jasmine and Snow White.


Well, we've hit the Magic Kingdom twice now, and Epcot once. Tomorrow it is off to the Wild Animal Park and maybe some swimming at the pool.



The weather here is wonderful, btw. Monday will find us at the Hollywood Studios and we plan to take a river boat ride from our hotel to Downtown Disney. Then, we are back on the plane and off to the Northwest.


We have used nearly all of our Mousketools, so, as Mickey would say, "We've Got Ears, Say Cheers!"

Let It Snow...

First snow of the season has arrived on Bainbridge Island. It was a bit of a wet snow, but snow nonetheless. The white stuff ignited my holiday spirit, causing me to embark on a light stringing quest inside and outside the house. The girls woke up cranky from their afternoon nap, so the "lights effect" fell a little flat.

As I am composing this I realize that I haven't written in a while. There is no reason, other than the fact that I am--as usual--pretty busy. Between my family, work, school, recent work travel, my sad attempt at making a drummer--me--a guitar player, and all the other daily trials, I am surprised I have time to write even this much. I have loads of pictures, tons of unprocessed video, and all kinds of ideas on what I would like to do musically, but just no time to do any of it. Mostly, anyway.

OK, enough of my whining about not having time. It isn't such a big deal.

As for the twins, they are doing well. Their vocabulary is pretty good for nearly 2.5 years, and they have nearly perfected the art of saying NO! Their listening skills could use some work.

Jar Jar Lives Here

I am a self-professed Star Wars junky, but even I thought Jar Jar was LAME--even the Ewoks were tolerable when compared to the floppy-eared buffoon that commanded way too much screen time in Episode I. Anyway, you might find it amusing to know that the twins , in their determination to do things on their own, have adopted Jar Jar's speaking style. Around here we here we often hear things like "Thisa my do it." or "Mesa by my own". It's cute, and I don't know where hey picked it up--I haven't unleashed the Star Wars saga on them yet--but why Jar Jar? Why couldn't they speak like Yoda? I would much rather hear phrases like, "To the potty I go" or "Potty Power I please watch" or "More milk I have please." Hmmm...maybe it's time to sit them down for a viewing of Empire Strikes Back and a language lesson from a 900 year old Jedi Master?

Autumn, Day 1: Nice

Today was officially the first day of Autumn. It was fairly nice here on the island; high 60s and mostly sunny. I spent most of the day ridding one of the garden areas of a parasitic clover plant and amending soil with smelly compost. Rachelle spent a lot of time inside hanging with the little ladies and being a power mom. The girls and I had popsicles and rode trikes; they did anyway. We also got educated about potty power--again--and how it's bad to steal like the Swiper does on Dora the Explorer. Swiper, no swiping!

Valdez--my lawn club friend and neighbor--launched a rocket with his son, my next-door neighbor re-stained his front porch, and I blasted KEXP while on my anti-clover crusade. Down with clover!! It was a good day; I didn't have to use my AK--as if I had one--and the neighborhood was awash in the usual suburban activities (mowing lawns, puttering around, etc.). This might be one of the last nice weekend days we have until the gray ceiling clamps down on us like vise, so I'm happy I was able to enjoy most of it outdoors.

Exercise is Great, But...

Getting back into a workout routine after slacking for a year is, uh, difficult. I pushed myself today to restart my weekday weight lifting habit, and man did I pay--and I haven't even felt the effects of the second day soreness. I couldn't believe how tired I was after only 45 minutes of lifting weights! In a week or two I should be feeling somewhat better than a lazy 38 year old computer nerd, but right now I feel like a lazy 38 year old computer nerd.

Tomorrow, I will slip on my new running shoes and make an attempt to run around the island--or at least around the block. Btw, I LOVE the Internet for this reason. For procrastinators--who are also impatient--like me, it rocks that I can order pair of shoes a day before I decide to run, and get them the next day. I'll bet Al Gore is a total procrastinator. Didn't he invent the Internet? Just kidding, Al.

Alright...back to the computer nerding activities.

The Autumn Approach, Grapes, and the Power of the...

As I sit here typing and watching the sun creep through the marine layer, the twins are hard at work studying the art of potty power. Yep. They are--by request--watching a video titled "Potty Power"(thanks, Valdez!). As a result, I have been shuttling them to and from the potty room about every 15 minutes. Great fun!

The days are getting shorter here in the land of fresh, wild salmon, space needles, islands, and fleece formal wear--I jest about the fleece, though people do wear an excessive amount of it here (I have three fleece jackets myself). The trees are also beginning to show the signs of the seasonal shift. Fall is always nice around here, but it does signal the start of long gray days ahead bringing their mood crushing dreariness to weigh down on us Northwesterners. OK, it's not that bad--really.

Tonight, to celebrate the change of season, shell and I get well-deserved night out. We will be attending the annual "Grapes of Wrath" wine tasting party at our neighbors house. OK...going across the street to drink wine, while a neighbor girl babysits the twins isn't exactly the definition of a wild night out, but you take what you can get as a parent. This party is always a good time, so we are looking forward to it!

Kids are clawing at my legs for attention. Gotta run!

It Was One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today (China time), Rachelle, Chris, Vivienne and Olivia became a family. It's amazing to me that those once tiny girls--who could not get enough of the babbas full of formula--are now full-blown toddlers with a huge vocabulary and an affinity for apple juice, Elmo, stickers and bubbles. We ask them now, "how much does mommy[daddy] love you?". Their response--hands waving--"too much, too much.". Never too much!

Here is a recap of some of the funny things they say now.

"Too heavy!" (response to things heavier than stuffed animals)
"I go in there." (when they want to sleep in our room)
"Vivi dood it!" (Olivia's accusatory tone)
"Livi dood it!" (Vivi's answer)
"Bad news, mommy." (When something isn't good)
"What's up, bear?" (Their morning greeting to the old--and giant--Seattle FAQ Schwartz bear that lives at day care)
"My Sophia!" (Vivi's assertion about her bunny)
"My Katherine!" (Livi's assertion about her cat/purse)
"I sleep more!" (What they say after keeping us up at night wanting to "go in there")
"I pet the kitty" (Usually uttered before grabbing Ophelia's tail)
"That's mommy's juice[daddy's beer]." (Wine is juice--technically.)
"Where [insert name of stuffed animal or parent] go?" (constantly!)

This week they also entered the early pre-school class. This year has flown by--too fast, too fast.

Writing, Swimming, and Blue Cheese

I had a busy evening. I was trying to wrap up some work, and finish an essay I had due in a class I am taking. All this while making salads for dinner as Shell comforted the girls who were crankily trying to sleep in the heat. We had a heat wave today--it reached 83 or something like that! You non Northwesterners can laugh all you want. It was warm--really warm.

Anyway, as I was in the midst of wrapping up the essay formatting and assembling one of my signature salads, Shell made a quick call to uncle Cookie. Here we are multi-tasking our butts of, and what is uncle Cookie doing? Getting tipsy by the pool with some other friends, who shall remain anonymous (you know who you are!). I guess that's the life of an uncle of twin girls from China--chilling pool-side on a school night while the rest of are (gag) writing essays!

Have a drink for me, Cookie! I'm jealous. :)

Downward Dog

I am not entirely sure why the girls do this, but just before we left the beach each day, they both performed downward dog (Yoga move). Perhaps it is their Buddhist roots, or they may be trying to imitate mommy or daddy, I dunno. In any case, it is pretty comical. See for yourself...

Fun in the Sandbox

We had a really long day at the beach today, filled with lots of fun, sun, wind, sand, and more sand. I dug an even larger hole today, and proceeded to ring it with sand towers, a walled sand city of sorts. Digging in the sand is fun, and makes me feel like a kid again. The girls joined in as well, and we built the "bestest" sand Castleberry EVER!



Other things we did at what the girls insist on calling the "sandbox" (aka the beach)...stood in the water, ran around in circles, ate a lot of snacks (some covered in sand), and eventually got so pooped out that Vivienne passed out in the walled sand city. Unfortunately my camera was on the wrong setting, so most of today's pix were blown out and blurred. Damn shutter priority mode!!



We had fun.

Digging the Beach

We hung out at the beach again today, and this time we didn't see any bees. Nevertheless, Olivia's tummy was bothering her early on (they have both been fighting a nasty daycare bug) so we started off the second day wondering if we would be able to spend any quality time with the sand and surf. A little time passed and we were all enjoying ourselves, so things went well.

Mom and Vivienne (pictured) took a trip out to the water, while dad and Olivia chilled back at camp (~50 yards away). For some reason (bee aversion perhaps?), Olivia passed on visiting the surf today. She still had fun, and was later quite enthusiastic about constructing sand cakes with mommy and digging a giant hole with daddy. That's right, my big contribution of the day was digging a 3x3x2 (or similar dimensions) hole using only children's plastic shovels (and small shovels at that).



Here you see daddy and girls crouching in the hole. I later expanded the hole a bit and even built a sand slide which descended into the hole. The girls were totally hip to the slide.

Tomorrow...likely more beach time.

Oregon Beach and a Bee Sting

We are having a good time out here on the Oregon coast, where the girls have discovered a love for the beach. This is their first experience with the ocean (as far as we know) and they seem to love it. However, it didn't start out so great. Olivia's left foot had an unfortunate meeting with a bumble bee just 5 minutes after hitting the sand. We were walking through the tide and BLAMMO! OUCH!! She was OK after a few minutes, and now we know she isn't allergic to bee stings. I was stung by a bumble bee just the other day at home, so I know firsthand it hurt. I find it interesting that it was my first bumble bee sting ever (several honey bee stings as a kid), and then just a few days later Olivia met her first bumble bee sting. Oh well.

So, the girls are suited up and ready to conquer the beach again today! We will be bringing our heavy equipment (sand tractors) and doing some serious digging and perhaps attempting to make a castle. We'll see. Hopefully we don't meet up with any bees today.

Rainy Weekend for Two, in July?

The twins had their official 2nd birthday over the weekend, and boy did they have fun! They got to visit with Grammy, go to the aquarium (which involved the always popular ferry ride), eat cupcakes, play with their new doll strollers, and ride their cool retro trikes (with some assistance). What more could a toddler ask for? Oh yeah...two additional days off from school (aka daycare).

In addition to the fun and presents, the girls also got their wish that the sun would go away and be replaced by rain. Even in the Northwest rain in July is odd, especially the tropical variety we have been dealing with over the last several days. I guess Mother Nature was just trying to do her part to give the girls the best birthday a two year old could wish for. Or maybe it's global cooling that's to blame...