Liola Mae Cordes

My grandma passed away on April 17th.  She and my grandpa lived through many adventures during their 67 years of married life. They moved to Hawaii and back, had three children, flew a small airplane from California to the Philippines (to deliver it to some missionaries there), and after he retired they lived on a sailboat for 11 years (during which time they sailed to Alaska and Hawaii each twice). She was a practical, sensible, no-nonsense type of person.

I spent much of my early teenage years at their house, for days on end, when I was sick with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and not going to school. Their quiet, slow, lifestyle suited me perfectly and I loved their house and their daily routines. I remember her firm, loving hand that told you she loved you with a firm pat instead of a mushy hug. I always knew she had strong opinions, but she never told you what to do, she let you figure it out for yourself. That's why when she called me one day, to tell me she thought I should think about becoming a nurse, I listened carefully and took her suggestion seriously. She made an appointment with her own Nurse Practitioner, who she thought highly of, so that I could find out more about the role. I am so thankful she steered me down that path.

She had been steadily declining since her open heart surgery two years ago, and had grown so thin and frail it was hard to recognize her. Fortunately, she was able to stay at home until the end, thanks to constant help at their apartment, the support of hospice, and of course regular visits from my parents.

I am very thankful that we now live closer to home, as we were able to fly home and spend time with my grandpa and the rest of my family.  Steve went back to California for work after a few days, but I've remained with Madeleine and Ross, to soak up more family time.

M and R

Here are some pictures of the kids from over the last month that give a good snapshot of what they're up to these days.  Miss Madeleine lounging in her rocking chair, reading a flyer from the mail...

... looking far too grown up for my little girl...

... and loving her new "twirly dress" made for her by my good friend Ashley.

They both love the rocking chairs...

... but Ross especially loves climbing in and out of the little one.

Young Master Ross had fun this day at the beach, sitting IN the little pool of water, collecting rocks and carefully setting them on the edge.

He is such a wee character and loves to giggle, be chased, and, apparently, play superhero.

I spent awhile on the phone a few days ago with the bank, trying to set up automatic rent payments.  In the back of my mind, I knew it was terribly quiet in the house and awfully strange to get so much uninterrupted time on the phone, but I really needed to sort this matter out, so I did not go to investigate. When I hung up the phone, here was what I discovered. This has happened before, but never with THREE boxes of tissue! Madeleine had kindly opened each one for Ross, and he did the rest.

Here is Ross in the same little woven outfit that his Daddy wore for his 1 year portraits.

It looked incredibly cute on him, and it didn't keep him from showing off his riding stunts for Grandpa Don on Skype.

Visitors!

Last week we were happy to have John, Julie, Caleb, and Brody here with us! They arrived late Friday night, so the cousins first got to see each other on Saturday morning. 

Saturday we went to the Marin Headlands and had lunch on Rodeo Beach.

The kids loved playing in the sand and running down to the water.

The views of the Golden Gate Bridge are really beautiful from near there, so we stopped at several spots for pictures and to take in the scenery.

Four busy cousins playing in the tub that night!

On Sunday, we drove 5 hours north to the Redwood Forests. We stayed in a cabin that night - definitely the highlight for the kids and they were all disappointed that we weren't going back. On Monday we walked around the 'Founder's Grove' of redwoods and marvelled at the enormity of the trees.

We stopped to see giant treehouses (look closely and you will see a smiling Julie and crying Caleb)...

... and of course drive-through trees!

On Tuesday, Julie and John went to Alcatraz on their own and Steve and I stayed with the four kids at home. It was a lot of fun for all of us, and Steve and I commented several times how wonderful it is that the kids are getting to know each other better. That evening, Steve and John went to an NHL hockey game in San Jose (the Toronto Maple Leafs were playing, but lost).

Wednesday, we strapped each kid into a stroller and braved the BART train into the city to explore Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. Here are John and Steve on Pier 39, discussing something important, no doubt.

Caleb loved the merry-go-round on Pier 39.

We ended off the week with a more relaxing day at home and then they were off to the airport before sunrise the next day. It was a wonderful week and we are so thankful we are now close enough that this visit was possible.

Ocean Beach

I have really been missing my beachfront walks and playtimes with the kids that were part of our weekly routine in NZ, so it was very exciting for me to finally make it to a beach here in California. My sister has been staying with us for the past few days, and so on Thursday we ventured out to find Ocean Beach, on the west side of San Francisco. 

It is a beautiful long stretch of fine sand, and both the kids loved playing in it.

It was a bit windy and chilly, but Ross was determined to get in the water, so he had to strip down a bit.

He still enjoys eating sand...

Madeleine loved digging, watching the kites, and running around.

At first, she was very hesitant to go near the water, but after I was wading in it for awhile, she joined me and then it was hard to get her to leave! She would run in as the waves went out, watching her footprints, and then wait for the waves to reach her and run away from them... over and over. 

Ross did lots of walking on his own and kept standing up like this, clearly so proud of himself. It was such a fun day, and even if it is a 30-40 minute drive, I think I'll have to make this one of our more regular outings.

Getting Settled

Here are a few more pictures of our time in our two week rental on Colusa Ave... 

... where the kids had lots of cuddles and fun with Kristin and Polly.

Kristin went away for a couple of days and left Polly with us.  Here is Madeleine reading a story to Polly...

... and here Madeleine put a luggage strap over her, dolly, and Polly and said she had buckled them all in for their airplane ride.

There have been a few nights when Madeleine doesn't want to fall asleep in her bed, but wants to read Curious George by herself on the couch. Eventually she lies down with the book under her and falls asleep.

On Feb 1st we moved into our new home! It was deliciously sparse for about a week and the kids loved having the entire house as a playroom.

This IKEA easel was on the side of the street with a "free" sign on it, so M has been having fun using it for painting and drawing, although she would rather paint the easel itself than any paper.

After a week of eating, sleeping, and playing on the floor, my parents arrived with a UHaul truck of goodies for us. Ross helped Grampa assemble a temporary table...

... and Madeleine used this little rocking chair to nurse her dolly. This is a little chair that my sister and I had growing up.

Ross has started to make a "cheeeeese" face for pictures, and he loves the little table that Grampa built.

Our new couch was also ready for us while my parents were here, and my parents brought us the piano from their house, so our living room is no longer an empty playroom. My parents flew back today, but we have my sister coming back in a week, and then Steve's sister and her family are coming in March. It's so wonderful to have family close enough for all these visits!

Goodbye, Hello, and Happy Birthday

I am finally getting the chance to do another blog post now that the dust has settled and I found the camera cable in our luggage.  It's also helpful to have both kids asleep before 9pm! The last few weeks have been full of memorable events, and I could easily have filled several posts about our last week in NZ, our few days in BC, and our first week here in Berkeley. Instead, I'll recap here and hope to stay on top of upcoming adventures. 

Our last few days in NZ were not too busy with packing since we had done the majority of our packing a week before we left in order to know what we were sending via cargo. This meant we were able to enjoy fish and chips at the park with Emily, Matt, and Jac...

And of course some special story and cuddle time with our dear neighbours Mike and Carolyn...

The day we left was filled with tears for me, but seeing Madeleine so excited for every little thing - the visits from friends, the shuttle van, the airplanes, the luggage trolleys - certainly helped lift my spirits. Both kids did wonderfully on the long flights, and we were all so happy to see my Mom and Dad at the Vancouver Airport. Our few days with them and visiting my grandparents were a wonderful taste of familiarity and comfort in the midst of the big move.

My Dad drove down to Berkeley alongside us, and after two long days in the car, I think the kids were wishing they were back in the airplane. However they did extremely well considering they had no screens for entertainment and the scenery outside ended early with dusk at 5pm. As we drove into Berkeley on the five-lane highway, at around 8pm the second day, Madeleine exclaimed "the sun's coming out! It's not dark anymore!" We told her no, it's just the big city...

We spent the day exploring San Francisco on foot yesterday. Madeleine got to stretch her legs at a playground in Civic Square - a far cry from our local park in Eastbourne.

Ross and Kristin climbed one of the hills together.

And Madeleine and I looked out at the Bay Bridge.

One of the highlights of California for Madeleine so far has been the presence of Polly, my sister Kristin's dog. Kristin and Polly are with us for a couple of weeks, and are adored by both kids.

In the midst of all this, Ross turned ONE! The blue star blanket that I use for his monthly photo is packed away somewhere, and there is little chance of him staying still on it anymore. He is cruising everywhere and starting to stand on his own.

He absolutely loved the chocolate cake made by Auntie Kristin. He continues to charm us with his cuddles, kisses, and unending curiosity.

We are staying in a short-term rental house until February 1st, when we'll move into our more permanent rental in a suburb called El Cerrito. After a few days of looking at many houses, Steve and I settled on one, and are happy to have that behind us. Tomorrow Steve starts his new job, and I'm very happy to have my Dad, Kristin and Polly here for another week to help with getting settled.