Tidepools & Beach at JV Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

People enjoying the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve

Ronan and Nieve love spending time at the seashore. The sand, rocks, water, plants, animals and cliffs make for an explorer's paradise. So when our friends asked if we'd like to meet them at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve it was an easy sell to Ronan and Nieve.

Ronan is unafraid of touching creatures at the tidepools - in this case it's a sea star

Ronan has a history of enjoying the rocky shore so it was no surprise when he set off into boundary rocks with great enthusiasm.

Off he goes... the low time made for easy exploring

Mom tried her best to follow Ronan (and to keep him moving a more careful pace) but predictably he ended up falling into the ocean and getting a thorough soaking. But the discomfort of wet clothes did deter Ronan; he continued his wandering adventures, eventually leading our group to a wide, sandy beach.

Sun hat - check. Warm jacket - check. Rubber boots - check. Nieve is ready to explore the tidepools.

Nieve throwing some sea snails back into the water

Previously Nieve was more tentative exploring slippery places, but she seems to be rapidly growing into a little explorer herself. She was getting her hands and feet wet, looking in cracks and crevices, pretending she was an, "animal rescuer."

Nieve and an urchin skeleton

Nieve showing off her fairly well developed balancing skills

Most of her rescuing was for little sea snail and hermit crabs and she seemed to enjoy finding shells and sea urchin skeletons. She also liked to test the water depth with her rubber boots and even run on the sea-grass covered rocks.

Ronan enjoyed the gentle shore of a protected cove

Eventually we made our way to a delightful white sand beach of a protected cove. I was surprised that neither Ronan or Nieve ran into the (admittedly cold) water; rather they slowly waded up to mid-shin depths and found that to be sufficient.

Gentle, sandy beaches gives Nieve wings

After a snack (many thanks to our friends for bringing nourishment!) the kids were fueled up enough to make the long hike back to the car. We all agreed that exploring the seashore was a great way to spend a morning, and that we should take advantage of the coast more often. I, for one, am looking forward to it.

Mom and Ronan returning from exploring the far end of the beach

A Superhero Birthday Party

Apparently SuperRonan rolls on a trike

Every year Mom throws a birthday party for each of the kids' classrooms; this year she asked Ronan what he wanted at his party. He responded, "capes and masks for my friends so we can all be superheros."

Nieve embraced superherodom with flair - she ditched her pants and pulled up her socks, "Just like Wonder Woman"

So Mom did exactly that. She made simple-but-perfect capes from cloth and self-adhesive velcro, available in either light or dark blue. She even cut varying lengths of capes to ensure proper fit for both short and tall children.

So super were their strength that the students flipped over the boat (and then gathered on top of it)

Mom also purchased a stack of paper masks, markers, and self-adhesive jewels for the kids to personalize their superhero identity. Ronan's classmates are a creative bunch so it did not take them long to be decked out in their ensembles.

Little SuperNieve riding with purpose

To top it off, Mom had also downloaded a bunch of superhero theme songs (Wonder Woman, Spiderman, Batman, etc) and I chuckled at both students and teachers singing along to the catchy jingles.

Ronan showing off his Spidey-like climbing skills

Understandably the party was a hit. Ronan and his friends had a blast running around the school's yards, taking turns being superheros and super villains. They even broke out the tricycles and raced after each other, urgently solving problems.

Trick riding was at an all time high, with children emboldened by their superpowers

The superhero fun, apparently, did not stop with the end of the party. When dropping off Ronan at school the next day I noticed one of his classmates was still wearing her mask and cape. According to her father she slept in it. I still see the kids wearing their capes (and the smiles that go with them) from time to time; it's a happy reminder of a very fun afternoon. Thanks Mom!

Even superheros enjoy a rest in the shade...

Photo Shoot for Mother's Day

Nieve and Ronan wanted to make a card for Mother's Day; when I asked them what we should put on it, they agreed that a photo of themselves would be best.

The kids being themselves - I liked how this captured their personalities - and the kids chose this as the photo to give Mom on her card

Classic cheesy posed shot

Ronan and Nieve having fun - one of my favorite of the set

At work we have a small photo studio (a couple of flashes/umbrellas/remote triggers) so one morning before daycare the three of us spent a forty-five minutes trying to make a picture that we thought Mom would enjoy as a card.

Testing out the modeling attitude... the kids cracked up after posing like this

I was surprised at the patience and self-control both Ronan and Nieve showed during our time in the studio. They also posed a few times without being prompted/cajoled; though it was clear than being a model, to them, was a very boring job.

My silly kids playing in front of the camera... we had fun taking the photos

After a few minutes of cooperation the kids reverted back to their default state - silly and rambunctious. Of course that also made for some fun shots - some of the outtakes are below.

Yes, these are the kids that live in my house

Nieve and her trademark eye roll... this is her look of incredulity. Yes, we see it often.

This was about the end of the photo shoot... the kids were done, and made it clear that they were

I wish we had a few more minutes to spend in the studio (and another set of parenting hands - I was nervous Ronan and Nieve would start to 'inspect' the delicate, expensive equipment) so that we could try different approaches to lighting, posing, and composition. Thankfully we got a picture we all agreed would work for Mom, and we left the studio is the same condition we found it in (nothing broken, everything back in it's appropriate place).

The goofy monsters say, "Grrr... Happy Mother's Day!"

So from Nieve, Ronan and me: A very Happy Mother's Day to all Moms! Be sure to enjoy your child's smile, you've earned it.

A Gentle Soul

Ronan found a tiny chick tossing about in the grass...

Ronan is all boy and he has plenty of scars to prove it. Yet he's also the most gentle soul in our family, never (intentionally) hurting anyone. His gentleness and complete lack of guile extends beyond humans; a few weeks ago I killed a fly in our home and spent 30 minutes trying to justify my actions under Ronan's persistent interrogation.

...and checked to see what was wrong with it.

A week ago we were enjoying dusk in the backyard when Ronan noticed the frenzied chirping and fluttering of tiny finches. Ronan went over to investigate and found a baby finch unable to fly, haphazardly flitting about on the ground, it's worried parents hovering close by.

He was amazingly tender with the baby bird, and stayed with it until we had it safe in a small bird house

Concerned by the baby finch's incapacitated state, Ronan protected the tiny little bird. He took a small, wooden bird house we hung in a hawthorne tree and put the injured chick in it. He then placed the tiny bird and bird house back in the tree, hoping it was high enough that cats and raccoons would not be able to reach it. The next morning the baby finch was gone - we all hope it recovered enough to return to it's nest.

Ronan found an Arboreal Salamander in our yard

And then yesterday when I was moving some wood Ronan found a delicate salamander that had hidden in the moist earth. Gently but confidently Ronan reached down, pickup up the little purple amphibian, and carried him away from the newly exposed earth.

Ronan held the salamander in his calm, steady hands

I was surprised at how still, deliberate and patient Ronan was with the creature. He clearly understood the vulnerability of the salamander and he spoke to it in a soothing but mature voice. After closely examining the salamander, Ronan found it new home in a dark, slightly moist location that would go undisturbed.

Eventually the salamander climbed up Ronan's arm to get a better look!

I cherish watching Ronan's tenderness and I'm delighted that his kindness extends to animals. He's a puzzle, for sure - in the future he'll likely divide his time between extreme sports like motorcross racing and caring for the less fortunate that would benefit from his help.

Mermaid Hair, Part II

Nieve was a bit skeptical getting into the bath...

Nieve loves bathtime and she loves her long hair. It's also a favorite of hers to do 'Mermaid Hair' whenever she gets a chance during bathtime.

...but a smile came when she realized it was mermaid hair time

Nieve will take her time in the warm water, gently moving her hands to create small currents. She seems to savor the luxury of a bath, so much so that we're convinced she will take to spas and pampering when she gets older.

Nieve will quietly sing to herself while laying in the water

Nieve also likes to feel the water lapping in her ears and against her face, but she does not like having her eyes, mouth or nose submerged. It's fun to watch her play with her voice and sounds, observing how having her ears in the water changes what she can hear. She also likes to slowly move her head and feel her hair swaying like sea grass in shallow water.

She also tests the feeling of moving hair

Nieve's previous 'mermaid hair' post inspired friends Isabella and Julia, two young women with thick, long hair, to do their own mermaid photos. This in turn has Nieve wanting even longer, fuller hair so she can become a 'real mermaid' too. Given how much Nieve's hair has grown in the past year, I'd say she's well on her way!

A pixie smile from our little 'real mermaid' to be!

Burning Energy

Sometimes all you need to do to tire out preschoolers is to have them run. Fortunately most kids are game for a challenge with Ronan and Nieve being no exception. When we found a small track at a school in Noe Valley it was easy as pie to convince them to try their hand at running glory.

Even one lap is a start...

Gymnastics, Perhaps?

A fine balance

Unlike Ronan, Nieve chooses her efforts carefully. She does not buzz about with manic energy nor will she run for running's sake - only the act of dancing will get Nieve exert herself to exhaustion.

A notable display of hand strength, coordination, and determination

But a couple of weeks ago we saw Nieve engage her gross motor skills with gusto. She was attending a birthday party at a nearby kids gym and was working hard to master several of the apparatuses set up for the children.

Thoughtful Ronan, "Holding it (the beam) steady" for Nieve

First Nieve concentrated on the balance beam, going backwards and forwards, making sure she could comfortably turn around without falling off.

"Hand, hand, foot, foot"

Next she crawled up and down slanted parallel bars, showing patience, strength and balance. She wore a determined look as she purposefully moved her hands and feet forwards or backwards, depending upon the desired direction.

Enjoying a little bit of group play

Oh yes, we are terribly proud of her

Nieve also had fun with group games, running in circles with a ball, chasing her brother, and reacting to instructions. She also enjoyed pulling funny faces when sitting next to her friends.

Hanging like (with) the big girls

What seemed to call to Nieve most, however, were the uneven parallel bars. She was serious and determined; she worked to get her feet up onto the lower bar to mimick her friend's older sister.

A little hand position improvisation. It didn't work, but it was fun to see her try different approaches

Once Nieve had the backs of her knees over the lower bar, she tried to improve her position and struggled to pull herself up. Mom and I were impressed that she had the hand and arm strength to spend several minutes hanging and pulling through a series of forceful attempts.

Just hanging upside down. For some, that's enough.

Mom and I are always looking for ways to foster Nieve's love for physical activity - the time at the gym has given us hope that perhaps there is some form of exercise that Nieve will grow to love.