Ramblin' Rover

Time to catch up

2011-06-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

A lot of diapers have gone in the pail since we last paid attention to this blog. I'm hoping to rectify that sad lack of postings over the next few weeks. It's not like we haven't done anything, or don't have lots of pictures to post. Indeed, the busy-ness of work and home with two little ones to shower love on (and clean up after) has been the biggest obstacle to new posts. Perhaps I can just hit the highlights -- a post or two for each of the neglected months since October, and with lots of photos, of course. Stay tuned...

Solvang Day Trip

2011-02-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

This week, we made a day trip to Solvang, California's "Scandinavian" town.

Anneka: "We're here! Let's go explore!"

Mariella: "I'm still napping. Keep driving!"

It's always breakfast time!

Solvang has some lovely sights and architecture.

We enjoyed the architecture...

... took pictures of the sights ...

... and posed the kids.

The kids remained supremely unimpressed by most of the sights (seen here nearing the end of the day), but they like getting out of the house, and Danish pastries were a hit!

Toys

2011-01-29T20:53:00.000-08:00

Mama says we have enough toys,
but if there's still space for me in the toy box...

We Got Wheels!

2011-01-28T17:07:00.000-08:00

"So I've finally graduated from the walker, and they got me something with some style!"

"Hah! Ain't no style if you can't break a sweat using it!
Besides, you gave up these cool balloon and ice cream cone decorations for that thing!"

"Hey, this gear shift does feel quite right..."

"... And look at that -- the hood came off!
What's this??? No engine?!?!?!"

"Wait, maybe that's the trunk lid... No..."

"Hey! Did you get Triple A for this thing, Papa? 'Cuz I need a tow!
Where was it made, anyway? China? Four wheels is a good start, but get me something with 6 speeds and 8 cylinders, and then we'll talk!"

"Ha-ha. Mine runs better'n hers! I tell ya', ya' can't trust many things in the world more'n your two legs..."

Death Valley Trip [video placeholder]

2011-01-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

This Sunday morning, we flew to Furnace Creek in Death Valley for brunch with a bunch of Papa's flying friends.

Unfortunately, we mostly took video, not photos. This picture, however, shows the Carrizo Plain and the San Andreas Fault.

It was great fun to finally land and get our ear protectors off. We knew we'd get to walk around pretty soon, too!

Yup, it's an oasis at Furnace Creek, complete with springs and natural pools!

[placeholder for video, to be added later]

Sabbath at Avila Beach

2011-01-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

A lot of Sabbaths go like this:
Get up, eat, play a little, and then nap through Sabbath School.

After that, it's time to get dressed up and go to church, where we listen to the sermon and eat an early lunch. (Why doesn't everyone do church this way?)

Then, most times, we take a drive, go on an outing, or do something fun to get out of the house with Papa. This week, we went to Avila Beach and strolled the boardwalk & pier.

Mariella liked the bumpy ride on the pier.

[placeholder for videos, to be added later]

Driving Lessons

2011-01-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

I don't think my first car came with balloon and ice cream cone decorations...

I don't think I looked this good in the driver's seat, either.

Morro Bay Farmers' Market

2011-01-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

On one of our recent excursions, we visited Morro Bay, and happened across the weekly farmers' market.

Morro Bay is a quaint little fishing town just west of San Luis Obispo

Jolene & Anneka were up for the adventure.

Mariella reserved judgement (as usual).

"Fresh fruit makes us happy!"

Then there are the other items, not necessarily grown by farmers, but they still show up. Aprons, in this case.

Case caught sight of this sign and started searching for the Dutch influence in town.

Sure enough. Contrary to myth, it appears the Flying Dutchman eventually got free of his ghostly ship and opened a restaurant in Morro Bay.

Sunset on the Pacific Coast, with Morro Rock in the background.

"Home, James..."

"Yeah, Papa, what she said..."

Red Sabbath Dresses!

2011-01-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe it's January!

We Got Good Jeans!

2011-01-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

Best New Year's Eve Party Ever

2010-12-31T20:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas, 2010

2010-12-25T22:15:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, two little 8 month olds hired the Big Yellow Taxi to take them to the beach.

They're so cute, lots of people volunteered to go along and push.

Mama pushed. Grandma & Grandpa Bauer made the trip.

Papa pushed the taxi through the softest sand. He thought the beach was a great Christmas outing. Wonder why no one else had the same idea?

Then we took the babies home to learn the secrets of present unwrapping.

Mariella took to it right away. Anneka was content to let Mariella do the work.

Milk Monkeys Pose for Fashion Shoot

2010-12-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

In my (fertile) imagination, the fashion photographer from the formula company showed up today for a photo shoot of the cutest spokes-babies in the world:

OK, girls, turn it on...

Work it, babies, work it!

Got milk?

Whoa!

Hmmm, what designer is she wearing? Oops, she's looking this way...

... "Baby, that thing you have on is so last month!"

Shoot's over. Get us out of here, Daddy-O.

Christmas with Nanny Annie

2010-12-15T15:30:00.000-08:00

Nannie Annie brought us Christmas early!!!

With three girls in the picture, you're unlikely to get them looking the same direction. Even if you do, one of them's sure to say, "Don't use that one. I look fat in it."

All this green paper just for us? You shouldn't have!
Mama never lets us eat this much!

Oooo! A book, too!
Can I just have a nibble of the green paper while I read it?

California's Central Coast

2010-12-01T22:28:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned lately that we live in the most beautiful place in the world?

Fall, Winter, & Spring are our best seasons.
.
.
.
Um, Summer, too.

Baby flights

2010-11-28T22:09:00.000-08:00

With all the travel to see family (see end of last blog entry for an overview of our Thanksgiving journeys), the twins are turning into quite the little fliers.

Ear protection is good, but accentuates those chubby cheeks just a little too much.

Anneka eyes all those the switches and dials.

Then she moves right in...

... and takes over the yoke

("Norcal Approach, Navion One Zero Zero Delta Delta, I'll have to have my baby daughter explain that last altitude deviation...")

Most of the time, the kiddies chill in their car ...um... air seats,

... but Anneka's always checking to see if we want her to come back up & take over the controls again.

All those flights hours lead to peaceful sleep.

Thanksgiving in Walla Walla

2010-11-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

Early in Thanksgiving week, we managed a quick trip up to Walla Walla to see family.

Somehow, though, we got very few photos! (Sorry!)

Walla Walla was blessed (?!) by an early snowstorm. We took advantage of the opportunity for an outdoor photo op.

Some of you may have seen this photo on our 2010 Christmas card.

Papa reminisces:
That snowstorm was no joke. Air traffic was snarled across the Northwest. I guess I can be glad I didn't try to fly us up, or we'd really have been stuck.

All in all, that Thanksgiving week was a busy one! Travel went like this:

Drive from Arroyo Grande to Santa Barbara, fly to Seattle then Pasco, drive to Walla Walla, spend a couple days seeing Ketting & Rittenbach family, drive back to Pasco (in the snow), delayed flight to Seattle, miss the only connection back home due to the snow delays, snag a flight to Sacramento (due to the miracles of a flight waiting for dead headers that -- miraculously -- wasn't full), rent cars in Sacramento for both Mama & Papa, send Mama and kids off to her parents' in Sacramento, drive myself from Sacramento to Arroyo Grande (arriving 1 am) so I can work on Wednesday, drive down to Santa Barbara Wednesday pm to pick up our own car at the airport and turn in the one-way rental car, drive back home, sleep a little, fly back to Sacramento (my own plane this time, at least) Thursday morning for Thanksgiving dinner with Bauer clan, stay overnight, fly wife & kids to Redding, stay two nights with Jolene's brother & family, fly back home Sunday morning, back to work Monday morning. All with babies in tow...

Are you feeling tired yet?

Vacation to Long Beach

2010-11-13T21:22:00.000-08:00

Papa wanted to visit Long Beach for a specific reason: The AOPA exhibition was being held there (translation: lots of airplanes & airplane stuff). Mama and the girls humored him by tagging along.

The twins loved their hotel room-service dining. They found Mama provides faster service than the bell boys, though.

Wasn't all airplanes. We got out for a walk around the bay.

Denis and Melissa Cline joined us for the day. The girls all went to the aquarium. The boys went to see planes (photos all spoiled by drool).

No trip to Long Beach is complete without a visit to the Queen Mary.

We hiked over with the girls and had lunch aboard.

It wasn't busy, so the girls got to stroll the decks while Mama & Papa ate.

We returned to our hotel at dusk; got some good photos on the way.

Fun times!

Due to Papa's surprising restraint while looking at all those airplane gadgets, we didn't come back too much poorer!

How to get a good baby photo...

2010-11-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

... You just keep taking photos ...

(Ain't digital film great!?!)

(Problem is, you don't run out a film like with the old cameras.)

So you discover you can't stop shooting.

Kids keep hamming it up

Eventually...

You either get a good one,
Or you just pick one.

But in the end, you keep them all.
(They're just too cute!)

Twin Group Halloween Party

2010-10-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

We went to the twin group Halloween party in San Luis. I think we dressed the girls as ladybugs (no photo!), but went as ourselves. Our little family was clearly not up to snuff compared to several of the others!

The chef, the dinner lobster, and the diner!

Two little cows & their mama
(Can't remember, but I think these might have been two little bulls)

Ummm... Wizard of Oz?
(I don't know a story of Hansel & Gretl and a lion)

Dumbo, the flying elephant (I think)
(Can't remember what his sibling was wearing)

The Barn, Avila Beach, CA

2010-10-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

"Wow! Mama finally caught both of you looking at the camera. But Mariella what's up with the hay?"

"Mariella, hay is for horses, not US lady bugs"....

...but, if Mariella is eating it...

"Anneka girl, you don't know what your miss'n!"

"Okay, monkey see monkey do, looks like Mama's photo shoot is over!"

There's nothing like twins leading each other into trouble!

Baby Steps...

2010-10-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

No, not yet, but it feels like baby steps sometimes for us parents. Every day is packed, what with work, dinner meetings, and projects (for Papa) & feedings, diaper changes, naps, doctor visits, etc. (for Mama); but when we get to the end of the week, we're not sure exactly what we accomplished.
Still, in two days, the twins will be 6 months old, and they seem rather unperturbed by the whole process. Anneka is working her arms with push-ups, and Mariella is honing her balance muscles anytime she can convince someone to help her with standing up. Both are just starting on solid food. (Is rice cereal solid food?) Like we said: baby steps... Thrilling for Mama & Papa, of course, but probably not something we'll be trying to work up into a movie script and peddle in Hollywood.

Meanwhile, Mama & Papa have been able to take the occasional date night. Tonight, we saw Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers play bluegrass music at the Performing Arts Center in SLO.
It was good show and an enjoyable outing, but now we're tired, and going (yawn) to bed.

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

Photo Op

2010-08-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

The other evening, Mama suggested to Papa that we should sit for a family photo. Papa managed to deflect this in favor of an amateur sitting for the girls, thereby avoiding dressing up, shaving, sucking in his gut, and a variety of other uncomfortable maneuvers required (anymore) to make his appearance presentable for public consumption.

"No sitting fee!", proclaimed Papa, knowing Mama's weakness for saving a buck.

The secret of professional photography (he said) is simply to take lots...

...and lots of pictures. Eventually, you have to get one you like.

Bits and bytes are cheap and recyclable (he added); we'll just dress the girls up...

...take a whole bunch of photos...

...and select one we both like.

One???

Look at those sweet faces!

How could we pick just one photo???

The secret of financial success in professional photography, Papa thinks, is to get someone like him into the studio, take lots and lots and lots of photos of the kids, then sell every last one of them to Papa, who couldn't bear to leave a single copy behind.

Notes: The twins are shown with their bunnies, gifts of the Indianapolis Johnstons. Brian Johnston was one of Case's med school & diving buddies. Anneka, on the left, holds "Wabbity-Wabbity", while Mariella, on the right, hugs "Little Bunny Foo-Foo".

The Golden Chariot (a.k.a. Big Yellow Taxi) Goes to the Beach

2010-08-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

Papa,

Anneka,

& Mariella

love the beach.

P.S. So does Mama, who was busy taking these pictures...

Of Tantes, Omas, and Overgrootmoeders

2010-08-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

Our girls are fortunate to have lots of tantes (aunties), omas (grandmas), and at least one overgrootmoeder (great-grandmother). Some of these are connected (coerced?) by actually being related, but we are also thankful for the many volunteers.

Tante Ginger (Case's sister)

Oma Ketting

Grandma Bauer

Great-grandma Rittenbach

(Great-grandmother Rittenbach is German, of course, but that would make her Urgrossmutte Rittenbach, which just doesn't sound so kind to the American ear. So, we're sticking with Great-Grandma.)

Bestemor Inna
(Inna is from Norway, where "grandma" is "bestemor")

Grandma Norma Jean

Jolene with Tante Linda (holding Marielle) and Tante Sylvia

Jolene's Recent Self-Help Reading

2010-08-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

Recommended reading for mothers of twins...

Note that Mariella (or Anneka?) is benefiting from the book even as Jolene reads it...

First Flight

2010-08-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

Case says: My first flight as a baby was at 10 days of age, when my parents took me from Bangkok, where I was born, back to USA for a visit. We haven't been nearly as ambitious with the twins; they haven't even been away from home overnight yet.

I'm still trying to think of a good excuse for that. After all, as a travel bum myself, isn't it my responsibility to introduce my girls to travel early and often?

My current excuse is airline deregulation. When I was a 10-day-old baby, airline prices were still government regulated, which meant that the airlines could only compete on service, not price. Thus, flights from Bangkok to USA would be 1/3rd to 2/3rds empty and staffed by a bevy of young age-and-weight limited stewardesses (yes, I know that's now a politically incorrect term, but I can't remember why, and that is what they were called back then) only too delighted to help out with the babies while you nibbled culinary delicacies off of fine china and tried to politely decline offers of champagne and caviar.

Nowadays, flight attendants, though older and drawn from 2 (or more) of the sexes, are usually passably courteous and sometimes even helpful. While I frequently get the impression that they were drawn from a pool of unusually irascible former school bus drivers, and that they believe the sky and the airplane belong exclusively to themselves, I'm not sure I blame them. What with rowdy passengers, shoe bombers, low staffing, long hours, aging aircraft, pilots who snooze right past the airport, and the occasional bozo who thinks Boeing is another word for bordello, it aint an easy job.

It's TSA that gets me. Nothing makes me feel more like a mouse in a maze than running the gauntlet of airport security. Once upon a time, you got your boarding pass, later to be briefly inspected as you entered the airplane, dropped off your luggage, and that was about the extent of the hassle until it was time to deplane.

Now, have secured said boarding pass (via Web-check-in, if you're smart), all one needs to do is:

Wait in the queue to have your luggage weighed and tagged.
Pay per item for each piece of luggage, plus exorbitant overage rates for any piece weighing more than, say, a medium-sized wiener dog.
Wait in the queue to have your luggage accepted for screening by TSA.
Wait while your luggage is screened by TSA.
Wait until TSA says your luggage is ok, accepts it for loading, and grants you permission to leave their corral.
Wait in the queue to have your boarding pass and ID checked by TSA.

Wait longer as 1 out of every 4 people ahead of you arrives at the TSA desk and only then begins to frantically hunt through his/her possessions for a suitable piece of ID.
Wait in the queue approaching TSA's security screening lanes, 3 of which will suddenly be closed to allow for employee coffee break about the time that 350 people arrive to board a soon-to-depart jumbo jet.
Wait in the queue to get half a dozen bins for use in the next step.
Wait in the queue to get to the place where you must disrobe of your shoes, coat, sweater, hat, gloves, belt, hearing aids, keys, cell phone, iPod, and pens, and place all these items in said bins along with your briefcase, diaper bag, baby bottles, formula, diaper cream, and laptop computer (removed and separate from your briefcase, thank-you-very-much). (I still wonder what happens to women with underwire bras...)

Wait for your bins of personal effects and private items to enter the X-ray machine.
Wait in the queue for the metal detector walk-through.
Wait while the TSA rep on the other side of the metal detector checks your boarding pass yet again, and informs you that you didn't need to keep your ID out, and should have put it through the X-ray machine.
If you're lucky, the metal detector won't beep, or you'll join another queue for a personal pat-down by a TSA rep with whom you otherwise wouldn't enter a dark alley.
Wait in the queue to pick up your bins of personal effects now leaving the X-ray machine.

If you're lucky, you won't be directed to join another queue where TSA divests you of all deoderant, perfume, water, personal lubricant (for all I know), or other liquids, gels, or colloids exceeding 3 oz per item, subjects the baby formula to suspicious inspection, insists you take a sip from each baggie of thawing breast milk, and confiscates your diaper cream outright.
Wait for a chair to become vacant, so you can sit down, replace the shoes on your feet, re-stow wallet, pens, cell phone, and iPod in their various cubbies, re-pack your computer in the briefcase, and re-pack your diaper bag.
Wait in the queue for Starbucks and then Taco Bell so you'll have something to eat on the 7 hour flight where you would otherwise get only mini-pretzels and soda plus the offer of a brown bag lunch your mom would have been embarrassed to send you to school with, but which on the airplane will cost you $10.
Wait in the queue to show your boarding pass and board your flight.
Fumble through all your bags for your ID, only to discover they don't need to see it again.

Wait in the queue on the boarding ramp as folks slowly shuffle onto the aircraft.
Wait in the queue outside the aircraft door to have your collapsible stroller stowed in the aircraft hold before you're allowed to actually enter the aircraft.
Wait and wait and wait while your fellow passengers stow N roll-on bags in overhead bins made to contain N-3 such bags. This, of course, always results in a series of tiffs between passengers, culminating in an adjudicated settlement by one or more flight attendants, who must squeeze by the whole aisle-length of passengers to arrive at the site of the difficulty, then squeeze back carrying one or more of the disputed bags for stowage below.
Wait at your seat row while two or more passengers play musical chairs so that you can get to your seat.
Sag exhausted into your seat, only to discover that you must spend the whole flight with your knees drawn up to your ears or (alternately) with your patootie suspended 3 inches above the seat-cushion, as that's where it stops on the way down, when your knees hit the seat ahead of you.

Is it any wonder, then, that when we finally introduced Anneka and Mariella to flight, we selected Ketting's Baling Wire & Duct Tape Airline Company. The boarding process (detailed in photos above) might be lengthy and the hearing protection ungainly, but the lines are shorter, the baggage allowance more generous, and the carry-ons virtually unrestricted.

Anneka & Mariella thought the pilot and stewardess were friendlier, more attentive, and more accessible, too. And the pilot thought the passengers the cutest, and the stewardess the prettiest, of any of his many flights.

Disclaimer: I have a good friend who works for TSA, so I hasten to add that the above is written for entertainment value, as humor and hyperbole. No one has all these experiences, and certainly not in merciless sequence as I have depicted. Nevertheless, those who remember airline travel before deregulation, or even before 9-11, may identify with portions of this posting.

The Pooper-Washer-Station

2010-07-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

We've been fighting a nasty diaper rash (photos withheld) for far too long, and finally got it licked (thanks to the pediatrician and dermatologist). One method of care for our babies' bottoms involved installing a fantastic device, the Pooper-Washer-Station, in the nursery bathroom.

Most times, the kids' experience with this device was relatively neutral.

Sometimes, the results were startling...

And then there were the times when the temperature was just perfect...

... or not!!!

The Pooper-Washer-Station: Your house may already feature this device. If not, your friendly neighborhood plumber will be happy to install one. Results not guaranteed. Babies not included.

Note...

2010-07-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

For those not quite so savvy
With looking at the date,
Our postings can come early,
And sometimes they come late!

If you think this the first one
We've done since July six,
Please click the links that follow
To see our back-filled pics!

The Bob Duallie
Grandma Bauer
Pre-Natal Class Reunion
Holding Hands
Smiles
Baby Bungee Jumping
Sabbath Afternoon
Peaceful Contentment
Fourth of July

Our Travel Bum (?)

2010-07-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

Lately, Mariella has dissolved into tears about 3/4ths of the way through her evening meals. She seemed to be in pain, as the cries escalated to howls, then screams.

Mama & Papa frantically searched their minds for a cause. Intestinal torsion? The bots or perhaps scrofula? No, none of those seemed quite severe enough to account for those screams!

Then Papa happened to walk out of the room with her, mid-episode. The screaming quieted! In fact, she seemed fine as long as he kept wandering around the house, the front steps, the patio, the garage... in short, just keep moving. Those bright little eyes watch the ceiling, look out the windows, fix on a passing desklamp; but stop more than half a minute, and the cries returned.

We think we may have found who got Papa's travel gene.

P.S. We gave it a valiant effort, but she's sharp enough to have worked out that the rocking chair really isn't going anywhere. Up and walking with changing scenery is what she demands. Surprisingly, the bouncy chair, if agitated violently enough, will keep her quiet. We don't think she's fooled, though; more likely, she figures one of these days, we'll accidentally bounce it just a little too hard and catapult her somewhere interesting, like maybe our kangaroo pod bush! (Or Australia -- I'm sure Australia would meet with her approval... for about 30 seconds!)

Papa and Mariella, both in a better mood

Fourth of July at Pismo Beach

2010-07-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

On July 4th, in observance of the holiday, we took the girls for a walk on the beach.

As usual on this holiday, it was madly crowded both down the beach...

... and up!

The girls seem to like pretending to be baby kangaroos.

Eventually, we got the bright idea of having a passerby take a photo of all four of us!

We got back from this outing fairly tired, and got the girls ready for bed, but they kept looking at us as if to ask "So that was fun, what's next?"

So, though we don't have photos to prove it, we drove to a parking area that (sort of) overlooked the beach fireworks and watched while doing a feeding. Nursing in the car and diaper changes on the grass were a novel experience. Thankfully, we managed to tire the girls out, though our days of being able to do this are probably numbered!

Peaceful Contentment

2010-07-02T18:15:00.000-07:00

Coming to

the end

a very full week!

Our Afternoon

2010-06-19T19:17:00.000-07:00

How peaceful the Sabbath

Within and without,The twins barely dozing

Their parents full out!

Bungee Jumping

2010-06-11T23:14:00.000-07:00

When a baby is borned
All slicker than snot
There's a good chance you'll catch him
...then again, you might not!

All the insiders know
There's a term for this sport
It's, er, um, "Baby" something...
Oh, I know! "Bungee Jumping!"

The umbilical cord
Is a marvelous part,
But to leap quite without it
Is (forgive me) un-smart!

We've decided our twins
Must have grown a mite bored
They keep trying these back flips
"Whoa! Again? Where's your cord?!?"

The half-done half-gainer
Gets arrested mid-air
With a quick clutching grasp
And this cry of despair

Soon enough they will learn
Old Gravity's rule
But with parents to catch 'em
They're convinced this is cool!

If you hang by your hips
On Papa's trapeze
You can drool in reverse
As you tickle his knees!

All the world looks a hoot
From an up-side-down view!
Were it not for these diapers
We could pee uphill, too!

Smiles

2010-06-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Lately, Anneka has discovered her social side and broken out the smiles.

Sometimes it's a little grin...

... but mostly it's full on grins that lead us to expect a chuckle any minute!

She reminds us of the laughing Buddha at our wedding.

(Jolene was a child bride...)

Mariella remains more pensive and reserved. We think maybe she's studying Anneka's technique before she turns on the charm.

Isn't She Lovely...

2010-05-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

"They grow up so fast..." This thought occurs to me frequently as I hold Anneka or Mariella in my arms. Will I remember how they looked today? How small and sweet they are? Their cute little mannerisms and those smiles and coos?

So I take lots of photos to try to remember each day. And it won't quite work, of course, because neither a moment nor a person can be completely captured by any recording medium. Perhaps we're not meant to remember everything, but to enjoy each moment we have and continue to live in the present as it is shaped by the summation of moments and memories that brought us to it.

This posting is more about photos than words; we don't always have so much to say to go along with the pictures, anyway. However, as it is always nice to have something to go along with the pictures, just...

... open this link in a separate window for the accompaniment to today's blog posting...

All Through the Night

2010-05-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

~~~ an ancient Welsh lullabye ~~~

Sleep my child and peace attend thee,
All through the night

Guardian angels God will send thee,
All through the night

Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,

I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
All through the night.

Angels watching, e'er around thee,
All through the night

Midnight slumber close surround thee,
All through the night

Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping

I my loved ones' watch am keeping,
All through the night

~~~ English lyrics written by Harold Boulton ~~~

Holding Hands

2010-05-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday Morning
8:30 AM

Honey, come quickly! They're holding hands!

Mmmm... Imm-hmmm? That's nice.

No, really! It's so cute!

Call me when they're holding hands and skipping down the lane together.

But you've got to see this. They're so sweet!

Take a picture. I'll look at it later.

Pre-natal Class Reunion & Photo Op

2010-05-22T23:07:00.000-07:00

Our prenatal class had a reunion, hosted by one of the members. After lunch and chat, we took the obligatory group photo of the babies produced from the many baby bumps we watched grow over the 6 weeks of our class.

We took video of the chaotic scramble that resulted in this shot. It's even funnier.

As you can see, Anneka (left) was hollering, while Mariella fell asleep on a nearby shoulder. (That's the opposite of usual, but the girls trade personalities on a regular basis.) Not sure who that is that Mariella fell asleep against, but the poor thing seems to be worried about cooties. On the far right are Oscar and Albert, the other twins in our group, due the same day as ours, though they came a bit later (39th week).

On arriving home from the soiree, we decided to try to get the perfect photo of the girls all dressed up in the party frocks that Auntie Ginger sent. What follows is essentially a photo essay on the trials of baby photography:

The babies came home expecting food, not primping and fussing for a photo. They weren't happy about this diversion of their plans, and they had no problem expressing their disapproval.

We surrendered to their needs only to a point; those dresses wouldn't be photo quality at the end of the usual 1 hour feed.

Food and binkies sufficed to calm them...

...allowing us to snap this photo. Awwww, aren't they cute?

Yeah, cute for about 2 and a half seconds. We were lucky to get that shot, as they rapidly re-registered their complaints...

And we of course surrendered

Happy babies are a beautiful thing.

We have learned to deeply appreciate such beauty.

Lunch for the Girls

2010-05-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

Lynda, Karly and Sylvia put together lunch for the girls.

Following our lunch everyone pitched into feed, change and hold Anneka and Mariella.

Karly, the gourmet cookie designer and maker, demonstrates proper etiquette in cookie tasting.

Pure cookie artistry....too darling to eat, yet so tasty that we only snapped one picture before polishing all of them off!

We so appreciate our friends in the neighborhood. And the babies appreciate all the extra cuddling!

Grandma Bauer

2010-05-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

Grandma Bauer just completed a month with us, helping out with the twins.

That takes patience. Sometimes, she had to deal with full scale melt-downs like this.

But most of the time not (we hope).

The twins say, "Thank you, Grandma! See you again soon!"

The Bob Duallie

2010-05-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

The kids got a new toy recently: the "Bob Duallie".
(Where do they get these names?)

We're finding it's probably just a little early for them.
They're still a bit undersized for the seats.
They'd still prefer to be able to see Papa & Mama all the time.
(That'll change!)
And it's way too fast and smooth!
("Papa, we need more bumps and jiggles to lull us to sleep!")

They'll grow into it, though, and so will we...

Cool Glasses

2010-05-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

Vaughn and Charlene sent us a box of goodies to help with the babies. They even thought to send us cool Bolle sunglasses, I guess so that we wouldn't be too dazzled by the kids smiles.

Thanks, you guys! We'll use them a lot!

Love -- Case & Jolene + Anneka & Mariella

Names & Naming

2010-05-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

(Warning #1: More photographicus gratuitori ahead.)

(Warning #2: Verbal fluff ahead. Everything in this post could have been said in about 6 sentences ... and perhaps should have.)

The whole experience of naming our twins was… well, an experience. There are these simple steps in life that one never thinks much about (or, at least, I didn’t), and then they descend upon one and prove to be more complicated than expected.

Papa & Mariella Beatrix

I had actually thought about names, even before I was married, just as a “what if”. Never could come up with any boy names, but had a few girl ones. It seemed so simple to me: You pick something that sounds nice, and you make sure it has plenty of syllables, so the kid has a choice in nicknames. (Rebecca Jeanine can decide to be Reba, Beckie, Becca, Jean, Nina, or, in a pinch, even ReJeana.) It’s a way to give the child some choice in the matter, and perhaps avoid paying for a teenage name change.

Who? Me?

(Actually, if one of the twins really hates what we gave her, she can become a nun. I hear nuns get to select a new name when taking vows. “Egalica Blisteena Feierspunkett” can switch to “Sister Mary Martha Myrtle”, or whatever saint’s name(s) sounds like an improvement on her christened one. Then again, if I understand the process right, some Catholics select a new name at confirmation, around about age 13, so maybe becoming a nun wouldn’t be necessary. Now, if we’d given ‘em names like Egalica and Blisteena, that right there would be grounds for the twins converting, never mind theology.)

The girls head out for a walk ... well, a ride

Well, anyway, when our twins were on the way, naming suddenly got more complicated. I found I was getting a lot more particular about names. Some sounded wrong, some just didn’t quite sound right, and some just didn’t seem to go with what I wanted my girls to be. (Jezebel & Salome, for example.) Naming is just about the first gift parents give their kids, if you allow for the fact (as I do) that we don’t give them life. (God does; we just help the process move along.) What names would they be happy with? Insofar as a name confers identity, what identity did we want to give them?

Anneka... No, wait... Mariella... No, wait...

And then there was the “we” factor. It wasn’t just what name I liked anymore. Whatever my fertile imagination came up with had to pass inspection with the wife before it got attached to a kid on the way out of the factory!

Ummm.... Anneka?

I wish I could remember all the names we suggested to each other. It’d be good for a laugh with the kids one day. I do remember a few I came up with. I had been thinking about Dutch names for quite a while, and decided I might like to give the twins names that went with their Dutch heritage. With a last name like “Ketting”, I figured names like “Sinead” or “Guadalupe” would break some sort of ethnic taboo. The wife, bless her, went along with me on this.

Grandpa Bauer & Jolene and the girls

To a point, anyway. Once on the Dutch track, I immediately thought of the famous Dutch Queens Wilhelmina, Juliana, & Beatrix. (Well, ok -- famous with me and my Dutch cousins, anyway.) Juliana was out immediately, because I happen to like the Dutch pronunciation (Yoo-lee-AH-nuh), and there was just no way that was going to come off the average American tongue. However, Beatrix and Wilhelmina are fine names. Why not?

Well, I managed to get Beatrix by the censors. I had to agree with the wife that we didn’t want our child called “Trixie” or “Bea” for short, so we decided we liked it for a middle name.

Though I campaigned long and hard, however, Wilhelmina was a non-starter -- not even as a middle name. Eye-rolling and “She’ll be 10 before she can even spell her name” were the reactions I got.

Then the wife came up with “Kate”. Not “Kathleen” or “Katrina”; just “Kate”. I guess she likes the alliteration of “Case Ketting” and thought “Kate Ketting” carried the same ring. I couldn’t let that one by my “multiple syllables” rule, so we compromised on “Katelyn”.

However, in talking it over, we discovered a preference for two other naming conventions: (1) Our girls should have relatively uncommon names. (We imagined falling in love with a name like “Emma” only to enroll her in school 6 years later as the 7th “Emma” in her class. That works for some, but not for us.) (2) Both the name and its spelling should have some traditional usage behind them. (“Beyrooahnnu” is, no doubt, a fine and regal name, but simply too “made up” for us.)

Through the miracle of the Internet, we found that “Katelyn” has ranked in the top 50 names for baby girls since 1990, which cooled us on it a fair degree. After all, when you add “Caitlin” and “Kaitlin” (also popular), our kid was virtually certain to be one of twelve whose heart would stop every time she heard, “The principal would like to see Katelyn…” on the P.A. at school.

So, Katelyn Beatrix was out, and we stuttered on for quite a while with just one name, “??? Beatrix”. It’s a good thing it takes 9 months to bake the little muffins!

After a while, I dredged up the name Hanneke from somewhere. (Perhaps one of my Dutch cousins has a child of that name.) I tried it out on the wife and got a rather quizzical look. And then I realized we wouldn’t want our daughter’s name confused with a Jewish holiday (Hanukkah). However, shortening it to “Anneka” brought recognition to the wife’s face. Apparently, there was a Swedish LPGA golfer named “Annika Sorenstam”, and anything sports is good with the wife.

For a while, then (remember, this was a process), we had an “Anneka Beatrix Ketting” and “Baby B Ketting” in the oven. I must confess that I fretted a bit about this. Somehow, it seemed folks would write “Anneka Beatrix Cetting”, just to keep the alphabet thing going.

I’ve always liked the name “Marie”, perhaps because of my lovely Dutch aunt, “Tante” Marie, and my sister, whose middle name (dropped at marriage) was “Maria”. After a little more rooting around in the brain’s cellars, I remembered the name "Mariella". This was submitted to fact checking to ascertain that it was not simply “made up” (so as not to breach the 2nd rule above), and I then floated it by the wife.

It is interesting how names affect us. I think “Mariella” is a beautiful name, but the wife’s brain immediately linked it to two people she knew, “Mari” and “Ella”, and she felt like she would be linking her child’s identity to theirs in some way, if only in her own head. No go. Then the wife came up with “Sophia”, and I reacted strongly. “Too common, and kind of Greek, isn’t it?” was my thought.

Papa's girls

So there we sat with “Anneka Beatrix” and “~~Wilhelmina~~ ~~Mariella~~ ~~Sophia~~ Baby B”.

We tried valiantly. Every once in a while, out of the blue, one of us would suggest a name to the other. “Vivian?” “Vienna?” “Evangeline?” No dice. While the wife was not willing to settle on “Mariella”, nor I on “Sophia”, neither of us was willing to accept other names into the “candidate pool”.

It’s a funny thing about marriage. Your spouse’s opinion carries weight with yours. It think this is the way it’s supposed to be. Whatever the case, “Sophia” started to grow on me, and “Mariella” started to grow on the wife. For my part, “Sophia” means “wisdom”; how could I not like that? On Jolene’s side, I think “Mariella” got by because whenever she expressed doubts, I reverted to shilling “Wilhelmina”. After a while, “Mariella” was sounding pretty good by comparison. (I still like “Wilhelmina”, though!)

They're not speaking to each other just now...

There were still a few hurdles, though. “Sophia” was relegated to middle name, due to its popularity. (According to the charts, it seems every 4th female is going to be named “Sophia” by 2020. But that’s ok by me. We can always use more wise women, right?) And “Beatrix” got attached as a middle name to “Mariella”, maybe because of the alphabet thing, or maybe because “Anneka Beatrix” just sounds a little harsh to the ear.

And then there was spelling. The wife sees spelling as an art form – free form art! The hubby, on the other hand, holds rigid views on the matter. Some spellings just don’t look right to me, and most correct spellings are linked in my sometimes over-stuffed brain to another language or meaning. For example, “Annika” doesn’t look right to me; I got us off there by saying we didn’t want her called “Nikki” for short. “Sofia” feels Middle-Eastern, so we stuck with the more common “Sophia”. “Mariella” was touch-and-go with “Mariela” right down to when we wrote up the birth records. To the wife, “Mariela” is less likely to be decomposed into either “Mari” or “Ella”, while to me, “Mariela” is a Spanish/Hispanic name. (Like I said: Over-stuffed brain.)

(As detailed in a previous post, we did make some spelling concessions for American usage.)

And so, folks, that – to make a short story long – is how we ended up with “Anneka Sophia” and “Mariella Beatrix”. But whatever else we might have named them, we’d still just love ‘em to pieces.

Papa & Anneka Sophia

Webliography:
Best Name Website for research and cross reference:
Behind the Name
Best Name Websites for baby name popularity:
Think Baby Names & Baby Names Hub
Widest collection of Dutch baby names: BabyPret
Most authentic collection of Dutch first names: Behind the Name

Sabbath Lunch with Ulf & Norma Jean

2010-04-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Ulf & Norma Jean invited us to lunch after church. Their hospitality extended to Mom & Dad Bauer, who are here to help us with the babies, and...... to the babies, too!
Norma Jean bonded with Anneka & Mariella right away. There's something about moms and babies.
Then again, there's something about babies and mom's, too!
And not to forget papas and their daughters!
Photos notwithstanding, the afternoon was not all about the babies. There was a fine meal, thanks to Norma Jean, and an enjoyable time with Richard & Jeanette Bonjour (Case's high school dormitory dean) and Inna (another Scandinavian, like Ulf). It was also Ulf's birthday; we were honored to be included on his special day.

But of course, Ulf (the cameraman) didn't send us photos of himself or anyone else. Must have a chat with him about that...!

Strawberry Patch Kids

2010-04-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

This morning, we dressed the kids up and told them we were taking them to church.
With her fist in her ear, I guess Anneka didn't hear so well and thought we said we were were taking her to cha-cha, because she started practicing her dance moves...
...first the hand...
...then the shuffle...
...then the whole body gets into the act...
...ending with the bow. I even thought I heard "Thank you; thank you very much!" a la Elvis.

Note: There is really no excuse for all these photos, except that we've had requests asking for more photos. Honest!

Papa's girls

2010-04-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

The chin isn't often shaved nor the hair combed when I cuddle my girls in the midnight feedings, but they don't seem to mind. The "Papa's-eye-view" is always incredible, though.
They say parents can sit and look at their kids for hours. "Well, why not?", I say. Just a few shots in quick succession show a whole range of expressions.

And here's the "Mom's-eye-view" of bedtime for the girls...
That's Papa's patootie as he leans into the crib to kiss his girls good-night.
And just before I put them down to sleep, I whisper "Papa loves you" in their ears.

Ann

2010-04-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

The book said that, when you have twins, you need help, so just plan on it and get it. So we prayed about it and Jolene did some searching and interviewing, and we got Ann!
We thought we needed a nanny, but it would not be fair to call Ann just a nanny. Ann came to us having just completed 4 years with twins, so well qualified there. And before she was a nanny, she ran a home cleaning business, and before that, a catering and pastry business. "Family aide" is more like it, but "Mary Poppins" would not be a stretch. Thanks, Ann!

Mom & the babies

2010-04-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Somehow, we're only getting two types of pictures of Jolene and the babies...
Sleeping...
... and nursing (& thus not fit for publication without some modification).
Come to think of it, that's really the story of her life right now.

Taking the twins home

2010-04-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

By Monday, the doc felt like Jolene and the kids could safely head home. The staff at Sierra Vista Hospital had been very helpful in getting us ready for "life on the outside". Aside from allowing Jolene time to recover from surgery, the nurses provided lots of helpful advice for the new parents and sent us home with lots of "loot". (You can never have too many boxes of sample formula, "single-use/disposable" feeding bottles & nipples, etc.)

We also appreciated the daily visits and encouragement from lactation consultant. Then, every night, the nurses would take the kids for at least one feeding shift, giving us the chance for some much needed rest. (Maybe this was because Case brought them lots of tasty treats, but we think they would have done it anyway.)
The kids' review of their hospital stay might be a little more mixed, as along with all the cuddling and praise from the nurses, they got some immunization shots. Ugh! However, they seemed quite content upon departure.

The discharge process was -- as at all hospitals -- lengthy and bureaucratic, but relatively painless for all that. Then it was time to see if those fancy car seats really worked, and whether our 14 year-old Audi would haul us all.
It got a little tight for Papa in the driver's seat, but it worked!
And so we came home to weather as bright and sunny as the day we left, just 4 nights previous.
Once inside, the kids* got bundled off to sleep in their crib...
... and Mom followed a short time later.
*P.S. No, we can't always tell them apart without closer inspection. For convenience sake, we usually place Anneka on the left and Mariella on the right, as in this photo, but we still get mixed up sometimes. And it doesn't help that they sometimes decide to switch personalities. We *think* we have one calm sleeper and one who's a little more hyper, but as to which deserves which title...

Photographicus Gratuitori

2010-04-10T19:09:00.001-07:00

We have decided that Jolene is in charge of milk manufacturing and delivery, while I (Case) am in charge of production and customer service. So, pretty much, I have three duties:

every 3 hours, transfer babies between Jolene and the their bassinets
deliver regular pep talks to Jolene about channeling her inner cow
occasionally, utter (udder?) a surreptitious "MOOOOOOOOO" from behind my magazine

This leaves me plenty of time to succumb to that common affliction of new parents: photographicus gratuitori

More to come...
.
.
.
.

P.S. Jolene feels it important to point out that I have also succumbed to another common parental affliction known as "telling tall tales". Apparently, from where she sits, she has seen me change diapers, bottle feed the kidlets, and even cuddle and rock them to sleep. I also happened to catch her attention when I misread the breast-pump dial and set it to "maximum" instead of "minimum". Can't imagine how she picked that little error up. Sharp eyes, maybe...

A note on pronunciation

2010-04-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Anneka and Mariella would like you to know how to correctly pronounce their names. The pronunciation may be counterintuitive to some American-English speakers.

Anneka Sophia is AH-neh-kuh ("A" as in "yawn", *not* as it "at") Soh-FEE-uh.

Mariella Beatrix is Mah-ree-ELL-uh BAY-uh-tricks ("Mah-ree-", not "Mary-", and "Bay-uh-", not "BEE-uh-").

Postscript for the minutia-minded:

The terminal "Uh" sound in Mariella, Sophia, and Anneka is an American approximation to the European "e" sound. There, the names could be spelled Marielle, Sofie, and Anneke, and the terminal "e" would be pronounced as a separate syllable sounding much similar to -- but not the same as -- the American "uh" sound.

We have preserved the Dutch spelling and pronunciation of Beatrix. As you can see from the notes above, the pronunciation of vowels varies significantly in Europe.

Morning of Day 1

2010-04-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

Last night, the babies worked the nurses and mom. Dad got to sleep!
After 9 months together, they are still happiest and most peaceful next to each other.
Awww... Ain't they cute!!!!

Our Twins Arrive

2010-04-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

It's a fine day to birth a couple babies...
Jolene awaits her ride to the hospital.
First time in the hospital, and actually happy to be here, too! (This goes against all the Bauer genes...)
Fast forward past a couple hours of paperwork, checking vital signs & labs, and the babies are out with Mama & Papa.
I'n't she cute!!!
Hey! Who's that masked man with my babies?
Jolene has to go to recovery for a couple hours, so Papa gets time with the babies in the nursery.
This is little Anneka, always the most active while in the womb, and the first out the door.
And here you can see their characters starting to come through: Anneka (on the left) is a little more active and fussy, with a stronger startle reflex. She was 6 lb 3 oz, probably because of all the exercise she had turning somersaults in the womb. Mariella is quieter and more methodical, but she had a little trouble with blood sugar in her first hour out in the big, wide world (all fine now). She was 6 lb 10 oz. Both were 18" long with overly large heads (a Ketting trait).
And here is Anneka, all bathed and beautiful, snuggled up to Mama's right side...
...and Mariella snoozing out on Mama's left.
And here's the mom, looking awfully good for all she's been through, and very happy with her two little cuties tucked in close.

Full Term Week 38

2010-04-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

Two little girls to full term, mission accomplished!!
This sounds crazy to me, someone who avoids hospitals at all cost, but I can't wait for surgery tomorrow.

A Rant on the 2010 US Census

2010-04-04T14:39:00.001-07:00

So what is this with the census? First of all, all they care about is name, age, and race. I guess that's the usual government nosiness. But when I got to filling out race, their idea of race seemed truly skewed:

First of all, they apparently think I want to be in one big bucket called "white", with the rest of the hoi polloi. Then they move on to the race category of "Black, African Am., or Negro". So far as I know, in common usage, they mean the same thing, so Uncle Sam is just worried about giving offense to folks with an agenda.

From there, we go on to American Indian or Alaska Native. -- Hoy! Not the same thing!!!

Asian Indian? Guess Uncle Sam just wants to point out that, though you may be Caucasian or East Asian (under current scientific definitions of race), you are most definitely not White. If your name is Ramesh Krishnamurty (caught here musing, not picking his nose!) it doesn't matter that you're a dead ringer for Gandalf/Ian McKellan (with a slight tan) and probably have more Scottish ancestors than Ian does.

Chinese? Filipino? Japanesse? Korean? Vietnamese? Native Hawaiian? Guamanian or Chamorro? Samoan? You each get your own check box. Wouldn't want to offend by lumping you together, would we?

Still not good enough? You get a fill-in box for "Other Asian" if your self-definition is "Hmong, Laotian, Thai, Pakistani, Cambodian, and so on". I kid you not -- the quotes are verbatim from the census document.

Or, if you are "Fijian, Tongan, and so on", there's a fill-in box for "Other Pacific Islander".

Well, we *do* have a liberal government... If you can't cram yourself into one of the above, there's a fill-in box for "Some other race -- Print race."

Oh, but wait, I forgot the whole other category of race in question 8, preceding question 9 that I've been referring to. Question 8 goes like this: "Is [this person] of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?"

And here are the options:
No
Yes, Mexican, Mexican Am., Chicano
Yes, Puerto Rican
Yes, Cuban
Yes, another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin -- Print origin, for example Argentinean, Colombian, Dominican, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Spaniard, and so on.

I guess having question 8 makes sense. After all, there are black Puerto Ricans, and I suppose a Cuban Samoan isn't beyond the pale of possibility.

I'm just having trouble with where I fit. Uncle Sam, who has so much interest in counting how many Japanese Peruvians live in this countryjust isn't interested in anything except the color of my skin. (Which is not white, but pinkish tan with a few age spots, by the way.)

I can't quite figure out if this census strategy is designed to preserve a white hegemony --- assuming such a thing exists in USA --- or to create a whole lot of minorities for the politicians to cater to. My guess is it's the latter. Next census will no doubt be asking about sexual orientation, with options parsed down to the level of "transgendered presurgical homosexual".

What I do know is that, for all of Uncle Sam's disinterest, my heritage is every bit as interesting and valuable as the next guy's, thank-you-very-much! I appreciate and respect the Italian, English, Irish, Suid Afrikaner, Russian, German, and countable-but-sadly-uncounted other "races" who have lent their strength and culture to this country. I don't really care to be lumped with them based on the tinge (or lack thereof) of my skin, and I would encourage their members to stand up and be counted separately, too!

Or, if Uncle Sam wants to be fair, he can go back to counting Caucasians (which includes Indian, Iranian, and Lapp), Oceanian (only Australian aborigine and New Guinean), East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, Malay, Polynesian, etc.), African, and Native American (which includes Brazil Indian and Eskimo). What is not fair is starting with one boring skin color (white) and then giving everyone else the opportunity to be counted in more interesting ways.

It takes a whole Wikipedia entry to explain the US Census theory of race, but I've chosen to display as much interest toward that as Uncle Sam has showed toward my race ... aside, that is, from noticing that the 1850 census allowed one to be "White", "Black", or "Mulatto". Maybe we should go back to that. It is, at least, marginally self-consistent.

For my part, though I'm sure I've broken some law or other, I chose to write in "Dutch" under "Some other race".
I would have written in "Thai Malaysian Dutch American", but there wasn't enough space. And besides, I'm turning in the census form late, which is an infraction of federal law. (The crime apparently carries no penalty, but no point in attracting too much attention.)

Pregnant Jolene, after listening patiently to my rant (bless her), declared her desire to be listed as "White", though I offered to write her in as "German". I should have expected nothing else. After all, there isn't space on the form for "98% German by blood, but 5th Generation Californian and proud of it" either.
[OK, that's it for me. Gotta fly! -- Case]

Set a Date

2010-03-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

We're scheduled for a C-section on April 8 at Sierra Vista Hospital in San Luis Obispo, that is unless the girls come up with their own plans!

Our 4th Wedding Anniversary

2010-03-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

Fresh strawberry pie to celebrate,
after dinner at "Mama's Meatball" Italian Restaurant on the beach in Oceano, just a short drive from our digs. It was our first time to this little dive; we'd heard good things about their authentic Italian food. Couldn't say if it was really authentic, but it tasted as good as anything we ate in Italy, and we'll definitely be back.

Yes, Jolene needs a bib as her food seems to land on her protruding tummy. When she returned to the table from washing her hands before dinner, Case commented that her tumm arrived several seconds before the rest of her!
Traditionally, the first anniversary gift is paper, second cotton, third leather. At our house, the fourth wedding anniversary netted home electronics. (Hoping to start a trend... -- chk) We got a home theater receiver/amplifier to go with our disc player and (woefully small, but Jolene wouldn't go for bigger -- chk) TV. The Fed Ex man was admiring the receiver when he delivered it to the door, so apparently Case did his usual thorough research before purchasing. (I usually find pretty good deals on higher end equipment, but I haven't a hope of beating Jolene's frugal clothes shopping. Then again, I don't change my computers and other toys as often as Jolene changes her wardrobe. Almost, but not *quite* as often! -- chk)
A very happy husband setting up the new receiver and in command of three remotes! (Three remotes is the bare minimum for any man. -- chk)
Getting the new receiver meant we could move our previous music system -- a pair of iPod speakers -- to the baby room, where the clothes are washed and hung in preparation
and the closet is stocked with >1,000 diapers ready to go (thanks to the generosity of our church family who held a diaper party for Jolene). At 10 diapers per day per baby, that's less than a two month supply! (Egad!!!!! -- chk)

34 Week Ultrasound Update

2010-03-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

At today's 34 week ultrasound, based on measurements of the heads and leg bones, the girls are weighing in the 98 percentile for their age of gestation, at approximately 6 lbs 2 oz and 6 lbs 4 oz, with 2-3 weeks still to go! No wonder Jolene's pelvis is aching, that's 12+ pounds of baby...already!

But, thankfully these weights are approximate, maybe the girls are just genetically gifted with Case's large head and Jolene's long legs, and they actually weigh a bit less. That comforting thought makes Jolene's aching pelvis feel a little better...for a second!

All's Well!

2010-03-10T09:52:00.001-08:00

33 weeks +, with a month to go

Dr. Lickness, our OB, took a peek at the girls via ultrasound at Mondays appointment. Baby A is still in breech position, while baby B has flipped around with her head pointed downward. Dr. is happy there is plenty of amniotic fluid and all is going smoothly one day at a time. Jolene is sleeping, eating and resting well!

Saturday Night Smoothies with the Wooten Family

2010-03-06T21:22:00.000-08:00

Ben and Case whipped up Saturday night smoothies for the family.
Ben's specialty was the real thing -- a tasty treat of creamy mixed fruit of your choice. This was Jolene's favorite as she is a fresh fruit lover!
Case's concoction was a more deadly combination of cream, sugar, Ghirardelli's chocolate, and Irish Cream syrup for the chocolate lovers in the group. (Hey, chocolate's a fruit, isn't it? -- chk) (For Case it is an essential vitamin...vitamin C! --jbk)
Luke hangs out as Heather enjoys her dad's recipe.

Baby Shower for Our Girls

2010-03-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

The ladies of the Arroyo Grande Church asked to throw a baby shower to celebrate our little girls pending arrival. (Not that it doesn't look and feel like they're here already -- chk)
They asked what we needed and Jolene's first thought was lots and lots of diapers. So, the church members stocked us up. We received 1,051 diapers, enough for about two months (or 5 days, more likely -- chk) and won't have to run out to buy diapers at a moment's notice. Thank you everyone!

This group of ladies represents the loving church family that has adopted us into their lives over the last year.
A matching pair of cute jammies, very useful!
Terri graciously played assistant, doing the heavy lifting and assisting so Jolene wouldn't have any abdominal straining, per doctor's orders. (Belly laughs don't count? -- chk) Terri and Steve are parents of 10-year-old twin boys, and so have been a good source of support, understanding, and tips on raising twins.
Lots of pink wrapping and many gifts of diapers and other useful baby paraphernalia.
Mary hosted the shower in her home with assistance from Kari and Bonnie who brought cake and fruit salad.
Anne lovingly hand knitted two baby blankets for the twins.
Nancy, Norma Jean, Rhonda, Michelle, Doris, Carol and Lynda looking on.
Two matching baby bath robes and wash mitts to get the girls clean and keep them warm at bath time!

Many thanks to the Arroyo Grande church for their loving support and generosity as we anticipate the babies' arrival. Along with a special thanks to Jill for taking pictures!

Jolene's Mom Visits Arroyo Grande from Sacramento, CA

2010-02-28T17:13:00.001-08:00

While Case took a trip to visit family in Walla Walla, WA before the babies arrive, Jolene's mom Cheryl came to visit from Sacramento area and treat Jolene to some special TLC and extra pampering, as well as helping prepare for the babies arrival. Along with being chauffeur, driving around town so Jolene could remain reclining in the passengers seat, mom shopped for the remaining odds and ends we needed for babies, while Jolene remained reclining in the car. With permission, mom even brought items out to the car for Jolene's inspection before purchase.
Besides being certain Jolene and the babies were being well fed and cared for, mom, an expert at following detailed directions, got ambitious and began assembling the babies bouncy seats with great success.
Then mom moved on to assembling the stroller. We were a bit disappointed with the stroller, and upon taking it back to the store discovered we were attempting to attach the car seats to the stroller facing the wrong direction! Problem solved we left the store much happier with the product.

Jolene 32 weeks pregnant

Thanks mom for everything, the food, running around the house to get things for me so I could remain resting, errand running, shopping, driving, assembling baby items and everything else you did to provide TLC for me and your grand-daughters-to-be!

Ultrasound Update

2010-02-23T08:41:00.000-08:00

From yesterdays ultrasound Doctors say the babies are growing well and describe them as large for their age. This is good news as larger babies do better if they happen to arrive a little early. I am now at 31 weeks one day, and the babies weigh approximately 4lbs and 4lbs 6oz. Currently they are both in the breech position, but Doctors say baby A could maybe still turn around, and at the same time they are beginning to talk about a c-section. We'll wait and see!

Week 30 of Pregnancy

2010-02-21T14:13:00.001-08:00

First toys for our girls, gifts from friends who came for breakfast today.
I love these really cool wood puzzles from Costa Rica.
Here is the belly, in all its glory, at 30 weeks. So far no stretch marks, at least from Jolene's vantage point above.
Most times, however, the tum and the twins are more modest, and stay covered in public. They say black clothes are slimming...(The pink orchids are a Valentine's gift from Case to Jolene.)

Valentines Run, Montana de Oro State Park, San Luis Obispo County

2010-02-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

Case and I got up bright and early Valentines morning for Case to participate in a trail run at Montana de Oro State Park along the San Luis Obispo Coast. Events included a wide range of distances from 8k to 50k.
Case decided to participate in the 8k event. (ck: No one who knows me will be surprised; I went for the 8k only because there was no 1k scooter riding event. Might not have gotten up the energy to do the 8k, but some of my staff invited me to join them. And then they went and slept in, claiming sore muscles and tendons. Slackers!!!!). Waiting for the start, he keeps Jolene company while he keeps warm in the car.
While Case ran, Jolene enjoyed the beautiful outdoor sights, smells, and sounds while reclining (per dr's instructions) in the car. It's nice to get out!
Along the coast...

the uphill...
a self portrait on the fly...
some downhill....
and the finish area. Nice run! Next time maybe Jolene will be able to participate too!
(ck: You notice how virtually all the photos are of the backs of all the people ahead of me? I shot some good ones over my shoulder, showing the empty trail behind me, but Jolene tactfully left those out! I could have shot a few of the 5% body fat 50k contestants; they were amazing! And once the starter pistol sounded, they were also gone!)

Jolene's portion of Valentines day included a tour of the maternity ward, OR, and NICU of Sierra Vista Hospital in San Luis Obispo where the twins will be born .... along with a stop at Harry and David's for tasty treats including Royal Riviera pears. While being pregnant Jolene's fresh fruit cravings have been stronger than ever!

Exploring Carrizo Plain, Middle-of-no-where, California

2010-02-07T14:04:00.001-08:00

Every wonder what lies between the central California coast and Bakersfield, California? Case decided to take us exploring to find out, and following the last few weeks of on and off rain the rolling hills and plains are beautiful bright and fresh winter/spring green.
Just shy of 29 weeks into pregnancy and following Dr. orders to remain in the recline position as much as possible, Jolene was happy to get out of the house and go exploring, all be it mostly in the recline position!
Time stands still at this old 76 Union station.
But this was what Case was really looking for, out-in-the-middle-of-no-where muddy dirt roads! After following a few failed GPS routes that ended up blocked by gates or no trespassing signs, we came across Carrizo Plain, a flat expanse between the central California Coast hills and the rolling hills that boarder the central California valley, and miles and miles of muddy dirt roads, soul refreshing vast expanse and solitude.
The GPS insists we turn right on Soda Lake Road, after inspecting the deep carved ravine that may have once been Soda Lake Road, we decided maybe not!
The ever changing sky filled with clouds with occasional rain showers scattered across the plain. The rain left the road passable but some what slippery, we guessed the dirt road had a high clay content.
Sun spots poke through the low hanging rain clouds and brighten the plain.
After 40+ miles of clay mud roads our trusty 4-wheel-drive Audi needs a bath.
Two times through the local car wash left a lot of mud in the car wash, but didn't remove the clumps of clay stuck to the doors and wheel wells.
Sunday found Case washing the car for the third time, bright and sparkling inside and out! Thanks Babe, for fun times and a very clean car!

Ultrasound update

2010-01-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

Good news, according to Dr. Cedars who did my ultrasound this morning, our baby girls are "big" and similar in size, at 2 lbs 8 oz and 2 lbs 11 oz. I am now at 27 weeks with a mental goal of reaching 38 weeks or the middle of April.

Baby Pictures

2010-01-24T15:02:00.001-08:00

We have a few pictures from the ultrasound earlier this month.
Above are two feet pointing in opposite directions as twin A and twin B seem snuggled together in their close quarters!
Twin B was feeling photogenic while A was turned with the back of her head to the camera.

Our Nursery

2010-01-22T18:12:00.001-08:00

I am feeling lots of kicks and strong movement in my 26th week of pregnancy.
Our nursery came together quite nicely with Case's efforts in assembling the nursery furniture with Grandpa Ivan's assistance at Christmas time, and then Case gave the finishing touch by recently hanging the curtains and quilt.
These warm Canadian booties are a gift from my friend Heather.
This comfortable rocker-swivel-recliner has already come in handy as some nights I spend part of the night sleeping here, as I search around for a comfortable sleep position. Although people tell me my tummy looks small, as they expect me to look much bigger with twins, but no worries I still have three months to go!
The nursery theme is barnyard friends with lots of sheep, ducks and bunnies! The nursery mascot is Heineken, a very cute stuffed sheep we adopted while visiting Holland in 2007. (He sits by the left side of the crib below.)
And yes, we only have one crib set up for our twin girls. We hear while they are small they might like sleeping close to each other. Spending time in the nursery, it seems a little more real that we have two little girls on the way!

Doc Bernstein's Ice Cream Lab, Arroyo Grande, CA

2010-01-03T22:17:00.001-08:00

The best ice cream in town is served up at Doc Bernstein's....
and the flavors they create are well worth a few samples before making a selection!
After a few samples, Lauren chooses Birthday Cake ice cream.

Playing in the Park with Lauren

2009-12-31T21:57:00.000-08:00

Jolene's brother Gregg and niece Lauren came to visit from Redding, CA for a few days over New Years. Gregg spent time riding quads down on the Pismo Dunes, while Auntie Jolene hung out with Lauren enjoying the park and playing games.
Lauren liked hanging out at the park,
while auntie Jolene was entertained by her imaginative play.
New Years Eve we all joined Greg and Ranel Larsen, visiting from Placerville, around their campfire on Pismo Beach and enjoyed conversation, food and the occasional illegal firework.

Christmas Day 2009

2009-12-25T21:12:00.001-08:00

Cheryl and Ivan, Jolene's parents, joined us for Christmas. Following breakfast, rather than sitting around the Christmas tree, we were drawn to the sunny and warm outdoor patio area to open our gifts.
We joined the Kale family for a potluck Christmas dinner hosted by our neighbors, the Burnseds.

Hayden & Carly provided a lovely after dinner violin & piano concert, after which those so inclined played table games (Pit and Taboo).
A very enjoyable Christmas day finished off with relaxation and conversation around the home fire!

The Rittenbach's Christmas Visit

2009-12-23T18:54:00.001-08:00

Jon, Gaile and the kids took the time to drive up to see us during their Christmas visit from home in Walla Walla, WA, to see family in the Loma Linda area of Southern California. It's a 4+ hour drive with Baby Julia and the boys, so we really appreciated the effort!
Since we last saw her Julia has taken to walking!
Matthew and David took us up on our offer of a backyard tent bedroom. Julia would have liked to join them, but mom and dad thought it wise to wait a few years.
After breakfast the next morning, it was off for a walk to the playground where Matthew and David tried out the teeter-totter.
Jon, Gaile, and the boys attended closely as Julia took her first slide...
and first swing on the swing set!
David got mom to give him a push on the swing!

Soon it was time for the Rittenbach family to head back to Loma Linda, to spend Christmas with Gaile's family. To break up the drive and give Case and Jon some "play time", the boys all flew the first leg of the trip in the airplane. Mom and Julia flew lower, in the SUV. Their relative speeds meant the boys had time for an air tour of Pismo Dunes, Avila Beach, Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant, and Morrow Bay before they buzzed down to Camarrillo Airport just in time to meet mom and Julia.

Thanks for coming to play with us. We had fun!

Walla Walla, WA Christmas week

2009-12-22T17:09:00.001-08:00

We took a spontaneous Christmas trip to Walla Walla, WA to see family. Aunt Gail's home with flocked Christmas tree and warm fireplace was a comfortable place to spend time together.
Grandma taught Jolene her favorite game of Skip-bo and challenged her to a couple rounds!
Hanging out with Aunt Gail, spending some quality time,
while uncle Gary entertains us with stories and adventures.
At age 90, Grandma Rittenbach is energetic and ready to get out and go anytime we are!

Case's 47th Birthday!

2009-12-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

A calm peaceful few minutes break from the computer to celebrate Case's birthday. The last 10 days or so Case has spent his free moments slaving away, digging up invoices and receipts for the IRS. Nothing like a tax audit to help celebrate the holidays. Ebenezer Scrooge (pre- his visit from Jacob Marley's ghost) is alive and well at the IRS...

Christmas Warms the House

2009-12-13T21:50:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite things...
home...
with holiday...
decorations,
Christmas music, candles and sitting around with family and friends with something hot to drink!

Post Thanksgiving visit to Redding, CA

2009-11-29T21:19:00.001-08:00

We divided our Thanksgiving vacation time between Sacramento and Redding. Eva's parents were visiting Gregg (Jolene's brother), Eva, Lauren and Bryce at their home in Redding, CA, but they managed to squeeze us in.
Zophia and Jonish Lyko, Case, Eva and Lauren. Eva and Lauren are toasting the tasty meal!
Thanksgiving time... it's all about the food.
We even broke out Eva's wedding china -- only the second time she's used it. (No, we didn't really break anything.)
Thanksgiving morphed into Christmas with the arrival of the Bauer family Christmas tree on Sunday afternoon, just a few minutes before we had to head home.

Thanksgiving 2009, Sacramento, CA

2009-11-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is Jolene's favorite holiday. It's non-commercial (well, less-commercial, until "Black Friday" morning dawns), there's lots of good food, and the extended Bauer family always gets together and stages something of a yearly reunion. This year family came from as far as Tennessee and Maryland.
Dinner is done potluck style, with everyone bringing a contribution. We brought green beans, which Jolene prepared with mushrooms and herbs, or with caramelized almonds for those family members (well known, but to remain nameless here) who do not like mushrooms. We were cooking for 33 people, though in the end the group was a little smaller due to a flu outbreak (nothing serious, we understand).
Uncle Don, Jeff and Ivan finish dinner around the pool in Uncle Don & Aunt Gwen's back yard (our hosts this year), enjoying conversation and the warm afternoon sun.
Other family grazed and relaxed in the living room, including three of Jolene's second cousins from Tennessee and their families.
Case and Gregg finished off dinner with coffee and conversation. Apparently, both felt the need to hold support their heads (or scratch them?) at the moment the photo was taken. (Or maybe...monkey see, monkey do!)
Mom requested a family picture. Case, Jolene, Lauren, Cheryl, Ivan, Eva, Bryce and Gregg.
Lauren and Bryce requested a silly picture.
Eva, Bryce (4), Gregg and Lauren (9) Bauer.
The kids were in the mood to monkey around.
Lauren is affectionately known to her Auntie Jolene as Chicky-pooh.
After the dishes were attended to by more industrious family members, Ivan, Jolene, Gregg and Ansel felt safe to move to the kitchen area for further chatting and grazing. Cousin Ansel flew in from Maryland to join in Thanksgiving Dinner.
Cousin Amy recently relocated back to Sacramento following a three year stint in Chicago. One great day together!

Photos from an afternoon at the Bellagio, Las Vegas

2009-11-17T16:56:00.000-08:00

The Bellagio in miniature, part of the display in the hotel's conservatory.
Jolene finds a friend.
Case finds another.
Whoever created these "Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio" did a good job of mixing real plants with fabricated trees and "brushy" fountains.
A seat in the sun.
Handsome husband.
The beautiful pool area.
Pregnant lady stopped at just about every restroom on the Las Vegas Strip. This one at the Bellagio got a rave review!

The Strip, Las Vegas

2009-11-16T16:04:00.000-08:00

Off to explore the resorts and casinos on the strip -- a multi-cultural experience for Jolene, and a glitzy reminder of farther-flung travels for Case.
Welcome to Paris, Las Vegas.
Pregnant lady has noticed her wardrobe options shrinking as time progresses, so she was happy to come across a "Gap Maternity" store! Back home on California's Central Coast, shopping is more limited, so this was an opportunity for larger selection and good deals. We pretended we were back on the real Champs-Élysées, though we were happy to do without EU prices!
Then we were off for a bite of Jolene's favorite French meal. Eating for three has definitely increased her appetite! Case's, too, though we're not sure quite how that works.
What with giving Case his chance to sleep in and being surprised by the early sunset (same time zone as home, but much further east), the day passed quickly. Our evening was filled with a tour of Venice (Las Vegas). The stroll between "Paris" and "Venice" was sure a lot shorter than the overnight we spent on the train in Europe...
Get Case near anything even faintly Italian, and he sniffs out a gelato shop!
While we sat "outside", enjoying our gelato beside the "Grand Canal" under a painted sky, a troupe of strolling musicians entertained us with selections from the opera.
We ended the day at a performance of Webber's Phantom of the Opera. Perhaps the management of the Venetian didn't notice that the story is set in Paris (or, more likely, they knew their patrons wouldn't notice). However, the masks and costumes certainly fit the Venetian theme. Good times and a great day!

One Last Vacation for Two!

2009-11-15T16:13:00.000-08:00

The second trimester of pregnancy is our last (reliable) opportunity take a vacation, so maybe this is our last vacation (for a while) as a twosome!The pregnant lady requested comfortable digs and lots of food! That and budget constraints made Las Vegas the obvious choice. We ended up being very comfortable at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay.
Watching the lions in their habitat at the MGM Grand was about as "wild" as this vacation got.

UPDATE!

2009-11-06T17:18:00.001-08:00

Yes, it has been a long time since our last blog posting, but here's the latest update: The last several months have been busy and, uh, let's say "productive". We're expecting twins!

The details of the first trimester are best left to your imagination (esp. if you have a rather morbid imagination). Suffice it to say that Jolene is very pleased to be feeling peaceful, happy and more energetic in her 15th week. The planned delivery date (EDC) is in mid April, but they say twins aren't predictable and will likely to show up early. We've been told to be ready early and to make no unalterable plans after the Christmas Season!

A Stroll Along Shell Beach

2009-08-11T18:26:00.001-07:00

Intense color of Bougainvillea.

The fog hangs low over Shell Beach. What isn't visible is the long path winding its way on the bluff next to the water. A lovely walk.
Unnamed beauty. Anyone know what these are?
Looking over to Avila Bay from the bluffs of Shell Beach, somehow a patch of sunlight usually breaks through the fog over Avila.
Hard at work!
A fine place to sit and listen to the ocean.

Hanging with Friends, Loma Linda, CA

2009-08-09T20:33:00.001-07:00

Saturday evening, following Indian food, there were a few cracks left in our stomachs to be filled in with TCBY!

Left to Right: Case, Denise, Darrell, Jillian, Heather and Megan

Girlfriend time with Heather and Denise!

The Getty Villa, Santa Monica, CA

2009-08-07T18:41:00.001-07:00

Once the entire museum, the J. Paul Getty Villa houses only the oil tycoon's collection of Greek and Roman antiquities since the museum's expansion into the Getty Center in nearby Malibu.
The renovated Villa is as lovely as the art itself.
Ponds and pools,
sculptures and reliefs,
fountains and frescoes,
and gardens blend into a harmonious whole. Case thinks this guy has had his eye on Jolene,
and then this picture...it seems Case's attention has gone elsewhere...and it's time to take him home!
On the way (well, a little out of our way, actually), we stopped to eat in "Little Ethiopia". Jolene hadn't tried their cuisine before, but having previously seen her chow down when we visited "The Banana Leaf Restaurant" in Singapore, Case knew she likes anything eaten with just her hands.

LA Philharmonic at Hollywood Bowl

2009-08-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

Traffic on the 405 Freeway. We so don't miss this.

Before we left, Case googled the route to the Hollywood Bowl. According to the online genius, it would take 20 minutes without traffic, or 90 minutes with. We decided if we got burned out on traffic, we'd scrub our bowl plans and just get dinner. In the end, though, we hung in there and arrived at the Hollywood Bowl in about and hour and 15 minutes. Having the GPS to direct us on surface streets helped.

We happily purchased seats up in the "nosebleed section" with a great view of the bowl, the Hollywood sign, and the surrounding hills. Fewer people, too! We had enough crowd getting here!
Thanks to our high power zoom lens, we could see the symphony, and as the music began, we forgot the traffic, relaxed, and enjoyed the Tchaikovsky violin concerto.

An Evening on Newport Harbor

2009-08-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

Taking in a 3D movie at the Discovery Science Center in Orange County.

While living nearby in Fullerton, we drove past the science center on occasion and wondered what might be inside. Now, back in town for a visit, we decided to spend the hot hours of the day here before moving on to take in the Orange County Fair.Our discovery at the Discovery Science Center was that mid-summer means lots of sugar-hyped kids screaming and running from exhibit to exhibit, pushing buttons. It was NOISY in there!

After all that bustle and noise, Case decided cruising around Newport Harbor in an electric boat would be more peaceful than joining the crowds at the fair. (After all, we're on vacation, so we get to do whatever we want, and change our plans as often as we please.)
Many of these cute electric boats cruise the harbor around sunset.
The rays of the setting sun warm the colors of this picture, but the air is already quite cool and you can't see the warm blanket Jolene has wrapped herself up in!

Lazy sea lions take over a vacant dock.
Individual sail boats race each other back to the dock, hoping to beat the setting sun.
While admiring the extravagant boats moored through out the bay, we noticed lots of silly names. Boat names seem to attract bad puns. However, all three boats moored at this dock, which services one of the most palatial homes on the bay, were named "Mr. Terrible". Ya' gotta wonder about that owner...
As we round the far end of the bay, the moon rises from behind the hills.
Darkness settles in, leaving a lighted path across the harbor waters -- a beautiful end to a wonderful evening!

Cinnamon Rolls and the Sunday Paper

2009-08-02T11:19:00.001-07:00

While waiting in line at the cinnamon roll shop in Pismo Beach we entertained ourselves with the local paper Coast News, Police Blotter section, and we're reminded of why we moved to AG from the LA area:

July 26
Arroyo Grande

Juveniles were reportedly chucking water balloons at cars from a tower outside a hotel on the 800 block of Oak Park Boulevard.

What was thought to be a prowler on the 600 block of Printz Road turned out to be people toilet papering a gate. The caller reported her husband had possibly gone outside to investigate armed with a firearm. The toilet paper was probably needed after all.

Pismo Beach

A stranded otter was reported north of the pier.

Pancho's Surf Shop nabbed a shoplifter.

A son reportedly stole money from his parents safe located in their home on Holloway and went to Santa Barbara and bought a Mercedes.

A woman who reported her wallet may have been stolen while shopping on Five Cities Drive found it when she got home.

Two males were reportedly hanging around Harry's Beach Bar "stirring things up." Isn't someone always hanging around Harry's?

July 25
Arroyo Grande

A caller on the 200 block of Brisco Road reported golf balls on her property. It was believed someone might have been teeing off at the neighboring Ocean View Elementary School.

Pismo Beach

A kayaker was reportedly fishing in the lake area near Hacienda del Pismo. The caller said she saw him throw a line in. The man informed the woman that rangers said he was allowed to. Something fishy is going on.

A number eight billiard ball was stolen from Hot Shots. Considering you have to leave a license to rent the balls, catching the culprit should be a bank shot.

A woman at the bowling alley was arrensted for drunk in public and rolled a gutterball in county jail.

July 24
Arroyo Grande

A suspicious subject in a dune buggy on Brighten Avenue reportedly gave juveniles taking part in a summer program $150 and then drove off. A teacher on the scene said the man donated the money so that the kids could have ice cream.

------

Yes, $150 would buy us a nice supply of Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch! Have I mentioned, I love living here!

Lopez Lake, Arroyo Grande

2009-07-31T22:27:00.001-07:00

A night drive around Lopez lake, (if you look really hard) a lone cloud drifts across the lake highlighted by the moon. I guess you had to be there!

Sunday Morning Run, Pismo Beach

2009-07-26T14:43:00.001-07:00

Summer fog clings to the coast line as a trailer full of toys pauses at the southern entrance to Pismo Beach. This is one of a very few beach areas in California open to motorized vehicles, so even on the foggy days, folks come to cruise the strand and play in the sand dunes.
We're out for our Sunday morning run. We like running during low tide on the long and flat stretches by the surf. (It's about 6 miles from Pismo's cliffs at the north end to where large signs and large fines protect nesting plover at the south end.) During the week it's more efficient to stay home, put our shoes on, run out the door and around our neighborhood,
but it is fun on the weekends to run while watching the fishermen pursuing their catch. The miles go by more easily
watching the surfers play on the breakers. Occasionally, our paths cross as they enter and exit the water.

We come across sandcastles in varying states of construction or destruction, depending on the change of tide. I snap pictures on the fly, never knowing for sure what I've gotten till later at home.
Like this one of a legless Case, some how making strides down the beach!
Another kid surfer crosses our path as we near the Pismo Beach pier.
We continue under the pier a bit further before turning around,
now heading back we notice more traffic on the beach as the sun gets ready to break through the fog and the tide begins to rise.
Completing our goal distance, we kick off our shoes,
and cool off our hot feet in the very cool Pacific! I love running here!

Hemingway

2009-07-20T13:25:00.001-07:00

The back of the book reads:

The best American novel to emerge out of World War I, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his love for a beautiful English nurse. Hemingway's frank portrayal of the love between Lieutenant Henry and Catherine Barkley, caught in the inexorable sweep of war, glows with an intensity unrivaled in modern literature, while his description of the German attack on Caporetto--of lines of tired men marching in the rain, hungry, weary, and demoralized--bears comparison to Stendhal's depiction of the retreat from Waterloo. A story of love and pain, of loyalty and desertion, of serene beauty amidst a world of chaos, A Farewell to Arms represents a new romanticism for Hemingway. Richer in language, more subtle in expression, and emotionally astute, it also symbolizes Hemingway's farewell, as Malcolm Cowley remarked, to an attitude, a time, and a literary method. Published when Hemingway was just thirty, it conformed his stature as the greatest single influence on the American short story and novel.

As for me, Jolene, I enjoyed it. The pace of the story kept me engaged, the writing style was short, clipped, and direct, but that worked for me. A very teary Hemingway ending!

The Baskin Family Visits

2009-07-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Bill, Angela, Mia and Mika Baskin drop by for a few days stay, on their road trip from Anthem, AZ, to San Diego and north along the California coast.

Bill and Mika try out the roasted corn at San Luis Obispo Market night.
Mia and Mika select pieces of fine balloon art.
I joined them Friday for a visit to Hearst Castle. Here is one of the two fabulous pools that Mia and Mika would have found much more fun if they could have spent the afternoon swimming, rather than on the adult tour were they must not touch anything!
A glimpse of the gardens on the Estate.
Angela, a long time friend from dental / dental hygiene school era at Loma Linda University,
snaps a picture of William Randolf Hearst's home and work of a life time!
Mika feels a bit bored but was a trooper, making it through the whole tour.

We enjoyed your visit! So good to meet Mia and Mika, catch up a bit since it has been so long, as well as hanging out and make new memories. Continued safe travels!

Case's Gang from Work

2009-07-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

A party at Alex's BBQ in Shell Beach, a send-off for Ryan who is heading back to school for more advanced training.
Left side, from the foreground: Greg and Sheri Marquez, Chris-man, Chris-miss, and Ken. Right side: Case, Ken, Ryan, Stephanie and Launi.

These quick snap shots of Case's office don't show well -- not easy photographing a small-ish office -- but better than nothing.
I've been wanting to make Case's office more pleasant and presentable ever since we arrived in January. Case has been holding me off, waiting for the paint crew that was promised to paint the interior of the building.
Case requested a soothing green, and we were able to come up with a wonderful color that complemented the carpet and (accidentally) tied in the upholstery on the the chairs. The painters I'd been waiting for arrived in June, (that was six months of patience on my part) and soon afterward we did a bit of decorating to make a more comfortable work environment.
Comfortable, but not too homey, as I am hopeful he will not be living at work! Apparently the gang at the office has admired my decorating and are hopeful I will take on redecorating the whole office. It's a very nice compliment, but I've decided my interior design abilities end with Case's office; a professional might be a wiser choice!

Ride to Avila Beach

2009-07-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

Looks like a great day to ride to Avila Beach!
Leaving home in Arroyo Grande it is down hill to...
Pismo Beach.
This Cafe usually has a line out the door...hmm...I am not a fan of clam chowder, but maybe they have something else worth lining up for!
My trusty steed on the Pismo pier. We left home in the sun, but the fog is still clinging to the coast line.
The pelicans sit near the fishermen on the pier, occasionally sneaking in and stealing a freshly caught fish.
Very tasty cinnamon rolls. I somehow resist the temptation today, to indulge guilt free tomorrow!
Cruising along through Shell Beach and over the hill to the Bob Jones trail.
I've never taken this trail before...good day to check it out.
It meanders through a resort or two
before crossing a bridge, through a golf course,
and arriving at Avila Beach. Home of the Hula Hut!
I like to grab a bite to eat here and I am always a fan of their homemade fudge!
Fueling up for the uphills on the return ride home. I am still looking for the path that is down hill both ways!

Pismo Beach Fireworks

2009-07-04T22:41:00.001-07:00

We joined the masses crowding onto Pismo Beach to watch Fourth of July Fireworks.
Unlike the previous two years, the fog stayed away and the evening was clear. We had heard reports of spectators seeing only dull flashes as the fireworks burst deep in the overcast.A patriotic "Fourth of July tree" (Christmas in July?) at Zion National Park this past week.

Happy Fourth to all, and thank God for freedom!

Emerald Pools Trail, Zion National Park, Utah

2009-07-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

Spent the day hanging out at Zion National Park with the Navion Society Members. We enjoyed a little hiking, socializing, shopping, food and bus travel together. Maybe we'll meet up with this group again next summer at the, as of yet, unannounced location on the east coast.

Navion Aircraft and Bryce National Park

2009-06-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

We spent the morning hanging out at the airport with friendly Navion owners and beautiful Navion airplanes. This group gathers together from all over the country once a year to enjoy their airplanes and see the sights in a selected city.
Today was the speed contest (the FAA objects strenuously to the term "race", so instead this is called a speed contest) and Case and I choose to hang out with those choreographing the event to see what it was all about. The pilots prepared by unloading their planes of all baggage, carrying minimum fuel, and selecting a small and trim individual to ride along as observer and spotter.
There are some lovely planes here. We both admire the more military looking Navions and those pictured here are some of our favorites.
The Navions lined up on the ramp in order of predicted speed (fastest to slowest), and the timers (pictured above) flagged them off one minute apart. A speedy take-off and full-throttle flight takes them to the destination airport, where they are timed again as they cross the field. (Before GPS was around to provide direct line-of-flight between the airports, the contest was much more challenging, as pilots had to navigate, correct for crosswinds, etc.)
Many owners have poured heart and soul (and cash) into their planes, restoring these now-vintage aircraft to pristine condition (or better); they seem to live and breathe Navions. We feel fortunate being able to attend, meet these kind folk, learn from their experience and expertise, and explore southern Utah.
The Canadian owner of this plane and told us stories of flying around Central America and landing in Cuba. To land in Cuba he disguised his plane a bit, covering the US military logos and wording. Another owner told of flying his plane over the North Atlantic to Europe (the usual route goes via Newfoundland, Greenland, Iceland, and Scotland).
The "speed contest" took only the morning, so we headed out to see Bryce Canyon National Park in the afternoon.
Here is a sample of what we saw, a mere snapshot, one of many trying to capture the immense vista.
From our seat on the edge of the canyon, the hikers below appeared as virtual ants (to coin the cliche) against the towering spires.
As is so often true Nature, it was more a place to experience than to capture in photos.
I am glad we chose to visit Bryce Canyon at the spur of the moment, as the rock formations and views are different from what I expected after visiting nearby Zion National Park.

Shakespear Festival: Southern Utah University

2009-06-29T21:59:00.001-07:00

A warm summer evening, to see A Comedy of Errors, on the Southern Utah University campus in Cedar City.
Even better, we were kindly given free tickets to this event from the front desk at our hotel, as a promotional on the first few nights of the summer festival.

OOPS!

Hiking the Narrows: Zion National Park, Utah

2009-06-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Click on pictures to enlarge.
Entering Zion National Park via the bus transit system, the ranger pointed out the sights and named sandstone cliffs around us.
We were interested in taking the bus up into the river-carved canyon to the end of the road. From there a walking path follows the river winding through the narrowing canyon. Eventually the path ends and hikers must take to wading the river. As the canyon narrows, the water varies from ankle to knee deep, and deeper.
In our opinion, this is the only way to spend a 100 degree day -- deep down in a shady canyon, wading in cool water, negotiating the rocky river bottom in Tevas (sandles) and shorts.
On the trail.

Looking high overhead from the depths of the shaded canyon to the sky above.
We stopped for lunch on a rock along the river.
Passing hikers/waders commented on our Subway sandwiches, somewhat soggy but still delicious after having been driven, bussed, hiked, and waded into this spot from far away Cedar City.
Pulling over for a pit stop!
In the river with the sandstone walls towering above us...what a fun unique hike!
Case gets a photo of the waist deep water, the deepest place we waded through. The cool water felt good and our clothes dried fast in the hot and dry climate.