Once again the time has whizzed past me and I find myself scrabbling to get something posted. Please do not take my lack of monthly posts as disinterest in keeping everyone informed about the happenings here in San Diego. I see the blog as an important way to keep the many scattered people of our tribe in the know and make sure you don't miss out on any key events. I just find myself losing track of the time and a month slips past me.
The first order of business is we're still in escrow on the Seminole Drive property. Yes it has been over 5 months and yes we're feeling the strain of that. If this property was not absolutely perfect for our big Queer Village we wouldn't still be here waiting to see what happens. The seller is now trying their last ditch efforts to get financing for the sale. The property itself is fairly unique and that's what keeps getting us rejected. If anyone has any real estate mojo please send it our way, we need every little bit of good intentions you can spare to push this through.
We had a black out here in San Diego which you may or may not of heard of in the news. It started with a few panicked folks in the family but quickly turned into an impromptu dinner by candle light with us sitting in the cool night air and star gazing. We pulled out our crank radio to listen to the hysteria fueled reporting that stressed to us that "this was NOT a terrorist attack" and to "remain calm". The kids ran around with flashlights and we shifted ice from the freezer outside to the fridge to keep our perishables from perishing. We snacked and played with the kids till bedtime and then the adults sat in the front yard and chatted the hours away. It was decided to have a sleep over with the families so we all bunkered down for the night. All in all it was a wonderful experience that the kids loved and the adults cherished.
The kids started school - Tre in the 1st grade, Nani in Kinder and Sidhha moved to the Otters room at the SDSU Children's Center. Tre's new teacher - Mrs. Curtis - is wonderful. We are relieved and grateful that we got a better match than we did in Kinder. She seems very competent and has a steady presence in the classroom. She knows how to handle energetic boys and we haven't gotten a trace of any prejudice towards him or his family. Nani was overjoyed to be placed in Mrs. Webb's class since she was Tre's teacher last year but the parents not so much. Though she will thrive I think with Mrs. Webb since Nani fits the model of what a student should be for her class, the girls are less than excited about her lack of enthusiasm and inability to handle a way range of kids. We are all grateful this is her last year of teaching and that Siddha will have no chance of being placed with her. Speaking of the Bean, she moved with Mr. David and the rest of her classmates to the toddler room and seems to be making a smooth transition. The classroom is very different from the infant cottage rooms. There are interactive elements all over the place - a light board, various sensory tables, books, toys and art centers. The outdoor area is equally stimulant laden. Overall everyone is off to a good start with the school year.
The dads went on a fabulous trip to Las Vegas! We were in town to see some friend visiting from the Midwest and the East Coast who were in town for a podcasting event so we decided to pop out and say hello. It synced up with Vegas Gay Pride so it was a double word score for us. The hotel, the Paris, was wonderful and charming with a great buffet to boot. We saw Zumanity, a local troupe of the Cirque de Soliel and a great female impersonator show called Divas. We went to the Pride Parade and then dancing afterwards with a great drag show and incredible go-go dancers. We stayed up late, ate great food and slept till noon. We talked and talked as well which was a huge treat for us. We struggle to find significant amounts of time to talk to each other about our happenings and what's going on in our heads. Thanks to the girls for watching the kids and making the weekend away possible.
I passed three kidney stones and if you were around for the last time it was much the same. Unrelenting pain, drugs, and nausea. Rinse and repeat - that was a week of my life. Back to the doctor's to see what we need to do to stop this from happening - not looking to make it a part of my yearly planner.
Halloween and October is a busy time for us. We do the Family Matters Halloween Carnival, the Boo Parade and it's festival, trick or treating and decorating the girl's pass for passing out candy plus no fewer than 5 family birthdays. This year Nani was a fairy princess, Siddha was a dragon and a fairy while Tre was Pocoyo and Dan (a character from Bakukan). The dads wore Mardi Gras masks for one dress up event and wings to be fairy daddies for another. Lisa did a great gypsy mystic and Monica was a radical fairy with a great dress. I will try to get the pictures up from the events up on Flickr in the next week or so for your viewing pleasure.
We had a great dinner out with my dad for his birthday at City Deli in Hillcrest. He was tickled pink to get his birthday cards as a Grandad. He seems to have taken to the new role of Grandparent and it's great to see him light up when he sees the kids. We got him a balloon bundle as large as him and had a lovely dinner chatting and laughing. Tre got to pick music off a juke box and Siddha got to eat pickles which made the night a roaring success for her.
Lisa had a great dinner at Dumpling Inn, a feast of dumplings and other dishes. The place is tiny and we took over 1/4 of the joint with our celebration of her birth. Siddha spent the night sitting on my lap - feeding herself and me throughout the meal. My shorts were soaked through with soup from being spoon fed by her. Tre was an incredibly brave eater, a real risk taker for him. He tried everything at the table and even asked for more of most of it. Nani was her usual happy self and happily ate dumplings while chatting with the family.
Larry had his birthday at the beginning of October and we went to Kous Kous, a local Moroccan restaurant that's in the basement of an office building in Hillcrest. The decor is rich and colorful, fabric everywhere and dark woods. We had a large table and enjoyed great food, service and company. The kids had a great time as well which was a surprise. The place isn't exactly child friendly but they all enjoyed it. Tre was open to the new food, Nani was ok with sharing her moms with the other guests and Siddha was very patient as the food was brought out. We sipped tea, nibbled on delicacies, and had a lively conversation throughout. A wonderful evening to celebrate a wonderful man.
Lisa, Monica and I went to the Bead & Gem Faire up in Del Mar. It's great to have others who share my passion and love of the event. We drove up and wandered for hours amongst the booths and vendors. I found several great bargains and the items I needed to complete several projects - a number of which were Christmas gifts. Lisa and Monica experienced equal measures of success on their shipping forays. We all drove back sharing our bargains and acquisitions . I look forward to the next time it's in town.
That's it for now from us. We still wait to see what will happen with Seminole. We are gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas here. We host several large gatherings at the end of the year so please let us know if you can make any of them. Thanksgiving dinner, the Tree Decorating Party, Christmas Cookie Bake Off, Christmas Eve Dinner or Christmas Day Dinner and of course, the New Year's Eve Party. Come one and come all - we love to host you and see you.
Hopefully I will post before next year. Keep your fingers crossed. :)
