i went to the community meeting for Dolores park to address trash and what rec & park is planning for the opening of the renovated half in June. 

Mostly a waste of time- rec & park staff etc out numbered community 3-1. And they mostly talked about the existing problems. Very little about concrete steps to address them, over than trying to spark a social media campaign and sending volunteers out to peer pressure people into taking care of their trash. 

But they had lunch from Tartine and Delfina, so not a complete waste of my hour. Hope they get more people for the evening mtg. 

“There’s something really satisfying about eating unhealthy food after your game”

Max, at Pig & Pie, digging into hot dog & fries. 
So we have had Enzo, the world’s shyest exchange student, living w Liberty, the world’s least talking 10 yr old, for the last week. Enzo speaks almost no English. I speak almost no French. Pretty much, I say something, he thinks for a sec then says, carefully, “I do not understand”, then I prod Lib to translate, he says 2-3 words. If Clem’s around, she elaborates w a paragraph. Then Enzo nods or says “no thank you”. 

Today I took Lib, Enzo and Max to the Randall Museum. We had about an hour after lunch and before we had to meet Abby and the girls for their game. Figured the Randall was basically on the way and the animals would entertain them for a few minutes at least. 

We get there and stroll to the lawn in back for the view. All are appropriately impressed. Then Lib, my quiet and reserved boy, decides today is the day he will become a bad influence and starts trying to climb over every fence and trots off up the path to the Corona Heights rocks. Enzo is game and follows. Max declares he is afraid of heights and won’t be going to the top but follows. 

I swear, every time I turned around, Lib is leading them over a fence or off the path down some scree filled side trail. Or picking up a rock to toss over the side. If you’ve been there, you’ll recall that the reason the path is lined with fences is that the cliffs drop off a few stories to the playgrounds below. 

Later corralled them inside (after Enzo wanted to go down another cliff and Max pulled him back before he tromped through poison oak).  I guess it’d been a long time since they were there. Surprisingly taken with the animals. Even wanted to pet the bunnies in the enclosure. 

Less impressed with the model train. Big, yes.  Cool, eh. 

sitting on the decrepit bleachers at Polo Fields soccer pitches in Golden Gate Park. Sun’s out. Good. Light breeze. Good. Have interesting book to read. Good. 

So done w hanging out at soccer practices. Not good. No other parents hanging out to chat with (we all gave that up about 2nd, 3rd grade). Bored.  Been in cranky mood sense driving home from school drop off this morning. More not good. 

Maybe I’ll stop writing since I’m really just whining. 

was reminded how awesome our location is yesterday. 

Forced the kids to get out of pajamas and go to park yesterday afternoon. Walking to corner, passed by hoards of people from all over the city. 

Park is so crowded that kids decide it’s actually too crowded for ball tag. Hatch plan to run through blanket to blanket picnics a with a kite to reclaim our park. Instead, walk past block long line for the ports potties to home. Make ice cream sundaes (w Creamery ice cream) and pour a beer into a plastic cup. Walk back to playground and have our treats sitting in the sun on the (really sorry excuse for a replacement) boat. 

The crowds really didn’t matter at that point. 

im about to get in the shower this morning (at 9:45, it is Sat of spring break), when I hear from the other side of the door: 

“Oh mamma, oh mamma? My hunger stirs me from my slumber”

Which leads, of course, to mac & cheese pops. Cuz good food is even better if you can eat it off a stick. 

Mac & cheese pops. The things I do for that boy.  

Salted caramel ice cream+ricanelas ice cream+Abby’s lemon tart+chocolate cake+chocolate sauce+sprinkles+m&m’s

Then he mashed it all together.

No, he didn’t finish it, yet

If you asked my son his favorite food, not sure if he’d say spam mash I or mac & cheese. If it occurred to him to say Mac & cheese w spam, I’d be in trouble.  Only his sister and dad think m&c is kinda gross.  So he and I have developed a minor tradition: when she goes Out of town on a school trip, I make him a pan of m&c. He then eats it for every meal until it’s gone. Yes, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes I get a little fruit into him at lunch. 

His sister left for Paris on Saturday. Kinda surprised he let me get to Wednesday before we broke out the cheese grater.