Unfortunately, Ruby has become a big fan of Rebecca Black's song "Friday."
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Easter Sunday
One of the best things about having kids is being able to experience holidays through their eyes. It has been many years since Easter has meant much of anything to us, but this year, we rediscovered the joy of bunnies and eggs.
After our weekly trip to the Sunday farmer's market and some Easter dim-sum, we headed to Union Street for the street fair and Easter parade.
Ruby was simultaneously fascinated and terrified by these fish people.
In the afternoon, after Ruby's nap, we conducted our first annual family Easter egg hunt in the backyard.
I wasn't sure if Ruby would fully grasp the concept of eggs and basket, but after just a couple of eggs, she started tracking them down like it was her job.
She loved it so much that she made us re-hide the eggs for her about 10 times. All the while she was running around saying "Hai you ji dan?" (Are there more eggs?) and "Ji dan go?" (Where did the egg go?)
When she'd see one she'd exclaim "I see ji dan!" and "there it is!"
By the end she was throwing the eggs out of the basket to try to hide them from herself. Somehow that wasn't quite as fun.
Ruby was even more delighted to discover that each egg contained a prize, some of which were her favorite backyard fruit - "Yemon!"
Fortunately for Ruby, it will be many years before she has any real competition in the Easter egg hunt. At the end of the day, she was able to enjoy 100% of the spoils.
After our weekly trip to the Sunday farmer's market and some Easter dim-sum, we headed to Union Street for the street fair and Easter parade.
Ruby was simultaneously fascinated and terrified by these fish people.
In the afternoon, after Ruby's nap, we conducted our first annual family Easter egg hunt in the backyard.
I wasn't sure if Ruby would fully grasp the concept of eggs and basket, but after just a couple of eggs, she started tracking them down like it was her job.
She loved it so much that she made us re-hide the eggs for her about 10 times. All the while she was running around saying "Hai you ji dan?" (Are there more eggs?) and "Ji dan go?" (Where did the egg go?)
When she'd see one she'd exclaim "I see ji dan!" and "there it is!"
By the end she was throwing the eggs out of the basket to try to hide them from herself. Somehow that wasn't quite as fun.
Ruby was even more delighted to discover that each egg contained a prize, some of which were her favorite backyard fruit - "Yemon!"
Fortunately for Ruby, it will be many years before she has any real competition in the Easter egg hunt. At the end of the day, she was able to enjoy 100% of the spoils.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Mommy's little helper
This evening Ruby helped me pick an enitre bag of beans!
She even acted as her own quality control, snapping again peices that appeared to be too long. Soon enough she will usurp Steve in his role as sous chef, demoting him to dish washer!
She even acted as her own quality control, snapping again peices that appeared to be too long. Soon enough she will usurp Steve in his role as sous chef, demoting him to dish washer!
Berkeley
In the last two weeks, we've schlepped twice over the bridge to Berkeley. Last weekend we took Ruby to Tilden Park. Despite having lived walking distance (albeit a strenuous uphill walk) from the park during the semester that I studied at Berkeley, we've never been there before. It's a wonderful place for kids and so big that we only saw part of it. There is an antique steam train that you can ride, which Ruby quite enjoyed.
Ruby waiting for the train:
Here it comes!
Ruby welcomes the train into its station.
Tickets please!
Ruby was very satisfied that her ticket got punched.
And we're off!
Ruby was a bit disappointed that the ride came to an end.
Next we checked out the park's carousel. Ruby is always a bit nervous at the beginning of the ride ...
But by the end she was a regular equestrian.
This Saturday we went back to Berkeley for Cal Day, which is like an open house at the University for prospective students and their families. Ruby is a little young for college, but our friends who are Berkeley alums invited us and said there were many activites for kids. On one of the lawns they were passing around all kinds of reptiles, including a tortoise, several large snakes, and various lizards.
Ruby was dubious.
She was quite wary when she was presented with the head of an albino Burmese python ...
But she felt a lot more confident with its tail.
Next we headed to Memorial Glade, where Ruby frolicked in the grass and had a snack.
Maybe Ruby will want to be Cal bear one day. (In-state tuition woohoo!)
Ruby waiting for the train:
Here it comes!
Ruby welcomes the train into its station.
Tickets please!
Ruby was very satisfied that her ticket got punched.
And we're off!
Ruby was a bit disappointed that the ride came to an end.
Next we checked out the park's carousel. Ruby is always a bit nervous at the beginning of the ride ...
But by the end she was a regular equestrian.
This Saturday we went back to Berkeley for Cal Day, which is like an open house at the University for prospective students and their families. Ruby is a little young for college, but our friends who are Berkeley alums invited us and said there were many activites for kids. On one of the lawns they were passing around all kinds of reptiles, including a tortoise, several large snakes, and various lizards.
Ruby was dubious.
She was quite wary when she was presented with the head of an albino Burmese python ...
But she felt a lot more confident with its tail.
Next we headed to Memorial Glade, where Ruby frolicked in the grass and had a snack.
Maybe Ruby will want to be Cal bear one day. (In-state tuition woohoo!)
Monday, March 28, 2011
The SF preschool scene
When we first entered the San Francisco preschool scene a good year and a half ago, I found the process to be bewildering, overwhelming, and ridiculous. I could not understand why it was so difficult, so cut-throat, so complicated to send your child somewhere so they could fingerpaint and eat paste. I didn't understand how one school could be so much different from the next that its "large goup orientation" is booked up months in advance. And I certainly did not understand why essays and interviews would be required in preschool applications!
Now that we are in the weeds of it, these things have all become much more clear to me, and I find myself writing admissions essays rather than my thesis, checking the word count to make sure I don't pass the limit. I have realized that there are many things I misunderstood back when we first started thinking about preschools.
Common misconceptions:
1) The earlier you apply the better.
Although there are some schools in the city that are first come first serve and it would therefore benefit you to put your child on the waitlist at the moment of conception, most schools, including almost all of the most "prestigious" schools do not take into account when your application was received. In fact, many schools do not even accept inquiries or allow you to schedule a tour until the year that your child is eligible to enroll in the school.
If these schools do not take into account how early your application is received, then what criteria do they use to determine admission? Well, it is all about how good of a "fit" your child is in their school. This could mean that she is the right gender and the right age to fill the openings that are available. It could mean that she has the right temperament and disposition to create a good mix of personalities in the class. An important component of being a good fit means that the parents share in the school's philosophies regarding child development, learning techniques, discipline, etc. Unfortunately, oftentimes being a good fit also means having the proper connections to the school through other parents, administrators, or a willingness to donate time/money.
2) All preschools are more or less the same.
When we started out looking for preschools, I assumed that we would apply to all the ones within walking distance from our house and attend whichever we got into. However, once we started touring schools, I realized that every school was quite different from the other, and there were some schools that were obviously not a good fit and not even worth applying to.
I am also beginning to understand why certain "elite" preschools are so coveted and why there is a line going out the door of parents waiting to pay ridiculous amounts in tuition to send their children. In general, "elite" preschools are 1) established - they have been around for decades and have built a trusted reputation; 2) able to hire the highest quality staff - at some places, all of the teachers have graduate degrees in early childhood education/psychology, and there is a clear emphasis on fostering child development; 3) connected to "elite" private elementary schools - there is a good amount of evidence, although never openly admitted, that children attending these elite preschools have a better chance at being accepted to the city's elite private K-8's.
3) Parents who fight to get their kids into prestigious preschools are all crazies who think that that's the only way their kids will go to Harvard.
After learning more about the preschool and the Even More Insane elementary school admissions process in San Francisco, I've come to realize that parents who care about their child getting into a good private school are not necessarily Ivy league-fanatic, helicopter parents. In some cases, they are just people who want to continue to live in the city.
The public school situation in San Francisco is far from ideal. There are only a handful of decent elementary schools in the city, all of which are extremely oversubscribed with demand outstripping availability at a ratio of up to 20:1. Before this year, public school enrollment was based entirely on lottery, so the chances of getting into a decent school, even if you lived down the street from one, was slim to none. Starting this year, the system has changed to favor those who live in a particular school's arbitrarily drawn "attendance area." However, several other criteria trump this one, so unless you live in the attendance area of a school that is decent but "under the radar" (which very fortunately we do), there may still be only a small chance you will be enrolled in your neighborhood public school.
For the vast majority of San Francisco families who live in the attendance area of either a run-down school or a school so popular that it is already filled by families with higher priority, their only options are to pay for private school or to move out of the city. From what I understand, private non-religious schools in the city are universally difficult to get into, again due to supply and demand. There are a number of good public school districts outside of the city, but I more than anyone can understand how much it would suck to have to move to the suburbs. And in a situation like ours where we are investing so much into a house that was recently purchased, it could present a large financial burden to uproot and entire family and move. Therefore, I get why for some families, getting into either a "feeder" preschool or a pre-K affiliated with a private K-8 is of the utmost importance.
As I mentioned, our neighborhood school, George Peabody Elementary, is a small, "off-the-radar" school with great reviews and ratings. I know nothing of it first-hand, but I am pinning my hopes on loving the school and being admitted there. Unless the system significantly changes in the next couple of years, it is our only shot of attending public elementary school. And if that option falls through, I may find myself desperately running the private school circuit just like all those parents I've scoffed at in the past. It just goes to show that there is no room for judgement in parenthood.
Now that we are in the weeds of it, these things have all become much more clear to me, and I find myself writing admissions essays rather than my thesis, checking the word count to make sure I don't pass the limit. I have realized that there are many things I misunderstood back when we first started thinking about preschools.
Common misconceptions:
1) The earlier you apply the better.
Although there are some schools in the city that are first come first serve and it would therefore benefit you to put your child on the waitlist at the moment of conception, most schools, including almost all of the most "prestigious" schools do not take into account when your application was received. In fact, many schools do not even accept inquiries or allow you to schedule a tour until the year that your child is eligible to enroll in the school.
If these schools do not take into account how early your application is received, then what criteria do they use to determine admission? Well, it is all about how good of a "fit" your child is in their school. This could mean that she is the right gender and the right age to fill the openings that are available. It could mean that she has the right temperament and disposition to create a good mix of personalities in the class. An important component of being a good fit means that the parents share in the school's philosophies regarding child development, learning techniques, discipline, etc. Unfortunately, oftentimes being a good fit also means having the proper connections to the school through other parents, administrators, or a willingness to donate time/money.
2) All preschools are more or less the same.
When we started out looking for preschools, I assumed that we would apply to all the ones within walking distance from our house and attend whichever we got into. However, once we started touring schools, I realized that every school was quite different from the other, and there were some schools that were obviously not a good fit and not even worth applying to.
I am also beginning to understand why certain "elite" preschools are so coveted and why there is a line going out the door of parents waiting to pay ridiculous amounts in tuition to send their children. In general, "elite" preschools are 1) established - they have been around for decades and have built a trusted reputation; 2) able to hire the highest quality staff - at some places, all of the teachers have graduate degrees in early childhood education/psychology, and there is a clear emphasis on fostering child development; 3) connected to "elite" private elementary schools - there is a good amount of evidence, although never openly admitted, that children attending these elite preschools have a better chance at being accepted to the city's elite private K-8's.
3) Parents who fight to get their kids into prestigious preschools are all crazies who think that that's the only way their kids will go to Harvard.
After learning more about the preschool and the Even More Insane elementary school admissions process in San Francisco, I've come to realize that parents who care about their child getting into a good private school are not necessarily Ivy league-fanatic, helicopter parents. In some cases, they are just people who want to continue to live in the city.
The public school situation in San Francisco is far from ideal. There are only a handful of decent elementary schools in the city, all of which are extremely oversubscribed with demand outstripping availability at a ratio of up to 20:1. Before this year, public school enrollment was based entirely on lottery, so the chances of getting into a decent school, even if you lived down the street from one, was slim to none. Starting this year, the system has changed to favor those who live in a particular school's arbitrarily drawn "attendance area." However, several other criteria trump this one, so unless you live in the attendance area of a school that is decent but "under the radar" (which very fortunately we do), there may still be only a small chance you will be enrolled in your neighborhood public school.
For the vast majority of San Francisco families who live in the attendance area of either a run-down school or a school so popular that it is already filled by families with higher priority, their only options are to pay for private school or to move out of the city. From what I understand, private non-religious schools in the city are universally difficult to get into, again due to supply and demand. There are a number of good public school districts outside of the city, but I more than anyone can understand how much it would suck to have to move to the suburbs. And in a situation like ours where we are investing so much into a house that was recently purchased, it could present a large financial burden to uproot and entire family and move. Therefore, I get why for some families, getting into either a "feeder" preschool or a pre-K affiliated with a private K-8 is of the utmost importance.
As I mentioned, our neighborhood school, George Peabody Elementary, is a small, "off-the-radar" school with great reviews and ratings. I know nothing of it first-hand, but I am pinning my hopes on loving the school and being admitted there. Unless the system significantly changes in the next couple of years, it is our only shot of attending public elementary school. And if that option falls through, I may find myself desperately running the private school circuit just like all those parents I've scoffed at in the past. It just goes to show that there is no room for judgement in parenthood.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Hugs and Kisses
Over the last few months, Ruby has gotten much more generous with her hugs and kisses. Whereas a few months ago the only one of her little friends Ruby would hug was share care buddy Ian, she now offers hugs and kisses when prompted to several select friends. Granted it still takes her several hours to size the person up before she is comfortable offering a hug or a kiss. However, oftentimes by the end of a playdate she is willing to oblige.
Her most huggable friend is still little buddy Ian. Ian is a hugging fiend, and he often hugs Ruby with such enthusiasm that it literally knocks her off her feet. Even though at times his advances send her running in the opposite direction, Ruby appreciates that Ian is always there with a hug when she needs one.
Ruby's friend Eva is also a big hugger and loves to hug Ruby.
Most of the time Ruby is happy to be the hug recipient, but she has gotten close enough to Eva to offer her a hug as well.
A few weeks ago Ruby had a playdate with her friend Dylan. Dylan is an older man because he is already 2. They first met when they were both in utero, making Dylan one of Ruby's oldest friends. They already shared a smooch at Ruby's first birthday party, although it was somewhat coerced.
This time it was Ruby who made the first move.
In addition to her little friends, Ruby also likes to give hugs and kisses to her grandparents. However, she wonders why they feel so hard and thin.
Ruby's favorite person to hug is herself. In the end even she cannot resist her own cuteness.
Her most huggable friend is still little buddy Ian. Ian is a hugging fiend, and he often hugs Ruby with such enthusiasm that it literally knocks her off her feet. Even though at times his advances send her running in the opposite direction, Ruby appreciates that Ian is always there with a hug when she needs one.
Ruby's friend Eva is also a big hugger and loves to hug Ruby.
Most of the time Ruby is happy to be the hug recipient, but she has gotten close enough to Eva to offer her a hug as well.
A few weeks ago Ruby had a playdate with her friend Dylan. Dylan is an older man because he is already 2. They first met when they were both in utero, making Dylan one of Ruby's oldest friends. They already shared a smooch at Ruby's first birthday party, although it was somewhat coerced.
This time it was Ruby who made the first move.
In addition to her little friends, Ruby also likes to give hugs and kisses to her grandparents. However, she wonders why they feel so hard and thin.
Ruby's favorite person to hug is herself. In the end even she cannot resist her own cuteness.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The amazing Rubini
Our little Ruby is now 21 months old, and as much as I hate to admit it, much more like a little person than a baby.
Ruby appears to have undergone a burst of development over the last couple of months, and she now seems much more grown up than at the beginning of the year. Even though many of her new milestones and abilities are typical for a toddler of her age, I never cease to be AMAZED when Ruby learns to do something new. Perhaps it's because I've known her since she was one cell, but I am constantly shocked that what once was little kicks in a belly is now a kid sitting next to me eating a banana.
In the last couple of months, the list of words Ruby can say has grown too long to record as she is now repeating everything she hears. The other day, share care buddy Ian was running around in circles like a chicken with its head cut off as per usual, and the nanny exclaimed "Ta xiang feng le yi yang!" (He seems like he's gone crazy!) And Ruby piped up with "xiang feng le yi yang!"
Another major verbal breakthrough was when she began to put words together into phrases. So now she will say, "Bye-bye Da-da!" and "Ma-ma bao bao" (Ma-ma pick me up). Today the nanny went to the bathroom, and Ruby said "A-yi got peepee?" (A-yi is the Chinese term for nanny/auntie).
What's cute is she will still sometimes use sign language, but more for emphasis. For instance, if she requires assistance, she will shout, "Hap! Hap!" while making the sign for "help." The other day she came up to me with her dolly and said, "Hap, hap, wa-wa!" It turned out she wanted me to help buckle her dolly (wa-wa in Chinese) into the swing so that she could rock her to sleep.
Ruby has also become a great help around the house. In fact, she is now in charge of the household laundry, although sometimes she requires "hap."
It is really amazing how much can be absorbed and remembered at this age. Somewhere along the line, Ruby learned to count to 10 in both Chinese and English! This has been extremely difficult to capture on video because she does it spontaneously and then is too interested in trying to grab the camera once it comes out to do it again. However, we have finally been able to record the Chinese version.
Subtitle: yi, ar, san, si, wu, liu, qi, ba, jiu, shi!
Despite all of this growth and maturity, Ruby has yet to grow out of her sweet baby phase. I know I shouldn't jinx it by saying (writing) it out loud, but she has yet to throw a real tantrum or even exhibit any fussy behavior on a regular basis. Most days she is happy from sun up to sun down. She wakes up chatting and singing and spends the day dancing and giggling. I know I've felt this way before, but this really is the BEST phase of her life so far. Every day is surprising and hilarious and achingly adorable. I feel like I want to roll around in this phase and swish it around in my mouth so I can savor every last drop of it because I know that it's not possible for her entire childhood to be this easy. It's funny that I'm always wishing for her to stay the same, but then it's the changes that amaze me.
Ruby appears to have undergone a burst of development over the last couple of months, and she now seems much more grown up than at the beginning of the year. Even though many of her new milestones and abilities are typical for a toddler of her age, I never cease to be AMAZED when Ruby learns to do something new. Perhaps it's because I've known her since she was one cell, but I am constantly shocked that what once was little kicks in a belly is now a kid sitting next to me eating a banana.
In the last couple of months, the list of words Ruby can say has grown too long to record as she is now repeating everything she hears. The other day, share care buddy Ian was running around in circles like a chicken with its head cut off as per usual, and the nanny exclaimed "Ta xiang feng le yi yang!" (He seems like he's gone crazy!) And Ruby piped up with "xiang feng le yi yang!"
Another major verbal breakthrough was when she began to put words together into phrases. So now she will say, "Bye-bye Da-da!" and "Ma-ma bao bao" (Ma-ma pick me up). Today the nanny went to the bathroom, and Ruby said "A-yi got peepee?" (A-yi is the Chinese term for nanny/auntie).
What's cute is she will still sometimes use sign language, but more for emphasis. For instance, if she requires assistance, she will shout, "Hap! Hap!" while making the sign for "help." The other day she came up to me with her dolly and said, "Hap, hap, wa-wa!" It turned out she wanted me to help buckle her dolly (wa-wa in Chinese) into the swing so that she could rock her to sleep.
Ruby has also become a great help around the house. In fact, she is now in charge of the household laundry, although sometimes she requires "hap."
It is really amazing how much can be absorbed and remembered at this age. Somewhere along the line, Ruby learned to count to 10 in both Chinese and English! This has been extremely difficult to capture on video because she does it spontaneously and then is too interested in trying to grab the camera once it comes out to do it again. However, we have finally been able to record the Chinese version.
Subtitle: yi, ar, san, si, wu, liu, qi, ba, jiu, shi!
Despite all of this growth and maturity, Ruby has yet to grow out of her sweet baby phase. I know I shouldn't jinx it by saying (writing) it out loud, but she has yet to throw a real tantrum or even exhibit any fussy behavior on a regular basis. Most days she is happy from sun up to sun down. She wakes up chatting and singing and spends the day dancing and giggling. I know I've felt this way before, but this really is the BEST phase of her life so far. Every day is surprising and hilarious and achingly adorable. I feel like I want to roll around in this phase and swish it around in my mouth so I can savor every last drop of it because I know that it's not possible for her entire childhood to be this easy. It's funny that I'm always wishing for her to stay the same, but then it's the changes that amaze me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
