We love to visit The Living Roof whenever we visit the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. This paragraph from the Academy webpage states it best… “An open-air observation terrace enables visitors to get a close-up look at the roof’s lush canopy of plants. The view encompasses the densest concentration of native wildflowers in … Continue reading »
Photo taken January 29th, 2013 Sculpture by Benjamino Bufano Academy of Sciences, San Francisco *** WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Love Continue reading »
Photos taken January 27th, 2013 Redwood Regional Park, Oakland Interested in going? The ladybugs cluster at Redwood Regional Park between November and February. You’ll find them at the intersection of the Stream and Prince Trails. Look on, around, and behind the bench, as well as across the trail, near (and on) the sign. You can … Continue reading »
As I sit here at my computer with the backdoor open to allow some fresh air into our home, I’m listening to the lovely sound of frogsong. The chorus is coming from the creek on the other side of our backyard fence. Up until today, we’ve only been hearing one frog at a time. Suddenly, … Continue reading »
Saturday morning… a misty, wet hike with friends on the Calaveras Ridge Regional Trail in Dublin Hills Regional Park. Photos taken January 26th, 2013 Dublin Hills Regional Park Continue reading »
Photo taken January 21st, 2013 Regional Parks Botanic Garden Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley, CA Continue reading »
A typical week in the life of my 5-year-old… playing with Lego’s, running around outside, watching wildlife, studying dinosaurs… January 16th, 2013 My son insisted I take a photo of his Lego Ninjago guys battling… January 17th, 2013 Watching the deer on the hill behind our home, a favorite activity… January 19th, 2013 The pine … Continue reading »
For those of you with kids in the 5-12 age-range, I highly recommend you check out The Magic School Bus Science Club, offered through The Young Scientist Club (www.theyoungscientistclub.com). By joining the club, you’ll receive twelve Magic School Bus science kits, one mailed each month of the year. The cost is about $240/year, but … Continue reading »
One of the great things about playing in nature is that bouts of exertion and excitement are often interspersed with quiet, contemplative time. I don’t have to recommend these quiet moments… my five-year-old sits down and calms himself entirely on his own whenever he’s inspired by the beauty around him. I often wonder what he’s … Continue reading »
Here’s our son, waiting impatiently for me and my husband to get ready to head out on the trail at Crissy Field. My eyes, however, are drawn “beyond” to the Golden Gate Bridge shining in the background. Please view the weekly challenge here: Weekly Photo Challenge: Beyond Continue reading »
Photos taken January 21st, 2013 Hap Magee Ranch Park, Danville, California Continue reading »
My husband took our son to play miniature golf yesterday. Fun!! This is an experience he wants to repeat. Often… My husband took the photo on his iPhone… Boomers! Livermore Continue reading »
Happy Sunday! Our Neighborhood Squirrel Photos taken January 19th, 2013 Continue reading »
January 9th Playing with leaves and sticks outside the city library… January 10th Finishing his homework for the week… January 11th Reading one of his Star Wars books… January 12th Studying animal tracks… January 13th Being silly at the park… January 14th So happy his mountain lion print is finally dry… (see January 15th post, … Continue reading »
It was pretty darn cold this past weekend, but I still enjoyed a Saturday morning hike at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness with my hiking group. At the start of the hike, the temperature was about 30 degrees, and it heated up all the way to about 36 by the end of the hike. I know … Continue reading »
Kids thrive when given free playtime outdoors after a day of school… Photos taken January 15th, 2013 Shannon Park, Dublin, California Continue reading »
This past weekend, we attended a fun nature class at Coyote Hills Regional Park in Fremont. This free class for children aged 5+ and their family, called Family Nature Hour, is held on Saturday afternoons throughout the year. Each week a different concept from the natural world is covered. The one we attended on Saturday … Continue reading »
Photos taken January 12th, 2013 Las Trampas Regional Wilderness Continue reading »
The view from the parking lot before a morning hike at Dublin Hills Regional Park To see the challenge… Weekly Photo Challenge: Illumination Continue reading »
Photos taken January 2nd, 2013 Stream Trail Redwood Regional Park Continue reading »
I don’t really do resolutions, so this challenge has been a tough one for me. Philosophy When I was twenty-three, I had a month of solitude. During this quiet period, I came up with my “meaning of life.” I was able to distil the meaning of life (for me) into two parts. One is to … Continue reading »
This is my first post for Mamatography 2013 (a 365 day photography project). If you don’t know what I’m up to, check it out here… Mamatography 2013: A 365 Day Photography Project. Since I’m new to Mamatography, those of you participating probably don’t know much about me yet. In a nutshell, I’m the mom of … Continue reading »
My son asked for one thing from Santa this year… a lightsaber. A blue lightsaber, to be exact, so he could be just like Luke Skywalker. Santa must’ve thought two lightsabers might be more fun, as, in addition to the blue lightsaber, he also brought a red one (like the one Darth Vader uses). Doesn’t … Continue reading »
Large print, no claw marks… Photo taken January 5th, 2013 Sunol Regional Wilderness Continue reading »
In 2013, I’m going to steal an idea from Danielle over at 52 Brand New. If you haven’t checked out this blog and you have kids, I recommend you visit it soon. Each week, Danielle writes about an experience that’s brand new to her children. It’s a fun, inspiring blog! Check it out… 52brandnew.com. Now, … Continue reading »
This lovely one-mile loop trail is one of my favorite hikes in the San Francisco East Bay to do with little kids. My son and I hiked this regularly when he was three. On Saturday, I walked the trail alone… a rare treat. I enjoyed walking at my own pace, taking the time to stop … Continue reading »
Practicing web shots… Photo taken December 30th, 2012 UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley You may also enjoy: Spider Webs Continue reading »
I started running three years ago in order to keep up with my son. I wish I were faster!! How do you keep up with your kids? Photo taken January 2nd, 2013 Redwood Regional Park Continue reading »
I think it’s important for kids to see how tiny humans can be compared to other living things on this planet. Here’s my boy contemplating a saguaro… Photo taken December 30th, 2012 UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley Continue reading »
A fun activity to do a few days after a good rain is head to a nearby creek and look for animal tracks in the mud. We went on this kind of walk yesterday in the nature area near our home. As we walked to the area, I asked my son what animal footprints he … Continue reading »
