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Walking in the dark with Will, looking up at the sky he asked, “Mom, is one of those [stars] the Death Star? Are they going to blow it up any minute?”

Killjoy Doug told him the truth, but really, how cool to think about those things happening in the sky above as we wander along on our peaceful night walk?

Everyone is back to full health over here. It is movie time! Goldens explaining atoms.

H1N1 (and seasonal flu) shots have been in short supply in the Bay Area. Certain clinics have them, but ours did not until we had the first bout of symptoms in the house. For the past three weeks, the kids have been taking turns being fluey. Sylvie started it three Tuesdays ago waking at 5AM screaming that her chest hurt. For the next 5 hours, she laid about looking near death. By our 9:30AM doctor visit, she was perky and her fever had dropped to 99 degrees. 5 days of Tamiflu later, she was back to normal.

Will’s set in the following Tuesday with a 103 degree fever that could not be abated. We alternated Tylenol and Motrin, spent 5 hours getting to know the on-call doctor by phone, and finally just ended up weathering the following 36 hours of fever and paralyzing aches.

It is Sylvie’s turn, again, this week. Monday, I was called to the school early to fetch the feverish kiddo. She was asleep in the loft. (Loft: the classroom quiet space used for diving off onto teachers or quarantined sick children). Typically a fever trailing another illness is the work of pneumonia or an ear infection. Not so, today. After a negative H1N1 swab, normal O2 levels, and clear ears, the devil revealed itself when Sylvie’s body attempted to exorcise itself while waiting for an (clear) xray. She ruined her clothes, and we learned that they don’t sell kiddie clothes in the hospital gift shop. I need to explain to her that there are easier ways to get a new pashmina toga… We’re back home, recovering. Sylvie is beginning to look perky, again. Wonder what we’re in for, next?

And to think I’ve been doing it wrong all this time!

explained by the Europe Research Committee using a dance party analogy.

We had a wild weekend.

We kicked it off Thursday carving pumpkins. Doug and the kids made a totem pole. Our kitchen looked like there’d been a pumpkin massacre. (Which, yeah, I guess there was.)

Friday, the two schools meant two parades and two parties.

We let the kids eat candy for lunch and then capped the evening off with a pizza and movie night at Will’s elementary school. Despite the fact that Will had a pretty awesome Luke Skywalker flight suit (purchased), he requested a different day costume. I talked him out of fun-to-make robot and into easier-to-make vampire bat. Unfortunately we all slept in and he ran off to school without his fangs. Don’t the teeth only come out at night, anyway?

At least the cape looked cool on the playground.

Saturday morning the kids dressed for our run.

And then again for the block party.

And then again for trick-or-treating (not captured in film). Sylvie was Tinkerbell and Will and Doug were Clark Kents.

And then again after trick-or-treating for the haunted house. (Also not captured in film.) Sylvie was a monkey and Will was green racer (pjs).

The highlight: the kids barely made it 1 full block before they were complaining about the weight of their trick-or-treating bags. Stella came running back to us whining, “They said I could only take 2!” “Well, Stella, you have plenty of candy already.” “I know, and it is so heavy! I can’t carry another piece!”

Gluttons for punishment that we are, we had a marathon of playdates Sunday. We’re sleeping off all the excitement this work week. 😉

Drats! I’m sure you’ve heard that my lifeline to the city fell apart under minor winds last night. And I’m sure you know that those of us who work in the city (all of us) are stuck packed into the Swine Flu party on the Bart or sitting at home, alone, communicating over Instant Messenger.

Know any structural engineers with a history repairing high traffic bridges in earthquake prone, windy oceanic areas? We could use a good one.

In celebration of Sylvie’s birthday, we had the neighbors over for some mad science. The kids made glow in the dark slime and screaming balloons while the adults ate quince liver, deviled eyes and mummies.

Yes, those are real meat.

We had the requisite ear (grow your own) and eyes (olives) in a jar. As well as spooky chemical looking liquids (colored water). But, the main attraction was the slime that the kids concocted and the mentos geysers.

And yes, my daughter wore her princess outfit most of the day.

I love the reactions of kids at their first few birthdays. Sylvie just stood there with a goofy smile absorbing the anthem in her honor.

Those were grave-stone cakes. Dirt + chocolate frosting + half a cookie.

Quote of the day –
Sylvie watching me make the dirt for the cupcakes, “Sometimes kids can eat dirt, right Mom?”

It is rainy season, here. I embraced the puddle time last week by using it as an excuse to teach a little science. (I’m thoroughly enjoying having a 5 year old!!)

First we tested potential vessels for their ability to float and then their weight capacity. I brought out a bowl, cup, lego raft, inverted plastic hard hat, and gold pan. They all passed the float test. The lego raft was the first to sink under the weight of a key-lime sized pebble. Only the hard hat and gold pan could hold the softball sized rock. None could hold Will.

Next we pulled out a bunch of plastic tops, popsicle sticks and fashioned sailboats.

Will drew the sails. I cut and taped while he worked on his custom boat. The custom boat was the best floater of the second regatta. The muffin cups were the fastest.

Nothing survived tsunami Will. Will attributed the supreme floating skills of his raft to the deflated balloon taped to it’s bottom. I’m thinking it had less surface area to take on water during the tsunami.

The cleanup process: