I don't have time to get on the computer often, so I'm quite behind, but still want to try to catch up with updates. We've had a lot going on this year so far.
I love our Buy Nothing group. I've enjoyed giving away items we no longer use or need, and scoring some items we need but are not always willing to buy, including a big cat tree for Pluto. He loves this thing and plays or sleeps in it every day.
Spring was a tough time for Naomi. The whole year in lockdown has been. Just like most of her classmates, they've been locked down for a year with school around the clock, even homework on weekends and through their winter and spring breaks. Some other districts and schools around here had asynchronous days, time off, or limits on homework, but her teachers just decided to add on more. It was so much pressure. She also took an extra class in her schedule and three honors classes, including Precalculus and Chemistry (and Naomi is not a STEM gal despite being our daughter). The Chem teacher has a reputation for being combative and difficult and ruining all the students' GPAs, and she lived up to that reputation and then some.
I tried to take it easy with Naomi's birthday this year. I took her out to some places for walks and talks and drives the week prior, including downtown Saratoga and the Stanford campus. There were outdoor exhibits at the Stanford museum, and it was just really serene and quiet on campus. I also got a cheesecake flan from Costco, which she really enjoyed. She's a custard girl, in case you haven't noticed. Her birthday will be in the next post.
I also got my first vaccination shot at Levi's Stadium the first day it was available to people ages 16-49. It was in the news for being the most people at one site for vaccinations in the U.S. Normally I would avoid crowds, but I enjoyed being there. I had my shot at the VIP window overlooking the stadium, which was fun and memorable.
For Easter, we had our second year of a combined Good Friday service online (with more people showing up in person and outdoors) and Easter. Manny has been helping out with the audio/visual team on Sundays. We then had our Easter meal--ham, quiche and ravioli from Costco, homemade sweet potato fries, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a lemon tart.
Free from a neighborhood gifting group (Buy Nothing). Pluto loves it.
Joint Good Friday service with our new church and our old one and another church.
Happy Easter!
Homemade shortbread lemon tart
Easter dinner
Ham and cheese rolls, using up the leftover ham.
Pluto was fine with the harness, but he was able to slip out of this one, so I got him a better one.
My tomato plant. Just starting out with container gardening again. Once we got Pluto, I decided the few succulents and tomato and basil plants were it for me.
Isaac loves Pluto
Took Naomi for a drive to talk. We drove by the Japanese gardens which had just reopened.
Isaac doing science experiments
Taking Naomi out for boba and Asian fusion at the start of Spring Break.
Cheesecake flan from Costco.
Ramen outdoors.
Boba on University Avenue
Yo/Oy art display in front of the Stanford Museum
Snake River at Stanford.
A cute new boba place we went on another day.
Downtown Saratoga was so empty (fine with us).
Having some sushi for dinner/birthday.
Nice surroundings.
Ready for my shot, along with thousands of other people. The line moved fairly quickly, but it still took over two hours.
The obligatory vaccine selfie. I had terrible arm pain, but nothing more after the first shot.
Isaac helping with chores. Aluminum foil is to keep Pluto off that spot.
