Happy fathers day

Jr. and the little one told me that their gift to me on daddy's day will be "great posing".

Both of them tried to pose for me at Twin Peaks in San Francisco and again at the Coyote Point Park and Museum. The Twin Peaks view point was amazing. Fantastic 360 degree view of San Francisco!

The Coyote Point Museum and Center for Environmental education was really good for kids. They made education entertaining. They taught kids all about Reptiles by bringing out some real reptiles like bearded dragons, tortoise, California King snake and a Boa constrictor! Jr. was thoroughly entertained and touched a snake for the first time. Apparently being a brave girl was another father's day gift..

We had a ton of fun at both places and are back home to get some rest before the week starts again tomorrow!

To all the dads out there... have a great father's day.

.

A day on Route 1 - Lets make that A fathers day on Route 1

We spent Father's day on Route 1, with my in laws and the cousin family.

Just tired and sunburnt after a long day at state parks and beaches. The sunburn mostly happened while sitting in the van in very slow moving traffic on the freeway with no access to sunscreen. Should start carrying a "dupatta" like the ladies to cover my face in situations like this.

Here are some pictures from the trip (more follow if time permits later this week)

First, a portrait of a Seagull.

Manged to get up close and personal with a few of the gulls on Bird Island in Point Lobos State Park..

Two more gulls, got real close at Sunset Beach (which was off of Route 1 in Watsonville).

The trick to getting them close seems to be :

1. pick a nice spot
2. park your butt there
3. select gull
4. wait patiently for it to do something
5. (ignore cries of kids and wait for gull to cry instead)
6. keep gull constantly in focus
7. click, click, click..

Finally a photo of one of the chicks, from daddy's own little nest..

We had a great father's day, with every kid on every beach, trail, state park parking lot, wishing all the dads in our group, a happy father's day.

The girls made sure that every adult male on the path was wished. It was hilarious to see them wish a boy who just sprouted a mustache (possibly doing a summer job)"happy father's day!".

Steve jobs threw a small spanner in the works, but all said and done, today was a day well spent. Three dads enjoying the company of mothers and kids, especially mother nature! Hope all the dad's who read this had a nice father's day as well.

Here's to being Daddy!

.

Busy week

A lot more things happened this week, than the adults watching Dasavatharam!

Jr. finished Kindergarden. One more year just flys by!

Here is this years Photo. Jr. was so proud and happy. It was a treat to see her prepare for her graduation performance, singing, dancing, having fun!

One more year of married life completed this week! We are happy, healthy, constantly fighting, constantly reconciling after fighting, managing to maintain the status quo for another year. Time IS really flying by fast.

As though to symbolize this event, we had a special flower bloom in our front yard. Thought it was just an ornamental non-flowering plant when we purchased it six months ago. Now we know better.

The flower bloomed over a whole week gradually. It was amazing!

and as if to say, "yeah right!" for the association of the flowers blossoming to our wedding anniversary, another flower bloomed!

It looks like an Allium, but seems to say "pOda ....."

Let us see if you can guess what flower this is!

And finally, Father's day! A very special day for me because Jr. always makes my day! The first thing she did when she woke up was to run to me and say "Happy fathers's day daddy" and she gave me a bookmark. She had kept it a secret for a whole week. The little one still doesn't understand what the hoopla was about, but joined in the hugging and kissing.

An eventful week this one! Guess, going forward we will have the second week of June becoming a busy week because of the Graduation, fathers day, anniversary combination!

Wishing all those dad's out there a very happy Daddy's day!

ps. After reading last years post on Jr.'s graduation, I just realized.. This Blog completes another year!!!

.

Happy Daddy's day

To

Daddy

From

Jr.

Sub : Happy daddy's day.

Dear Daddy,

Have a wonderful Father's day. I know you were invited to my daycare for Fathers day function. That too on Friday evening at 4:00. I know you will have to miss the weekend last minute planning meetings and come, which also means your phone will ring friday night and over the weekend and mommy will do "Pilliar eyes" at you all weekend. Thanks for coming!

This year I am surprising you, again! I know how you are really happy with whatever I give you on father's day and act surprised and give me a big hug and a kiss. I have given you trinkets made from paper bits, pieces of cloth left over in the tailors shop, ice cream sticks, old pepsi bottle lids, and things that look like they were picked from the street by my teachers who are hell bent on teaching me valuable subjects like economics at this young age. I also know that you really liked the ice cream stick "I love you daddy" tag I gave you two years ago and display it on the rearview mirror, but the rest of my gifts are nowhere to be found!

This year I am giving you the "#1 Dad" medal. I know you like this one too. You were wearing it even after you came home! But as an additional surprise, here is what I have done with my teachers. We have a brand new mousepad for you with my portrait on it!! Now, now. Stop crying. I don't know if you are really touched by my going the extra mile, or if you are shedding tears for the fact that this daycare actually shelled out money for a gift! Either way, I am happy for you. Now you can finally show your co-workers that you got a commercialized product for a Father's day gift that stands up to those coffee mugs, photo frames, etc. that you will see tomorrow. I know daddy. I know. We live in America.

I give you my usual love and you are still the best!

Love

Jr.

ps. I have another surprise for you. I have taught the little one to say "de da, ove you". I was actually going for "Daddy, I love you", but it is a question of time before she gets the "I" and the "L".

pps. Mommy thinks you are expecting too much. You can't seriously expect to start "onnu vitta mama's rendu vitta marumaan day" just based on the gift potential.

---

From

Daddy

To

Jr.

Sub : Thank you

Dear Jr.,

I actually always love the time and effort you put into the father's day gift. All these things don't really matter. I love you all the same. You already know that you girls have me wrapped around your finger, and you put that knowledge to good use! When I was a kid we never even knew about a special day for father's or mother's. We knew childrens day was November 14th and that too because it was more of Nehru thatha's birthday than anything else. For us every day was father's day. We "paduththied" daddy all the same, on father's day or on any other day. You do the same.

Keep the trinkets coming. Who knows, at this rate, I might actually talk to your teachers on suggestions for next years gift. I also have to go find out if mommy bankrolled the mousepad and is not telling me.

You are a darling.

Love,

Daddy.

Ps. you are doing some great work with your little sister in building her vocabulary. I can also see that you have some strange hypnotic hold over her and see listens to you more than she listens to me. Please remember, we are a team. We are counting on your new powers to help the family.

pps. Mommy tells me that she had nothing to do with the mousepad. I am really impressed wih your daycare now! I will ask for a USB drive with your photo on it for next year's gift. I was not serious when I came up with the other relative's days. It was just to make a point with mommy.

---

From

The #1 Daddy

To

All daddy's out there (with or without the medal)!

Happy father's day!

Sundar.

.