Katy ChaCha

At the twins’ preschool, each weekend a different kid gets to take home a stuffed bear named Katy ChaCha, and then the next week they stand in front of the class and tell of their adventures. Last weekend, Julia was ecstatic to have her name picked out of the hat to take home Katy ChaCha. One more thing - Julia was expected to write a photojournal entry in the voice of Katy ChaCha about her experience. Of course, since preschoolers aren’t exactly known for their writing skills (nor their ability to take, download, and print pictures), this part fell on Mommy and Daddy to complete.

I mentioned to Mark how the kids wouldn’t actually be reading the entries, just the parents, so he decided to do his own spin on it. And I actually turned it in. 

A bear and her journal

Here is Mark’s diary entry for Katy ChaCha:

Another week. Another house. All I really want is to be out of the “system” and to have some stability in my life. But I must have chased one too many hikers or eaten one too many picnic baskets in a past life and so this is my lot. As always, I shall try to make the best of it.

The new family seems okay. The kids are small but together might make for a tasty snack. The mom doesn’t look very tender but beggars can’t be choosers --- I’d eat her too. The dad is the wild card in all this. He seems really awesome. So smart, so funny and talented. I guess I’ve got a bit of a human-crush on him. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still eat him too, but I’m definitely eating him last of the four.

*     *     *

We’re going to Berkeley today, home of the Cal Bears. Pretty excited to see more of my own kind. No, not other bears; stoners! Just kidding. Bears. Maybe we’ll maul some hippies or something?

We went to La Farine bakery on College Ave. The morning buns are amazing. Or so I’m told. The boy delights in putting a piece in front of me, tantalizingly close yet just out of reach. I’m so eating him first.

You can’t go to Oakland without taking a ride in the hood. This was actually pretty fun. Having second thoughts about eating the girl.

*     *     * 

Haircuts and grocery shopping today. I’ve never had a haircut. My hair doesn’t even seem to grow. Come to think of it, nothing about me ever changes. I don’t get older. I don’t get bigger. Starting to question my own existence. I’m so deep today, lol. I should post this to tumblr. #reflective

OMG look at this shirt I’m wearing. You know it’s bad when you’re the worst dressed one in the picture and you’re not the one wearing a smock.

Thinking of trying to escape. I think my best bet is to hide in the groceries and quietly slip out when no one is watching. Wish me luck!

*     *     * 

 

Gosh this week went by fast. I laughed. I cried. I sat passively and let myself be manipulated for degrading photos. I wonder what next week holds? Until then I remain,

Katy ChaCha

 

The actual journal entries as transcribed by me.

 

 

First Trip to the East Bay

In mid-May 2012 when the twins were nearly 2 ½ we decided to visit our old stomping grounds in the East Bay. For lunch we met up with newly married Heidi (a bridesmaid from our wedding) and her husband John at Burma Superstar in Temescal.


We start our day in the East Bay with lunch at Burma Superstar.


James collects chopsticks.


Newlyweds Heidi and John

Afterwards we visited Colby Park, a little park near our old apartment in Rockridge. The twins were thrilled that there were lots of toys and sand toys laying around to play with. Hoping the twins would nap, we then took them on a long walk in the stroller down College Avenue all the way to Broadway, but there were no takers.


Julia at Colby Park






We planned to ride the Tilden Park steam trains but we ran out of time since James spotted the Rockridge BART escalators. They rode them six times, each time with James dragging me by the hand to start another trip. James was so excited and he narrated the action each time: "Moving! Moving! Escalator moving! Up!" I can't imagine the steam trains beating that. The fun was capped with Daddy running up the down escalator and down the up one. The twins were delighted.


James saw the BART escalators and wanted to ride them again and again and again.


Daddy and Julia again share the same expression.


"Yes! Daddy and Julia made it to the top!"


James drags Mommy onto the escalator.

Next we stopped at Tara’s for ice cream. We sat outside and James loved running up for bites but strangely Julia was uninterested.







We decided to walk to Elmwood, a half mile away, with the babies out of the stroller. It was slow going. Our final stop was at Shen Hua for dinner. Unfortunately with no naps they weren’t in the best of moods at the restaurant. Not surprisingly they fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Julia and James help Daddy push the stroller to Elmwood.


Some are happier to eat at Shen Hua than others.