Breakfast in Bed

The kids surprised me on Memorial Day with a belated Mother's Day breakfast in bed. (I'll say "surprised" even though Julia was interrogating me on how exactly I prepare my oatmeal the night before.) Mark was out swimming, so apart from him cutting a lovely rose from the front yard before he left, the kids prepared everything on their own.

I stumbled upon Julia's notes in the kitchen afterwards.

James picked some strawberries in the backyard (I love that he put on the gardening gloves to do it just like me), and Julia pulled over a chair and took down the heavy wood and glass tray (that we use for these occasions) from the top of the refrigerator. It's probably good I didn't see that part. They both cut four different kinds of fruits for me using a blunt table knife. (I would have let them use the good knives.)

When I got out of bed I found James at my door, blocking me in. He tried to distract me by throwing a ball for me to fetch in my room (uh, I'm good) and scratching my back (OK!). Then Julia lumbered down the hallway struggling to carry the heavy tray topped with two bowls of food, a tall glass of lemonade, and a vase.

Julia also gifted me her invention for back scratching. "Do you want me to use it to scratch your back?" "Um, I want to keep my skin."

They made me oatmeal with flaxseed, four fruits, walnuts, cinnamon, and jam, a four fruit salad (Julia zested some orange on top to make it fancy), and lemonade with two strawberries. Apparently they heated the oatmeal and then left it out for an hour, waiting for me to wake up.

My breakfast in bed

The kids were clearly dying to drink my lemonade. Julia looks forlorn as James takes a bigger sip than hers.

They were very sweet and stayed with me while I ate.

My loyal dog, James, is at my side.

Upon viewing the kitchen afterwards I asked. "Um, what did you cut the fruit on?" Julia: "The cutting boards that were out." Me: "You mean the dirty ones?..."

Julia kiss. I like that we're sort of mirrored by the picture behind us.

Mark arrived right after I finished eating and took this picture.

Mother's Day Part II

The kids gave me kisses and showed how well they know me.

Thanks, James!

Um, James?

Sounds like a good day to me, Julia.

Mother's Day Part I

Julia's been complaining that it isn't fair that we never get to do all the “fun” things in San Francisco that tourists do (and apparently "The Boxcar Children" do), like ride cable cars. So after a stop at the Cable Car Barn to see the actual cables pulled on giant wheels, we proceed to catch the Van Ness - California Street line (highly recommended since we had the half the car to ourselves). There's nothing like holding onto the cable car with one hand and leaning out with your arm outstretched to make you feel like you're flying down the hills. The kids loved it.

And then we Ubered back to our car because the cable cars are a ridiculous $7 per person for a one way ticket. Next time we ride the cable cars, Julia, will be when you have something called a job.