School's out for Summer...

Cue the cheesy Alice Cooper music... School's out for Summer!

Today was Ava's last day of Kindergarten at Berkeley Arts Magnet. Come the end of August she'll be a big First Grader.

Much like the rest of the week today was a day of fun activities at school. The kids had a slide show in the morning to look back on the fun things they've done throughout the year and the new friends they've made. This was followed by a pot luck picnic in the school yard and an extended lunch recess break. This in turn was followed up with a movie; "Ratatouille" I believe from Ava's description.

Here's a look at Ava's last day of Kindergarten...

Arriving at school in the morning as a Kindergartener for the last time

Water Fun Day

It's the last week of school here in Berkeley.

As you can imagine Ava is pretty excited about the upcoming Summer Vacation. What kid wouldn't love almost eleven weeks off school? But before the fun of Summer vacation there's a week of fun at school.

All this week Ava's school is holding fun events for the students. Yesterday the Kindergarten kids celebrated the impending start of Summer with a water fun day. Water balloons, water games, hoses... all sorts of watery fun.

Lots of watery fun

Here's a look at some of the fun activities the kids took part in...

Redwoods Day Trip

This past weekend we went for a day trip north to the redwood forests.

This trip had originally been planned for a few weeks back to celebrate my birthday which unfortunately was spent in hospital instead. I was a little worried that something else would pop up and stop us heading off on our trip again but come Saturday morning we were on our way without a hitch.

While there are beautiful redwood forests relatively close to the San Francisco Bay Area I really wanted to head a little further afield and drive the Avenue of the Giants and visit a few drive through trees.

I love looking up at the redwoods

Stag Horn Fern Workshop

It's been a while since I took part in any of the fantastic workshops offered by Utsuwa Floral Design in San Francisco so I decided it was time to get back into it.

Last Friday I took part in a mounted Stag Horn Fern workshop. Remember those incredibly retro looking ferns everyone seemed to have hanging off their walls in the 70s and 80s? Well, they're back in all their retro splendour. And we now have one to hang in our apartment.

One completed mounted stag horn fern

Like most of the workshops that I've attended at Utsuwa Floral Design, this project is actually relatively easy once you the know materials to use and how to put it all together.

Here's a look at the workshop...

Berkeley Super Kids

This past Sunday Ava competed in her third cheerleading competition with her team Berkeley Super Kids.

My little cheerleader

Goodbye Grandma

For the most part, moving to the other side of the world is a great adventure. There are so many new places to explore, new customs and traditions to celebrate and even the most simple every day things can become an adventure - or a challenge depending on how you look at it.

But then there are times that being so far away from your family and friends just sucks.

Like today.

Today my Grandma passed away peacefully in her nursing home after suffering from a stroke over the weekend. I couldn't be there to say goodbye with the rest of my family. I couldn't be there to give her one last hug. I couldn't be there to tell her I love her one last time. I can't be there with my family to mourn her passing and to celebrate her wonderful life. I can't be there for one last goodbye at her funeral.

Today living so far away just sucks.

But as much as it sucks I know that Grandma was proud of her family and the adventures and lives that we've made for ourselves, no matter how far away from home that may be. With six children, fifteen grandchildren and thirteen (and a half) great-grandchildren she always had plenty of love to go around and she made each and everyone of us feel so important.

Knowing that Grandma is at peace and reunited with my Grandpa after nine years is a thought that keeps me positive.

Goodbye Grandma. We love you and will miss you always.

The girls and I with Grandma, January 2011

Berkeley Chocolate and Chalk Art Festival

Today the sidewalks of Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto came alive with colour.

This weekend marked the 17th Annual Berkeley Chocolate & Chalk Art Festival.

Participants are invited to take part in decorating the sidewalks with chalk art as part of a competition. Entry to the competition is free and participants are assigned spaces along the sidewalk. It's all pretty flexible and as long as the spot is available participants can choose where they'd like their assigned space to be. 

Ava staked out a particularly shady spot under a tree near the start of the festival and set about creating her music inspired masterpiece. It's in front of 1625 Shattuck Avenue if you're interested. We were not sure beforehand what Ava was going to draw. In fact, I don't think she knew until she started! She had originally joked that she was going to draw a T-Rex biting someone's head off - lovely! I was a little worried that she'd settled on this idea however after a little staring at her blank canvas she started drawing a guitar. Much more civilised.

Ava's chalk masterpiece