The Legend of Lobo

I confess that for the first few weeks this game was out, I just laughed at the clusters of random adults standing by the lake, staring at their phones intently.  Eventually the excitement was loud enough that the elementary set begin talking about Pokemon Go.  To delay the inevitable, I promised Logan we’d check it out after summer camp ended.  So one evening, before our family lake walk, I got the app for my phone.  And down the rabbit hole we went!

The Summer of 2016 was officially Pokemon Go Summer!  Logan has fallen in love with this game and its universe of adorable “pocket monsters.” He and I love playing it when we’re out and about, and he’s quickly adding to his “pokedex.”  He’s also learning how to read a map (and how to better read, period).  While he was in Austin, he even figured out how to use a phone by himself for the first time!  While Ash was napping one afternoon, Logan called me twice in San Antonio.  I was so touched that he missed me enough to find a way to talk to me.  Then I realized he was checking in to see if I had caught any new Pokemon while were apart.  Luckily I captured a prized Pikachu just before leaving for Austin — on his birthday!  He seemed more enamored of it than any of his actual gifts.

Logan returned to Fairyland Camp again this summer, attending both Pirate week and Super Hero week.  He also spent a week at a Lego Engineering camp at Aurora School, where he made Star Wars vehicles and cool K’nex carnival rides.  We’re rounding out the summer with playdates and a long-anticipated trip to Texas. Logan loves Shanna and all the Fairyland counselors, and he is already looking forward to going again next year.  It’s already a tradition. He felt profoundly sad for a ten-year old boy who is “graduating” from Fairyland camp (i.e. aging out and so not returning next year).  Ten seems like a remote age to Logan, but we know it’s right around the corner.  Meanwhile, we’ll give him every opportunity to stay a little kid just a bit longer.

At the Lunar New Year celebrations this year, Logan was keenly interested in the martial arts performances.  He loved watching the younger children, and he was perplexed and amazed that they could be “ninjas in training.”  A few weeks later we watched Kung Fu Panda 3, and by then he was hooked.  A friend recommended the studio where her sons study, and that was the final nudge.  In April we enrolled Logan at Shaolin Kung Fu in Chinatown, and he has been passionate about learning this ancient art.  His instructors, Master Sunny and Master Larry, are kind and patient, but also very rigorous. Logan attends two classes each week, and in between he practices at home with Ash as his shifu.

Today he received his very first belt!  It was an accomplishment that seems quick by adult standards, but it represents a lot of hard work and perseverance for a six-year-old. Logan is so thrilled to be wearing a white belt!  He keeps running to look in the mirror, and I expect he will probably sleep in his full uniform tonight. Ash and I are very proud of our little kung fu student.

We had a treat today. Mia came over to spend the day with us. We’ve known her for about three years and have always found her to be a total delight. She’s one of the most snuggly, happy kids I’ve ever known. And as the photos show, Mia is always happy to model for the camera.

Today we enjoyed our third visit to the Fourth Street celebration of the Chinese New Year. We were happy to share it with Nanako and Mark. It was a lovely day, perfect for this kind of event. Logan was captivated by the long martial artists and the lion dancers.

For Christmas Santa brought Logan a wonderful Lego set, “The Attack of the Morro Dragon.” Grandpa Jim helped him assemble it in Austin, and a week later they had to partially dismantle for the plane trip home. Back in Oakland, Logan experimented with the bag of parts, designing new creations from the legs, wings, and claws. We’re really impressed with his creativity and tenacity. He wakes up early to start on a new creation, and 14 hours later he resists sleep because he’s still tinkering with the details. He actually gets out of bed late at night to keep working. When we take him back to his room, he protests, “But I have to build!”

It’s hard to photograph these creatures, because as soon as one is finished, Logan begins to imagine a new possibility. But we did persuade him to let Ash take some quick photos (this project involved substantial pleading and bribery). These are just a few shots of the Morro Dragon’s many ephemeral variations. The set is on an irreversible journey from complexity to entropy, but it’s been an awesome trip!

This year we decided to add a leg to our annual Christmas trip.  On our way to Texas, we stopped in San Diego for a visit to the enchanted world of Legoland.  It was a special treat for all of us!  The park is just the right size for a young child to explore — plenty to do and see, but not so big to be overwhelming.  Most of the attractions seem targeted to children in the age range 6-10.  Logan is just old enough to really experience it all, and to do many activities independently. Watching Logan build, play, run and climb, made me aware again how fleeting his boyhoood is.  We’ll come back to Legoland as soon as we can, so he can make lots of happy memories to cherish when he’s a big kid.

We had been putting off exploring the big national parks until Logan was big enough to get around on his own and not be too tired.  We might also have been a bit lazy about doing something difficult that required new gear, special clothes, and a lot of specialized knowledge we didn’t have.  There was a bit of resistance to overcome, but this year we finally decided we had to visit Yosemite.  We pushed through fears of show chains and bears, and general ignorance of all things outdoors, and we were rewarded with a wonderful Thanksgiving adventure.

We arrived just a couple of hours behind a snowstorm.  During the latter half of the trip, we were driving into a dark wall of clouds.  The drizzle turned into light freezing rain after we passed Mariposa.  A few miles outside Yosemite, the temperature changed dramatically — we watched the numbers on the dashboard thermometer drop by the minute!

We checked into our hotel around dusk, with just enough light left to admire the Merced River that rushed under our window between steep canyon walls. Then the night fell, in perfect blackness.  The next morning, Thanksgiving, the forest (and our car!) was covered in ice.  We bundled up, scraped off the windows, and drove slowly the two miles to the park entrance. Once inside, the sunlight broke through, and we found ourselves in a glittering winter wonderland.  Every twig on every tree was coated with a frosting of snow.  It was dazzling!  We stopped every few yards to take pictures, and when we finally made it the two miles to Monument Valley, we found a good six inches of snow covering the meadows.

Logan got to play in snow for the very first time!  He loved throwing snowballs at Ash, and he couldn’t stop tasting the handfuls as he scooped them up. We made our way around the valley floor and up to Tunnel View to photograph the big monuments from above. Then we headed down Route 41 to Fish Camp for Thanksgiving dinner at Tenaya Lodge. That day and the next were truly magical.

There was so much to be thankful for on this trip. We didn’t see any bears, but there were plenty of foxes, and one crossed our path just a few feet in front of us. There were peaceful spots where we felt like the only visitors in the vast park. The silence was breath-taking.  And there were scenes of staggering beauty around every corner. It was pure luck that our trip coordinated so perfectly with the winter weather.  We felt awed and grateful, and we savored every minute of our visit.

Logan has finally been initiated into the Mysteries of Star Wars. Over the last week we’ve been watching the original trilogy (the Prequels will never stain our television), and we finished tonight with The Return of the Jedi. During a lot of the films, Logan was a bit lost as to what was going on—he was largely concerned with who was good, who was bad, and who was getting hurt or killed. He frequently interrupted to ask about these things, and I had to keep saying “Just watch the movie!” But he really did love them, as expected. However, when we asked him if he enjoyed the films, he replied, “I’m not really a fan. After a hundred times I’ll be a fan.” So I guess we need to get watching…

Logan put on these sunglasses with the frames fallen out…he was so adorable, I had to take a photo. A quick and simple lighting set up, but Logan didn’t want to cooperate (as usual). When he’s like this, he tends to smile in a stiff and unnatural way. So, instead of asking, I started to laugh. He was able to resist for a time, but eventually he started to crack up. This capture was taken just an instant before a big laugh.

I knew I had a good shot. Flickr confirmed this…the photo quickly turned into my most popular image, earning over 200 favs (a rare event on Flickr) and was added into Explore (the 500 most “interesting” photos on Flickr for the day). There is just something about his eyes, the quirky almost-smile, the big glasses, and the lighting that grabs the viewer. I can’t take too much credit for this…as with all things photography, it’s largely luck. But it’s wonderful to be able to get images of Logan like this one that so wonderfully captures his personality.

Starting this last summer, Logan has developed a new passion for drawing. Not too long ago he was limited to “scribble scrabble”. Then in Ms. Mazy’s class he started to make actual drawings. When he attended the StudioOne summer camp, he starting drawing even more. Now he has started to develop a very distinct drawing style with a strong cubist feel to it. Funny enough, his favorite topic for his art is zombies from his Plants vs Zombies iPad game. But who are we to complain–as long as he is inspired to create art, we are thrilled. Especially since he regularly comes running up with new masterpieces that blow us away.

Below: Chicken Wrangler, Pharaoh, and Rockin’ Gargantuar from Plants vs Zombies 2:

Logan and I (Dad) made yet another journey to Austin to spend time with family. We were there for about 10 days and had the fortune of seeing everyone. Logan especially had fun with Claire and Vivian, who were both able to spend a lot of time at the house…at least until Claire went on her DC adventure with Bill and Rosemary. Everyone was in good health and a good time was had by all.

We had a fun family celebration for Logan’s birthday, which was a real blast. Details are in another post…

It was very hot, unsurprisingly, with most days in the 100s. We spent one day at the local swimming pool, where Logan was able to show off his new skills. Nearly every evening Logan helped Grandpa walk Lola, a task he relished. But we couldn’t go out much because of the heat, so most days were spent inside…with Legos, arts and crafts, and general nuttiness. Logan was able to spend the night over at the Moore’s one evening and had a ball!

One day Logan and I went down to San Antonio to see Grammy June and Uncle JJ. The real purpose was for me to take some photos of the new Gallery, and that went very well. But Logan also had fun bonding with JJ and trying to catch tadpoles with him in the small pond.

It was also fun for me and great to catch up with the family. Mom got an iPad and Dad got an iPhone, amazingly, and I helped them get those set up. Dad was especially giddy over the powerful tech and had fun learning about the basic apps. But I think it’s going to be a while before they become power users 🙂

We only regret that Mom wasn’t there this time. But we are all looking forward to visiting at Christmas!

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Today Logan turned six, and we celebrated with a pizza party at Union Point Park, and a special surprise trip to the circus with Isa’s family.  We enjoyed spending the day with these new pals, classmates from Lotus Bloom and Manzanita SEED, and Logan’s oldest friend, Nanako.  Logan has grown up with these children, learning to talk, walk, run, and share.  They have been his companions through five years’ of adventures in preschool, play dates, and summer camp.  They shared the ups and and downs of potty training, swimming lessons, and learning Spanish. It’s wonderful to see how Logan has helped us find a community of amazing friends.

And now as summer ends, our little man is year older.  Six feels like a real transition, like our little kid has crossed an invisible line and become a boy, or a “medium kid” as he likes to say.  I can already see glimpses of the big kid to come. Logan is asserting his independence in lots of ways: choosing his own clothes and books, asking lots of questions, and developing strong opinions.  His teddy bears and Toy Story dolls have been forgotten. And so many clothes, picture books, and toys are ready to pass along to someone younger.

I miss my sweet baby, my naughty toddler, and my curious little kid.  But I welcome this bright, generous, creative young man that Logan is becoming.  There’s hardly time to reflect on the changes, because kindergarten starts next week!

This July, Logan has been initiated in that most honored of summer traditions: swimming lessons! Although he initially expressed some doubts about the wisdom of this activity, he eventually was able to climb in the pool and clutch onto the side for dear life. Over the next few lessons, he learned to love going in the water. Each time, Logan works on overcoming his anxiety related to a specific skill or task, such as kicking off the wall to reach his teacher, putting his face in the water to blow bubbles, jumping in the pool, etc. While he has a long ways to go before he’s doing laps, Logan has already mastered the fine art of floating on his back, even without any help at all from his wonderful, patient coach. And most importantly at this point, he is learning to love going into the pool. We are coming up on our vacation to Austin and Logan is excited about going swimming with his cousins.

In the last few weeks, Logan has made a big leap in terms of executing his creative expressions. The two photos illustrate both his Lego and drawing skills. The Lego dragon was done from scratch after being inspired by seeing a big Lego dragon at a show. The drawing came after watching The Iron Giant; he draw it freehand just by copying an image on the iPad. We are really blown away by his newfound abilities!