Day 331 - Restaurant

Thought of the day: Sadly, we haven’t camped for a single time this summer. With the weather getting colder, the chance of going camping this season is getting slimmer as the light is getting softer every day. Camping trips in the summer are like ski vacations in the winter - missing them is like missing some of the essence of summer. Sure, we have done a lot of other interesting activities, but I wish we had given a higher priority to camping.

Photo of the day:

One thing we have done a lot during the summer is eating out.  There are a lot of good restaurants in Boulder to choose from, including this Mexican restaurant where we spent the evening at.  It had a great ambiance and good food.

Day 323 - Cafe

Thought of the day: Jasmine's swim team is having an outdoor lesson today.  She loves it, in spite of the air that is already getting a little chilly. We're so lucky to have perfect weather today and I'm glad that we can spend a couple of hours outdoors and enjoy the last bit of the summer warmth and have some good fun in the sun.

Photo of the day:

Inside a cafe this morning. It's good to be able to take a break there for a couple of hours during the day when both girls are in school. The cafe keeps changing the wall exhibitions and the theme of this month is T-shirts with prints. Changing of interior decorations keep the space interesting, just like changing of seasons and rhythms keep life interesting.

Day 298 - Jasmine

Thought of the day: This is the last day of the summer break. Looking back, I think we have had a pretty good summer. We spent time with grandparents in June and August. We stayed in Boulder in July when the summer activities had reached its peak. I didn't sign Jasmine up for any academic activities. I hope that the trips we made and the camps she did has helped her develop her personality and increase her appreciation in people, animals and nature. To me, that's more important than developing academic skills which she will have the entire school year for. And, of course, she has had a lot of fun and she can't wait for the school to start again.

Photo of the day:

Jasmine happy at the Teahouse - she is enjoying the last day of summer break before returning to school tomorrow.

Day 276 - Korean BBQ

Thought of the day: It was a warm day and a perfect day to spend in the Eldorado Springs swimming pool.  The pool was located at the base of Eldorado Canyon State Park and fed by a natural spring.  The artesian water in the pool was very cool and refreshing.  The pool was surrounded by an ancient pool house, a dingy snack bar, some wood benches, a first-aid station and completed with a dive board and a metal slide.  Everything - other than the refreshing water itself - looked historic and a bit outdated but that did bestow some old world charm on the pool.  After our nice pool experiences in Switzerland last month,  I certainly wish there were more shades, especially over the toddler's area. I was also missing espresso machines and better food choices there.  However, if you are prepared to bring your own food and drinks, it can be a good place for you to cool down and whisk away a couple of carefree hours in a hot summer day.

Photo of the day:

The Eldorado Springs pool cooled us down sufficiently for a Korean BBQ in the evening.  We are hosting a Korean Soprano  (second to the right) for a couple of days and we, together with a couple of our friends, took her out for some yummy food tonight.

Day 273 - Violinist

Thought of the day: It has been a crazy day with a lot of driving for me.  Between the summer camps and errands, I spent a good four hours on the road today.  I am spending way too much time driving this week.  That reminded me of the mundane, mind numbing and exhausting activity that driving really is. When I lived in the bay area, I was more used to driving - of course, I still didn't like it a bit.  Now, after spending a car-less, blissful month in Europe and many bike-only days after returning home, I have found driving particularly distasteful. I look forward to the days when I can finally hop back on the bike and feel the wind when I speed down the hill with Lila squealing with delight behind me.

Photo of the day:

A violinist playing for children in front of the Chautauqua Dining Hall.  Boulder summer can be delightful with festivals, visiting musicians and free play time for the kids.  Despite of all the driving I had to do today, luckily, I managed to experience some delightful moments in Chautauqua Park in the middle of the day.

Day 268 - Grass

Thought of the day: It's mid-July and it's getting pretty hot outside in the middle of the day. We try not to use air conditioning in our house as long as we can and, luckily, I can often find a cool place to hang out during the hottest part of the day.  Today I found a refuge in the German Bakery which was just across the street from the Little Gym where Lila was having her gymnastics camp.  With tea, coffee, delicious desserts and friendly owners, it was a perfect place to hang out when it was hot outside. And the best part?  There was no internet connection there so I wouldn't be distracted by the bombardment of information online. I could instead focus on my own thoughts and actually get some things done. It was good to be unplugged once in a while as you can hear your internal voice only after shutting off all the outside voices.

Photo of the day:

Lila after her Little Gym camp.  Sitting or stepping on grass is another good way to cool down in the summer.

Day 262 - Water Play

Thought of the day: It was a summer day spent near water under the sun.  Too much sun, perhaps, as Jasmine ended the day a shade darker than when she started it.  She had her first swim meet in the afternoon.  It was more fun than competitive and she didn't care a bit what kind of ribbon she got as long as she got one. Whether it was a first place ribbon or a 5th place ribbon, she would accept them with equal giddiness and delight. I wonder when the spirit of competitiveness will eventually kick in.  I hope it won't be for a long, long time so she can enjoy the sport for the beauty and joy of the sport itself and won't be tormented by a singular desire to win.

Photo of the day:

Lila played with water in Lafayette's YMCA when Jasmine had her first swim meet this afternoon.

Day 261 - Overnight Camp

Thought of the day: Jasmine just completed a week-long camp with a friend at Colorado Mountain Ranch. They did crafts, gymnastics, archery, hiking, horseback riding and even a Thursday overnight. It was clearly a lot of fun as Jasmine came home tired and happy every afternoon. Other than spending time with parents, visiting cousins and grandparents and vacationing at the beach, it's outdoor camps like this that make the summer a magical time for the kids.  They are lucky to have so many camps to choose from. Many of these camps have enthusiastic and dedicated instructors who used to be campers themselves. The spirit of the camps were thus passed down from a generation of campers to the next. Perhaps one day in the not-too-distant future, Jasmine would qualify to become a counselor in one of those camps herself and help keep the magic of summer alive.

Photo of the day:

Can one night of camp do this much "damage" to the clean faces and clothes?  Yes, it apparently can!

Day 256 - Grill

Thought of the day: This is the July 4th weekend and we had a perfect weather to grill.  We hosted a small party in our backyard and spent some fun time outside.  Summer outdoor BBQ should be a simple and easy affair but it's actually amazing how many little things could go wrong.  Lucky for us, we had good temperature, little wind and no nasty mosquitoes, pesky flies or June bugs to deal with. Everything was as perfect as it could be and I sure hope it would stay this way for the rest of the summer!

Photo of the day:

Grill time!

Day 255 - Puppy

Thought of the day: Today I covered the familiar grounds of Boulder Farmer's Market, Pearl St,  Zhou Mama's and Trident Cafe with Lila.  It was another hot day and a thoughtful friend equipped Lila with a spray bottle before we started out on the bike.  Lila sprayed watery mists generously on flowers, trees, dogs along the way. On Pearl St, people asked her to please spray on them to cool them down. She was quite a hit by just being herself and carrying on her favorite activity of proudly dispensing water. I was thankful to the cheerful and indulgent pedestrians on Pearl St. They helped us make this into another blissful and laid-back summer day in a tiny paradise we called Boulder.

Photo of the day:

On the way home, we took a break outside of Cafe Sole as Lila felt fast asleep on the bike. I saw this cute little puppy sitting at a table with his new owner. He was just adopted this morning. Lucky puppy - I think he is in very good hands.

Day 254 - Auditorium

Thought of the day: Jasmine and I biked to Chautauqua this afternoon to attend a family woodwinds concert. The narrator told of a story called "The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship" as accompanied by a bassoon, a clarinet, a flute, an oboe and a cornet.  Each instrument played a piece of music that represented a character in the story. It was a fun, albeit short, program.  In fact, it was way too short according to Jasmine, but that did leave us plenty of time to linger in the dining hall afterward over some desserts and a nice view of meadows and mountains. Jasmine earned every bite of her dessert as biking up the hill in the middle of a hot July day had been challenging. I am glad that we spent this beautiful summer afternoon the way we did.

Photo of the day:

Inside Chautauqua Auditorium where the concert was held this afternoon.

Day 247 - Village Sunset

Thought of the day: From the viewpoint of a casual observer, there couldn't be more differences between Niederweningen and my village in southern part of China where I grew up. However, I feel quite at home here because many aspects of the life here remind me of my village. My village home had a humongous backyard - in a child's eyes, that is - covered with flowers and banana trees, a plot of land where sugar canes and different kinds of vegetables were grown, and a courtyard where chickens and ducks roamed about freely. It was indeed a child's paradise. Every summer, my brother, sister and I spent our vacation there. We picked the fruits, fed the animals and swam in the river. Lila and Jasmine are doing some similar things here in Niederweningen, albeit with some small modifications. They pick berries from wild bushes, feed animals that are not ours and swim in the village pools. These pools are modern structures equipped with necessities like the espresso machines and freezers for ice creams. They are outdoor pools situated in a peaceful forest setting. For lack of a swimmable river, these pools provide a good alternative for the girls to have fun and cool down in a summer heat that can sometimes descend in the valley. Growing up with summers that were carefree and precious, I always feel that I owe it to the girls to provide them with the same kind of memories. We're lucky that both sets of grandparents have homes that would make this possible.

Photo of the day:

Sunset behind a farmhouse in Niederweningen.

Day 219 - Musician

Thought of the day: Today Lila's preschool celebrated the end of the school year with a picnic in a park.  Yesterday Jasmine's class celebrated the last day of school with a pool party.  Yes, both girls are out of school, the summer is here, let the fun begin!

Photo of the day:

South Side Murphy's - we had dinner here tonight with friends - a good way to kick off the summer.