Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

A Summer to Remember, Part 5

2010-03-16T00:51:00.000-07:00

Next, we visited my friend Jeff and his family on Long Island. I hadn't seen him in years. The kids enjoyed the visit, and surprisingly, we're afraid of their 2 dogs.

A Summer to Remember, Part 4

2010-03-16T00:42:00.000-07:00

After a week at the beach, we went home and celebrated Punky and Jimmy's birthdays at my parents house. All the Chen, Pupalaikis, Chang and Myers cousins were there.

A Summer to Remember, Part 3

2010-03-16T00:35:00.000-07:00

At night, we went to the beach to catch some more waves, which the kids loved. It's really great to stay at a beach house that's next to the ocean.

A Summer to Remember, Part 2

2010-03-16T00:06:00.000-07:00

Later in the week, we discovered that a water park was located only 5 minutes further south on the island. Rather than spend another day at the beach, we decided to try the water park. I was glad we did. It was a lot of fun and the kids got a thrill out of sliding down a long water slide and a series of lazy rivers. Although we were there only 2 hours, I'd have to say it was probably the

A Summer Vacation to Remember, Part 1

2009-10-12T00:10:00.000-07:00

For the 4th year in a row, we spent our summer vacation at the Jersey shore with my family back east. I'd like to think that this will be among the fondest memories that Russell and Punky will have of growing up. They've become used to seeing their grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles every summer under the best of circumstances--at the nicest beach in the world (Long Beach Island) with no

What We Do For Fun During the Summer

2009-07-26T00:33:00.000-07:00

The answer to this is "not much". Lots of Nintendo, but recently bowling and fishing (watching, not catching), and movies. Recently, the boys saw "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and loved it.Russell plays Nintendo 64 with Savannah and BethanyPunky has trouble holding up his bowling ballJenny shows decent form on her way to bowling an 81Russell grabs his bowling ball and heads for the lanePunky

A Pool Party to Remember

2009-06-30T01:23:00.000-07:00

We had a great pool party this past weekend with Brewster Boys and their cousins and friends. It wasn't a birthday party, but basically that's what it ended up being. The kids spent almost all of their time in the pool all day, so that meant I could relax and talk to our guests without getting interrupted. It just might be the best $40 I've ever spent.Punky squirts the hose as Russell and

Russell's 7th Birthday: A Weekend in Reno

2009-06-21T23:23:00.001-07:00

In what is now an annual tradition, we spent Russell's birthday weekend away from home in Reno, Nevada. We chose Reno because we were fortunate to have been given a free room by Jenny's college friend Christine. After a 5-hour driving ordeal through the Sierra Nevada mountains, we arrived at the Peppermill Hotel & Casino, one of the newest properties in Reno.Except for a brief jaunt to Circus

Video of Russell's 7th Birthday Party on the Last Day of School

2009-06-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Happy 7th Birthday Russell

2009-06-15T00:57:00.000-07:00

This Friday was Russell's 7th birthday. Rather than hosting a party at our home or a kiddie palace (i.e. Chuck E. Cheese or Pump It Up!), we decided to have a birthday celebration at Russell's 1st grade class on the last day of school (the same day as Russell's birthday). This is the 2nd year that we've done this.Russell's classmates are a great bunch of kids. Many of the kids in Russell's

Russell Laments the Loss of Pokemon

2009-06-09T23:58:00.000-07:00

As readers of this blog are aware, Russell is a huge Pokemon fan. It was one of the few reliable means for me to verbally engage him on a regular basis--we played games, battled on Nintendo, read books, watched videos and showcased his Pokemon collection. It is one of his pure joys in lifeLate last week at school, Russell threatened a teacher with a "body slam", which is an "attack" by his

Not Quite Summertime

2009-05-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was so hot, that we sped down to Toys R Us (the kids' favorite store) and splurged to buy ($40) the last available small inflatable pool. Unfortunately, we only got to use it for one day before Global Warming ended and we hit a mini Ice Age--which still continues to this day.I hope we get to use it again, because it took me about 40 minutes to blow it up with a bicycle pump. I was

Planet Pokemon

2009-05-14T00:21:00.000-07:00

About 2 weeks ago, I bought a used Nintendo 64 from eBay and installed it upstairs in Punky's room. Now the Brewster Boys can't get enough of playing Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Stadium 2. Even though its a 10-year-old console, the games have held up very well over time and very much resemble the current Pokemon Battle Revolution game on the Nintendo Wii.Every night, we play about 30-45 minutes

While Strolling Through the Park One Day

2009-04-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we were at a picnic in the park when I spotted a huge mushroom and shouted "Hey look at the giant mushroom!" Russell immediately began hyperventilating and freaked out. It turns out that Jenny recently told Russell that mushrooms outside are poisonous, so now he's become deathly afraid of them. In order to calm Russell down, I had Zachary (formally known as Punky) stoop down and

Another Overnight Trip to Monterey

2009-04-10T00:38:00.000-07:00

About twice a year, we go for an overnight trip to someplace within driving distance of home. For the past 5 years, one of those trips has been to Monterey to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Usually what happens is that the Brewster Boys keep pestering us to take them to the aquarium about 4 or 5 months after the last trip. Eventually, I'll cave in.This week is Spring Break for the kids and

Slumdog Date Night

2009-03-15T23:15:00.000-07:00

Jenny and I finally broke the string of consecutive weeks without a Date Night. When we finally went to see "Slumdog Millionaire" today, it had been some 24 odd weeks since we went out together without the kids.At lunch and at the movies, I was tired from all the running around we've done so far this year. But the movie was so different from the usual Hollywood computer-generated garbage, and

Happy Birthday to Us

2009-03-13T00:29:00.000-07:00

Jenny's birthday and mine are separated by only 8 days in the beginning of March. Between us, we've accumulated 86 years on earth, which means we've finally surpassed my father's number of birthdays!As usual, we celebrated by going out to dinner with the Brewster Boys to a couple of our favorite restaurants--Japanese for Jenny and Korean for me. Afterwards, we each got a small cake and candles

Punky, Dinosaurs and Global Warming

2009-02-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, we went to the California Academy of Sciences to check out the dinosaur display. Both Punky and I were disappointed to see that it had been replaced by a large Global Warming exhibit. Only a single skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus Rex was left.Totally. Bogus.Punky checks out the Tyrannosaurus Rex skeletonPunky: "Is that all they have?"

The Passion of the Punky

2009-02-02T01:51:00.000-08:00

Because of Russell's autism, much of our video attention is focused on Russell. As a result, I haven't taken much video of Punky in his short, four plus years on earth.Without further ado, here is a video of Punky describing his latest obsession: dinosaurs

Meet the Chinese Beatles

2009-01-31T16:45:00.001-08:00

Not the Beatles, But an Incredible Simulation.I'm proud to announce the release of the Brewsters' new album, featuring the hit songs "All You Need Is Poop" and "Fong on the Hill". The Brewsters consist of:Bottom row: Paul McChen, John Lee-NingTop row: Ringo Yang, George Hsu-SunEver wonder why everyone always accuses the Chinese of being copycats?

Brewstermania

2009-01-29T01:53:00.000-08:00

Russell and Punky, along with their cousins Andrew and Ethan, received corduroy blazers as Christmas presents from their Aunt Anna.In the above pictures, they are playing the legendary rock band, The Brewsters, who are best known for their hit songs, "I Want to Hold Your Dinosaur", "Help Me, Daddy", "Poo, Poo, Poo" and "Yellow Screwdriver".

Happy New Year

2009-01-14T00:31:00.000-08:00

I've promised myself that I will post more often in 2009 than in late 2008. So here goes...We didn't do much over the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays. No trips anywhere other than a few excursions to San Francisco for some shopping and visits to Jenny's relatives around the Bay Area. The Brewster Boys enjoyed their time off, and I tried my best to keep up with them on my days off from

Merry Christmas from the Brewster Boys

2008-12-26T23:55:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed the lack of updates lately. That's because our computer died earlier this month (a 1-year old HP laptop). I'm using the old back-up computer now. This also means that I can't post photos until the new computer arrives from Dell until mid-January. So our annual Merry Christmas message to will have to wait for photos!The recent news includes Russell mastering riding a

Happy Halloween from the Brewster Boys

2008-11-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

Among the kiddie crowd, Halloween ranks only second to Christmas on the list of important holidays. I can see why this is so. I still remember what I wore for my kindergarden Halloween pageant (I wore a store-bought clown costume). Heck, I still remember parts of the script for the Halloween pageant some 39 years later!This year, Russell and Punky started campaigning for their Halloween costumes

Yes, It's Been a While

2008-10-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

A few people have dropped me a line asking what's been happening to us lately. As you've probably noticed, I haven't been blogging much since Labor Day.Of course, school has started, which means that we are busy getting the kids ready for school and preparing them at night with their homework or show-and-tell speeches the next day. It takes a lot of effort to stay on top of what the kids are

Gov. Sarah Palin on Special Needs Childen

2008-09-04T23:59:00.001-07:00

"Children with special needs, inspire very, very special love. For years you've sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters and I pledge to you if we're elected, you'll have a friend and an advocate in the White House." - Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate Sarah PalinAs the father of a special needs child, I was very moved by Sarah Palin's statement, given at

Happy Birthday Punky!

2008-08-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday was Punky's 4th birthday. To celebrate, we took the kids out to dinner at Applebee's with the Gellar family. Joey Gellar is Punky's classmate at summer camp. His older brother Matthew is Russell's classmate at camp as well, and is also on the autism spectrum (although he is very mild). Later in the week, we had birthday cake with cousins Andrew and Ethan at their house in San

I Bought A "New" TV (for $20)

2008-08-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

We've been a one TV family since the beginning. Our TV is a 20-inch Mitsubishi that I bought back in 1989. I still have the original remote control, although the only numbers that still work are 0, 1, 4, 7 and 9. Luckily, the volume and channel up/down buttons still work.On weeknights, Jenny can usually be found in the living room watching her favorite Chinese and Korean soap operas. With only

New Jersey Trip Report, Part 2

2008-08-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

The second half of our New Jersey vacation was the much-anticipated trip to Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore. It was the third summer that we've spent at the beach house rental, all with my sister Cindy and her family. This year, my parents came along after much prodding from yours truly. With each passing year, the Brewster Boys have come to love the ocean and their East Coast cousins. It's

You Only Live Thrice

2008-07-30T00:46:00.000-07:00

We interrupt my vacation trip report for an important announcement. As you may be aware, my father recently had a check-up with his cancer physician and a follow-up PET scan showed that new "hot spots" had appeared within his lung and lynph nodes.Yesterday, my father paid a scheduled visit to the hospital to undergo a biopsy on the suspected tumors. The process he underwent is called a CAT-scan

New Jersey Trip Report, Part 1

2008-07-28T00:36:00.000-07:00

July marked our annual pilgrimage to New Jersey to visit my parents and sisters’ families. The trip was divided into two halves. The first half consisted of hanging out in New Jersey at my parents’ house and a visit to my sister’s house in Connecticut. The second half was our 3rd Annual Trip to Long Beach Island at the Jersey Shore.This trip was typically exhausting, but especially important

Picture of the Day

2008-07-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

Punky is very serious about something

Central California Trip Report - Day 4 (Hearst Castle)

2008-07-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

We spent our final day along the Central California Coast with another visit to Hearst Castle. This time, we took Tour 4: The Garden and Guest House (Casa Del Mar). I specifically chose this tour thinking that Russell and Punky would be better behaved if we spent the bulk of the tour outside viewing the garden complex. Turns out I was only partially correct (Punky has a meltdown towards the

Central California Trip Report - Days 2-3 (Paso Robles, Hearst Castle and Morro Bay)

2008-06-30T18:02:00.001-07:00

Arriving in Paso Robles was somewhat of a shock. The weather was completely different from the California coast weather we experienced in Monterey. In the parking lot of the Hampton Inn, it was so hot that my first thought was to immediately jump into the outdoor pool and cool off. That we did, much to the Brewster Boys' delight. Russell and Punky played this interesting game where they would

Central California Trip Report - Day 1 (Monterey)

2008-06-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

Russell and Punky just finished school, and with a week off before the start of summer school, we decided to get away for a long weekend trip down the California coast. Our destination was Hearst Castle and the Paso Robles area, approximately halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles (a 3.5 hour drive). Logistics were very important, since we brought Jenny's mom along for what would be our

Happy Birthday, Russell

2008-06-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Russell's 6th birthday. It seems like only yesterday that Jenny and I were married. But a short 19 months later, Russell appeared in our lives and the rest is history. Happy 6th Birthday, Russell!Russell holds the Cat in the Hat, and wears its trademarked hat (his birthday presents)Russell with Dana, his autism specialist and case manager

Pictures of the Day

2008-06-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

We just bought Punky his first bicycle, a few months short of his 4th birthday. Although he's never been on a bicycle before, it took him only a day to master riding one (albeit with training wheels). Now the Brewster Boys ride around together in the backyard nearly every day. Punky's the proud owner of his first bike Russell shows off on his bicycle, which he got last year

Mother's Day Weekend in Sacramento

2008-05-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

We spent Mother's Day weekend in a familiar place (Sacramento) so that Jenny could recharge and not have to cook or clean after spending a week alone with the kids while I was away on a business trip. Why Sacramento? Because it's cheap to stay there, close enough for comfort and offers enough interesting things to do with the kids. Of course, everything centered on the kids: where we stayed (

Scenes from Our Backyard Garden

2008-04-22T02:05:00.000-07:00

In our miniscule amount of free time, both Jenny and I have been working on our garden. Jenny planted a new flower bed of mostly purple flowers, and I planted tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant peppers and strawberries. I'm also growing a number of sunflowers from seed, in addition to the blueberry bush we inherited from the prior owner of the house.Of course, every weekend we’re weeding the garden to

A Day at the Filoli Estate

2008-04-10T00:27:00.000-07:00

Last month, we had the pleasure of visiting the Filoli Estate and Gardens in Menlo Park. The Filoli Estate was once owned by the founders of the Matson shipping empire, who developed a huge garden that surrounds a gigantic mansion. We toured the house, but the highlight was the garden that the boys enjoyed immensely. One of the rooms featured a display of nautical items from the Roth family, the

At the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

2008-03-24T23:56:00.000-07:00

As often as possible, we try to get out of the house on the weekends to keep the kids busy and out of trouble. Last weekend, the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show gave us the perfect excuse to head to SF on a lazy Sunday morning. The Brewster Boys are huge flower and plant fans, and after a 3-hour visit to the Cow Palace, we stopped by our local plant nursery where they picked out some flowers

When I'm Forty-Four

2008-03-12T23:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 44th birthday. I was born in 1964, so that makes me one of the last baby boomers. I'm not bragging about that. I still have over 20 years until retirement, which is roughly when Social Security goes bankrupt.We celebrated by going to our regular Korean restaurant in Oakland and having cake afterwards at home. The number "4" candle on the cake was reused from Jenny's 40th birthday

Happy Birthday, Jenny!

2008-03-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, it's Jenny's 40th birthday! To celebrate, we had dinner at the Elephant Bar in Emeryville and cake afterwards at home. The Brewster Boys are used to eating Asian food, so we decided to throw them a curveball by eating at an American restaurant. As usual, they ended up eating mostly french fries and some fried chicken.My birthday is next week and we're going to try eating at a

Pictures of the Day: McDonald's in San Jose

2008-02-21T13:53:00.001-08:00

The Brewster Boys at Dennis the Menace Park in Monterey Punky makes a point with a Chicken McNugget Russell takes a bite of a Filet-O-Fish sandwichAs far as I know, we went to McDonalds as a family for the first time ever this past weekend. The Brewster Boys don't eat beef (my semi-Buddhist Grandmother would be proud), so Punky had the Chicken McNuggets and Russell had a Filet-O-Fish Sandwich.

Monterey Trip Report, 2008 Edition

2008-02-20T23:54:00.001-08:00

It was time for our annual trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which was an overnight excursion over the Presidents' Day weekend. As usual, we went to the aquarium over two days. This allowed us to carefully manage the boys' sensory input, which generally overloads (re: meltdown) at the 3-hour mark.We never seem to tire of the amazing displays of sea life in the aquarium. My personal favorite is

Happy Chinese New Year!

2008-02-13T17:47:00.000-08:00

This is a picture from 2007 of the Brewster Boys in their Chinese New Year's Day outfitsBelated Chinese New Year greetings from our family to you, dear reader. It's the Year of the Rat. My father is a Rat, by the way (it's a good thing). More pictures to follow.

Long Beach Island, 2007 Trip Report

2008-01-31T14:53:00.000-08:00

Note - I've meant to post this trip report from our 2007 summer vacation in Long Beach Island (New Jersey), but was too busy to remember until now. So for historical purposes, here are the details: Russell enjoys his first glimpse of the beach on the night of our arrival Punky checks out the fine sand on Long Beach Island The Brewster Boys check for buried treasure My father inspects the family

In Praise of Punky, Chinese New Year's Edition

2008-01-29T00:47:00.000-08:00

Check out Punky's Chinese New Year's outfit. It's a bit early, but Punky wanted to show off his new Dragon tunic at dinner with his grandmother, cousins, aunts & uncles. Punky with his grandmother Punky and his mom are both wearing their Chinese New Year's tunics

Christmas at Home

2008-01-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

We had a very low-key Christmas at home this year. We had a tree, of course, and presents only for the kids. Their aunts, uncles and cousins also sent presents, but overall the gift count was pretty low.It also happened to be the first time the boys were introduced to Santa Claus (at our local shopping mall). The boys were a bit wary about the white-haired, bearded St. Nick, but eventually,

Merry Christmas from the Brewster Boys

2007-12-20T23:18:00.000-08:00

San Diego Trip Report: Day 4 (Homeward Bound)

2007-12-20T23:00:00.000-08:00

At the Hotel del Coronado In front of the Hotel del CoronadoOn our last morning in San Diego, we paid a visit to the historic Hotel del Coronado. It's hosted many famous people throughout its 100-year history, and we were glad to have seen it. I recall seeing it in the movie "Some Like It Hot" starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. I wish we could have stayed here. Maybe

San Diego Trip Report, Day 3 (Legoland)

2007-12-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

At the Legoland main gate A Christmas tree made from Legos Russell and Punky admire a family made from Legos Russell looks back while Mom drives the boat Punky aims the Lego water cannon The Capital building Punky in front of the Luxor Punky with Grandma in Times Square Russell inside a sharkPunky also inside the sharkOn our 3rd day in San Diego, we headed up the coast for our first-ever visit

San Diego Trip Report, Day 2

2007-12-06T23:52:00.000-08:00

Day two of our mini-vacation was highlighted by our visit to the San Diego Zoo. We arrived a few minutes before the zoo opened at 9AM and took advantage of the fact that the zoo was nearly deserted in the morning.The light attendance made touring the zoo a joy. Not only was it easy to see the animals up close (and to be able to linger, if we desired), the weather was absolutely perfect. Sure

San Diego Trip Report, Day 1

2007-11-28T00:08:00.000-08:00

Russell investigates the science of hearing at the Fleet Science CenterPunky wonders how insects use their antennaeA display at the San Diego Model Railroad MuseumPunky inspects a model railroad display at San Diego's Model Railroad MuseumThe Brewster Boys lounge around in the hotel room after our first day in San DiegoWe spent Thanksgiving weekend for a well-deserved and long-anticipated

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-23T00:44:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving at Jenny's sister's and mom's house in San Jose. Jenny cooked veal for the main dish along with a veggie dish, and we picked up a pre-cooked turkey dinner at Safeway (which was surprisingly good). The other dishes were from Costco. It seems that no one has time to cook these days.Prior to that, both Russell and Punky had Thanksgiving luncheons at their respective schools.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T23:38:00.000-07:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. Russell was Lightning McQueen from "Cars" and Punky reused Russell's James the Red Engine from last year. The kids gobbled up their M&Ms, Skittles and lollipops, while we gave away all the other candy they received.This year, we took the kids trick-or-treating to both Bay Farm and Fernside. We liked Bay Farm because it was calm and we got to see the Johnny

Halloween Preview

2007-10-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors the Amans recently came over for dinner and to carve pumpkins. For the kids, Halloween is one of the biggest events of the year. They can't stop talking about their costumes and trick-or-treating. Strange, since the kids don't eat candy. This year, Russell is going to be Lightning McQueen and Punky will be a cowboy. Pity they couldn't reuse last year's costumes. We carved the

The Diaper Chronicles: In Praise of Punky

2007-10-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report that Punky has mastered the art of using a toilet. In record time (less than two weeks), Punky now asks to go to the bathroom for both #1 and #2. More importantly, this saves me roughly $1 per day in diaper expenses.Punky will still be wearing a diaper at nighttime, but during the day we'll send him to school wearing his underwear. For the record, Punky is 3 years and 1

Busy Again

2007-10-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks have been crazy, both at work and at home. I haven't had a chance to relax on the weekends, either. I just joined a gym, so I've been working out during the only free time I have all week: from 10PM-12 midnight. That's one of the reasons why I haven't posted much the past 2 weeks. I'll try again later this week. I've taken some fun pictures the past few weekends.

All Aboard the Choo-Choo Train

2007-09-17T01:03:00.000-07:00

School is in full swing, and the Brewster Boys are very busy during the week. Russell is especially swamped, given the extra hours each day he spends with his autism specialists. That's why we've decided to take the boys out on weekends as often as we can. It doesn't have to be a big deal, just a break from the hectic pace of their weekdays.This weekend, we went back to Tilden Park in Berkeley to

A Very Punky Birthday

2007-09-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Punky's birthday party at his preschool, as I promised earlier. We bought a Madagascar cake from Safeway. There's a lot of artificial color on Punky's cake! Punky and his preschool classmates prior to the candle-lighting Jenny with Punky on his big day

Last Weekend Before School Starts

2007-09-03T22:34:00.000-07:00

It was a very busy Labor Day weekend for us. We decided to end the summer with plenty of activities before Russell's official first day of kindergarten on the day after Labor Day. Jenny and I also had our quarterly date night on Saturday, thanks to Jenny's mom who agreed to watch the kids while we had Mexican food and saw "The Nanny Diaries".The highlight of the weekend had to be taking the kids

Happy Birthday, Punky!

2007-08-27T00:06:00.001-07:00

Today is my little boy Punky's 3rd birthday. Unlike most people we know, we've been celebrating the kids' birthdays with small gatherings of family and friends. We go to so many over-the-top birthday parties that its easy to go with the flow and get carried away. A low-key party with just a few people is just what we need. That way I don't get frazzled with entertaining a dozen or so kids along

Latest Scenes from Our Lives

2007-08-06T23:28:00.003-07:00

Simpsonized: Jenny and James

2007-07-26T15:51:00.001-07:00

This is what Jenny and I would look like on "The Simpsons"JennyJames

Simpsonized: Russell and Punky

2007-07-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

This is what Russell and Punky would look like in "The Simpsons" cartoon.RussellPunky

New Jersey Trip Report, Part 2

2007-07-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

New Jersey Trip Report, Part 1

2007-07-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

A Weekend in the Life

2007-07-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

From speaking with other parents, I get the impression that we go to fewer birthday parties and play dates than most families with young children and spend more time entertaining the kids outselves. I think that's because we haven't held huge birthday bashes for the boys, and as a result, we tend to not to get very many birthday party invites.Weekends are typically when do our shopping, and so

The (Preschool) Graduate

2007-06-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

Today was Russell's last day of preschool. To celebrate, his school held a graduation ceremony for the 10-12 students in his class. The kids in his class are a mix of autistic children and regular preschool students. From my interactions with school personnel, I learned that Russell's teachers and aides are a very committed group of individuals. Several of them said they would miss seeing

Happy Birthday Russell!

2007-06-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that my boy Russell is 5 years old. Russell's birthday happens to fall on the last week of school, so he had a little celebration in the classroom (no pics) and one at home.Many of the birthday parties we've attended have been blow-out affairs, with parents participating in an arms-race-like game of one-upsmanship. Most typically, birthdays are celebrated by renting out a

And Now for Something Completely Different

2007-06-10T01:30:00.000-07:00

For a change of pace, we actually went out twice this weekend. On Saturday night, we visited our friends Wendy and Harry, and their two daughters Bethany and Savannah. The boys loved it so much they didn't want to leave. There was a piano at their house, so it was often hard to make converation over the constant banging on the keyboard. We finally left when the boys kept fighting with each other

Nature's Bounty

2007-06-06T01:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of our backyard. Flowers are in full bloom, the orange tree is full of fruit and the Victory Garden is back again!

A Weekend in Chinatown

2007-05-31T01:17:00.000-07:00

The kids love going to Chinatown in Oakland. Generally speaking, we avoid going there like the plague. But when Jenny's mom comes over for the weekend, we often find ourselves going just to get out of the house. The boys were laughing and running around the shops as if they were at the zoo. Once again, we had lunch at the Happy Cafe, where lunch was $18 for all five of us. After our latest

Las Vegas Trip Report, 2007 Edition

2007-05-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

It was time for my annual business trip earlier this month. This time, it was in nearby Las Vegas, a city near and dear to my heart. Since Jenny hates Las Vegas, she stayed at home with the kids while I got a 48 hour reprieve from my duties at home.Thanks to work, I got to stay in a fancy hotel in Summerlin and eat to my heart's content. I also got to sleep a solid 8 hours each night without

Exhaustion

2007-05-20T23:52:00.000-07:00

Some of you have noticed that I haven't posted anything lately. The reason is the same as in months prior: exhaustion. The daily grind of 15-16 hours days--work plus responsibilities at home--is taking its toll on me both mentally and physically. After putting the boys to sleep, I just want to veg out or go straight to bed.During weekends, I really don't do anything other than take care of the

Mine's Bigger Than Yours, Al Gore!

2007-05-02T00:41:00.000-07:00

About once a month, I crush and bag one thousand plastic bottles and one thousand aluminum cans for recycling. At 5 cents per container, that's $100 in deposit money for me, and enough electricity saved by recycling aluminum to power our house for about 2 months. In Al Gore's house, this would be about 2 days of electricity.

Photos by Punky and Russell

2007-04-24T00:24:00.000-07:00

The boys are getting the hang of taking pictures with my digital camera. I merely turn on the LCD viewfinder, and the boys begin snapping away. Some of the pictures are pretty good. Others are not. On a typical day, I am pummelled regularly by Russell and Punky Russell's close-up shot of Punky and me I'd say this is way too close

A Day at Six Flags Marine World, 2007 Edition

2007-04-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

We've run out of things to do within a 2 hour radius of our house, so during Russell's recent spring break, we had to recycle activities from 2006. One of these was a half-day visit to Six Flags Marine World (now called Discovery Kingdom). It's one of those part-zoo, part thrill ride amusement parks. Since the boys are scared of anything beyond a go-cart, we went with mostly the animal-based

Tax Day, 2007 Edition

2007-04-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

I finally finished our income tax filing this past Sunday. In the 20-plus years since I began filing tax returns, I've noticed the tax code getting more and more complex to the point where I could hardly understand the instructions. So I finally broke down last year and purchased Intuit's TurboTax. It was a fairly painless process although a single typo (a couple of transposed digits) took me

Photography by Punky

2007-04-05T23:45:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever, Punky took the camera from me and started taking pictures. As you can see from the photos below, Punky needs to get some practice with holding the camera still. He seems to have potential, though, perhaps as an avant-garde photographer.His first shot of me; Perhaps the strange coloring means I am possessed by the devilA slightly off-center Russell hams it up for the

A Day at the Oakland Zoo, 2007 Edition

2007-04-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

Throughout the week, the boys pestered us to take them to the zoo. So on Saturday, we relented and spent the afternoon at the Oakland Zoo. It's not a particularly good zoo, but it is close by and a visit requires little planning or preparation. In addition to seeing the animals, we visited the small amusement park next to the zoo for a train ride and the minicar ride. Jenny and the boys at the

What We Are Watching Now

2007-03-29T23:29:00.000-07:00

We just bought Walt Disney's Peter Pan and the kids haven't gotten tired of this movie yet. It's only 75 minutes long, which I think is the perfect length for pre-schoolers. Next up: The Jungle Book and the Aristocats.

A Wild Weekend at Nob Hill Foods

2007-03-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

A new grocery store, Nob Hill Foods, opened up a few blocks from our house recently. As a result, we've been spending some nights exploring the store--including some weekends when we are bored out of our minds. The prices are pretty good, though. And they give me 5 cents credit for every bag I recycle at the store.The new Nob Hill Foods in Alameda has a Java City coffee shop inside Russell and

Happy Birthday to Me

2007-03-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

March is a very popular month for birthdays. Last weekend, it happened to be mine. As with Jenny's birthday earlier in the month, we held a low-key celebration--just Jenny, the kids and me. Later that day, we went on our quarterly movie date and dinner without the kids. Although the movie wasn't much to write about, it was still good to get away and relax for a few hours. Then, it was business as

Happy Birthday to Jenny (Mommy)

2007-03-06T01:02:00.000-08:00

This weekend we celebrated Jenny's birthday at home with just the 4 of us present. No fancy dinners or presents. But I did pick up a cake with all-natural ingredients. Russell especially liked the fact that it was yellow, while Punky kept reminding me that he wants to be a tiger on his birthday.The Brewster Boys really enjoy singing "Happy Birthday". In fact, we lighted candles and sang "Happy

Disneyland Trip Report, Day 2

2007-02-20T23:23:00.000-08:00

The gang in front of Sleeping Beauty's CastleOur plan for Disneyland was to see the park in just one day (Sunday 2/11). We intended to divide the day in 2 halves, with a nap for the kids in the middle after lunch. That's because Russell and Punky meltdowns tend to occur after 4 plus hours of continuous activity. We adults also wanted to get some rest as well.The day began with a steady drizzle

Happy Chinese New Year

2007-02-19T23:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Year of the Pig to everyone from the Brewster Boys! I'll be completing Day 2 of our Disneyland Trip Report soon, I promise. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures from our preparations for New Year's dinner with Jenny's family and the painted faces from a birthday party this weekend.

Disneyland Trip Report, Day 1

2007-02-13T22:51:00.000-08:00

Living within driving distance of Disneyland is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because flying to Southern California from the SF Bay Area is nearly as expensive as flying across the country. It's a curse because the drive takes around 6 hours, a distance that makes it feasible for a weekend trip to Disneyland, yet cause immense suffering for parents willing to make the trip.Punky

A Prayer for Wisdom

2007-01-27T00:45:00.000-08:00

I am ordinarily not a religious person, although I believe in God and the power of prayer. It may come as a surprise to some of you, but for at certain critical times in my life, I have prayed to God for His guidiance. Now I have reached another critical juncture in my life, and I find myself once again asking for some help from the Almighty.Is it out of character for me? Not really. I think

Happy New Year 2007

2007-01-16T00:18:00.000-08:00

We haven't really done much in 2007 yet. Based on our birthday party experience, we decided to take the boys to the San Francisco Zoo one Sunday. Unfortunately, the public feeding of the lions and tigers was cancelled (perhaps permanently) because a zookeeper was mauled last month by a tiger.This past weekend, we went on a play date to our friends' house in Berkeley. It was a smashing success

Merry Christmas to All, Part 2

2007-01-02T20:04:00.000-08:00

Jenny's mom with a lovely (heh heh) Christmas gift Russell is about to be enveloped by another present: a parachute Punky and Russell check out some presents: John Deere toy tractors The Brewster Boys jumping on the sofa Honey-baked ham, chicken with garlic and couscous Prociutto and breadsticks

Merry Christmas to All, Part 1

2006-12-25T14:51:00.000-08:00

We actually had two Christmas dinners with family this year. The first one was actually on Christmas Eve at Jenny's mom's house in San Jose. As with Thanksgiving, Jenny did a good chunk of the cooking. Russell was back in a Baby Einstein phase at the time, so we spent most of the time before opening presents watching these way-too-old videos. (Luckily, he's now in a Teletubbies phase.)The

Picture of the Day

2006-12-25T14:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas greeting from Punky and his giraffe friend

Russell and Punky Named "Brewsters of the Year" by Time Magazine

2006-12-21T21:48:00.000-08:00

Time Magazine's First-Ever Brewsters of the Year: Russell and Punky Even though you don't read Time, most of you have probably heard of Time Magazine's cop-out for the upcoming "Person of the Year". Instead of naming a particular person, they named "You" as their "Person of the Year". This inspired me to create a magazine cover with Time's "Brewsters of the Year", Russell and Punky.

Lions, Tigers and Bears (Oh My)!

2006-12-18T00:21:00.000-08:00

For the first time ever, we attended a birthday party that both adults and children could enjoy equally. Jenny's friend Louise held a first birthday party for her twins at the San Francisco Zoo on Saturday, and I can say without hesitation that I really had a good time. And so did Jenny, Russell and Punky.Arriving at the zoo about 30 minutes early, we immediately headed for the lion and tiger

Pictures of the Day

2006-12-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

A common method used by parents and teachers to rein in out-of-control behavior in children is the "time out". Tonight, Jenny illustrated this technique to me with the Brewster Boys. Orignally, Jenny was only punishing Russell, but Punky followed his brother in a display of solidarity.Russell and Punky sit in the fireplace nook as part of their "Time Out" The Brewster Boys with their hands

Merry Christmas from Our Home to Yours

2006-12-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

It is still two weeks before Christmas, but the holiday spirit is in full swing at our house. We've been spending the past two weeks shopping, gift-wrapping and exchanging Christmas cards, and I think the boys are beginning to understand the importance of the Christmas holiday. Russell couldn't wait to open all the gifts under the tree (he's already unwrapped his own), and Punky kept muttering

Thanksgiving Weekend Pictures of the Day

2006-11-28T23:49:00.000-08:00

Russell and Punky at home during Thanksgiving weekend Jenny paints a shelf the perfect shade of gold

Happy Thanksgiving to All

2006-11-28T23:36:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving Day with Jenny's sisters and mom in San Jose. Jenny did most of the cooking, so I spent most of my time with the kiddies. The Brewster Boys enjoyed hanging out with their cousins and seeing their grandma for the first time in a month.Our family has much for which to be thankful. Russell is making good progress with his speech and behavioral therapy, and is generally a