“Let’s take the babies on the ferry and go to Tiburon for lunch!” This was the idea my friend Shayna had when our girls were only a few weeks old. But, it wasn’t until March 13th that the weather finally cooperated and we were organized enough to pull it off. And I’m using organized very loosely here.

After our regular Friday swim date, five of us and our babes hauled ass out of the JCC. This was the day we learned our friend Heather had the mad driving skills of a salty old cabbie, Shayna’s husband would forgive a giant dent in their bumper, and Ali was nearly left at the dock. Organized? Not exactly, but it happened, and in the land of being a new parent – that’s what matters.

It was one of those crystal clear days that reminds us why we love living in San Francisco. This was the first boat trip for all five kids and we blended in with the rest of the tourists with our cameras and giddy smiles. When we landed in Tiburon, we made a beeline for Guaymas (an upscale Mexican restaurant at the dock) and settled into our apps and beers. We were a scene without question. Five moms laughing it up, and five babies falling somewhere on the spectrum between peacefully napping and hysterics.

As we were wrapping up our meal, the ferry was pulling up and a quick check on someone’s iPhone revealed that this was in fact the last ferry until after the kid’s bedtime. Oops! We were working off the wrong schedule. Again, we tested our ability to pack up quickly and barely made it on board for our ride home. Luckily, I had packed “dessert” (a box of Matt’s Yummy Lovin’ Chocolate Chip Cookies) and we devoured them on the trip back. Anyone who’s tried them knows what a huge hit they were.

Despite the rush, the day was a huge success, and it felt good to get out do something beyond the ordinary. Next time: Angel’s Island.

It’s not a coincidence that I returned to work the first week in January, and this is my first real post in 2009. I’ve certainly thought about writing them, almost everyday really. But like most working moms, I get about 1-2 blessed hours to myself in a whole week. (I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s even less with more than one child.) I’m working part-time, three days a week. It hasn’t been without its hiccups. Trying to carve out a meaningful career in 2/3 the time, be the mom I dream of being, and the wife Matt deserves…well, it ain’ t easy. But I’m confident that everyday that goes by, I will get better at all three.

Thursday nights are blessed in our home. Between knowing my work week is over, looking forward to four uninterrupted days with our girl,  and Thursday Night TV, it’s has become the gateway to my weekend. Fridays are even better. This is our fun day. Back in December, Autumn and I started swimming every Friday with a group of friends at the local JCC pool. The first time we went, she looked like she was absorbing everything but the water. Older babies splashing, senior citizens doing water aerobics, and countless old women coming over to comment, “Look at all that beautiful hair!” Yes, our little Autumn and her lovely locks draw lots of attention.

After three continuous months, she seems to love being in the water nearly as much as her mom and dad do. Last week she spent nearly the entire time fixed on a mini-basketball floating in our area. Her hands outstretched for nearly a half hour, she never gave up trying to pull it towards her and figure out a way to get it into her mouth. I’m predicting we have a little baller on our hands. Soccer? Basketball? Water Polo? We’ll see what interests her tomorrow during our Friday dip.

We also get together with our “play group” on Fridays – a group of moms that have been hanging out once a week to enjoy frosty brews and our babes since they were all about four weeks old.  Think of it as a conversation circle where we can sip mimosas and talk about poop without anyone flinching.Two weeks ago we hosted playgroup  in our little apartment and I snapped some photos of Autumn’s friends (see below). Tomorrow we’ll be enjoying the weather and going for a walk together in Golden Gate park.

Thursday just ended. Friday is here… finally.

Because I’m 5 months old, sportin’ pig tails for the first time and Smokey the Bear is my friend! Life Rules.

We knew there would be some compromises as we adjusted to our new roles as parents; occasions when our lifestyle would bend to meet the responsibilities of caring for a little girl.  We welcomed these changes, understanding that our adventures may slow down, but will be enriched with Autumn by our side.

Our time on the snow is sacred.  Jody and I have been season pass holders at Kirkwood for as long as we’ve been together: eight years this season.  We’ve had seasons with with 800 inches of snow and seasons where the daily special was hardpack in the morning and mashed potatoes by noon.  Such is life in the Sierra.  We’ve stayed at nearly every fleabag motel in South Lake Tahoe and we’ve spent cold, cold nights snow camping at Carson Pass.

Autumn’s baptism by powder has been preordained.  She’s at least two years away from her first day of skiing, but we thought it best to begin her immersion into the “lifestyle” sooner than later.  At four months, she’s already been to the Sierra three times.  If all goes according to plan, we’ll have two or three more trips before the season is over.

We spent a long MLK weekend near Homewood with an incredible group of friends.  Dubbed the “laziest weekend of the year,” we spent the better part of four days eating, drinking, napping, reading, playing games and taking casual strolls down to the Lake.  Effort levels were at record lows and only two people (Jody included) made it up the mountain for a bit of snowboarding.  Autumn was curious about the snow, but generally more interested in the tall trees that filled her view.

A few weekends later, we made our first trip of the season to Kirkwood.  We took a three-day weekend and made the best of it.  Each day we set up camp in the Red Cliffs day lodge, laying claim to one of the coveted sofas in the back corner.  We took turns watching Autumn while the other one got some time on the mountain.  Despite a dry season so far, the snow was surprisingly pleasant.  I can’t say that Autumn was terribly enthused to spend all day in the lodge.  She’s probably just anxious to get herself on the snow and show us how it’s done.   All in due time, little girl.

The index of my childhood memories contains countless references to the California Academy of Sciences.  With three kids to entertain all summer, my mom was always game for a trip across the Bridge and into the Park.  In addition, my grandmother was a member of the Academy, so babysitting with her usually took place in the company of curious penguins and herds of stuffed Ibex.

I remember being a bit bored by African Hall, with its dioramas of lions and antelope.  I wasn’t big on wildlife as a kid, although the two-headed snake was enough to pique my interest.  My favorite corridor was around the corner.  I have no idea what this area was actually named, but The Space Room was good enough at the time.  There was a vast model of the solar system on the ceiling (including Pluto, thank you), a scale that could calculate your weight on every planet, a real sample of lunar soil, and the pièce de résistance: Foucault’s Pendulum.  We were mezmerized by its rhythm, swinging from a long cable that seemed to disappear into the ceiling.  We waited for what seemed like an eternity to see it to knock down a peg.  In hindsight, the great peg toppling was something of a non-event.  But when you’re eight years old, waiting fifteen minutes for anything made it the most amazing thing you’d ever seen.

The Steinhart Aquarium was also popular with the Pritchard kids.  To this day, my parent’s still refer to the entire Academy as “The Steinhart.”  We were absolutely terrified of the giant alligator gars, and we ran circles through the dizzying round-about tank.  Stepping out of the dark aquarium and into the atrium was a shock to the senses: the air was damp, light poured in from the ceiling, and every sound echoed off the tile floor and high ceiling.  We would peer through the bronze seahorse railing at the alligators below, not totally convinced they were real.  Lindsay was fascinated by the penguins, racing back and forth along the length of their tank.

Scott and I took classes at the Academy’s learning annex in the summer.  I remember watching my first controlled explosion in that chemistry lab.  C₃H₅(OH)₃+ KMnO₄ = BOOM!  I spent a good portion of the next five years trying to aquire a jug of Potassium Permanganate.  It’s a good thing the internet didn’t exist yet.  Today’s adolescent pyromaniacs have it so easy!  In my cartography class, we made scale maps of the Park.  This ignited an interest in maps and navigation that persists to this day.  A geek was born inside those walls, and I can’t thank my parents enough for giving me those opportunities to learn.

So the tradition continues with this generation.  When the Academy shut its doors in 2003 for reconstruction, Jody and I laughed that “we might have kids” by the time it re-opens.  As it turns out, Autumn was born around the time the Academy re-opened in September.  We were so busy with our own little science experiment, that we had to put off our plans to visit for a few months.  Today we made good on those plans and visited the new Academy.  Autumn was awake through the African Hall (still pretty boring), but she nodded off soon after we saw the penguins.  We made our way around the ground floor and through the aquarium below.  We visited the Early Explorers Cove, where Autumn delighted us with her first genuine laughs.  We finished our first visit with trip to the rooftop garden.  We didn’t get a chance to see the Rainforest or the Planetarium, and I think we only saw about half of the labrynthine aquarium.  We chose to get a membership, so we’ll be returning soon (next week) to resume our explorations.  It’s never too early to inspire another generation.

 

Smile and be thankful. We wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Love,
Matt, Jody & Autumn

The whole tribe traveled north last weekend to celebrate Grant’s birthday.  We had a beautiful house in Bodega Bay with an unbeatable view.  The weekend away was a surprise for Dad, and he seemed happy to drink it all in; big family meals, ample sofa time, and grandkids all around.  Autumn got passed around like a spliff at a Humboldt house party, enjoying some time with her aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents.

Scott and I surprised the birthday boy with a special gift.  My dad’s lifelong interest in aviation and the space program rubbed off on his sons in no small way.  We’re all airshow junkies and NASA fanboys.  A chapter in the history of flight will be closing soon with the end of the Space Shuttle program.  The final launch will take place some time in 2010.  Scott and I are taking our dad to see one of the Space Shuttle’s final flights; a cross-country adventure for the Pritchard boys.  The time is nigh to watch the big bird fly.

There are more photos from the weekend here.

Thanksgiving is all about family, food, and football. And Autumn’s first introduction to this special day included all of the above. We celebrated with a group of 17 in Novato, and Autumn was passed around like one of the side dishes. She didn’t want to miss any of the fun and insisted on staying awake nearly the whole day. She was passed out in Grandma Mary’s arms by the time her dad’s delicious pumpkin pie was served.

My heart swells when I think about all I am grateful for this year. We were blessed with a healthy happy pregnancy and now we have this new little life that makes us a family of three. I’m a mom. Wow. How do you begin to give thanks for a gift like that?