Camp Stratton - Week Three (4th of July)

The biggest highlight from Week Three of Camp Stratton was going camping with friends on the 4th of July at China Camp State Park.  The boys were in heaven: dirt, sand, water, lizards, s'mores, scary stories, campfire, and excellent friends.  What more could you ask for?  Minus slipping on a rock and falling hard on my bum (and therefore bruising my tailbone for the next 3 weeks), I had a pretty terrific time, too! 

Pics courtesy of the fabulous DeAnna Gallardo   

 

 

 

 

Camp Stratton - Week Two

Highlights from Week Two of Camp Stratton.

Baseball at Brookdale Park on a beautiful summer evening.

Lindsay Wildlife Museum with the Read family.

Playdate with Nicolas and Riley's friend from school and fort making in the backyard.  "The Dodge Ball Club."  

Praying in Color - Parable of the Sower

A day up at The GreenHouse for me while the kids did a day of childcare in SF.  Loved seeing this in the music room at the GH!

Camp Stratton - Week One

A few highlights from Week One of Camp Stratton (which by the way, is not exactly going as I had planned in my how-to video, but we're in the ballpark so I'm considering that a victory). 

Father's Day breakfast in Oakland before heading up to Elk Grove.  

A visit to the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley.

First day of swim lessons.

A trip to the UC Botanical Gardens with Jonah's buddy from school and his family.

A Playdate with Nicolas and Riley's buddy from school which included a trip to the library's Paper Airplane workshop.

Dinner at Jack London Square for Mommy and Daddy's 16th Anniversary.

Fruitvale Station

Steve and I saw Fruitvale Station last night at the Grand Lake Theater.  There's no where else I would have wanted to see that move than at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland.  It was really, really powerful to watch it in a packed theater, shoulder to shoulder, with people who live in the same city where the horrific event occurred.   

When it was all over and everyone was filing out of the theater, I broke down in tears.  The murder of that young man, at the hand of a police officer, nonetheless, was just way too much for my brain to comprehend.  I wanted to reach out to the people sitting on either side of me (both were African American, young couples) and apologize for the injustices that occur on a daily basis by my race towards their race...or do something, anything.  But all I could do was cry.      

Please go see this movie.  I had to use my greasy, popcorn-stained napkin to wipe my eyes, so be sure to bring some kleenex with you if you go.   And leave some time to talk about it with someone afterwards.  We all need to keep talking - about race, social justice, gun violence, and so much more.

Fruitvale Station is Steve's BART station.  He's there every Monday through Friday, twice a day.  I have a feeling, he'll never see that platform in the same way again.