March in Santa Barbara

(with new stories added 2012.6.18, after the first post)

By March, we'd been away from home again for two months, the longest ever for the girls. There were still new adventures to be had, everywhere we turned, and the weather was delightful in Santa Barbara / Goleta (where we actually lived). Ljuba and I were already getting somewhat tired of living out of cardboard boxes, but fortunately the same could not be said of Taya and Tiva.



We were blessed by Babica's visit. Helping Ljuba out during my boys' weekend in D.C. (with high school buddies Justin, Husein, and Alex) was the inspiration for the timing, but we were all glad to have an excuse for her to come.

That I had to travel almost once a month did not go unnoticed. Not by Ljuba, of course, and then, based on Ljuba's complaint, not by Taya: "Daddy, you should stay with us more. You've been travelling a lot this year, you know!"



Having Babica around was great after I got back from that great trip, too--it meant that when we went to the bluffs, Ljuba could go for a run and we still had enough of us for a great game of hide-and-seek. See this 69s everyday-life video to see how that went, with Tiva just beginning to learn how to hide.



Tiva and Dada play hide and seek with Babica and Taya

Tivona started singing around then. She didn't necessarily do it for the camera, however. In this 35s everyday-life video, you'll see our efforts to get her to sing, in-vain, and then in the 19s everyday-life video below, a tiny bit of actual singing. Now I notice that she left the tune out this time, but she did have it before. Why 'Jingle Bells'? Because I had adapted that winter song to a biking song about pulling them in the trailer while "keys on belt loops jingle".



Tiva actually singing now, but getting cold

Although we did go down to the ocean several times a week, we also spent lots of time in the playground in the complex, which was so close that the girls knew the way themselves (this was both good and bad--because it inspired many a runaway baby). After taking the truck and the ball (see Tiva sitting in the truck in this 25s everyday-life video), the girls would proceed to … cook. For weeks, it was back to the old days, when the girls (before, Taya alone) would neglect the equipment to create all kinds of concoctions. This time they had a fun little house with three 'burners' just right for the task, as you'll see in the 46s everyday-life video below.



Taya and Tivona cooking in the house at the playground

Remember how I mentioned that the rain was actually so infrequent in Santa Barbara that we enjoyed it? In this 69s special-moment video, there's more proof in the girls giggling while running through a puddle right beside our door.



Taya and Tivona running in circles through the puddle

Tivona can still look very 'boy' when dressed in boys clothes. But dressed in girls' clothes and with a hair clip, she can also look very girly. Here she is enjoying their Duplo--a great toy for the trip.



It was in March that we started acting out adventures using various bits of furniture (cardboard or otherwise) as props. It started off with a spaceship journey to the moon to collect moon rocks (under the coffee table was the spaceship, with yoga mats for sides, plus a phone for a radio, Dada's bike light for a flash-light, a sandwich bag for a space arm, etc.). And it got even more elaborate from there. This photo of Taya with her 'baby' octopus is just one tiny piece (you'll see better videos later).



They both continue to have an obsession with putting on our clothes. In the 8s must-see video below and this 19s everyday-life video Tiva (and Taya) dress up in Mama's clothes to go outside.



Tiva dressing up for outside, in Mama's clothes

Here's a grainy shot.



And a good one of Taya.



And here's one of Taya cradling a baby in her shirt, as she's been doing for years now. She's also doing new things. She's reached new heights of art work (some you can see displayed on the wall behind her below), new heights of bragging about her art work ("We should put some of my art work on the blog!"), and new heights of sauciness, as in the following exchange (D=Dada, TK=Tiva, TS=Taya):
D: "Tiva, would you like some kiwi fruit now?" Handing her a half-kiwi.
TK: "Mama!"
D: "Mama's busy. Dada's an award-winning kiwi-fruit scooper, I can do it!"
TK: "Mama! Mama do dat."
D: "But I'm an …
TS: "Too late, Dada, Mama's doing it now."
D: "I have one thing to say to that, Taya." Spraying Taya with water, Taya giggles. Dada laughs. Seconds later.
TS: "Too late, Dada, Mama's doing it now." Sweetly, "Do you want to spray me again, Dada?"



Here's Tiva the firefighter. She loved wearing the helmet more than she loved going in the trailer, but that's changed now.



Later in March, Nanna arrived, partly to help out while I travelled again (this time a hellish trip to Ottawa, which entailed 5 different mechanical difficulties and many hours of delays, the worst of which were on the L.A. to Chicago leg and back). Here she is at Goleta State Beach with Tivona and Taya. We all loved her visit.



We all relished our time at the beach. It was such a joy to be able to play around on clean sand all year round. The girls explored everything that was around, and we alternated between playing with them and exercising. Some people complain about the kelp that washes up on the beach, because of the smell. Taya and Tivona got hours of enjoyment out of it. Here's Tiva dragging some kelp (I also love this photo).



In the 37s must-see video below, you can tell (if you can hear her saying, "Come, doggie!" and "Doggie, doggie!" through the wind) that Tivona--like her big sister--has started developing all kinds of role-playing in her interactions with all manner of objects.



Tiva dragging kelp (her doggie)

And here's Taya, also playing with kelp.



One Saturday, we went out on a whale-watching journey with Nanna. It started out as a dreary day, and we didn't see whales, but we had lots of fun nonetheless. Here's Taya with the two whales we did get to enjoy.



And here's me and Tivona at snack time.



In the 37s everyday-life video below, you get a window into Tiva's learning. She's alternately tinkering on her own with Duplo and innocuously watching and soaking up something that Ljuba and Taya are doing.



Tiva building and watching, quietly

And that's the story of March, and that's all the time I've got on this Father's Day evening. Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there (especially my own)!

February in California and Arizona

We had only just been starting to settle in to California when we had to contemplate a week in Snowy-zona (TS, mimicking me: "I don't know why they call it 'Arid-zona'--it's not arid, it's not dry! They should call it 'Snowy-zona'!"). So Ljuba set about online shopping and otherwise acquiring warm clothes (my last-minute trip back to Vancouver for a faculty meeting gave me an opportunity to bring back some forgotten items). And the girls set about trying them all on, including the bits we hadn't imagined for them.



Dress-up is a fun game for little kids. But sometimes it's hard to separate the imaginary part from the real part of going outside. In the 59s special-moment video below, see Tiva equip herself in Mama's visor and Taya's mitts and attempt to get out.



Tivona dressing up--for snow?

Taya's clothes were a fascination for Tivona in many respects. And not only dumping sand in Taya's shoes. ;) Also, as in this 30s everyday-life video below, dumping it out.



Tivona playing in the sand with Taya's sandals

I mentioned that Taya and Tivona had become even more affectionate with each other? We enjoyed the way that continued.



We were told that it did rain in Santa Barbara in the winter, so we were prepared. We weren't disappointed when it scarcely rained at all--not even once a week through the heart of the 'rainy' season. Taya loved it. When it was sunny, she walked around saying, "I love Santa Barbara! I love the sun! I don't want to go back to Vancouver. It's too rainy." I anticipate having to pull out the photo below at various points in the next few months, saying, "See, Taya: you have fun in the rain--look, I can prove it!"



I can't picture myself doing that with Tiva--that cerebral stuff just doesn't work with her yet. But it's true--she did have fun in the rain, and I've got the photo to prove it!



Of course, after all that running, just like a good Kovacic-Chan girl, Tiva had to do some stretching (see the 27s everyday-life video below).



Tivona stretching

I've got to tell you, it's really hard to be boxed into a concrete office building in a university campus when there's such beauty around. Except that I had a ocean view, which you can see in the building second-from-right in the photo below. I'm going to miss this breath-taking setting!



On the beach, we'd all set about doing our things, sometimes together but not always. We played various games together, but Ljuba and I also loved running, and I did jump-squats and jump-lunges, and here's Taya doing a little eagle-pose.



Here's another of Tivona getting ready for Arizona, here in Mama's new hat.



And another.



I'm pretty sure I've written about Tivona and Taya's uncanny sense of smell. In this 39s special-moment video, Tiva gets a whiff of some chocolate that Ljuba's eating and goes after it (actually she usually smells it immediately and without help).



Ca-ca! (chocolate)

Just before we headed to Arizona, we went down to see the harbour seal nursery at Carpinteria. The girls loved seeing the pups on the beach, some newborns.



Here they are on the trail, T'n'T in their matching jackets.



That truck that I found for Tivona continued to be a favourite.



Away she goes!

Not only would she play with it for ages everyday (as in this 5s everyday-life video), she also did real work with it, in a very business-like fashion, running down the sidewalk too intent to answer questions, as in this 17s special-moment video and in the 10s special-moment video below.



Tiva with her truck and the compost

We weren't actually in Santa Barbara for Valentine's Day, because the 14th was a key day for Tom Sisk in my visit to Northern Arizona University (the celebration of the Olajos-Goslow endowment in environmental science and policy, which funded a major chair that Tom now holds). It was hard for Ljuba to be with the girls all day away from home, and to have to do all the cooking and cleaning, etc., in someone else's house. Even if it was Tom & Helen's wonderful abode. Here's a floral heart wreath the girls found on the beach the week before, more romantic than anything we did this year. :\



I've missed photos of some key events and moments over the past years, and unfortunately, our time with Tom and Helen and their daughter Elinor was one of them. I realized as we drove away that I didn't have a single photo of them. Ljuba and I did however manage to capture a few of the wonderful moments in the girls' lives.

Every time they went out we were reminded why, although snow is gorgeous on first fall, winter weather also means a huge hassle with little kids. So there was plenty of time when Taya and Tiva were romping around while Ljuba (and sometimes I) tried to round up the gear to get out.



Once they were out, they were in a winter wonderland out there, in clear view of us inside, and with lots to explore on their well-managed land and little that could do them harm.



The girls loved it. Even though Tiva had to get used to the snow. Here she is, squinting at its radiance in the sun.



She also had to get used to being all bundled. Here she is getting used to squatting.



When it snowed on the girls, it was at first a little scary for Tiva (Ljuba tells me; I was cranking away at a grant proposal when I wasn't at the university). She kept trying to wipe all the flakes off her mittens. But once they started tasting snow together, she started having some fun.



You can really see how much Tiva benefits from having Taya to watch, learn from, and interact with.



And Taya, for her part, really relishes her big sister role.



Taya seems to understand the genetics of big sisterhood, too. In this 68s special-moment video, you can here her talking a bit about genes. More recently, she has been learning about, and retaining an understanding of, chromosomes. She knows who she got her two X chromosomes from, and that the one from me came from Nanna, not Grandpa.



Talking about genes and chickens

From Tom & Helen's, we went on a little trip up to the Grand Canyon. On the way up, we had a little walk at Sunset Crater National Monument, which was splendid.



We also drove by some Native American ruins. But we were trying to get Tiva to nap at that point, so we didn't even get a chance to stop the car and enjoy them.



The Canyon itself was breath-taking. Of course, Tiva really couldn't appreciate the view. Taya had more appreciation for it, although at first she was decidedly more interested in looking at smaller things much closer by than the huge expanse of the Grand Canyon.



The snow at the Canyon was a special treat. The parts that were blanketed in snow gave a fresh, softer, but emphatic look to all.



There were enough people at the popular photo-taking places that we could easily snag a rare family shot.



We decided to try to give Tiva the benefit of a nap back at the hotel (rather than try to carry her through a nap in the cold), but the downside of that was that we really didn't have a lot of time to explore the Canyon. We did however, hike down a bit, which gave us this different perspective on parts.



Tiva, predictably given her fearless character, wanted to hike it herself.



What an amazing experience. We're just sorry that we don't have photos to show of Tom, Helen, and Elinor, in thanks for their tremendous hospitality and to Tom for providing the inspiration for the trip.



Next up, March in Santa Barbara!

January traveling down to, and thriving in Santa Barbara

The trip down to Santa Barbara was quite an adventure. The big pack-up was epic. After much deliberation, we decided to start our journey on January 1, New Year's Day. We had been busy with all kinds of preparation leading up to that day, so Ljuba and I didn't get to celebrate New Year's Eve at all. We had just got our car fully equipped and hadn't even figured out how to use those racks and the box. We also had never used our GPS before. Plus we had months of clothes, toys, paperwork, etc., to pack up, plus a week's worth of food. All in one compact car. Moreover, we had a 3-year old and a 1-year old milling around most of every day. Taya was very helpful most of the time, but Tivona unfortunately occupied herself much of the time discovering what was in those super-cool mostly packed bags. Ay.

So it wasn't until noon that we managed to get into the car with everything in it and on it. (Not everything, of course--but we didn't forget much.) Boy, was it a weird feeling driving out of the garage.

It didn't take long at all to get to the border. It was also only about a 40 min queue to see the customs officer. Unfortunately, we had to go into the building (as we knew we would), and we were then impressed with how occupied the twenty-plus officers could appear to be when they were quite clearly serving no one. But they looked semi-purposeful as they walked to and fro on their official business, ignoring us. Anyway, when people served us they were helpful, if slow, and it was only two hours or so to process eight pieces of paper (!). I don't blame them. The way Tivona kept attacking the gate, it was pretty clear they considered her a high risk.

Before we knew it, it was past 3pm and we were just getting started. We'd booked into an extended stay hotel in Olympia, Washington, so we had a clear target. The drive was super smooth, but we got hungry and had to stop off for Pizza Hut. Ljuba and I hadn't been to that classy establishment in a decade or so; we didn't realize how much of a dive it can be. The girls liked the pizza well enough, though, and we supplemented with our veggies when we got in. Then we were on the road again, in the same routine that we had established in Australia and NZ, except that we were packing up and relocating every day.

From Olympia we drove 5.5 hours to Roseburg, Oregon, this time arriving earlier in the evening, and with a little more time to do other things. Then down to Arcata (near Eureka), CA, to visit Nathan Gregory, a good friend of ours from Princeton. It was truly lovely to see him and his dog Dozer, for all of us. After I told Taya about them, she was so excited to see the two of them. She kept pointing to big dogs and saying, "That looks like a big friendly dog--is that Dozer?" After several false alarms (starting fifty miles earlier in other towns), we together spotted a big bearded man with a big yellow dog--bingo! Taya had only just met Nathan and she was telling him, "I saw a big dog and I asked my Dada if that was Dozer." It was amazing to me that she could have such a vision for and excitement about a person and dog that she'd never even met before--Nathan and Dozer were real for Taya from the first time I told her about them, well before she met them. Here's a picture of me, Tiva, Nathan, and Taya, with Lj behind the camera.



And here's one of our family of four plus Dozer, thanks to Nathan.



Both of the girls loved that big friendly man and dog. Tivona loved playing with and organizing Dozer's toys. She kept putting them away for him, all dozen of them, back into the bin. She got upset at one point, because she wanted to put one away, and Dozer was playing with it. Eventually she picked up the courage to face-off with him. We all had a chuckle with that. We don't have a good picture of it, but here's one of Taya and Dozer.



From Arcata we drove into the central valley and down to Davis, where we reconnected with Brian and Mary in their big, beautiful home. Like Nathan, it had been way too long since we'd seen them, and it was super to see them again. T'n'T hit it off with them, too, and also with Louie, their French bulldog. And Lj and I thoroughly enjoyed our adult-conversation dinner, after we had the girls in bed. Here's Taya and Brian the next morning, in the park.



And here's Taya walking with Mary.



And here's Ljuba with Tiva.



Next stop was Mountain View, with Marian, Melanie and Cody. It was wonderful to see them, too! We definitely miss hanging out with them as we did in our California days, and now we've got kids almost the same age.



And Taya enjoyed playing with their toys, including this guitar.



As Tivona got more mobile, she took a page from Taya's book and got obsessed with carrying around a bag and packing it. It didn't matter that the bag, around her neck, nearly reached her toes. Here's a 68s everyday-life video of Tiva wrestling with bags in our Mountain View hotel.



Tiva playing with the lunch bag

Taya, of course, has reached her own new heights. Like in razzing us. As when Mama walked around to the right side of the car to help Taya in (Tiva's, not Taya's, side).
Taya: "Mama, you don't know which side, apparently!"

Before we knew it, we were there, on the rugged South California coast. Oh, what beauty!



Settling in was a bit chaotic. Hugely chaotic for me. We arrived on Friday afternoon just before the office closed at 5pm, and dumped our car-full of stuff into our apartment. In the next two days we had to figure out where things were, make our apartment livable, stock our pantry, fridge, and freezer, AND I had to create my syllabus and prepare for first class on Monday afternoon. That was a hard weekend!

Of course, we did our best to insulate the girls from all that, and they had a ball despite our shopping frenzies and mountains of mayhem (stuff, stuff, and more stuff). It wasn't possible to completely insulate them, of course: little ones probably can't go from staying at home for much of their lives to sleeping in 15 different places in two months without a bit of anxiety. So Taya woke up several nights crying for her bunny when she slipped away from her headlock/embrace. But they were still affectionate with us, like Tiva was after she was woken by Taya on one of those occasions. I had Tiva in my arms, and was comforting her, and Tiva said, "Dada," and looked up and puckered up her lips. I kissed her, then she said, "Mama," and puckered up for Mama, and "Taya!"

It was nice to have them so sweet, since we didn't have any time for ourselves for weeks. No blogging during that month! But here's Tiva playing with the same lunch box in our apartment.



Tivona packs her lunch bag and walks

Another thing that changed hugely in a very short time was Tiva's reading. Through most of Australia and NZ, Tiva was very particular about books. Most of the time, she would reject all but one or two books. Fortunately, which books were acceptable rotated somewhat, but there were many books that she never wanted to read. And sometimes, she would reject all books on offer. Around this time, though, she started accepting a far wider range of books, seeking potty-time to read more books, seeking books out for non-potty time, and reading on her own, as she does in the 85s special-moment video below. That is, until Dada comes along and tries to inject a little testosterone into this family that is rapidly becoming too bookish, tackling her over and over. ;)



Tivona reads Baby Words, gets tackled, and does squats

Tivona also became much more aware of her bodily functions. One night she called, "Pauh, pauh!" for potty. We weren't sure if she was just trying to get us into the bathroom for reading, but she almost immediately let out a big fart, then announced, "Toot!"

In the beginning, it was frustrating how little time we got to spend in the nice parts of our surroundings. It seemed stupid to come so far to such a beautiful place and spend our time in stores and our apartment. Every day we did get outside twice--both before and after nap--but quite often it was brief and very local. But this improved, and we got to spend more time on the beach, at the bluffs, etc. Here's Taya playing with some cordgrass.



Here are the two of them playing together.



And here's Tiva on her own.



This is the beauty we were immersed in. For the first few weeks, Taya told us hundreds of times a day how much she loved Santa Barbara and the sun (and the lack of rain). It made us worry about returning to Vancouver winters….



The girls got a kick out of seeing this tree frog, especially because it seemed to think that we couldn't see it and wouldn't see it if it stood stock still.



We did also have some occasion to be social, which was wonderful. We had an amazing dinner at the house of one of my sabbatical hosts, Steve Gaines and his wife Peggy, also with Chris Costello and his family. All were really warm and wonderful. Unfortunately, somehow we haven't managed to get together again yet. Partly because we've had other people to see, too, and lots of visitors. The following weekend we had an amazing evening at Satie and Jeff's place in the hills. On the way back, we asked T'n'T if they enjoyed seeing Satie and Jeff. Taya raved about them ("Ya, they were really wonderful. Jeff took us upstairs and showed us …. and Satie …."), and Tiva said "Pee-poh!"
Taya: "Tiva, you say 'Pee-PULLLLL, not Pee-POH'"
TK: "Pee-poh!
TS: "Tiva, you say 'Pee-PULLLL, not Pee-POH'"
Repeat 10x
TK: "Pee-pul, pee-pul, pee-pul!"
Sometimes, when she can handle the didactic lessons, it's clear that Tivona really is learning from her older sister!

Another really wonderful change in Tivona and Taya was how they began to seek each other out for play and cuddling. This was one moment in a long, long hug they both thoroughly enjoyed.



After observing how Tiva loved to put things in other things and cart it all around, Ljuba told me that she thought Tiva would really enjoy a toy like a shopping cart. In the housing complex's swap shop, I found this Tonka truck and immediately knew it would be great for her.



I didn't realize just how great! She immediately fell in love with this truck, and took it everywhere, as you can see in the 14s special-moment video below.



Tivona the dainty truck-driver

Taya and Tivona are both a bit fascinated by our computers. Watch them typing away on Ljuba's iPad keyboard in this 31s everyday-life video below.



Little hackers

Without the benefit of bookshelves and toy bins, and with the addition of temporary toys in the form of all kinds of cardboard boxes, paper cut-outs, etc., it sometimes felt like we were living in a zoo. It especially felt that way in moments like the one we captured below.



Oh, the outside is so much better! The girls loved it out there, too. But we have to be careful. I know it might look like a bit of a take-down on Tiva in the 15s everyday-life video below, but I wasn't messing around. See, those aren't minuscule waves washing up to the grass there, but rather large waves, down a big cliff.



Taya and Tivona at the bluffs

I mentioned how Tivona had a few favourite books that she wanted us to read over and over again? Here's one that came with us to Australia, and out here, and has been read hundreds of times. It sounds like "Hooo-ay-ya" when Tiva requests it ("Whoever You Are", by Mem Fox).



Although Tivona is generally very affectionate, she sometimes plays hard-to-get, like in this 22s special-moment video below.



No kisses!

After spending many hundreds of dollars equipping our car to bring down our bikes, we were determined to get a trailer to take the girls riding. Finally Tivona's head was big enough to fit in a helmet! Unfortunately, it was on the smallest setting, which meant that there was a lot of helmet poking out the back of her head, pushing into the mesh in the back of her seat, and forcing her head forward and down. Clearly uncomfortable. We couldn't blame her for crying for much of her first few rides. See the look of dread? And does it look like Taya is plotting something? Well, she might just have been--many of those first few rides were full-out brawls most of the way, with shoving and pulling, grunting and screaming. But Taya was also often a very helpful big sister, getting and holding things for her little sister, and only occasionally eating choice bits of Tiva's snack. ;)



Although there might have been trepidation about cycling, there didn't seem to be any about February in Santa Barbara and Arizona--up next!