Category: My World (Page 8 of 15)

Von Wernich, a Catholic priest who worked in the secret detention camps in Argentina, was just convicted to life in prison for a number of kidnappings, tortures and murders. AFAIK, this is the first time a priest is convicted of such acts in Latin America – though there have been Rwandan priests convicted of crimes against humanity and genocide.
So I’m thrilled – the process of justice has been slow but the wheels are finally turning.
In other happy news Mike and I won a number of items at the silent auction for Girls Inc. we had at the Women of Taste event. I got a gift certificate for the Lawrence Hall of Science, a barrel wine tasting and four bottles of wine, a photography session and something else I can’t remember. We also won a gift certificate to La Note in the raffle. All very cool, and the money goes to a good cause.

Last weekend some unknown persons stole the play structure my kids had in the front yard. It was very simple: a little swing, and a little platform with a slide. But they loved it. Camila would swing and swing, sometimes with Mika pushing her, and Mika would climb to the roof of the structure and look to nona’s house (who is in LA). It had no value, we found it by the side of the street with a sign saying “free”, but they kids loved it and it was theirs. Now someone stole it. Can you imagine something worse than stealing from a child? (OK, OK, I can, but as thefts go, this is one of the lowest).
Sometime before Camila’s push car – another thing that we bought for $5 or $10 – was also stolen. Anyone who can afford the truck needed to carry this stuff, can afford to buy it as well. It’s an issue of pure meanness.
What are my kids learning from this? That the world is full of bad people who would hurt them. Perhaps it’s not a bad lesson to learn this early.
As for me, I’m afraid of my own neighbors. I see people in the street and I wonder who it was who took the structure. I’m also wondering what they’ll steal next.

*Explained human evolution to my 5 year old.
*Knuckled walked like a chimpanzee

The kids are back. After two weeks of being just the two of us (and what a relaxing two weeks were these) we are back to being parents. It’s nice.
We missed the kids. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to get some time to ourselves – and we are going to miss the fact that we will not be able to send them off to the grandparents until next year (kindergarten and all) – but we are not a family without them. We need them to be complete.
Anyway, I’m happy they are back. They were so wonderfully affectionate when we got them back, so many hugs, so many kisses. Mika is having transition problems, she misses Kathy (“my real mama”) very much, but I think she’ll pull through. Transitions are just hard for her. Camila seems just the same, perhaps a little bit more needy, but very much back to her own self (mommy do it, daddy do it, next to mommy, next to daddy, you get the drift).
I know they had a great time at the grandparents. Here are some pictures of them at Chuckee Cheese. The other little girl is Nikki, their cousin.