Madeleine makes her appearance to the world (12/2/02). Born at St. Mary's hospital in Paddington, she weighed in at 3.3 kg (7.3 lbs) and arrived with eyes wide open and a loud whoop of joy. On the day, Kate Larrison arrived at our house at 4:45AM to watch Eitan while we dashed to the hospital. The delivery was fast - less than three hours - and our lives have been filled with joy since.
This photo taken on the Thames Path in Richmond. The spot is nearby the end-point of the Oxford Cambridge boat race (ie, crew or rowing), which has taken place every year for 177 years. Today's 4.5 mile course, which was first used in 1845, stretches from Putney to Mortlake. Oxford won this year's race in 18 minutes, 32 seconds for the Blue's fourth victory in five years. Cambridge maintains the edge, however, with 78 wins to 72 (the slight discrepency the result of a boat sinkings in 1912).
Eitan prepares for the winter walk to St Mary's Montessori (24/2/04). London's boggy weather is not as bad as most foreigners think - 45 inches of precipitation a year, or about the same as San Francisco. The difference: it occurs throughout the year. Plus we have dull, overcast days especially in the early months of the year. And the sun goes down at 1530 following daylight savings ('spring forward, fall-back'). The kids know nothing else - what they worry?
Eitan outside T J's restaurant cafe on an overcast Sunday morning. 
Visited by blue collar workers from around the neighborhood, and next to the local hardware and wood cutters, the diner is neither hygenic nor smoke-free. It does offer the page-3 girl and a fine fry-up any day of the week from 6AM. No neighborhood should be without one.
This Madeleine's practised 'kiss-off' look. I spent Tuesday with the kids and it is always fun to re-connect with their daily routine (24/5/06). After the morning school-run, several free hours present themselves for chores or reading. Madeleine has her friend Katie over for lunch, then we pick up Eitan from school. Both kids in spanish (teacher Angelina: 'children are making fine progress') followed by bath, dinner, homework, bed-time books and some (forbidden) T.V. All this by 7:30PM. Sonnet and I find ourselves in bed not much later.
As London is expensive, and the dollar week against the pound, we take full advantage of the mega-stores upon re-entry to the good 'ol US of A. In this instance, we buy a season of kiddie outfits in one afternoon at Target... or is it Walmart? Any case, nobody does scale like America and these Brits could learn a thing or two about mass merchandising. Madeleine and Eitan enjoy the free ride.
Madeleine before the walk to school, Thursday morning, 17/5/06. She is working on her sounds and slowly beginning to recognise words and numbers (she can count to 100 in english and spanish). We give her lots of praise to build her confidence. Sonnet and I get a kick out of her attempt to work through 'van', 'dog' and 'truck'. As does she.
More tulips from the Bank holiday weekend; photo taken with my mobile phone, 2.0 megapixels (1/5/06)
This self-portrait taken at home in front of the living room mirror, circa 2005. The kids are healthy and happy. My wife loves me. We live in London. I'd still like to break 3 hours for the marathon but this somehow seems further from reach each passing year. Relearning french and sitting in a Paris cafe life is good.
Madeleine prepares for a weekend birthday party (10/3/05). for those not familiar with Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1905 book 'A Little Princess', the fable describes a pampered little rich girl who suddenly finds herself a penniless orphan after her father's business venture fails and he succombs to jungle fever. In the end, the father's business partner tries to right the wrong of his poor financial advise, buys a house in London and rescues the Little Princess from a life of 'scullery drudge.' Hey, wow - this a story that could have taken place in Silicon Valley.
Madeleine, Eitan and I spent Sunday afernoon practicing our soccer (8/5/06). Madeleine inches the ball up to me, the goal-tender, and insists forcefully: "Don't move!" A mighty kick sends the ball thru my stationed legs followed by a squeel of delight - Goal! Eitan was disgusted.
In 1975 I was hooked on Space 1999 with Martin Landau and 
Barbara Bain. When the moon is blown out of the earth's orbit following a nuclear explosion, the colony of Moonbase Alpha fight for their survival while meeting alien mystics and cosmic hippies. The program was influenced by 2001: Space Odyssey and the clothes are 1970s far-out with plenty of bell bottoms and polyester. The special effects were terrific for the time and my favorite was the space transport craft - or Eagle. I was so enamoured that I went to Mr Mopps toy store in Berkeley to purchase the model kit, which hung from my bedroom ceiling by a piece of clear thread until the series was cancelled in 1977.
Madeleine enjoys a favorite treat on a hot day in the 'burbs (15/6/04). Her favorite today remains strawberry - one wonders how or why life becomes so much more complicated as we get older.
Eitan's first experience with a magnifying glass (10/10/02). He was quite fascinated by the effercts for a while, then moved on to other natural easily experienced phenomena like gravity. I imagine the glass will come back into use at about the same time he discovers snails and slugs.
Photograph taken at our friends the Claydon's house in Bath (7/8/05)
. Located in the South West, the city is famous for its natural baths which are fed by three hot springs. The waters were certainly popular with the Romans, who believed them to be a cure for many afflictions and lovely for a spa - a legacy which remains today for the Knightsbridge crowd. From Elizabethan to Georgian times, Bath was a holiday spot for the wealthy (Charles Dickens' book Pickwick Papers is also set here, and satireses the town's social life). Consequently the city contains fine examples of Georgian architecture, most notably the Royal Crescent.
