Auntie Katie

Katie visits London with her think-tank 'The Hidden Brain Drain' with Sylvia Hewlett and Cornel West to present to the House of Commons (29/4/06). Also attending were Cari Dominguez, head of the European Economic Commission, Prof. Lord Eatwell, President of Queens College, Cambridge, and Jermey Isaacs, CEO for Lehman Brothers Europe & Asia. Closer to home, Katie attended a typical family weekend of football, yard-work, hair cuts and general business. The kids were rewarded with special artwork made by her for them. They also had an above average quotient of potato chips and junk food.

PS- Cornel West, who clearly adores my sister, called Sonnet his 'soul sister' while I received a hug and the warm title 'my Berkeley Brother.'

Goal!

Eitan plays football in Palewell Park. While a bit turned around in this shot, the kid is a natural striker and models his play after England heros Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney. We've not picked a team to support together, but given the life consequences of this choice, it is wise to take one's time. For the record, I'm an Arsenal fan.

Cheeseburger!

Eitan at a diner in Hamstead (21/9/03). Without doubt, he enjoys his favorite meal.

London fashion week

This photo I took during London Fashion Week, courtesy of Sonnet, May 2003. The clothes are Vivianne Westwood.

RR

I bring forward this photo as I like the cool arty effect of the Queen's Rolls Royce parked at Buckingham Stables.

Boy on the Move

Eitan races the steps at the Tate Modern. Another favorite is the belly role down the main, sloped corridor of the museum, which both kids perform to perfection (or distraction).

The Tide Is In

The Thames, dating back 600,000 years when it was a tributory of the Rhine in GD, is today tidal to the Teddington Lock from the North Sea or about 90km inland.

From there, the river wanders anothr 250km eventually passing Oxford and ending at the village Kembel. At one point, the river was seven miles wide covering the Thames Valley, and today flooding is prevented by the Thames Barrier constructed in the 1980s.

Famously the 'Great Stink' of 1858 emptied the House of Commons, which had to be abandoned until the river was adequately cleaned up. This photo of the kids taken on the Thames Path at Kew (10/06/05)

Sonnet and Katie

in the Buckeye State, summer '04.

Roar!

Eitan gets busy with his bathtime toys (10/4/04), in this case a Sagittarius (I think). Play acting is a big part of the kids lives, and each has a unique and active imagination. Still it is interesting to note how similar development paths are with children - Eitan and his trucks, dinasours and swords; Madeleine with dolls and dresses, when she's not clobbering her brother.

Silly Stretch'n

 Madeleine, age 2, joins me for gymnastics (24/1/04). Here she works on her Arda Chandrasana posture also known as the back-bend.

Little Monkey

Sonnet and Eitan on a family train ride to Brighton on the Sea (12/10/03).

Tianamen Sq

This photograph, taken from Tianamen Square facing the Mao tomb, shows an entrance point into the Forbidden City. The portrait of Chairman Mao is about two stories and visible from all points of the square. Afterwards I walked the Dong Cheng (East City) neighborhood, which occupies the eastern half of the city center, spreading north and east from the southwest corner of Tian'an Men Square until it reaches the Second Ring Road. This area poor, filled with street hawkers, vendors, foodstalls, bicycles, telephone wires... in short, interesting and in sharp contrast to the modern sky-scrapers and high-rise condominiums which now own most of Beijing. By the 2008 Olympics, the East City will likely be history.

Spring Easter

 Madeleine rolling about in the newly cut grass over bank-holiday weekend.

AB

Adam, a long-time Berkeley friend and in line (we hope) to replace the late Hunter S. Thompson, weighs in from his crib in Oakland. NB Adam's dad Mike, a California Federal judge, married me and Sonnet in the summer of 1996.

Man Eater

 This fly-trapper, about the size of a large squash, located in a green-house at Kew Gardens. The kids told to keep their hands clear.

Washington

Roger Murff and Greta Kim's children Sophie Taylor and Thomas, in Seattle (12/8/05). This photo taken on their house porch, on a sunny afternoon in WA. Thomas is the biggest 4 year old I know (a clown after my own heart, too); while Sophie an elegant little girl.

10K

Sonnet faces a road race in Clapham Common, London (3/10/04).

Sonnet often runs into work, making her the most eccentric curator at the V A. The kids were fascinated by the activity, and a bit suspicious of so many adults doing something so clearly stupid. Afterwards we are joined by Dale and Mendi and their four fab kids for brunch.

Tate!

This picture, taken at the Tate gallery London, was the last in a series where Katie becomes more posed and Eitan bored - hence the tongue (23/12/04). Afterwards we took the Tate-to-Tate boat to the Tate Modern where, since it was winter, a faux snow slide was erected offering something the museum could not - one hour of kiddie fun.

One Determined Little Girl

Madeleine would have repelled those invaders at Windso Castle, where this image was taken (24/12/03). I don't recall what the fuss was about, but am fairly certain she had her way in the end - probably McDonalds for lunch. This was the Christmas that the Orensteins re-united briefly in London.

Dreams of England

Eitan takes to football (9/3/05) where he plays each week in the pee-wee league nearby our house. The boy was quite excited by his all-England outfit (shirt on backwards) and cool cleats for the pitch. Morning practice preceded by swimming lessons; followed by a lunch and a long nap.