Ferry Building

My brother Pák also came to visit during Spring Break. One day we met at the Ferry Building and took a walk along the pier.

Alexander would have been happy spinning on the chairs at the end of the pier all day!

Here is Peti with his girlfriend Jeannine, who has since become his fiancee Jeannine. Yay!

After our walk we wandered inside the Ferry Building to find something to eat. Whether it was Vietnamese noodle soup or gourmet sandwiches or sweet potato fries, we each found something delicious to enjoy!

Alcatraz

Our Spring Break took place during the last week of March. We did not travel, but had visitors come to us. First, my brother Pete arrived with his girlfriend Jeannine. They wanted to see Alcatraz. We often send visitors on their own, but this time we decided to go along since we felt the children were ready to see it.

It was an overcast, rainy day. Fortunately the rain did not start until we were already on Alcatraz Island, so we were able to enjoy the ferry ride over.

The audio tour was quite interesting. As you can see below, everyone is riveted by the stories of prisoners attempting to escape the island.

Charlotte had fun playing about in the cell, but Alexander was not sure he wanted the experience.

As we waited for the ferry to take us back to San Francisco, I noticed this seagull perched on a rock. I thought it would be a nice photo with the Bay Bridge and Treasure Island in the background. The children found it hilarious that the bird made it clear he did not appreciate having his photo taken.

Happy Easter

We hope you had a lovely Easter. Ours started out beautifully sunny. We even walked to church for the first time this year.

Charlotte enjoyed painting eggs, and did it almost on her own this year.

Happy Easter!

Our first skiing adventure

This Saturday we joined the Hungarian Scouts for the annual hókirándulás (trip to the snow). We went to Soda Springs, which is on the way to Lake Tahoe and is designed especially for children.

Ready for the snow

We went to the area called Planet Kids. Both Charlotte and Alexander tried skiing for the first time. They were given the equipment they needed, but the instruction was all up to me. Adults do not ski in this area, so I had to explain what to do without showing it. It was probably most helpful for them to watch the kids who did not fall down. Eventually they both went down without grabbing onto me and pulling me down.

Alexander skiing

Charlotte skiing

After lunch we explored the other activities. There was an innertube carousel. It was quite slow and enjoyed more by the younger children, so they rode it only once.

They had much more fun innertubing down the hill. For photos and video of that experience, check out Charlotte's blog and Alexander's blog.

No trip to the snow would be complete without playing King of the Mountain!

Best friends for a time

I've been feeling slightly nostalgic for the days when my two children were absolutely crazy about each other, and it showed. Maybe they still are, but you can't often tell. So here's a reminder for us all to enjoy.

Photos taken in the summer of 2004

Our Chinese dancer

Last year Charlotte performed for the first time with the Lily Cai dancers at her school. She was very excited to join the group again this year. Charlotte is already one of the senior members of the group as so many of them had graduated at the end of last year.

The previous dance was a ribbon dance. This year they learned to dance with fans instead. We may not have picked up on all the symbolism of the dance, but Charlotte says it is about a bird.

This performance was in the school cafeteria with all the students and staff and some parents in the audience.

Piano Recital

Alexander had his first piano recital a week ago. It took place at the San Mateo library, and was the first time he played on such a grand piano.

His duet with his teacher Isabelle Jotterand was "Melody by Chopin from Fantasie Impromptu," arranged by Timothy Brown.

His solo piece was "Under Water" by Kevin Olson.