WINTER

Miranda, helping her brother blow out his birthday candles at his 2nd birthday - January 2002.

Max, hard at play, on our neighborhood playground, February 2002.

We started off 2002 with a bang, celebrating Max's 2nd birthday. Max's birthday was a big success -- although there was a noteable absence of balloons, largely due to a fear of inflatable objects he developed the previous spring where he had been terrified by a gigantic man-balloon (man dressed up in an inflatable fireman costume) who Max called "Jumbo Man."

Miranda continued to attend Barron Park pre-school (the school she'd been attending since she was two), where she developed her drawing, story-telling, and interpersonal skills.

Chris (fem) scrambled to reapply for her Stanford position, where she was capitalizing on her ongoing interest in pop culture by teaching writing courses on Images & Argument (if you follow the link, note the primitive state of web-site design here).

Chris (Smitty), almost a year into his return to CSA Engineering (after a brief foray into the world of Lockheed-Martin), continued to do what rocket-scientists do: work hard all day and then swim hard at night to relieve the tension.

As a family, we began the quest for the home of our dreams, placing a bid on our first house -- and losing it.

Max playing with his & Miranda's best friend Annabel, March 2002.

During the spring, Miranda continued at Barron Park, Max played with his friends at his daycare, Chris taught writing and Victorian literature (note improved websites), and Smitt continued solving the world's vibration problems at CSA.

At the end of the spring, Chris also received an official appointment at Stanford as a lecturer for the 2002-2003 school year -- her most permanent appointment since leaving her professorship at University of Colorado in 1998.

On the home front, spurred on by Chris's new job security, we continued our search for a house.

Chris & Chris ten years ago in Rye NY

At the end of June, Chris and Chris celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. They marked the occasion with a low-key dinner with Max and Miranda and some reminiscing over old photos and incriminating wedding reception video.

Miranda in the summer: sunflower outfit courtesy of her Grammy Smith.

Max digging in his grandpa Alf's garden.

Miranda & Max with their cousins (Sabine - 2; AJ - 2; Miranda - just 5; Max - 2; and Sean - 2 months)

Although Chris taught summer school, she, Max & Miranda still managed to make their semi-annual pilgrimage east to do what they affectionately call "The Grandparent Tour" up and down the northeastern seaboard. Highlights included a trip to Playland in Rye, NY; beach-outings to Rye Beach; and the visit to see Violet the pig in Bedford Massachussetts. Baby Sean was a big hit with Max and Miranda -- and left Chris pining for "number 3" (fortunately or unfortunately, Smitt and an increasingly demanding career have more or less ruled that option out).

Miranda modeling one of her Grammy Smith's original creations during the Massachussetts leg of our summer visit.

Max enjoying the great outdoors (5 minutes later he was completely naked).

We inaugurated the fall with the annual Barron Park Pre-School camping trip -- a trip to the Santa Cruz mountains attended by 90% of the school's families and teachers, filled with walks, s'mores, and rousing campfire renditions of "Baby Belluga" and "Ghostrider". Actually, the "we" mentioned was only Chris (fem), Miranda & Max -- although Smitt attended the evening dinner and marshmallow toasting, he headed down the mountain to his own bed afterward, holding firm to his "no-sleeping-outdoors" policy.

Miranda with friends at the campout (left to right: Gal, Adi, Annie, Maya & Miranda)

Miranda, with one of her favorite Barron Park teachers, Shelagh, at her graduation ceremony.

Miranda on her first day of kindergarten in another Grammy Smith original dress: note the lunchbox and backpack (what does it say about our over-achieving society when kindergarteners are required to bring backpacks to school?)

Miranda and her dad at the Stanford's first night game of the season.

Miranda as Rapunzel and Max as a 49er. Dress courtesy of Grammy Smith; hair courtesy of Miranda's mom.

At Halloween, Max & Miranda opted for highly gendered costumes (despite their mother's coaxing otherwise) -- although Miranda went through two Rapunzel dresses in her rough-and-tumble approach to Halloween partying.

The new home of the Alfano/Smiths.