Homework in Our Neighborhood

By MAGGIE DING

For one of the more unique homework assignments of Sedona's kindergarten year, we took a walk around the neighborhood to make some observations -- including finding different things. We found a fire hydrant, and here are some pictures of it ... with the girls "modeling" alongside.

I promise: I did not tell them to pose for these shots. They are such girlie-girls! 

Maven Turns 4 at Montessori

By KEVIN DING

Maggie and I got to see Maven at the center of her class' attention when they celebrated her 4th birthday at Montessori. She showed off the biography poster she made with Maggie, gave out some Lakers-themed school supplies, did the "Earth Goes Around the Sun" ceremony that is tradition for birthday celebrations at school (see video) and then had me explain the brace over my broken leg (she had been telling everyone at school about it) before I read the class a book.

Meet Maggie Ding

By MAGGIE DING

Eight years and eight months after being married ... I'm moving forward in using this new Maggie Ding name of mine.

I changed it legally with the social security office in October 2010 (yes, that would be about 1 1/2 years ago). Then I did next to nothing until July 2011, when Kevin booked the Disney Wonder cruise to Mexico under the Margaret Ding name requiring me attend to the passport and driver's license next.

All that and still I didn't change much until ... I needed to renew my Department of Real Estate license in March, and well, now I'm officially Margaret Wang Ding there, too!

I guess the credit card and bank statements will come next ...

I still have a hard time saying "Maggie Ding," but I'm sure I'll eventually get used to this. It might take another 34 years ... but if it makes Kevin happy, that's all that matters. :)

Broken Fibula

By KEVIN DING

Here's the X-ray of my broken left fibula suffered March 18 in the last inning of our softball championship game. Guy slid into the back of my leg as I was tagging him out at second base for the first out of the inning. I needed a delay to shake off what I certainly didn't believe to be a broken leg but just as certainly found hard to get up from; the umpire made me do some test jogging (leg buckled on first attempt) and take three test throws (second two were fine). Unfortunately, the opposition scored the tying and go-ahead runs to win the title before we could get the last two outs -- me having to range over from shortstop to take the final cut-off throw from the outfield and make the desperation relay home. Despite trying not to put any weight on my left leg, I felt a popping sensation on that throw near the ankle, which I later felt more often and eventually was told is the bone moving around the ankle joint because it is no longer attached above.

I went straight from the softball field to Staples Center to limp badly around and cover the Lakers' game that night. That wasn't fun. The next day, I went to the doctor at Maggie's behest, still believing it was a deep calf bruise or something, but the X-ray showed the damage. The doctor was pretty excited; I'm guessing he takes a million X-rays and rarely sees a break.

It has been two weeks since (and maybe two or four more to come), with some crutches early on until the pain became at least tolerable to walk on with this Aircast up almost to my knee. It has not been fun -- first broken bone of my life, 40 years in -- but at least it has validated my sense of self-determination in playing through and working through that night. (I'll note here for my kids to read in future years that the big scar on my right leg is from a metal spike ripping through my leg as I crawled back to third base in a second-grade recess kickball game so that I wouldn't be tagged out.)

Once I informed Lakers public-relations VP John Black that it was diagnosed as a broken leg, this was his email about me finishing the game at shortstop and covering the Lakers' game that night: "What a (bleeping) stud!!!!!!!  And we thought Kobe was tough…"

Too bad we didn't win the championship, though. Would've been a really good story then.

Happy 4th Birthday, Maven!

By MAGGIE DING

During our February trip to Phoenix, we went horseback riding -- which led to the fun idea of having ponies (and bunnies) at Maven's fourth birthday party. So the planning began!

When I finally booked the vendors, I told Maven we would have two ponies along with bunnies, baby goats, and all baby animals since she tends to be afraid of the larger animals in petting zoos. Dearest Maven's response: "Two!? Only two ponies?! I'm turning 4! (Sigh.)"

Luckily, hr mother's inability to provide her four ponies didn't put a damper on the party, which we held a week in advance of her real birthday to avoid conflict with Easter Sunday.

Maven was super excited about her birthday party and had a great time before and after the 20-minute, pre-cake nap she decided to have on broken-legged Kevin in the middle of her party! As long as she was happy.

 The girls went out to await the ponies coming out from the trailer. Exciting time!!!

The birthday girl was the first to ride and was in line over and over and over ...

Sedona was very much enjoying all aspects of the party, which was generously hosted by Whitney and Gene with their plush backyard and flat driveway!

 

Maven's Montessori Easter Hunt

By MAGGIE DING

Maven had fun at her Montessori Easter Egg hunt. Afterwards, she delighted me by showing me around and explaining her part of the class art project

Sedona's Eggs-periment

By MAGGIE DING

Sedona's kindergarten class did an egg experiment. Each student had to build a contraption in which you could put in a raw egg and not have it crack upon dropping.

I took some ideas from my dear friends Leslie, Anita and Alice -- and we came up with this!

Put the egg in a full mayo jar!

We tested it by throwing it off Sedona's bunk bed onto the floor. Success!

Unfortunately, today on test day was a slightly different story... but keep reading for results...

Sedona went to school totally excited. She pulled her contraption out immediately to show all her friends and well, it looked VERY different from her friends. Actually, it was the only one of its kind. Everyone else had put Styrofoam in a box or something like that.

At 11 a.m., all the parents and students gathered at the student lot to see the egg drops -- and most were successful until ... SPLAT! MAYO everywhere!

Our plastic jar hit concrete! Guess we should have thought about that -- and the top came off. A few kids and certainly the ground got a bit dirty.  I was a bit embarrassed, but Sedona not so much!

She was HAPPY! She said all day the kids were talking about how cool her dramatic egg drop was because it went splat. But most importantly ...

  

SUCCESS!!! The egg was safe!

Letters from Sedona

By MAGGIE DING


 Sedona's email letters (via A-Ma Ding) to us while we were on our three-day trip to Nor Cal:


" I am Sedona , I love you Mommy and Daddy. Maven and I just finished our breakfast. Skunky and Elly (A-Go Kristen's cats) are here. love you, Sedona"


"Dear Maggie and Kevin, It is raining very hard now so we can not go to the park today. I am using the baby cup today because Maven used it yesterday. love sedona"

Happy 34th Birthday, ME!

By MAGGIE DING

 For my birthday most years, Kevin is usually on the road and not around to celebrate. But this year, he planned it so that he would be with me by taking me on the road with him.

I've been drinking much more wine lately -- refining my taste now that I'm an adult with children (ha-ha). So I wanted to learn what I like and don't like in tasting. I'm not sure that was fully accomplished on this trip to the Sonoma wine country in advance of the Lakers playing in Oakland -- but at least we now know Kevin's likes and dislikes, as he figured his palate out! :-)

When the planning began, I thought it would be fun to have longtime pal Debs join without thinking it would be possible. But as usual, she made it possible!!! It was fabulous! She brought along Drew, her significant other.

Kevin wasn't stopped by the broken leg he suffered a week ago playing softball. He and I landed, drove straight to The Lodge at Sonoma (stayed in a fabulous cottage with a fireplace -- happy!) with a limo to greet us!



First stop, Gundlach Bundschu (Gun-Lock-Bun-Shoe!)

Second stop: Lunch and more wine at Ledson. Their wines were our second favorite on the day, with a yummy discovery of curry mustard sauce they also made.

Third stop: Chateau Ste. Michelle -- probably our least favorite because everything was too bland and commercialized.

We savored our fourth stop so long that we missed our fifth. It was the fabulous Deerfield Ranch with the tasting room inside a cave. Loved the 2002 DRX and 2007 Red Rex so much that we shipped quite a few bottles home!

Then a super yummy dinner at Ad Hoc by Thomas Keller in nearby Napa.

Before Debbie and Drew left us, we had a great breakfast at Fremont Diner (highly recommend the chicken and waffles, hangtown fries and shrimp and grits). Without them, we went back to scout out Napa further and did lunch at BarBersQ. We had high expectations for dinner back in Sonoma at The Girl and The Fig, and it was super, super yummy: Highly recommend the steak tartare, mussels and duck confit.

The day of my actual birthday we headed into SF to dine at a spot we've long loved: the ever-so-yummy Vietnamese joint La Vie, with their $50 garlic dungeness crab. Then I got quality time with Teddy Liaw at the Lakers-Warriors game, which the Lakers won!

Sedona and Maven stayed behind with A-Gong and A-Ma Ding and were super well-behaved. While we were away, Sedona kept us posted with brief e-mail reports!