The Kelefors

After a one-year hiatus from having a family-themed Halloween, we were back to a fearsome foursome this year. Dylan donned the sporty quidditch robes of  our favorite protagonist Harry Potter and proudly designed and made his swift Firebolt to help him capture the golden snitch and win the Tri-Wizard Tournament. For those of you who know Dylan, you’ll know embodying the competitive spirit of a quidditch match was a tough assignment for him — okay, not so much. Adela was a dead ringer for Hermione Granger, eager to role play wizard classes as she enthusiastically raised her hand to share an encyclopedic knowledge of spells and potions. As Lupin puts it, “Hermione, you are without question, the brightest witch of your age, you will prosper with or without my instruction.” Jeannette jumped at the chance to be Head of Gryffindor House and Transfiguration professor Minerva McGonagall, and Matt was happy to assume the role of Arthur Weasley, patriarch of the Weasley family and Ministry of Magic bureaucrat, whose costume required only a trenchcoat and wand.

A week of Halloween festivities, with school trips to the pumpkin patch and costume parades, culminated  on Halloween Night as we welcomed friends over for trick-or-treating in the neighborhood and a casual get together fueled by candy loot and some excellent bottles of wine. Stay tuned for more pictures of the Día de los Muertos on the heals of Halloween….

Maybe one day soccer will mean as much here as it does in the rest of the world. Maybe one day I’ll be able to open the sports section and read all about the weekend matches, rather than settling for one small summary hidden amidst the baseball and football news. Of course, by the time that day does come to pass, we probably won’t be reading newspapers anymore. But for now, I’ll have to settle for watching the joy on Adela’s face as she kicks a ball around a field. Today was her very first day of soccer and it was a treat to watch. She was bedecked in her blue SoccerKids uni and Kelme cleats (all handed down from Dylan and happily received), her hair back in a braid. She jumped right in and seemed to love every minute of it, especially since her friend Quincy was there with her. Now I’m going to have to brush up on the best women players in the world so I can start telling Adela who to emulate. Besides Brazilian star Marta, any suggestions?

Fall is here and the fog is beginning to lift in San Francisco. They say we’ll top 80 degrees this weekend, which will be a welcome change from our cold summer. This time of year always brings welcome renewal and reflection. Jeannette’s away on a business trip and I’ve spent the whole evening uploading pictures from the last several months. My personal favorites are the shots from Mas’s farm. There’s something quite special about what has become an annual ritual for us, trekking down to Fresno to harvest the most beautiful peaches on earth, dirtying ourselves in the Central Valley loam and sharing in the fellowship of local, sustainable farming. There are also a few shots from Mom-Mom’s 90th birthday party, so thoughtfully arranged by Mom and Dad. I’m always amazed to see the bonds among the cousins, something much deeper than mere friendship. Finally, there are the joyful pictures from Carnaval, that most San Francisco of events. This year, I enjoyed Dylan’s pride at seeing his elementary school classmates in the parade. Dylan is in first grade now and he has such a fierce loyalty to his school, his teachers, and especially his friends.

This week is the first week of school and, not only has Dylan made the shift to 1st grade with ease, Adela has transitioned to the “upstairs” classroom in preschool. She brought home a spectacular painting today and I can see her gaining confidence in school. It is amazing to watch.