2010 started out, for us, as a bad word. In the wee small hours of New Years Day (somewhere between 2 and 6am) our beautiful Buick Enclave was violated by a greedy thief. I must mention that we were in California, at the time, on vacation. Sort of a really inconvenient time to have such things happen (as if there is a good a time for this to occur).
Joe woke up with a start, at 7am, with a really bad feeling that something not so good had happened to our car. Not a fun way to wake up. What's even worse than waking up that way, though, is seeing those feelings be a reality. Joe stormed back into our room urgently whispering that someone had smashed in our car and had stolen his work laptop, cellphone, and about 50 DVD's.
What a way to start a new year. We had been so careful, for two weeks, each night taking in our valuables. But New years Eve we had stayed out late at Grandma's house and got back around 1am with really cranky kids and bed on our minds. Totally forgetting about the things in the back of the car. In our defense though, they were in black bags behind and down below a one way tinted rear window. (You can't see in it at all, it is several shades darker than the standard rear window) And I had my expensive digital SLR camera, Ipod, DVD player and cellphone sitting on the front passenger-side seat, in clear view, and the thieves didn't steal them.
The police officer who conducted our report was sure we were the victims of "casing". Where the would be thieves had been watching us and seeing us pull those things out of the back of the car each night and noticed we didn't that night. They knew right where to go and didn't even check out the car for anything else (and being on vacation there was "a lot else" in that vehicle). We were conspicuous in that neighborhood, with a Thule on top and Oregon license plates. A prime target, I am sure.
Look at all that poor glass on the pavement and the lone broken toy. What a sad sight.
They hit our car so hard that they, not only smashed in the window, but broke the rear hatch and smashed the side of the car body in pretty bad. What a bummer. Nothing feels quite so bad as being robbed and vandalized. It kind of makes you sick to your stomach. Especially on a Holiday when feelings of happiness abound and the negative kind really stick out as fiery lashes when they happen.
And so our plans for the day where wildly interrupted with filing police reports, reporting the laptop theft to Joe's work, consulting with insurance claims people, and cleaning up glass from the inside of our car and out of the things in the back. Not a great way to celebrate the New Year. Especially since everything was closed for the Holiday and we had to wait until Monday (New Years was a Friday) to see anything being done about it.
As it turned out, the thieves had caused $3000 damage to our car and we couldn't drive it safely home in its current condition. We were stuck, the boys missing school, and Joe severely hampered in his work capabilities. Luckily for him, he could work in Oakland, since Kaiser is headquartered there. But he was bouncing from one vacant office to the next to be able to complete his business. At least he was able to make due, since we ended up being stuck there for another two weeks waiting for the car to be fixed.
Danielle was so sweet and let us borrow her Quest minivan while we were there, and the boys and I made the most of our "forced" extended vacation. We made grandma and Danielle play with us as we went off to museums and kids places all over the San Francisco area.
In the end it turned out great because everything was covered, we paid nothing to fix the car and were reimbursed for the items that were stolen. Not a bad outcome. On top of that, because the body shop had to take off the entire side panel of the car to fix the damage, they repainted the whole side of the car and preexisting dents and scratches were all fixed up. We got back a car that was better than before. AND we got to play for an extra two weeks. Not too shabby.
Some of the things we did to pass the time:
FINALLY made the gingerbread houses...
Explored the Exploratorium:
Playing with Steam:
The color spectrum wall:
"listening" with cow ears:
Apparently, what you are supposed to do with your Exploratorium stickers at the end:
Four Happy boys:
Official "Field Trip" to the San Jose Museum of Science (we had to do some learning since we were missing school!):
Catching bubbles with your shadow:
Building with magnets
(you were supposed to build spaceships, but Kaelan really liked just stacking them)
Learning about aerodynamics and electricity:
Levi as an Astronaut:
(if you can see him in there)
Hiking Angel Island and learning about immigration injustice:
This was an all day experience. We got up early in the morning, took BART into SF, took a trolley to Pier 39, and took a ferry to Angel Island. That was an adventure in and of itself.
we had to get hot cocoa because it was so cold.
Viewing Alcatraz from the ferry
Sharing hot cocoa to keep warm
We got a free tour of the Immigration Station while we were there, because the rangers thought Kaelan was so cute
This was where they put all asian immigrants when they came, most would never be allowed into the country, but they were essentially prisoners here for months before being returned home. Fear was probably the driving force behind this whole situation.
The immigrants would carve things into the walls, or write on the walls. Mostly poetry, and the feelings they were having, not knowing when they would ever be released or sent home.
Not sure what this bell was for, but the kids really liked being able to ring it.
It rained almost the entire time we were on the island, and we were out in it for the most part. Everyone was so Cold. Kaelan was wearing an extra pair of pants on his head and socks on his hands with a towel for a blanket. He was not a fan of hiking in the rain.
Back to BART and warmth
A much happier Kaelan
And, of course, we just hung out too:
Kaelan and Lawrence enjoying the playhouse together:
When the car was finally fixed, Joe was long gone up to Oregon and so I drove the kiddos home by myself. It wasn't too bad, since Aaron and Emily make a good halfway stopping point.
Home, fabulous home.
I just have to mention, though, that ever since that little "event" it feels like I am still playing catch up with those two weeks I left behind.
