Click on any photo to see it full-size. All photos copyright John or Ondine Kuraoka, Barbara Brooks, Bill Nutter, or Frances Kuraoka.
01-01-2007: Oshogatsu spread. Here’s just the part on the kitchen
island, the ozoni stuff is on the stove and the mochi is in the
oven. From top left working clockwise, there is teriyaki chicken, persimmons, kimpira
gobo (burdock root), tangerines, makizushi rolls (uncut) and age-sushi,
sushi rice pressed into forms and rolled in toasted sesame seeds, makizushi,
cucumber salad, and sunomono. The small three dishes hold (from left to
right) seaweed salad, kuromame (sweet black beans), and konyaku.
12-31-2006: Sushi Chef Roy. Here’s Roy carefully making makizushi.
You can see the pile he’s already made (Ondine made the pile of age-sushi
on the left), and he went on to make about a dozen rolls.
12-06-2006: St. Nicholas Day. Here’s our Christmas card family
photo, taken in front of the fireplace. In front, John and Ondine (holding
Buddy, who desperately wants to see what’s in John’s stocking), and in
back, Roy and Leo.
11-23-2006: Thanksgiving! And here are just a few of the people we’re
thankful for. First, around the table, you see Bill and Barbara dishing out
food. Around the table, starting at the closest on the left and working
clockwise, are Kaleb, Autumn, (Roy may be hidden), Jeff, Neena, Michelle,
Winter, and part of Jeffrey’s arm. Next is our traditional couch shot, with
(from left to right) Ellie, Roy, Neena, Leo, Autumn, Jeffrey, Jeff, Kaleb,
Michelle, and Winter.
11-04-2006: Roy and Leo at Balboa Park. Here they are in front of the
California Tower, part of the building that houses the Museum of Man. Leo was
just coming down with a cold, and this photo shows it.
10-31-2006: Halloween! Here are Roy and Leo as vampire (albeit a
brightly dressed one) and ghoul.
09-05-2006: Roy goes back to school. Here’s Roy with his
schultüte, new backpack, and new running shoes, ready for first grade! Then,
here he is in his classroom. It’s a bungalow classroom with only two
slivers for windows, hence the oddly dim colors.
09-04-2006: Felicia’s baby shower. From left to right: Ondine,
Karin, Virginia, Felicia (due in a week or so!), Jill, and Morgan.
08-28-2006: Leo goes back to school. Here’s Leo with his new
triceratops lunchbox
and back-to-school grimace (“this is my pre-school smile!” he said, in
a voice like a dinosaur pirate).
08-27-2006: Kuraoka cousins. A rare get-together with some of the cousins on
John’s Dad’s side of the family. Here you see, from left to right,
Joe, Arthur, Patty, John, Sachi, Cary, Adrienne, and Jim.
08-05 through 08-15: We go camping for a week at Sand Pond. Here are Ondine and
Leo playing on the bank beneath the Sierra Buttes, Roy and John floating a log,
and Buddy resting. Click here to see our entire Sand Pond journal, with lots
more photos and even a couple videos!
07-23-2006: Grammy visits. Here’s John’s Mom, with her grandsons Roy and Leo.
They are posed in front of Leo’s birthday poster that Ondine made, for his
party at Montessori Discovery School.
07-22-2006: Leo’s Birthday Party! In the first photo, going
clockwise around the table starting from Leo (roughly in the middle) are: Greg
(Lily must be down there somewhere), Matthew and Danny, Ilana and Lacy, Roy,
Casey and Ava, and Grammy. In the second photo, going clockwise from Leo, seated
at the head, are (kids only): Ava, Lily, Colton, and Roy. And Buddy, relaxed in
the midst of utter chaos. Third, we have Leo with his dinosaur snout. And
finally, Leo and his dinosaur ice cream cake, with Lacy looking on.
07-20-2006: Leo’s Birthday Bike. Leo is four years old! Here he
is riding his new bike, with a little help from Daddy.
07-10-2006: Buddy. Here’s Buddy the dog, settling in on the patio
after a walk.
07-06-2006: Buddy joins the family. Here we are with our new addition.
John is holding Buddy (who is understandably looking a bit worried about this
new pack he’s joined), Ondine is holding Leo, and Roy is being Buddy. This would have been our family portrait, except for Roy’s
tight-lipped dog-look.
06-14-2006: Doughnuts with Dad. Here’s Leo and John celebrating Father’s Day at MDS.
06-04-2006: Roy turns six! Here’s the crowd celebrating Roy’s
birthday. Going clockwise around the table in the first photo, starting from
Roy, are Kelly, Michael (partial), Greg (at bottom left), Cydney, Cody, Zachary,
Leo, Zack, Dennis, and Alex. Going clockwise around the second photo, starting
with Roy, are Kelly, Michael, Emma (at the far end), Max (partly hidden), Greg,
Cydney, Cody, Zachary, Leo, Zack, Dennis, and Alex. In the third photo are an
Emmasaurus and Cydney playing the congas. Finally, we have Roy and his dinosaur ice cream
cake!
05-10-2006: Muffins with Mom. Here’s Leo and Ondine celebrating Mother’s Day at Montessori Discovery School.
05-08-2006: Roy and John with their racing bibs. Here are Roy and
John before heading off to school wearing their T-shirts from the race and
holding their race numbers.
05-06-2006: We run the Kid’s Magic Mile. Here are Roy and Leo
before the start, with their number bibs. Then, Roy and Leo on their marks in
the starting line-up. Finally, Roy gunning it through an open spot in the pack.
04-29-2006: Descanso Gardens with Grammy. Roy and Leo and Grammy
listen to some Celtic music. Then we all try out some musical instruments. The
last shot is Ondine with the boys at the bird sanctuary. These, by the way, are
the first set of photos from our new HP m22 digital camera, after John dropped
our Canon A70 into a creek in Sedona.
03-13-2006: Leo and Lily. A mischievous pair if ever there was one,
all deviltry and daring. Ondine took Leo to Mast Park to play with Lily.
03-12-2006: Ondine and Roy on Cowles Mountain. All that rain made it a
beautiful day to hike to the summit.
03-11-2006: Hail! We got hail! So we went out to slide down the
driveway on a scrap of cardboard and pelt each other with hailballs. Here’s Leo
getting ready to cream the photographer. Then, we rousted Barbara out of her
warm, cozy house to come out and play. There they are in the third photo:
Barbara and Ondine, and Leo and Roy.
03-11-2006: Ondine starts up her worm ranch. Inspired by an article
and motivated by a desire to save worms from drowning after the recent rains,
Ondine whipped up this nifty worm condo out of yogurt containers, masking tape,
and a pie tin.
03-02-2006: Roy is an award-winning writer. Roy was awarded First
Place in the 3rd Annual Read Across America Writing Competition, Kindergarten
category. In-class essays prompted by Dr. Seuss stories were judged by staff writers at the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Here are (left to right) Roy and his classmate, friend, and fellow winner Zachary; Roy and a proud Ondine; and
Roy flanked by his teacher, Mrs. Youngman, and his friends
Dennis and Max, all decked out in their Cat-in-the-Hat hats!
02-19-2006: Stylin’ Leo. Leo has his Spiderman shades and his
cool fleece jacket. He’s ready for anything!
01-29-2006: We go whale watching! Here are Roy and Leo with Ondine, and Roy and Leo with John. A great trip, except for the throwing-up parts.
01-14-2006: Sleeping buddies. Roy and Leo wanted to re-live Germany by sharing a bed again. Awww.
01-09-2006: Bruddas. Roy and Leo do really adore each other, between the squabbles.
01-01-2006: Partial Playgroup. Moms (left to right): Kim, Ondine,
Carey. Kids (left to right): Roy, Carson, Greg, Cydney, Matthew, Leo.
12-04-2005: Family holiday photo, 2005. Here we are in the front
yard! Leo is 3-1/2, Roy is 5-1/2.
Archived Photos from 2005
Archived Photos from 2004
Back to the Kuraoka Family main page