We are upon the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Hmmm, you may ask yourself - why is this important? Well it's been very important in our house lately because Ry and Si are singing for two events to mark the commemoration. Tonight was the first, in Palo Alto. There were convocations and speeches and newsreels and then their beautiful school choir singing hungarian songs. There were loud cheers and crying on the part of the older folks who were quite touched that the children could sing in hungarian so clearly and beautifully. I got a little history lesson tonight as well. Sadly, after a long day, the dark room and black and white of the newsreel seemed to help me drift off to sleep in the middle. When I awoke I thought the revolution was a success. Hmmm. Thank goodness for the keynote speaker who set me straight as he went through the timeline. Anyway, the kids did an amazing performance and we're off to San Francisco on Monday evening to see them sing the Hungarian and American national anthems for the celebration there.

While writing about Peter and the Wolf the other day, it got me to thinking about all the holiday events that are coming up. It's time to book your holiday tea reservations! There are four children's teas that stand out.

The Ritz Carlton has a "Teddy Bear Tea"– Friday, November 24 through Sunday, December 24, 2006. Children and their favorite stuffed animals gather daily at The Lobby Lounge's cozy fireplace for traditional "Teddy Bear Tea" with "Binky the Elf." The afternoon includes classic holiday storytelling, balloons, a visit and photograph with the cuddly Ritz-Carlton Teddy, a small teddy bear to take home, as well as a "tea" of hot chocolate, teddy bear cut-out cookies, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The first seating is 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; the second seating is 1 to 2:30 p.m. "Binky The Elf," The Ritz-Carlton Teddy Bear, and a piano accompanist perform at each event. Teddy Bear Tea is $65 per guest, inclusive of tax and gratuity. A portion of the proceeds from each child's tea will benefit The Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation. For reservations call 415.773.6198.

The Top of the Mark has a Children’s Tea that includes delicious tea sandwiches, scones and dessert buffet, plus strolling magicians with live birds and rabbits, and a special holiday gift from the Top of the Mark. Children's Tea is $39 exclusive of tax & gratuity. Fridays & Saturdays, beginning Dec 1 – Dec 30, 12noon - 3pm. For reservations call 415.616.6916.

The Garden Court at the Palace Hotel offers Prince or Princess Tea Nov 25th thru Dec 30th. Children are given sceptors and crowns along with tea service. Mondays thru Saturdays with seatings every half hour from 2:00-3:30pm. $38.00 for Adults, $30.00 for children (12 and under). Mondays, Dec 4th, 11th, 18th will be the Santa Tea. These days Santa Claus will be in the Garden Court to take photos with children. $38.00 flat price for adults and all children ages 12 and under. For reservations call 415.546.5089.

Finally, the Fairmont Hotel has Nutcracker Tea in The Laurel Court. This is last year's information - just call for the updated dates. Every day November 25, 2005 through January 2, 2006, the Laurel Court will house a gingerbread winter wonderland, setting the stage for holiday cheer. Children will enjoy a special holiday tea menu worthy of the Sugar Plum Fairy. They will also receive a Nutcracker toy and gingerbread toy soldiers to decorate with the help of the hotel's pastry chef. Adults can toast the season with a complimentary glass of champagne. Gingerbread Tea is $49 USD plus tax and gratuity for adults and children. For an additional $15 USD, adults can indulge in caviar with their holiday repast. For reservations call 415.772.5260.

You must, must, must see the San Francisco Youth Symphony Orchestra perform Peter and the Wolf. It is an absolutely delightful performance, and it's great to see more long-haired orchestra dudes. And this year, the narrator is Florence Henderson! That's right - Mrs. Brady will guide you through the classic Prokofiev piece. Seriously, use my link and order your tickets right away. It's Sat., December 16 at 1p and 4p. We like to sit on the side terrace over the orchestra for a really close-up view.

As much as I complain about soccer, Ry and Si sure are cute when they're out there running their little tushies off. I've decided the only way to keep myself sufficiently entertained is by trying to catch that one great shot of their foot connecting with the ball. I've yet to get it in two games but I'll keep on trying. And at least when Si played goalie she got to wear a really cute jersey. Because we all know that what's important is to look cute when playing this or any sport. Man, I can't wait 'til baseball season. At least then you can have a proper social conversation with your neighbor whilst awaiting the next play. Why, you can even have a lovely picnic if you'd like. Not with soccer. Maybe that's the part that's so perturbing for me.....you have to actually be a fairly active spectator. Go little Johnny....pass the ball.....kick it......run up.......run back......yikes - if I wanted that much action I'd dust the cobwebs off my gym membership and go for a workout. At least then I'd see some results for all that activity.

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is coming up November 1 and 2. If you need to put together your ofrenda (altar), two great resources are Corazon del Pueblo which is on International between 48th and 49th in Oakland, and Casa Oaxaca which is on Solano Ave. in Albany near the BART tracks. Corazon definitely has much more but there are a couple of fun things at Casa that you won't find at Corazon. The Fruitvale Dia de los Muertos Festival is on Sunday, November 5, where you'll find many items for next year's ofrenda. I love the concept of the whole celebration, because it is, in fact, a celebration. The more comfortable we become with celebrating the memory of our deceased loved ones, the better and healthier our lives will be. Some good books for children: Day of the Dead by Linda Lowery, Day of the Dead – A Mexican-American Celebration by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, and Day of the Dead – A Latino Celebration of Family and Life by Carol Gnojewski. We found all of these and more in the children's room of the Oakland Main Library. Click here for a short history of Dia de los Muertos. When Ry and Si and I finish with our ofrenda, I'll post the pictures.

I am so 30 seconds ahead of the curve. This is the picture from the cover of the Sunday Chronicle's datebook section talking about Bingo & Beer and other adult drinking games that are all the rage in clubs in the City right now. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, check my posting from 9.28. If I could just get 5 minutes ahead of the curve, there's money to be made.

By the way, for those who don't know, anytime you see a green highlighted word or phrase in the text within the body of the blog, it means there's a link so check it out.....

Don't forget that Hardly Strictly Bluegrass will be in the City this weekend. We saw the incomparable Dolly Parton there last year. It's a great family event and it's free free free! Be sure to take public transport unless you can finagle an overnight invite from a friend in the avenues. Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett, Hot Tuna, GE Smith (did you know he was actually married for a brief time to Gilda Radner? - weird), and Emmylou Harris are just a few of the performers this year.

Yeah! Scott finished the bike racing season today with a second place win in the mountain bike category of a road race. It's a great way to end the season. There was a lovely little dinner party here last night....no one over the age of 7. The best part about a kids' dinner party? All the guests go home by 9:30! So nobody's tired or hung over on Sunday morning! Pictured is the true star of the party.

One of my favorite news resources is called NewsMap and it gives you the eye candy version of news - which speaks to my interest level in the news. You can personalize it by type of news....so that works in case you only want to see, say, entertainment and business news.