Watch us grow!
After the pool, we all went out to the ocean one last time. Peanut was so happy to be floating in the waves again.
https://youtu.be/emJK28ahHhc
Janie also learned how to float today so she held Dada’s hand and floated with him like a pair of sea otters.
https://youtu.be/tuX1TuMSiCY
After the beach, the girls got ice cream. Janie really deserved this treat after conquering her fear of the big slide and learning how to float.
Aaaaah…so happy.
When we got back to the hotel, the kids were refreshed after their car nap and Peanut was ready to go again. He was so proud of climbing onto the lounge chair and standing up on his own.
It was too windy by the pool, so we all headed out to the beach where it felt 10 degrees warmer out there.
Janie and Sophie played in the water while Avia and Peanut played in the sand.
Dada also helped the girls make sand castles.
We stayed out until the sun went down. Aaaahhh…so pretty.
We later went back up to the room to change into our swim suits and then headed back down to the pool. The weather forecast said there would be no rain and it was right.
With rain in the forecast later in the week, we made the most of our time in the sun.
For lunch, we went to our usual katsu place and it was Janie’s first time eating there since she’s usually sleeping every time we go. Both kids loved their rice and curry.
After lunch, Mama and the kids took a long nap while Dada read his book.
Peanut woke up first so Dada took him down to the lobby to walk around. He even scored some ice cream!! Lucky boy!
This morning, the kids surprisingly slept in until at least 6:30 am HST.
Mama took the kids downstairs while Dada finished sleeping and they were treated to a gorgeous sunrise on the beach.
Auntie Ranee, Uncle Jamie, Sophie, and Avia were also out there. We all had our sand toys so the kids got an early start on their fun in the sand and surf.
Today, we went down to San Jose to celebrate Sadie and Theo’s 5th bithdays. It was an Octonauts party so Janie drew some pictures on their presents. The two go together. On the left is Captain Barnacles stuck in a giant clam and running out of air with the Gup A hanging out above the rough water. The scene on the right is Kwazii trying to rescue Captain in the Gup B. There is also a jellyfish and some fishies swimming in the water.
The party was at an underwater-themed bowling alley next to a Bass Pro Shop.
This was Janie’s first time bowling and she really liked using the ramp because it made the ball roll faster.
https://youtu.be/3NXVSyYn0K4
She wore bowling shoes and had several balls to choose from. This one had a fish on it.
Here’s the score card. As you can see, she made a strike in the 3rd frame and then a spare on the 4th. The girls also played for Peanut who got scared after his first try. I think it was too loud for him on the bowling lane.
After a round of bowling, the kids all gathered for cake. Auntie Ishya went all out on the decorations and party favors. Janie picked out a Captain Barnacles cookie.
The kids all wore their hats. Here’s Janie with her pal Sophie.
At the cake table, Peanut got in on the action. Pretty soon he will be eating cake with the rest of the kids.
Avia certainly enjoyed the banana cake.
Janie opted for a cupcake and Peanut just sat to the side and finished his lunch. He managed to wear the hat for a few minutes before he ripped it off.
Happy 5th Birthday to Theodore and Sadie!!
Tia Patty opened her own sensory gym this year and invited us over for an afternoon of fun.
Peanut hung out in the ball swing with Max who is 10 days older.
There was a train table that he enjoyed destroying.
He also went for a ride on the little burros. First the brown one and then the gray one.
Janie had just as much fun swinging, crawling, jumping, and climbing.
The ball pit with lights underneath was by far her favorite part.
She and Sophie had a fun time together like two little girls in a hot tub.
Meanwhile, Peanut hung out in the pillow pit with Max, Liam, and McKenna. The twins were born just hours after he was at the same hospital!!
Hudson and Henry also came and had a good time.
Sabrina had fun at the train table too but was a little shy around the other kids.
It was so much fun to see all the kids and Mamas all together in one place.
https://youtu.be/P7s4SVOHyOs
Here’s a video of Janie on the trapeze. She wasn’t as fast as her friend Sophie but pretty good for her first try.
Thank you for such a fun party, Tia Patty! We love your gym!
This afternoon, we drove to Lafayette to celebrate Vivan’s 3rd birthday. We arrived early so the kids played at the playground just outside of the gym.
Janie and Peanut enjoyed the firetruck the most.
https://youtu.be/sKF3Tb2DkrU
The party took place inside a kid’s gym. All the kids had a blast climbing, jumping, swinging, and crawling.
https://youtu.be/PFxVGwV-Ufw
Peanut spent some time with Sabrina on the rocking dome. Both were a bit unsure of all the movement.
The big girls tried the trapeze swings and had a fun time swinging, hanging, and crashing on the mat.
https://youtu.be/QVTvhmhpzIw
https://youtu.be/aWZPbE06g7Q
Even Avia gave it a try.
The party continued next door in the party room. Auntie Stephanie made some tasty food and everyone got a cupcake!
After the party was over, we hung out at the playground a bit longer.
https://youtu.be/DRRPizOxBiE
Then we headed to Vivian’s house and the girls played together.
Happy Birthday, Vivian! We had a great time!
Auntie Ranee, Uncle Jamie, Sophie, and Avia invited us over for a pool party. They had lawn chairs set-up in their driveway and the pool was just across the way.
It was sunny and warm in Walnut Creek, which was perfect for a day in the pool. Even Peanut got some pool time!
He enjoyed floating around in his personal floaty with sun shade.
Auntie Ishya and Uncle Billy brought Sadie and Theo over too and all the kids hung out in the pool and outside.
This photo makes it look like their at some kind of resort!
After everyone showered and changed, we hung out inside the house before heading home for nap time.
Peanut really liked Avia’s little piano.
https://youtu.be/jNSk6XMS2e4
Today we had Janie’s 4th birthday party and it had an Octonauts theme complete with sea creatures in a tub filled with water beads and hot dogs made into little octopuses.
We had a “buncha muncha crunchy carrots”, “seaweed chips”, and “coral pieces” as well.
For the birthday cake, Janie wanted chocolate so we turned them into Captain Barnacles’ favorite drink, hot chocolate with extra marshmallows!
Peanut had a fun time hanging out with Yai and Ta. He had his own little ocean-themed play area but didn’t stay on it for very long.
Daddy made sandwiches for everyone and Janie had a small one of her own.
Peanut rode on Uncle Johnny’s shoulders for a bit and was amused by how much hair Uncle had on his head. There was plenty to hold onto up there!
https://youtu.be/ssxL-A4zuCM
The cake was the best part of the party and Janie was very funny toward the end of the birthday song.
I guess she hasn’t quite outgrown her Daddy’s scowl yet.
All her friends thoroughly enjoyed the cake after the singing. Here’s Vivian and the very little cake she had left.
Henry gobbled up his cake in his own way and wore half the frosting on his face.
Sophie licked all the frosting off before chomping into the cake.
Cousin Alice was very dainty and took small licks of the frosting off her finger.
Janie also enjoyed the frosting the most and wore some of it on her face as well.
After cake, the kids went back outside for some more play time. This was the scene at the play dough table. Vivian and Henry had a standoff for the same chair. It was so cute to see how equally stubborn they were.
Janie and Isla also sorted the water beads by color and each of the took home their favorite color.
What a fun party! As an added bonus, Janie got a scoop of strawberry ice cream after dinner. This kid is really making the most of her 4th birthday!!
We bought a Groupon to Oakland Zoo a while back and since everyone we know has a membership, it was the perfect time to meet up! Sophie, Avia, and Vivian joined us this morning for some fun and Janie was so excited to be there! She even wore her safari hat.
Janie rode the gondola for the first time with Dada and got to see lots of animals you can only view from above.
Little Guy got to meet the giraffes at the zoo today.
And Peanut saw an elephant for the first time. Not sure if he could actually see him.
These two girls ran around together throughout the morning.
It’s not Hawaii but the zoo is not bad too.
We watched an elephant grab something to eat out of the tube hanging above. I think the kids and grown-ups were equally amused.
Peanut was a little fussy today but his big sister came by to check up on him once in a while.
At the children’s area, Peanut got to ride in the carrier for a bit and then posed with a tortoise statue before it started to rain.
The morning ended with a ride on the train.
There was a nice view of the bay from there.
They also had some carnival rides nearby and Janie was fired up to drive the car. Vivian also got to drive from the backseat. I love how every seat has a steering wheel.
https://youtu.be/HQrKLOcNFho
Not sure why she had such a mean scowl on her face during the ride.
Looks like she’s tall enough to fly the plane!
She flew all on her own and it’s funny to see that she still has the scowl that we all know and loved when she was a baby.
What a fun morning at the zoo! We’re so happy that our friends could join us too!