The Alameda Art & Wine Festival was going on right next to the breakfast place so the kids got to ride the ferris wheel and car ride.
Peanut put his glasses on so he could find Daddy down below.
Swim and Breakfast
This morning, we took Janie to her swim class and then had breakfast at Jim’s with the family.
Peanut’s 3rd Birthday Party
We celebrated Peanut’s 3rd birthday with a big construction party. Auntie Jia caught him stealing from the snack table while we were setting up.
The party was complete with trucks, sand, and bubbles.
We had lots of family and friends over to celebrate and it was fun to have everyone together.
Peanut was so happy to see his construction birthday cake, which Mama decorated with Uncle Jason’s help.
What a fun party!!
Oakland Zoo
We went to the Oakland Zoo today!
A bunch of new California exhibits opened at the top of the gondola recently.
Our favorite was the grizzly bear exhibit. Reminds me of the one they have at the San Francisco Zoo.
We love the new gondola ride. The best part is that it’s included with admission now (instead of $4 for the old one).
Lower Lip
This morning, the kids were outside playing with their neighborhood friends as usual when we heard Peanut crying. It was an “I’m hurt cry” so Mama went to investigate. Turns out the kids were hunting for bugs in a tree. KK was using a metal garden trowel to hack at the tree trunk and when it bounced back, Peanut’s face was in the way. So, he got a deep cut under his lower lip that wouldn’t stop bleeding.
Mama held him on her lap and applied pressure to the cut for at least two Paw Patrol episodes and it finally stopped leaking. At that point, we felt it wasn’t necessary to take him to the emergency department at the hospital. Janie felt so bad but Peanut took it rather well. The only thing he couldn’t tolerate was eating and drinking for the first part of the day because the inside of his lip was also cut.
So, we kept him inside for the rest of the day and all he wanted to do was sit on the couch. He was drooling for most of the day and just wasn’t in the mood to talk or play anything else. Poor guy.
Luckily for us, he perked up by the evening and even enjoyed a few lamb lollipops. What a champ.
Heading Home
It was time to pack up the minivan and head home. We took another family photo once we were all cleaned up.
The drive home took use through some winding roads but it was really pretty.
We ended up in Napa Valley for lunch and enjoyed some tasty stuff at Genova’s Delicatessen, one of Mama’s favorite places.
Cookies and Hugs
Auntie Amy brought over the girls one last time this afternoon. They also brought us fancy cookies!
The kids enjoyed playing together before saying their goodbyes. They will be driving down to Southern California tomorrow to visit Toni and Thomas.
It’s so much fun having family over!
Vancouver Family
Our family from Vancouver is in town this weekend! Yay!
We met up with Auntie Amy, Uncle Jay, Amelia, and Ellie at the ferry and rode over to SF together!
For lunch, we went to Hog Island Oyster Co. It was super hot outside today.
The dads enjoyed some local beer in the shade while the kids ran around for a bit.
We went inside the Ferry Plaza to cool off and get some ice cream!!
The girls enjoyed chatting and exploring together. Love how it took them no time to warm up to each other. It was like we just saw them yesterday even though it was December when we last saw them in Hong Kong.
We tried to go to the playground but it was way too hot. So we spent some time in the shade at Justin Herman Plaza.
Next was a ride on Muni over to the mall. It was nice to be inside where it was a lot cooler.
Peanut loved the train ride.
At the mall, the kids played at the Lego store.
Then they took a bunch of rides up and down the spiral escalators with Dada.
For dinner, we walked to R&G Lounge so Auntie Amy could get some salt and pepper crab.
After dinner, we walked back to the ferry terminal and had a short ride back to Alameda. Peanut and Ellie shared some Cheetos while Amelia and Janie had some “alone time” at a separate table by the window.
What a fun day in San Francisco!!
Packed up and Heading Home
What a fun camping trip! We spent the morning packing up all our gear and took one last family photo at the campsite.
On our drive out of the foreset, we stopped for one last look at the view. That’s King’s Canyon National Forest across the way!
he kids passed out on the drive down the mountain and did a great job on the ride back.
Sequoia National Park: Day 2
On our second full day, we took the shutter bus to the Giant Forest Museum.
We learned the life cycle of a tree and then went for a walk to the meadow nearby.
It was lined with giant sequoias and there were little streams here and there.
Here is Peanut at the base of a fallen tree. It’s so big!!
After lunch, Janie turned her book into the Park Ranger, took an oath, and then received her Junior Park Ranger badge!
We also purchased a National Park passport and went around collecting a few stamps to commemorate our visit.
Back at the campground, Peanut took a nap and Janie hung out in the hammock with Dada.
Later it was snack time and then the kids went exploring. It’s great to watch them find new things to play and do.
The kids tried to make a teeter-totter. It was fun until Peanut got catapulted off. It looks worse than it actually was. He was just fine when it happened and got back on.
Peanut also found a stump that made a perfect drum.
They also had fun playing in the tent. The flashlights were a big hit.
After dinner, we had another round of s’mores.
This was an extra gooey one but so yummy!