New Year’s Eve 2014
On our first day back at home, it was also New Year’s Eve. We spent the morning just unpacking and putting things away. Janie also opened her doctor kit and had to introduce the new members of the GG club to the rest of the gang.
She also thought it would be a good idea to get everyone caught up on their vaccinations.
It is cold and flu season after all!
For lunch, we went to the mall and rode a very crowded muni train back.
We celebrated EST New Year with Uncle Johnny, Alice, and Auntie Joy. They all looked ready for by at 9pm.
http://youtu.be/rd2-kWLJo5E
Here she is saying “Happy New Year” to everyone.
http://youtu.be/peCOSmD_uss
This is a funny outtake.
http://youtu.be/cL74ZuFvfKk
Janie also enjoyed some lemon sorbet as a special holiday treat.
Later that evening, we bundled up and walked down to the Bay Bridge where they would have fireworks at midnight. Janie pulled the beanie over her eyes and just went to sleep. She missed the whole show and slept well.
This is what she missed. Happy New 2015!!
Mexico: Day Three
Our flight home wasn’t scheduled until 4:10 so there was plenty of time to go back to the beach and pool. But first, a nice hearty breakfast!
First stop was the pool. Janie was so excited.
The pool was super empty at the time that we went so it was nice and quiet too.
Luckily the sun came out strong and there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky today.
Next up was the beach for a little more digging and meatball-making.
She also braved Mr. Ocean and managed to get her feet in the water.
http://youtu.be/a5T3uWVzZTE
Here’s a video of her slowly making her way in.
By the end, she was running into the water to scoop up some water.
Then before it was time to wash up and pack, Janie went in for one last dip with Daddy. They enjoyed the view and our little slice of the infinity pool together.
Ama and Ankong stopped by to find us and got some snuggles in.
We had brunch outside at the pool after checking out and Janie got a wooden giraffe toy. Uncle Jason bought it for her from the vendor nearby.
It’s one of those toys that dances when you press the button underneath and it really cracked her up.
Here’s our family photo before heading out to the airport.
On the plane, Janie enjoyed doodling with her hotel pen and pad of paper.
She was very good on our 3-hour flight home and got some cranberry juice to sip along the way.
When we arrived at LAX, we had a long walk to customs and Janie ran the whole way. She had so much energy that must have been saved up on the plane. I think this girl was just happy to be free from the seat belt!
Mexico: Day Two
Last night, Janie fell asleep in our bed and stayed there all night. Mommy and Daddy switched places between the bed and the sofa bed mid-way through. She really slept in today.
When she woke up, she was starving and had a big bowl of rice porridge that Mommy made in the room. And of course, it had a side of Os and dried strawberries.
In the morning, we went down to the beach to greet Mr. Ocean. Unfortunately, it started to rain too.
So we camped out under a canopy and passed the time with some more painting.
After the rain stopped for a bit, we went out to the sand to do some digging.
We later had a late breakfast and she only wanted to eat fruit this morning so that’s what she got – plenty of fruit.
By noon, the sun came out and everyone was back in the pool.
http://youtu.be/Jl1lJacu6DA
We tried to teach her how to blow bubbles in the water but she just couldn’t handle it.
http://youtu.be/km8ymjigs00
Later, we figured out that there was a portion of the pool that she could stand with the water up to her chin. It was funny to watch her walk around saying “I’m swimming!” She also couldn’t understand why the water kept touching her chin.
Once the sun started to go down, Janie was out of the pool and fell asleep on Ankong’s lap. She had a pretty good nap before dinner.
For dinner, we went out for a nice Italian dinner in Nuevo Vallarta. They didn’t have anymore highchairs left so Janie did her best to stay in her giant chair.
She took a few selfies with Ankong while we waited for dessert.
This was a nice way to end our second day in Mexico.
Mexico: Day One
Janie woke up bright and early and was ready to say “hello” to Mr. Ocean. She had been asking to play in the sand for days now and it was finally her time!
The beach was really quiet and the weather was already warm at 9am. Ankong was also up early so he helped build sandcastles.
http://youtu.be/pBbiWIi8xX4
At one point, Janie found a comfy lounge chair, pulled the hat over her face, and said “I’m relaxing”.
This kid cracks me up sometimes.
After breakfast, Daddy took Janie “swimming” in the pool.
It was more like walking around in the pool for her but she loved it.
For a late lunch, we all took the bus to Puerto Vallarta.
Janie must have really enjoyed herself earlier because one minute she was snacking and then another passed out next to me in her seat.
We found a little place to eat in town and she woke up in time to join us.
She also wanted some limes to go and the nice abuela was nice enough to give her a lime cut into wedges for the bus ride back.
Our final stop for the evening was a little plaza in Nuevo Vallarta. We spent some time reading, eating frozen yogurt, and sipping coffee. Janie loved her “special treat” of strawberry yogurt with fresh strawberries and coconut on top.
Disneyland 2014
On Christmas Eve, we went to Disneyland once again and it was Janie’s 3rd trip. This year it seemed more exciting for her and on the days leading to it, she would tell anyone around her “I’m going to Disneyland!”
http://youtu.be/eOXPMUxV9KE
Here she is waiting for the tram from the parking lot to the park.
Our first stop was Disney’s California Adventure where we visited Santa. She’s still not a fan of Santa so we took a family photo this year.
On our way to Cars Land, Janie was so excited to see the trolley and wanted to ride it so badly. So, of course, that’s what we did!
She also enjoyed the “special treat” that she received from Santa’s helpers. Candy canes are so yummy!
While the grown-ups went on the Cars ride, Janie and Alice hung out with Ta outside.
It was a very sunny morning in Cars Land and Janie saw Lightning McQueen drive by.
We also took another family photo in front of the sign.
On our way to see Elsa and Anna, the cousins held hands as they walked down the street. I love this picture of the two of them.
Up until this moment, Janie was so excited to meet Elsa and Anna. But, as I had predicted, she was so starstruck that she wouldn’t look at Elsa and only peeked at Anna from Daddy’s shoulder.
http://youtu.be/t76CdCokOPU
After the Meet and Greet, it was time to head over to Disneyland. I just love this video of Janie running across the esplanade with her favorite Christmas song playing in the background. This is one very happy kid.
Once we entered the park, the first thing she noticed was the horse pulling a trolley. She was so happy to see this for some reason.
This is how we kept her nearby as we walked through the crowds.
Here are some photos of us in front of some famous landmarks.
After lunch, everyone took a potty break and Janie was so happy to see that they had a toilet that was just her size!! It’s found in the baby care center where they have tiny little flushing toilets next to the changing tables. She managed to pee and make two “meatball poo-poos” (in her words).
She also had to announce it to the whole family so Uncle Johnny helped her celebrate.
We had talked about meeting Winnie the Pooh and all his friends for the past two weeks. When it came time to say “hi”, Janie only wanted to stand back and watch them from afar.
After riding the Pooh ride, Janie was out for the count. She and Alice both took a nice long nap while the grown-ups went on Thunder Mountain.
After their naps, we headed over to Fantasyland where Janie met Olaf! He said “hi” to her and told her some jokes too.
Here we are in line for the Casey Jr. Train.
We all sat in the monkey cage and Alice didn’t want the ride to end.
We also rode Dumbo together and Janie got to make our elephant go up and down.
The carousel was the girls’ favorite ride of the day. Luckily there wasn’t much of a line and we got to go on twice!!
In the afternoon, we went down to Main Street to reserve a spot for the parade.
The girls had a lot of fun snacking and hanging out together.
I love this photo of the girls with their grandparents.
This one is funny too. Alice was stealing Janie’s broccoli in this photo. Too bad she didn’t want to eat it.
Since there was plenty of time to kill before the parade, we browsed the gift stores nearby and Janie was so excited to see Nemo!! So many Nemos!!
When the parade started, Janie was awestruck. There was so much to see and hear!
She just sat there with these wide eyes and sheepishly waved to a few of the characters that went by.
After the parade, we headed down to It’s a Small World.
Once again, Janie just sat there quietly taking it all in. Funny girl.
While we ate dinner, Janie took another nap in the stroller. Luckily, she woke up just in time for the fireworks and snow.
What an exciting (and long) day for this little 2-year-old. This was certainly the best trip yet now that she understands and recognizes so much more.
Merry Christmas!!!
morning at home
OK, so we didn’t do all the things we had planned but Janie still had lots of fun.
Uncle Johnny and Alice came over this morning and we all had breakfast together. Janie also did a much better job sharing toys with Alice today.
Then she went outside to ride one of the tricycles that Uncle Pish handed down to our family.
It’s fun to have so much sidewalk to explore and ride.
Then Mommy took a turn and we took some photos to recreate an old photo of Yai and Mommy.
Janie also practiced walking on a curb all by herself at the school parking lot.
breakfast and shopping
The rain has finally given us a break so we went out this morning for some breakfast at the Farmer’s Market.
We had some delicious pastrami sandwiches and pickles.
It’s a family selfie!!
Janie liked watching the ferry come in while she waited for Daddy’s coffee.
Then we walked down to Union Square to do some shopping before heading home for nap time..
Shopping for a Tree
During lunch, Janie snoozed right through it and then woke up as we were paying the bill. On the way home, we stopped at the tree lot to pick out a tree.
There were so many little trees to choose from!
This is the one we picked out and Janie was not in the mood to take a picture with it.
Once Big GG climbed up onto the tree, she warmed up to the idea.
She finally agreed to take a picture with a tree.
We walked the tree home by using the stroller and Janie got to ride on Uncle Jason’s shoulders.
IKEA Adventure
This morning, we went to IKEA to buy a bookshelf. Janie said “the sun in my eye” and asked for sunglasses while we were in the car.
Janie had such a fun time at the store. It’s like an amusement park for her.
While in the shopping cart, she took notes on what we were going to buy.
She also tried out the beds and Daddy and Mommy decided that it was time to buy her one.
Somehow Daddy got her bed, the mattress, a bookshelf, and a shoe storage rack to all fit inside the car. This is what Janie looked like on the way home.
Mama also sat in the back with her. We all made it home in one piece!