Watch us grow!
This morning, we went to Walnut Creek for brunch with Sophie, Avia, and Vivian.
Janie packed her Legos and shared with her pals while we waited for the food to arrive.
After our meal, the kids got to run around and play together. Peanut was busy walking up and down the ramp while the girls took a really cute photo together.
We also took a short walk down the Farmers Market before going our separate ways.
We’ve been dreading this day but now it’s time to fly back to the Bay Area. Peanut sat on one of the lobby chairs waiting for Dada to bring the car around and it reminded me of a photo we took of Janie when she was 2.
Before returning the rental car, we had to stop at Auntie Yoon and Uncle Kurt’s office to drop off the gear we borrowed from them. We are so happy they will be in town for Christmas this year!
Once we arrived at the airport and got through security, the kids were free to explore until it was time to board the plane.
Highlights: Janie sat with Sophie for a couple episodes of Paw Patrol and Peanut took two naps.
Luckily the flight home was only 4.5 hours and both kids did unusually well.
Auntie Yoon bought us tickets for the Holiday Lights Trolley tonight!
We all hopped on a party trolley complete with Christmas lights and festive music blasting.
Peanut stood with Dada for most of the ride and danced to the music.
https://youtu.be/AEiraPOcmGw
I think he had the best time.
We arrived Downtown right at the same time as the Tsaos! They had just walked over from their car and we waved to each other as the trolley drove by.
There was a huge display including a Shaka Santa and lots of trees inside.
We had so much fun! Thanks again, Auntie Yoon!
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.
It’s our last full day in Hawaii and the sun came out in full force! What a difference from yesterday’s rain! The kids were in the pool by 9am today and I’m not sure Peanut enjoyed being pushed around in the pool.
Before lunch, the girls went to the koi pond to feed the fish. Then Janie went to lunch with Dada while Peanut took his nap.
Once she got back, she was ready for more time in the pool. While she waited for Sophie to wake from her nap, she made a new friend, Dahlia, from Toronto. They played ball and hide and seek for a good hour.
Eventually, everyone woke up from their naps and Peanut was thirsty! It’s so cute seeing him copy everything his sister does.
Janie mustered up enough courage to go down the dreaded “big slide” today.
https://youtu.be/FBc1wpESt24
She said it was “too fast” and cried the second time she went down.
She also let Dada throw her up in the air and didn’t cry when she had to float herself back up to the surface.
https://youtu.be/lWc3dowTUyM
Peanut loved the pool and didn’t seem too scared of the water.
https://youtu.be/tS1ohn_qxjk
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!
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!!
Since the dentist office is in Walnut Creek, we met up with Auntie Ranee, Sophie, and Avia at Arbolada Park. Janie braved the tall playground structures and went down the slides with no hands to avoid the static shock on the way down.
The girls rode on the bee and the double swing together too.
For lunch, we went to Black Bear Diner and Janie shared some of her spaghetti with her pal Sophie.
Then before heading home, we stopped at Trader Joe’s. She asked nicely for some stickers at the register and the cashier hooked her up with a huge roll of Halloween stickers!
For Mama’s birthday celebration, we met up with Mama’s friends for lunch and s’mores at SPARK. Janie couldn’t wait to see her friends and was so happy to see Sophie when she arrived. The two girls played a little foosball before lunch.
Peanut enjoyed his lunch under the canopy and then went down for a nap in the stroller.
After lunch, we sat around the fire pit, roasted marshmallows, and made s’mores. It sprinkled a little but the heat kept us warm.
This girl had the best time roasting marshmallows and eating them!!
This was our ride home. Janie rode her scooter while Dada rode his skateboard. Peanut rode from behind in the stroller and we brought home two more marshmallows for later.