Ladybugs in Redwood Park

Ladybugs on the pinecone

On some leaves

Look closely, they are everywhere!

Quite happy to crawl around on Alex too!

After preschool today, Alex and I met up with Johnny and Carrie for a little hike to see if the ladybugs were wintering in Redwood Park this year.  Sure enough, if you follow the Stream Trail almost to the point where it meets up with the Eucalyptus Trail, there they are on the lefthand side of the trail.....everywhere!  I've heard there are also alot of them near where it meets up with the Prince Trail.

At first you don't notice them, because they blend in with the rusty color of the pine needles on the ground, but once you start looking, you see them everywhere.  As Alex told David in a phone conversation on the way home "they were everywhere, hundreds and hundreds of them, Daddy!"  That was not an exaggeration at all.  It is interesting that they were in the exact same spot that we saw them last year.  I guess that area of Redwood Park is like their Arizona or Florida.  After hanging out with the ladybugs for a bit, we headed back and had a nice little lunch at the "Girls Camp" picnic area.  The weather was so nice, it was hard to actually drive home.  If you are in the area, check out the ladybugs.  It is a nice walk and the weather is supposed to be fabulous like this for the next week or so.

Seeds and Airplanes

Carefully pouring the water to make the pellets "grow".

Ready to plant

One of the airplanes we watched at the Alameda Model Airplane Park

Yesterday was a low-key day.  We spent some time at the park with Xena, went to Alameda to check out some birds and watch some model airplanes, had some lunch outside and then planted some beets, pear tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and leeks in the evening.  The weather has been amazing all week, making it feel more like Spring than Winter, but that is just fine with me!  More playdates at the park and less being cooped up in the house and dreading going out in the rain.

Exploratorium

Working on making an arc between the two rods

So serious in front of the Palace of Fine Arts, where the Exploratorium is housed.

Alex thought that the goldfish with the "funky" heads were funny.

Busy concentrating

Watching the birds....always a favorite.

We visited the Exploratorium (http://www.exploratorium.edu/) in San Francisco on Saturday morning for a few hours and had lots of fun with all of the exhibits there.  It was a gorgeous day and the Palace of Fine Arts is a beautiful setting, so we enjoyed some time outside as well before and after our visit to the museum.  Alex (and Daddy) loved all of the activity, the levers, buttons and other hands on opportunities.  Thanks to Steph for giving us the membership.  I can see us taking many more visits in the future.  

It's Official!

Tuesday at our 20 week ultrasound appointment, we finally found out.....K2 is a girl!  Yes, in June, Alex will be a big brother to a little sister.  We saw fingers, toes, nose, spine, arms, legs, heart chambers, brain....it is amazing what you can see, really.  As you can see above, she has her leg pointed straight up, while just chillin' out.  She definitely was cooperative during the ultrasound and doesn't seem to be as much of a wiggler as her brother was.  Very exciting news, just wanted to share.

An Outing of a Different Kind

On Monday it was very windy and chilly outside (trust me, it was in the 30's without a windchill, which constitutes cold for me these days) and I could not bear the thought of of going to the zoo to walk around, so I suggested a field trip of a different kind; one that Alex loves every time.  We went to a store, a big store, you know the one, big, blue and yellow, all kinds of place for kiddos to run around and explore, with a cafeteria and frozen yogurt to boot.  Alex always enjoys going here (maybe it is the Scandanavian part of his heritage) and I must admit that on many occasions, when the weather is either really hot or really cold, we have gone there to spend some time.

Why is it so great?  Let me count the ways:  1) family parking (when you can get it) is cool!, 2) unlimited possibilities for running around and exploring for the little ones, not just in the kids section, but in the entire store.  We spent over an hour looking at kitchen vignettes and Alex was super happy to try out each and every breakfast nook and barstool combination, open cabinets, and explore the appliances.  3) a cafeteria with a nice view of the Bay, or alternatively, as was our case on Monday, a nice view of the escalator, which is another great form of entertainment for a preschooler.  4) a cafeteria which often offers free lunches for kids.  Yes, a free lunch!  The first time that it happened I questioned the cashier on the amount which she was charging and she kindly told me that Alex's lunch was free.  Bonus! and finally 5) frozen yogurt cones for $1.  Alex is under the impression that a yogurt cone is always part of the deal there.  We share one every time, because frankly, he is good every time and I feel he deserves it ;-)  All in all, not a bad place to take kids.  Next time that the weather is bad and you're thinking of what kind of outing you can take....consider it.

Sushi

 Enjoying the salmon portion of the orange blossom roll

On the hunt for more salmon

Ano Nuevo State Reserve

 Little hiker ready to go find the elephant seals

 On our way to see the elephant seals

 A big elephant seal lounging next to a bench

 Shows how close we actually were to the elephant seals

 Chillin'

 Some seals having a conversation on the beach

Almost back

Yesterday we decided to take a trip down the coast for the day.  We had a couple of activities in mind, one of them was to stop at Ano Nuevo State Reserve and see if we could possibly get in on one of the guided tours to see the elephant seals.  During breeding season, which is basically December until late March, you can only visit the reserve if you go on a guided tour provided by the park.  What we did not know last time we tried to go and they were sold out, is that there are a certain number of "first come, first served" tickets set aside for each day.  We were able to get in on some of those tickets yesterday and really enjoyed our trip.

We had no idea that you would get so much closer to the elephant seals during this time of year.  When we went in June last time, the seals were still quite far away, but this time, we were within 25 to 30 feet of many of them, just lounging along the trails in puddles or on the sand.  It is definitely worth a trip to see them.  They are huge animals and in the setting at Ano Nuevo is beautiful.  To find out more about Ano Nuevo, check out their website at: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=523.  

Kiwi Picking!

It's a kiwi!

Alex taking his work very seriously

Off to find the kiwis

On a mission

We visited Swanton Berry Farm (http://www.swantonberryfarm.com/) yesterday to take advantage of the season for a different kind of fruit this time....kiwis!  It was much colder than the strawberry and blackberry picking adventures we had last year, but still an enjoyable time.  We were all excited to see how kiwis grew and Alex had fun finding all of the fruit which was ready to be picked.  Also, it looks like they are expanding their strawberry fields at the Coastways location, so it looks like we should have even more strawberries to pick next season.  Added bonus was that Ano Nuevo and Swanton Berry Farm are less than a mile apart, so we were able to enjoy both activities in one trip!  We stopped at Costanoa's Cascade Bar and Grille on the way back for a nice lunch by the fireplace and some hot chocolate to warm up from our adventures.  What a great way to spend a January Saturday.

Play Cafe

The fireman with his dog

Getting ready to jump!

Chillin' in the ball pit

We spent a nice Tuesday afternoon at Play Cafe (http://www.playcafellc.com/) this past week.  We hadn't checked it out before, but found that it was alot of fun for the kids and the lunch options were pretty good too!  Johnny and Alex enjoyed the ball pit, as well as the trains and the dress up clothes (the fireman's outfit in particular).  Plenty of fun options for a chilly day.  

Sticks and Stones

Our boy at Crown Beach in Alameda on Boxing Day.  He always loves to throw sticks and stones into the water, no matter where we are.