Hmmmm......

"I'm madder than a chicken with a chicken wing loose", says the big brother to the little sister as they fight over the toy crane.

Summertime!

We had one of the warmer days of the year today, so David and Alex put together the kid wash while Julia took a nap.  She remembered exactly what it was and was excited to try it out once she woke up.

Azaleas

The azaleas are so pretty right now.  There are a couple of varieties in the yard.  The pink striped white ones are very interesting.  They are mixed in on the plant which just has white flowers.  Some just have streaks, while I found one today which was half and half.

Pretty Girl

Julia and I were outside in the front yard today admiring the azaleas which we both love.  Such a pretty girl!

Curiodyssey

After dropping Liv at the airport, the kids and I went to Curiodyssey in San Mateo, just about 10 minutes from the airport.  It is a science and wildlife center which is small, but full of plenty of animals to look at, science displays and experiments to participate in and the grounds are nicely done with butterfly and hummingbird gardens and plenty of benches where you can stop and have a picnic.  Some of the favorites today were the aviary, the black widow spider, the see through bee hive, the burrowing owls and the raccoon.  As you can see, one can get quite close to some of the birds in the larger aviary.  Julia was really trying to coax the cattle egret to come over to her so that she could pet it.  The egret seemed to be conflicted because he didn't just fly away, but he also wasn't rushing over to have her pet him!  Plus, the bonus of being so near to the airport is that you get to see planes coming in for landings regularly.  Fun morning, but still sad to see Livia go.

Auntie Liv

We took Livia to the airport today, as her visit here had come to an end.  After seeing her off, we went to the CuriOdyssey Museum near the airport for a couple of hours and then headed home.  On the way home, Alex said, "Jules, don't you miss Auntie Livia already?  I wish she could have stayed for a few more days.  If she lived in San Francisco we could see her all of the time."  Just remember that, Liv.  You are always more than welcome here.  Let us know when you are coming for your next visit!

Enjoying ice cream sandwiches

Kitchen Helper

Lavender

 The lavender is blooming again!  Of course, Julia loves the lavender because it is purple and purple seems to be one of her favorites.

Fashionista

Making a fashion statement as usual. Loves, loves, loves the ladybug rain boots.  Unfortunately, there were not that many rainy days this winter, so she didn't get to wear them that often.  Except, of course, on days like today, where there is no rain, but she wants to wear them anyway.

More Peas!

The snap peas are still going strong.  We finally quit snacking long enough to get enough for our veggie at dinner time the other night.

Ano Nuevo State Park

We had a fun little trip down to Ano Nuevo State Park today.  We stopped in Pescadero for lunch on the way there and then went on a hike down to the beach to see the elephant seals which are currently in the molting period.  We were able to get quite close and observed them while enjoying the gorgeous day.  Our trip back took quite awhile because of alot of traffic through Half Moon Bay and San Francisco, but we broke it up by stopping in San Mateo for ramen at Himawari.  We sampled some delicious dishes and then headed back on the road and finally got home in time for bed.  Everyone had fun and as you can see, they love "Auntie" Livia!

Kindergarten Interview

Today was Alex's Kindergarten interview day.  He met with Ms Miller for 30 minutes and said that they played some games, wrote some words, drew some shapes and talked.  Did not get alot of detail as to what exactly they did, but Ms Miller did indicate that he was very willing to participate and did a good job.  So now, it looks like we are all set for Kindergarten next year.  Hard to believe, but it is true!

Sonoma

We took a day trip to Sonoma today and enjoyed every minute.  We visited Cline Vineyards, which was very kid-friendly.  They had pretty grounds, with lots of ponds, some stocked with fish to feed, some donkeys, lots of exotic birds to look at and a California Mission Museum.  They also happen to have lots of picnic tables, so it would be a great place to just bring a picnic and hang out.  We would have done that, but Sonoma is the home to one of our favorite restaurants, The Girl and the Fig, so we chose to drive into town to go there for lunch.  This visit was no different than any other, the food was fabulous!  We ordered a lot of dishes to share and enjoyed Oxtail Risotto, Pork Belly sandwich, Mussels and Frites, Smoked Salmon, a wonderful cheese plate, Duck Confit Hash and Lavender Creme Brulee for dessert.  Unfortunately, for Julia, she slept through the entire meal, but we made a special little to go box for her, which she enjoyed after some playing in the park.  It seems that Alex and Livia like the restaurant as much as we do, too!