Family Fun Day 2014

Bed head extreme

This is what happens when Ollie goes down for a nap with damp hair!

And this is what happens when I try to do yoga at home.

Party in the park

Joe and I took the boys to Debow Park tonight for an evening birthday party. Ollie loved crawling through the thick grass on the soccer fields.

Stephen and birthday boy Tre'Quevion play freeze tag. Joe got this awesome shot.

Joe called this shot "critter cam"

It was nice to meet some of Stephen's classmates and their parents. 

Jeffers Bend Nature Fest

Painting pumpkins.

Amazingly, their clothes survived this activity.

Checking out the monarch butterfly caterpillars and chrysalis.

Sweet little bug.

Stephen stalks a bumblebee.

Cute kitties.

Hay ride.

Canoe ride.

Last day: flying home

Oliver and I had lots of fun on our mommy-son trip, but we were really missing Joe and the boys by the end. Oliver would squeal with delight on FaceTime calls or when watching videos of his brothers.

I found myself telling Madelynn about Stephen and Rockam, hoping she'd be as interested as me in the conversation topic :)

I think they missed us too. Rocky gave me a huge arms and legs hug and told me he liked my hair-- ha! And I could tell both older boys missed their baby bro. It's good to be back.

Days 5 & 6: Bartons

We visited the local park in Dublin. 

Ate some Taiwanese shaved ice: chocolate, black sesame and coconut flavored. This dessert brings me back to Taipei night market memories :)

Oliver and Carmen got along really well. They could be seen crawling down the hall together and playing with the same toys. I enjoyed getting to know the precocious and adorable children of my best friend from high school and college as well. I love reconnecting with Priscilla over yoga, kids, professional aspirations, Bible insights and yummy food. I'm blessed to have such an "easy" friendship even if she is two thousand miles and two time zones away.

Day four continued

Going for an assisted stroll before heading off to our next stop: Chris and Priscilla Barton's home in Dublin, CA, where Ollie and I spent the next two nights.

Meeting a new friend with similar interests. Carmen and Ollie seemed to genuinely enjoy each other's company.

Being a pirate. Priscilla's 3-year-old, Madelyn though Ollie might like playing dress up. He did.

Day Four: Science

We let Ollie sleep in a bit after our late night. Then it was off to one last hike in Bodega Bay.

This was supposed to be a coastal bird walk, but the only birds we really saw up close were a twittery little flock of goldfinches in their dull winter plumage. I still enjoyed it though. 

Before getting out of town, we hit Wildflour up for a rhubarb white peach lavender scone. Sorry I was too sticky to take photos of these goodies.

Back in San Fransisco, Oliver made friends with the African penguins at the Academy of Sciences.

He didn't really see this cool albino alligator.

But he enjoyed the tide pools and butterfly rainforest.

Evening wedding

Day Three: Bodega Bay & Armstrong Redwoods

We stayed at the Bodega Coast Inn with lovely views of the bay and wildlife.

About an hour away from our lodging, we walked an easy trail through the towering trunks of the Armstrong Redwood Forest.

After our walk in the woods, we drove to Wildflour bakery in Freestone to enjoy warm raspberry-nectarine-white chocolate scones - heavenly! Incidentally- everyone who works at this bakery was so happy, like they were high on carbs :)

There was also a great organic garden out back.

Day Two: culture & rehearsal dinner

While my dad sat with a napping Oliver in the car, my mom and I snuck off to the Japanese Garden to take selfies -- usies?

Then we were hungry for some dim sum...

They seated us by the fish tanks, but Oliver was more interested in playing with the chopsticks and munching on turnip cakes. "Yum!" he says.

The watercress dumpling and stuffed eggplant dim sum were delish!!

So... Then we had to burn off all those greasy calories with a walk across Golden Gate Bridge. It was a windy work out before another big meal:

We ate a multi-course Italian meal at the rehearsal dinner, which was packed out with John and Polly's out of town guests. 

It was a very fun evening, full of alternately humorous and tear jerking toasts from the wedding party.