Snow Day!

Last weekend, we brought Boo to see the snow. We stayed in a rustic log cabin, went sledding, and built snowmen. Boo loved the snowmen and sledding, but didn't particularly like the snow itself, probably because he couldn't move around in it (it was too deep). Here are some pics from our trip

We cooked most our meals, and ate chili the first night. Yum!

Here's a pic of Boo with food coma (which for him is probably 4 bites of food)!

Since it was snowing and our satellite TV was out, we spent the nights reading fun fiction. Mine gave me nightmares about time travel.

The next day, we bundled up Boo and went sledding. He loved it, and wanted to go faster, faster, faster. It was tiring trekking up that hill, though.

Since we were starving after sledding, we stopped by Smokey's for some BBQ and playtime. What a warm, friendly place! You gotta love a restaurant that has a giant toy bin.


After naptime, we built snowmen. There were lots of 'hidden treasures' buried in the snow, left by stray doggies, but other than that, it was fun.



Here's Boo doing his best seal impression.


Turns out Zoe is the perfect snow dog. The cold didn't bother her at all. Her paws weren't even wet.


On the way back, we stopped by our old house in Sacramento. I used to walk Zoe everyday at this park next to our house and let her chase the bunnies that she would sniff out. She had a blast trying to find bunnies in the high grass, and was looking quite like a puppy again. Good ol' times for Zoe.

Then we visited Uncle Ed and found that Pebbles wasn't quite the mean kitty she used to be. There must be something wrong with her.

What a fun trip!

Silly Bum-Bum

Here are some silly things Gavin does on a regular basis...

1. He likes to fry us eggs and pour us coffee for breakfast everyday, using his pretend kitchen.

2. He likes to line up his Thomas trains, and then make me read them stories.

3. He likes to spell out words that he sees in public (children's = c-h-i-l-d-r-e-n- boop-s). If it's an exclamation point or question mark, he'll say that instead of boop.

4. He still translates when we have difficulty understanding him. Yesterday in the car, he kept asking for a rad-yo, and we had no idea what he was talking about. He became really frustrated, and then finally spelled r-a-d-i-o. Whoa. He doesn't know how to read yet, though.

5. He likes to make up silly melodies and sing them all day long. They're usually pretty horrid, but it's funny.

6. He likes to make us examine his stuffed Mickey Mouse with his doctor kit.

Xmas

The day before X-mas was pretty busy for us and atypical in the sense that we actually exercised. We started the morning with a 2 mile hike in the hills with some friends and their two cute doggies, which Boo loved. He especially liked Stripe (the black Chihuahua).

After the hike, we biked across town to meet up with some other friends for lunch.

Here are the kiddos playing with their Iphones.

Then we cooked X-mas dinner for family and friends. I made a prime rib, creamed corn, and cream of broccoli soup, Terence made an apple tart, and our festive friends John and Amy made lamb, our carrots that we grew from seed, and fingerling potatoes. Delicious!

Here are John and Amy in their festive sweaters holding the carrots we grew from seed.

The next day was Xmas. Gavin was excited on X-mas day to open all his presents. Now our house looks like a daycare, with all his toys strewn all over the place.

Here's Terence with the present that Gavin gave him (I helped him write his name). Gavin is quite the artist!

Here's a pic of Gavin with one of his favorite X-mas presents. Thanks Uncle Ed and Aunt Kim!

Then we went over to have dinner with family. Gavin loves Stacy, Great Aunt Kathy, and Great Grandma.

Boo's 2nd Bday Celebration

Even though it's not his bday for a week, we had Boo's 2nd Bday celebration at My Gym, which is literally across the street from our house. He loves My Gym, and it turned out pretty well. They really made him feel special.

Here he is collecting squish balls.

Our toddler lunches that I made. I made sunbutter/jelly sandwiches and cut them in balloon shapes. Fun!

Pics of the party in action...

Boo kept trying to pop the bubbles with his nose-- what a funny little boy!


Pics of some guests having fun...

They built a big tent and filled it with circus stuffed animal puppets.




Bringing out the Bday boy in a sweet ride...


Cake time! He blew out the candle on the fist try.



Here's the best pic of the day, taken by either Lynne or Lance. Thanks!

Too many presents!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Stacy and I took Boo to the Monterey Bay Aquarium today. This is what he looked like for the first 15 minutes or so... that's a seahorse, by the way.

After that, he had more fun turning knobs and pushing buttons in all the exhibits. He especially liked the sea otters and the wave exhibit, shown below. Basically, you stand in this tunnel, and water crashes into it when the waves come in. I told him that he would be able to hear the waves before they crashed, and then for some reason, he covered his ears after I said that, and kept them covered until we were out of the exhibit. What a silly little boy!

Here's a pic of him waiting for the wave...

And a pic of him during the wave... he looks horrified, but he's really actually amazed.

Even though it was an extremely long day (2 hour drive there), Boo had a blast, even when we forced him to go to the Gilroy Outlets afterward. =] What a good little boy!

Parks, parks, parks.

Palo Alto has, like 100 parks for it's 60,000 people, which translates into about 1 park every 2 blocks or something like that. And the parks aren't dinky stupid little parks with tiny playstructures on forgotten corners where a drainage ditch or bus stop might be, either. You don't even have to worry about being mugged by miscreants. Each and every park is extraordinarily well-maintained with a myriad of recreational options for babies, toddlers, kids, dogs, and adults alike. Like everything else in Palo Alto, the parks here are on steroids. Steroids.

Here are pics of Boo's favorite park, the "hee haw park."

Why is there a donkey on the sign?

Who cares, the slide and playstructure are fun here! I especially love to hang.


Here's the slide that Daddy was too scared to go down. I had no problem, though.


I like the creek, too. Throwing rocks is fun.

Perry and Niner!!!! I love feeding them grass and letting them eat my head. They're like giant doggies.

By the way, if the donkey looks familiar it's because Perry was the donkey in the Shrek movies. (Not pictured are the goats, chickens, bridge across the creek, and the forest.) As I said, park on steroids.