We snagged our lunch at Barbara's Fish Trap, which has the most delicious fresh fish and chips we've ever had. Hazel's been asking to go to "the fish restaurant" for a while now. We were happy to oblige.
Showing posts with label traditions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label traditions. Show all posts
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Pumpkin Patch 2012
Yesterday was a perfect October day. We spent the morning searching for gorgeous pumpkins in Half Moon Bay. It was a foggy, drizzly day on the coast. That, combined with the Halloween music we listened to in the car, induced Hazel to tell spooky stories and Jack to make great "oooooo" ghost noises as he pointed at every decoration or dark patch of trees.
We snagged our lunch at Barbara's Fish Trap, which has the most delicious fresh fish and chips we've ever had. Hazel's been asking to go to "the fish restaurant" for a while now. We were happy to oblige.
The kids both took nice, long naps when we got home, and woke up just in time to get ready for our church congregation's Halloween party. Jack was a hit as "Mini Smee." There's not a great view of it in the picture, but I love the super girly pink and purple, glitter covered dagger that our Peter Pan had tucked in her belt.
More and better pictures to come, we hope! We've got a lot more costume activities to attend before the end of the month.
We snagged our lunch at Barbara's Fish Trap, which has the most delicious fresh fish and chips we've ever had. Hazel's been asking to go to "the fish restaurant" for a while now. We were happy to oblige.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Baby Bonner #3 is a .......
We had our big ultrasound this afternoon. Todd took work off early and we brought the kids along, so it was a big family affair. We were in the room for over an hour, so thank goodness for goldfish and games on the iPhone, or Hazel and Jack might not have made it.
Sticking with tradition (see here and here) we planned to go out to eat to celebrate after finding out if the baby's a boy or a girl. Hazel has been totally gunning for a sister since she found out I was pregnant, because she "already has a little brother." But when we told her we'd get sandwiches and salads and cheesecake if it was a girl, and steak if it was a boy, she totally switched teams! That girl loves her red meat.
She only slipped once in the past three days. Last night, she put her hands on my belly and said she hoped the baby was a girl. Then she said, "Wait, I mean I want it to be a BOY! Because I really, really want to eat steak!!!" She had a major short term/long term battle with herself this week!
And so, it is quite funny to announce that Hazel was seriously disappointed to find out that the baby is a....
Todd had an Asian cashew chicken salad. (Also, he never seems to know what to look at when I take his picture...)
We finished it off with a knock-out divine German chocolate cheesecake.
We are stuffed, and pleased.
Sticking with tradition (see here and here) we planned to go out to eat to celebrate after finding out if the baby's a boy or a girl. Hazel has been totally gunning for a sister since she found out I was pregnant, because she "already has a little brother." But when we told her we'd get sandwiches and salads and cheesecake if it was a girl, and steak if it was a boy, she totally switched teams! That girl loves her red meat.
She only slipped once in the past three days. Last night, she put her hands on my belly and said she hoped the baby was a girl. Then she said, "Wait, I mean I want it to be a BOY! Because I really, really want to eat steak!!!" She had a major short term/long term battle with herself this week!
And so, it is quite funny to announce that Hazel was seriously disappointed to find out that the baby is a....
GIRL!
We celebrated at The Cheesecake Factory. I had my favorite food, a chicken salad sandwich (and an enormous salad that will mostly be tomorrow's lunch). The kids had sliders and corn dogs - kid food doesn't really count. 
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Crafts, etc
Pinterest inspired me to get a little creative with some of my Christmas presents this year. It was tons of fun for me to shop at craft stores and try to make something beautiful. I'll have to get more into projects this year.
Behold, the dry-erase marker calendars I made for Emily and Doug, and Scott and Caprice:
The initial wall-hanging for my 70's style lovin' sister Kathryn:
And the wreath I made for my mom:
I've been v-e-r-y slowly working on a yarn wreath for my dining area. The covered section in the photo took 20 minutes, folks! Is there something I should know about more efficiently making a yarn wreath? 
I am wrapping a water weenie! Ha ha. I got it all covered, then decided it was too skinny to be so wide, so I unwrapped the whole thing, cut out a five or six inch chunk, and am about halfway done wrapping it again. Sigh. I'm still not sure how I'll adorn it when I'm done. It's not top priority right now.In other news, Todd and I have a tradition of buying a new game every year for New Year's Eve. We trade off whose turn it is to pick it out, and go into extensive research trying to find something we'll love. It's been tricky, but rewarding, looking for games that are fun to play with just two players. This year Todd bought Ticket to Ride. We played it four times in a row. Other successful games from past years include Carcassonne and Mr. Jack. Check them out!
Holiday Review
We got our Christmas cards in the mail before Christmas was over! I wrote the letter, Todd addressed and stuffed the envelopes (so let me know if you didn't get one and want one - we've got a few left over) and Hazel put on the stamps and address stickers. 
We flew to Utah. Hazel threw up at the airport. I didn't have to clean it up! But we brought the plague with us to my mom's house. Everyone got the stomach flu in shifts, a couple people per day. Sad.
Hazel was thrilled to see snow. There wasn't much, but lucky for us, it did snow our first full day in Logan. Hazel watched, mesmerized, from the window.
Then I bundled her up and took her outside to catch snowflakes on her tongue. It was the first of THREE TIMES that day that she got on her gear and tromped around in the snow.
Lucky for me, there were plenty of aunts, uncles, and grandparents dying to play with my kids, so I only had to go out once. It was C-O-L-D.
We decorated gingerbread houses. (Todd, Hazel, my brother Ryan, my mom Deon, and my brother-in-law Doug featured below)
Jack loved playing the piano. Hazel liked it, too, but Jack really went crazy for it.
We made sugar cookies. Hazel was in charge of sprinkles and did a mighty fine job.
My entire family was at my parents' house this year. We were so excited to have everyone together, but never got a group shot because someone was always down with the flu.
We put on a Nativity play Christmas Eve. Hazel got to be Mary and did a really great, reverent job. Jack was a sheep. He waddled around with a hoodie towel on his head, getting loved on by everyone because he is so cute.
Hazel was the last person awake Christmas morning. She's so ingrained in habit that she wanted to go potty and get dressed before she came out to the living room. I don't think she quite realized what was waiting for her out there!
Jack napped almost the whole time we opened presents.
I had to include this picture. Hazel's wearing three dress-ups on top of each other. "Triple Dress-Up!"
Christmas afternoon we drove down to Todd's parents' house in Midway to spend a few days with his family. Monday the 26th was Todd's birthday. He got Raspberry Delight for his birthday cake.
We went ice skating. It was Hazel's first time, and honestly, we probably should have waited one more year, or at the very least, not gone during naptime. She lasted less than ten minutes on the ice, skating with a lot of help from Todd, then begged to go back to Grammie's to sleep. But while she was on the ice, she did have fun pretending to be Princess Frostine from the Candyland game. 
The next day we went sledding at Soldier Hollow. It was pricey, but worth it. They have a lift that your tube gets hooked onto, so you get a ride up the hill. if it weren't for that, Hazel would have been done after just one or two rounds, but because she got to sit in her tube the entire time, it was a party for everyone. I haven't had so much fun sledding in years. Sadly, nobody brought a camera, not even a cell phone, so no pictures. I am really bummed about that.
We played The Hunter and the Deer. (Don't remember what that is? Check this post for a refresher.) Hazel and Shaylee paired up for that one.
Jack has two cousins less than a year older than them. He followed Carly and Kenley around everywhere they went, completely fascinated that there are little people like him in the world.
We only took small presents with us to Utah, so we had Christmas again with just the four of us here in California on Saturday morning. That time around, Hazel knew what was going on and was anxious to run down the hall and see what Santa left for her. But she still had time to put on a dress-up first! (Obsessed)
Santa brought Hazel's much-anticipated new bike, which she has been tearing up the town on ever since. 
He also somehow knew Hazel would love having so many princess dollies! It's her dream come true. The other big hit for the Haz was a little tea party set. She's been using it for her snack every day. It's so much fun to shop for a 3-year-old girl!
I love this picture of me and Jacko, even though I look tired and my smile is dumb. I just think it's so cute how he's sitting cross-legged inside my crossed legs. He is totally a mama's boy, always checking to be sure I'm within his sights, often coming over for a quick snuggle before trundling over to his next adventure. He is tender and affectionate and I am so in love with him.
We had a very merry Christmas, and are sure glad to have had several days to recover before Todd goes back to work!
We flew to Utah. Hazel threw up at the airport. I didn't have to clean it up! But we brought the plague with us to my mom's house. Everyone got the stomach flu in shifts, a couple people per day. Sad.Hazel was thrilled to see snow. There wasn't much, but lucky for us, it did snow our first full day in Logan. Hazel watched, mesmerized, from the window.
Then I bundled her up and took her outside to catch snowflakes on her tongue. It was the first of THREE TIMES that day that she got on her gear and tromped around in the snow.
Lucky for me, there were plenty of aunts, uncles, and grandparents dying to play with my kids, so I only had to go out once. It was C-O-L-D.
We decorated gingerbread houses. (Todd, Hazel, my brother Ryan, my mom Deon, and my brother-in-law Doug featured below)
Jack loved playing the piano. Hazel liked it, too, but Jack really went crazy for it.
We made sugar cookies. Hazel was in charge of sprinkles and did a mighty fine job.
My entire family was at my parents' house this year. We were so excited to have everyone together, but never got a group shot because someone was always down with the flu.We put on a Nativity play Christmas Eve. Hazel got to be Mary and did a really great, reverent job. Jack was a sheep. He waddled around with a hoodie towel on his head, getting loved on by everyone because he is so cute.
Hazel was the last person awake Christmas morning. She's so ingrained in habit that she wanted to go potty and get dressed before she came out to the living room. I don't think she quite realized what was waiting for her out there!
Jack napped almost the whole time we opened presents.
I had to include this picture. Hazel's wearing three dress-ups on top of each other. "Triple Dress-Up!"
Christmas afternoon we drove down to Todd's parents' house in Midway to spend a few days with his family. Monday the 26th was Todd's birthday. He got Raspberry Delight for his birthday cake.
We went ice skating. It was Hazel's first time, and honestly, we probably should have waited one more year, or at the very least, not gone during naptime. She lasted less than ten minutes on the ice, skating with a lot of help from Todd, then begged to go back to Grammie's to sleep. But while she was on the ice, she did have fun pretending to be Princess Frostine from the Candyland game. 
The next day we went sledding at Soldier Hollow. It was pricey, but worth it. They have a lift that your tube gets hooked onto, so you get a ride up the hill. if it weren't for that, Hazel would have been done after just one or two rounds, but because she got to sit in her tube the entire time, it was a party for everyone. I haven't had so much fun sledding in years. Sadly, nobody brought a camera, not even a cell phone, so no pictures. I am really bummed about that.We played The Hunter and the Deer. (Don't remember what that is? Check this post for a refresher.) Hazel and Shaylee paired up for that one.
Jack has two cousins less than a year older than them. He followed Carly and Kenley around everywhere they went, completely fascinated that there are little people like him in the world.
We only took small presents with us to Utah, so we had Christmas again with just the four of us here in California on Saturday morning. That time around, Hazel knew what was going on and was anxious to run down the hall and see what Santa left for her. But she still had time to put on a dress-up first! (Obsessed)
Santa brought Hazel's much-anticipated new bike, which she has been tearing up the town on ever since. 
He also somehow knew Hazel would love having so many princess dollies! It's her dream come true. The other big hit for the Haz was a little tea party set. She's been using it for her snack every day. It's so much fun to shop for a 3-year-old girl!
I love this picture of me and Jacko, even though I look tired and my smile is dumb. I just think it's so cute how he's sitting cross-legged inside my crossed legs. He is totally a mama's boy, always checking to be sure I'm within his sights, often coming over for a quick snuggle before trundling over to his next adventure. He is tender and affectionate and I am so in love with him.
We had a very merry Christmas, and are sure glad to have had several days to recover before Todd goes back to work!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Sweet Weekend
Todd's parents came to our place for Thanksgiving this year. It was lots of fun to visit with them and have a reason to make a feast. Hazel was bouncing off the walls, so excited to have them here, and I'm sure she wore Poppa out with all her pretend playing because he acted out every single supporting character for her. Jack was slow to warm up, but ended up giggling and snuggling and giving them lots of love.
The table:
The company:
Grammie and Poppa sent Todd and me off on Friday to celebrate our anniversary. We did a bit of Christmas shopping, then went out to lunch at our favorite restaurant, Macaroni Grill. Their bread is to die for:
Todd did Black Friday Amazon window shopping while we waited for our food:
We went to Six Flags in Vallejo. Our favorite ride was Medusa. We went on it six times, I think. It goes ridiculously high and upside down over and over again. My throat is still sore from screaming. 
We went to a pizzaria called Napoli's for dinner. It was scrumptious. Then we headed to Inn Marin and had a good night's sleep without the kidlets.
When we got home this morning, we grabbed everybody and headed out to Santa's Village and Tree Farm to find and cut down our Christmas tree. I have always had a fresh tree, but this is the first time I have cut my own. It was pretty urbanized (no mountain trekking or snow) but still plenty fun. The prices were very comparable to what you find at Home Depot, and it was a lot more fun to find your tree there. I think we've found a new family tradition!
Hazel chatted with Santa, reminding him that he should have already known she wants a bike for Christmas.
She enjoyed the complimentary apple cider, the mini candy cane, the train ride on "the Polar Express" and the little puppet show. I loved how she started on a bench and ended up like this:
We've got vaulted ceilings in our place, and Todd thought our tree last year looked dumb, so this year he set out on a hunt for a real man tree. He wanted the tallest tree our car could possibly cart home. I wanted one that smelled great. We found it. 
It is 9 feet 10 inches tall. I think it looks a little bit insane. But Todd's already claiming next year he's going to rent a truck and bring home a twelve-footer. 
He had to stand on a chair to help Hazel get the topper on:
Jack, who always buries his face in anything soft and snuggly and wiggles his bum in the air, has fallen in love with our plush tree skirt. I have already repositioned it back under the tree five times today. 
We're excited to bring in Christmas (and birthdays) at our house!
The table:
The company:
Grammie and Poppa sent Todd and me off on Friday to celebrate our anniversary. We did a bit of Christmas shopping, then went out to lunch at our favorite restaurant, Macaroni Grill. Their bread is to die for:
Todd did Black Friday Amazon window shopping while we waited for our food:
We went to Six Flags in Vallejo. Our favorite ride was Medusa. We went on it six times, I think. It goes ridiculously high and upside down over and over again. My throat is still sore from screaming. 
We went to a pizzaria called Napoli's for dinner. It was scrumptious. Then we headed to Inn Marin and had a good night's sleep without the kidlets.When we got home this morning, we grabbed everybody and headed out to Santa's Village and Tree Farm to find and cut down our Christmas tree. I have always had a fresh tree, but this is the first time I have cut my own. It was pretty urbanized (no mountain trekking or snow) but still plenty fun. The prices were very comparable to what you find at Home Depot, and it was a lot more fun to find your tree there. I think we've found a new family tradition!
Hazel chatted with Santa, reminding him that he should have already known she wants a bike for Christmas.
She enjoyed the complimentary apple cider, the mini candy cane, the train ride on "the Polar Express" and the little puppet show. I loved how she started on a bench and ended up like this:
We've got vaulted ceilings in our place, and Todd thought our tree last year looked dumb, so this year he set out on a hunt for a real man tree. He wanted the tallest tree our car could possibly cart home. I wanted one that smelled great. We found it. 
It is 9 feet 10 inches tall. I think it looks a little bit insane. But Todd's already claiming next year he's going to rent a truck and bring home a twelve-footer. 
He had to stand on a chair to help Hazel get the topper on:
Jack, who always buries his face in anything soft and snuggly and wiggles his bum in the air, has fallen in love with our plush tree skirt. I have already repositioned it back under the tree five times today. 
We're excited to bring in Christmas (and birthdays) at our house!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)