It's Spring Break in Indiana and that means drinks and parties... Oh wait! Wrong life! Spring Break means time with the family and more importantly the boys. I'm flying back to spend 12 whole days enjoying their company and trying to keep warm (April in Indiana is NOT warm). We plan on having the boys' birthday party (late), trips to Science Central and possibly Putt Putt, and lots of family dinners... Very exciting stuff! Plus, I have some big news that I will be sharing with everyone. Look for it soon!
Vacation Highlights
I came back to California a few days ago, but I thought I would share some of my vacation highlights. I"ve spent almost three weeks in my hometown hanging out with the boys, family, and friends. Komets hockey game from the nose bleed section! We had free tickets because the stepfather's chorus group was singing the National Anthem. The boys' friend Tommy also came. They seemed to have a ton of fun.
Seeing the Cougar Hunter boys play at the bar. My my Beth, did you drink all those! Nope, but the pic was too good to pass up. Plus, 80s hair band music and crazy hairsprayed hair. Who could turn that down?
Christmas extravaganza! Based off of the looks on the boys' faces, I think they got some good presents. Hanging out with the family for presents time and then seeing Santa Claus! Finally stockings and Santa gifts on Christmas morning.
When I arrived in Indiana the ground was cold but bare. A few days later, it looked like this. Well, I definitely don't love the cold, I do love the snow. It looks so pretty.
The pretty Christmas tree in the outdoor mall. I couldn't get a pic of it, but at night it has changing color lights that flash and spiral up the tree. Very cool effect!
The kids ringing in the New Year with their sparkling juice and Pepsi.
My favorite Christmas presents. An awesome bag from my mom. My laptop fits in it perfectly.
Tie-dying party with our friends. They were being washed when I left, so I'll have to wait to see what they really look like.
Sunnyvale Summer Week 6
The boys are here! Now on to the fun. I thought it would be a easier to do a week in review for all of our summer adventures.
Sunday:
- Chill day at the house
Monday:
- Pool day
- Doctor Who marathon -- Series 3 with Martha Jones. Not my favorite, but it does include some great episodes, especially Blink (scariest episode ever)
Tuesday:
- Library visit
- Sunnyvale Golfland -- We played another round in the Knight's Quest course and some arcade games. By the time we were done, the boys had earned 2100 tickets to redeem. And here's their haul.
Wednesday:
- Exploratorium in San Francisco -- This time we traveled by car up to the peninsula. The Exploratorium is a huge hands-on science museum. The boys really enjoyed their time there. I especially loved the life sciences sections.
- Palace of Fine Arts -- Right outside of the Exploratorium is the old remnants of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. They are just gorgeous and make for great photo ops.
- Golden Gate Bridge visit -- The boys and I drove over the bridge to get the view from the other side. It was worth the $6 to get back to the city to see the view.
- Dinner at the Sunnyvale Music and Food Wednesday -- Murphy Street hosts a great collection of band, vendors, and food trucks. I ordered some amazing fish tacos from the Oaxacan Food Truck. The boys got some curry chicken nuggets (A loved, N not so much) and yummy yummy sauce.
Thursday:
- Chill day at home
Friday:
- Great America -- We finally hit some of the attractions that we hadn't before. And I got to ride The Grizzley (wooden style coaster). Plus we took in a show. It was a good day.
Saturday:
- Chill day at home with Doctor Who marathon.
Starting goals:
- Getting a library card (for the boys) and weekly trips √
- Sky High √
- Great America √
- Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco √
- Alcatraz
- Scavenger hunt/photo scavenger hunt √
- San Jose Giants baseball game
- Beach trip √
- Exploratorium in San Francisco √
- Summer camps √
- Most likely daily pool visits √
- Get together with an old friend and her kids
- Possible bike rides
Sunnyvale Summer Week 5
The boys are here! Now on to the fun. I thought it would be a easier to do a week in review for all of our summer adventures. Sunday:
- Sunnyvale Golfland -- We played the east course, Tiki's something or other. It's definitely easier than the Knight's Quest, but still fun. We rounded out our visit with a bit of arcade time. Golfland is on for one more visit sometime next week.
Monday:
- Chilling at home
Tuesday:
- Great America -- This time we hit up the water park (no pics as I was having too much fun in the water). The weather was perfect: 88 degrees and sunny in Santa Clara. After the water park, we hit up some of our favorite rides and played a few carnival games. We each won a Domo! After spending another 7 hours at the park, we were all exhausted. GA is on our list for one more time this summer, probably next week.
Wednesday:
- Doctor Who marathon -- Who can say no to the Doctor, especially David Tennant's Doctor? We got through almost the entire second series. We'll definitely be into the third series before they go back to Indiana.
Thursday:
- Scavenger Hunt -- I made little card clues and scattered them about the complex. The boys had to figure out each clue to reach the next one. At the end, they had to rearrange the secret letters to spell out their prize...
- Hunt Prize: Tutti Frutti -- To which A was super excited and N decided he didn't want any. How can you say no to frozen yogurt? A got his usual, chocolate with chocolate chips and m&ms. I got peach with oreo cookie crumbles. Yummy!
- Pool
Friday:
- Library visit -- Picked up some Pokemon comics and a movie for tonight, 9.
- Pool day
- Little Caesars -- As I wasn't feeling so great today, I caved and we went and picked up Little Caesars. The boys' favorite pizza. At $5 a pizza, it's definitely in the budget.
Saturday:
- Pool
- Mythbusters
- Pick up J at airport
Starting goals:
- Getting a library card (for the boys) and weekly trips √
- Sky High √
- Great America √
- Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco √
- Alcatraz
- Scavenger hunt/photo scavenger hunt √
- San Jose Giants baseball game
- Beach trip √
- Exploratorium in San Francisco
- Summer camps √
- Most likely daily pool visits √
- Get together with an old friend and her kids
- Possible bike rides
Sunnyvale Summer Week 4
The boys are here! Now on to the fun. I thought it would be a easier to do a week in review for all of our summer adventures. Week two in the past:
Sunday:
- Chilling at home
Monday:
- Chilling at home -- three days in a row, but it felt so nice
Tuesday:
- Winchester Mystery House -- It's only about 15 minutes away from our house. I had previously visited 6 years ago on vacation. I thought the boys would enjoy it after our interesting visit to Fallingwater. We did the mansion tour and the behind-the-scenes tour. I love examining all the of the different rooms and gardens. I love that house! I think the boys enjoyed our time.
Wednesday: Fourth of July!
- Fireworks in Cupertino -- We didn't want to fight the crowds to get to the bay, so we decided to head about 15 minutes south to Cupertino. We sat in a nice park with our picnic blanket, card games, and snacks. The fireworks were great. And the best part was that we got home in 30 minutes.
Thursday:
- Running errands without the car -- The boys and I took a nice walk to the bank and then to Target.
- Lunch at Gumbas -- We grabbed a pizza at the Italian restaurant two blocks from the house. Yummy!
Friday:
- Pool afternoon
- Movie -- We ventured out to see The Amazing Spiderman.
Saturday:
- Library visit -- We grabbed some great books and movies.
- Dropped J off at SFO -- He's flying to Romania for a week for a business trip. While the cat's away, the mice will play. Not really... But I will miss him.
Starting goals:
- Getting a library card (for the boys) and weekly trips √
- Sky High √
- Great America √
- Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco √
- Alcatraz
- Scavenger hunt/photo scavenger hunt
- San Jose Giants baseball game?
- Beach trip √
- Exploratorium in San Francisco
- Summer camps √
- Most likely daily pool visits √
- Get together with an old friend and her kids
- Possible bike rides
Sunnyvale Summer Week 3
The boys are here! Now on to the fun. I thought it would be a easier to do a week in review for all of our summer adventures. Week two in the past:
Sunday:
- Pool -- It was a bit chilly, but still refreshing.
- Started the boys on Doctor Who (reboot, not back to the 60s). So far they love it!
Monday:
- Great America -- I might have been crazy to take the boys to an amusement park, but it's only 10 minutes from our house. We had to try to it out. After a bit of hesitation, they tried ton of rides. We spent 8 hours at the park! And they want to go again! Good thing I bought season passes. (And yes, that is N and I participating the grand finale of the magic show)
Tuesday:
- Library Visit -- Love our library visits. This time we even picked up some movies.
- Golfland Sunnyvale -- I had bought a Living Social deal awhile back. There's two different courses: Knight's Quest and some Tiki styled one. We choose Knight's Quest and boy was it challenging, fun but challenging. We played one round and then went inside to check out the arcade. They already want to go back. And if you want to know who won, N blew A and I out of the water!
- Brave -- Definitely a must see Pixar movie. We loved it! Plus it gave us a chance to check out a different theater in Cupertino. Road trip! (really only 15 minutes from home, but we've never really gone that far south)
Wednesday:
- Coast exploration adventure -- I was determined to find a decent beach. We wound our way to the coast and Highway 1. The first beach we tried (Half Moon Bay State Beach) was charging $10 a car and didn't take credit cards. So we got back into the car to try another. Just about 1/2 mile south we found Poplar Beach with metered parking $4 for 2 hours on the beach. And the machine took credit cards. Perfect amount of time. The boys frolicked (yep they frolicked) in the surf. It was freezing, but they didn't seem to mind. They were so excited to check out the Pacific Ocean. They even built a sandcastle with another little boys. After two hours, they were exhausted and bit cold, perfect time to pack up and head home. But we will be back!
- Toys R Us -- The boys had a couple of gift certificates from grandma. They found a few Skylanders they don't have, a toucan Angry Birds plush, a few Sonic comic books, a mini Lego figure, and a Fruit Ninja apple plush. I think a pretty good haul!
Thursday:
- San Francisco Day!
- Commuter fun -- First time for the boys riding the Caltrain and Muni. We caught an early bullet train in the city. From there, we had to transfer to the Muni light rail to the BART station underground. Finally we hopped on the old fashioned street cars to travel to our destination...
- Aquarium of the Bay -- The boys loved looking at all the exhibits. All the animals are species that live in the bay, so it's a unique aquarium. We end watched an awesome 3D movie about sharks that was entertaining and informative.
- Johnny Rockets for lunch
- Musee Mechanique -- Antique arcade games stretching back into the late 1800s. And they are all playable! Of course the boys gravitated to the 1980s-1990s games, but we had fun anyway.
- Fisherman's Wharf -- Checking out the sights
- Boudin Bakery -- Yummy sourdough bread and cookies for a snack
- Pier 39 -- Shopping, seeing the sights, taking pictures.
Friday:
- Chill day at the house
- Movies and Pool
Saturday:
- Chill day at the house
- Pool, Movies, and Rock Band
Starting goals:
- Getting a library card (for the boys) and weekly trips; summer reading program √
- Sky High -- trampoline bounce place √
- Great America -- only 10 minutes from the house! √
- Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco √
- Alcatraz -- J wants to go with, so this will be a vacation day or weekend trip
- Scavenger hunt/photo scavenger hunt -- I want to do one of these but haven't even started thinking about the clues
- San Jose Giants baseball game?
- Beach trip -- possibly Santa Cruz
- Exploratorium in San Francisco
- Summer camps -- need to get a Sunnyvale account to sign them up -- Signed up! √
- Most likely daily pool visits √
- Get together with an old friend and her kids -- possibly at the Santa Cruz boardwalk or in Fresno (her town)
- Possible bike rides -- if they can get better at riding
Sunnyvale Summer Week 2
The boys are here! Now on to the fun. I thought it would be a easier to do a week in review for all of our summer adventures. Week two in the past:
Sunday:
- Pool
- Dinner at Rok -- We ordered cheese fondue as an appetizer. Yummy California Dreamin' mix. For the main course, N had mac and cheese, A had chicken tenders, J had kangaroo, and I had scallops and prawns. You cook your food at the table on 650 degree volcanic rocks. (Don't worry, the boys' rocks weren't hot). All that plus a bottle of wine made for a very yummy dinner. Next time we will have to try the dessert chocolate fondue. (The last picture is N trying the kangaroo. He didn't really like it, but he did try it.)
- Trutti Frutti -- Dessert at Trutti Frutti. Boys had the same concoctions as last time. I tried green apple and death by chocolate with brownie bits and gummi bears.
Monday:
- Library visit -- Most of the books the boys put on hold became available, so we stopped to grab them before camp today. Below: returning books through the library's automated system. Very fancy!
- Summer Camps -- N had LEGO Engineering and A had Magic Camp. They both talked nonstop after their classes. I think they are enjoying it so far... Pic from today is of A.
Tuesday:
- Summer Camps
- Playground/park time -- The boys' classes start an hour apart in different locations. So we have a bit of time to wait between start and end times. Thank goodness N's location is in the middle of a park. All pics from today are of N after his class, but before we went to pick up A.
Wednesday:
- Summer Camps
- Playground/park time
- Pics of the Sunnyvale Community Center fountains. Very pretty. A has informed me that it is an "acid lake" (break time play with friends) and they have to avoid it at all costs.
Thursday:
- Summer Camps
- Playground/park time
- Start of our Pixar movie marathon -- This is one of my Day Zero Project goals and I though the boys might enjoy rewatching some Pixar movies. We started with Up... makes me cry every time. I think our next selection will be Wall-E.
Friday:
- Summer Camps
- A's Magic Show -- The kids each performed two tricks and then received their special awards. He did so well with a clear voice and eye contact. Each kid took home their box of magic tricks, but there were others to buy after the show. A bought his favorite growing flower in a pot trick and N picked up a magic hat to match his brother.
Saturday:
- Pool
- Lounging day at the house
- Another Pixar movie
Starting goals:
- Getting a library card (for the boys) and weekly trips; summer reading program √
- Sky High -- trampoline bounce place √
- Great America -- only 10 minutes from the house!
- Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco
- Alcatraz -- J wants to go with, so this will be a vacation day or weekend trip
- Scavenger hunt/photo scavenger hunt -- I want to do one of these but haven't even started thinking about the clues
- San Jose Giants baseball game?
- Beach trip -- possibly Santa Cruz
- Exploratorium in San Francisco
- Summer camps -- need to get a Sunnyvale account to sign them up -- Signed up! √
- Most likely daily pool visits √
- Get together with an old friend and her kids -- possibly at the Santa Cruz boardwalk or in Fresno (her town)
- Possible bike rides -- if they can get better at riding
Sunnyvale Summer Week 1
The boys are here! Now on to the fun. I thought it would be a easier to do a week in review for all of our summer adventures. Week one in the past: Tuesday:
- Boys arrive -- After the usual nastiness of air flight, the boys arrived two hours after their scheduled time. We were going to do a ton of errands, but they were a bit exhausted. So we grabbed some Wendy's on the way back to the apartment.
- Pool visit -- Right away the boys wanted to jump into the pool, so of course we did it.
- Target -- The boys got new towels, a subway map shower curtain, and some pool toys.
Wednesday:
- Donuts -- We walked across the street to get donuts. The boys can't believe that we can get fresh donuts across the street. Yum! Yum! And they are huge.
- Pool -- I think that the pool is going to be a daily adventure.
- Bookstore -- We visited the small local bookstore, Bookasaurus (kids) and Leigh's Favorite Books (adult,) two blocks away.
- Frozen Yogurt -- Boys were hesitant about frozen yogurt ("Is it ice cream?" "No, but similar"), but I won them over at Trutti Frutti. N had chocolate with chocolate chips and gummi bears, A had chocolate with chocolate chips and m&ms, and I had green apple and french vanilla with mini peanut butter cups. They already want to go again...
Thursday:
- Sunnyvale Library -- I can't believe how excited the boys were to go to the library. They got their own library cards and proceeded to grab books left and right. They even asked for specific books that we had to look up on the catalog. We put some of those books on hold for the coming weeks. In the end, they each checked out around 10 books. One was read in the car and another partway read waiting for lunch. I'd say they are pretty happy. We will be visiting the library on a weekly basis.
- Sunnyvale Community Center -- We had to go get our household id to sign up for summer classes. Five minutes and everything was set.
- Sky High -- A huge warehouse filled with trampolines. A little boy's dream. After passing it about three times and searching for a parking place, we arrived for our hour long visit. I only bought an hour and thank goodness. The boys really enjoyed their time, but an hour was the limit.
- Pool -- Third day in a row. But this time the boys met a few boys their age that actually live in the complex. We found out which apartment. The boys are determined to play with these kids every day now. We'll see... Although I am glad they found some kids to place with.
Friday:
- Pool -- Of course.
- Rock Band -- The boys are now obsessed with Rock Band. We had to have J show us how to set up everything. We then played for almost two hours. This may become a daily occurrence.
- Lots of cleaning and laundry -- Actually got the boys to help me take out all the trash and clean the house. They did it without too much fuss.
- Lots of reading -- The boys really got into reading their library books. I didn't want to interrupt, so we all read for over any hour.
Saturday:
- Farmer's Market -- The boys were excited to get some fresh lemonade, kettle corn, and baked goods (mystery roll for A and pretzels for the rest of us). Yum!
- Rock Band -- More and more playing
Starting goals:
- Getting a library card (for the boys) and weekly trips; summer reading program √
- Sky High -- trampoline bounce place √
- Great America -- only 10 minutes from the house!
- Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco
- Alcatraz -- J wants to go with, so this will be a vacation day or weekend trip
- Scavenger hunt/photo scavenger hunt -- I want to do one of these but haven't even started thinking about the clues
- San Jose Giants baseball game?
- Beach trip -- possibly Santa Cruz
- Exploratorium in San Francisco
- Summer camps -- need to get a Sunnyvale account to sign them up -- Signed up!
- Most likely daily pool visits √
- Get together with an old friend and her kids -- possibly at the Santa Cruz boardwalk or in Fresno (her town)
- Possible bike rides -- if they can get better at riding
Crazy Summer
When we moved in April, my original idea was to get a job ASAP. Unfortunately that didn't happen quickly. And then I realized that the boys would be coming soon (today in fact). With them here, if I got a job, I would have to pay for babysitting/child care and I wouldn't be able to spend that much time with them. Back in Nebraska, J worked at home, so he could be physically there with the bosy while I was at work. That's not the situation here. So I will be holding off on the job hunt until towards the end of July. This means that I will be home everyday with the boys. I've been making a list of things we must do. Currently the list includes:
- Getting a library card (for the boys) and weekly trips; summer reading program
- Sky High -- trampoline bounce place
- Great America -- only 10 minutes from the house!
- Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco
- Alcatraz -- J wants to go with, so this will be a vacation day or weekend trip
- Scavenger hunt/photo scavenger hunt -- I want to do one of these but haven't even started thinking about the clues
- San Jose Giants baseball game?
- Beach trip -- possibly Santa Cruz
- Exploratorium in San Francisco
- Summer camps -- need to get a Sunnyvale account to sign them up
- Most likely daily pool visits
- Get together with an old friend and her kids -- possibly at the Santa Cruz boardwalk or in Fresno (her town)
- Possible bike rides -- if they can get better at riding
Whew! It's quite a list and it'll probably be growing. We were going to go to Disneyland, but J won't have much time off. He said to just go alone with the boys, but that kinda defeats the purpose of a family trip. We could possibly do this during Christmas Break... Anyway, I think this is going to be a crazy summer!
I'm off to the airport to pick them up. Hope the plane's on time!