Blast from the Past

Back in the day, the Golden Skate was the hot spot for birthday parties and elementary school Skances (skating + dancing = skance). I probably haven't been there since 1985 or so, but today the girls and I met Jenny C. and her boys for a blast from the past afternoon. It hasn't changed at all. From the parking lot, to the marquee, to the lobby entrance, it was all exactly the same. Even the snack bar, benches, lockers, etc were the same as I remembered.

Holden, Tanner, Taylor and Allison

Holden, Taylor and I did quite a few laps around the rink

Taylor and Holden took off right away, while Allison and Tanner hugged the wall for quite a few laps around the rink. No major falls and no trips to the ER so I will consider it a successful outing. The kids thought it was especially cool when the DJ dimmed the lights and turned on the disco ball! It was just like 6th grade. Unfortunately, the didn't play Red Light, Green Light or Shoot the Duck, but it was fun anyway.

This is how Tanner and Allison spent most of the day, hugging the wall

We had a little In and Out Burger for lunch and then swam most of the afternoon before going back to Dave and Jenny's for dinner. It was fun getting together and we look forward to seeing them in our neck of the woods at the end of July.

California Academy of Sciences

Sarah and Molly treated us to a great day in Golden Gate Park at the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences. The entire building is "green" and unbelievably clean. Sarah has a member pass which allowed us entry and hour before opening. It was so nice to explore without the crowds and see a special penguin feeding. The kids had front row seats. The animal exhibits were amazing and they really loved the white crocodile in the swamp enclosure.

Penguin feeding

I think the kids were too young to appreciate the planetarium presentation, but the pictures were quite impressive. I loved the living garden on the roof. It is so enviromentally friendly and so beautiful.

Sarah and I- friends since 6th grade

Living Garden rooftop

The kids loved the Steinhart Aquarium on the bottom level and had fun at the hands-on tidepool exhibit and looking at the many species of sea life.

Jellyfish tank

Before heading back home, we stopped for a treat in the "green" cafe. Taylor ordered mint chip ice cream, but was shocked by the natural flavor of freshly ground mint leaves instead of the artificial mint flavors we are used to. It was disgusting and she quickly traded it in for some yummy strawberry. I'm just glad we packed our own lunches! I don't think we would have eaten the organic options on this menu.

We were so thrilled for the opportunity to see this place and loved having Sarah and Molly as our tour guides.

A's vs. Rockies

My mom and dad took us to McAfee Coliseum for a 6:05 game between the Colorado Rockies and Oakland A's. I hadn't been to this stadium in years. When we got in the car in Danville, it was 109 degrees so we were looking forward to a cooler evening in Oakland. Although cooler, the 1st few innings in the sun were a little toasty. We did have great seats field level along the 1st base line and saw an action packed game. Unfortunately most of the action came from the Rockies as the A's starter gave up 4 home runs and 7 total runs in his less-than impressive start. Final score- Rockies win 11-9.

Allison spent most of the game debating which vendor to buy her treat from. She finally decided on a messy snow cone that melted in minutes. Taylor and I much preferred the Nestle Toll House Chipwich. Delicious! Grandma and Papa sat a few rows behind us, but the kids made frequent visits to their shady seats. Thanks for a fun night!

Birthday Parties

We said goodbye to Matt this morning as he caught a flight back home. We enjoyed our week with him, but he was anxious to get home, rescue the dog from the kennel and get the house in order before we get back home on Wednesday.

Then we went up to Sarah's house to celebrate Molly's 3rd birthday. It was a cute princess party and Taylor and Allison were "hired" to monitor the jumpy house and face painting. I think they spent more time getting their bodies painted than they did watching over things. They just enjoyed being the big kids, but also had fun collecting candy from the pinata and eating yummy cupcakes. Happy Birthday Molly!

That evening, my mom and I went to celebrate Kathy Bowman's birthday at Piatti's. I went to high school with her daughter, Marissa, but it had been years since we last saw each other. It was nice to catch up on our families, share photos and hear about friends from high school.

Me, Kristi and Marissa

I can't believe it has been 17 years since we graduated! This trip has been full of trips down memory lane as we have visited with so many friends from school.

Walking Tour of San Francisco

Although we had already been to the city once this week, we felt like we needed another day to take in the sights at a leisurely pace. My Mom joined us for a walking tour of the Embarcadero. We took the BART train under the bay, which the kids hadn't done in quite a while, so we didn't have to deal with traffic or parking. It can be tough to find and outrageously expensive.

We got off the train at the ferry building and began our walk from Pier 1 to Pier 39 (only odd numbered piers).

Ferry Building

Coit Tower
Our 1st stop was lunch at Pier 39. As soon as Taylor saw it, she remembered this is the home to Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. so there was no debating where we would eat. This kids loved their popcorn shrimp in the JENNY boat and their strawberry lemonade. We had a beautiful view of Alcatraz and the Bay Bridge.

Bay Bridge

Alcatraz Island

After lunch we walked along the pier to see the ever famous sea lions that have made their permanent home on the docks. They are loud and stinky, but draw quite a crowd. Then off to Fisherman's Wharf. We really were fascinated by a boat that docked with fresh caught sharks. We watched the fisherman skin, gut and fillet the shark right on the seats of the boat. We also got quite a kick out of Tree Man. He is a "street performer" who sits on a milk crate behind tree branches and scares people as they walk by. He has become a real local attraction and we had a ball watching him scare unexpecting tourists. Sick, huh?

Tree man spots his next victims!

A trip to SF is never complete without an ice cream at Ghiradelli. Delicious!

Cable Car Turnaround

Feels Like Old Times

This morning, we had a fun visit with the Raissle crew. Wendy, David and the boys joined us for a playdate at the park. The girls had fun playing in the fountain with Nolan and acting like his big sisters or babysitters. I think he liked the attention! I took advantage of my time with little Parker, feeding him his bottle and getting some sleepy cuddle time too! He has grown so much since I saw him in Cincinnati a few weeks ago and Nolan has added so many words to his ever growing vocabulary. We also had a nice lunch at Panera and visited some more. Taylor walked Nolan around the restaurant numerous times, so we had some time to chat. The guys are looking forward to golfing tomorrow and we are all looking forward to our double date with Wendy and David tomorrow night. Just wish they lived closer so we could do this more often.

Photo from Wednesday night date night to Luna Loca and to see the Hangover again.

For dinner, we met Scott and Elizabeth at Ascona's. It seems to be our regular meeting spot when we are in town. The pizza is delicious and we enjoyed a nice evening on the patio. We caught up on our lives-work, trips, families, etc and they always seem to come with gifts in hand. This year they put together an adorable Taylor and Allison Summer 2009 activity bag which included a beach bag, coverups, sunglasses, horseshoes, pool toys and a popsicle making kit. So spoiled!!



After dinner, we visited Sycamore Valley Park for a little playtime. I'm not sure who had more fun, Matt or the girls, but it was the coolest park I have ever seen. We watched a bocce ball tournament and tried our best on the rock climbing wall. Another fun evening with long time friends.

Yosemite and a Little Detour

Yosemite Village

Yesterday, we ventured off for a day at Yosemite National Park. The 3 1/2 hour drive from my parent's house was longer than we anticipated, but we all agreed it was well worth the trip. As soon as we entered the valley, the girls' jaws dropped and we were all overwhelmed by its beauty. Matt and I had been to Yosemite many years ago, but it was great experiencing it with the girls. As soon as we parked, we took the shuttle to the trailhead. We thought we should do the hike while the girls were fresh. I questioned whether it was too tough for them to hike to the top of Vernal Falls, but Matt had faith in them and he was right. We hiked 1.5 miles to the top of Vernal Falls, along the Mist Trail. Mist was an understatement! We were soaked, but it was definitely refreshing. It was a pretty steep trail as we climbed 1000 feet and the stairway to the top was pretty hairy, as the steep steps were quite slippery. Once at the top, the view was breathtaking. We packed a lunch, enjoyed basking in the sun and taking pride in our hiking accomplishment. 1st stop on the trail

This bridge marked the 0.8 mile marker on the way to the top

Matt and I posed at this same spot when we were dating about 18 years ago.

Getting soaked along the mist trail

Vernal Falls-stunning and so powerful

Lunch at the top of the falls

As close as you can get to the amazing waterfall

We made it to the top!

Taylor took this great photo looking down stream

After about an hour, we descended back down to the valley for a well-deserved snack and some leisurely walking around the village. We got some great shots of Half Dome and Bridlevail Falls.

Allison took this gorgeous shot of Half Dome

Bridlevail Falls

We also spent some time doing first aid on a wound on the back of Allison's knee. It started off as a small cut last week but quickly became an ugly puss ball (don't know how else to describe it) by the end of our hike. Matt and I were worried about it because the redness around the wound kept spreading. So after a great day of hiking, taking in the fresh air and enjoying the amazing views, we packed up the car for our long drive back home. I think the hike wiped them out!
Once home, the wound looked even worse and I took a very tired Allison to the emergency room. After a 2 1/2 hour wait, she was seen by the doctor and we were told she had a strep infection and Cellulitis around the infection. She got a very painful (you should have heard the scream) shot in the tush and a prescription for antibiotics. Hard to believe she hiked over 3 miles earlier in the day. Quite a trooper and hopefully will be back to normal in a day or 2.