December 6, 2009

• Lots of fun pictures for a very packed week!!!  Last Sunday, we went to a local Discovery Museum. It was very small and perfect for young children. Lots of hands-on exhibits, a planetarium, and an animal sanctuary. At noon, they opened up an art room, where Zachary made an astronaut finger puppet. 

   

  

  The kids loved playing in the space shuttle (Zachary thinks "outer space is cooler than cool.") And while Zach was working on a puzzle, Calie joined other kids in the cabin/campsite play area. We played almost all day, with only a short lunch break at Panera. Dana and Jason came to visit in the evening, and Jason showed me how old he was - very cute!

    

  On Thursday, I took the day off to celebrate Melissa's birthday. We rented a limo and spent the day in Napa Valley. First stop was lunch at Mustards, where we met the owner, Cindy Pawlcyn. I talked to her about her experience on Top Chef, one of my favorite shows. 

  

   

  Then we headed off to Indian Springs in Calistoga, where we relaxed in a naturally heated mineral pool. The relaxation ended abruptly when it was time for our volcanic ash baths. The experience was hilarious! It was very different from a typical spa experience and involved more nudity than any of us was comfortable with. (Photos with actual people in the tub available upon request - from husbands and high bidders only! )

  

  On the way home, we celebrated with a very rich chocolate cake and champagne. Happy Birthday Melissa - I am so glad to have you as my friend!

  

  Friday, we kicked off the weekend with dinner at Chicago Fire and a tree lighting event in Old Folsom. We met up with some friends and the kids played in pretend snow and went on a horse carriage ride.

  

  

  On Saturday, it was was back to back parties. In the morning, we went to Alex and Nicole's pajama party - we had roast turkey sandwiches for lunch and the kids decorated cookies for dessert.

  

  

  Late afternoon, we went to Austin's super-hero themed birthday party, where the kids made capes. Zachary had a great time zooming around on a scooter and pulling Calie around in a wagon. Happy 4th Birthday Austin!

  

   

  In the evening, we helped host the annual neighborhood progressive dinner party. Drinks and appetizers were at our house, then we went to our neighbors' homes for soup, salad, and dessert. I met some new neighbors this year!

  

  

  The week crash ended Sunday, when Calie got sick. She seemed sleepy in the morning. After her nap, she had a 102 fever ... and then proceeded to throw up a few hours later. I hope the rest of us don't catch it!

  • 11:42 pm
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