April 13, 2011

• The weather has been absolutely great the past few weeks, and almost every day, we’re out playing in the backyard. First weekend in April, Sam and Alex joined me and Zach for our morning 2.5 mile jog. Afterwards, I took Zach and Calie to Home Depot to make a flower planter. As it turns out, they were hosting a spring festival. I resisted their free donuts while the kids split one. They made the flower pots, filled it up with dirt, and planted an unlucky flower (unlucky because chances of living past a week is extremely low.) There was also a clown who made Calie a balloon Arial, and Zach a balloon shark.

  

  After lunch, we went to see Dylan perform in his first play “The Princess Frog”; It was a very cute show!

  

  In the evening,we had Alex, Nicole, and Dylan over for a dinner playdate. Grilled zucchini, Sam’s salad, and pesto tortellini. The boys had a great time playing basketball outside, and Alex stayed later to help build one of Zachary’s birthday Lego kits.

  

  

  On Sunday, after swim lessons, we took the kids to Sierra-at-Tahoe for snow tubing, sledding, and playing in the snow. It was sunny, and there was still plenty of snow from the past few weeks of rain. Fortunately, it wasn’t very crowded, and we went up/down the hill many times.

  

  Both kids really enjoyed playing in the snow. Last year, Calie was very tentative and didn’t even want to step in it; what a difference a year makes! (Well, I guess when you’re 2, a year is half your life…) Thanks to Karen for lending us the boots. Next year, we’ll be signing the kids up for skiing or snowboarding lessons.

   

   

  Tuesday, I participated in a lunch time walk sponsored by work (you could win a $75 gift card … I did not win.) The 30 min walk did not make up for the Jinju sushi I had for dinner with Karen and Kathy though! We continued our girls night out after dinner with a $5 movie “Source Code.” It was very good, but I may be biased since Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the movie.

  

  Wednesday was Zachary’s actual birthday – and all he wanted was to play basketball in the backyard and then have mac and cheese at home for dinner. He even declined going out for ice cream or a cupcake – definitely did not inherit my gluttony gene. Happy 7th Birthday Zachary! I love that boy.

  This past weekend, I set up a playdate at Pizza Rock. For $6, each child could make their own pizza … and the $6 could be applied to any entree. James and I shared a very delicious thin crust pizza with gorgonzola cheese, balsamic vinaigrette, and prosciutto. The best part was that so many of our friends could make it – thanks Sandy, Melissa, Bhavana, and Rachel for joining us!

  

  

  After lunch, since it was less than a mile away, we visited the Crocker Art Museum for the first time. They have a family/kids event every few weeks, where a docent discusses a piece of art with the kids and leads a craft project inspired by that piece. The kids were interested in touring the museum longer than I expected, and we went through almost every display. Zachary was especially interested in the year pieces were made … the older the more exciting! 

  

  In the evening, I helped organize a farewell party for Bhavana and her family. They are going to Malaysia for 2 years (for Vish’s work) and a group of her close friends wanted to send them off in style. We rented a church hall, catered Indian food, and organized a party for them, complete with a delicious tiramisu cake.

  

  We will definitely miss them and look forward to their return. What a wonderful experience, especially for their boys. Safe travels! (Check out the twin’s mohawks below)

  

  Sunday, James took the kids swimming while I ran with my friend/coworker Erjia. Unfortunately, these 2-3 mile weekend runs are not doing much to counteract all the dinners out … I have almost 4 lbs to lose again to get back to my pre-kids weight. Ugh, just in time for tank tops, shorts, and swimsuit season too. I really should not have had 2 slices of cake the night before.  In the afternoon, I went to watch Sandy and Melissa at their ballroom showcase … each of them showed off 4 dances. What an great show, a cumulation of almost 6 months of hard work. I have no idea how they keep track of all the steps - Bravo!

  

   

  Post showcase, we went on a family bike ride, and then my family joined Sandy and Melissa’s for dinner at Piattis. We had a private room with one big table, so it felt almost as cozy as eating at someone’s house, except no one had to clean up, cook, or do dishes. And since kids eat for free, the price was right too!

  

  Last but  not least … Congratulations to Dr. Natalie for passing her board exams! With a very energetic 3-year-old, a baby, and a husband that also works full time (make that overtime; he’s also a doctor) … I am just so impressed.

  And speaking of capable gals, Calie is now playing teacher. She sets up areas to play, such as blankets to jump in, and then tells me “You’re a good listener so you can go first.” She also quizzes me on colors and shapes and animals. She will either praise me with “Good job!” … or when I pretend to mess up, “No. The answer is <word>. Let’s all say that together <says the word slowly, over pronounces>.” She sings songs which require participation and rotates between me, James, and Zachary (who is a great sport playing along). She even sets up art stations, which mostly consist of pretending to paint our hands and making prints on paper. Quite the character, and I’m just loving this age! I hope she never loses her sense of confidence.

  • 2:38 am
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