The evening I flew back from Chicago, Zachary went on his first sleepover. His friend Jackson’s birthday party included dinner, a sleepover, a pancake breakfast, and a trip to Dave & Busters for arcade games. What an awesome celebration – Happy 8th Birthday Jackson! It felt strange (and a bit sad – ack! He’s growing up!) to be home and available to play with him, but have him not be there for such a long period of time. Calie was absolutely beside herself for not being invited to the birthday party. The original plan was for us to take her out to dinner, but she protested. I threatened with “If you don’t come with us, then we’ll leave you at Kids Camp and go to dinner by ourselves.” She perked up and said Kids Camp was her “party”. She settled for eating pizza for dinner and playing for an hour at Kids Camp, while James and I tried a new Thai restaurant. Impromptu date. Win-win. (Hm. Pretty sure it’s a parenting fail when neither kids want to spend time with you!) 

Sunday morning, we did get some quality time with Calie -  with James and I both trying to lure her into our activities; basically 2 adults tripping over themselves vying to play with 1 kid because there was nothing else to do. My make-a-pot-pie activity won, and James was relegated to folding laundry. A literal “winner winner chicken dinner”! 

Jackson’s mom dropped Zach off around noon. Later in the day, because the weather was just so awesome, we took a family trip to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery. It was good to get out, but  Zachary said, “What’s so fun about feeding fish?” While there are definite advantages and I wouldn’t have done it any other way, as Zachary gets older, I’m facing the challenge of finding family activities that are fun for kids almost 5 years apart in age.

Wednesday after work, Zachary’s school hosted a Math Fair in their cafeteria, with math games at each lunch table. As you can imagine, Zach did pretty well – math is his specialty. He even tried the Middle School table, but fell flat on his face when stumped by the Pythagorean theorem. For shame! It seems quite a few after school events are on Wednesdays, which is very fortunate for us since Zach still has soccer practices on Tuesday and Thursdays.

This past Saturday, Zachary’s soccer team tied game #7. After the game, we went to a Whole Foods Grand Opening event. There were numerous tents with vendors giving out samples of food, a small hay maze, live music, and free train rides. It was a decent event, but way too crowded for my taste – standing in long lines for small morsels of food is not my style.  I’ve grown impatient in my old age and prefer to shovel in copious amounts of food while sitting down. I can’t wait for Whole Foods to open (this week!) – it’s my favorite grocery store.

That evening, we held our annual Halloween party! I debated long and hard about the guest list. Now that the kids are older, they have their own friends. Do we invite both kids’ friends? Hold 2 separate parties, one for each child? Limit it to those who’ve invited them to playdates? Do I invite my friends? Should I limit it to the people who have hosted us in the past year? I ultimately decided that since I host playdates year round for the kids, I would invite MY friends. Many of them have kids who are my kids’ age, but some don’t – and hence I don’t see nearly enough. Calie spent the afternoon make cupcakes, decorating the house, and making spaghetti monsters (hotdogs with spaghetti “legs”)

We had a GREAT turn out! There were some impressive costumes this year – Star Wars, pirates, dinosaurs, fairies/princesses, Hannah Montana, a cowboy, and even a big robot! The favorite by popular vote was Rapunzel/Tangled (see middle photo below):

For food, I kept it very simple. Chips/dip and vegetables for appetizers … spaghetti with a side of fresh bread and garlic butter for the main dish …  cupcakes and brownies for dessert. The spaghetti monsters were a hit, with quite a few kids asking for 2nds and 3rds. As the kids (and their appetites) get bigger, we’re going to have to remember to make more food!

The weather was great and our play structure got some good use. The kids also played basketball and soccer in the yard until it got too dark. The craft for this year was a monster picture frame that the kids decorated with glow-in-the-dark stickers. Actually, when I bought it, it was a light switch plate cover.

Full discloser: Two days before the party, I realized that over the years, light switch styles have changed and the cover would no longer fit (no wonder the kit was on sale!) I used my old scrapbooking oval cutter to create an opening to fit a wallet photo, asked people to bring a small photo to tape behind the oval, and cut up a few promotional business card magnets. Voila! Magnetic wallet picture frame for the fridge. Whew, good save, right?

It was a fun party, and I was glad I kept it my friends instead of hosting just another playdate. Hurrah – thanks to everyone who came … especially those who dressed up. It makes a huge difference when people put in the extra effort to make the party festive!

Sunday, we went to Dave’s Pumpkin Patch. In past years we’ve gone to Bishop’s but our schedules just didn’t quite align with our friends’ this time.  Lured by a Groupon, we decided to try a different place. For $27, our family of 4 received 2 pony rides and gained entrance to a kids playing area (hay bounce/maze/pyramid, sandbox filled with corn kernels) and corn maze.

I liked how it was smaller, more contained than Bishops, but the pigs at this farm smelled horrible and there were flies all around them. Also, the hired help were a bit more … well, let’s just say the guy leading Calie on the pony let some profanity fly out of his mouth while he was talking to another worker. A better parent would not have tolerated it, but Calie didn’t hear – and even if she did, she’s old enough to know that there are different rules for what adults and kids can do/say. I just shrugged it off.

In summary,  Bishops is a much bigger, cleaner, and more family friendly pumpkin patch.  But I was getting burned out from going there year after year. And the highlight for Calie were the pony rides (not available at Bishops) and Zachary preferred the variety of pumpkins available at Dave’s. He also cheered for the pumpkin cannon, but found it wasteful: “It’s like killing a pumpkin for no reason.” 

Since I read reviews that the food at Dave’s wasn’t very good, we headed to Hot Italian for lunch. Wow, our family can now pack away 2 whole pizzas … and 4 scoops of gelato. Bummer, no leftovers!

We carved pumpkins in the afternoon out on the patio. Zachary carved his first ever pumpkin:

Since I skipped last weekend, I jogged Friday after work and both weekend mornings. Sadly the quote “there’s never been a calorie deficit I couldn’t eat myself out of” rings true for me, and I’m still up 4 lbs compared to last year. Oh well. If I cared more, I’d do something about it.

It’s the middle of October already! Autumn is my favorite season, and it always seems to fly by because we’re so busy with school, soccer, and other fun seasonal outings. This year has been no exception!

First weekend of October … Saturday was a jog with coworkers followed by soccer game #4 (loss). Afterwards, we went to the Folsom Family Expo. Since we got there so early (Zach’s game was 9am), there were no crowds at all.

The kids got to jump in the bounce houses as long as they wanted. Then we went through vendor booths to pick up freebies and coupons (including free tickets to the Folsom zoo), and make kids crafts. The weather was gorgeous as we strolled through the zoo. We had a quick lunch at Smashburger before heading home.

For dinner, James and I went on a date to Back Wine Bar while the kids enjoyed pizza at Kids Camp. The kids like playing at Kids Camp – and on select weekends, they provide free meals. A great deal, especially when combined with coupons!

On Sunday, we went to Apple Hill. The websites listed the orchards opening at 8am, but most weren’t fully open until closer to 10-11am. My favorite by far was High Hill ranch. They had pony rides ($6) and a pond to feed fish/ducks (50 cents). The Fudge Factory, with playground and fudge samples, was located right next to them. Abel’s Acres was pretty good too … the kids enjoyed their surprisingly challenging hay maze ($5).

Boa Vista was a disappointment though – they were basically a big farmer’s market grocery store with lots of vendor stands. Nothing interesting for the kids. We picked up an apple pie and brought it to Alex/Nicoles’s house for dessert. Dinner was a light salad so that we could indulge in more pie. Thanks for hosting Sam!

The following weekend, James ran a charity 5k – and placed 3rd in his age group with a time of 24:45. Then we went to soccer game #5, where we beat the other team so badly, we had to hold back our offense. Zachary didn’t understand the rule, so there was a good lesson about sportsmanship and not making other people feel bad. It’s good to win, but not to crush the opponent … at least not at this age. After the soccer game, we went to the Safetyville Fireman’s Chili Cook-off charity. Despite living in this area for almost 15 years, I had never been to Safetyville. What a cute miniature town!

We tried a variety of chilis, watched a helicopter land, and the kids got to experience dousing a fire. One activity required kids to answer questions about fire safety. Calie’s answer to “What do you do when your clothes are on fire” was “Take them off.” Hm. We need to teach her about stop-drop-and-roll! 

Sunday was the Intel 5k, and there was a big turnout. Calie completed the kids 1/4 mile fun run. I did pretty well (for me) by crossing the finish line in 30:45 (the 5k not the kids run … just to clarify). Since we’re in the middle of soccer season, Zachary was in good shape and came in at 24:57.

Unfortunately, he fell in the ‘under 15′ age group and was beaten by 11, 13, and 15-year-olds. Just for fun, Zach and I ran home after the race, adding another ~2 miles to our 5k. It was great exercise, and exciting to race against my coworkers.

After the run, I took Calie to Zahra and Zayan’s birthday party at the Folsom zoo. She had such a great time – they had face painting, an art project, and the kids got to meet/pet a ferret and a rabbit. Calie was elated!

After the party, the kids got to run around the zoo and see all the other animals. Reshma and her husband made all the food (including animal shaped mini cakes), and the favor was homemade Play-Doh with an animal cookie cutter. How creative! Happy Birthday Zahra (4) and Zayan (2)!

We took advantage of our new patio set and shady backyard for dinner!

Monday, I took my extended staff out to lunch … my managers and ops manager joined us, and the team was so big that we needed 3 tables. I ordered authentic Chinese dishes; what better way to role model risk taking, right? (I heard that some people went to Jamba Juice or grabbed something else to eat in the cafeteria later – ha!)

Wednesday through Friday, I attended the Society of Women Engineers conference in Chicago. Wednesday morning, I walked Zach to school, and he ran in just as the classroom door was closing. Then I worked from home for awhile before heading to the airport. I had forgotten that I was in Terminal B, a newer unfamiliar terminal which required taking a tram. I hustled to my gate and got into line just as my row was called. I flew into Chicago Midway, took a taxi to my hotel, and decided that I had a fighting chance of making the evening’s river cruise. I booked my flight before I knew about the cruise, and figured I’d miss it, but my flight got in a bit earlier than expected. The boat was going to leave earlier but waited for me. So I got to have dinner with my friends/coworkers while enjoying the Chicago skyline. It reminded me a bit of Boston. I do miss big cities. 

Thursday, I went to seminars. After “work”, Kathy, Galina, and I went to South Coast Sushi for some delicious and creative rolls. In a half hearted attempt to burn a few calories, Kathy and I swam 10 laps in the hotel pool after dinner (BTW, mom was wrong … you don’t throw up if you swim after eating.)

Friday was more seminars, including a 3 hour workshop. For dinner, Kathy and I treated ourselves to one of the highest rated restaurants in Chicago … Les Nomades. It was very good (although I still prefer the lardo at The Kitchen). My favorites included the amuse bouche of mushroom soup with truffle foam, the tender diver scallops, and the perfectly seasoned beef filet in shallot sauce. Since it was a more refined and perhaps a bit old fashioned (most of their clientele were older) restaurant, photography was not allowed. I had to be discreet and turn off my flash – hence the fuzzy photos!

It was great fun rooming with Kathy – I haven’t spent as much time with her recently since I’ve been busy with kids activities, and she’s been traveling so much. Despite our lifestyle differences, we actually have a lot in common! The only downside was that we talked so much at night, we struggled to get up the next morning. The time difference didn’t help … although I have to admit our first seminars were ~10am. My flight back home was 6am Saturday morning. Driven by my fear of being late (not unfounded given my recent close calls), I got up at 3am after only 2 hours of sleep.

Back at home, James handled soccer practice, dentist appointments for both kids (no cavities – yay!), and soccer game #6 (tie.)

The second half of September … Friday after work, we went to ‘Gators on the Green’ at Zachary’s school with music, carnival games, food/books for fundraising, and competitions: balloon toss, tug-of-war, and sack races. This was his first schoolwide event and wow, there are SO many more people compared to private school.  (below right, photo of card Zach made for his teacher)

Saturday was pretty low key. Morning jog, followed by soccer game (lost), soccer team photos, and a trip to the mall to get my unstable iPhone replaced. Since I was at the mall anyway, I did some shopping for new clothes too.

I kicked off Sunday with another morning jog, and then took the kids to the Sacramento Children’s Museum. What a fun place … not nearly as big as the one in San Jose, but similar in concept. My kids are pretty simple and tend to do well with open ended play, so we stayed for most of the day. (Made for lots of photo opportunities!) 

I really appreciated how the museum respected diversity and was thoughtfully built to accommodate differently abled children. I decided I would show my support by purchasing a membership. When I shared my day with Sandy later that evening (at Sergios with Melissa), I found out hers was one of the founding families! My friends just keep impressing me with what they do – what can I say, I surround myself with the best.

The following Saturday, after Zachary’s soccer game (lost), we went to SunSplash. It was a company sponsored event, and included free arcade games, mini golf, laser tag, go-karting, lunch, and of course water slides.

At under 48″, Zachary was limited to 4 big slides. Calie played in the kiddie play structure and slides area, and the whole family did the lazy river and wave pool. It was fun, but the signs around the park (“no refunds for long lines”) gave me the impression that lines were … well, unreasonably long during public hours.

After a playing in the sun all day, we grabbed dinner at Dos Coyotes, and the kids fell asleep without any complaints by 8pm. James went to John’s Mardi Gras party that night – Happy Birthday JP!

Sunday, we celebrated Alex’s 7th birthday party with lunch at his house and Kinect games. Zachary was so happy to see some of the boys from his previous school, it made me question (again) whether we should have changed schools. But I digress – the kids had a fantastic time … what’s not to love? Video games, Beyblades, cake. Happy 7th Birthday Alex!

In the evening, we had 2 boys from his soccer team over for a dinner playdate.

And WW40? James got the whole week off work, while I was in 2.5 full days of face-to-face meetings, including a dinner team builder at Macaroni Grill. I can’t complain though, as James was quite productive during his time off, and I loved not having to hustle the kids to school every morning. He organized a day hike to Tahoe (Loch Leven) with some of his coworkers. And Friday, we had Melissa and Rachel’s family over for dinner: a ‘would-you-like-some-lettuce-with-your-tomatoes’ salad with grilled sausages and pesto pasta, and chocolate ice cream for dessert. It was the last week of Thursday farmer’s market at work, and I will definitely miss the ease of stocking up on fresh vegetables midweek.