All last week, James was in Costa Rica for work, giving presentations. While he was hiking in cloud forests, bathing in waterfalls, and posing with toucans, I managed the first week of school (including back-to-school night) and soccer practices at home with the kids. Having 2 drop offs and pickups when both kids are still in carseats is a bit inconvenient, but otherwise it wasn’t as difficult as I envisioned. 

Friday evening, I hired a 14-year-old to watch the kids while I went to Vegas Night at work with my hot date Kathy. (First public school, now a 14-year old babysitter … I’m really throwing caution to the wind now, eh? The reality is that the 14-year-old lives a few houses down and her parents will help if there are any unlikely emergencies. Plus I was less than 2 miles away. So I’m still neurotic. Dammit.) Despite being located at work, Vegas night was quite fun – possibly because I had great company.

Karen, Paul, Rachel, Jeff, Kathy, and I shamelessly feasted on Moroccan mint lamb chops, seafood cakes with lemon aioli, and jumbo shrimp. And that was before hitting the big dessert display table, where I had 3 mini cupcakes. Definitely a good call on wearing a stretchy dress. We took some crazy photo booth pictures (headshots only – whew!) and then grabbed a blackjack table. We opted to forgo the magic shows for additional gambling time and played until we lost everything.

The next morning, 6 coworkers and I ran a charity race. I ran a 5k in 34:36 – I’m pretty sure that’s my PW (personal worst.) A few of my teammates placed in their age group, and Meenakshi finished her first 5k! Go team!  After my run, James and I took the kids to Soccer Opening Day festivities.

The bounce houses were probably more fun/age-appropriate for Calie, but Zach had a good time too – especially after he ran into Christian from his soccer team. We had sandwiches and frozen yogurt for lunch at Goodies before heading over to a free kids’ tennis clinic at Broadstone Racquet Club.

That evening, James put the kids to bed while I went to Veronica’s house for a party. Lovely catered dinner from Dominick’s plus a live band AZUAR … I had fun dancing and singing to 80s music (and some Lady Gaga mixed in) Thanks Veronica for inviting me!

Sunday morning, Calie and I joined Melissa and Sandy’s family for dimsum at Asia Pearl. I love dimsum – it’s always such a treat to go. Thank you Sandy for organizing and picking up the tab! We enjoyed some downtime during the day and then went to Mikunis for my birthday dinner. (This is the last I saw of my pint glass … I accidently left it on the table. My other freebie however, the lava cake, sits securely on my hips) 

Friday evening, James’ parents came over to watch the kids so that James and I could celebrate my birthday at The Kitchen. My favorite dishes were the deconstructed ‘Banh Mi’ and lamb rack with lobster. The salmon was so fresh it was caught that morning and flown in only a few hours ago. Alas, my 7th time was not the charm, as there were no raw oysters … and in fact, the whole sashimi spread was a bit disappointing. But that just meant more room for 2nds of dessert. They make the best peach ice cream (after Sam of course.)

Saturday was pretty much dedicated to Zachary’s soccer seeding tournament. Zach is playing a lot better than he did last year. He has good stamina for running across the field, so he is often able to get to the ball faster, and he had some pretty impressive kicks. However, his team lost all 3 games which means they’ll probably start off in division 3. I’m hoping this means he’ll have a chance at making a goal this year.

After the last game, his team had pizza for lunch on the sidelines. Zach was invited to an impromptu playdate at Christian’s house, so I dropped him off for 1.5 hours of swimming.

In the evening, we went to a Wild About the Zoo benefit. There weren’t very many vendor stands this year and the activities were the same as the previous year’s, so we didn’t stay long. After the kids went to bed, James and I went to see a late movie (Crazy, Stupid, Love) using our stash of movie gift cards we collect from work. Thanks to James’ parents for babysitting!

Sunday morning, I did a 3.5 mile loop in El Dorado Hills with my jogging group. As soon as I got back, it was time to head to the park with Calie to meet up with her friend Cassie. And after an hour or so of playing at the park … it was off to the Sac State Aquatic Center with Zachary to meet up with a few of his soccer team buddies: John, Aidan, and Christian. The boys kayaked, canoed, played in the water (jumped off docks), and had a picnic lunch.

In the late afternoon, James and Zachary went rollerskating while Calie and I went out for an early dinner at Blue Nami (sushi) followed by Pinkberry frozen yogurt.

Definitely felt a bit over extended that day with both kids’ activities. I’m starting to realize the logistical challenges of managing 2 kids with very different interests/activities and circle of friends!

(Zach’s soccer banner above. Not my favorite team name, but we have the best banner – thanks Alice for designing it!)

James found out his friend Bill from New York was stranded on the west coast on a business trip to to Hurricane Irene. He was staying with his parents, who lived only a few miles from our home. So Monday evening, we met up with Bill and his parents for dinner at  Pollo De Oro, a local Mexican restaurant we’ve never tried before. Thanks Bill for treating us to both a delicious meal and entertaining magic tricks!

Two weeks ago, we decided to take a mini-vacation to the Bay Area. James and I took Thursday-Friday off work.  First stop? The Academy of Science in San Francisco.

Last time we went, we didn’t get a chance to go into the rainforest globe. There was also a new snakes and lizard exhibit that we haven’t seen before. 

Since I took Zach to the planetarium show last time (2 years ago), James took him this time. We had originally planned to go to the Monterey Aquarium as well this weekend, but there was such a big aquarium at the Academy of Science, we decided to move that trip to a future weekend.

We stayed until almost closing time and then headed to Sophie’s house, our free hotel for the next 3 nights.  Zachary LOVED playing Kinect … which I admit is pretty amazing (although I am easily impressed as my favorite game growing up was Keystone Kapers). Sophie made Calie an ice cream cake and a glittery pink, rhinestoned birthday crown. We also got to meet Taylor for the first time – what a friendly and cute baby!

Friday, we went to the San Jose Children’s Museum. I love that place … there are so many fun, interesting hands-on exhibits for kids. I envision myself getting a membership and taking the kids there all the time if I only lived closer. We stayed until closing (haha, so typical.)

Dinner was at ‘Sweet Tomatoes.’ I recalled when it first opened, and I was an intern at Siemen’s ROLM. It’s very possible that my standards have gone up since those college days. It was so crowded, and people were aggressively shoving for food in the buffet line. Kids had their hands in the food as they were scooping. Hurrah for not getting food poisoning, a real concern I had during dinner.

Next day … Santa Cruz! I purchased the unlimited rides wristbands and activity pack at Costco. It was downright cold when we first got there (~10am). There were no lines at all for the rides so we ‘got our money’s worth’ very quickly.  

The hang glider ride ruined it for the grownups who were too motion sick to go on any more rides afterwards. So we had lunch. (Logical, right? When nauseated, then eat?) Since Calie fell asleep after lunch, it was off to play 18 holes of mini-golf while she napped. It was quite a good pirate-themed course!

Because it was colder (low 80s), we did not bring swimsuits. But by late afternoon, it warmed up enough to hit the beach. Plus, the Boardwalk was getting very crowded and lines for rides were long. It was definitely a good call to do rides in the morning and the beach in the afternoon. 

Note: Kids have very high tolerances for cold water. If it’s fun, they don’t really care if it’s freezing. Zach chased waves, fell in waves, and ended up in wet sandy jeans. We totally should have brought swimsuits! We left with a bunch of activity tokens still unused; Santa Cruz can easily be a 2-day trip, as my coworker advised me, especially if you/your kids love the beach. For dinner, we tried a Thai restaurant that Sophie recommended. Yummy.  And Sunday, we had dimsum before heading home – thank you Sophie and Eddie for letting us stay in your home!

This weekend, we went to Karen and Paul’s backyard camping playdate. We swam first (for a long, long time) and then had pizza on beach towels.

When it got darker, the kids watched a movie. Karen borrowed a projector from work and used a shower curtain as the screen. Guess the movie? Yep. How to Train Your Dragon. Since I’ve seen it twice already, I hung out on the other side of the patio (with most of the other adults) for funny conversation and s’mores made with a mini blow torch.

Karen and Rachels’ family decided to pitch tents and sleep out overnight, but the rest of us chickened out. Maybe next year! Thank you Karen for being such a creative host – we had a great time.

Sunday morning, the kids amazed me by being incredibly cooperative. We went to swim lessons, followed by grocery shopping at The Nugget. Then they played at home (didn’t want to go out, which was fine by me … it’s too hot!) and cleaned up the whole house! All the little game, puzzle, and toy pieces were grouped together and put away. I was even able to wipe down the train table; it’s been awhile since I’ve seen that surface!

Since they were so well behaved, I took both kids out for dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. I had 2 free kids meal coupons, and they let me use both! Zach ordered spinach tortellini when there was mac/cheese on the menu, and when we got home, Calie went to bed without putting up a fight. Who are these kids?!

The next morning was Zach’s first day of school. Second grade in public school; The after school program was expanded and he finally got in. Somehow a small private school felt like an extension of daycare/preschool … perhaps since Calie was at the same campus, in a building next door. Going to a 700+ student elementary school suddenly made me feel he was growing up. *GULP!* I was relieved to see his Kindergarten classmate Claire and his soccer coach’s son Brian in the same classroom. I hope he does well and likes his new school.

Drive by post … outside our routine (my morning jogs, Calie’s dance lesson, both kids’ swim lessons), last weekend we went to Folsom Lake for a potluck picnic/barbecue and jetskiing.

After playing in the sun most of the day, we went to Mikuni’s for dinner, where Calie spun the birthday wheel for free mochi ice cream! Her big present this year was a dollhouse – it’s so big she can’t even reach the top floor yet. James and I bought it by pooling together our Kudos (gift cards from work.)

Sunday, we went to the State Fair, where the kids got 2 free rides each for reading books (well, Calie just had to verbally summarize 2 books we’ve read to her.) We hit all the major attractions, including a bug exhibit, livestock arena, midway, and an Australia tent with albino wallaby, kangaroo, hedgehog, emu, parrots, and porcupine.

After we got home from the State Fair, Calie said she felt sick. She skipped dinner, and went to bed with a 101 fever. The next day, James took her to the doctors, where she was diagnosed with strep throat! So for her birthday, she got amoxicillan.  Fortunately, the antibiotics did the trick, and she recovered quickly (yes, we will be continuing the medication for the full 10 days.) It was definitely a good call to celebrate her birthday early!

So there we have it. I now I have a 3-year-old! Often times I hear people say “It goes by so fast” or “Where has the time gone?” … but I feel like she was 2-years-old for years. Maybe it’s because my kids are spaced so far apart that I’m parenting a little more slowly. I’m usually not torn between both kids wanting my attention at the same time. Or maybe it’s because we’re slacker parents who don’t sign our kids up for many activities … our weekends might seem busy, but there’s a lot of downtime on weekdays. I think the biggest reason though is major milestones. When every week is similar to the previous, it all blurs into one for me. Within the last year, I’ve gone through a re-org at work, traveled to Guadalahara for business, celebrated my friend Karen’s 40th and my sister’s 30th in Vegas, released a major project, spent an extended weekend in Tahoe with friends, and went on 2 very successful family vacations …a week in Anaheim and a 7-day Alaskan cruise. So yes. My recommendation for slowing time down and enjoying this fleeting time as the parent of a small child … do less and take more vacations.  I certainly plan to continue taking my own advice!

 HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY CALISTA!

I’ll end this post with some Calie milestones. She is now tracing her name (I had no idea, but I saw it on the bulletin board at preschool dated 7/22), but not 100% with all her letters and sounds. She can recognize numbers and count to 10 very consistently, but will still make some mistakes between 10 and 20. She is definitely more assertive than her brother, and the two of them bicker all. the. time. She is less mischievous, but more manipulative. When I ignore her unreasonable demands, she will say,”Look, I’m crying. So sad!” While much more clear than her brother at the same age, she still has some mispronunciations: “Yay-gurt” (yogurt), “hippo-thomas” (hippopotamus), and my favorite “Holla-doctor” (helicopter).

All last week, Zachary went to Broadstone summer camp. Since camp started at 9am, but James and I “wanted” to be at work by 8am, we buffered his mornings with private tennis lessons. Camp at Broadstone included sports (such as lacrosse, human bowling, scooter races), a trip to a roller skating rink, and daily swimming. At the end of the camp day (4pm), Zach could hang out in the clubhouse until I picked him up. The clubhouse was pretty fun – equipped with pingpong, billiards, arcade games (i.e. skeeball), video games, and an enclave for art projects and board games. Often times I’d come to pick him up, only to wait because he didn’t want to leave quite yet! 

Last Friday, we joined Melissa and Rachel’s family for a outdoor movie. The kids enjoyed the bounce house, sno-cones, and picnic dinner before settling down with popcorn for ‘How to Train Your Dragon’.  Yes, again. Kids like repetition, right? 

The next morning, after my jog, I took Calie to her dance class. She had a substitute teacher who actually taught a few real dance positions. Calie liked it, but said that she would rather take the gymnastics class. 

As soon as ballet was over, we drove to Camino for berry picking. My friend Dana set up the same berry picking trip with her mommy friends last weekend, and informed me that berries were scarce. Fortunately, the berries we were interested in were in decent supply, not any better/worse than previous years.

Calie loved the golden raspberries and ate them almost as fast as Zach and I could pick them. Even with Alex helping us, it was hard to keep up! We had a picnic lunch with berry-themed dessert and played lawn games. Thanks to Melissa for organizing!

That evening, we hosted Calie’s 3rd birthday party at Tricks Gymnastics. It was one of the simplest parties we’ve ever thrown, and I booked it 5 months ago using a $80 Groupon. We had only 15 kids and the party hosts kept them entertained with trampolines, obstacle courses, a train bounce house, foam pit, balance beam, and a crazy 3-person swing. The instructor hosting the party did a great job of making Calie feel special.

The second half of the party was in the party room, where we had pizza, fruit, and chips for dinner, followed by birthday cupcakes. We usually just take the presents home rather than bore everyone, but we had some extra time, and surprise – the kids loved watching her open gifts! I had no idea it was so exciting – see, and adults have to play games like ‘baby shower bingo’ to keep ourselves awake!

For party favors, Tricks gave every child a balloon. We tied on a little bag of fruit snacks and a magic wash cloth. The whole party was done in 2 hours, which was perfect for my almost-3-year-old. Calie had a wonderful time!

(Group picture … family friends plus 3 of her best friends at school. Calie specifically chose to invite Ava, Cassie, and Eamon … and all 3 were able to attend!)

I ordered cupcakes from my admin’s friend. Mini chocolates and regular sized Tuscan cream. They looked great and tasted even better. Calie ended up with a great mix of gifts, from clothes to puzzles to toys. Thank you to all our generous friends!

Sunday, I jogged for 50 minutes with Erjia. I usually run 35 minutes but we had to take a detour because of a crazy lady. A few weeks ago, on the same route, we ran into a woman who started yelling at Erjia and spitting on him. Our group joked that she must have been Erjia’s ex-girlfriend, but he swears he had never seen her before. We felt it was best not to repeat the encounter. After my run, I took the kids to their swim lessons, and then headed to Arden Hills Spa. My friends Kathy, Sandy, Melissa, Karen, Rachel, and Dana were already there, playing tennis. Since I don’t play, this closet introvert enjoyed a few leisurely laps in the pool.

After swimming, we had brunch at Mangos. My order of crabcakes egg benedict was delicious (Salt and fat, what’s not to love? Oh, right. The calories. Too late now. ). As my primary job now is being a mom, it seems everything I do revolves around the kids (is it obvious from my blog?).  It was great spending quality time with my friends, focusing on ourselves beyond our role as a parent. Sandy’s rule to ‘not talk about kids’ was very smart!

After breakfast, it was back into the pool for diving board and water slide high jinks before our spa treatments. Since I have a masseuse I like and go to regularly for under $40, I decided on the sugar scrub and vichy shower. Very relaxing day - Thank you Sandy for setting it up!

While I was at Arden Hills, Alice visited. She is in between jobs (congratulations on her new position at Zappos!) and wanted to drop by to see the kids before heading to Europe for a Vikings River Cruise with our parents. After I got home from the spa, we went to Dave & Busters, where we struck out on Wheel of Fortune, but won 100 tickets from Deal or No Deal. Alice nabbed a stuffed bear on her first (and only) try on the claw. The token cards James and I got from work seem to last forever – we still have credit left!

We headed to Susumu for dinner to celebrate both Alice (7/7/77 – fixed!) and Calie’s (8/1/08) birthdays. Susumu has the best fried rice ever (I recommend mixing with their side sauces), and cost significantly less than Bennihanna’s, especially with a $40 for $20 Groupon. I was pleased to see that business was hopping for them, as we’ve always had good experiences celebrating there.

Today, for lunch, I invited my extended team over for a potluck. It was hard to believe how much the team had grown since the last event at my home. I work with some of the most capable and fun people I know; I’m so fortunate to get paid for what I love to do!

Summer are so packed with activities that it’s hard to pick which photos to post!

Two weekends ago, James and I went to Morton’s for dinner. The onion bread was so good, it took all my willpower not to fill up on it. I totally indulged … oysters, ahi tuna, salad for appetizers … and the filet I shared with James was even better than the one I had at Cut in Las Vegas! Despite being full, the experience did not feel complete without a creme brulee for dessert. Yummy! Thanks to Lisa for the gift card.

(I got my hair cut/styled right before our date )

Saturday morning, after a 5k jog with Erjia while James took the kids to swim lessons, we went to Lowes to build a catapult.

Then it was off to rollerskate after lunch. I took Zach, and we met up with Christine/Isabelle and Rachel/Jessica. Since Zachary always wants to stay the whole time, I had no excuse but to skate for 2-3 hours!

After rollerskating, we picked up James/Calie at home and headed to Rachel’s house for a barbecue/swim playdate. Zachary enjoyed playing with the dive rings, but wasn’t able to reach them like Jessica could … he was very persistent in trying though!

Sunday, I took a 1 hour walk/hike with Erjia and Meenakshi while James took the kids to swim lessons. Immediately after lessons (kids stayed in swimsuits!), we headed to Jason’s birthday party for more swimming. The kids love swim parties – they’re special to us since we don’t have a backyard pool, and both kids have made major strides since last summer. They are by no means swim team candidates, but I’ve bought myself a few extra seconds before they drown. Happy 4th Birthday Jason!

Last Friday, we took the kids to a local ‘Concert in the Park’ after work. We grabbed dinner at Freshii since we had a ‘Buy 1 Get 1 free’ coupon from a recent 5k charity run. Unfortunately, they were so backlogged with orders that we had to wait almost 45 minutes to get our food. Ugh. I am not patient! That said, I love their lemongrass salad dressing. We had a picnic dinner and listened to live music. Calie jumped in the bounce house, while Zach played soccer and frisbee with James … it felt very summer!

Saturday … another morning jog for me. I am trying to be consistent about exercising 2x a week, which usually means weekend mornings. I no longer get to sleep in, but my other choices would be to either cut back on eating or gain back all the weight I worked so hard to lose last year! After my jog, I took Calie to her fairytale ballet class at Tricks. It wasn’t real dance (my dance friends would probably wince), but she had fun and it’s hard to beat 4 classes for $20!

After dance, Calie had her first ever playdate with her friends. Her BFFs Ava and Cassie came over for lunch, and the girls had so much fun! We’re definitely going to have to do this again.

After her friends left, we took a walk to a nearby park with water feature.

In the evening, we went to the Aquatic Center for an outdoor movie ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’ Since the show starts after dark (~8:45pm, our kids’ bedtime), we put them in pajamas and brought a big blanket. What a great movie! I had never seen it before, and I loved it. Calie tried her best, but fell asleep before the movie ended.

Sunday morning … I jogged again with coworkers, including Sam. Melissa’s flight from Europe was delayed so he had both kids in a (non-jogging) stroller. Impressive! Around lunch time, I walked Zachary to his friend Alex C’s house for a birthday party. The kids played football in a school field, followed by swimming, and a barbecue lunch with ice cream birthday cake. Happy 7th Birthday Alex!

We walked home after the party ended, and then went to Rachel’s house for a barbecue swim playdate. By this time, Zach had figured out that taking a deep breath before going underwater was making him too buoyant. Persistence and practice paid off – while not as quick as Dylan and Jessica, he was finally able to dive for rings. The kids had fun swimming and jumping on the big trampoline … and dinner was delicious too. Thank you Rachel/Jeff for hosting 2 weekends in a row!

Yesterday, I invited my coworker Bart over for a tritip barbecue dinner. We ran out of propane halfway though (oops) so dinner took a little longer than expected.  Bart had entertaining stories about his previous job working at Disneyland and less than entertaining stories about trains. Today, my team went to Old Spaghetti Factory for lunch followed by Vintner’s Cellar to bottle the Merlot we made a few months ago. I bottled, corked, and labeled my very own wine!

Now we wait 180 more days until we can try it … a lesson in patience for sure. With all the recent hiring, the team has gotten quite large, and we had a great turnout. Fortunately, we had just enough wine for everyone who showed up.

In terms of milestones this month, Zachary lost 2 teeth … the first 2 teeth to naturally fall out, as his previous 3 were pulled by the dentist because his permanent ones were coming in from behind. The toothfairy at our house pays a golden $1 coin per tooth, and Zachary was very excited to get the special coins!

We had a great weekend, celebrating the 4th with quality family time and get-togethers with friends. Friday, after work, Melissa introduced us to a new park with a water play feature, 2 play structures, 2 tennis courts, 2 bocce ball areas, a big soccer field, and a baseball field. Zachary played tennis for the first time and loved it. He also tried bocce ball. We had pizza for dinner at the picnic tables, and the kids had a great time playing until it was dark.

Saturday morning, Zach and I (along with Sam, Erjia, Jaybal, Lisa, and Lisa’s daughter) went on our morning jog. Then I took Calie to gymnastic class, the last of 4 in the $20 Groupon series. In 2 weeks she’ll start another $20 series of 4 dance classes, after which she’ll get to chose which one she wants to continue with. (Pictures below of Calie attempting somersaults … when at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!)

Then it was off to a Sacramento Toy Train event to say hi to Grandma and Grandpa.

And then Dylan’s Hawaiian themed pool party. Karen hired 2 of his after school teachers to help with the kids, so that the parents could socialize. Smart! The kids decorated a cup, played hula and limbo, and spent lots of time in the pool. With the temperature reaching over 100, it was a perfect day for water play. We had salad, lumpia, and grilled ribeye for dinner, and Coldstone ice cream birthday cake for dessert. Happy 6.5th Birthday Dylan!

Sunday morning, James and Zach went on a hike (Hidden Falls) in Auburn. I took Calie to get her first haircut (photos later) and to pick up paper products, favors, and drinks for her upcoming birthday party. We put her favors together while we waited for James/Zach to get back home from their ~5 mile (but 2 hour round trip drive) hike. In the late afternoon, we went to Melissa’s home for dinner followed by the El Dorado Hills Firework Jubilee.

We were treated to barbecue chicken and salad with homemade dressing. The blue cheese dressing was so good, I disgusted my friends by eating it straight, right off my spoon. I brought pesto pasta and roasted fingerling potatoes; again with fresh and local ingredients from the farmer’s market at work.

After dinner, the kids played while the adults chatted until the temperature dropped enough to head to Town Center. It was still hot though. The kids made July 4th themed visors and beaded necklaces, while we all tried to cool down with smoothies and slushies. We spread out a blanket for 9:30pm fireworks. What a great show! Lots of big, impressive fireworks and the show ran much longer than I expected. Loved lying on the blanket with my arms around my little girl, gazing upwards at the firework spectacular in the night sky. Afterwards, as we headed back to our car, slumped over James’ shoulder, Calie said,”I love fireworks. Fireworks are so beautiful!”

Photos of Calie’s haircut at Maribous. Melina (Calie’s hair stylist) was so good with her … and I liked her so much, I booked my own haircut with her next week! The goal is to get on the same cadence, so that we can go get haircuts together in the future … once every 6 months. Similar to how James and Zach go every 2 months.

Despite getting to bed late the previous night, we were motivated to get up early the next day for a July 4th 5k charity run at 8am. It was a tough run! The Lake Natomas trail included lots of hills, and it was hot. I was pouring sweat at the end. Zach and I both ran it in slightly over 33 minutes (Zach 33:12, Jennifer 33:22). Given the heat, I’m just glad I ran the whole way without passing out! My running buddies Jaybal and Erjia joined us too. It was a larger, more competitive race (almost 700 people) so none of us placed.

After the race, we had Jenny and Uyen (and their families) over for lunch. I swear it was all new food, but it was almost the same menu as Karen’s party 2 days ago. Grilled ribeye, pesto pasta, and salad! We also enjoyed lots of strawberries and a fruit cheesecake, thanks to Uyen and Jenny. It was great having my “HP friends” over, as it’s been way too long. Brady is such a cute, happy baby … both James and I were impressed by his sleep schedule and how flexible he was being passed around. That night, after the kids went to bed, James and I watched ‘The Switch’. Horrible movie, despite the fact that I love Jennifer Anniston. At least it was a free rental.

(Horizontal stripes does NOT do the body good. Neither does standing next to Jenny and Uyen! I know how Chloe Kardashian must feel.)

Today, we let the kids sleep in and roll into summer school around 9:30am. Zachary’s drop off was pretty uneventful, but Calie’s friends went crazy when they saw her. Her best friends Ava and Cassie ran over and the 3 girls talked nonsense, hugged, and jumped in circles. I thought girls only behaved like that in movies?!

Sans kids, James and I went out for lunch downtown at Ella’s, where I indulged in raw oysters and tuna carpaccio. (Note for future reference … I prefer the Beausoleil oysters over Kusshis) Then we did some grocery shopping before picking up the kids early. We watched ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’ (another free movie rental … not sure how James is getting all these freebies) at home and just played indoors. The weather has just been way too hot to go outside … hoping that changes soon, as there are lots of fun outdoor summer activities!

And so this ends our 4 day weekend. I just got back from a massage while James put the kids to bed. Ahhh… life is good!

Hm. A bit photo-happy and wordy this past week.

When we came back from our Alaskan cruise, all the fieldtrips for Zach’s summer school were full. For some variety, we decided to sign him up for daycamp at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center. He had a blast! Throughout the course the week, the campers canoed to Blackberry Island (where the kids had a picnic lunch and played with tadpoles), went kayaking, learned how to standup paddle board, and did a bunch of water activities similar to the TV contest ‘Wipe Out.’

His favorite day was when they learned how to sail; he was beaming when he told me about it (especially the capsizing part) and even drew me a picture at home with all the major sailboat parts labeled. Thursday evening, there was an open house, where kids could showcase their new skills. Zach took me sailing on Lake Natomas and challenged me to jump ‘lily pads’ (inflatable discs.)  I was previously concerned about the ~100 degree heat and being miserably sweaty … but after playing in the ice cold water myself, I realized it wasn’t too hot at all. And retrospectively, I’m glad I chose that week since the following week was cold and rainy! The only downside was that drop offs and picks ups were a bit tough since the camp ran from 8-3:30pm … they let kids stay until after 5pm, but most kids were picked up earlier. In all, highly recommended for energetic kids who are comfortable in water!

Thursday (quick shower after the Aquatic Center open house  ) Lori, Melissa, Megan, Rachel, Sandy, and I got together with Kathy to celebrate her 39th birthday with Persian food at Shahrzad. What a delicious dinner – and I loved hearing about all my friends’ travels … from Kathy’s Machu Picchu hike to Lori and Sandy’s vacation plans later this year. I brought some cupcakes to share (My last $8 for 6 Icing on the Cupcake Groupon), but I wasn’t impressed by my selection. I wanted to try new flavors, and I probably should have just stuck with my favorites. Oh well … leftover cupcakes = saved calories, right? Happy Birthday Kathy!

Friday, Sam, Melissa, Kathy, and I played Mahjong. Karen, who has been working too much overtime lately, joined us later for drinks and conversation. I told James I’d be back before midnight since I was feeling tired (my cough had been keeping me up at night) … but as usual, when my friends and I start talking … yea … didn’t get home until after 1am.

Saturday, James took Calie to gymnastics class. Since I still wasn’t feeling 100% (damn allergies), we opted to take it easy most of the day, with no real plans until the evening. For dinner, I took the kids to Sam’s house while James went to JP’s Hawaiian themed summer party.  With the anti-salmonites out of the way (Melissa was at a wedding), Sam grilled wild Sockeye for me, Karen, Kathy, Rachel and our families. We had a “choice” of a citrus vinaigrette or creamy dill sauce. Choice in quotes since I obviously took a heaping scoop of each!

I brought a salad to share, as this summer, Intel has been hosting farmer markets Thursday afternoons. Excellent for a midweek replenish of  local organic produce. Thanks to Sam for inviting us!

Sunday, the kids went to their swim lessons, followed by more swimming at Evie’s 2nd birthday. The kids had a great time in the water; the weather was perfect, and I love that they are getting more opportunities to swim.

I was very impressed by the 2-tier butterfly cake that Jigme made for Evie … what a  labor of love! Happy 2nd Birthday Evie!

The past 2 weeks also included a few work events. Last Tuesday evening, after the F2F, our staff went out to a bar for socializing/networking. I opted out of the poker game, but did play a few rounds of pool. Despite taking tips from my coworker (use a napkin when shooting?!), I lost miserably. On Friday afternoon, the whole site was invited to a work celebration at Dave & Busters. James and I enjoyed a yummy (but unhealthy) buffet and played arcade games. My numerous eye exams proved to be good practice for a child’s apple catching game. Since Zach’s daycamp ended at 3:30pm, we left early to pick the kids up.

This Tuesday was “Kids to Work” day, and it was the first year Zachary was old enough to attend. Each child could register for 1 workshop, but everything was filled before I could sign him up. Luckily, we got in a Robotics (Mindstorms) class via waitlist. Their mission was to program a robot to go down a specific path, dump candy into its repository, and bring it back to home base. Zachary’s team was close, but did not succeed.  They got candy at the end anyway.

I also took Zach around a conference room, where they had hands-on science experiments and demos. Zachary made a marshmallow tower, used Borax to make a bouncy ball,  experimented with conductivity, learned about vortexes, and saw a can crashing, cloud creating, and marshmallow shrinking demo, showcasing the impact of air pressure.

Then it was lunch in the cafeteria with both me and James (and a few of my coworkers.) There were other events, but they required parent participation. Since Zach didn’t seem that interested in the other events, and James/I didn’t plan on being out of the office (we both had meetings lined up), we made it a half day event and took him back to summer school after lunch.  After work, we joined Ki, Sara, Melissa, and their families for a impromptu BBQ at JP’s. In addition to burgers and hotdogs, JP’s mom made yellow curry over rice … perfect for a cold rainy day! And while I probably shouldn’t have (exercise has taken a backseat lately), I indulged in chips laden with artichoke jalapeño dip and a hearty slice of cheesecake. Kids were entertained watching ‘Tangled’ and playing games of UNO. Thanks John for hosting! 

I’m loving all the fun events, but it’s making the summer go by WAY too fast – I can’t believe we’re almost in July already!

We followed our vacation with some laid back weekends. The Friday after we got back, I had to take Zach to the dentist again; he had another permanent tooth coming in behind a baby tooth. So baby tooth #3 was extracted to make space. Fortunately, he has a pretty good attitude about dental work. On Saturday morning, I got back into the groove of running with my coworkers … I thought it would be an easy run since I ran on my cruise, but I learned the hard way that there is a big difference between running on a track vs trail. After huffing and puffing my way home, it was off to Calista’s gymnastics class at Tricks … she has 4 classes that I bought from Groupon for $20.  

We also went to Lowes and met up with Alex/Nicole to make a Father’s Day putt-putt toy. In the evening, we had them over for a playdate. Kids played sports in the backyard, and we had salad, pasta, chicken nuggets, and ’Icing on the Cupcake’ for dessert ($8 for 6 cupcakes Groupon deal)!

Sunday was another morning run followed by the kids swim lessons. James left for Oregon for a conference, so I had the kids myself all day. They wanted to stay at home, and we ended up playing games, building legos, creating marble runs, and painting rocks!

Friday, we went to MaJongs for dinner. It was not good Chinese food. Actually, the kids’ lo mien was pretty tasty, but the sauces from the 2 entrees we ordered were too thick and sweet. Good value (we had a $20 gift card I bought for $8 through Groupon) but not worth the drive to Sacramento. To explain what I imagine everyone is asking … last year, I got over zealous with all the great deals and I’m up against expiration dates!

Saturday was pretty busy. Per schedule, I went on my morning jog followed by Calista’s gymnastics class. Then it was off to Muir park for Griffin’s birthday party. The kids had a great time running around the park, climbing structures, and playing in MUD. Happy 3rd Birthday Griffin!

(Holly is the cutest baby ever … and 23lbs at 5 months! Kudos to Richelle for keeping her on mommy’s milk while working full time - I know first hand how difficult that can be.)

After the party, we went to Dylan’s for dinner and swimming. It was the first time we swam with the kids since they started lessons last August. While 30 minutes, once per week, doesn’t sound like too much, it made a big difference. Both Zach and Calie are comfortable enough in water to jump in. Calie can glide underwater for a few seconds, while Zach can swim across the pool (questionable form, but they are working with him on that in class). Not bad, considering we don’t have easy access to a pool most of the year. Dinner was pizza and salad – thanks Karen and Paul for hosting!

Sunday, I went for an early run (before 7am) since James and Zach were running a Father’s Day 5k. Despite the heat, James ran his personal best … 27:53. Zach ran it in 29:09, which placed him 1st in his division (under 10.)  The kids also had swim lessons; we plan to continue a full year, per my friend Bhavana’s suggestion. And as for Father’s Day presents? Zach accidently left his gift at school. Calie gave James a picture frame. And I gave him a travel guide for Costa Rica! Yep, you guessed it. With our recent vacations going so smoothly, we are actually going to venture outside the US, Mexico, and Caribbean. Baby steps … one day we’ll get to Europe, Asia, Africa with both kids … until then, Central America sounds pretty cool.

Since neither families had plans for Father’s Day (our fathers live outside the state, and we didn’t want to brave the crowds at restaurants), we had Alex/Nicole over for a playdate … sports outside again (the boys can’t get enough of basketball, volleyball, soccer) followed by a dinner of pesto tortellini, Penang curry, fruit, ice cream cookie sandwiches, and Melissa’s famous orange cookies. Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads out there!

This week? 2 days of meetings, after which I got sick. (Who gets a fever in June?!) Since it’s past 10pm, I’m going to sign off and  get some rest!

And we are back from our Alaskan Disney Cruise! In summary … SO MUCH FUN.

Day 1: Vancouver

We flew out the day before the cruise and stayed at the Fairmont hotel, located in the airport.

The kids played at the hotel pool for an hour before my friend Jenn picked us up for dinner at her house. And wow, what a dinner … multiple dishes of homemade Indian food and barbecue kebabs. I had planned to hold back (pre-cruise eating seems a bit excessive, no?), but couldn’t help myself. The kids had a great time playing at the park after dinner … which was right outside their condo. Thanks Jenn and Walter for your hospitality!

Day 2: At-Sea

We checked out of the hotel and took the very first shuttle to the port. Since we were early, the bus driver gave us a quick tour of Vancouver. As soon as we got on the boat, Calie saw Cinderella at the balcony. She ran over to hug and talk to “Cindy”, who without any lines, spent some time conversing with her. (Either star struck or trying to impress her favorite princess, Calie informed her that we “live in Disneyland.”)

We walked around the ship (Disney Wonder), which was the exact same ship we were on in 2006 on a 4-day Caribbean cruise. We grabbed lunch at Beach Blanket Buffet before checking into our stateroom. Since it was our 2nd cruise with Disney, they gave us a beach bag filled with 2 water bottles and other small promotional items. Zachary was thrilled to sleep on the top bunk … and Calie was in-tears jealous (which I believe fueled his thrill).

We counted down the start of our sailing with music and dancing on the pool deck. Then it was off to sign Zachary up for the Oceaneer’s club/lab. I was pretty sure the age cutoff would be strict, but figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask whether Calie could participate. Since she was 3 months from her 3rd birthday, completely potty trained, and able to communicate well (they tested her by asking a few questions), they let her join! Nice surprise!

We saw the ‘All Aboard: Let the Magic Begin’ show followed by a late 8:15pm dinner at Animator’s Palate. We booked in January and unfortunately, early dining was already full. With the kids’ regular bedtime at 8:30pm, it wasn’t ideal … but at least we weren’t dealing with a time change (for kids on the east coast, 8:15pm would be 11:15pm!) Kids were in bed and asleep by 10pm, and James went to see ‘Mars Needs Moms’ in 3D.

Day 3: At-Sea

While I’d love to say I exercise to stay healthy, the truth is I exercise so I can eat more. And this is especially true on a cruise. James got up early in the morning and went on a 3 mile run (9 times around deck 4.) Then I took a 30 minute spin/cycle class followed by a 3 mile run, while James took the kids to see ‘Gnomeo and Juliet.’

(As a side note … the run was awesome … couldn’t beat the views and both James and I saw a pod of orcas! Well, I saw 3, but James insists he saw ~50)

With a full day on the boat, we played pingpong and shuffleboard out on the deck.

Zachary went to 2 Oceaneer Lab events … one to make flubber and another to make chocolate chip cookies. Between labs, we had lunch, and Zachary also joined some kids outside for a pickup game of soccer. The weather was great … cool and sunny!

The kids enjoyed the scenery more than I expected them to.

We saw ‘The Golden Mickeys’ show followed by dinner (formal night) at Parrot Cay. As with every night, the kids shared a Mickey ice cream bar after dinner. Oh yes … and since it was June 1st … Happy 8th wedding anniversary to Me/James!

Day 4: Tracy Arm

Another 3 mile run … followed by games at Promenade Lounge (Disney Monopoly is so much more fun that the original). Then a barbecue lunch on the deck … what an amazing view. We reached Tracy Arm a little after 1pm. It was so sunny that the kids had ice cream (what a mess!), and I insisted on a 2nd application of sunscreen. Characters walked around deck, greeting kids and posing for photos.

We stayed out the entire time. I would have expected kids to get bored after a few minutes, but they had fun finding “super tall” waterfalls and pointing out oddly shaped icebergs. We even saw some sea lions. As a bonus (sarcasm), I got a mini lecture on global warming from Zachary.

Every night, true to cruise tradition, we’d get a towel animal. Calie would pick it up, it’ll fall apart, Zach would say “You KILLED it!” Then they’d eat the chocolates to hold them over until our super late dinner, and work on the activity pamphlet for our next port of call. That night’s show was a juggling and balancing act by Max Winfrey. I think it was one of  the kids’ favorite. Between the show and dinner at Triton’s, we went to Studio Sea to watch ‘Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer’ – it was pretty exciting. Last year, Zachary’s friend Alex won a magnetic Mickey sculpture on his cruise.

Day 5: Skagway

Off the ship!  Our first port of call was Skagway. We purchased tickets for the White Pass scenic railway, ~20 miles up a mountain. Calie promptly fell asleep on the way up, which the tour guide said was very common for small children. Zach enjoyed it thoroughly though … spending as much time as I would let him (it was cold!) out on the observation deck. We went through 2 tunnels all the way to the Canadian border. Fortunately, Calie woke up and she was able to experience the scenes/ride down the mountain.

After the train ride, we went back to our ship for a nice warm lunch. Then we headed out again to walk around town. The Skagway museum was very small but interesting (duck neck quilt?!), and the kids liked the scavenger hunt game. For only $2 admission per adult and kids under 12 free, it was totally worth it. Plus the kids received Alaska state flags that they waved around all day.

James took the kids to the playground while I walked around the souvenir shops. There were some great prices on jackets (under $25) but we didn’t need anything, especially as we were pushing the 50lb limit on our luggage.

Before dinner (back at Animator’s Palate), we went to Studio Sea for another game show … this time ‘So You Think You Know Your Family’ … and Zach/James were selected as contestants. It was hilarious – Zachary admitted to playing ball in the house, breaking lamps and picture frames, and told the game show host how he barely makes it to school on time every morning. And they won! James and Zach are now proud owners of Disney Cruiseline caps. By dinner, Calie was acting fussy and feeling a bit warm.

Day 6: Juneau

Our next port of call was Juneau, where we had excursion tickets for whale watching and a trip to the Mendenhall Glacier. It was my first whale watching trip, and the boat was a lot calmer than I expected. While rare, we saw numerous orcas … in addition to a few whales. The whales and orcas don’t jump up and do flips like they do at Sea World (I’m not sure why I was expecting that) … you mostly just see a spray of water from the blowhole, a fin, and a flicker of a tail. I did see one whale breach and make a huge splash. Poor Calie. She was feeling feverish and lethargic … and threw up twice on the boat. Fortunately, she didn’t have much of an appetite for breakfast and only had half a cup of yogurt. Still … yuck.

(It would have been nice to have a bigger zoom on my camera, but on the other hand, it was definately good to put the camera down – knowing I couldn’t capture great shots - and experience it more fully in person.)

After whale watching, our tour bus headed to Mendenhall Glacier in the Tongass National Forest. We took a 1.5 mile round trip hike up to Nugget Falls. James, ever the trooper, did the hike while carrying Calie.

As Calie was pretty miserable (not to mention stinky), we went back to the ship as soon as the excursion ended. While Calie napped in our stateroom, I took Zach to the Oceaneer’s Lab to make Lava. Calie woke up in time to meet us for ‘Toy Story The Musical’. This was the only major production I hadn’t seen on my previous Disney cruise, and it was great! Very well done; I was definitely impressed.

Since Calie wanted to sleep more, James opted to grab a burger and beer for dinner and stay with her in the cabin. Zach and I went to Parrot Cay for the nicer sit-down dinner, which included ahi tuna (my favorite!) appetizers. ’The Pirates in the Caribbean’ party was moved in doors due to inclimate weather … but even still, with the party starting at 9:45pm, we all opted to just go to bed.

Day 7: Ketchikan

The ship did not dock until noon, so James and I took turns running our 3 miles again. Calie was feeling better, but still not 100%. She was happy, but tired. We made a game time decision not to cancel our excursion in Ketchikan since the weather was good and the events we had were very mild. Our first stop was at Saxman Village where we saw a short video, followed by traditional dancing at the tribal house, and a tour of the totem making shed. A guide described the stories behind the totems, and we also saw a bald eagle and her nest.

Next, we went to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack show. I thought Zachary would be more interested than he was. Since the weather was so nice, and the air smelled so crisp/clean, we decided to walk around town. We walked along the harbor and passed stair streets, which are “streets” that you can only access by stairs, not roads.

Back on the ship, we were entertained by comedian Heath Hyche. I’m always a bit weary of standup comedy, especially family-friendly comedy, but it was good! Dinner that night at Triton’s was semiformal. And despite still feeling a bit feverish, Calie insisted on wearing her yellow “Belle” ($18 knock-off) dress. For the Gala dinner I ordered both the lobster tail and the ahi tuna entree (how could I decide, right?) There was a Gala Dessert Buffet at 11:15pm, but once again, we all opted to just go to bed. I’m thinking east coast cruises might work better for us, as with the time difference, we can stay up later!

Day 8: At-Sea … Day 9: flight home

On our last full day, we went to a character breakfast. Calie, who was feeling much better, was so excited. She was standing on her chair (excellent parenting, I know), pointing to the different characters. After awhile, I think she was overwhelmed; she was looking around,  yelling out all the names, and then finally just said,”I love them all!”

The kids had asked about swimming earlier on the cruise, so we finally let them get into the pool. I felt chilled, but the pool was heated and the kids stayed in for almost 2 hours! Zachary went on the water slide a few times – the line was short, but still … brrr!

As it was another laid back at-sea day … we played more ping pong and board games. Throughout the cruise, Zach regularly checked into the Oceaneer’s club to play a Little Mermaid pinball computer game … on the last day, I decided to leave him there and see when he’d call us to pick him up. I waited 2 hours before I had to pull him out for a show.

Our final show was ‘Disney Dreams:An Enchanted Classic’ – James and I both remembered that it was Zach’s favorite show last cruise, when he was 2-years-old. After the show, he had signed ‘more’. Our last dinner was at Animator’s Palate, and after the kids went to bed, James went to see a late showing of  ’Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.’

Tuesday morning, we had breakfast at Animator’s Palate (and stuffed a few cereal boxes in my purse for the flight back) before taking the bus to Vancouver airport and flying home.

While in the past I wouldn’t have wanted so many at-sea days, with young children, I wouldn’t want it any other way. There was plenty of downtime to just relax, rather than hussle from one activity to another. There was no (self-inflicted) pressure to ‘do-it-all’, and some of our best times were spent just playing games on the boat. As we drove home, Zachary said,”I had so much fun I totally forgot we had to go home.” James said he slept better because there was no work stress – and I stayed internet free by keeping my phone (which has work email) locked in the stateroom safe the entire time. I think that’s the measure of a great vacation … you’re so relaxed and in the moment, you forget to think about tomorrow.

I spent today digging myself out of over a week’s worth of email, and was pleased by the extent people on my team stepped up. And the best news … 2 more accepted job offers! Whoo-hoo!

Last but not least … Happy Birthday Mom!  Hope you enjoy the photos and can join us on a future vacation!

Quick drive-by posting.  Last Thursday, Sandy, Melissa, and I went to Dana’s home for a fondue party (chocolate AND cheese!) to watch the season premiere of SYTYCD. Since I don’t dance (I’m lucky I don’t stumble when I walk), it was interesting to hear the critiques from my friends. Thanks Dana for hosting! On Saturday, we celebrated Cassandra’s birthday. Her party was at a clubhouse for a housing department, with nice cabanas, and a few heated pools.

While some kids/parents braved the waters, we stayed out for fear of getting chilled – the kids still had a great time running around though! And it looks like we’ll get a few more chances to splash in the pools later this summer, as I already know of 2 other birthday parties planned here. Happy 2nd Birthday Cassandra!

After the party, my sister Sophia drove up from the Bay Area to visit. The kids love their aunties, who they regularly face time with (best use of iPad2 ever!). We went to Susumu for a Japanese Teppanyaki dinner. And during a moment of weakness (after stepping on a scale), I convinced Sophie to join me/Zachary on a 5k run the following morning. We played a game of Ticket to Ride before going to bed.

Despite never having run over a mile in her life, Sophie was able to stay ahead of me most of the race. She was crippled the last half mile by a side stitch, which allowed me to leap ahead like a gazelle. It was a pretty tough course, with a few hills and a section where we had to run across an overgrown field. Since I was one of the last runners, but still ahead of the walkers, there was a big gap around me. I felt like I was running across a savannah. Zachary still beat me with a time of 30:54. (Me 33:05, Sophia 33.:39) It was small local race of under 100 people, with no prizes or winners, but the entry fees did go to a non-profit charity. Since the weather was so awesome, sunny and in the 70s, we took a ~4 mile walk for some NuYo frozen yogurt before Sophie had to head home. It was good! I still prefer the actual yogurt from Pinkberry, which is more tart, but NuYo had better ‘Asian’ toppings, including longans, lychees, and “gels” (better described as very firm jello.)

Next up … messing around at home (see tent fail below) followed by dinner at Jenny and Danny’s house to meet their new baby Brady!

Brady is such a sweet and happy baby. He didn’t fuss at all when he was held by guests (like me, Jenny is pretty liberal about passing her baby around.). He also eats well and sleeps through the night already – how wonderful! Welcome Brady!