San Francisco (my favorite day)!!

We got up bright and early on Monday so that we could catch the 10:00 ferry from Larkspur to San Francisco.  I'm so glad we decided to ferry in.  Despite some cold temps on the ferry, it was so great to see our first glimpses on the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the city from the boat. It was beautiful. I love big cities and San Francisco is no exception.

When we first got on the ferry it was sunny and fairly warm but as you can see in the picture above, we are headed toward cold and overcast. (see below)

 That ferry was bookin' it, making it very cold and WINDY.

Brrrrrr...
It was so great coming in on the ferry and seeing the city from that vantage point.
It was beautiful.

 Looking at this picture it seems weird that I have sunglasses on...

These two pictures are interesting for two reasons. 

#1- one was taken by me and the other by Eric. We must have clicked at almost the exact same time. The kids look the same in both pictures.

#2- the way the kids are posing it looks like they are imitating the sculpture.

At least Will and Taylor look excited about their first cable car ride...

Megan and Mommy on the California line.

On the streets on San Fran.

The brick building in the background is the cable car museum.

Original cable car.

Adam explaining to the boys how the cable wheels work.

I was really quite amazed at it all.

Noah, trying to figure out his "China sticks".

We were quite the site in this restaurant.

I took and posted a lot of pictures of this restaurant because this was a really funny and fun experience.  This restaurant is in China Town but I felt like I was in China.  It all was so foreign.  The food was, like, real Chinese food.  People looked at us like we were the foreign ones (I guess we really were) with our big families and white children. We stuck out like a sore thumb.  It was great!

Kyle, however, would beg to differ. As we walked down the street in China Town with all its different looking food and ducks hanging in the window, Kyle became very wary. So by the time we got to the restaurant he had already decided he didn't want to eat there.  He did not enjoy the food really at all even though he normally isn't a picky eater.

He saw me working on this post and when he saw these pictures he said, "Ew, I never want to go back there again." Ha ha.

The pictures above are funny because you'll notice, Megan is a celebrity.
This lady from China kept taking pictures of her and then wanted her picture taken with Megan.

Funny.

Ghirardelli ice cream!

The kids really didn't eat anything at Chinese restaurant so we went and got some nutritious ice cream.

The pack mules...er...stallions...

Fountains at Ghirardelli Square. 

Fountains are just so irresistible!

The following few pictures are of the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.

We didn't have plans to go here but it turned out to be one of the kids favorites.

This was, of course, dubbed the pirate ship by the boys.

Balclutha from 1886

 (Otherwise known as "the pirate ship")

This ship carried goods around Cape Horn (tip of South America) 17 times

Megan also loved climbing around inside and outside the boats.

Aboard the Eureka steam boat ferry (1890)

A couple of little pirates. Arrrrrrr...

 Toots and Aunt Ernie

Kyle, Will and Noah on the 1907 steam tug, Hercules 

Yummy sour dough lunch at Boudin Bakery.

The kids were fascinated by the bakery itself and 

the baskets that moved on a track from the bakery to the store.

 It was pretty cool.

Famous Pier 39 sea lions.

We stayed in Windsor while going to and from San Francisco. This was the condo we stayed in.  All of the places we stayed were very nice and I was grateful to have separate bedrooms and a kitchen the entire time (except in Battle Mountain but that doesn't count...).  I think we are spoiled now...

Church in Jeans and Trains

After checking out of our beautiful Tahoe condo this morning we drove to the nearest LDS chapel in South Lake. Unfortunately, I forgot a skirt. I had remembered to pack my kids some dress clothes but, of course not for myself. Aw well, I'm sure the members are used to slacker tourists like me.
After hearing some good talks about pioneers, it being the Pioneer day and all, we began our 4 hour trek to Windsor. We wanted to break up the trip by stopping in Sacramento. So after a beautiful drive through the El Dorado forest we were all ready for lunch. Not being comfortable with any of parks we drove by, we decided to pull up a patch of grass at the state library and near the state Capitol building and have some lunch.
The California Railroad Museum was next of our list. What a cool place this was. There were 23 real trains and lots of displays to catch the eye. Our boys really enjoyed it except when they got spooked by the mannequins in the sleeper car. Silly boys. Adam marveled at the fact that they had a train suspended from the ceiling. How DID they do that??

I so enjoy going to church while out of town. It feels...nice.

Church in jeans... not so nice. 

Standing on a stump always makes a great picture opportunity.

Our makeshift picnic spot near the Sacramento library.  

We couldn't find a place where we weren't scared...


Old town Sacramento
We didn't really do anything here but the museum. However, it looks cool...

If you are ever in Sacramento, stop HERE.

Our awesome traveling companions. (My sister and her family)

 Us

This museum was pretty dang sweet and the kids loved it.


Yeah, these guys are not real but they totally gave Kyle and Noah the heebee geegees.
They were afraid of walking through these trains for fear they'd come across another spooky mannequin.
So funny.
Personally, I thought it was VERY interesting to see what some the passenger trains were like back in the day. It made me want to take a train ride.

They even have trains you can PLAY with.

Adam and Noah. It was fun to get to explore inside many of the trains.

Kyle and Mommy.

After a great time at the train museum and another lovely drive, this time through 

BEAUTIFUL

 Napa and Sonoma Valleys 

(I wish we would have stopped for some pictures), 

we made it to Windsor in time for bed. We've got a big day tomorrow! San Francisco!

Toes and Tahoe

This post is the beginning of our adventure to Northern California. Enjoy!

This trip has been a year in the making and we were anxious! SO we decided to leave a day early and get goin'. I mean Battle Mountain in all her glory was awaiting! (This is where we decided to stay for just one  night (fortunately)  in an effort to break up our nine hour drive to Lake Tahoe.)  The kids' excitement was hard to resist so that even I was excited when we reached our super Super 8 hotel.

We got up bright and early Saturday morning and after a lovely continental breakfast were on the road by about 8:30am. Now to finish our trek to Tahoe and meet up with my sister and her family.

The kids were awesome during the ride down which made the drive easy and enjoyable.

We finally made it at about 1:00pm and went straight to the lake to look for my sister.  It was super crowded with it being the middle of July and a Saturday but it was very nice weather and not too hot.

Tahoe is a beautiful lake. I wish we could have spent a little more time there.

 Lunch.
(Where are Cyd and Eric??? Little did we know they were mere FEET away. )

 Baby girls enjoying the sunshine and sand.

 Megan REALLY enjoys the sand. 

 I think she may have been in her own little heaven.

 Reagan and Noah. Cute little buddies.

 Kyle and Adam got to go on a boat ride with Eric and Will on Eric's friend's boat.

Lucky ducks.

 Megan piling sand in Adam's hands.

 Hey, they're the next best thing to a bucket which we stupidly did not posses...at a lake...where there's lots of sand...and a sand obsessed baby.

 Stupid, stupid.

It was not long after this picture was taken that we realized with great dread that we had left our camera at home. These pictures were taken with my iPhone and are not as great a quality.  I must say that although I asked Adam before we left if he had packed the camera and his exact answer had been "Yes, its in the glove compartment" and even though it was all his fault, I did not once yell at him and kept my composure. 

I'm such a good wifey. (Grrrrr....)

So the person behind many of these pictures is Cyd or Eric and we appreciate them keeping our poor family in mind whilst taking pictures of their own.

So in the aftermath of our shock we did not take pictures of the rest of the evenings events.

We checked in at the condo at Zephyr Cove and swam and ate really good pizza from Luigi's. It was just a nice chilled evening. I'm glad we had that chance to relax because it was just about the last time we did!!

18 months

 Height: 33.4 inches 90%
Weight: 26.8 pounds 80%

Head: 19.7 inches HUGE% (97%)

Megan is a fun, sweet little baby girl. She adores her brothers- particularly Kyle. She loves to yell his name- "Kywow!!" and of course he is at her beck and call.  

If she wants you to sit with her she pats the seat next to her until you sit. If she wants your attention she will hit your chest or arm until you say what and then she will point.
Always pointing, this girl.
She understands seemingly most of what we say to her. She's always been very good at nodding or shaking her head (yes or no). If we ask her to go get her shoes, she gets them.

Noah also had his 4 year check up:
Height: 42.6 inches 90%
Weight: 43 pounds 90%
BMI: 16.65 80%

He is my BIG boy. I think he is starting to catch up to Kyle and, I think, will probably pass him up one day.

The Summer of the Sinister Strep Bug

I am SO done with strep around our house. Especially THIS strep bug.  He's made himself at home and seems to be quite comfy.  Daddy, Megan and Kyle have had it. Noah has had it 2, possibly three, times. Me? I don't think I have. Someone's got to take care of all the sickies around here!!

{sigh}

 Day #1

{Mascara makes an awesome lip balm, right?}

Day #2

{The girl just adores lotion....everywhere.}

I wonder what day #3 will bring...

Gardening

 My very first garden.

 I am so proud.

We didn't plant a lot since I wasn't confident it would turn out at all.

We have zucchini and crook neck squash, tomatoes and strawberries planted.

The first of our harvest.

The kids aren't thrilled with the squashes but I've enjoyed fooling them into eating it by pureeing the squash and mixing it with different sauces.

Kyle likes to eat the little 'maters. I say EAT UP!

If anyone is looking for some veg to go with dinner, come right on over and help yourself!

SIX!

My first born is

 six...six...six...six. 

{sigh} 

He is done with Kindergarten and moving on to first grade and full time school and making his own breakfast and lunch and having opinions and helping his younger siblings and just being an all around big boy. There are so many things I enjoy about this age of independence but I will always miss my baby.

Kyle is my loud mouth; constantly screaming and yelling and just being plain obnoxious, BOY. But he is also very sweet towards his family (with exception to maybe his father ;). He is very good to his little brother and especially his sister. He loves her and treats her like the princess she is.

He likes 

mac and cheese, gummy worms, spy...stuff, computer games (HotWheels, Disney Jr., PBSKids), Qubo (TV station), Mommy (yes, he is still a mama's boy), "Kid night" with Daddy, baseball (particularly batting), his squishy pillow, exercise clothes (especially muscle shirts), watering the garden, watermelon. 

He does very well in school both academically and socially. It has been really fun to watch him grow and learn this year.

We (mostly my talented Man) did a spy scavenger hunt for Kyle when he woke up on his birthday. There were different clues for him to follow to find his birthday present (spy equipment).
Gotta say that we did good because he LOVED it.

 

1. Reading backward clue in the mirror.

 

 2. Decoding a secret message.

3. Secret phone number to call for next clue.

4. A special video clue from "Agent T" (aka Tommy). The boys thought their talking dog in sunglasses was pretty entertaining.

New scooter...er...spy transport...

5. Instructions found in secure lock box for location of tactical gear.

6. Run

7. Unwrap

8. Continue unwrapping

 Mission accomplished! Spy watch for my spy guy.

Receiving instructions from HQ.

 

Kyle got to drive this go-kart (Special Agent Vehicle) all by himself and it was hilarious to watch. 

{Kyle waving excitedly while passing us} 

"Keep your eyes on the road, Kyle!!!" 

{craaaasshhh}

 Birthday donuts are much better than birthday cake, dontcha think?

Just cute.

(We went to the park and had Chick-fil-A after Boondocks)