State Fair

I haven't been to the California State Fair in forever. I have avoided it mostly because of the cost but I had a free weekend and wanted to take the girls up there. I called Au Bob and we left in the afternoon for a trek to the fair. I bought our tickets online earlier in the day and explained to Diana that if anyone asked her how old she was, she was to tell them that she was 4. I wasn't trying to pay $8 for a 5-year-old to attend the state fair...that's insane. She was free if she was 4, so she was 4 for the day.

Diana rode some rides, Amy stayed in the comfort of her stroller for most of the day, we participated in crafts and ate some great food. It was a fun day and though no one can possibly do that fair in one day, I would definitely go back next year!

Happy Birthday, Amy

I can't believe that Amy is one. We had a great birthday party for her a few days before her actual birthday and she was surrounded by family and friends on a not-so-hot day. It was still hot, don't get me wrong, but no one melted.
We set up the water table in the backyard, protected with a pop-up tent and ate cake. Matt made burgers from the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives cookbook and also a potato salad that was to die for. Everyone had a great time, including the birthday girl!



Diana opened Amy's presents and Amy played with the wrapping paper.



Amy proudly ate her birthday cake and then wondered what that fantastic stuff was!

Well, hello there

Amy loves to play. She can play in her playroom all day if it was up to her. She does get a little lonely if she looks up after a while and we aren't around. She will crawl to wherever we are (living room, breakfast nook) and want to join the party.
I decided to take some pictures of her one afternoon after work playing with herself in the mirror. I took a ton, and they all turned out fantastic, but this one was one of the favorites.



We also got out the water table since the temps here have been in the upper 90s and 100s. It was about time! This was Amy's second time playing on the water table. She loves it and did a very good job sharing with Diana.



I truly believe that everyone should own a water table - especially those with kids. :)

Diana is five...OMG

Diana's fifth birthday was so much fun. It was hectic and a little crazy around our house the week leading up to the party because of the type of party we were throwing her, but it was all worth it. Looking back, I will never do that again until Amy turns five, but I think every girl is entitled to a big bday bash at 5...but not again until they are 16. Here are some photos from the event. There were nine kids total, including five from Diana's class and a couple family friends. She had an absolute blast!





Big ups to Au Bob for assisting with the cake the morning of the party. With her help, it only took two hours. I think it turned out pretty good.

A summary of events

Just a few photos to recap our weekend activities over the last month or so.

Diana, Amy, Au Bob and I took a trip to San Francisco for the North Beach Festival over Father's Day weekend. It was quite fun to ride the ferry and walk from the ferry building to North Beach. It was a beautiful day and we all had a great time. I took lots of photos, but these are my favorites.
The girls waiting to get on the ferry in vallejo.



Diana enjoying a rather large cool beverage.



The next day we had breakfast with the family at the golf course. Matt gave the girls a golf lesson.



Here are the girls on the Fourth of July. It was a busy day but a great festive day with the family!