Winter Camping

It was a boys weekend out! Alex, Zachary and Phil packed up the car and headed to Mount Diablo.  After finding the perfect camping spot, the boys pitched in and set up the tent.

Even though they worked so hard to pump up the air mattresses, I heard that one of them sprung a leak and poor Daddy slowly sunk to the ground!

All tucked in and ready for sleep.  They read books by lantern before falling asleep.

Up and at 'em! It's time for a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs and pancakes.

Don't forget Daddy's coffee!

After breakfast they wandered around in the woods.  Fortunately, Alex and Zachary had their walking sticks.

Pine cones bigger than your head!

Eventually they packed up the car and drove a short way to Rock City.  Zachary and Alex had lots of fun exploring and climbing the rocks.

Happy Campers!

USS Hornet

Boys' day out started with a hearty breakfast at the Ole's counter with Daddy and Grandpa.

And then they went to tour the USS Hornet, an aircraft carrier turned museum here in Alameda.  It is docked near the gym, and we often drive by and admire the planes from afar.  Alex and Zachary were very excited to see the planes up close.

Hopefully this is a decommisioned bomb...

Zachary might be a bit small for the helmets,

but not too small to give the orders!

Just another gorgeous view from the flight deck.

While the boys were out on their adventure, Gma accompanied me to a doctor's appointment and heard Baby's heartbeat!

Field Trip!

Today was the annual preschool field trip to the Legendary Palace in Chinatown.  We rode the bus with the class to Oakland and then walked by the shops selling vegetables, meats and seafood, and with ducks hanging in the windows.  At lunch, Alex tried the chicken feet.

Zachary is less adventurous but he did try a few different items and definitely enjoyed the noodles!

The phoenix and the dragon are prominently displayed in the restaurant.  They are on the wall behind a raised platform that is used for weddings.  They represent blissful relations.

Happy 5th Birthday

 Gma and Grandpa came to visit and help Alex celebrate his 5th birthday!

 Alex requested chicken nuggets and fries for his birthday dinner.  I threw in some tater tots and we had a yummy dinner before making our own vanilla ice cream to go with a dinosaur cake (with blue filling!).

For a special birthday treat at school, we made jello cars!

Train Trip

Remember the train zooming under the bridge from last weekend?

This weekend we traded the bridge for the train!

We caught the train at Jack London Square and rode to Sacramento. The ride is very scenic and goes along the water for most of the way.  The boys enjoyed the ride, but it is possible they enjoyed going to the galley car and getting snacks the most. Our conductor was super nice and  talked to the boys about the train and even agreed to pose for a picture.

The train station is in Old Town Sacramento.  It is an easy walk to the shopping area and hotels.  We checked into the hotel and then explored the shops and had dinner before resting up for a big day of adventure.

Bright and early the next morning, we set out to find new jobs for Alex and Zachary.

Alex was ready to couple up the caboose....

But not until Zachary fixed it up.

Once we were able to pull the boys away from the outdoor exhibits, we went to the Railroad Museum.

There were so many different engines and cars.  We had fun exploring and trying to catch the train.

Of course it was the dining car they were trying to catch!  The dining car on the train we rode was not quite this fancy.

And of course we spent a while in the play area with the train tables.

After a long day we rode the train back to Oakland.  It was a tiring trip, but definitely fun!

Point Pinole

And they're off on another fun hike, this time through the Point Pinole woodlands.  Unlike many of our hikes, Point Pinole is relatively flat.  We started out meandering through the woods. During our first (of many) snack breaks, we saw a bunch of monarch butterflies fluttering all around.

Hidden in the woods, which were planted as protection for explosions, is the remains of a black powder press.  The boys were very curious about the press and how it worked.  It helped that it ran on train tracks.

The next section of the hike broke through the woods and we continued along the marsh.  We found this cool bat house along the way.

The marshland ends at the beach.  The old pier is still visible, and the new pier is equally long.

The beach was a bit difficult to get to, the path was very steep.  It was also small, but the boys enjoyed looking at all of the rocks and shells.

Even though we didn't remember going downhill, the end of the hike involved a long haul up a steep hill.  Zachary was a tired boy, but he was also a real trooper and made it all the way to the top of the hill.

Of course there was a carrot at the top of the hill, a fun playground. With an incredible view!

On the way back to the parking lot, as we were crossing the railroad bridge, the Amtrak train rumbled under.  Alex and I were standing on the bridge when we heard the train coming.  We called to Zachary and he ran to the bridge so fast I thought for sure he was going to fall.  He made it in time to see the train go under the bridge.

And there the train goes to Sacramento.

Point Pinole was a really fun place to hike and explore.  It is definitely a place we need to return to.

Coit Tower

 We wanted to go on an adventure in the City today and decided on Coit Tower.  As one of the most identifiable buildings in the skyline, it is a place we often gaze upon, but have never visited.  We walked around the base and studied the murals before taking the elevator to the observation deck.

The boys enjoyed looking out of the windows and seeing the City from a new perspective. 

We even saw some of the wild parrots, but weren't able to get a good picture of them. We finished up the day at an old favorite, Fisherman's Wharf, for lunch.