June Fun

 It seems like every weekend this month we have a fun adventure with friends and family! Elsa and Liam got to experience Children's Fairyland in Oakland for the first time.  Elsa got to slide down a hill.

 Elsa's favorite place was the crooked house!

 And she also enjoyed the puppet show!

 Liam also had fun.

 Another Sunday we went to Rancho San Antonio and visited the farm there where Elsa made new friends.

For Father's Day Weekend, we went to see the Pippi Longstocking play on Saturday night, and Elsa watched very intently, while holding her Pippi doll from her cousins in Sweden.

On Sunday we adventured to Ardenwood, where the train is once again being pulled by a horse.

Then it was home for some train time with Daddy.

Another weekend, we went to a birthday party and Elsa got to ride a pony!

And then sometimes we just stay home and play.  Elsa like to clean.

She also likes to cuddle up with her brother!

Liam's First Tent Camping Trip

We took Liam on his first camping trip!  We went to the Palo Alto Foothills Park with our friends Ashley and Mike.  Elsa played with Emilia and Liam got to hang out with Paolo.

The girls had fun when the rangers stopped by to introduce them to a snake! This was very exciting and led to them acting like snakes - snakes that eat rocks and become a butterfly! (see video)

It was fun to see the Dads hanging out with the babies.

  And the Moms too!

 Arne and the kids had fun eating breakfast together.

It was a good adventure, and Liam was just really cute.

 

Liam is 6 months old!

Liam keeps growing and getting bigger.  At six months old, he is now 10 pounds more than when he was born, and six inches longer!  In the last month he has started to try a number of new things, like swimming lessons:

His first "solid food" - Rice cereal:

 He is having fun rocking and trying to move forward.

He also gets "pushed around" by his sister.

And all the kids at school - they love to rock him in his car seat.

Liam continues to be a smiling joy, and sometimes a sleeping joy too.

Yosemite 2013

For Memorial Weekend, we headed up to Yosemite, five years after first meeting there. Unlike five years ago when it snowed, this year was beautiful. We explored the valley, playing in the water near Housekeeping Camp.

 

 Elsa and I watched a show in the Curry Village Amphitheater.

Then we had a picnic with Daddy in front of our cabin.

The next day we explored the Happy Isles.

Then returned to Mirror Lake, the start of the hike we met on five years ago.

Back in the village, Arne and Elsa talked on the phones, before we headed out to the BBQ party at Swinging Bridge.  It was a lot of fun, with a bear hunt by Arne and Elsa.

 

We were sad to leave. We look forward to many trips back!

Mother's Day 2013

I had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend this year.  On Sunday, we all went to the beach in the morning.  It was slightly colder than I was expecting, so Liam got to wear Elsa's sweater.

Arne walked down the sand stairs with Elsa.

I walked back up with both kids!

We then all went to the Millbrae Pancake House for brunch with my mom and sister.

On Saturday, Elsa and I made strawberry jam.  Arne captured the fun on video: http://vimeo.com/66216925


I am so lucky to have Elsa and Liam!

May Family Fun

So far, May has been a great month for our family. We had a wonderful adventure to Gilroy Gardens. It is the best place for a little kid, and big kids too!

Now that I am back at work, Liam is at MINI, the infant care room Elsa went to. This is him on his first day.

He is big now (over 26 inches and 15 pounds at his 4 month appointment).  He likes playing in his playcenter and having fun exploring his fingers and toes.  The latest is that he can roll over both ways!

Elsa is really enjoying counting coins in her Piggy Sheepy Bank.

We have fun with friends, watching Elsa play with the big boys (1st, 3rd and 4th grade). She held her own with the group, with the oldest saying, I thought she was 4 or 5, not almost 3.

Erica and Tim like to hold Liam, who is such a good baby.

I like reading to all of the kids.

We also love seeing how Elsa has grown - she used to be so little playing with her friends, now they are all so big.

At the end of long days, when it is time for night night, I have matching PJs, sleepers, or as Elsa calls them, bishies, for the kids.

I love dressing them up!

Arne loves taking naps with Elsa and Liam.

It is so much fun to watch them grow older and interact more.