Browse Month: May 2013

Housewarming

DSC_1835 The Sokol-Juns recently bought a house in Orinda and we got to see it on Monday when they threw a BBQ for Memorial Day (and their 11th wedding anniversary!!).  The livingroom has lots of space and Kumquat had a fun time following Reese around all afternoon.

DSC_1842There’s a gazebo in the back and the boys had lunch underneath it.

DSC_1854We were also treated to a little puppet show put on by Jack and his friend Tessa.  DSC_1852 DSC_1850DSC_1857Reese joined in too midway.  Here they are backstage.   DSC_1848familyCongratulations on your new home, guys!  Too bad it’s no longer down the street from us.

Family Picnic

painted ladiesWe had a family picnic at Alamo Square with Baby and Dog.  Jes packed a lunch for us and everything!  We’ve lived here for almost 6 years and never actually saw the “Painted Ladies” until now.

familyIt was a gorgeous day but the wind picked up once in a while.

picnicKumquat had fun exploring while Koa enjoyed a bully stick on the grass.

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San Francisco is a pretty nice place to live.  Who really needs to go out of town for a holiday weekend when you have this?!

Morning with Friends

peonyI had a craving for dim sum the other day at work and made plans to go with Stephanie this weekend.  Her husband Nathan had never tried it and came along too.  In the process of planning, we also asked if Ranee wanted to join us.  So, this morning we met up at Restaurant Peony in Oakland Chinatown for some dumplings.  By the way, they also had fried milk there.  Yum.

It was fun to have everyone together to catch up and the girls got to wander around outside for a while afterward.  What a great way to start the Memorial Day Weekend!!

Here’s a link to some videos of Kumquat and Sophie.

Portland

IMG_2404We took a trip to Portland this past weekend and it was a nice family vacation.  The weekend started with a late flight and a cranky baby that couldn’t’ settle down.  She fussed for most of the flight until I finally took her to the back to walk around.  Once it was time to land, I sat down in the back of the plane in an empty seat and she fell asleep.  When we got to the hotel, it was pretty late but we all settled in quickly and got a pretty good night’s sleep.

IMG_2429On Saturday (all day) and Sunday (morning), I went to class.  It was actually a good class and worth the trip.  On Saturday it rained but we still managed to explore the city.  We stayed at the Westin, which was located right in the middle of everything.  In fact, it was just a few steps from a collection of food stalls.  Unfortunately Nong’s Kao Man Gai was closed for the weekend so we grabbed a bite to eat at Kenny & Zuke’s Deli.

IMG_2412We had shared a tasty chicken noodle soup, pastrami sandwich, potato salad, and mac and cheese.  Even Kumquat got some!

DSC_1713On Sunday afternoon after class, we drove up to Multnomah Falls.  It was a short 30-minute drive and we got to see two waterfalls.  The first was Latourell Falls where we took a short hike up a hill.  We also saw a couple critters along the way.


Centipede a video by beakatude on Flickr.

Inch Worm a video by beakatude on Flickr.

Multnomah Falls was just down the street and so accessible!

DSC_1744Jes took the 0.2-mile walk up to the bridge and my lens was long enough to get a photo of him from down below.  He’s the guy in red. DSC_1745Pretty cool, huh?!

IMG_6823Later that evening, we met up at Pok Pok for dinner with Heather and her family.  I was so excited to see her and to finally meet little Daphne and her husband Brian.  It’s been about 8 years since I last saw her and it was just like old times.

IMG_2452 IMG_2455The food was good and had some really authentic flavors but with a twist.  It was worth the visit.


Baby Elephant a video by beakatude on Flickr.

The next morning, we met up at Oregon Zoo.  Heather has a membership so she got one of us in for free.  Thanks, Totoro!  The best part of the trip for me was seeing the baby elephant, Lily, who was born in November.

DSC_1799Daphne enjoyed the baby monkey that was also recently born.  Heather emailed me todayy and said that she won’t stop talking about the baby monkey and the mama monkey with the long boobies.  So funny.

DSC_1821I love this photo of the four of us.  I wish we lived closer to each other.  We’d have so much fun together.

IMG_2482 IMG_2484 For lunch, we stopped at Nong’s Kao Man Gai.  I was so excited as I waited for our order and when I brought it back to the hotel room, it was DELICIOUS.  There’s something so awesome about eating something that I grew up eating only at my house.  And seriously…can anyone tell me why there are SO MANY Thai restaurants in Portland?!  They’re just as abundant as coffeeshops!IMG_2506Kumquat needed to take a nap so I took her for a long walk in the stroller.  About 90 minutes later, she woke up in time to try on some shoes.  We ended up getting a pair of matching Nikes.  LOOK AT THAT MINI SHOEBOX!  So cute!

IMG_2527For dinner, we sat outside on the sidewalk.  It was a pretty warm day and comfortable enough to stay out until sunset.  These tables were all full when we sat down but emptied out by the time we left.  Weird.

IMG_2538 On Tuesday morning, we walked over to Voodoo Donuts.  I had walked past it the day before but there was a huge line.  IMG_2540Luckily there was no line in the morning so we picked up a maple bacon donut and it was pretty tasty.  I cheated on my low-cholesterol diet that morning and ate half the donut and made myself throw the other half away.  Yes, it’s true and a little bacon fairy out there somewhere cried a little that morning.

IMG_2555Our flight home went smoothly with the exception of an hour-long delay.  Luckily we hadn’t boarded the plane yet when they decided to delay the flight due to a mechanical problem.  We got to hang out at the gate instead, which worked out great for a 13-month-old who doesn’t sit still anymore.  IMG_2560Once on the plane, she did great and even got a middle seat to herself.  She made up for the horrible flight up on Friday night.

It was a fun trip filled with tasty eats, good friends, quality family time, and oh yeah…some professional development.

Mother’s Day #2

mothersdayHappy Mother’s Day!  With some of the alone time I had today, I had the chance to sit and reflect upon all that has happened this past year.  Last year I was in a bit of a daze being a mom for only less than a month.  This year, being a mom has really sunk in and I couldn’t be prouder of my little girl.  I have to admit that I’m proud of myself too.  I’ve managed to keep up with breastfeeding for over a year and on May 7th we were done.  It was hard but it was time. I also cannot believe that I’m still sane after going back to work full-time and coming home everyday to take care of my little munchkin.  It definitely gives me a greater appreciation for everything that my mom did for us.

cookingThis morning, Jes got up early, went to the store, and came back to fix me a tasty breakfast.

DSC_1681He made eggs benedict with smoked salmon and paired it with mimosas.  Yum.

mimosasHere are the Mommy & Me Mimosas.  Tee hee!

tulipsI also got some tulips!  Aren’t they pretty?  Thank you for a lovely morning, Husband!

Once Kumquat went down for her nap, I got the chance to go out for run on my own.  It was so liberating to be out there without a stroller and leash.  I even had the chance to go to the gym to stretch and workout a bit more.IMG_2346

At 2pm, I met up with Michelle and Amy at Four Seasons to celebrate and got another tasty mimosa with a view of Market St.

brunch

It was a good thing I went for a run because we were treated with quite a feast!  Amy’s husband is now the GM of the restaurant and he hooked us up with a variety of savory and sweet dishes.  I felt so spoiled!

friendsI had a wonderful time and it was such a fun way to celebrate motherhood.

Pastrami

pastramiWent to a place called Refuge in San Carlos today with Jason and Jia.  They have a pretty tasty pastrami sandwich!  We also ordered truffle mac and cheese and the onion rings/fried jalapenos starter.

bread puddingFor dessert, we shared the bread pudding that came with a tasty bourbon caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, AND ice cream.  Yum.  Why does bourbon make caramel so much tastier?!?  I do have one confession.  Paragon’s is still better.

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