Browse Month: January 2014

Lunch Visitor

IMG_9056 Teresa and Aaron brought Henry to our usual Thursday lunch spot and I got to snuggle with him while I finished my salad.  IMG_9054This is the picture of a boy who is milk wasted!!  He’s a big eater now and has grown since I last held him when he was less than a week old.  At 3 weeks, he’s made up the weight he’s lost and surpassed his birth weight.  Woot!

Sweet Race!

IMG_8918 The girls and I woke up early this morning and headed out to Golden Gate Park for the Hot Chocolate 5/15K. IMG_8920 It was early and cold but apparently chocolate can motivate thousands of people to get up and run.  We scored a free parking spot not too far and lined up with the rest of the crowd before the sun came up.

IMG_8880Here’s the swag bag that I picked up yesterday.  Isn’t it super cute!?IMG_8886We also got this high-tech hoodie complete with zipper pocket in the back and thumb holes in the goody bag and it kept me nice and warm this morning.

IMG_8921The course went around Stow Lake and had lots of rolling hills but it kept the run fun and interesting.

IMG_8925It was Stephanie’s first race since her pregnancy and she did great!

IMG_8924Ranee is now expecting Baby #2 and she ran a strong race too!  I’m so proud of both of them.

IMG_8948At the finish, we were given a super sweet finisher’s mug. IMG_8933It had a cup of hot chocolate in the middle, a side car of melted chocolate, and an assortment of goodies to dip. Now that’s my kind of breakfast!

IMG_8944I even ate the banana and it was the best banana I’ve ever had.  Who thought that dipping it in chocolate would change my mind about that stupid fruit?!

IMG_8926I love running with my friends…and chocolate is not too bad either.

2014 Kickoff

IMG_8906In lieu of a Christmas Party, our department at work decided to have a holiday party in January.  It was held in my Club Room last night and we had a great turn out.

IMG_8899I think at one point we probably have about 50 adults and 13 kids!!

IMG_8908The last time we had a party was two years ago when I was 5 months preggo.  Now we’ve had an explosion of children with the addition of Kumquat, Vivian, Sophie, and now Henry!

IMG_8914On top of the kiddie section, there was an area where the boys could follow the football game too.

IMG_8892Jes played a mean game of Jenga with Eli and lost.

IMG_8895Everyone seemed to have a good time including the kids. Kumquat was on her best behavior and played with almost anyone who was around. She’ll be Mommy’s Little Helper in no time!

IMG_8889I ordered Thai food from down the street and they delivered so set-up was a breeze.  Clean-up also wasn’t as bad as years before since I actually ordered the right amount of food this time!

This was a great way to kick off the new work year.  Cheers!

First Cruise

IMG_8291Over Christmas Break, I went on my first cruise and first trip to Mexico.  I was a little worried but excited about this trip all at the same time.  I was afraid the trip would be ruined by seasickness or food-borne illness.  But I was also excited to be taking a warm vacation and to see a little part of Mexico.

On Friday afternoon, we boarded the ship after getting a water bottle filled with vodka through security.  Heh heh.  We were also allowed one bottle of wine per passenger, which we honored.  It was just enough for the weekend.

IMG_8286The sunset was beautiful over Long Beach and the Queen Mary.

IMG_8312On our first night, we had dinner and then explored the ship as Kumquat slept in the stroller.  We found the library and played a mean game of Memory.  I think we could all use a game or two once in a while.  We all struggled with that game – especially Jason.

DSC_4293The next morning, we woke up in Ensenada, Mexico.  It was kind of cloudy in the morning but we went out for a walk anyway.  There were kids and other vendors right outside of the port and there were more throughout our walk through town. DSC_4256 DSC_4243 I felt so bad for all the kids selling Chiclets and cute little wooden turtles.

DSC_4246I also noticed A LOT of pharmacies selling Viagra.  I thought this was a funny sign.  This sticker over the “Happy Meals” is the funniest part.IMG_8345For lunch, we headed back to the ship.

IMG_0023Kumquat thoroughly enjoyed corn-on-the-cob for the first time.  Hilarious.

IMG_8361 While Kumquat napped on the ship with the grandparents supervising, we went back into town for a few cocktails.  IMG_8369IMG_8378Actually, I ended up throwing back 3 margaritas at Papas & Beer and also bought a hat for 8 dollars.  IMG_8389The sun came out and we got a table with a fantastic view of the street and the craziness at the bar.  Aaaah…it was a good afternoon in Mexico.

01p071In the evening, we went to dinner and it was formal night.  It was also the perfect opportunity for a family portrait.

IMG_8432The next day was called a Day at Sea.  I was up early because the motion of the boat had woken me up.  Jes and Kumquat were sound asleep at 6 am so I got dressed and went to the gym at the top of the boat.  IMG_8429The gym was really clean and the treadmills had a gorgeous view from the front of the ship.

IMG_8435I also went up to the running track and caught the sunrise.

IMG_8510Kumquat woke up next so we had a Mommy & Me breakfast on the deck.

IMG_8475The rest of the day was spent out by the pool reading while the grandparents hung out with Kumquat on some other part of the ship.  The sun was out but it was windier than I was hoping for.

IMG_8503One of the quintessential things about cruises is the towel animal that appears on your bed each evening.  This one was my favorite, of course.IMG_8511By the last night, I was feeling pretty confident I was in the clear of any illnesses.  This was one of the things I appreciated the most on this ship.  Of course there were Purell stations everywhere but I was pleasantly surprised to see these in the public restrooms since there were no paper towels to dry your hands.IMG_8514On our final morning on the ship, I woke up super early.  So, I went down to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee and to get some internet access since we had docked in Long Beach already.  I actually found Jason there working down there too.  As the sun was coming up, I got a picture of Long Beach from the deck.

IMG_8340We had a great trip and spent some good family time together.  I think it was a good beginner’s cruise for us all and I’m proud to say that I didn’t need to tap into the Dramamine and no one got a stomach bug.  I guess we are now warmed up for another cruise one day.  The food was decent, our room was clean, and I learned that cruises are good for families with small kids.

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