The Wheels on the Bus

Today was a San Francisco first for Max--his first ride on the bus. Since Blake took the car and there was no way we could go an entire day without seeing our friends, Max and I rode the bus to play group. Max was such a good boy and loved looking at all the people go up and down! :) There were a few other kids on the bus so they all took turns waving at each other. Plus I think Max loved that he was in a moving vehicle not strapped down. It was a fun first, but hopefully not something we do again any time soon!

Jelly Belly Factory

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This week's field trip took us out of San Francisco to the beautiful city of Fairfield, home of the Jelly Belly Factory. Our caravan met at 9 (but really 9:20, sorry Natalie) and started the 50 minute drive. About 1 hour, 15 minutes, and only 1 detour later we arrived at our destination with only 7 minutes before the next tour started. Perfect. After putting on the official jelly belly hats, all the kids happily jumped in their strollers and the tour began. I think the highlight of the tour was the robot that moved the beans from their bins to the sorting conveyor belt. The kids were mesmerized. And of course, everyone was a big fan of the free sample bar. My favorite was definitely the pear, but the orange sherbet was a close second. And it was confirmed, once again, I am not and will never be a fan of the buttered popcorn jelly bean. Ewww! After the factory, we went to Michelle's parents' house in Fairfield (those lucky ducks are on a cruise) to put the kids down for naps. Silly Max would not have it though. He wanted to experience a real backyard--not take a nap. He was in heaven running on the grass, collecting rocks, and jumping on the trampoline. We had a tastey lunch of Burger King and Taco Bell and dreamed of the day when we'd have backyards and go on cruises, then packed up and drove home just in time to catch the free car pool lane across the bridge. Thanks friends! It was an absolutely perfect day.

Saturday Night at the Arcade

Well, we finally decided it was time for Max to be introduced to San Francisco's best kept secret--Virtual Bowling. He had heard a lot about it and was sad he didn't get to go with most of his extended family over his blessing weekend, but decided it was worth the wait. He got his ball up the hills of San Francisco with ease. An instant pro! Dave, Michelle, and Audrey joined us, and they were almost as good as Max--either they have some serious skill or beginners' luck was on their side. Michelle tied with Blake for first place in a nail-biter game. So, the rest of you San Franciscans--get ready! We're going to have a big party down at the arcade that you won't want to miss. However, the highlight of this Saturday night party was surprisingly not the virtual bowling, but the Dance Dance Revolution that took place afterwards. You'll never guess who the hands-down winner was! MAX! He pulled out moves I've never seen before. You better watch out Tony--you're going to have some serious competition when you get home!

Little Helper

"When Max is helping he's happy," but he doesn't sing as he goes...yet! Max LOVES helping me clean the house and it makes me feel so good that I must clean the house often enough that he knows what to do. I'm not a slacker homemaker after all! Max loves to vacuum (with the real vacuum and his vacuum), sweep, squeegee the glass after he takes a bath, load and unload the dishwasher, put away his toys, stir the food on the stove, empty the laundry basket so I can fold, and our personal favorite--swiffer, which doubles as a chew toy once the actual swiffering is done. I have to keep a close eye on all the bottles of cleaner with this cleaning machine on the loose. There's nothing like spraying 409 in your face to ruin some good cleaning. The only thing left to teach him is how to clean the toilet, then his repertoire will be complete. I love that little guy!

Jersey Boys

This is another reason why I love San Francisco--it's the west coast's Broadway! Tonight I went with two friends to see Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was "just too good to be true!" :) Ever since 5th grade, when Jessica Jones introduced me to the Four Seasons--"Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," and "Walk Like a Man"--I have been a huge fan. Their story is so interesting, and when an interesting story is put to song and dance, I am in heaven. Jersey Boys was the winner of the 2006 Tony Award for Best Musical and definitely deserved it. I found myself singing outloud, screaming cheers, and dancing along. Luckily, the group of ladies sitting in front of us was out-doing me so I didn't look too silly. I can't get the songs out of my head--I think I was meant to be on broadway. Too bad I can't carry a tune to save my life! Thank you for the fun time Natalie and Jennie! And an extra special thanks to Blake for babysitting and to Max for being a good boy for his dad! It was nice to carry a purse rather than a diaper bag.

Beach by the Bay

Sunday the weather was so beautiful we decided to take a trip to the beach. We packed up, drove 3 minutes, and wa-la, there we were. We feel so lucky to have such a beautiful "backyard" in place of having no backyard. While we were there, we met up with some friends and played with them for a while. I was especially happy to have them there since then I didn't have to play paddle ball with Blake. Thanks Dave! Max and Audrey had fun digging in the sand, blowing bubbles, and stealing a kiss as the sun set. And Michelle and I had fun taking a lot of pictures! But we knew it was time to go home when Max face-planted right into the sand. Poor guy--his mom wouldn't wipe it off until she got a picture. We love San Francisco!

Hearst Castle

I hate to make a new post because I love opening the bamsanfran blog and seeing my wedding pictures. But since Blake planned such a fun Saturday for us, I have to move on. This weekend we went on a surprise road trip. We packed up a picnic, some overnight bags, then 250 miles and 3 1/2 hours later, we arrived in San Simeon at the William Randolph Hearst Castle. We've wanted to go visit ever since we learned one even existed--Blake because he loves all beautiful things, especially beautiful things in Northern California; and me because I love anything related to "Newsies." You know, "Pulitzer and Hearst they think they got us. Do they got us? NO!" And Mr. Hearst did not disappoint. After entering the gate we drove about 1 mile up to the Visitor Center. Then, we boarded a tour bus that took us the remaining 5 miles up to the castle. The ranch the castle sits on is 250,000 acres of the most beautiful land--rolling green hills, rocky cliffs, and an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean. There are 3 guest houses, two huge swimming pools (one indoor, one out), and the main house--Casa Grande with 38 bedrooms and 41 bathrooms. And there used to be a zoo on the property. There were lions, tigers, chimps, zebras, bears, and many other exotic animals at the zoo. Today you can still see zebras on the land, although, all we saw was a few cows. During our tour we went through one of the guest houses, and the main floor of Casa Grande. One of the highlights for me was the dining room. The creators of the Harry Potter movies based the Great Hall off the castle's dining room. And how was Max during the drive and on the tour? He was a very good boy. He loved walking around the grounds of the castle and looking at all the water in the fountains. Inside they had converted a bathroom into a kid's room and we definitely took advantage of the kid's room. They had lots of fun toys for Max and was just the break he needed. When we got in our car after the tour, he fell right asleep so we decided to drive home instead of spend the night. On the ride home we planned a trip to San Simeon for the next time our family comes to visit. You're in for a treat, so come visit us soon!

5 Years and Counting...

I can't believe it's been 5 years since that freezing cold, wonderful day. I used to think I couldn't remember much about that day, that it was all a blur, but actually I think I remember a lot. *Waking up to a snow storm. *Kristen doing my makeup. *Going to get my hair done, having my mom following me around with an umbrella. *Freaking out that my temple bouquet wasn't what I planned and having Bob and Lori come to my bouquet rescue. *Driving very, very slowly through the icy slush into Salt Lake. *Waiting and waiting for late Blake (or was that the night before at the Bountiful Temple? Maybe things are a blur.) *In the bridal room, with my mom, getting ready--another girl had my same dress. *Sitting with Blake in the Celestial Room, waiting for everyone to be seated in the Sealing Room. *The kiss. *Looking in the mirrors for eternity. *Walking out of the temple to see yellow "Caution" tape strung all over and everyone bundled up, except me. *Wishing Blake would give me his jacket. *Having all my family and friends around me and then seeing them run inside once their part of the pictures were over. *Busting the ties on the back of my dress. *Pictures, pictures, pictures! *Walking through the secret tunnel from the temple to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, planning our speech for the luncheon. *Giving the speech. *The Robisons singing their song--the only words I really remember, though, were something about me not loving Blake for his jeep. *Taking a nap. *Seeing my family work so hard to make the reception perfect. *More pictures. *Missing Andy. *Lots and lots of people. *Eating, shoving, and throwing wedding cake. *Watching my perfect wedding video. *Throwing the bouquet. *Seeing a very nicely snow-decorated "Just-Married" car. *Eating our first meal alone as a married couple--a Wendy's kid's meal, in the car! It was my perfect day and, of course, the things I remember most are how much I love Blake and how happy I felt. I am so lucky to have the best husband ever!

All You Can Eat Soup, Salad, and Breadsticks!

We've been trying to plan more field trips in addition to our weekly play group to get out and actually have adult conversations more. This week the field trip was to the exotic land of the Stonestown Mall. After some shopping and returns, we met at Olive Garden right at 11 to make sure we got a good, baby-friendly table. And Olive Garden delivered. We were in our own special area that had waist-high walls on three sides. Perfect. So, after two bowls of soup, two large helpings of salad (only one with olives, since Michelle ate all of them the first time around), and I lost count of how many breadsticks (it wasn't all me, Max helped of course), the field trip was a success. I forgot to mention the Andes mints at the end. You really can't beat it. We made sure to give the waiter an extra nice tip since he had to clean up puffs, raisins, pretzels, and breadstick crumbs all over the floor. EVERYONE should enjoy our field trips!

Dentist or Hair Stylist?

Blake recently found he has a new talent--cutting hair. And not just cutting anyone's hair, cutting his own hair. I think all that work using a mirror in someone's mouth has finally paid off. He was a pro making evenly cut snips all over his head. Then, with a few tips from Rachel, he blended out the rough edges very nicely. I think his secret weapon is my new sewing scissors. He even gave Max his
first haircut back in September. Max didn't even shed any blood or tears. I'm looking forward to the next time I need a trim. I wonder if he gives head massages too. Do I smell a career change? Only time will tell...