Monterey on Veteran's Day

The drive from San Jose to Monterey is about an hour and twenty minutes. Given that, it is a convenient and fun destination for the boys. On a hot August day we'll head to Dennis the Menace Park to escape the heat. On a rainy school Holiday, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a fabulous destination.

I can't believe we haven't been back to the Aquarium since we purchased a membership in April. Memberships are only good values if you use them. So today with the boys off school for Veteran's Day and membership cards in hand we headed to Monterey.

We had great karma and a wonderful day. First we found street parking with a four hour meter that took credit cards a block from the aquarium. Our parking for the day was $6 versus a $15 lot.

The aquarium was packed, but the boys know it well, and we were able to explore everything without being inconvenienced too much by the throngs of people.

The boys favorite exhibit is still the Mission to the Deep control room. They can sit at chairs in front of monitors while a video plays on a large screen.  They also liked the Deep Sea (which is a giant tank) with sardines swimming below and tuna, dolphin fish, sunfish, a sea turtle and a hammerhead shark swimming at eye-level.

They also liked petting the cownose ray, watching the otters and the penguins, and of course seeing the giant octopus.

After three fun filled hours at the aquarium we headed up the hill to Lighthouse Avenue to eat at Gianni's Pizza (seriously one of our favorite pizza places in Northern California). The boys loved it, eating more than both Jonathan and me -- a taste for what it will be like when they are teenagers.

We had a wonderful Friday in Monterey, that put us in the right frame of mind to tackle our overly busy weekend.

Oakland Zoo - Who Knew?

I think I had visited the Oakland Zoo once, when I was a teenager. I'm not sure, it didn't really make an impression on me. I remember the bus ride -- it was a school field trip -- but not much else. If I would have remembered my first visit, I would have hardly recognized it today, because of the multiphase renovation projects underway since 1985.

So, when my friend Sandy held her son's third birthday bash there, I was curious, but I didn't have high expectations.

The Oakland Zoo, who knew? It is as much fun and in some ways better than the San Francisco Zoo.  From the gondola ride that gives you a birds-eye view of the giraffes, tigers, lions and bison, to the elephants, the Oakland Zoo has a lot to offer.

When you arrive at the zoo, to the right is a playground with a picnic area and toddler-friendly rides. This is where the birthday party was. Admission to this area of the zoo is free. The rides are geared toward preschoolers, although there is a small roller coaster for the early elementary school set, and a wonderfully long train ride through the zoo. Overall this area is a bit confusing to navigate, and is understaffed. Most of the rides appear closed, but if you ask one of the employees they may just open it for you. There is also very little signage to tell you how many tickets are required for the rides. So, even if you manage to get the attention of an employee, you still might need to run and buy more tickets. This happened to a couple seated in front of us for the train ride. That said, if you have a two, three or four year old, this is great place to spend a few hours.

After the party we headed to the zoo. The first thing we did upon arrival was to ride the gondola (a ski lift like ride). This was a highlight of our visit, and the boys loved it. Of course, I should put out a safety warning. This is a ride where your feet  dangle.  I definitely wouldn't want to be on this with flip flops or with a wiggly preschooler.  The view is spectacular (this is how I got that up close shot of the lion), we will definitely ride it on our next visit.

One thing I miss with modern zoos is the disappearing population of elephants. I understand why,  many of the small, concrete landscapes of the 60s and 70s are detrimental to the health of elephants. The San Francisco Zoo closed down its exhibit in 2005, and it is unlikely to reopen it. On the other hand, the Oakland Zoo had a wonderful elephant exhibit. The boys loved seeing those amazing animals.

So, how did we manage to live in the Bay Area without knowing that the Oakland Zoo is pretty cool? I'm not sure. From San Jose it is a short 45 minute ride, closer than the San Francisco Zoo.  We will definitely be back!

The Extra Mile to Burney Falls Near Lassen National Volcanic Park

To think if not for the snow in Lassen, which closed many of the trails, we would have missed Burney Falls. That would have been a bummer.

Burney Falls was incredible. A Hawaiian style waterfalls that dumps 100 million gallons of water a day - it is not California's highest or largest water falls, but it is spectacular.

After spending the morning at Lassen National Volcanic Park we drove the 45 minutes to Burney Falls. We ate our lunch in the picnic area, and then took the boys on the the mile or so hike around the falls. The trails lead to the base of the falls, with awesome views.

The map described the trail as moderate, but it isn't. Even a novice hiker can make the trek no problem. Our boys didn't even complain about the distance before we reached the end. The positive attributes of the hike were extensive. From great lookouts to volcanic bolders, it was very cool.

Any trip to Lassen would be incomplete without a trip to Burney Falls.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Revisited

This was our third trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium with the boys. The last visit was about a year ago. What a huge difference a year of growing up has made. The boys had a blast! At four and half and nearly six the draw of the aquarium was the fish, and not the play area.

In previous visits I timed a visit upstairs, knowing that they would be sucked into the play area and toddler zone. Now they are too tall for the toddler zone, and the slide or the tunnel in the play area doesn't seem as exciting. Don't get me wrong, we did stop there, but they played for minutes, instead of hours.

Meanwhile Caleb's new discovery was the control room. We must have watched the video loop at least three times.

The other big surprise was that the boys could now tour the aquarium together. In the past, my youngest would linger at every exhibit, while my oldest would rush through more interested in pushing every button made available to little hands.  This time there was genuine interest in everything. They asked questions, they grabbed my arm and pulled me toward something that they saw that was really exciting. They were giddy with joy.

If you've never been to the aquarium, it is immense, beautiful and worth a visit. It centers around the Ocean Edge Wing 1/3rd of a million gallon tank with a giant kelp forest and the 1.3 million gallon tank in the Outer Bay Wing where you can view sharks ... this most impressed Caleb who is quite the Shark fan. It also has beautiful exhibits of sea anemones, and jelly fish. Quite popular the sea otter exhibit is fun to watch.

My favorite are the hands on exhibits. You can touch a sting ray, or play in the tide pools.

We live 90 minutes from the aquarium, and for a long time have been meaning to buy a family membership. If you plan to go only twice a year, the membership is a great deal. The boys had so much fun, we finally got the family membership and we'll be going back again soon.

Quest for Legos - The Journey Home

Lego is a Danish invention, and Denmark was indeed the theme of our road trip home from just North of San Diego to San Jose.

When we woke up on Wednesday morning it was raining. We headed out after breakfast, and while we didn't have a lot of traffic, visibility was poor until just North of Los Angeles.

We opted to take Highway 101 versus Interstate 5 for good reason. The "grapevine" often closes in bad weather, and if anything, the trip over the mountain could be plagued with slow traffic. Our GPS hated our decision, and kept asking us to take a detour back to I5 until we reached Santa Barbara. Two days later people had to sleep in their cars because I5 was closed.

On our way to Legoland we couldn't help noticing the Andersen's Pea Soup sign. It is located in Buellton just outside the Danish village of Solvang. So we planned a late lunch there, and a needed rest stop.

We loved Andersen's Pea Soup ... the food was great (not surprisingly the pea soup was excellent). The boys loved the novelty shop that is part of the restaurant, and we had the added benefit that we finally completed our potty training for our four year old. Yes, he like 20 percent of boys under the age of 4 and half struggled with the last bastion of potty training angst -- the No. 2.

After lunch we headed to Olsen's Danish Village Bakery in Solvang for Danish delights. The boys got to pick out their own cookie, and then we all shared the selections in the car on the way home. We arrived at 6:30 pm, ready for dinner and an early bed. All together a pleasant roadtrip.

Quest for Legos - Part 2

The process of entering Legoland took almost an hour. The park is pretty stingy on what you see before you enter ... so the boys were at full line fatigue by the time we finally got in. I'm not sure if the entry process was so poor because we went at such as popular time -- or it is always like this.

In the long, disorganized and confusing line to get into Legoland we had several choices. We could purchase tickets to Legoland and Sea Life (the Park's aquarium), or just Legoland (the Water Park is closed this time of year) -- we could purchase tickets for one day or two. Since we were on a Lego quest we opted to go to just Legoland for two days (and it was already afternoon when we arrived from Santa Barbara).

There are two lines to get into the park. One to buy tickets, and one to enter ... both are jammed packed, and the ones on the far left move much faster than the ones on the right. In the future to bypass the ticket line, I highly recommend buying tickets in advance. We tried to buy tickets from the Holiday Inn Carlsbad, but the front desk was grossly misinformed about the special and even their own shuttle service policy. They thought Legoland was offering a special of the second day free if you bought tickets at the park. The special was actually a coupon for a free ticket in January through March -- and you only needed to show proof of purchase at the service desk.

Since it was the Holidays once you enter you are greeted with a giant Lego tree. We proceeded to the left on the first day. If we went to the right we would have seen a Lego Santa in his sleigh, and a Lego Frosty. The Lego Santa and Frosty are set up as picture opportunities. And people line-up to get their photos taken in front of them ... this was quite difficult to explain to our boys. Still I was rudely able to snap a couple of cool pictures and bypass the line as Jonathan pulled the kids off the Lego sleigh.

We have a policy about lines ... if it is over 45 minutes don't bother. On the first day many of the lines had signs that said 60 minutes (on the second day this grew to 2 hours). We'll have to go back during the summer season when the Water Park is open. I wonder if that will decrease the impact on the Legoland lines. Since we were there in the afternoon, waiting until after 3 pm to ride more popular rides was the best bet.

Highlights of our two days (and definitely things that shouldn't be missed) include:

• Miniland. This is an opportunity to walk through Lego DC, Lego New York, Lego Las Vegas, Lego San Francisco and a Lego town with a train. There are several ways to enter, one you come down a hill walking by busts of famous people like Pavarotti, the Queen of England and Winston Churchill. The other way is over a bridge with Lego lions. Caleb loved looking at the intricate detail in all of the buildings, cars and people. Xander liked steering the boats in the Miniland marina. We also loved taking the Coast Cruise through Miniland you got to get up close to the Lego Sidney Opera House, and also see Lego New York from another perspective.
• The Lego Showplace. Where you can watch the adventures of Clutch Powers in 4D. The movie is in 3D, but Legoland adds wind, and mist and fog to make it a 4D experience. Considering my oldest has limited depth perception, and the 3D glasses don't work for him, the fact that he loved the show speaks to how well done it is. 
• The life size characters in Lego that were hidden in every nook and cranny of the park including Bob the Builder,  the dragons, park workers, the life size Volvo XC90 ... They were really very cool.
• Solo rides for the five and under set. Xander and Caleb loved the Royal Joust best (this was a ride on an oversized carousel horse on a track through a forrest). In fact there were several opportunities for the five and under set to go solo. The other ride they liked was the Junior Driving School (driving a little Lego Volvo around a mini race track).

Overall we had a great time, some of the rides were a bit overrated, and entering the park can be a better experience. We may go back sometime this year when the Water Park is open, and when Legoland opens Miniland Star Wars. Next blog will be on the activities outside of Legoland in San Diego and our ride home.

Chico, Calif. Partying College Students and Kid Friendly Locale

When I think of Chico, I think of Chico State and I always think of it as a top 10 party school. The school itself has a lot to offer, don't get me wrong, but its partying reputation precedes it. My own alma mater also suffers from a similar reputation.

Located in the foothills of the Sierras, I never thought that I would say great kid friendly city and Chico in the same breadth ... but in last month's visit we discovered two more kid friendly restaurants and the boys had a blast.

We went to the small town of Oroville, Calif. near Chico to surprise my friend Stephanie on her birthday.  We were really there to see Stephanie, and not to tourist around. However, if we go back, and we're pretty sure we will, there is a wonderful lake and plenty of outdoorsy activities for the boys.

Eating wise, we went to a brunch restaurant that makes our top 10 best kid friendly restaurants. Cafe Coda located on Humbolt Ave in Chico does a kid menu like very few other restaurants. Warning they don't post it online ... but it is themed after monsters, dinosaurs and trains. Caleb and Xander loved their meal. And like our favorite kid friendly restaurants, the adult fare was amazing, and the kids fare didn't pander with chicken nuggets and fries.

We also took the boys to the Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant, which despite being a brewery, had a great menu, and fantastic kid friendly service. We'll have to go back to enjoy more of what the region has to offer... but for a short two day trip it was great.

Of parades, barbecues. bouncy houses and block parties

For the fourth of July weekend this year we stayed at home. On Saturday we threw a long awaited for birthday party for Xander our five year old, and on Sunday we participated in our neighborhood kid parade and block party.

For Xander's birthday we decided to have a low-key party with just six kids. This is after the over-the-top blow-out fourth birthday party we threw for him last year, which was a lot of work, but at minimal success. For Xander's birthday party we rented a bouncy house. The bouncy house plus some water play kept the kids entertained, and gave the adults an opportunity to enjoy the barbecue.

Today we went to our neighborhood fourth of July celebration. We'd skipped last year due to our East Coast trip. The block party has definitely gotten better. The parade through the neighborhood was fun. Xander and Caleb road their bicycles and wore red, white and blue. There were tons of kids this year, most between the ages of 3 and 6. Afterward there was a neighborhood potluck, and then games for the kids. Xander and Caleb had a blast.

We concluded the day with another barbecue, and sought out fireworks at a the Tamien train station where we could see the fireworks from San Jose Municipal Stadium, as well as the illegal fireworks. All and all it was a wonderful two days, now we just need to figure out what we want to do tomorrow. Mellow day, or a trip to Angel Island.

I'm not 4 I'm 5

Today was Xander's fifth birthday. In two months he will be starting kindergarten. The beautiful green eyed boy that I called "baby boy" is growing up. He knows how to behave in restaurants, he holds your hand when crossing the street, he can walk into a store filled with breakables and not touch, he is  kind, thoughtful and sensitive.

We went back to Oak Meadow and Vasona parks for the first time since December. We road the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad, and played in the playground with the firetruck, airplane and train, as well as the blue playground. It was amazing to watch how much more sure of himself he was on the playground. He is starting to do the monkey bars, he could climb the ladders I thought were reserved for much older kids ... well now I guess he is.

He got a scooter for his birthday. He let me put on all of the padding, and agreed that he would need to wear his hockey helmet, to make sure that he didn't break anything. Considering how many times he fell it was a good thing... but he tackled the task of learning to use the two wheel scooter with confidence.  But he was tired ...

So, we were soon home where he got two of the trains he asked for and had me write on a birthday list that he kept under his pillow for the last month. He was so happy to get patchwork Hiro and Birthday Thomas. He had me check them off his list.

Then we went to St. John's in Sunnyvale where they have great chicken tenders. He feasted, polite, sweet and so grown-up.

In the middle of August I will no longer be able to say my preschoolers. My little Xander will be a kindergartner.

Flashback: Outdoor Eating with Small Kids

It is finally starting to warm up and feel like summer here -- which means we are eating more meals outside. When traveling with children the more you can find outdoor restaurants, the more you have happy well behaved children. (Of course we did have the mallet incident in Annapolis, but that is another story).

The benefits of eating outdoors:
1. Noise - in a quiet stuffy restaurant a child can create quite a scene just asking for more bread. My boys are now 3 and almost 5 and they still have not mastered the quiet whisper. We've been shushed in indoor restaurants, but the great outdoors just doesn't have the acoustics.
2. Less worry about mess - my boys are generally pretty good, unless they are handed a cup with a cap and straw. Then they are downright messy neanderthals. Outside I worry less about a spill then inside a restaurant.
3. Distraction - Outside with flowers, birds, people walking by on the street, there is much more to see and to keep short attention spanned children occupied.
4. More low key - Even in fancy restaurants, outdoor seating is much more low key. It is better than cramped back area of the many restaurants where families with children are relegated to. And often you cannot beat the views, especially in towns on the water.

One of the reasons we love to travel in Central Europe during the summer with little ones, and one reason we selected Austria for our 2008 trip was outdoor eating. I wrote about the food market at Rathaus Platz. We never quite made it to the Opera broadcast on the big screen, but we did enjoy eating dinner there.

In California, near Santa Barbara there is The Beach Grill at Padaro. Even locally, one of our favorite haunts in San Jose, the Garage has outdoor seating, and now that it is warming up, this will be a perfect place to take the boys and eat outdoors.

Rediscovering the Children's Discovery Museum in Sausalito

I wonder if in retrospect our disappointing trip to Happy Hollow was because our visit occurred on the same weekend that we rediscovered the Children's Discovery Museum in Sausalito, also called the Bay Area Discovery Museum. When Xander was a toddler I booked a lot of time at the Toddler Zone of the Children's Discovery Museum, but we haven't been back with two preschoolers.

Well, with two preschoolers (my oldest who is now too tall for the Toddler Zone) the Children's Discovery Museum is awesome.

On Sunday we went to a party for a little girl in Caleb's preschool class. If not for the party, I'm not sure if we would have made it there until early Fall. The cost of the Museum is less than Happy Hollow, and at least 10 times more fun.

We arrived at 12:30 pm, and participated in the pre-planned birthday party fun until 2 pm. Then we were on our own.

The playscape with a maritime theme was amazing for both parents and preschoolers alike. The remnants of a pirate ship, a boat, a rock quarry, and a tide pool, and a small Golden Gate bridge, all with a view of the real Golden Gate bridge -- spectacular.

Caleb would have been happy breaking rocks in the hot sun in the quarry, but we decided to explore the rest of the Museum. We took the boys to the Toddler Zone, but at 44 inches, Xander was too tall. Caleb and I went in for about 15 minutes, he liked it (it gave him an opportunity to be three, and not try to be four) but he grew tired of the maritime room and the desert room that Xander had once spent so much time in, and we headed to the other exhibits of the museum.

We met Xander in what other parents have dubbed the train room. Xander bypassed the train, and was fishing for big fish on the fishing boat. Caleb gasped when when he saw the giant train table, and was in heaven for a good hour. When Xander grew tired of fishing, and he wasn't ranking in the small society of train table officiendos either (all the engines were taken), I took him to the wave room.

Xander's favorite part of the museum was the wave room. You can press a button and make waves... you can also design a boat that will ride faster, farther and more aerodynamically on the waves. Xander loved this exhibit.

When it was time to go, we had no meltdowns. The boys loved their visit. There was enough time to explore everything, but the boys were never in sensory overload either. We heart the Children's Discovery Museum in Sausalito, and we will be back again soon.

Happy Hollow Howdy Do

It probably wasn't the best conceived plan, but on Saturday we decided to take the boys to Happy Hollow for the first time since it reopened last month. What we didn't know was that it was San Jose State graduation -- since Happy Hollow is across the street from Spartan Stadium all of the parking was taken. At that point we should have taken this as an omen, given up, and planned to visit another day, but alas we stuck it out, and eventually found parking in a satellite lot for $6, and took a yellow school bus to the park entrance.

Sadly, Happy Hollow has raised its prices, and it no longer an affordable way to spend a weekend afternoon. The City of San Jose is obviously trying to make back their investment in the park as quickly as possible.  Park entry is $10 for everyone 2 and up, plus the cost of parking and a family of four is out between $46 to $50 (depending on where you park) for the day. Now since we live locally we really should consider getting a family membership. At $95 it would pay for itself on our fourth visit.

Happy Hollow has also decided to play the movie theater food card, and to charge $5 for a hot dog. This is more than the cost of a hot dog at some major league ballparks -- which means we passed on eating at the park. If you go, you really should pack a picnic lunch, and bypass the concession stand altogether.

The holiday weekend also meant long lines for everything. However, I must say that even with the crowds, the boys had fun. Xander rode his first roller coaster. Caleb liked the playscape and driving the cars. The boys also liked the Red Barn petting zoo, and the carousel. Xander rode on the rhino and Caleb rode on the zebra. The dragon train was not worth the wait time -- too bad because this was an old favorite. Apparently the park has been having trouble keeping it on the track and it had to go too slow to be fun for anyone.

On our way out we went to the zoo part of the park, the boys were exhausted, and near melt down, but liked playing in the sand, and seeing the exotic birds.

We may buy a membership, and will probably come back to Happy Hollow -- it is very close to our house. But if you're visiting from out of town, there are other places that are more reasonably priced, or more fun.

The VIP Treatment - Preschooler at an NHL Game

After just a few ice skating lessons and a few weeks with a street hockey stick and puck (well, an orange ball that is meant to replicate a puck), Caleb had shown a keen interest in hockey. We got a Sharks jersey for him, which he wears to hockey lessons without fail, and whenever else possible. He sometimes sleeps with his hockey stick. And, because his jersey is for Evgeni Nabokov, the Sharks’ goalie, he gets excited whenever he sees “Nabby” on TV.

So, even though Caleb is only three, I thought it would be worthwhile to take Caleb to a Sharks game. Kate thought I was brave. I thought, well maybe, but also it meant a guilt free night out at a Sharks playoff game, against the storied Detroit Red Wings no less. The Red Wings are one of the “original six” hockey teams and have won the Stanley Cup 11 times (including a sweep of my hometown team, the Washington Capitals). So, I was excited too. When the playoff series schedule was announced, I learned that Game 1 of the series would take place on a Thursday evening at the pre-school friendly hour of 6pm (a benefit of living on the West Coast). I bought two upper level tickets, 4 rows into the upper level, on the blue line in the zone where the Sharks would shoot during two of the three periods.

On Game Night, I was prepared. I made Caleb change into pull-ups, packed a backpack with a change of clothes just in case, put on his Nabby jersey, and took a deep breath. Any concerns I had with bringing a 3 year old to a sporting event were immediately alleviated, however. In fact, when at the game with Caleb we were both treated like rock stars.

First, we got there early to avoid the big lines, and when we walked up to our seats, the usher spent time with us and played a game with Caleb. He asked Caleb to pick the hand with a prize in it and after a couple of hints, he chose the hand that had a very nice Hot Wheels car in it. Caleb loved it and played with it throughout the game. After the first period, Caleb wanted to go down to the ice. The ushers in the first level let us down, no questions asked, and we spent some time right at the glass on the ice hanging out with the fans in the $500 seats. Of course, as the second period was about to begin, we headed back to our seats (though Caleb was a little upset).

Walking around the arena, everyone was great too. People came up to us and gave Caleb high fives, the vendors with giveaways called us over to give us miscellaneous tchochkes, and Caleb spent time talking to the police officers.

Something that’s not new these days is that sporting events now are as much about the overall entertainment value as they are about the game itself. The Sharks have this figured out as well. Caleb loved watching the players enter the ice through the shark, and loved watching Sharkie the mascot wander around the arena and banging his drum to get the fans excited. With five minutes to go and the Sharks up 3-2, it was an incredibly entertaining game, but by that point all Caleb cared about was finding Sharkie.

We did have our moments where Caleb was a little antsy...after all we were there for over three hours between when we arrived and left. But overall it was a great experience, and Caleb is looking forward to going back next year.

Double Trouble at the Giants Game - Two Preschoolers & Baseball

When my husband informed me that he got tickets for the family for two baseball games this summer, I thought he lost his mind. Last year he did take the boys to the San Jose Giants game, with moderate success ... but were my three and a half year old, and my almost five year old ready for a pro game in something other than a one on one situation (one parent, one child ... the other parent and child stay home).

Recently we have seen a huge interest in sports from Caleb, especially hockey. He has taken to watching the Stanley Cup Playoff games on television ... and Jonathan did take him one on one to a playoff game. But I kept imagining the two sweet little tykes ganging up on us, and getting lost or into some big mischief.

The game we took them to last Sunday was during Little League Day, and they were giving out batting helmets. Did we need free batting helmets? Apparently we did, Jonathan got us to game two hours before it started. As we entered the sunny PacBell Park, the ticket person said, looking at our fair three-year old, "I hope you brought sunscreen."

Parent guilt ... we didn't bring sunscreen. However, with only a minor cramp in my arm, I managed to keep Caleb shaded all day.

To compound the potential issues with two tykes at the game ... it wasn't a very good game. The Giants lost and Sanchez takes a lot of time between pitches, so it was also a long game ...

But to my surprise the boys were great. They had a wonderful time, they can't wait to go back to our next game in August.  Although Caleb still prefers hockey right now ... but he wore his Giants t-shirt to bed and school the next day.

We also invested in some good strategies for enjoying the game. We surprised the boys with a toy each ... and a stuffed animal. We let them eat junk food including popcorn, and a sweet soda. We road the slide, they got to meet the Giants mascot the Seal, and we ate lunch out of the stands ... A happy, fairly stress free day for all involved.

Preschoolers on Ice

This last weekend was one of the first beautiful weekends of the year. The boys were in t-shirts and shorts ... so we thought what better time to take them to the ice skating arena and start ice skating lessons.

We are in San Jose, and besides being a little Sharks crazy right now ... the boys love Caillou and Caillou plays hockey. Since Xander was 3 and Caleb was 2 they have been asking for skating lessons. And so on beautiful Spring morning we headed to Sharks Ice, the San Jose Sharks practice facility.

Skating lessons are actually a pretty good deal. The cost is the same as swimming and the lessons go 12 weeks, but unlike swimming which is a half an hour, the boys get a full hour of skating fun.

For the beginners they get a pile of buckets to push around the ice like a walker. They have plenty of instructors, and the kids are delivered to their class.

Xander who is almost five was amazing. He was very fast on the ice, held his feet perfectly, listened to his instructor, maneuvered his bucket with skill ... and next week he will be moved to the boys class. Caleb on the other hand was very cautious, and turned his ankles in to balance. All as you'd expect for a three and a half year old and his first time on skates.

Xander also fell spectacularly. So ... on Sunday we got the boys helmets. Caleb wanted a hockey helmet with a wire mask, and we found some on sale ... well, it is Spring.

To say the kids loved skating is an understatement. Caleb is sleeping with his helmet. We even have some sticks and a net on route (they were also on sale ... well, it is Spring).

Saturday in San Mateo's Central Park with the boys

Last Saturday, Jonathan and I took the boys to ride the Bianchi Railroad in San Mateo's Central Park. The railroad turned out to be a small, four minute ride on a miniature train, and not a big deal at all ... but Central Park is a wonderful destination for preschoolers.

Central Park is located on El Camino Real on the corner of 5th Avenue in San Mateo. It is a beautiful, large, classic park with a rod iron fence around the perimeter. You can park underneath the tennis courts for 25 cents and hour.

When you exit the parking lot into Central Park you arrive right next to a darling Japanese tea garden, complete with streams and a koi pond. The boys loved crossing the bridges, watching the fish and the two waterfalls.

As you leave the tea garden and cross the park to the playground, there is a lovely English rose garden with a maze. The boys liked running through the maze.

Once you cross an open space you arrive at the playground. The playground was wonderful. It had several playscapes in a wooded area (note to self, we're always looking for shade during the height of a Bay Area heatwave). It also has some retro playground equipment I haven't seen since I was a kid. Including an old fashioned Sesame Street jungle gym, and monkey bars.

Xander really wants to be able to swing across the monkey bars. We're not quite there yet, but he got some nice practice time with a pleasant fall into sand.

Right next to the playground is the Bianchi Miniature Railroad. If you blink you'll miss it. In fact we couldn't find it, and had to call to find out exactly where it is. The Railroad has odd hours from 11 am to 1 pm ... It is very low key, and at a $1.50 a ride, it was a lot of fun for the boys.

We definitely will go back soon. As an added bonus it is located near San Mateo's charming downtown, and our favorite Mexican Taqueria Pancho Villa.

Finally ... a Saturday at the Sunnyvale Farmers Market

A couple of months ago Jonathan and I came very close to taking the boys to the Sunnyvale Farmers Market. It was a near miss, we discovered as we arrived that it had been moved to temporary quarters. We didn't go the extra block and a half to the Caltrain parking lot. It was an ugly day, and instead we took refuge at the German Bakery on the Mountain View/Los Altos border.

On Saturday we decided to try it again. We'd heard from lots of people that the Sunnyvale Farmers Market, like the Campbell Farmers Market are the best that Silicon Valley has to offer. As far as I'm concerned this is a true statement.

The current location for the Sunnyvale Farmers Market is great. The boys love trains (hey did I mention this before). Being in the parking lot for the Caltrain station is fabulous.

With kids open space is a priority.  Los Gatos location-wise is perfect. A farmers market on a quiet street off the town square, but they have limited stalls. You can't really do your grocery shopping for the week there.  The Campbell Farmers Market on the other hand has tons of stalls, you can actually grocery shop for the week (with a minor Trader Joes subsidy), but the closest park is three and half blocks away.

The Sunnyvale Farmers Market is run by the same coop as Campbell and has the same types of stalls (there are a couple of pleasant differences).  Location wise it is near a large plaza, and the Caltrain station, and has plenty of open space for the kids to play. We also found Sunnyvale more low key than Campbell -- we'll see what we say in the height of the summer, when all the farmers markets are packed.

A Trolley Day with the Boys in San Francisco

A couple of weeks ago Jonathan took the boys to San Francisco to give me time to clean the house. During his visit to the Ferry Building he came upon the Market Street Railway Museum almost by accident. The boys loved their visit, so we decided to take them again on Saturday, and this time also ride the classic streetcars up the Embarcadero.

The Market Street Railway Museum is really not a museum. It is more a gift shop ... The museum part consists of the front part of a trolley car, and a train table with streetcars on it. The proprietor is very nice, and knowledgeable, and the boys did like ringing the bell on the trolley car.

After purchasing some t-shirts we headed out the door to the streetcar stop. It was right before the Chinese New Year Parade, so the cars weren't running their full route. Jonathan and I toyed with the idea of going to the parade too ... but we never made it.

For $4 for a family of 4 (the boys were free because they are 5 and under) could do a round trip ride from the Ferry Building to Fisherman's Wharf. We road two different streetcars. The first train was from Cleveland, and the second train was from Philadelphia. Several years ago San Francisco started the F line of refurbished vintage streetcars from around the country and around the world. I have ridden a couple of times for business meetings on Market Street. It was convenient, and fun ... but traveling with two preschool train enthusiasts takes it to a new level.

After our ride we headed to Bluebottle Coffee in the Ferry Building for coffee and gelato (the gelato is across the hall) before the planned walk to the parade. When we left the Ferry Building it was already dark ... so we decided to call it a day, and make the drive back to San Jose.

It was a wonderful day, and you couldn't beat the price.