Drumming boy

Ethan's Birthday Present

The Amercian Thanksgiving

This was our first American Thanksgiving! We started at Judi's for an awesome turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Then a walk in the main street of Pleasanton and back for dessert. Bentley couldn't wait to get home to have his "pumpum pie"!

Then we headed to Monterey for 2 nights. We spent one day in Monterey in Cannery Row area and the Aquarium and on to Carmel for dinner. Back to Carmel the next day to shop and to have some fun at the beautiful beach. We drove home Sat. night to beat the crazy traffic that happens in the area on the Sunday of Thanksgiving wkd. We all had colds but it didn't dampen our spirits and the sunshine did us all good.

Carmel-by-the-sea

Reindeer in Monterey!

The Monterey Bay Aquarium

We had a great day at the Aquarium despite the crowds. Its a big place and very well done so Bentley and Ethan had fun looking at the otters, sharks, touching the starfish, seeing the octopus, the drifters and so on. Well worth the entry fee!

The drifters - so beautiful. Bentley and daddy at the touching pools. Bentley loves the sharks and can pick them out from the other fish in the tank!

Monterey - playing before we went to the Aquarium

Thanksgiving dinner with Judi and her girls in Pleasonton

Box races!!

Hallowe'en is over and Christmas is here at Fisherman's Wharf!

Another trip to the Aquarium!

Bentley didn't want to touch the starfish but Ethan didn't mind!

A day out in Sausalito

After a slow start we headed out to Sausalito over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a nice sunny day so we walked around, had lunch and watched a man build stone 'towers'. It was amazing to see him balance them all and then walk away and a large misshapen stone would balance on a small smooth stone. He had quite a few towers built so the crowds were coming!
Then off to Target to buy diapers, what a nice finish to the day!! Sunday is out to Orinda again for the afternoon meeting.

Saturday in Sausalito

The week of November 12th

The boys have been sick a bit this week so it was a slow one. Tuesday we didn't leave the house at all and then on Wednesday Bentley was still feeling pretty low but we went to the playground up the hill. I wasn't feeling that great either so that hike up the hill nearly finished me for the day! Let me tell you, the picture of the hill does not do the feeling in your calves - justice.

Today we went to the Julius Kahn playground by the Presidio. Nice playground and very nice area. All single family homes which is a big deal in SF. Two of the moms were getting their kids organised to walk home. We weren't walking, we were driving back to our little neighbourhood! There is a house for sale in SF for $65 million and it needs $8million worth of work on it. Hard to even imagine that kind of money. The average house price in SF is $759k and that gets you 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Vancouver is a bit cheaper at least we can get another bedroom for that price!

This wkd its some relaxing and a mandolin lesson in Berkely for Aaron. Hopefully some bike shopping for Bentley as well. Next wkd is lots of shopping for Michelle on black Friday. I might start at midnight on Thursday when the shops open near Monterey where we'll be for the long wkd - after a great Thanksgiving dinner at Judi's.

Another new playground on Friday. Very nice but in a very posh neighbourhood. The cheapest house is somewhere in the $5mill range or more.

Brothers hangin' out!

Bathtime! A cute little blondie!

We discovered a new park...up a VERY steep hill. Just 3 minutes from the house.

That's the park up on the left with the purple flowers. The cars are parked perpendicular - that means the street is too steep for parallel parking. Very steep for a mommy with 2 boys in a stroller!