Party Time!

We had a fantastic day today at the park celebrating A's first birthday with friends. Before we headed out this morning we were worried that A was not her happy self as she was quite upset. After about 30 minutes we realised it was because we had her dressed up in a party dress and leggings. She wasn't able to stand up without getting stuck with her dress. So we quickly changed all that and she was back to her happy self just in time for her party. The day was great - lots of balloons, pizza and cake, as well as good company. Z had a ball running around the playground for a couple of hours with his friends. A has started to realise how much fun the park really can be. She was walking and crawling around, loved the slide and swings, and basically just loved hanging out. A couple of friends A's age came too. It is quite funny watching them watch each other, and then going off to do their own thing! We had a really great time - thanks to all our friends for making it a very special day!

One Year and One Day....

Today we had a little party at school for A, then tonight we went for a walk by the Bay. Here are some of the photos below. It was a fantastic evening - the sky was clear - so it was a really nice sunset as you can see.

Happy 1st Birthday Sweetheart!

Over the last week or so we've been experiencing a series of firsts - first kisses, first sign language, first steps on her own...and of course today - A's first birthday! The morning started with Z, Mum and Dad all singing Happy Birthday to A in bed, quickly followed by Z leading the way to the presents! A was quite interested in the streamers and sticky bow attached to one of the presents - which reminded me that Z was just the same on his first birthday. The kids had a ball playing with the presents, before we headed off to the zoo for the day. It's been a while since we went to the zoo, and A is just the right age to really start taking it all in. She was watching all the animals intently and pointing to everything she could see. She was intrigued by the giraffes and gorillas and loved the flamingos and goats - as well as the ducks! We ended up spending the whole day at the zoo, and managed to grab a ride on the carousel before heading out. Tonight we had a special princess cake for A, and managed to synchronize all the grandparents, and Aunty N to sing Happy Birthday and blow out the candle by webcam!

Yosemite Sams

This past weekend we decided to head up to Yosemite for a few days to get out of the city. The weather was fantastic, and it wasn't too dry - especially compared with the last few years. We had a great time walking the trails on the valley floor and then spent one day cycling as well....which included a very close encounter with a rattlesnake (picture below). The kids had a ball. Z enjoyed all the scavenger hunts, finding spiders, minnows, frogs and lizards. He took part in one of the plays held at the lodge (he loves being on the stage) as well as dropping by Curry Village for bird watching. He said the funniest thing on Sunday as we were watching a mother deer and her two babies. They were close to the cabins and some people had set up an outdoor eating, rec area for themselves off their porch, and this included some bocce balls they had been playing with. As the deer walked away Z went up to the bocce balls and said 'Look mum - deer eggs!'. Oh dear... Anyway, A had a great time too, being out in the fresh air, seeing all the trees, ducks and deer. Though I get the suspicion she's not a big fan of squirrels - based on her reaction to them as we sat on our back porch...






Look mum - deer eggs!






















At the start of the bike ride...


...At the end of the bike ride!