Alameda 2013

 We had such a great weekend on our 3rd annual trip to visit Aaron and Christy in Alameda.  They ordered perfect weather and had the perfect itinerary planned!  Friday night we ate dinner at their house... (a beautiful condo house overlooking the bay!!!) and the boys and Christy went to the new Star Trek movie at the Historic Alameda Theater.  I took the kids back to the hotel and we went to sleep. 

Saturday morning we drove through Treasure Island, downtown San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge to the Discovery Center.  If you are every in the area and have children under 8, you need to check it out!  

 It's located at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge... we had a beautiful view all day!

We got to look at a seal on the pier.

 Once in the Discovery Museum, there are a series of buildings with different things to discover... art, waves, transportation, a toddler specific area... IT WAS AWESOME!  They had a huge outdoor section with a ship wreck... walking trail...

 A huge redwood tree with the center taken out... the kids loved climbing through it!

Woven branches made a house with peek-a-boo holes... 

 Frogs that made music...

 The infant/ toddler area had water beds for the kids to play on.

 A huge bell to ring, Jed loved this...

 Shovels and sifters for buried treasure... they actually buried pennies!!!

 Oma and Riley had a fun time walking around.

 In one of the art buildings, they had plexiglass that the kids could paint on.  Spray bottles and squeegees to clean it... FUNNNNN!!! 

 Climbing a ladder to a look out tower.

 A boat to climb around and play in.

Blake and Cherie 

 Harold and Margie (better known as Oma and Opa)

 In between the buildings was a huge are with building blocks. 

 Aaron and Christy

One room was a little boy's (and big boy's) DREAM... a huge train set, fishing reels, another boat, tunnels, a boat loading crane!!!!

 They had a wave room that had water to play in...a wave simulator and more tunnels. 

 We ended with a little hula hooping... and jed played some musical instruments of which he said, "I like playing these, they make me happy."

On our way home, we drove through Mill Valley where Tyler Florence has a beautiful kitchen store. 

 We went to Thai food for dinner... Oma and Riley.

 These boys melt my heart.

On Sunday morning, we went to Middle Harbor Park in Oakland.  It is surrounded by all of the huge ships, containers and the cranes that move them.

 Oma and Riley

 Grandkids

 Sprinklers were on... This... turned into...

 THIS!!!

 Austin took a back seat on this one.

 All done.  A big boy, in big boy undies, soaking wet and "freezing" as he puts it.

 So, mommy warms him up.

We finished off the weekend at the Oakland farmers market at Jack London Square.  I had my first wood fired pizza (just kidding)... but we did share a pizza and vegan burger.  It was really good.

We played hard.  The kids had so much fun, were exceptionally content throughout the weekend and cant wait to return.  Jed especially loved climbing on TT and Uncle Aaron's stairs.  

Jed did shed light on one thing.  He didn't want to go onto the beach where the water was.  I couldn't figure out why because he usually loves it.  As we were tucking him in bed tonight he said, "I didn't go on TTs beach.  Waves crash up on your feet and... that's GROSS." ... 

I laughed out loud.

The weekend was made perfect when on our way home, Jed and Riley fell asleep within 15 minutes of leaving and Jed slept the entire way, Riley slept until we were in Fresno.  (I even got a nap)  AWESOME!!!