Make up time

I was down and out for 5 days while sick, but I clearly made up for it these past 3 days!  I have taken the babies to the park, sometimes twice a day, and we hit the library and the farmer's market.  I have been driving the QEII this week, which makes me feel like the Big Girl. I have loaded it up with all sorts of sand toys, snacks, drinks, and the Bob double stroller. Bode loves it when I honk the QEII's loud horn.  He doesn't know it, but I honk it as a warning: "Look out, here I come in the QEII!"  We have been on the go-go-go!

Babycakes enjoying a swing.





I love that boys come up to Bode in the park to talk about cars. I've been bringing his big construction vehicles with us to the sandbox, and they have been a great conversation/play starter for Bode. It is also interesting for me to see that Bode doesn't get rattled (right now, at least) when a boy walks off with one of his cars. He just watches  him for a minute, and I'll say something like, "It's so great to share your cars with other boys. Why don't you go show him the other truck, too?" He enjoys watching other boys to see how they play with the cars. Love it!

Hello, Aunt Mary Lou.

It was so cold Thursday morning that we all wore fleece jackets on our walk! I was in running shorts, a short-sleeve shirt, as well as a fleece. It warmed up quickly, though.  The fleece jackets were removed about 10 minutes into our walk.

Gianna's first official visit to the library. All babies love the big stuffed Curious George.

Bode shows Gianna the germ-infested Lego table. Notice Gianna is standing!

 Bode with the dog statue.

We went to the library, and I am pretty sure it was Gianna's first visit. She may have "traveled" as a baby in the past, but this was her first real time spent at the library. Bode showed her the ever-popular cesspool of a Lego table, but she wasn't too interested. She was more interested in the stuffed animals and sofas the library has stocked in the children's section.She is standing all the time now, and the library provided a lot of easy pull-up spots. So far, it looks like Gianna does not share the "reading gene" that her brother Bode has enjoyed. She is not interested in sitting to read at all. Of course, she is learning all kinds of ways to be mobile so that holds more interest for her now. I hope (fingers crossed) that she is a big reader. Behind the library is a tiny park. We stopped there so that Bode could play.  On the way out, he saw the dog statue. The dog statue is infamous in our history here in Los Altos. The story is, one night, Bob and I were out, and the dogs were with us. I think we had been somewhere far away hiking, and the dogs really needed to stop for a potty break.  It was dark, and I had no idea where we were at the time, but now I know we were here. Kelly got out, ran right up to this dog statue and sniffed its butt!  It killed me; it was so funny.  Now, when I see this dog statue, I think of Kelly.  I'm happy that I have a picture of Bode with this dog statue, for historical purposes.

Thursday afternoon, we went to the farmer's market. We have a very pretty farmer's market in our little downtown village.  It is full of organic produce brought in by local farmers, and farmers further out, like Half Moon Bay. They all set up under neat little white canopies, and two long streets are blocked off to traffic. People walk in throngs, some couples, some families roaming around looking for their next meal. There are food vendors at the end of the block. A lot of (smart) people make an evening of this farmer's market, buying their weekly fruits and veggies,  and eating dinner here. I really wanted to avoid making dinner. I like the idea of stopping and eating at one of the picnic tables set up nearbly. But the reality is, this doesn't work righft now for me and two babies. So we browsed the vendors selling burritos, falafel, barbecue, pizza, corn on the cob, etc.  I asked Bode what he would like to eat. What did he pick?  Kettle corn!  I was not happy with his choice, but I did buy him a small bag. (I have to remember to not give him free reign, but instead choices: "Would you like a piece of chicken, or a sandwich?" etc.) I bought a couple of vegetarian tamales for our dinner and had them wrapped to go.   There was a musician there who played a guitar and harmonica, "like Neil Young," Bode said.  He loves music. I let him out of the stroller so that he could leave a tip in the musician's guitar case, and dance to a couple of songs. Bode dances by bending his knees and just bouncing ever so slightly. It is hard to tell that he is dancing because it is so slight, and he has a serious concentrated look on his face. It kind of reminds me of that scene from the movie Forrest Gump, when Forrest is dancing in his leg braces to Elvis Presley. Except Bode doesn't move that much.

Gianna's first visit to the farmer's market, and she's gotta wear shades.

Dancing to "hey, good lookin' what you got cookin'" but barely moving.



Buying organic greens and the babies are ready to call it a day.



Today we ran a few errands, but because we had the double stroller in the QEII, I wisely (if I do say so myself) parked in a central location downtown, so that we could stroll to the park and hit Starbucks before heading home for our nap. Win-win, baby.

Raise your hand if you're ready for a mocha.

Bode enjoying a blueberry muffin from Starbucks.

Gianna has another toofy...wait for it...wait for it:

She now has both top toofys!

So, I think I made up for my lack of mothering earlier this week.  I hope to rest this weekend though! What are your weekend plans? Whatever they are, I hope that you have fun and relaxation in store.
Happy weekend.
xo

PS So sorry for the run-on sentences and typos! As much as I want this to reflect my best grammar and writing, I am also writing this with the one-hour-the-babies-are-napping deadline, or late at night after putting the babies to bed.