Fall Fun

I think that the best part of having kids is that you get to take part in all the super fun kid-friendly traditions that come with holidays.  I'll never forget the year, just before Hubs left on deployment, that I dragged him to the pumpkin patch.  We went on a hay ride, visited the petting zoo, and of course picked out two huge pumpkins.  And the whole time Hubs rolled his eyes and teased me about how we were the only ones there without a small child.

Well, I don't care for party poopers, so last year, when our Parents Place class went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch, I did a little happy dance that I could act like a kid without my husband chiding me the whole time.  No matter that when we got home he teased that Bunkey would never remember a minute of it and didn't know a thing about Halloween or care about candy and trick-or-treating (for the record, yes, we did take him to one house, because even though he wouldn't remember it, I would, and because you only get to have one first Halloween!).  Anyway, so we went to the patch last year, and secretly I think Hubs was a little sad he missed out.

This year, I tried again.  I mentioned the idea to Hubs, and while he didn't make fun of my excitement for pumpkins, he did have a pretty crammed schedule (it's his last quarter before graduation, and his normal requirements plus thesis prep are a bit overwhelming) and just didn't see a way to make things work.  So I did some research and found two places that looked promising and toddler-friendly.  Meanwhile, I invited a neighbor and her six-month old to join us...and told her to choose which of the two places we went!

Well, A and I must have the same taste, because she picked my top choice!  Uesugi Farms is about 45 minutes away from here, but oh so worth the trip!  They have several attractions appropriate for a variety of age ranges, making it a perfect option for a group of families or even those with both older and younger siblings.  While many of the areas are free, the others are pay as you go, making the trip as affordable or extravagant as you'd like!  Since our kiddos are both under 3, A and I only had to pay for ourselves, so for less than $10, we were each able to get tickets for the Enchanted Hayride and a Train Ride.  For another $5 we each got lunch at the Snack Shack on the edge of the farm, and for a final $10 we brought home the pumpkin of Bunkey's choosing.  Yes, the day was a little pricey when you consider that I could get a pumpkin at the grocery store for $3, but the memories (and pictures) make the $25 day well worth it.  And Bunkey giggled and grinned the entire day, which only solidified my satisfaction with the outing!

Kiddos could sit in the Pumpkin King or Pumpkin Queen thrones!

On our train ride!

You kid brings you a flower?  Mine brings me a rock!

On the hayride, going through the marigold fields

Picking a pumpkin...but this one was vetoed for lack of a stem!

Summer Thus Far

I promised you the other day that eventually I'd get around to posting about some of the fun little outings we've been on this summer.  And I finally have the energy to do so.  And Bunkey's down for a nap (though I hear him thumping around in his crib upstairs) so I have some time...

The beginning of summer started with my Reserves trip to Hawaii.  It was supposed to be a pseudo family vacation, but when the Navy changed my plans (no surprise there!) it became impossible for Hubs and the Bunkster to come with me.  Alas, I had to explore Hawaii alone. That said, due to the nature and hours of my work, and Bunkey's day-to-day schedule, it's probably best that he was left in his own environment...not to mention a ton less boring for Hubs, too!  Regardless, you can read about my adventures in Hawaii here, here, here, here, here, and here!

Our Fourth of July was fairly anti-climactic.  It was the middle of the week, Hubs had class the next day, and I'd just learned I was preggo, so no drinking for me!  We were all kinda lethargic that day, the weather was overcast and kinda cold (even by Monterey standards!), and to be perfectly honest, I didn't even check, or even care about, a fireworks display nearby.  We'd been invited to a parade and street fair by friends, but it didn't work very well with Bunkey's nap schedule, so I did without.  Instead, I made the best fried chicken right here at home!

While the highlight of the week was not stunning fireworks, we did have some excitement in our very own backyard!  We returned from Mass one morning, and after I put Bunkey down for a nap and Hubs and I enjoyed a quiet lunch, we looked out the window and saw this:

Which led to:

Isn't that baby fawn adorable?!?!  We also have a myriad of wild turkey, rabbits, quail, raccoons, and even the occassional mountain lion wandering in our neighborhood.  One of these days I'll have to take a picture of the turkeys grazing in my neighbor's yard!

Towards the middle of the month, I received an email from Groupon reminding me of a deal that was about to expire!  Way back in January, Hubs and I purchased a deal for a historic walking tour of Monterey!  Normally $20 per person, we received two tickets for the price of one!  I called and arranged our tour, only to be running severely late the day of the tour, making it impossible to get there on time.  I called and luckily, Tom, the company owner, was super understanding and allowed me to reschedule for the following weekend!  The tour lasted two hours and a couple of miles (easy miles, for those interested in the tour), and was completely stroller-friendly!  Monterey Walking Tours took us away from the hustle and bustle of Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf and back to the days of the first Spanish explorers and the birth of Monterey and California.  We had a wonderful morning strolling along the old streets, learning about our town (about time, since we're moving in four months!), and finished the day with an impromptu lunch date at Isabella's on Fisherman's Wharf!

A wonderful mural Tom showed up downtown, depicting Monterey's
history; us in front of  City Hall

California's first theater, the gardens at Larkin House, City Hall, anchor
at Custom House Plaza

We intended to attend the Gilroy Garlic Festival to round out July, but it just didn't happen.  Hubs had a huge test that week in school, I was exhausted, and Bunkey was working on pushing out his 12-month molars.  So we skipped that, much to my sadness, since it was my last opportunity to go!  Oh well.  We rang in August with a drill weekend for me and a weekend of playtime for the boys.  At least my Drill was only in San Jose and not all the way in Oakland!  I was able to drive home at the end of each day, rather than spending Saturday night in a hotel!

Last week I arranged a playdate for Bunkey and Baby J, my girlfriend's three month-old daughter!  We met at the pool on post for a few minutes of splash time and some girl-talk for me and A!  As you recall, Bunkey and I took swimming lessons in February, and I intended to sign up again once I got home from Hawaii, but it just hadn't happened.  And the more I thought about it, the more I decided I didn't need to spend money for two 30-minute pool sessions when we have a pool on post that I can use for free whenever I want!  Of course, our pool is substantially cooler than the rec. center pool, but Bunkey didn't seem to mind one little bit!

Callin' J to invite her to the pool, Swimmin' Tots, new trunks!

And finally, this past weekend we enjoyed something really special!  The fire station on post hosted a kids' fun day and tour, including a meet and greet with the real live station doggy (who whacked Bunkey in the face with his tail, much to Bunkey's delight)!  Within a mile of the house, this was the perfect outing for a Saturday morning!  We rolled our little field trip into some other errands we had to run that day and by the time we were done, we were all worn out!

Engine 61, meeting Sparky, "Driving" the firetruck, Hangin' with Daddy

After climbing on the trucks, we drove tandem-style to a town about 15 minutes away so we could get the tires rotated on Hubs' car.  While we waited for the car, we did a little Babies R Us shopping for a Halloween costume (yeah, I know I'm early, but I had a coupon and nothing else to spend it on) before lunch at Chili's.  Like I said, a super fun day, with a ton accomplished, and bedtime early for the entire family!!

While the baby sleeps...

I figured I owed you a bit of an update on, well, life.  I've been feeling uninspired lately, and not for lack of things going on. It seems we're just so busy!  So, while I wait for Bunkey to wake up, I'll attempt to bring you up to speed...

• At ten-and-a-half months old, Bunkey is walking!!
• We did Bunkey's first birthday SMASH session photos last week (yes, we were about a month early; sue me!) and I can't wait to see the previews!  I found a fabulous photographer (for those in the Monterey area, check out Honey Bee Photography) and a SMASH session runs $95 for a 90-minute session that includes four outfit changes, a cake to devour, and 20 birthday announcements or thank you cards!  We had a morning session, and went over by 30 minutes.  Yet we were only on the second outfit.  Megan was fabulous, and could tell Bunkey was a bit over-whelmed (and I was stressing).  Her studio isn't far from my house, so she suggested I go home, feed Bunkey some lunch, let him take a nap, and come back in the afternoon.  We went back for two more hours to finish up...and the difference was palpable!  Bunkey was great and I just know those photos will be amazing!
• We have a family photo sesh on the beach schedule with Megan also.  We were supposed to do it on Saturday, but she got sick, so we need to find a new date!
• I took another cooking class at Williams-Sonoma last week also.  This one was part of the Cookbook Club, so for $75 I attended the cooking demonstration, got to eat a fabulous meal (three courses and five or six of Martha's recipes), take home a copy of the featured cookbook (Martha's American Food) with a signed bookplate, and get a 10% discount on any purchases made that evening!  This time, a girlfriend came along, and we were the only two attending the class....what a great time, with a private meal!
• On Friday night, J, the girlfriend who took the cooking class with me, met me at the Friday Market to purchase the ingredients for the menu we'd learned to make.  Since we arrived at the market late (I got stuck in awful traffic due to a head-on collision on the highway) we couldn't get everything, so we popped over to my new find, the Mexican Market for the rest of the food.  We had thick bone-in pork chops cut right at the butcher's counter for us for half the price I'd pay at the Commissary on base (I checked, just to be sure!).  That evening, J and her boyfriend (one of Hubs' classmates) came over for dinner and J and I cooked for the boys.  It was a fabulous evening!
• On Saturday we had a low-key day.  Hubs was writing a paper, and I really didn't do much.  That evening I didn't feel like cooking, but also didn't feel like getting dressed to go for a date night.  So we went back to the Mexican Market for burritos.  They have a cafe smack between the produce and bakery sections, where we devoured our tasty dinners.  Then we came home to snuggle on the couch and watch The Vow.
• Sunday was Mother's Day and Hubs did not disappoint!  We went to church, where Father told all the husbands to make sure their wives were extra-special spoiled, and Hubs must have been listening, because he sure did!  He changed all but one diaper on Sunday, put Bunkey down for both naps, took care of bathtime and bedtime, made me breakfast (whole wheat pancakes with honey and cinnamon, turkey sausage, and juice), and did the breakfast and dinner dishes!  Yes, I was still in charge of feeding Bunkey and make our dinner (Hubs was writing a huge paper, after all) but I was spoiled!  I've never had such a relaxing day!
• Yesterday I was browsing Facebook. No surprise there.  However, the military community in the area hosts a group where folks can sell various items, so it's similar to Craig's List, but safer!  It's like a virtual yard sale, since we're not allowed to host sales in base housing.  Well, there was a posting for used wine barrels on there!  Wow!  My mom has had two of these barrels and they're great in the garden or on the deck.  But I wanted one to convert into a pub table for our (eventual) dream house basement bar!  The guy on Facebook found someone in a neighboring town and he buys dozens and then sells them.  I jumped at the chance and arranged a time to go look.  He sold me a fabulous barrel for $40!  What a steal!  My mom spent over $100 on the same thing at Lowe's several years ago!  So that was my Mother's Day gift.  My wine barrel was used by a winery here in Monterey, too, which makes it extra special since we rode the Wine Trolley for our anniversary, joined Taste of Monterey's monthly wine club, and, well, we live here!  (Now my mom wants me to see if I can get her a wine barrel and bring it to her when we move...)

And that's my week in a nutshell.  Perfect timing too, since I hear Little Man upstairs tossing his stuffed animals out of the crib!

Talk soon!

Fourth Anniversary is Fruit & Flowers

Hubs and I celebrated our fourth anniversary on April 12th!  When we were first married, we decided that we'd give each other anniversary gifts in years ending in five and zero, but we always do something special to commemorate the day.

Usually that's dinner at a fabulous restaurant, getting all dressed up, and normally a bouquet of flowers accompanies Hubs home from work.

This year, however, we did something a little different.  After all, we have Bunkey now, so changes were kind of necessary.  This year we made dinner together at home to celebrate.  Hubs grilled steaks and I was in charge of roasted potatoes, salad, and dessert.  We enjoyed the last bottle of wine from our trip to Napa last fall.

But we still wanted to do something special!  Something just the two of us.  We'd recently come to the realization that while our weekly dinner date is a welcome break (mostly for me!) it's not a totally carefree evening, because we still have the baby with us, and it's hard to relax in a restaurant while trying to keep a curious almost eleven-month-old content in a highchair.

Enter L, a friend of mine and fellow Parents Place mommy!  We'd watched her little guy on New Year's when a family emergency precluded her mother from watching him while L had to work.  She insisted that she "owed" me and offered to watch Bunkey sometime when Hubs and I wanted a night off.

So we booked tickets for the Monterey Wine Trolley!  We began the day meeting the trolley downtown and heading off to Ventana Tasting Room for a quick class on how to properly conduct a wine tasting.  Back on the trolley, we drove to Carmel Valley Village and made our second stop for a wine tasting and to enjoy our boxed picnic lunch catered by Tarpy's (where we went for Valentine's Dinner).  I'm sorry to say I don't recall the name of the winery where we enjoyed our lunch, but the outdoor patio and garden were a fabulous backdrop while enjoying tasty wines and yummy lunches.  After lunch, we hopped on the Wine Wagon for a ride through the Village, where we were invited to choose two (of several) wineries to taste, using tickets included in our trolley package.  Hubs and I tasted at both Parsonage and Chock Rock then hopped back on the wagon with "Cowboy Pete" for a mini tour around the Village.  When it was time to meet our group back on the Trolley, we hopped aboard and made our way to our fifth and final tasting room, Boete.

For the final time, we hopped on the trolley and headed back to downtown Monterey and our car.  We picked up a happy Bunkey (he didn't even look up when we arrived at L's house to get him) and came home to enjoy homemade pizza and....more wine!

What a fabulous way to celebrate our anniversary!

Us at Ventana

Cowboy Pete and the Wine Wagon

Tasting at Parsonage

Cowboy Pete, me, and "Dana" who thought she was still 25...

Menacing Fun

Just over a week ago, we had some rare sunny weather here in Monterey!  I was ecstatic to take Bunkey out to enjoy some sunshine.  We met some other mommies and boys from our Parents Place class at Dennis the Menace Park, just across the street from Fisherman's Wharf!

The boys loved the sunshine, space to crawl around, and the roller slide!

Bunkey and Dennis the Menace!

Mama and Bunkey heading down the slide!

Bunkey and his buddy, K, from Parents Place, checking out the rides

And, when we were done at the Park, we walked over to the Farmers Market for fresh flowers and other goodies!

And now I'm crossing my fingers for other fabulous Fridays like this one!

A First

Yesterday I did something I've never done before.  And I loved it!

Yesterday I went out - totally by myself - and did something just for me, that I've always wanted to do.  And I did it alone.  None of my girlfriends were available.  My husband wasn't really interested (and besides, I needed someone to take care of the little guy).  But I didn't want to waste the opportunity to do something I really wanted just because I'd be flying solo.

I attended a cooking class at Williams-Sonoma!  I learned about the cooking demonstrations they host a few months ago and was intrigued.  But I never knew anyone that was really interested.  Only a few of my friends really enjoy cooking, and not many of those particularly care about gourmet cooking.  Still fewer are willing to shell out $50+ for a class teaching them how to cook a meal they're not likely to replicate.  So I bit the bullet.  I called the store and signed up, knowing I could still chicken out and cancel.

Then I went in to the store and paid my "tuition".  At this point I figured I could still get out of it and at least get a store credit.

But I didn't.

And I'm so glad!

The class I attended was a Bobby Flay Throwdown! theme.  Great man-food.  Perfect for inspiration when cooking for my husband.  When I arrived at the store, I was greeted by name by Becky, the chef doing the evening's demonstration.  She offered me a drink (water or tea) and invited me to sit while we waited for the other three ladies taking the course that night.


Once we were all there, Becky dove right in!  She gave us each a packet of the evening's recipes and started our meal.  She went step-by-step, explaining changes she needed to make based on the seasonality of some of the ingredients, gave insight about some specialty markets in the area where we could find certain elements to each dish, and offered substitutions when some items weren't available.  Imagine my surprise, too, when one of the featured recipes was one I've made before, and will be featuring on my food blog in the next month!


After dinner, we were given a few minutes to browse and shop, and enjoy a 10% discount for the evening, before a scrumptious dessert!


All in all, it was a great evening!  I had a wonderful meal, got some great insight to some culinary gems in my area, and conquered my fear of going it alone!


And in two weeks...I'm taking another class!  Although this one is Martha Stewart themed, and this time a friend is coming along!  Can't wait!

Mama's Visit: My Birthday

Tuesday being my 29th Birthday, Mama treated me to afternoon tea at Eddison and Melrose, in Monterey.  We enjoyed a lovely meal, and then ventured over to the mall for a little birthday shopping!

We came home and made my daddy's famous margaritas (mango) along with chicken enchiladas and my favorite birthday cake (angel food with cool whip and strawberries) and raspberry sorbet!  I opened my gifts and was overwhelmed with the amazing loot I received!

Before she died, my Mamaw sent me a check from she and my Papaw.  I used it to buy a gorgeous tablecloth and matching napkins by April Cornell.  Mama bought me a fabulous tangerine handbag.  Hubs and Bunkey bought me new running shoes and a Staub cast iron French oven (no, not Dutch, since it's really the French style of cooking!).  My brothers gave me a shell necklace that I found in Santa Cruz (Mama let them know she was doing their shopping!) and a kit to turn a wine bottle into an outdoor oil lantern.  Probably the biggest surprise was the choice of what to do with my Nana's birthday check...  Nana was a home-ec major and a fabulous seamstress (she made me several dresses and Halloween costumes over the years).  She, my mom, and my MIL have been "on my case" for years about how I need to have a sewing machine to do easy little projects like hemming Hubs's pants.  So, when Mama arrived and I asked her if she'd help me fix (by hand) the seams on a shirt that had ripped, she offered to just take it home and make the repair properly on her sewing maching.  Of course, she chided me, saying that I really needed a little sewing machine so I could do this myself.  I think I gave her heart failure when I suggested she help me choose one to buy with Nana's birthday check and then show me how to use it!  Well, we found a great little machine at Target, made me a basic sewing basket with supplies from Michael's, and last night I fixed that seam all by myself!

Mama's Visit: Fisherman's Wharf & Cannery Row

Ash Wednesday began with Mama accompanying us to Bunkey's last swimming lesson of the session!  She was able to snap several pictures documenting the event, for which I am so grateful, since I obviously couldn't take pictures myself!  After lessons, Mama took charge of Bunkey, getting him dressed and even taking him out to the car for a bottle, while I took a shower and got myself dressed.  With an entire day planned, I didn't want to waste time driving back home to change and then head right back downtown!

Being that it was Ash Wednesday, we went over to the chapel at NPS for the midday service, and Bunkey received his first set of forehead ashes, which looked rather like a bruise after he smeared them.  I sure hope no one thought I hit my baby!

After Mass, we parked at Fisherman's Wharf for a yummy seafood lunch.  That said, we probably would have been just fine if we'd continued sampling all the different varieties of clam chowder along the wharf!  We walked along the nature path from Fisherman's Wharf to Cannery Row, laughing at the seals we saw sunning and playing along the shoreline.  We stopped at Taste of Monterey, where Hubs and I are members, for a complimentary wine tasting and to pick up our monthly shipment of local wines.

With the sun beginning to near the horizon, we headed back to the car, and then home for a tasty Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni dinner which we enjoyed with one of our new bottles of wine!

Mama's Visit: Giving me a Break

One of the bonuses of having my mom here for a visit?  I got a nice little break!  And I didn't need to feel guilty, because Mama wanted to do these things for me, since she hadn't seen her only grandchild since he was only a month old!

Mama was nearly begging me to let her feed, change, bathe, dress, and read to Little Man the entire time she was here!  It was so nice to have an extra set of hands and a bit of a reprieve from the daily grind.

During her visit, Mozie (as my mama has chosen as her "Grandma Name", thanks to Little Brother) taught Bunkey how to splash in the tub and play with his rubber duckies, pick up his favorite rice puffs with a pincher grip, and climb up the stairs.  She was also working mightily to get him to say Ma-Ma, but we didn't quite get there!

On Tuesday, Mama accompanied us to Pacific Grove to our Parents Place class.  We spent a little extra time in the area window shopping at the antique stores and getting lunch at a cute little cafe, the Victorian Corner Restaurant, where Bunkey enjoyed his first (baby-friendly) cookie!  After wandering in PG, we went to the Alvarado Street Farmers Market, which I'd never attended before, and was a little underwhelmed, considering all the hype.  Perhaps it's better later in the season.  Perhaps I'd have liked it better if a strange man wasn't following me and asking me some rather personal questions.  Perhaps it was because I'd gone to the grocery earlier in the day, so I didn't really need anything aside from the gorgeous fresh basil I scored for just a dollar!  Whatever it was, I wasn't as impressed as I thought I'd be.  But I'm not giving up.  I'd like to attend the market again another time.  Hopefully then I'll enjoy it as I should!  I'll be sure to let you know!

Mama's Visit: Historic Monterey

Our adventures with Mama continued through the weekend!  I kept worrying that we were going to wear my mom out, but she insisted that we explore and see everything that this area had to offer, always staying busy, and keeping her mind off all the sadness from the previous weeks.

We began our Sunday by attending Mass at the NPS chapel, where Hubs, Bunkey, and I normally go to church.  Since Hubs had to go to the library, we opted to take two cars.  After Mass, Mama treated all of us to brunch at The Black Bear Diner, where Bunkey stole all my mom's fruit salad, thoroughly enjoying her banana slices!

During Mass, I'd been charging my iPod in the car, because after breakfast, Mom and I drove downtown for a self-guided tour of historic Monterey.  The Path of History is a two-mile trek through Monterey with a narrated tour you can download to your iPod!  It was a great way to spend yet another day of surprisingly great weather, learn about the area, and save money!  Did I mention that the path took us up and down several hills, so, by taking turns pushing the stroller, Mama and I also got quite the workout during our afternoon adventure!  We saw the San Carlos Cathedral, several historic adobes, and City Hall, as well as many other stops along the way!

If you ever find yourself in this area, I highly recommend you download this self-paced tour and enjoy an afternoon learning about Monterey's storied history!

Oh, yes, and after the tour we discovered a cute little bridal salon with a few dozen formal gowns!  Being Sunday, they were closed when we parked the car before beginning our tour, but I called the number on the door to request an appointment.  When we stopped for coffee half-way through the tour, the owner of the shop offered to open for us later in the afternoon, since she also had another appointment coming in that day!  I found an amazing gown for the Supply Corps Ball coming up later this month!  Stay tuned for pictures of that evening!

San Carlos Cathedral

Outside City Hall

Mama's Visit: Santa Cruz & Gilroy

Hey There!  I know it's been another long stretch between posts, but I have a good excuse:  my mama came to visit!  Yes, even with my Mamaw passing, my mom was able to keep her original plans to come see us on the Left Coast!  Mom left Illinois on a Wednesday, flew back to Virginia, and woke bright and early on Friday to get on another plane to come here for two weeks!  It was a whirlwind visit, but we managed to see and do everything on Mama's must-do list (and more!) and had a ton of fun together.  I didn't realize how much I missed having my mom close by to go to lunch, go shopping, cook dinner, craft, or any of the other things we love to do together!

So...  I thought I might recap the last two weeks for you, sharing all the fun adventures Mama, Bunkey, and I enjoyed during her visit!  Allow me to take you back to two weeks ago, February 17th

Bunkey and I took off for the airport exactly an hour before Mama's plane arrived and got there right as she was landing.  The mean rent-a-cops at the airport wouldn't let me stay at the curb just outside baggage claim even though Mama was at the carousel and collecting her suitcase at that very moment so I had to drove around the airport twice before they'd let me stay put long enough for Mama to hop in the car.

I thought she'd be exhausted after so much traveling and such an early departure, but Mama assured me she wasn't and that she just had to go to the Farmer's Market near my house.  Without even making a pit-stop, we headed right to the community college parking lot that houses the weekly market.  I introduced my mama to my favorite flavored walnuts, hummus, pesto, pies, flowers, and more!  She had a blast and loved every minute, even picking up soe goodies to munch on while we cooked dinner later that evening.  Following the market, I took her to lunch at the same adorable restaurant, The Trailside Cafe, that my girlfriend took me to a few weeks ago.  Yum.  Now I want a BLT.  Except that it's Friday and Lent.  No meat for me.

On Saturday, we ate breakfast and packed up the car for a drive north, to Santa Cruz.  The drive was gorgeous and we couldn't have asked for better weather!  And parking?  Too easy, as Hubs would say!  Except that he was playing golf, so he didn't join us...but if he were there, that's what he'd have said.  Our first stop was the Boardwalk and the ticket counter to purchase passes for the 1911 Looff Carousel.  Even though he didn't really know what was going on, Bunkey loved the merry-go-round and his ride on "Secretariat" (as we refer to all horses!) and of course all the music and lights!

After our ride, we wandered up and down the Boardwalk, and then decided on a pier-side cafe for a tasty lunch of fish tacos!  We also hit up a surf shop on the way back to the car so that Mama could get Little Brother (an avid surfer) a tee shirt!

Then we drove inland about 45 minutes to Gilroy, the garlic capital of the US.  The drive was full of twists and turns, but boasted amazing forest views, so despite scaring ourselves a few times, we really enjoyed the scenery!  My GPS wasn't picking up the name of the particular garlic market I wanted to visit (one I see every time I drive north for Drill each month), so I tried to get us as close as possible, until I knew where we were.  We found the place, Garlic World, and were slightly disappointed.  I thought the market would be nothing but garlic products and food combinations beyond my imagination.  Instead, it was really like a small roadside market/grocery with just a few garlic-y extras.  Oh well.  I still left with a garlic braid and a garlic keeper that my mom wrapped up as a birthday gift "from" Bunkey!

After the market, we closed the triangle of our adventure, driving yet another 45-minute leg to return home!  This drive wasn't quite as scenic for me, being one that I make fairly often, but we arrived home mid-afternoon, and opened a bottle of wine to enjoy with some of Mama's farmers market finds from the previous day!  

We fed the baby, and I went over his routine with my mom.  Then she graciously babysat while Hubs and I enjoyed our first night out sans baby since we arrived in California!  Hubs treated me to a belated Valentine's Day dinner at Tarpy's Roadhouse.  I had a fabulous lamb dish that simply melted in my mouth!  We tried hard not to discuss the baby while we were out, but it was oh-so-difficult!  That said, I truly relished the time away and the opportunity to pass the responsibility off to someone else for an evening.  It really made me realize just how much we need an evening to ourselves every now and then...which is good because I have a sitter set up for two evenings coming up in the next two weeks!  Anyway, I loved my evening away, but couldn't wait to get home and peek in on my sleeping baby boy.  Thanks, Mama, for looking after Bunkey for us!

Starfish Swimming Lessons

I've been remiss in posting about our latest adventure this week: Water Babies!  I did mention, a few posts ago, that Hubs and I signed Bunkey up for swimming "lessons" at the Monterey Sports Center!

Well, classes started this week.  We attend for 30 minutes on Monday and Wednesday mornings.  Coupled with our weekly Parents Place class on Tuesdays, Bunkey and I are pretty busy little bees.  I'd be lying if I didn't say that I was a little relieved to wake up this morning and have no place to go.  I was actually thankful that I could stay home and finish the cleaning that I didn't get to yesterday.  Clearly I must be sick!  At least the kitchen and bathrooms are done.  Today I just have to dust and vacuum.  And probably fold some more laundry, but I do that every day.  Oh the joys of motherhood!

Anyway...  I know you really just want to hear about swimming!  At first I thought 30 minutes was pretty short for a class.  Between getting Bunkey decked out in his swim suit, making sure my legs are shaved (parents participate, so yes, I need to be well-groomed), driving there and back, we're talking a three hour ordeal.  Kinda sucks that only 30 minutes are the actual activity.  But after two classes, I realize that half and hour is probably just about all Bunkey can handle.  The warm water and activity wear him out, the timing of the class means that his morning nap is cut a little short, my fear of him tossing his cookies in the pool (more on that later) means that I don't feed him solids with his 10:00 bottle as he's become accustomed, and thus far he's not a huge fan of going under water, which is a good portion of the class.

Here's how it works:  We're in the very first level, the Starfish group, which is six month-olds to three year-olds.  We get in the pool and circle up.  We play the Hokey Pokey in the water and splash around quite a bit.  At this point Bunkey is giggling and squealing and being adorable.  Then we practice blowing bubbles under water.  Bunkey's a bit young for this.  The lifeguard/instructor taught us that if we blow sharply in our baby's face, they'll gasp (inhale), and right then we should dunk them.  Eventually they'll learn to blow out to mimic us, which will turn into bubbles, which will teach them to not swallow the pool, etc.  But like I said, Bunkey's busy giggling at this point, splashing and kicking his feet.  It's adorable.  But when I dunk hum, he drinks water.  And then gasps and chokes a little.  And stares at me wondering why I'd do something so mean to him.  And then clings to me for dear life.  He never cries.  He doesn't even protest.  But he doesn't understand.  At our first class, he threw up in the pool.  Like really threw up.  Granted, it was just milk-water, so no biggie, but some of the other mommies were a little off-put by it (despite the fact that there were other babies who did the same thing).  We didn't dunk any more after that.  At the second class, Bunkey did better.  He stopped giggling enough to gasp when I blew in his face, and I successfully dunked him three times with no vomit!  I didn't want to press my luck, though, and so decided to quit while I was ahead.  He'll get it eventually.  I don't want to make him scared of the water before he even knows what a pool is!

So, back to class... After the Hokey Pokey and blowing bubbles drills, we get back in a circle and sing Pop Goes the Weasel.  Each mommy-baby pair has a rubber ducky, and when we say "POP! Goes the Weasel", we toss the duck in the air and the babies are supposed to splash/kick/blow bubbles toward the duck.  We do a few round of this, with different "tasks" each time.  I guess as they get bigger and learn more they'll do more, like actually swim toward the duck.  Then we have "jumping time".  It's more for the bigger kids (like I said, our class is 6 months to 3 years).  They stand on the side of the pool and jump to their mamas.  Bunkey can't even stand alone, much less jump, so I sit him on the side and "jump" him in myself, making sure to make a big splash since he seems to love that.  Then it's back to the circle, where we sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and call it a day.

By the time we get home, Bunkey's passed out in his car seat, and doesn't wiggle one little bit while I tuck him back into his crib for a nice long nap until his afternoon bottle!

So, I suppose in retrospect 30 minutes is the perfect time.  The last ten minutes of class Bunkey's definitely winding down and ready to go to sleep.  He stops splashing as much and just wants to lay his little wet head on my shoulder and relax in the warm water.  He's perfectly content when we finally get out and I wrap him in a fuzzy towel and strap him into the car seat in nothing but a diaper and tee shirt.  And he's out like a light before I'm even out of the parking lot.

We have three more weeks of lessons, and then I guess we'll figure out if we'll do a consecutive session or take a little break for a few weeks...

Early Spring Days

Monterey is not known for its fabulous weather.  Yes, it's mild, and we don't freeze in the winter or swelter in the summer.  But we don't really have seasons.  It's right around sixty much of the year, and often foggy.  I could certainly handle having a couple months of great weather...ya know, seventies and sunny?  No such luck.

But last week we had some warmer days.  Mid-to-high sixties, bright sun, no fog.  Simply wonderful!  I used it to my advantage as much as I possibly could, taking Bunkey on afternoon walks and driving with the windows down!

Friday I went with a girlfriend to the Monterey Farmers Market.  After living here for seven months, this was my first trip to one of our many markets!  Let me tell you I am so glad I went, and even more glad that my friend recommended this market as a more low-key weekly ritual market rather than the huge market that is a great tourist attraction here.  Granted, I do plan to head to that market in the coming weeks, but I can definitely see the Monterey Market becoming my go-to stop for weekend produce!  Not only did I pick up some gorgeous flowers (hot pink and tangerine tulips are a favorite combo of mine), but I got some fabulous honey glazed walnuts, amazing fresh pesto, and organic gala apples.  However, the best find was the Lebanese family stand with a plethora of fantastic hummus combos and homemade pita chips! I picked up a traditional spicy red pepper hummus, and a zesty jalapeno cilantro version as well.  The best, though, was the quirky avocado cilantro hummus.  It's like my two favorite snacks (hummus and guacamole) all in one fabulous dip!  Don't tell Hubs because I'm not sharing!

After the market, we went down to Cannery Row and my friend intorduced me to one of her favorite lunch spots: Trailside Cafe!  Not only was it warm and sunny enough to sit outside (yes, even with the baby), but we had a fabulous view of the Bay to do some people watching while we ate!  I had a great BLT with a tasty basil aioli and shoestring fries on the side!  Mmmm...  My mouth is watering yet again!

I dropped my girlfriend off at home after lunch, unloaded my goodies from the market, and ran back out on one more errand before popping Bunkey in the stroller and taking a walk down to the mailbox.  The sun was still showing and I hated to head back home, but the little guy was getting hungry, so we had to go home.

But we got a great surprise when Hubs came home early from the library and the sun was still out!  So, once again into the stroller Bunkey hopped!  This time we walked even farther from the mailboxes and took him to the park for his first ever ride on the swings and slide!  He couldn't have been more thrilled!  It was awesome to hear his little squeals of laughter!  After a while at the park, we made a big loop around the neighborhood for an extended walk!  It was a great afternoon and we were so happy to enjoy the lovely weather...  It was the great appetizer for our homemade pizza and salad for dinner that evening!