Da Peaches in Da Valley

Gilroy Gardens goes off!

2011-06-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

A cool caterpillar!

Holly in her garden

In all our time in the valley we had never been to Gilroy Gardens no matter how many people said check it out! So we were invited to go with some friends on a family day so we thought why not! Ash is old enough to enjoy rides and they were just perfect even for the younger ones in the family. I loved the trees there and the garden aspect was well maintained. I do have to say it was definitely a fun day!

Disappearing Ash on a ride!

Purisima Open Space Park

2011-06-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

Munchkins!

Another great hike is Purisima Creek Redwoods in the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains. We went looking for salamanders but instead we found a few banana slugs on the way down to the creek. A great hike with the kids and they really enjoyed the trails.

The fattest banana slug I had ever seen!

A break with daddy

Humboldt Redwoods camp trip

2011-06-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

This camp trip is a trip over the 2010 summer that was extra special. The forest at Humboldt Redwoods is just incredible as it is so old and peaceful. Just being amongst the green of an old growth forest is quite a spiritual experience. We spent a few days camping in the redwoods watching the campfire at night and exploring the area during the day. A trip to Patrick's Point
State Beach was covered in rolled rocks and agate. Watching the waves and the fog roll in made us want to travel up further North. The time ran out all too fast and we were home.

Emma Prusch Farm

2011-06-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Over the summer the crops were ripe for the picking so it was a good time to visit the farm in San Jose. A former preschool teacher recommended the Emma Prusch Farm as a great day out & it was for the kids as they did get to have a tour with a docent and pat a bunny rabbit. Apart from that there was also a great market stall with quality produce grown on the farm.

Camping over the 4th July!

2011-06-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

The date of the posts are just when I am finding time to catch up on our year!

Our first camp trip for 2010 was a trip to Mt Madonna over the 4th July long weekend - it was a beautiful spot under the redwoods and in the shade! I remember it being really hot that day & only taking a pair of thongs with me and when it came to night those socks had to come out as it was a bit chilly. Still it was an experience that we did learn from and from there a couple of other trips were added over the summer of 2010.

Still we went with another keen camping family who also loves cats and see in the pics the cats loved camping too!

Point to note when going camping especially when the weather is hot - do not forget a jumper to keep warm around the fire at night. Oh and we did try smores (a great American camping treat) which were an experience which I will try again, just for the melted chocolate, yum!

Fathers Day SF & Rollerskating in the Streets

2010-09-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

20/6/2010 - Oh yeah Hibiscus Beet ice cream for Treats from Humphry Slocombe, I love the colour!

What is a street party without rollerskating - free skate hire & the skate crew dances to Thriller, we had an excellent day out in da city reclaiming the streets! Oh Treat Street (the concrete pic) is where we parked the car & then we walked for miles which is the best way to explore San Francisco.

Fathers Day & Reclaim the Streets SF

2010-09-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

20/6/2010 - For Fathers day we headed into San Francisco for a Reclaim the Streets day in the Mission District. What a great place to wander the streets, literally! First we had a fun time at the park - James modelling his Fathers Day gift with his iPhone! And the kids riding on the road. Ashwin loved it & he was riding so fast that it was hard for us to keep up with him - next time I'm taking a scooter!!

Summertime & the ice cream is yummy!

2010-09-09T15:22:00.000-07:00

17/6/2010 - Treats after dinner on the hot summer days is chocolate ice cream. Holly enjoyed it so much that most of it was all over her face! Ashwin is trying to escape off the patio!

Hanging at Shoreline

2010-09-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

12/6/2010 - The weather was hot so we headed on over to this tree at Shoreline Park - with the breezes we were cool!

Summer Picnic @ School

2010-09-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

11/6/2010 - Right in the middle of summer Ashwin's preschool had a concert & picnic for the end of class, and the beginning of summer school! Here there are 3 months off over the summer where you just enjoy the amazing weather & just hang out. The picnic was a potluck so Ashwin wanted me to make cupcakes - so I made whole wheat Devils Food Cake and yellow icing for a summer feel & the kids helped with the decorations - they were delicioso!

Holly @ Preschool...

2010-09-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

1/6/2010 - Holly finished a year at her parent participation preschool. I cannot believe how quickly the year passed & she had a great time meeting some new friends. Our little American enjoyed marching around the room with the stars & stripes! The trucks were always a favourite & preschool is where you learn graffiti, if I see her tagging walls I know where it came from. The shave cream with watercolour is a sensorial favourite though very messy. Missy always loves dressups so she found this top hat in the costume box!

Mt Diablo State Park

2010-09-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

31/5/2010 - We finally made the trip to Mt Diablo State Park - we had been talking about going there for ages! There is an incredible view from the vista point & the visitor centre is pretty cool too!

We wandered away down to the picnic area for a hike (a walk with the kids, really!) and found some wind blown rock structures. Here we are in a cave playing hide & seek.

Swanton Strawberries

2010-09-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

29/5/2010 - More pics from our trip to Swanton Upick farm and our fun time at the beach after our lunch!

Swanton Upick Farm

2010-09-09T14:42:00.001-07:00

29/5/2010 - Over in Santa Cruz my friend discovered this Upick farm right by the beach. So when the strawberries are in season what better way to experience them.

Strawberries fresh straight off the plant - yum! There were lots of big ones which the kids enjoyed & of course, we did too! In the store where you pay by the bucket load we found strawberries in chocolate & other tasty treats! Holly found a huge whale - my little chocolate faced environmental warrior!

Maker Faire

2010-09-09T14:39:00.000-07:00

23/5/2010 - Another wonderful year of the Maker Faire - I found the Lion Brand Yarn demos with a massive intarsia giraffe. We also found amigurimi animals which inspired me to start crocheting! So now I am enjoying crochet as well as knitting.

The kids had a lovely time with the Legojeep making a bunch of lego sculptures & adding it to the many already hanging on the car - lots of fun for all!

Harley Farms Pescadero

2010-09-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

25/4/2010 - Goat cheese is simply divine & especially when it comes direct from the farm. We wanted to visit the baby goats so what a great excuse just to buy goat cheese. There was goat cheese with cranberries, herbs & many other delicacies - so what did we do next? Grab some fresh olive bread & had a picnic on the beach! There we found a great little windbreak that someone had made :)

That same weekend we scored an iPad to play with even Holly had a great time with the slideshow in iPhoto!

Oh Yosemite!

2010-09-09T11:01:00.000-07:00

3rd to 10th April 2010 - For more of our images go here... Over Easter we finally made our way to Yosemite National Park! It was just amazing! It snowed when we visited which was just the most beautiful experience as we had never seen anything like that in our lives. I really want to explore some more of Yosemite someday!

Easter Egg Hunt @ Preschool!

2010-09-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

1/4/2010 - Man too many celebrations at once. Next comes Easter soon after Holly's birthday! At Ashwin's school there was a Easter Egg Hunt for Eggs with yoghurt covered raisins inside. No chocolate, the parents can deal with the hyperactive children at home!

Holly's 2nd birthday - yipee!

2010-09-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

28/3/2010 - Holly's party was a cat theme! We enjoyed a cat cake - inspired by Mack our cat. And lots of tasty snacks like Hob Nobs & pretzel sticks on Liberty of London melamine plates (scored from Target!).

We also had to celebrate Holly's actual birthday the 30th, so I baked fresh strawberry whole wheat muffins & had two candles - Happy Birthday little Muffin :)

28/3/2010 - Holly's 2nd Birthday Party!

2010-09-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

Party at Alum Rock State Park

2010-09-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

21/3/2010 - For a 3 year old little friend - our neighbour! It was a Bob the Builder theme & the kids got their hats to build & paint & of course eat tasty sandwiches & cake.

As an added bonus that day we discovered a Native American Indian Festival at the park. We enjoyed the drumming & the costumes.

Arbor Day Celebration

2010-09-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

13/3/2010 - Arbor Day is something I have seen only in Snoopy cartoons - here we are in Palo Alto planting a tree. The gloves were a tad big for Holly though Ashwin got to meet a snake which he enjoyed.

28/2/2010 - Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge

2010-09-09T10:20:00.000-07:00

Ano Nuevo - a weekend away in Pescadero...

2010-09-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

20/2/2010 - We wanted to go & check out the Elephant Seals so we scored a beautiful vacation rental in Pescadero. The claw foot bath was in this our little redwood cottage - the kids had fun there, even checking out the acrobatic cat. We hired a telephoto lens for the weekend but it was pouring rain so I did not get the images I envisaged, still here are a couple & there are more on our photo site. My camera is still in disrepair after a weekend out in the pouring rain :(

A birthday for a Holly's friend...

2010-09-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

13/2/2010 - Swings, sunshine & cake is all these kids need. Plus they had the added bonus of being entertained by Daffy Dave who is a Bay Area Party Legend!

Springtime in Mountain View

2010-04-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

12/2/2010 - This just seems like yesterday but it was the beginning of Spring & we had a day out at the library & the park nearby. Now it is nearly Autumn... when I am writing this!

Uvas Canyon - a beautiful hike!

2010-04-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

7/2/2010 - What an amazing hike this was - the fact that we didn't hike too far as we had a lot to keep us occupied on the way in the banks were tonnes of ladybugs doing their thing! The kids loved it so much & enjoyed the little critters crawling all over them. Then the picturesque creeks & waterfalls to sit by & eat a snack & chill. Well worth the visit an hour south hidden amongst the hills.

Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo Antics

2010-04-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

6/2/2010 - Hanging at the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo - checking out the animals & checking science experiments!

Sunol in the Sunshine

2010-04-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

31/1/2010 - It has been a long time since I have blogged as there has been zero time... Now it is September I have to update this with what we have done this year, so the kids can see what their time was like in the US of A. Anyhow, here is a hike at Sunol Regional Wilderness at the East Bay, it was a beautiful morning & we enjoyed checking out the streams and chasing Ashwin to the edge of a cliff - go Luke go!! Holly of course fell in the water - see here feet full of river sand :)

Milpitas party time!

2010-04-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

30/1/2010 - Another party this weekend, this time at a place in the Great Mall of America called Bounce-A-Rama. The place where my kids get exposed to all sorts of crazy things like the cute snoopy ride, some funky numbers game? & a teacup Chihuahua - yikes! Still there is nothing like eating pizza & cake & then jumping around in bounce houses :)

Party time in the Exploratorium

2010-04-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

24/1/2010 - 2nd party for the year so far & it is the end of January a little friend of ours turned 4 & had a fab party at the Exploratorium in San Francisco - there is so much for the kids to do & of course their favourite is the cake, this time it was tasty chocolate muffins!

Santa Cruz Antique Faire & a yummy feed

2010-04-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

10/1/2010 - Heading on over to Santa Cruz for a day out to the Fungi Faire, it was a bit pricey to get in so we found an Antique Faire instead which happens every month. I found an awesome button lady there & if the kids were not so bored there was a lot of vintage stuff to go through! Still we were in the beach mode so we headed on over to Hula's Island Grill for burgers & tasty fries... hey it's OK to junk out every so often!

Here's to a happy 2010!

2010-01-19T16:59:00.001-08:00

1/1/2010 - On New Years Day we went for a drive to the beach & were hoping for a little tide pool action! This is Moss Beach at Half Moon Bay where we have seen the tidepools before so instead of little sea creatures we spotted a few harbor seals playing in the shores & the kids enjoyed the sand & the water.

On the forest floor

2010-01-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

Down in the oak grove I was playing around with my camera & leaving it on the ground to see what would happen & here are a couple of my favourite shots. A bud from a Redwood & a cute little acorn with it's hat on!

The old oak grove

2010-01-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

Here are the kids playing in amongst the foliage and looking for acorns under the huge oaks.

A New Years Eve hike along the ridge...

2010-01-19T16:47:00.002-08:00

That is Russian Ridge - we have hiked here before on a hot day which wasn't as good as going here in the Winter. The day was a bit chilly but you could see for miles over the valley. Ashwin was trying out my bargain hiking poles from the REI seconds sale! Holly was in the backpack having a good ol' time. We wandered the path down to an old oak grove which was just the perfect spot for a bit of a snack.

How's this for a sticker!

2010-01-19T16:47:00.001-08:00

A ride by at Petaluma

2010-01-19T16:45:00.000-08:00

On our way back home from Bodega Bay we did a lunch stop off at Petaluma as it looked like an interesting town! There was a lot of Italian restaurants so we found this great little pizza place which was just delicious! After lunch there was this beautiful horse to ride called The Champion at one of the funky stores - the kids had a great time riding him!

We are on the road again...

2010-01-19T16:44:00.001-08:00

As our last evening came to a close with a lovely sunset walk on the beach at dusk. Here is the creek with all the tree debris in the foreground & the hills in the background. There were some lovely reflections in the creek at that time of the evening. Here is our 'green car' ready for it's trip back home. Fully packed with sacks of xmas gifts for the kids & somehow we had eaten most of our food but still we couldn't fit it all in the boot!

Our last day by the beach

2010-01-19T16:41:00.002-08:00

It is amazing how fast 5 days flew by. I was planning on all this knitting & relaxing but before I knew it was all over. This is the last sunset we saw at Salmon Creek Beach near where we stayed & it was just beautiful. I truly appreciate these times when I can be in natural surroundings & enjoy the sunset. There were many days that I just took it all for granted but now it is something to treasure. Ashwin was like a little wild animal running around the beach at dusk really enjoying the cold winter air on his bare feet. He had just been stomping in a huge puddle in his doggie rain boots & managed to get them & his socks soaked!! Holly was cruising along with Daddy being careful.

Full of mischief

2010-01-19T16:41:00.001-08:00

Look at these two mischief makers! Ashwin is eating grass while Holly just loves to climb everywhere - so here she is on top of the picnic table. It is so lucky to capture a shot of both of them smiling & even looking at the camera!

Hide and Seek

2010-01-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

As we were hanging out away from the Fort - James was out checking out the cliff with the harbour seals. Ashwin, Holly & I were playing hide & seek in the rocks. The Fort is in the background & it was quite huge. The kids had a ball checking out the houses within the fort with their beautiful hardwood floors & furniture. We also saw some amazing artifacts from the day - skins of sea otters which the Russians would trade back in the day. The story was that in 2 years the sea otter population was practically decimated. Now we see them floating around in aquariums & hopefully in the future we are planning a trip out to whale watch & hopefully see them in their natural habitat in Monterey Bay.

The furtherest North we've been so far...

2010-01-17T16:52:00.001-08:00

in the car that is! Here we are at Fort Ross which is a windy hour drive up Highway 1 - just like being in a video game with all it's twists & turns. Fort Ross is a historical landmark overlooking cliffs which look down into a Pacific Ocean full of Harbour Seals. While we were driving along the water was peppered with black dots, so we stopped put the video camera on super zoom & there they were seals just floating around in the water. The population was phenomenal & I've never seen so many out in the wild. These pics are at the Fort - lillies overlooking a cliff & Holly ringing the bell for church. The writing is Russian if anyone was wondering!

Clam Chowder anyone??

2010-01-17T16:50:00.001-08:00

When in Bodega Bay a must visit location was Spud Point Crab Company just for the best Clam Chowder in Bodega Bay. Even though this wasn't served a la Fisherman's Wharf in a sourdough bowl - it was just divine! As you can see Holly was enjoying every little morsel as well. Winter was a perfect time to enjoy this clam chowder too being so warming. As part of our lunchtime feast we enjoyed the home made crab cakes which were delicious - I so wanted to get some more but at $9 for two it seemed a bit excessive! Maybe I could have had a crab sandwich too as the crabs were in season. The other day I took Ashwin to Whole Foods & he saw Dungeness Crabs in real life, stacked neatly on ice.

In the Armstrong Redwoods - meet the oldest tree!

2010-01-17T16:49:00.001-08:00

The kids are posing in one of the fallen giants in the forest. It was quite a cold day as you can see our outfits in the pics. We wandered through all the paths & passed some amazing looking trees full of moss & lichen. This is the oldest of the forest at 1400 years. We really loved this hike even though it was so cold - it really is a special place, thank you Mr Armstrong for keeping it safe! BTW he was a lumberman in the 1870's who preserved this area for generations to come :)

Yay our own Vacation Wonderland!

2010-01-17T16:47:00.000-08:00

Come Christmas we booked a holiday away in Bodega Bay. For all you film aficionados, this was the location for Alfred Hitchcock's film The Birds. We found this gorgeous vacation rental cottage near Salmon Creek that is a short walk away from the beach. We really enjoyed our stay there in the peaceful neighbourhood. From there we could trip down to Russian River, these pics are on our way to Guerneville to see the Armstrong Redwood old growth forest. What a special place to visit with shapely giants galore!

What a lovely looking Father Christmas!

2010-01-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here is the shot of Holly's first experience with Father Christmas - at least she sat on his lap, even though she is screaming! When I used to take Ashwin for his yearly visit he screamed & would not even go near the Santa Claws. Afterwards we went to see a Children's Theatre show which involved the children in the audience & Ashwin boldly went up on the stage. He was learning some acting techniques from the performers & had a great time up there. Looking a bit Starstruck here, he scored himself a certificate from the Theatre Company for all his efforts!

'Tis Christmas - another Dickens Fair!

2010-01-17T16:45:00.001-08:00

Here we are at the Dickens Fair for the second year in a row. We enjoyed it the first time round so we thought we would hit it again! It was still fun to see all the wonderful costumes - see my favourite Little Bo Peep with Ashwin! We hung around long enough to make it in time for Father Christmas (thanks to Matt & Daria for the help!) I had to capture the moment & Matt had Holly & James took Ashwin up to see the man himself. I was so thrilled to see Ashwin enjoy himself & have a good old chat to Father Christmas - Holly was not buying into it at all!

Oh this is still the long weekend - nice!

2010-01-13T16:52:00.000-08:00

Check out this beautiful blue sky - as I write this the weather outside is rainy, overcast & cold - mmm January. These pics was taken over the Thanksgiving weekend at Shoreline near the lake. The kids always have a great time here too - nothing like a bunch of rocks to climb. I visited Shoreline again after the Christmas break & the willow tree, where Ashwin was fishing, was all bare.

Farewell to our lovely hike!

2010-01-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

Heading back from Marin we travelled back over the Golden Gate Bridge to the home. I really enjoy these opportunities when we are viewing a evening sky, as these days I am usually in the kitchen making dinner!

A well needed hike over the Thanksgiving weekend!

2010-01-13T16:50:00.001-08:00

After all the food & alcohol we had consumed over Thanksgiving - the day where you just eat & eat & eat! We went for a hike to Mt Tamalpais with some friends of ours who enjoy a good hike too! This was definitely challenging as it was cold & rainy & the trails were all wet, so you had to be super careful not to slip. Thank goodness for hiking boots I say! This hike was at Cataract Falls where we saw around 4 waterfalls - from little ones to a decent size one near the rocks where we had our picnic lunch. It was a really enjoyable hike & there was lots to see with the beautiful yellow Maple leaves in between the lush green trees. The hike was right near a massive dam so there was No Swimming :)

More fun at Central Park...

2010-01-13T16:47:00.000-08:00

The cute little puppy & Holly riding the dolphin & Ashwin enjoying the big yellow truck that did not belong to anyone!

Central Park in Santa Clara

2010-01-13T16:29:00.000-08:00

It is so unlike the one in NYC but hey it was a pretty cool place to spend the morning with the kids! They had a fab time on the springs & also driving around on the wagon play structure. There was a huge duckpond with a water fountain plus loads of ducks & geese for the kids to play with.

Then it was time for Thanksgiving!

2010-01-13T16:27:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving feast at Ashwin's school - we are patiently waiting for our turn to go to the table of goodness. Every year they have a lunch time feast - so you do not need to eat for the rest of the day! There was so much food that you just pile your plate high & eat away. Plus you have to leave room for a piece of pie - pumpkin, pecan all ever so sweet! I cannot say that I am a fan of either pie - I do miss the pies from the Victoria Market in Melbourne though, they were delicious!

Hiding in the tree caves!

2010-01-13T16:26:00.001-08:00

From huge to small - Ashwin & Holly loved to go & look into the tree caves whenever we found them. This is a burnt out cave that we found at this massive tree. As we were coming ending our hike I found this lovely tiny mushroom growing out of the trunk of a tree.

Ashwin discovers banana slugs at Big Basin!

2010-01-13T16:25:00.001-08:00

Ashwin's mission in the forest was looking for banana slugs & here he is finding his first one! From that point on we managed to find a few more.

Finally we get to Big Basin!

2010-01-13T16:22:00.000-08:00

We had finally decided to do the Big Basin hike & it was just amazing as the forest there is so lush & old. When we had arrived it was so cold that we thought the kids would be freezing but as we went along we warmed up & the hike was crusing along - I think we did about 3 miles & it was just the best hike for kids with a bridge made from a massive tree trunk & loads of fungi along the way. See the beautiful mushroom Holly found it looks like a cupcake with a big wad of cream on top. And there is Ashwin & Holly against one of the furry massive trees in the forest - so beautiful!

Portola's gems!

2010-01-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

Couple of lovely things we found on our hike there were some beautiful old oaks up on the hill. As we were coming down into the sunny paths we found this huge butterfly with damaged wings who was stretching out in the sunshine.

Another hike in the wilderness!

2010-01-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

We went on a lovely hike one day not knowing where we were going so we found this entrance & away we went! This was Portola an area in the hills which was quite beautiful with beautiful oak trees & not a lot of signs of where to go! Our hike just went on forever as we just could not remember where the cross junction was!

The ratbags go wild!

2010-01-13T16:18:00.000-08:00

Holly & Ashwin at Ashwin's friends 4th birthday party - playing at the playground & then enjoying the beautiful cake! Full of whipped cream that was airbrushed :)

Masked marvels!

2010-01-13T16:15:00.000-08:00

Here we are at one of Ashwin's friends birthday party - it was just after Halloween so the costumes were used again! Yay then we had to have fun with moustaches & disguises!

The rascals in costume!

2010-01-13T16:12:00.001-08:00

Here the rascals are after the party & they are on a sugar high! They really needed to have a play at the playground after all the sugar they had eaten at the Halloween party!

It's Halloween it is time to Party!

2010-01-13T16:08:00.001-08:00

My neighbour had a great Halloween party at a local hall as she organises a great shin-dig every year! We enjoyed a lovely morning full of yummy halloween food such as spider cupcakes, buckwheat ghosts, pumpkin cake & pie & many other Halloween treats. I ended up going as a Grandma as Holly was little Red Riding Hood & Ashwin being the pirate we were a gang of hoods! James was the Grandpa?! Mmmm rewriting of the fairy tale?!!

Ashwin the Pirate!

2010-01-13T16:07:00.001-08:00

As I was checking out the Halloween costumes online I asked Ashwin what he would like to be so he said I'd like to be a pirate mummy so the whole theme from his birthday came into Halloween & here he is as Pirate from the Carribean!

Hey there Little Red Riding Hood...

2010-01-13T16:06:00.001-08:00

You sure are looking good! As Holly's first Halloween costume I found this great red riding hood outfit online. It won't last another year but still it looked great with a velvet cape that can probably be put into the costume bag for another day! Holly enjoyed the outfit but the design is short sleeved as are many other Halloween costumes for the season - so we had to dress in layers!

An adventure near the shore...

2010-01-13T16:04:00.001-08:00

One sunny morning in the Autumn I went for a wander to my favourite place - Shoreline Park. It is such a quiet place where you can wander in peace. This particular morning I was so thrilled to have my camera as there was a flock of pelicans floating around on the water - I love pelicans as I used to see them a lot when I was growing up living near the beach. There were some folks there with a telephoto lens that told me there were loads more on an island in the distance - it was such an unusual sight to have so many there! I also found some snails for Ashwin - they are his favourite still! The ladybugs were also enjoying the last of the sun rays before winter set in & the Canadian Geese were in flight & there are always plenty of geese to be seen.

Them pumpkins as big as balls!

2010-01-13T16:03:00.001-08:00

Here is the little red wagon that the kids enjoyed riding in! We soon filled it with pumpkins as we were here with some friends of ours who were doing their halloween Jack O Lantern. We also bought some smaller squash varieties that were just perfect for stuffing & roasting whole with pine nuts & a delicious goats cheese. Ashwin loved the big pumpkin but we really didn't need that much pumpkin guys - man you would be eating soup & all things pumpkin for weeks... Lucky pumpkins are such a versatile vegetable!

It is cinderella in the pumpkin patch...

2010-01-13T16:02:00.001-08:00

Toward the end of October just before Halloween we did a trip to a pumpkin farm in Half Moon Bay on the coast. We had a bit of a wander around the fields & checked out all the types of pumpkins & of course took plenty of photos. The kids enjoyed sitting on the hay bails & riding around on the little red wagons that were being used to collect pumpkins to make Jack O Lanterns. A favourite variety of pumpkin of mine was the Cinderella pumpkin which is the one you see in the fairy tale. It has such a lovely shape & I think we did buy one to make some pumpkin soup. I haven't had the patience to make a lantern as yet, maybe in 2010? Each year I get more excited about Halloween & the kids do really enjoy dressing up - maybe I can get us to dress up this year as well, hehehe!!!

Strawberries are in - summer is here!

2010-01-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

We love to see fresh strawberries at the local farmers market! When there are loads of them everywhere it is a sure sign that summer is here. We get some amazing produce here in California & it is always bountiful. I spoke to a friend who lives on the East Coast & she says as soon as winter hits the price of produce sky rockets. A lot of beautiful produce gets shipped across so we are very lucky to be in this area & have farms in the local vicinity. The picture of the crab apples in this post came from Whole Foods & they are very cute so I just had to buy them to take a picture of them! These guys ended up in a cobbler from my favourite chef's cookbook Jamie Oliver - he is such a no nonsense guy in the kitchen & his Italian influence fuses with most of my menu plans! Living in Melbourne for a while we have an affinity for Italian & we just love the ease of cooking as well - especially when the kids like all types of pasta dishes.

Mushrooms unite!

2010-01-13T15:59:00.000-08:00

October in da valley we had some lovely rain & the kids loved to see the mushrooms when they popped up in little fairy rings all over the lawn. Ashwin enjoyed checking them out as I told him the story of the fairies that live underneath the mushrooms so he would not destroy them. Even Mack enjoyed the action out on the lawn in front of our apartment. Since we moved this is where we hang out a lot of the time as it is right outside the front door.

The celebration at school!

2010-01-13T15:58:00.001-08:00

Ashwin's celebration at his Montessori school had a show & tell of Ashwin through the years. After the show Ashwin walks around a rug with the months of the year 4 times singing a song with his class. It was a lovely way to honour his birthday & to learn the months of the year as well.

The 4th birthday party!

2010-01-13T15:57:00.001-08:00

The day of the birthday party came & we had a lovely chilly day down at the park. Thank goodness the sun eventually came out to thaw everyone out. Ashwin had this great lizard shirt on & Holly had a butterfly jumper hand me down.

The little cake testers

2010-01-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

Finally it was time for Ashwin's birthday in mid October! I've decided to make the kids cakes as a creative project for the year & as we had a pirate party, I made a purple pirate ship. The idea was all thanks to the Women's Weekly book of childrens Cakes which is just the best baby shower gift. Thanks to whoever gave it to us when we had Ashwin :) Still the kids enjoyed testing out the icing plus they really loved the chocolate cake with Ghiradelli cocoa - mmm so good especially the fact that it was a whole wheat cake too!

Feeding time at the Zoo!

2010-01-13T15:54:00.001-08:00

Lunchtime with the snacks at the zoo were quite decent too, well for the adults anyway. We ordered the kids meal with a PB&J sammwich (Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich) which looked like a pizza with peanut butter & jam smooched together on the inside. There is Holly looking a bit worried eating her first PB&J. It was quite gross actually as it came in a packet & was straight off the sandwich conveyor belt.

Trip to the Zoo my darling!

2010-01-13T15:52:00.000-08:00

Beginning of October we made another trip to Oakland Zoo with our neighbours from our complex. They have a little boy the same age as Holly so the kids had a ball checking out all the animals. As Holly is a climber she loved to climb the big red frog & sit on his head. Ashwin loved watching the elephants & the enclosures at this zoo are all very good. Oakland Zoo animal enclosures are excellent with plenty of room for the animals to wander & play. It is great for the kids to experience the animals they see in their books, one day we can all go to Africa to see them in their natural habitat.

Back to da Valley...

2010-01-13T15:50:00.001-08:00

August we spent in Oz so we returned to da Valley in September. Here we are end of September at Half Moon Bay at one of our favourite little beaches the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. There are amazing tide pools here full of interesting little creatures. This day was high tide so we went for a wander up through all the Monterey pines. It was all a bit eerie so no wonder the kids got a little freaked out. It looked quite amazing with the trees all lined up & waiting to get 'cha.

Da Peaches hit Noosa!

2010-01-13T15:49:00.001-08:00

This is the most gorgeous national park that we visited on our holiday. I have a close relationship with Noosa as I spent a year or so living & studying Visual Arts at TAFE in Peregian Beach just down the road, aaah the life of a student!

Lots of Beach Action!

2010-01-13T15:47:00.000-08:00

As we spent a lot of time in Queensland - well the Sunshine Coast to be exact, here we are enjoying the action at the beach. Even though it was winter the weather was just beautiful with the kids enjoying digging around & even dipping their toes. Of course, we didn't have our swimmers (visiting Oz in winter) but you can always make do. What incredible beaches & the sand is so soft. My sister lives so close to the beach too & it is such a quiet & peaceful beach too except for occasional jetski!

Loving the pubs & the views mate!

2010-01-13T15:46:00.001-08:00

What is a trip back to Oz without hanging out in the pubs & having a great lunch! We spent some time up the Sunshine Coast with my sister & visited my uncle in Beerwah where we met at the pub for lunch. Here is a lemon, lime & bitters - how good are they! And the kids are enjoying a an ice cream together after a feed of chips of course - delicious fat chips!!!

Our trip to Australia

2010-01-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

We had to make a quick trip back to Australia as James' dad passed away in July. So we made the visits to Adelaide, Melbourne & Brisbane - whew! We spent a lovely week in Melbourne checking out the sites & the Zoo is just wonderful - we will have to join on our return to Oz. Plus a trip to the city was great fun too, travelling on the City Circle tourist tram.

A trip to see Thomas...

2010-01-13T15:43:00.002-08:00

that is, the Tank Engine. Maybe every summer the same activities go on & somehow Thomas the train show comes to Scotts Valley right near Santa Cruz. We arrived to see the train only to see Ashwin scared out of his wits! Thomas is a noisy steam engine in real life & Ash was not too keen at all to go anywhere near that Thomas! So Holly & I went on & had to forfeit his ticket as there was no way Ash was going to get on that scary, noisy train! It was a lovely ride through the redwoods listening to a Thomas song & story. Don't think we'll try that one again! Still we enjoyed the rest of the day at the bakery close by for brunch & then off to the UCSC Marine Lab where the kids had fun checking out the ex military dolphins & learning about whales.

A little craziness in the evening

2010-01-13T15:43:00.001-08:00

Usually after a relaxing bath the kids get all excited & playful & since Ashwin had just recently scored a ukelele from his Aunty in Hawaii he put on a show. Of course, little sister Holly had to join in the fun on the couch - which doubles as a trampoline!

It's popsicle time!

2010-01-13T15:42:00.001-08:00

Wow writing this now in the middle of winter makes me dream of summer! Not that winter here is really bad anyway, still it is a great excuse to wear scarves! Here are the kids in the height of summer enjoying some yummy fruit ice blocks from Whole Foods. They are just the best with bits of fruit & so good on a summer's day.

Finally we made it to the Mystery Spot!

2010-01-12T17:21:00.001-08:00

Whooooh!! Whoo!! When we bought our car - it had this strange sticker with the Mystery Spot on it. So we finally made a date to go & check it out. There is the GPS leading us to the the Spot & there is the entrance - all I can say is that it certainly is mysterious! Mysterious in the sense that people pay to go there & experience the feeling of wonkiness, actually I admit I did feel some motion sickness when we were wandering around the house of mystery but I don't know whether it was a trick of the light or just a bad breakfast!!

Santa Cruz rulz

2010-01-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

I am a convert to the Santa Cruz lifestyle. When I first went there I was not so impressed by the 80s & the boardwalk full of rickety rides - friends tell me that is half the fun! We occasionally go there on the weekend to get some beach air & experience the weird & wonderful events that happen there. This time we were wandering the pier to a show of Woodys - that's the cool looking beach car with panels in the side behind James & Ashwin. It was excellent to go & check them out just after we came back from Hawaii as a lot of the cars were inspired by the Tiki lifestyle of the day. Of course, while we were there we found a great fish & chip shop - see Holly enjoying the ketchup! The seals have a permanent spot where they hang out waiting for the fish to come by & Ash & James hang out with Big Boy.

I love Hawaii

2010-01-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

Mid June we visited Oahu, Hawaii for a week as my sister & her husband were there for their honeymoon. It is a perfect halfway point from Australia & it is only a 5 hour flight from here! I'd go back again tomorrow... We had such a fun time together hanging out on the beautiful beach in Kailua which is in the photos & at our cool vacation rental a few minutes walk away from the beach. It was so good to see my sister & Lukey & the kids had a ball hanging out with their Aunty & Uncle.

Schools out for Summer!

2010-01-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

The end of the school year here is in June & then it is time for the longest summer holiday I've ever heard of 3 months!! Lucky for Summer school which is where Ashwin was after his school break. Montessori school had a BBQ picnic & all the kids classes did performances in front of the families. Ashwin seems to be getting used to the stage these days as he really got into the songs & even a bit of dancing! Holly always enjoys the playground & had fun after eating & watching.

Summer fun down at the park!

2010-01-12T17:07:00.001-08:00

Writing this now in the middle of winter I remember how nice it was down at the park in the middle of summer. This is Los Palmas in Sunnyvale where in the height of summer - fountains are going with lots of fun water play for the kids. Unfortunately, Holly was too young to enjoy the water fun!

The kids finally pose together!

2010-01-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Here is Holly at 15 months & Ashwin at 3 in June 2009! Big hugs to little sister :) It is funny how long these two took to get to know each other... Now they are the best of pals hanging out together & getting up to so much mischief.

A trip to the Maker Faire!

2010-01-12T15:14:00.000-08:00

At the end of May there is a great event at San Mateo called the Maker Faire. This place is full of invention & innovation on many levels! This year I really enjoyed the Bizarre Bazaar - a market choc full of local indie designers. Plus the Faire has loads of workshops for craftsters, I tracked down a needle felting workshop which was very inspiring... I have a couple of examples on my walls - pics to come sometime! There is a tired Mack in amongst the pics resting out on the balcony, aaah the life of a cat :) Ashwin also enjoyed wearing the 3D glasses from UP - which he did see but not in 3D. Looking very cool, mmmm?? Maybe if you were in Risky Business!

One of the many hiking adventures...

2010-01-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

As the valley has a fab array of hikes up in them there hills we have not missed the opportunity to go hiking on the weekends. As soon as the weather was heating up we were there... As you can see in the background of the first pic there is some low lying cloud in amongst the trees & by the time we had ventured out of Monte Bello Open Space Park It was lovely & hot & sunny. Holly is in the Ergo on my back having her afternoon nap!

Parties galore....

2010-01-12T15:02:00.001-08:00

Spring was here & the parties at the park were happening & the kids were out and about enjoying samosas & birthday cake! Here are the little rascals back in May enjoying themselves out in the sunshine.

2009 - a wrap up...

2010-01-12T14:58:00.001-08:00

After months of not blogging! I thought I would put in a few posts of pics & pieces of what happened after April 2009.... unbelievable how the year just flew by!

So here goes...

Oakland Zoo - the animals!

2009-04-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

More from Oakland - family stylie..

2009-04-20T21:07:00.001-07:00

Kettle corn at Jack London Square just in time for a crab festival by the water - late lunch! Holly & Ashwin say hello to a tomato frog, hmmmm!

Let's hear it for the East Bay...

2009-04-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

Way back in the beginning of March we went to the Oakland Zoo to check it out & it was very cool! The size is just right for little people & you can go round & see all the animals & chill out at rest areas for a snack... This pair of cute guys (frogs) are found in Panama - they are about the size of a 50 cent piece & were just fascinating to watch. After all the animal watching Ashwin was keen to go & ride the cars - finally he is over his merry go round phobia!

Look Mum I found a chocolate chip on the floor!!

2009-04-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Oh dear here is Holly's first experience with chocolate & looks like she loves it! An accidental spill & those eagle eyes do not miss a trick, especially when it comes to food :) This all happened one afternoon whilst baking some delicious whole wheat cookies from my favourite baking cookbook King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking choc full of wonderful recipes!

Stitches West 2009

2009-04-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

Oh another fruitful year at Stitches West - this year I went solo as my knitting pal was pregnant & had to do the quick dash early... I decided to drop by on the Saturday - I finally got in & whew after a whirlwind shopathon, here is my stash! Some wool blend Italian yarn, handspun mohair, roving, silky malabrigo & a case for my knitting needles - oh yeah & a gorgeous pair of earrings by an Oakland glass blowing artist. Tiring, zzzzz!

Look out scrap

2009-04-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Poor old Scrap - I bet he didn't envisage the grief he would have to put up with in his older years, still the kids are slowly learning to leave him alone. This guy hasn't got the patience to deal with kidlets!

Heading on over to the snow...

2009-04-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

Way back in February now... we went on a snow trip to Arnold - a town close to Bear Valley. We figured it'll be nice to hang out in the snow but not really ski so we got to a great vacation rental in this small town & relaxed. It was stunning to see the snow in real life & to walk in the snow it was so deep your legs just sunk, great exercise though frustrating! These are the driving pics - heading on up to the sno park & on the way pencil pines & almonds in blossom.