Happy Easter!

Have a blessed

Resurrection Sunday!

Hidden Villa

On a nice, sunny, lazy day, Emi-chan and I went to a farm called Hidden Villa.  I had a heck of a time finding it.  It wasn't because there were tons of roads and highways we had to take to get there.  It was mostly because I'm pretty lame with directions.  When we finally got there, it was almost an hour since we started out.  It should have taken us only 20 minutes or so to get there.  Oh, well.  


It's a organic farm and educational center in the Los Altos Hills.  They have a little garden, lots of animals in pens, and hiking trails.  Unfortunately, they don't have animals to pet, but it was fun to look around and chase the chickens.  Emi-chan found a friendly cat and make friends with it.  

Lots and lots of lambs 

Help...can't breathe... 

 "Hey, Bob.  How ya doin'?"

"Not much, Hank.  Just taking

it easy."

A real barn with a fake horse 

Here, kitty, kitty

As we left, we were stopped at the gate by a deer.  It was beautiful until it started walking towards the car and I then I got scared.  Don't worry, I didn't hit it.

Happy Birthday!

I can't believe that Emi-chan is now 5 years old!  A couple of weeks ago, we had a birthday party for her and we invited some friends and her classmates.  I explained to Emi-chan a few months back that she was going to have a birthday and asked if she wanted a little birthday party or a big birthday party.  She said she wanted a BIG birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese or Pump It Up.  I agreed to a BIG birthday party, but not at CEC or Pump It Up.  So, we had it at Swaray!, a big, no frills, low key indoor playground and party place.  


We got the whole place to ourselves and had a blast.  I haven't seen Emi-chan so charged up and hyper in a long time.  There were 2 jump houses, a spider web, rock climbing wall, a room with cars and rocking horses and trains, a food room and a quiet room (no one used that room).  We also had a balloon pinata at the end of the party.  Most of the kids that came have Autism or other mild disabilites, so a couple of parents later told me that it was nice not to constantly explain their child's actions and behaviors.  

Time for fun!

Shaun the Sheep Cupcakes By LJ

 Food!

 Trains

 Popinata (Baloon pinata)

 Aaah!  No more singing!

Take 2 on the candle blowing

It was a busy, and full day.  It took us a couple of days to recover (financially, a few more weeks) but it was worth celebrating Emi-chan's life in a big way.

Happy Valentine's Day

Enjoy

Pier 39

One free day, I took Emi-chan to Pier 39 to visit the Aquarium of the Bay because she wanted to visit an aquarium and I didn't know of any other ones close by (Monterey is way too out of the way).  Since it was a weekday, it was a pretty low key at Pier 39.  


Since it wasn't a busy day, the conveyor belt at the aquarium wasn't on so we had to walk (oh my gosh!  We had to walk!  So taxing!  I couldn't believe it!)  We saw:

 Crabs

 Sharks

Jellies 

Divers 

 Chinchillas

(why they were at an

aquarium, I don't know)

...and seals.

 But of course, 

Emi-chan's attention was

on her new toy.

We ended the trip with a ride on a carousel.

December 2011

I know I'm way, Way, WAY behind in posting the past few months.  Here are a few highlights from December:

 Taking a walk with her friends

 At church with Marie the Cat

 Emi-chan went into a fun house!

She wasn't sure if she like it, though

 Emi-chan tried ketchup!

And hated it!

 Christmas time

 Christmas with Mi-chan

Gifts from the annual

Ornament Party

(I didn't make a gift for myself) 

Emi-chan at Pump It Up

with her beloved

Shaun the Sheep

Bol Park

A few days ago, our neighbors invited us to go with them and their sons to Bol Park in Palo Alto.  I'd never, ever heard of this park and when they said there were donkeys there, I was intrigued.  I pushed Rick and Emi-chan to eat a quick lunch and get ready to follow our neighbors to this park.  


It was a confusing ride to the park.  I'd never, ever find the place on my own.  It's hidden a very quiet, beautiful, and secluded part of PA.  In other words, a very exclusive part of PA.  One would never suspect donkeys and chickens live in this part of town, but they do.  


It was a very nice, quiet park.  Emi-chan and our neighbors' sons had fun running around and playing on the play structures.  Emi-chan especially loved playing "Papa Monster" where Rick, with a bad back, had to chase her up and down and through the play structures.  

After a while, we decided to look for the donkeys.  Much to the chagrin of one of the boys, Emi-chan borrowed his scooter and his toy dog.  But she didn't mind.  

We found where the donkeys live, but only one, very sad donkey was out and about.  We're not sure if it was Perry or Niner (Mickey is in Donkey Heaven).  Perry was the model for Donkey on the Shrek movies.  

It was a fun little trip (except the place doesn't have bathrooms unless you count the bushes).  We might try to go again if we can figure out how to get there.  

Happy New Year

It's been a busy last couple of months and I'm so glad 2011 is finally over.  Hopefully, 2012 will be a good, less-stressful, joy-filled year.  

Japanese Friendship Garden

The day before Thanksgiving, I thought it might be fun to take Emi-chan to Happy Hollow Park and Zoo at Kelley Park.  When we pulled into the parking lot, I thought, "Score!"  Free parking.  Little did I know that the reason why parking was free is because Happy Hollow was closed!!!  Closed, darn you!!!  But, we weren't the only ones that tried to visit the zoo.  Tons of people were pulling into the parking lot, and then immediately leaving.  I decided that we would explore the park a little bit.  


Emi-chan and I walked down a path which lead to the Japanese Friendship Garden.  It was built to commemorate the sister-city relationship San Jose has with Okayama.  Emi-chan and I explored the different levels of the garden.  There were pretty ponds, noisy brooks, cute ducks, lovely waterfalls, beautiful trees.  

So noisy!

Later on, we rested and had a quick lunch.  

Happy Halloween!

We had a full day today.  There was a little parade at school.  Most of the kids didn't come in costume and their parents dressed them in class...or at least tried to.  A couple of kids refused to wear their costumes and cried.  We had to coerce Emi-chan to wear her Angry Bird costume I made.  

 I'm not so sure about this...

She wore it for the parade and it came off as soon as it was over.  Then, we went inside and played games and made crafts.

 March, march, march!

 Rick drawing a crowd

 In the evening, we took Emi-chan out to do some trick-or-treating.  The kids at school practiced trick-or-treating at school all last week and I tried to remind her how to go up to a house, knock or ring the doorbell, then say, "Trick-or-treat!"  In real time, she did fine ringing the doorbell and when it was time to say, "trick-or-treat," she would say something like, "doggie!" or "aaaah!"  But that's okay.  She made out like a bandit and brought home tons of candy for mama herself.  

Boo!

Genius!

Today, when I dropped Emi-chan off at school, her teacher, Miss B, and her assistants were so excited to see me.  Miss B said that they forgot to show me something Emi-chan had done a couple of days ago.  Miss B brought out an alphabet puzzle and a toy mushroom.  She said, "Emi-chan can spell a word!"  We watched Emi-chan pop out some letters and this is what she spelled:

Yup!  The first word Emi-chan spelled on her own (other than her name) is "Pixar."  She used the mushroom like the lamp on the Pixar logo and stomped on the "I" so it would fall over.  So proud of her!  I think I need to cut back on how many DVD's she watches a week. 

New Foods!

Every once in a blue-green moon, Emi-chan will try a new food.  Her recent adventures included:

 Vanilla Yan Yan

(a sweet pretzel stick you dip in a...dip)

 Red Velvet Cake

Miso Soup

Unfortunately, Emi-chan didn't really like the foods so she refuses to try these foods again, let alone anything new.