We have not been to the Bay area as a family since 10/04. Sara was 9months. Incredibles was the new movie. Our extended family was smaller.
So we took the premiere of Cars as an excuse to visit. We flew into Oakland and started out with the Swains. The three dogs are still adorable. The hospitality is delicious and comfortable. The house continues to change into the latest and greatest in design.
We took 2 hours in traffic to tour the East Bay to get a tuxedo. Next time we will remember locations are flexible.
We arrived at Julie’s late in the afternoon. It’s been beautifully remodeled since we last saw it 3 years prior.
Julie now has 2 kids: Ella, Sara’s closest aged cousin at almost 3yo, and the newly arrived wide eye’d Ben.
Aunt Bonny, Steph, and the M’s joined us for dinner.
Ben was a bit fussy and enjoyed being in familiar arms that evening. The next day I got to hold him alot. I had forgotten how to hold an infant. It came back quickly. I was even good at comforting him.
I’m amazed at how much the M’s (Mitch, Matthew, Mia, Mason) have grown. The cousins all played great together. Here they are in descending order:
Mitch
Matthew
Mia
Mason (Wayne like’s this photo especially)
Friday was the most relaxing day for me. It was the only day I didn’t pack/unpack or move. It’s hard to keep track of everything with a toddler. We were on Julie time (e.g. European time). We woke up at 7am, ate breakfast, and bonded as a family in the morning quiet. Wayne headed to work as Julie et al were arising. By the time they were dressed and up, Sara and I headed to bed for her nap. In the afternoon, we finally went outside and proceeded to take a 60 min walk in the rain. I was impressed with Julie’s stamina carrying Ben.
When we returned, we warmed up the cousins with a bath. Sara’s first with a friend!
After they were warm, they enjoyed an Elmo movie and snuggling in Julie’s bedroom while we ordered Mexican take out.
It was a nice day for the little cousins to bond and for me and Julie to bond. It’s rare I get to spend so much quality time with my family.
The evening ended with Wayne vomiting. This was Julie’s worst fear. She’s spent the last 8 weeks in isolation to keep Ben free of germs and away from the hospital. Luckily, no one got sick. But…
Saturday…after some phone calls, Wayne and I packed up quickly. Julie decided to stay at home. She stayed in her bedroom. Both the girls were begging to play, but we kept them apart.
So off we zoomed to Steph’s house.
We got to meet the new addition to the family, the 5th M, Murphy!
He was very exuberant. He didn’t even want to slow down to get his photo taken. Steph, as always with her household in motion, is the consummate hostess. We had lunch with appetizers and even a birthday cake for Mason and Matthew. Too quickly, Wayne and I had to stop visiting and start dressing.
Sara and our bags transferred to Tamara and Bob’s. I call this photo “the babysitters”.
Wayne and I headed to Pixar. Wayne had slept most of the day and was determined to atleast see the movie, though he was wiped out. We were bused to the Oakland Paramount to see the movie premiere. “Chick Hick” is the rival car.
There was a poignant moment with a standing ovation to honor a prominent member of Pixar who died. His memorium is at the end of the movie. It’s a bit like a family there.
The party reflected the cars and Route 66 theme of the movie.
The party was in an air hanger on Alameda Island. It was so cold, I never took off my jacket to show off my dress. It was enjoyable and we hung out with friends.
Sunday. We visited our new home in the early morning hours. The bed and everything was ready. What a nice feeling for tired party goers.
The new member of Bob and Tamara’s family is Benny. He welcomed us with a tail thumping on his crate in the wee hours of the morning.
Sara and Gabriella watched a Winnie the Pooh movie together. Sara could say Ella and “Ya-Ya” for Gabriella.
All too quickly, we had to leave for the airport. Sniff…