On Saturday, we drove over to nearby Arlington Park so that Mio could have some fun at the playground there. It was our first time going to this park; it’s definitely one of the nicer ones in El Cerrito — just not in walking distance, so it’s a little more of a hassle to go to. The smiles it brought to Mio’s were priceless!
Okay, I’m sure most of you could do without seeing 29513607 pictures of Mio smiling and laughing while on the swing, but I couldn’t help but post all of them. 😛
Hanging out with Daddy… a sweet father-daughter moment.
Going on the slide with Mama
Mio made a new friend at the park… we noticed that the little girl looked pretty close in age to Mio, and upon talking to the parents, we found out that they were only two weeks apart! (Mio being two weeks younger.)
Mio with her new friend Mina.
We parents shared a chuckle over how they eat crackers the same way… they like to put the crackers into their mouths vertically… (which seems like it would be harder for them to eat, right?)
Mio went for Mina’s snacks, and Mina reached for Mio’s… lol. Kids are always more interested in what the other kids have!
Back on the swing, this time with Mina. Mio grabbed the snack container from my hands while she was swinging, and continued to swing with it! Silly girl…
Playing in the sandbox.
It was a Saturday well spent! Mio was so tired from all the fun she had that she took a very long nap that afternoon… I just wish the parks were closer so I could take her to them more often!
Last Saturday was sunny and hot, so we took Mio to Alameda Beach so that she could have a fun beach day! We invited our friends Tarrin and Jason along, since they live in Alameda, and they suggested the delicious idea of having brunch at Off the Grid which is now in Alameda on Saturdays. Off the Grid is a gathering of food trucks and tents selling all kinds of yummy street foods, and we’d actually never been to the weekly ones in San Francisco nor Berkeley, so this was our first time!
Excited to eat delicious street food!
Mio staying cool with her shades.
I decided to try the Hiyaaa! truck.
My bulgogi on a roll from Hiyaaa. There was kimchee inside, too!
Dan got the Peruvian burger and potatoes from Sanguchon
Digging in!
Tarrin and Jason also got some delicious andouille poutine from Fins on the Hoof for us to share, and we picked up a lemon lavender cupcake from a cupcake truck and a chocolate cream puff from Pacific Puffs for dessert, and headed over to the beach together.
We’ve taken Mio to the beach before when we went to Santa Cruz last Labor Day weekend, but she was young and not very mobile so she couldn’t really get the full experience, and it’d been cold so we didn’t put her int he water at the time. So this was Mio’s first true full experience of the beach, where she could walk around and play in the sand and water!
Trying to coax Mio into the water…
Mio is stunned by how vast the ocean is!
We changed her into her bathing suit and got her in the water!
Mio’s first time in ocean water! She was loving it, and kept trying to move into the deeper water.
“Jump! Jump!”
She kept lifting her legs up so they were flat against the water… lol.
As you can see from the video below, she’s quite the waterbug! She was really loving the water, and later the sand… definitely a beach babe! 😉
Mio finally had enough of the water, and started walking towards the shore…
First time playing in the sand… and eating, it too! ::sigh::
Walking about, exploring the sandy shore… she was really interested in the other kids.
A contemplative Mio, deep in thought as she looks out at the ocean. As Jason put it, “very Hemingway.”
There are no words to describe how much her expression here tickles me!
She soon fell asleep in Mama’s arms and took a little nap on the beach.
After all the fun in the sun, it was eventually time to go home…
Mio riding on Tarrin’s shoulders as we head back to the car.
Auntie Tarrin is so good with Mio… Mio really loves her!
Thanks Tarrin and Jason for making our beach outing so much more fun and memorable! We loved that we could spend the day with you. 🙂
Dan loves all things coconut, so I made chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons for him as a Father’s Day treat! This was my first time making coconut macaroons, but I found that they were surprisingly easy to make, and require few ingredients. (I hate when I set out to make something and find that there are 20+ ingredients listed — my lazy self is immediately turned off and discouraged by such things.) I’d been feeling under the weather since Saturday evening with a slight fever, congestion, and runny nose, but I was determined not to let my cold get in the way of doing something special for Daddy. They turned out great, and Dan loved them!
Coconut macarons, out of the oven.
Nicely toasted coconut flakes!
Dipped in chocolate for extra yummy goodness!
Look at those beauties!
There was one member of the family who was not happy with the whole experience, though… little Mio is not allowed to have such sweets yet, much to her distress.
“I want themmm!”
She’s never had a chance to try anything like macaroons, but somehow, she knew they were good.
…and that she needed to get her hands on them.
Sorry bubby, only carrots for you!
Dan, on the other hand, was thrilled and very pleased with his treats. Mission accomplished! 😀
