First Trip to The Bay Area Discovery Museum - Sausalito

Making music at the Bay Area Discovery Museum

View of the San Francisco skyline from Sausalito

The Bay Area Discovery Museum's Bay Hall is fun, fun, fun!

The cute kids art at the museum

Outdoor play time at Lookout Cove

Climbing through the giant tree trunk

Elise and Grams enjoyed dressing up and green screen fun

Several weeks ago, we made our first trip to the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito and this place was serious fun for the kids (as well as Mom, Dad and Grandma). There are plenty of fun/unique kids activities, but perhaps the best part of this place is the idyllic location with lovely views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline. I know I say this all the time, but thank goodness for Groupon deals because we got half off admission for the entire family. The girls favorite part of the museum was the Bay Hall, which is basically a play set version of San Francisco complete with a mini grotto and fishing boat that rocks back and forth. The girls enjoyed fishing for toy crabs off the boat.

Sausalito is one of our favorite places to visit. We spent our anniversary here a couple years ago in a scenic hilltop vacation rental overlooking Richardson Bay. It really is as quaint and charming of a city as one could imagine (especially being so close to the crowded and bustling San Francisco) and there are plenty of fantastic restaurants in the area. Being the girls first trip to Sausalito, we wanted to make sure it was special, and while I think that they were happy enough after a fun day exploring the Bay Area Discovery Museum, afterwards we treated them to a nice dinner at Scoma's Sausalito overlooking the San Francisco Bay. We plan to visit again soon.

Exploring the wave workshop and outdoor play areas

Mom joined in on the green screen fun

Gears, gadgets, and gizmos

Cuties posing by The Golden Gate

Enjoying dinner at Scoma's in Sausalito

Beautiful sunset view in Sausalito

Elise's Preschool Graduation - August 2014

Proud family with our little preschool graduate, Elise

With our grad - 1st of many to come!

Enjoying the ceremony with her preschool classmates

  

 

Well, we've reached that first big and extra special milestone, because as of last weekend Miss Elise is now a preschool graduate! Ever since her very first day at Montessori preschool, she has excelled. It's amazing just how much she's learned and grown, both socially and academically, since she started at a mere 18-months-old. She is already reading, and I'm not talking simple sight words, but 5+ letter words with very little help from mom and dad. She's learned so much in other areas as well, and can even recite full songs in Spanish thanks to her wonderful preschool teacher. 

I am so grateful for all she has learned, but perhaps the area where I've seen the most growth is in her social development. She's always been fairly reserved and apprehensive to partake in new activities or engage with others. For this reason, it was especially important for us to ensure that she gains independence and gets the opportunity to interact and socialize with other kids of her own age. I can't begin to express just how happy it makes me to hear her recount daily stories of all her school yard games, classmates, and adventures. She really loves each and every one of her preschool friends and will miss them all dearly. Of course, it goes without saying she will miss her preschool teacher, Miss Maria, the most of all. She gives her a hug every single day before she leaves, and if she ever forgets, she makes up for it with two the following day. She really adores Miss Maria and the feeling is certainly mutual, she expressed just how much she will miss her hugs. We are so proud of our 2014 preschool graduate. Kindergarten here we come!

Elise during the ceremony, and proud sister Alina

Elise with her preschool teacher

Celebrating Class of 2014, plus her sweet gifts to her teachers

Goodbye 2013 - Happy New Year 2014!

 Winter-Early Spring Blossoming 2013

Spring Fun 2013

Yet another year has come to a close, and while we did have some very fun memories throughout this year, I do have to admit that 2013 was a tough one to navigate. All of us were extremely sick with severe colds and flus from January through May, no joke. The viruses were relentless this year and not only took a toll on our physical health, but also our mental well being. We also had to make a couple ER visits, which is never a place anyone wants to be. As a parent, I felt completely out of control and I suffered considerable depression stemming from all of us being so ill for so long.

Despite such hardships, I am able to look back now and appreciate the fact that we are all tough, and made it through such an intense set of circumstances. Sometimes you need to just STOP and put things in perspective, there are millions of people who endure far more difficult circumstances on a daily basis. I admire those people and realize many of them have suffered unspeakable losses and still continue to be strong for their loved ones. Whenever I start to focus or fixate on the difficulties I'm having, I have to mentally check myself because it isn't good to wallow in "why me" scenarios. I have a wonderful family, whom I love more than anything in this world. Setbacks will happen, such is life, but finding the light and goodness through the dark days is the support role that family fills.

Looking back on 2013, I refuse to think in terms of setbacks and instead focus on the positive experiences. Our family bonds were innumerably strengthened. There is a very deep kind of appreciation you feel for one another when seeing how that person faces adversity. In my case, it was my girls who showed me the true definition of being tough. Through being intensely ill, they still managed to smile and stay positive. I have a tendency to immediately conjure worst case scenarios, whereas they were little rays of optimism professing their intentions of playing outdoors and eating their favorite foods once they recovered. Being around such positivity helped me tremendously.

Looking through the photos I gathered from 2013, I realize that the good times far outweighed the bad. There were more smiles and moments of joy, than there were tears and pain. I see two very lucky parents with a couple of the most precious little daughters imaginable. They are our world, our love, our life. 2013 was a good year, because despite setbacks, family always finds a way to bring out the best in each other.

Summer Love 2013

Fall & Winter Joys 2013