Emi turns one tomorrow! This year has gone really fast. We are at the airport, on our way to California to help celebrate. There will be a big party on Saturday for family and friends. It’s a Hawaiian thing. We wouldn’t miss it!
It snowed overnight in Minnesota and it’s very cold and getting colder. But we’ll miss most of it, thank goodness. Its still fairly warm in Palo Alto, highs in the 60’s, lows in the 40’s. Better than here!
Thursday Dec 12
Happy Birthday Emi! We’ll have a little party tonight; the big party is on Saturday.
Yesterday afternoon after we landed we picked up Emi from daycare and then went to look at their new house. It’s nice, in the next town over from Palo Alto, Los Altos. The house is big by California standards. Built in the ’60’s it was recently renovated with a big kitchen, living room, dining room and a large back yard; lots of room for Emi and Rossi! And upstairs there are 4 bedrooms, including a very nice master with a walk in closet. It’s on a quiet cul de sac too. We are excited for them. They’ll move in sometime in January so the next time we visit they’ll be in their new home.
We ate dinner at Yayoi, the Japanese katsu restaurant in Palo Alto. Lee loves it and he didn’t get to go there last time we were here so it was time. I like it ok, but the menu overwhelms me and I never know what to order. I was really hungry too. Their menu is online and you order from a screen at the table, which I also find confusing. This time Daniel found me a paper menu and that helped a lot. I got one of their sushi bites, which are like little nori tacos, with spicy tuna or salmon inside. I shared some gyoza with Emi, who chowed down on dumplings and agadashi tofu. That girl can eat! Then I got a pork cutlet curry. After that I wasn’t hungry any more!
I slept ok last night. I had to get up to pee a lot, and I was awake by 4, but managed to fall asleep again for a little while and slept until around 4:45. Tomorrow will be better. I took my time in the morning but I was out the door for a short run by 7. It had rained overnight but it didn’t rain on my run, and the temps were nice too, low 50’s. I ran 3 miles, came back and showered and then watched Emi while Lee showered and did his stretches.
Emi can walk now, but still prefers to have one hand holding on to something for balance. And she’s starting to talk too! She says oh-oh, mah mah mah (which means feed me!), hi, bye and babbles conversationally. She’s probably saying more things that we don’t understand. And of course she understands a lot of what we say too. She’s a little imp, very smiley, very curious!
We went for a long walk this morning, figuring that we may not get a walk later this afternoon because it’s supposed to rain again. Emi slept for most of the walk and woke up as soon as we got home. We got a burrito bowl for lunch from Piazza that we shared with Emi and in a little while we’re going to go out and do a little shopping and get a coffee, and she’ll probably take another nap then.
Friday Dec 13
Around 1 we piled in the car. Emi fell asleep again within a couple minutes. She’s expending so much energy on walking and talking that she seems to need a lot of sleep right now. First we went to Target so I could buy some tights. When I packed I grabbed a pair of thin socks instead of tights. The Target was not organized like the ones in Minnesota so it took me awhile to find things. Then we went to get a coffee. We tried a different place, Robu Coffee in Mountain View (since that was where we were). It was good! I got a Vienna Latte, yummy. Then we went to Walgreens to get Lee some arthritis cream; his neck has been bothering him. By the time we got home Emi had been asleep for an hour and a half, and she was still asleep. I sat in the car with her crocheting cause we didn’t want to wake her up. Finally Daniel came and got her. She slept for almost 2 hours!
We all pitched in to make Emi’s birthday dinner. Daniel made the chicken (with lemons from their backyard!). Lee made the roasted root vegetables. I made a salad. Jean and one of Kelsey’s cousins came over for dinner. Jean brought a red velvet birthday cake, but Emi didn’t get any; nothing with added sugar for kids nowadays until they are two years old.
Before dinner we let Emi open presents. She quickly got into the swing of things, ripping the paper off of boxes with a little help from Kelsey. She liked the bumblebee scooter we got her, but it’s a little big for her; only her tiptoes touch the ground when she sits on it. She still played with the antenna and used it as a push toy!
After dinner we sang happy birthday. She stared at us all in bemusement, unsure what it was all about but enjoying the attention.
Dan and Kelsey got Emi a toddler tower and after she went to bed Daniel put it together. It was a bit of an ordeal; at first it didn’t want to connect properly but finally the pieces slid into place. Now she can help in the kitchen! Ha.
Today we’re watching her again. In a bit we’ll go for a walk and later this afternoon we’ll go to Stanford Mall and walk around there.
Saturday Dec 14
Today is Harper’s birthday, 15 years old! I think this is the first time we haven’t been with her on her birthday. We’ll just have to wait to celebrate until we get home.
Today is also the day for Emi’s big birthday party. It’s a Hawaiian thing, to have a big party for a one year old. There are relatives coming from as far away as Hawaii and Seattle.
There was a LOT of rain last night, and thunder and lightening too, unusual for California. I decided it was probably better to wait and run tomorrow.
Yesterday we had Pho for lunch from the Vietnamese place nearby. It was good, but very filling. We decided against going to Stanford Mall; instead we just got in the car and drove around, getting coffee, doing errands. Our plan was that Emi would take her nap in the car again but it didn’t work out. We went to the hardware store, drove to their new house again, drove through the Los Altos downtown, which is cute. It’s a little too far to walk to from their house, but it would be very bike-able if they get into that.
We also drove their car through the car wash and I got them some car wash gift certificates to stick in their stockings.
Then we went back to the house, with Emi still awake. When Dan and Kelsey finished working they needed to go to Target so they took Emi with them. THEN she finally fell asleep!
We went to a new burger place for dinner, near Piazza. It was pretty good, steak burgers basically, like Steak and Shake, with beer, wine, and cocktails. Emi ate a LOT of hamburger. Then Kelsey’s parents came over with one of her aunts and uncles and we watched Emi walk and play for a while. All of a sudden on her birthday Emi’s walking a lot more. It’s like there’s a tipping point where all of a sudden walking becomes a preferable mode of transportation. She still reverts to crawling, but very gradually, less and less.
Sunday Dec 15
Yesterday was a big day, Emi’s big party. Overnight we had a big storm, including thunder and lightening, rare in California. In the morning it was still raining so I decided to put off my run until Sunday. Around 10 AM we loaded everything in the car and headed to the venue to get things set up. The party was in a brewery in Menlo Park, Hapa Brewery. We had half the brewery reserved. We had a photo booth with a nice backdrop and a balloon arch. The theme was wild animals so some of the balloons were animals and there were animal ear headbands for people to wear if they wanted.
We had games for kids to play, a big connect 4, and a giant jenga. The brewery provided food, and they had a drinks tab too.
They had invited around 40 people and I think most of them came. By 12 o’clock people were arriving, taking pictures, admiring Emi in her little white dress, drinking beer, eating cupcakes (thanks Jean!) and talking. The guests were a mix of Dan and Kelsey’s friends and Kelsey’s relatives, some of whom came from as far away as Seattle and Hawaii! Like I said, first birthday=big deal.
Kelsey made a smash cake for Emi, no added sugar (but maple syrup), and a yogurt icing. We placed it in front of Emi and sang happy birthday. Emi wanted nothing to do with the cake at all! It’s funny how all my grandkids have had a different reaction to a smash cake. Leo picked off the blueberries but wasn’t interested in the cake. Kirby was VERY interested in the cake, but had a hard time getting a grip on it, it kept rolling around on his high chair tray. And Emi - nope!
The party was supposed to be over at 2 but people were having so much fun that it didn’t really begin to wrap up until 3. I think it was just a lot of people that like each other and maybe hadn’t seen each other for a while. But by 3:30 we had everything packed up and the party was over.
But not the partying! We stopped at the house long enough to unload some stuff from the car (and for me to change out of my dress). Then we drove over to Craig and Jean’s. Some of Kelsey’s Aunts and Uncles were staying with them so we visited and ate dinner there. We had some of the leftovers from the party, plus some apps, poke, salmon, steak, potato salad. Craig had some whiskey from Japan that we had to sample too. We finally said our goodbyes around 7:30 and headed home.
Emi was exhausted and so were we. Lee and I were in bed by 8:30 and I turned out the lights before 9. I slept well too, really for the first time since we came. I was tired!
In the morning it was cold, but the sun was shining and there wasn’t any wind. I was up around 5:30 and out for a run before 7. It was chilly; I wore both my running shirts, and my gloves, but not my headband.
Around 9:30 we drove over to Stanford Mall. We got coffee and rolls and then walked along a trail in a nearby park. Then we did a little shopping, or at least window shopping. I’ve decided I need a new ski parka. I tried on one in North Face that was pretty close to what I’m looking for but it was a little snug around the hips and maybe a little longer than what I want. Kelsey bought a few Christmas presents. Then we went over to Patagonia. I thought for sure they would have what I was looking for, but no.
Then we went to the Town and Country shopping center to get Emi new shoes. She’s already grown out of her first pair! She loves her new shoes and wanted to walk everywhere in them!
Now I’m sitting back at their house while everyone else went over to their new house. Lee and Dan want to map out their breakers and maybe install the video doorbell. Kelsey is going to walk around and think about furniture placement and decorating. And Emi will probably have a bottle and take a nap!
We headed home early on Monday. It was a great trip and we'll see them again in a week, when they come to Minnesota for Christmas.
