Eli and I returned Thursday from our trip to northern California to visit family. I apologize to all of our friends in the area; it was just such a short visit that we spent the whole time with family. We'll definitely have to plan some more time next visit! Despite some very Seattle-like weather we had a great trip! It was great to reconnect with family we haven't seen in nearly a year, and we definitely had some fun. We ended up waiting an extra hour and half at the airport (our flight was cancelled), but we discovered that the Seattle airport has a fantastic play area for kids! Eli did lots of climbing and sliding while waiting to "fy" (fly) on the airplane (I'm not even going to attempt a phonetic spelling of how Eli pronounces airplane!).
We arrived on Sunday afternoon and headed straight to my Aunt Natalie's house to see the cats and sheep there. Eli was a little unsure at first (and tired after missing his nap!), but by the time we left he was "baaing" at the sheep. Unfortunately my camera was packed away and we didn't get any pics of Eli with the sheep. The next morning we headed to the Charles Schultz museum in Santa Rosa for thir Mommy and Me program, accompanied by my Uncle Harold (aka "Unkie" to me, and "Unk" to Eli). It was a great program that ran two hours, included stories, snacks, music, toys, and crafts - all for only $5! Eli had a great time, particularly playing on the funny little ottoman-type chairs at the museum.
He even got to play Schroeder's (spelling?) piano! One of the crafts was a shaker (an empty water bottle filled with beans); Eli's concentration was focused as he put each individual bean into his bottle!
That evening we had dinner at my Grandma Terry's house (aka Ganny), where we got to spend time with several family members, including Eli's beloved LaLa. :)
Tuesday it was off to San Fransisco with Unk and Aunt Natalie (aka "Nat" because "Aunt Natalie" proved to be quite a tongue twister!) to see the aquarium, the sea lions, and have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. It was quite a fun day with some really neat things to see. Eli loved the sharks and enjoyed searching the aquarium tanks for orange fish (I don't know why he liked the orange ones in particular!).
Above: Eli looking at all of the fish swimming above him as we walked through the "undersea" tunnel. Below: Eli got to touch a bat ray and a starfish in the aquarium's touch pools.
Wednesday we visited the Bay Area Discovery Museum, which I can unequivocally say was Eli's favorite activity in California! I can't even begin to describe all of what this amazing kid-haven includes, but here are some of the highlights according to Eli...
Dump trucks!
Coloring!
A "tot spot" that included tons of neat sensory experiences. Below: an aquatic room where kids walked across "ponds" that were basically water beds. I joined him, and it was actually really cool!
Xylophones!
Puddles! Eli had a phenomenal time playing in this little puddle he found. Notice the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
Eli's friend Grace recently unleashed her alter-ego "Nakey Girl" and Eli decided that, like every good female superhero, she needed a male counterpart...thus we introduce you to Nakey Boy! Nakey Boy is faster than a speeding bullet and can be found leaping tall couches in a single bound (well, almost), all the while giggling like a banchee. He thinks it's absolutely hilarious to run around naked, and for some reason always bolts for the couch once the clothes are off (after convincing us that he's heading straight to the bathtub!). He's quite entertaining!
Everyone left happy! (Although, I suppose Zoe would have been happier if we had spent the entire afternoon in the off-leash section of the park!)
One of the people Eli loves most in this world is Pa! He thinks Pa is pretty great (and the rest of us agree!). :) Anytime with Pa is a good time, but some of Eli's favorite "Pa time" takes place at Dada's basketball games. Although he'd love to sit and watch the game, Pa enjoys the quality time with Eli; taking our little guy for walks when he can't handle being cooped up in the bleachers anymore, heading across the gym for a front-row seat when the band is playing (not that Eli actually sits when the band is playing!), exploring the far corners of the gym and bleachers, and helping Eli shoot hoops during half time! Needless to say, these two are great buddies! 
Then, off came the socks and on went the rainboots...accompanied, of course, by a guffaw and a grin! 
Oh, and let's not forget the safari hat, of course! (This one's for you, Unk!). 
Our little goofy-gus sure was having fun. :) The final photo is from the following day, when Eli decided to accessorize his otherwise normal (or maybe Eli would say boring!) outfit with his rainboots (he has to wear them at least once a day!) and Mama's belt. What fun!
The museum is located in Sausalito, at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge...thus providing great views of the great structure. 
That night we went to Chuck E. Cheese, which is a well-established favorite with Eli. He had a great time, especially shooting hoops and going down the slide. 
The next morning it was time to pack up and head home. While it was great to get back to everything here, we were sad to say goodbye. We had a great visit!
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