Festival and Fun

On Memorial Day we went to the San Ramon Art and Wind Festival. I don't really know the origins of this event or why it focuses on a "wind" theme. It just so happened that that particular day was fairly windy. There were kite-flying demos and a room where the kids could make kites. There were also a few little rides, vendors selling artisanal products, and food booths. The kids each had a snow cone. Actually, they each had about 1/5 of a snow cone, and the trashcan had the rest. Ice and syrup: $5 (for two).  

While walking through the ride area, we happened to spot our buddies! Fancy that. We were planning on heading elsewhere because there were lots of lines and crowds, but they had already purchased tickets and kindly shared with us so the kids could all go on a couple of things together. 

They all held hands in line--so sweet!

Simon got a little "shook up" on this bumpy car ride (figuratively and literally), so sweet Sienna put her arm around him to provide comfort. I think it worked.

Another anecdote of note: on one ride, Rose had to ride with a stranger (a boy about her age). After she got off she coyly told me that he had let her have the seatbelt even though he didn't have any himself. Sweet, huh?! 

Back to Simon being shaken up...he also got a little shaken up by an embarrassing experience. It all started when he joyfully skipped up to a group of people eating kettle corn...he stood there smiling at them for a rather long time. Then he realized that he actually did not know them, and the look on his face changed dramatically. Poor little buddy. I know how sensitive he is, and I foresaw rough times ahead when he went over to those people. He immediately came to us and said he wanted to go home (with a quivering lip). Then the flood gates let loose and he unleashed his rage on us. It took him a long time to get over that incident. Poor little thing. I can actually totally relate. We ended up leaving on a happy note, though, so it's all good.

Another fun thing we've done recently is a trip to Santa Cruz. We headed down last Thursday and spent the night in a hotel--the Fairfield Inn in Capitola. The kids love hotels. Jumping on beds, continental breakfast...what's not to love? 

Thursday night we had dinner at a beachfront restaurant in Capitola. Then we hit up the boardwalk and played a few arcade games. Friday we went back to the boardwalk and played some more arcade games, went on the carousel, and ran around the windy, frigid beach. Then we ate at a great Indian restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz and visited a cute little toy store (really the only type of retail establishment I can ever go to with kids). Fun, fun times!