brought to you courtesy the urgings of a doting mama...

Hello, I will now relate the fun times I had with 2 little nephews of mine. Actually, they are getting bigger now. I carried the 4 year old around a little and was quite exhausted.

We went to Gilroy Gardens last week. I only went on a few rides but the boys were into most everything. There was a lot of following around and chasing down the 2 wandering guys. They just love to do things and show things to me but I have a freak-out switch inside when we're going around crowds and they start disappearing. After Gilroy Gardens we went to the Olive Garden, which I hadn't been to in a while and I spent a lot of time playing games and repeating sentences since either no one could hear me or too many people were talking. Also the tables are rather big and there was a loud party near us. Alex is very bright and Andy is picking up letters.

The next day (Sunday) last week we went to a free concert at Stern Grove which the kids hated. It was symphony music. The 8 year old cried. It went like this:

Alex (getting teary-eyed): How long is this concert?
Me: Hours. Just be quiet and listen, you'll probably like the pretty parts of it.
Alex: (Sob, sob, sob.)

Oh, and here's how Andy took it:

Andy (in very urgent, seriously worried voice): Auntie Carolyn! They keep playing music!!

Needless to say we left early and "hiked" up the hill to get out of there. I think I taught Andy that new word, because he kept repeating it and liked to hike a lot. I think the hike might have been the best part of the whole thing for them.

Then we went to my place for a potty stop, and poor Andy got locked in the bathroom. Luckily I helped him figure it out without having to resort to tearing my dresser from the door connected to the bathroom and my closet. Then we all went to dinner at Ghiradelli square and then had (guess what!) ice-cream there. The ice-cream went over big. Then my dad was going to drive me home but we decided to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge for the kids. Then just as we were getting closer to my house we decided to drive by the Pink Fortress (as I call it- Robin William's house.)

Then on the 4th of July we went to 6 Flags! Alex is well aware of the 1 Flag, 2 Flag, 3 Flag, 6 FlagS! commercial. (More than I was, as I don't watch tv.) 6 Flags was a lot of fun even though there was even more people and thus even more chasing of wandering nephews, and Alex had a headache so I had to hike myself 3 miles or so back to the parking lot to get his kid's motrin.

We saw dolphins, whales, sharks, and went on a couple rides (well, the kids did, I was watching my back.) It was such a fun day. Then at night no one wanted to leave after the short firework display, but of course the park was closing so we had to go. The crowd swelled as we got closer to the entrance so I picked up Andy so he wouldn't wander off (I'd made him hold my clothes earlier but it was getting crazy.) He was still upset about having to leave at all (they loved the playground) so I told him how everything has to rest and all the animals including us needed sleep and then the next day would be a new day with new fun things to do. That calmed him down but then he thought we'd never get out, there were too many people! So I told him, don't worry, we'll get out. They're closing, they make us leave. Andy, looking at the swarms of people around us: Auntie Carolyn! We need to worry! That was the funniest line so we started laughing and I told him what a funny kid he is. He crashed on the tram on my lap (the tram went nowhere until all the people finally cleared an hour later.) So Alex and I talked with the kids next to us and Alex salivated over all the neat souvenirs he saw people dragging off. It took us hours to leave but Alex and I had a good time chatting in the car and he stayed awake really well. Andy crashed but later he talked in his sleep: NOOOOO crying!! ??

Anyway, it was sad to say goodbye the next morning and I miss them.