Sharks, Mummies, and Giants (A Day In San Jose)

Yesterday was a much anticipated day in our household. Camden's long awaited ice hockey camp, which he's asked to play for a year now, was beginning! Of course, because everything in our life is complicated, hockey camp was complicated too. The closest camp (that we could afford, because most youth hockey is made with solid gold pucks or something) is in San Jose, a solid hour and a half away from our house. Not that we are above road trips, as you all know. BUT, that long of a drive for a one hour camp once a week? Is it worth the drive and the gas and the getting up super early?

In one picture, the answer is OBVIOUSLY. 

But really, it's worth it. The camp is run by prior coaches and players of the San Jose Sharks NHL organization. They supplied head to toe equipment (to keep, even after camp) and the one requirement of camp is that you must be aged 4-8 and have zero prior hockey experience (ice skating experience is urged but not necessary). 

So, we got up at the butt crack of dawn (literally), and drove south to San Jose to the camp. It's a good thing we arrived early, because it takes a solid half hour just to get all that freaking equipment on. 



There were probably 50 kids on the ice, and they had 5 rotating stations, each station teaching them something different. From what I could understand, the stations were skating (and falling properly), sharks and minnows (tag on ice, basically learning how to skate and evade), stick handling, and shooting. The last station was what Brad and I called "buckets", which was for the kids that couldn't skate at all and were hanging onto buckets the whole time. The kids that could skate (Cam being one of them) skipped that station entirely. 

All in all, it was a glorious, hilarious shit show. Even the best skaters splatted themselves all over the ice every 2 minutes or so. No one is "good", which is why it was so adorably funny. Camden was trying to skate too fast, so the puck almost always ended up between his legs, causing him to try and stop, but he couldn't, because he's six and he's on ICE, so he'd splatter onto his back as if he had stepped on a banana peel. Then, four other kids around him would go legs up and land on their backs, because no reason at all. 

Best. Kid. Sport. Ever. 

After the hour was over, we were still 90 minutes from home, and it was 9am. So, we turned hockey day into family day, Silicon Valley style. And we couldn't have crammed more into the day if we tried. 

First, we went over to Almaden Quicksilver Park, a huge hilly park with miles of walking, hiking and horseback riding trails. Since we were completely unprepared to hike in 85 degree weather after being in a 20 degree ice skating rink (long pants, thick socks, etc), we lasted about an hour. But this is a rad place that we will return to. We saw lots of little field mice and the kids really loved the banana slugs for some reason. 

After we had enough of that, we headed back into the city and stopped at an almost-famous drive in for lunch: Falafels' Drive In, as seen on TV on Diners, Dives and Drive Ins. 

(Actually, we had no idea it was well known, we just looked up good places to eat on Pinterest). 

We had the Falafel sandwich, of course, hand made pita chips and hummus (the kids had corn dogs and onion rings, because America). This food is AMAZING. We will definitely be back. 

See that line? That means it's good (photo taken off Google images, but the line was just as long yesterday)

Next on our thrown together list was an Egyptian Museum just a mile away. While I assumed it wouldn't be that impressive (I mean, it wasn't like a natural history museum or anything), it was actually bigger than any of us anticipated. There were hundreds of artifacts, mummies, and even a scale 2 story underground tomb that you can walk through (so cool the kids wanted to go through it twice). We spent a solid two hours in this place. Great find. Outside of the museum was a peace garden and a jumbo sized game of "senet", an ancient egyptian version of backgammon meets chess. Brad and I rested on a park bench while the kids made up the "rules" to this game. 

A replica "Rosetta Stone", with magnifying glasses. 

Entrance to the tomb! Calen is pretending to be scared lol. 

Playing senet. The boys made up the rules and were rolling the giant dice to move their white checkers past each other. I love how Cam is standing on his waiting for Calen to make his move. 

Entrance to the Egyptian Museum. Incredible. 

Because we hadn't had enough adventure yet, we ended the day right back where we started. Exactly next door to the Sharks Ice Arena is the San Jose Giants minor league baseball stadium (single - A affiliates to the San Francisco Giants). And as luck would have it, there was a game at 5 o'clock! And even better, they were giving out San Francisco Giants Charlie Brown bobbleheads. Count us in! The Giants lost and it was hot as Egypt (see what I did there), but for $8 a ticket and front row seats, we had an amazing time. 

View from our $8 seats. 

Now, if you drive 90 minutes to an hour hockey camp, but spent 13 hours exploring the area, it's definitely, definitely worth it. 

When Thank You Isn't Enough (A Story About A Car)

I had to take a couple days to post this, because really, I was still in shock, and I wasn't sure how to voice my astonishment and gratitude, or if I even knew how to write it out properly. 

So this past week, my older brother Josh drove down with his wife Karen and my nephew Niko to visit for a few days. We had just the greatest time, exploring San Francisco, playing old quarter arcade games, eating ice cream at Ghiradelli's and watching sea lions, but especially just sitting around the house and chatting without time restrictions (due to us having to visit 140 other closest relatives and friends when we are visiting in WA). It was such a great visit, and I cherished every minute of it with them. 

The night before they left, they took us out to dinner as a treat. When we were done eating, Karen slid me a little box with a card. I figured, it was my birthday last month, so I wasn't suspicious. The card stated that there had been something in their family for a long time, but it was time for them to move it on, and they wanted it to remain in the family. I open the tin, expecting a little trinket...

It was the KEYS TO THEIR YUKON that was sitting in the parking lot!

Wait, WHAT just happened?!

Turns out, they had tricked us into thinking the three of them drove down in the Yukon, but really, they had taken a second car (and hidden it from us). The title was with them, and they were just handing us a gigantic car for FREE. 

I thought that was the kind of thing that only happened in movies?!

After a lot of tears from Brad and stunned speechlessness from me, we somehow accepted the gift (although, I still have barely accepted it as reality), under the circumstances that we make a LOT of memories in it, as they did when their kids were growing up. 

The weight of this gift is insurmountable. Our lifestyle has just changed completely. We have navigated being a one-car family for the entire life of our children, which was easy at first, but now that they are in elementary school and involved in sports and have friends and are all over the place, it has become exceedingly difficult. We've made it by, sure. But having a second car, let alone a second car that seats seven people, is going to make even our day to day routine so much less complicated. The fact that we don't have to drop one parent and one kid off at one field and the other parent and other kid have to fly across town in our one car to make practice. The fact that anytime people visit, we have room for them. The fact that we now have two cars and NO car payment. The fact that every time I sit in it now, it reminds me of my brother (and sister in law), who I've always looked up to, adored, and strive to be as good of a parent and cool of a person as he is. 

Damn, that really did just happen.

SERIOUSLY!!!

As for the Yukon, it's incredible. It's actually a Yukon Denali XL, which means it's the fully loaded, bigger-than-my-first-apartment version. It has three rows and seats seven (two rows of captains chairs, plus 3rd row bench), PLUS a full sized trunk even with the third row up. It's got a V8 and ROARS when you hit the gas, and I can tow any trailer, pleasure boat, or aircraft carrier I want. And because my brother owns an auto shop, it's got new parts, lots of extras, and is immaculate. 

To say I'm thankful is a pitiful understatement. I'm not sure how I could ever show my gratitude, let alone type it out in some stupid blog where I'm usually just talking about what just came out of my kids' mouth or what little day trip we went on. I almost didn't want to even post about it, and somehow taint or disrespect the untouchable and intimate appreciation that I have from it, or to tear away from just how thankful I am that they came and visited (car or no car). But at the same time, some things you just need to shout from the rooftops. So here's me, on the rooftop. MY FAMILY IS AMAZING. And I'll never say thank you enough. 

Here's to many, many new adventures (and thus, blog posts) with our new car. 

Seriously, the words of this post are an injustice to my gratitude.

Meet the Beast!

P.S. we had an awesome time in San Francisco together and made incredible memories. Photo dump!

All of us sans Karen (someone had to take the picture). Josh is crouching to make me feel better about myself. 

My favorite big brother!

My nephew Niko and his mini me Calen