Yes, it was a very happy and fun weekend. π
It started on Thursday when my birthday gift arrived, a Kindle DX. Normally for a purchase that large I feel some sort of buyers regret, but not so with the Kindle. It is everything I hoped it would be, and more. Wow. Amazing. I can’t say enough good things about this device. It’s not perfect, of course, I would love left/right navigation buttons on the left side as well as the right. But it’s darn close to perfect. π
On Saturday we attended a birthday party for Corinne’s new friend Odelle (aka Odie). Odie turned 2, and we celebrated at a really nice park in Sunnyvale. Odie’s parents hired someone to make balloon animals for the party, and she was amazing. These were some of the best balloon creations I’ve ever seen, if not the best. Apparently she was self taught, too. The Elmo she created for Corinne was brilliant, although not long lived. By Sunday morning Elmo was in several pieces as balloons popped and deflated. Corinne handed me a few parts while saying “Elmo”, then signed and said “help” a few times. It was adorable and heartbreaking at the same time.
After Odie’s party we went to Andy’s Pet Shop in San Jose. Andy’s Pet Shop is 100% rescue, meaning all the animals there are animals from rescues like Mickaboo. They do good things for animals, and unfortunately Andy’s is currently feeling the economic downturn in a serious way. Given how far away the store is we can’t patronize them often, but since we were in the area we did what we could by stocking up on food, treats, and toys for the critters. Corinne was tired and cranky, but she had a lot of fun watching all the animals. All the birds were “Zoe” and all the dogs “Andre”, she wasn’t sure what to make of the bunnies, and she saw her first turtle.
On Sunday we had a picnic with our friends Scott, Maria, and Sagan. It was fun to just sort of hang out and be social for a while, and it was certainly a beautiful day for it. The park was also a wonderland for the kids. I took Corinne down a several story concrete slide (you ride down on pieces of cardboard), and she *loved* it. No, that’s not a strong enough, she really, really loved it. π She kept asking to go again and again, and I ended up taking her down three times. There was also a tunnel that connected the park with the Berkeley Rose Garden, and Corinne ran up and down it again and again while screaming and giggling. She loves tunnels, especially the echo. In the small children’s playground there was a much more modest slide, and by the end of the afternoon Corinne was climbing up and sliding down all by herself. It was amazing to watch her do the problem solving around getting up to the top so she could slide down again. She’s one smart (and sweet) baby.
By Sunday night Raelene and I were both pooped, and we ended up curling up together on the couch and reading. Spending some quiet time with my wife was the perfect way to end the weekend.