grandad's visit, part 3.

On Saturday we took my dad out to Tomales Bay, where we grilled fresh oysters and bratwurst. That place has become really popular, so it's a much different experience than we first started going. But luckily, they have a good system of dealing with the crowds and still making it a fun place to be. We ate so much food, I thought I was going to pop. 

We also had a Berkeley day all about Eliza, where we took her on the Steam Train and Carousel in Tilden Park. My dad said the train was one of his favorite things we did. Mostly because he got to sit across the way from Eliza and watch her face. Eliza has a huge range of emotions, and you can see her spaz out from excitement at the drop of a hat. But, when she is seeing new things she get's really serious and her eyes get really big while she takes in every single detail. It's kind of funny to watch.

She is really into dressing up lately, and I'm always finding new things to add to her "dress up box." It's also her favorite thing to do when people are around. She drags the box into the living room and carefully selects an outfit for herself, and sometimes for everyone who is present. Then, she usually dance around and puts in her show. She also loves setting up tea parties with her plastic tea set and her plush cupcakes. I was in mama heaven watching these two have a tea party together. 

Sam and I took my dad to a Giants game one night, where we had our first strike out on food. We were meeting Sam at the stadium, so my dad and I left early enough to grab food on the way. As we were walking to the stadium, we didn't see any good places to eat and ended up stopping at an over-priced grocer where we ate tofu noodle salad and wraps. Tofu! Only to find out that one block away were bacon-wrapped hot dog stands and grilled cheese sandwiches. It was seriously laughable- like Seinfeld standards.

We started a tradition of going on a daddy-daughter date every time we visit each other. This time I took him on a walk up at Inspiration Point on Orinda, where the wind threatened to knock us over- but the views were beautiful. We see each other a couple of times a year, and talk on the phone weekly. But, there's something about being one-on-one that is so important to me. It's just nice to talk without distractions. It's weird to think that I have lived away from home for almost a decade. I've been an "adult" for ten years, a wife for five, and a mother for two. So, these rare moments when I can just be a daughter are pretty special. 

After our walk we went to Elmwood and split a sandwich and polenta at Summer Kitchen. Since it was nearing closing time, they were throwing food and drinks at us for free. Then, of course, I had to take him to Ici to get a cone. This is my favorite ice cream in the Bay, and it never disappoints. We walked around as it started to get dark, each with a cone of Vanilla  Almond Cherry.