Oktoberfest 2015

We had such a fun weekend! A nice recovery from last weekend's hiking debacle. We started out by checking out the free movie in Downtown Menlo Park on the Chestnut Paseo on Friday evening, which was Big Hero 6. Rich and I had seen it before, and we knew it would be a little scary for Valerie, but we figured she could handle it. She did great! When she got scared we told her to look away and cuddle up with Daddy.

We brought camping chairs, blankets, popcorn and candy, and it was the perfect Friday night family activity. We're planning to go back again this Friday for the last movie in the series, Cinderella.

She was cracking us up on the way home from the movie. She kept interrupting us and saying, "Stop talking Mommy and Daddy! I have a question about Baymax" (the robot from the movie).

"Okay, what's your question?"
"What does... he... do... like... save the day." Every time she would say, "I have a question about Baymax" and we would ask, "okay, what's your question?" And she would make some vague statement. We tried to turn it around by asking her questions: "Is Baymax nice, or scary? Who programmed Baymax? Who is Tadashi?"

In spite of the scary parts, she loved getting to watch a movie with Mommy and Daddy while eating a lollipop. It's so much fun for us to finally be able to watch a movie all together! We'll have to take her to a real theater soon... maybe when Frozen 2 comes out.

Okay, I just googled Frozen 2, and apparently it's not coming out before 2018. We'll probably go see a movie before that.

Saturday morning we took turns getting our workouts in (Rich at the Stanford gym, me at Core Studio) and I made a quick trip to the Palo Alto Farmer's Market for fresh bread, fruit, herbs, fish, avocados and some rosemary almond butter (yum!!).

After a relaxing afternoon and some naps, we got ready for the Redwood City Oktoberfest. We love Oktoberfest in Cincinnati, where there are so many free events around the city every weekend through September and October, and we knew we wanted to find an Oktoberfest in the bay area this year. The big one is in San Francisco next weekend, but it's fairly expensive ($30/person) and we would need a babysitter for the evening one. We'd need a sitter for the daytime one, too, if we wanted Valerie to get her nap that day, but we really wanted to bring her if we could. She loves the music and dancing, and sausages. Redwood City is closer, cheaper, and allows kids, so we decided to go to that one.

don't miss the balloon beer hat on the woman on the left.

We fortunately purchased our tickets earlier in the week because the event was sold out when we arrived. A few of our biodesign friends were planning to meet us there, but hadn't bought tickets in time, so we were bummed about that. We waited in a long line to get our 1-liter steins and bracelets at the entrance, and then got in the beer line. Lots of waiting in the hot sun, but it was worth it! We really had a great time and were impressed by the solid glass beer steins that came with admission. I was expecting something cheap and plastic. There was live music and a few dancing shows, log sawing, and an open dance floor, which Valerie TORE UP.

She is becoming a maniac on the dance floor lately and I LOVE IT. We have dance parties at home all the time now. We'll definitely have to get her in dance classes in the next couple of years.

She was the star of the show. A photographer wanted some pictures and video of her dancing and had us sign a waiver (so maybe we will see these pictures sometime?), and lots of people commented on how adorable she was dancing in her German girl costume, which was actually a Little Red Riding Hood costume I found on Amazon. We left the hooded cape at home, but were not spared the red glitter on the skirt that got everywhere.

The beer was cold, the pretzel covered with havarti was the size of my torso, the music was loud (a bit too loud... my ears were ringing when we left), and Rich convinced me to participate in the women's stein-holding contest at the end - in which I made an impressive (for me) showing! I was one of the last 3 or 4 women standing, and the winner was crowned just a few seconds after my arm gave out. I felt pretty proud of myself. Rich tried to be in the men's stein-holding contest that followed, but he was too slow - all the men wanted to volunteer and they only allowed ten. At that point, Valerie was starting to melt down anyway so we made a hasty exit.

By then it had cooled off and felt wonderful outside. We put the top down on our new (to us) convertible and enjoyed a refreshing ride home in the evening breeze. Such a fun and memorable Oktoberfest this year!

Sunday morning I was inspired to make waffles, and Rich had the brilliant idea to top his with almond butter and nutella. I took it even further by adding some of the fresh strawberries from the farmer's market to mine - YUM! There's a whole post about the waffles on my new blog at Wordpress, LizZestLife - check it out!

I have the best waffle helper!

waffles topped with almond butter, nutella, and fresh strawberries - YEP

Our friends Brett and Ali came over for lunch and Valerie got to meet their 5-month-old daughter Amanda, which was really the cutest thing ever.

We had the loveliest afternoon catching up with them in the backyard even though it was blazing hot outside. We sat in the shade and brought a fan out to keep the air moving so it wasn't too brutal. I am so ready for some of this "not scorching" California weather that I have been promised! "You don't need A/C in the bay area," they said. "It doesn't get that hot here," they said. "You won't be sweating to death in your house for six weeks." LIES.

We had sandwiches with the fresh bread and ingredients from the farmer's market, along with tuna salad and truffle mayo that I made, and of course Sunday Funday style beverages.

Valerie and Amanda timed their naps perfectly so the parents could eat lunch in peace, and we bonded over our shared misfortune that in both our houses, the closet rods are hung too close to the shelves above for hanger clearance. An incredibly frustrating problem I never even knew existed! But we are not alone! There are others out there suffering with us! Seriously, who hangs the closet rods too close to the shelves above?!? Combined with an already too-small closet, this makes the hanging of clothes a hellish task.

Anyway, we had a blast with Brett, Ali and Amanda, and a quiet evening at home Sunday night since Rich had work to do. It was so hot in the house I decided something deliciously ice cold would be necessary.

It was a great weekend of family, friends, tasty treats, dancing and relaxation despite the heat. Next weekend's forecast is a refreshing high of 80 degrees. Bring. It. On!!!!