Birthday Week!

We had quite a week celebrating someone's fourth birthday this week.  Nan was here to visit, and we definitely enjoyed the visit and the birthday.

On his last day as a three-year old we stopped at Fort Point in San Francisco on our way out the cabin we rented for a few nights.  It was a gorgeous sunny day, and we all had fun walking through the old fort and enjoying the view of the Golden Gate Bridge above us.

We have been looking forward to staying in the cabins at Steep Ravine in Mount Tamalpais State Park for over a year.  The cabins are very popular and hard to get - we knew that April would be a good month because of Tom's ship's schedule, and it just so happened that we were able to get a reservation for O's birthday.

View of the cabins from the beach below.  Ours is the closest to the rocks.

When we arrived we spent the afternoon relaxing in the cabin and exploring the area right around the cabin.  It is definitely a beautiful, magical place.

Nan and O coloring in the cabin.

The view from our window.

O playing lookout.  Our "ship" kept getting stuck on the rocks, so he had to call
"Mayday, mayday, Coast Guard, save us!"

 On Monday (the big day!), we went for a special birthday hike around the headlands at the cabin.  We hiked to a tide pool beach and checked out the critters in the water.

Dad and O spied a pirate ship.

 After the tide pools, we had a picnic lunch before heading back to the cabin.  O found a little Kermit figurine in the bushes on the hike - of all his birthday presents, that Kermit is his favorite...

O, Kermit and Nan at lunch.

 In the afternoon, we had birthday cake and opened a few more presents.  O was pleased with the peanut butter icing on his cake.

Blowing out the candles.

Checking out his new telescope.

Dad and O flying a kite.  

On Tuesday, Tom and I got to go out for a longer hike while O and Nan stayed back and did a scavenger hunt at the cabin.  It was an amazing hike along Webb Creek up Mount Tam.  We thoroughly enjoyed getting out to stretch our legs on a longer hike.

The beach below our cabin.

Dad and O enjoying the water after our hike.

Sunset.

 We had to tear ourselves away from the cabin on Wednesday after three peaceful nights.  On our way back we stopped to do a little bit of the hike that Tom and I did the day before.

The birthday trip was truly amazing.  O was so excited for every minute that I think he was exhausted just from the fun as much as the activity.   We had his second birthday party at school on Thursday afternoon.  This year, O requested an airplane cake, so I obliged.  

The airplane cake.

Happy Birthday to you...

Blowing out the candles (again).

Tonight, we had his final birthday celebration.  O's favorite restaurant is the Japanese restaurant right down the street from our house.  Pretty much every time we are there, someone has a birthday - so we knew he would get a kick out of hearing everyone sing for him and getting the special birthday tray.

O getting his card from Faith, the owner. 

Happy Fourth Birthday!