Golfing on Memorial Day after Shelter in Place
December Beach Day in Half Moon Bay
Grace is on a girls weekend in Chicago / Lake Michigan. There was some serious plumbing going on at the house, so we had to get out of there. HMB is my go-to for having a day outdoors with the kids. I’d say there’s a routine, but every wave is different and makes for an adventurous time.
It was crazy to see what the recent storms did to erode the beach. Shortly after walking off the steps there’s about a 5-6′ sand cliff to the newly contoured beach. The seas were still pretty rough and I did have some fear of the kids getting washed away. There was a low-point on the beach that I told Olivia to avoid, though she kept taunting the ocean. This young couple went for a stroll right into that area and were soon soaked to mid-thigh of their rolled-up jeans. It was funny, but also made my point to O.
Though there were some scuffles and a war of wills, there was also a lot of teamwork. We had a late lunch at the hotel before heading home. HMB is always a great little getaway for us and it turned out to be a beatiful late-Autumn day.
33 Photos
Beach and Dinner in Half Moon Bay
On Sunday, August 17th, after I recovered from the Art Fair ride, Grace said we had to get the kids some soccer gear for camp that was starting on Monday. She needed the rest of the day to work, so the kids and I went out. Lucas recalled that I had promised him we’d go to the park, so we went there for a bit. We also had success at the soccer store.
I suggested we go to the beach, and although it was late in the afternoon, we headed over. Like any summer day in the Bay Area, the coast can be dodgy, and on this day, it was overcast, gray and a little chilly. The kids do not care. We “hiked” down to the beach and they played for a bit until dinner time. We headed into the hotel to get cleaned up and changed and decided to have dinner there.
Afterwards, I thought we were ready to head out, but the kids remembered a hill out back they played on at Mother’s Day brunch. We went down to the back of the hotel and they rolled down that hill (with the sundown bagpipes playing) until it was close to dark.
30 Photos
Mother’s Day in Half Moon Bay
Despite the Easter brunch debacle at the Ritz-Carlton in HMB, I decided to give it another try. We sent Grace ahead for a massage in the spa. The kids and I went to the beach before brunch and Grace met us out there along with the Moons who were joining us for brunch. The brunch is really incredible and we had a nice Mother’s Day together. Happy Mother’s Day to our moms, too!
36 Photos
Easter Brunch at Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay
It was a glorious day in Half Moon Bay for Easter Brunch. This was our first time having brunch there and it was amazing (better than in SF). I’d say about 80% of the kids were completely freaked out by the Easter Bunny and there were kids crying everywhere. Olivia and Lucas were fine with him, especially when he offered them candy. I noticed that he gave Lucas a peanut butter cup. Both of our kids are allergic to peanuts and other nuts, so I asked them to give them the little eggs, which I assumed were milk chocolate. They each devoured them quickly. Shortly after, both were agitated, so I took Lucas outside to the Easter Egg hunt. Meanwhile, Olivia had booted all over Grace, so it was time to go. Lucas was clearly having a reaction in the car, too. By the time we got home, Lucas had hives all over his body and Olivia had a puffy eye. He booted after his nap, so it was clear something was wrong. We asked Olivia about the candy on the way to urgent care and she said the inside was light brown and “tasted like granola.” Uh oh. Thankfully, they were both okay and some prescription meds cleared it up. Good thing we had their epi pens handy just in case. Leason learned…
7 Photos
Winter Afternoon at the Beach in Half Moon Bay
On Sunday, January 16th, Grace had a busy day planned (mani/pedi, shopping, etc.), so Lucas, Olivia and I set out for some fun, too. By fun, I mean hardware store, lunch, haircut for lucas, and playing in the garage. We did decide on an impromptu trip to the beach, which was almost derailed when we drove past Lemos Farms on the way to Half Moon Bay and I spent the rest of the ride explaining why pony rides were not happening that afternoon.
I pulled into the Ritz-Carlton and almost did a u-turn, but Olivia finally relented and agreed to our original beach plan. It was a blustery winter day, but we were all prepared. After my last trip there with Olivia, I decide a stroller was required for making the trek. We had a really good time. We stopped in at the hotel for some Shirley Temples, fries, and profiteroles. Lucas was making himself at home all over the restaurant. Thankfully, the waitperson was very kind.
It was a truly memorable day for us!
26 Photos
Kaoru & Francis
