My Son is Three!

Today marks the three year anniversary of Gavin's life. I cannot believe how fast time has flown. He should still be in diapers and I should still be frazzled as I attempt to interpret his different cries.

We celebrated his birthday on Saturaday by taking him to the Sonoma Train Town Railroad in Sonoma, California. For you Sacaramentans, it's like Funderland except larger and train themed. They feature a 20 minute train ride where you a dropped off at a tiny town complete with a church, jail, and petting zoo. Their rides selection catered to both the big and little kids. Check it out:

It's so fun that you're kids leave screaming because they don't want to leave. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GAVIN!

Mommy Likes...Buchon Bakery

Nestled in the Napa valley, Yountville, California is home to Buchon Bakery. Owned by renowned chef, Thomas Keller, Buchon offers the greatest little treats. When you arrive, don't be intimidated by the serpentine line out the door. This is the norm on the weekends, as Buchon is that popular. When you finally step foot inside, you are greeted with a warm smile and wonderful baked delights. 

It was my turn to order and I didn't want to miss a thing or mess up my order because it took so long to get inside. I felt like Jerry Seinfeld with the Soup Nazi, except these guys were friendly. Looking quickly, yet meticulously at all they offered, I opted for a couple of macarons and a vanilla latte. 

I was not disappointed. The macarons were sweet, pillowy perfection and the latte was unforgettable. If you live in Nor Cal, you must try it. I'll save a place for you in line.

Mommy Likes...Packing Lunches

School is right around the corner and with it comes the responsibility of packing lunches again. Is it just me or does it seem like kids never like the lunch that their parents pack them? As a kid, I don't remember getting terribly excited about my school lunches. I see the same look of delight when I tell Bryce that I made him yet another peanut butter and honey sandwich. Maybe my son will never be thrilled with everything I make, however, I know he will definitely be excited about how it's packaged. Below are my picks for elements of a great lunch:

laptoplunches.com offers these great bento boxes. They come in different color combinations and what kid doesn't love opening little containers to see the surprise that awaits them? 

I chose this bag because of the Hello Kitty lover within me. I found this bag on reuseit.com and I love the cutesy, Japanese look. What a pleasant looking sandwich! How often is that statement made?

It does not matter how old your kid is, they always like notes from you. Instead of scribbling a note on a napkin, give them a mini lunch note. Each card has a colorful animal on the front and space on the back for a hand-written note. Check it out at potterybarnkids.com

A Day At Sunsplash!

I'm currently sitting in the "mom section" at Golfland Sunsplash as the kids go out and have a great time. While watching everyone's stuff, I'm reading and people watching.

I'm also figuring out a proper punishment for some girls who were giving my son and niece a hard time in the wave pool. Apparently, they were splashing them, on purpose, and following them around. When they rudely splashed the kids, Bryce told them, "Hey thanks, that felt really good!" Oh Bryce, where on Earth do you get that sarcastic sense of humor from? :) I don't take kindly to people messing with my family. If I find them, I'll either have a "come to Jesus meeting" with them or punch their moms in the face. I'm still working out the kinks in my plan.

As a reward to myself, I am eating what is arguably the largest milkshake in the world. Gotta love Sunsplash!

It's Splattering

Being a boy can be gross. Especially when it comes to peeing outdoors. On our way to Truckee, Ca, our 2 year old, Gavin announced that he had to go to the bathroom. He is newly potty trained. When he has to go, I make it happen...quickly. 

We pulled over onto a shoulder and the boys frantically rushed out of the car to pee. As I'm helping Gavin get over the stage fright of peeing on rocks, I feel something wet on my legs. As my older son was relieving himself, his pee was bouncing off the rocks and hitting my legs. WHY DID I WEAR SHORTS AND FLIP FLOPS? WHY DOES THIS SORT OF THING ONLY HAPPEN TO ME? WHY AM I YELLING? 

I was standing on a pile of large, jagged rocks so I couldn't exactly run. Not to mention, I was supporting Gavin in his endeavors. I was stuck. It seemed like the shower of pee would never end. As I frantically attempted to move away, Gavin's started to pee on my hand. Way gross. After that, I had to clean up Gavin, my car door, my hand, oh, and my leg. 

Always eventful in the house of Bunbury. Always eventful. 

LOL, OMG, ROFL

There is something that has bothered me for a long time and I'm dying to get it off my chest. I have a pet peeve with the overuse of "lol". My theory of its popularity is that people don't know how to end a sentence. All the grammar that we have learned has been tossed out the door and replaced with internet slang. As a result, they use lol instead of a period.

Much too often, I see status updates such as, "Waiting for my drink at Starbucks lol" or "I'm engaged!!! lol" How does waiting for a latte or committing your life to someone warrant laughing out loud? That doesn't make me laugh, not even chuckle or guffaw.

If you are guilty of this, please stop attaching that phrase to updates that are not lol-worthy. I will get off my soap box now.

BLT (sort of)

Last week, I was inspired to make BLTs for dinner (and by inspired, I mean bacon was on sale so I had to do something with it!) Instead of the typical BLT, I tweaked the recipe. The result was really delicious. I felt it was worth sharing.

BST- Bacon, Spinach, and Tomato Sandwich

Ciabatta (I prefer the ones from Nugget)

8 slices of bacon

Spinach

2 Tomatoes sliced

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

1 clove of garlic sliced

Sea Salt 

Pepper

Cook bacon to crispy perfection. Combine tomatoes, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, and garlic in a ziploc bag. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes. Slice ciabatta into 1 inch thick slices. Drizzle ciabatta with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil bread to desired toastiness. Layer your ciabatta slice with spinach, bacon, and tomatoes, then top with another ciabatta slice. 

Serve with kettle salt and pepper chips and you've got quite a meal. Enjoy!