Wonderful weekend

Fantastic weekend. It rained saturday morning and was overcast all day sat and sun. With weather like this, I could love it here. Took the kids to the American River pathway, Kai rode his bike while I pushed Nina in the jogging stroller. Finally, with the cooler air we could smell what I remember California smelling like - luscious eucalyptus and the most sweet, fragrant flowers. I kept exclaiming, "Smell that! Can you smell that? It smells delicious!" And Kai said, "Can we eat it?"
We rode across a pedestrian bridge to the other side of the river where Kai tried to climb a few trees - he's always on the lookout for a climbable tree. We made our way to a little playground, played for an hour or so, then rode back. We went to the Davis hands-on museum in the afternoon which doesn't hold a candle to Ann Arbor's, but we enjoyed an hour there.
Sunday Nate worked, the kids and I didn't leave the house until 3. Our destination was a hike from a book I bought with 15 urban hikes around Sacramento. We chose a hike not knowing it was near the airshow, so we had quite an amazing view of thunderbirds circling us but it was also way too loud for Kai. We stayed and played on what may be the best playground in the area, but after 45 minutes Kai had a meltdown from the noise so we left without hiking. We'll return.
The highlight of the weekend for Kai was joining his buddies last night for biking up and down the sidewalk. They were all out - Georgie (3, who reminds us so much of Cole), Rachel (5), Melody (5), AJ (2), Alyce (2.5) and Collin (5). It was quite a scene. Kai and Rachel are kindred spirits, and rode up and back and up and back...Nina chased after the kids and tried to grab wheels and pedals.
Pictures are Kai after his neighborhood ride last night, and Nina watching Kai put on his shoes. She loves shoes almost as much as she loves hats.
Nina's new words, "Oh wow!" Also practicing, "Noooooooooooooooo!" She says book and knows most animal sounds.
Kai was so great all weekend, not a single timeout, I never yelled at him, he never sassed at me, and he was very cuddly and affectionate. I think it makes sense that he's not as well behaved when Nate's around, because he has to compete for my attention. Last night he whispered, "I'm sorry for being mean to you, mom." I said Kai, you've been great all weekend, you don't need to say sorry for anything. Then he sweetly said, "I'm sorry for not picking up the letters and the legos." (This was the cause of a huge eruption and standstill several days ago when I wouldn't play with him and we wouldn't leave the house til he cleaned up those toys, major Kai powertrip. It was awful.)
Nate had a very tough week and weekend, we miss him. But as hard as he works, he always makes time to take the kids outside to play before dinner, to bathe them, and to read to them before bed. Not many other dads do that, here or in Dexter. He rocks our world.