Summer Vacation Part III

THE BEACH

1. Never go to the beach before noon.


2. Always have a back up parking plan.
   
3. Bring lots of wet wash clothes / water bottles.


4. NEVER bring home a live clam!!

After spending the entire vacation being asked by Chloe "when are we going to the ocean" , it was finally time! I was very fortunate to sleep in this morning. The children woke up early like usual but great grandma came and got them from the room and allowed me to sleep in an extra 30 minutes before Sophie came in and woke me up! Another great breakfast and we were preparing for the beach. Chloe was super excited!! All she could talk about was seeing Ariel, Flounder and Sebastian because they live in the ocean! I didn't have the heart to tell her they wouldnt be there.

We spent most of our time playing in the sand making sand castles for Ariel to live in, searching for sand crabs... because Sebastian is a sand crab didn't you know that! Chloe and I walked the beach in search of the perfect seashell but had little luck. So we kicked around in the water for a little bit. I was up to my knees and chloe was waist deep. She LOVED it, I on the other hand was freezing... My legs were NUMB!!!! Sophie was terified of the water. Everytime a wave came to shore she would run for dry land! As I sat in the wet sand playing with the children Bobby had the easy job of taking pictures... Apparently we should have switched jobs!!! After about 3 min he declared the camera was "dead". Good thing I brough 2 extra sets of batteries with us!! But they were dead too??? They were litteraly BRAND NEW! I had just purchased them the day before. I was very upset that we werent going to be able to capture Sophies first beach trip, or Chloes 3rd!! I will survive afterall the mental pictures can't be deleted!

It was about 1:30 when the girls decided that they were hungry enough to leave the water for just one minute (according to chloe). So we walked back to the van to add time to our meter and we decided that we should clean up all the sand before we headed down the beach for lunch. So Like stated aboue you deffinitly need water and washclothes to get the sand out of there diaper area! Luckily we had the water and we had to use baby wipes so we were okay. After we were cleaned up we walked over to our favorite little pizza place called Ray's. So yummy! After we ate we went to take the girls back to my grandmas so Bobby and I could go back to the beach and have some fun time of our own!

We got to grandmas and both girls were past out! Sun + Fun = NAPS! So Bobby laid the girls in bed and my grandma had the table set for us for lunch! We were already soooo full. I didn't have the heart to tell her that we had already eaten so Bobby and I forced our selves to eat a little bit! After we were done and the kitchen was cleaned I sat on the couch next to Bobby and with one glance we were both thinking the same thing. The beach will have to wait. We would have to go back next summer. We were just too tired and way to full!! So we lounged around and watched movies until the girls woke up. They were sad that we weren't going back to the beach. So instead we filled the pool with water and let them play outside. I went with Grandma to get stuff to make ice cream sundays!

We were sooo exhausted by the long day, and all the sun that I was just useless. I fell asleep on the couch and Bobby and my grandma chased after my children. Finally Bobby woke me up and took me to bed. We had to wake up at 5:30am the next morning.

The alarm went off, I hit the snuzz buttom. They alarm went off again at a quarter til. I jumped out of bed, woke up Bobby and the girls. We quietly finished packing and getting ready so that we wouldn't wake anyone in the house. We walked quietly out of the room and everyone was awake and waiting for us at the kitchen table with breakfast. So yummy!

Then it was time for goodbyes. I HATE goodbyes. Everyone crys. We never have enough time there. I wish that I could just stay with her in California forever!!

Love <3

Summer Vacation Part II

The 4th of July

Saturday we woke up early. Really early. My children have a built in alarm system. Not like you forget where you park so you hit the panic button, but more like its the crack of dawn (5am) and its ow time to wake up and wake mom and dad too! So I get up with my wide eyed children and we make our way to the living room where great grandma is rocking away in her chair and just waiting anxiously for us to awake, well at least the children. Great grandpa was awake by 6, and Bobby was lucky enough to sleep in until 9! And like the previous morning my grandma made us the most delicious breakfast ever!! Did I mention she likes to spoil us?! So good! After Breakfast Chloe and I made 4th of July cupcakes!

I gave my children a bath and took a very well desired shower and we all got dressed. Chloe decided that she couldn't live another minute without cartoons in her life. So my grandma put them on in her bedroom and Chloe spent most of the early afternoon in there. Her favorite cartoons right now in case you are wondering are Dora, Yo Gabba Gabba, Wonder Pets, and Sponge Bob.

While Chloe watched cartoons Sophie was ready to explore! Sophie and I headed out on our own for a walk.

And then daddy came out and decided to explore with us!

After our walk Sophie was exhausted! So it was nap time for her. Just as she feel asleep Chloe woke up and decided that she was STARVING and needed to eat wunch (lunch).

After lunch she NEEDED a RED cupcake. This was the after effect!

After Lunch and cupcakes Chloe watched another episode of Dora and waited very patiently for Sophie to wake up so they could go swimming. While Chloe was waiting, my grandma and I decided that we would have a Ceveche cook off. I totally won. My grandma on the other hand chooses to believe that she won. But the facts are in, everyone ate mine and no one ate hers!! Sophie woke up and it was time for the pool, again.

While the children were swimming I owned the BBQ and grilled some delicious RIBS and Hot Dogs! Yumm!! While I was grilling my grandma made the best baked beans ever, pasta salad, and corn on the cob!! Best BBQ ever!

Notice my grandpa's plate, HUGE!

Chloe had 2 helpings of baked beans and pasta salad!

After dinner everyone needed to relax. Some of us more then others...

While everyone rested I cleaned up the dinner dishes and handed out cupcakes. So yummy! After the kitchen was cleaned I changed the girls into there PJ's and we waited for the sun to set so we could do fireworks!! The girls were a little anxious so we went and sat outside a little early!

Eventually the sun set and it was time for firworks! First were the SPARKLERS!

Bobby was in DANGER with the sparklers!

The noise from the fireworks scared the kids, so they climbed into the back of the van and stole glances of the fireworks, and were mesmerized by the bright flickering colors and loud noises!

After the noise started to settle down, the decided to come and sit with me on the lawn and watch the fireworks that were in the distance. Occasionally Sophie would get scared and hide her head in my chest. Overall it was an amazing 4th of July! We had a great time! Thanks Grandma!!

Summer Vacation Part I

We left our house on Friday at 1am and headed down the dark winding roadway for what seemed like forever. On the way to California we were distracted by a crazed driver who turned out to be a drunken fool! At the cost of everyone on the road he drove spuraticaly not taking into consideration the families on the roadway with him. After nearly being driven off the shoulder by this man Bobby and I made the decision to call DPS. They were determined to catch the man as badly as we were determined for him to be caught! So an hour into our journey to Beach land was spent on the phone with a very nice DPS man giving exact locations of where the drunk man was. And yes, he was pulled over, and then we were able to continue on our own journey!

With the children sound asleep in the backseat I crossed the Arizona California border about 3am. It was dark and lonley driving while Bobby and the children slept. I made up songs and storys and told them to my self as I drove along. I went as far to make up jokes to keep my mind occupied but that was a failure, I already knew the punch lines. So I decided to wake up Bobby and trade me places. Bobby took the wheel like a champ and I slept soundly until Indio. From Indio threw Riverside we talked about everything and nothing at all. Every once in a while Chloe would awaken without a peep and stick her two cents into our conversation which made us laugh even more! We found ourselves wondering how old Chloe really is.

About 6:30 we pulled into my grandmas drive way and were greated with loads of hugs and smiles. As always my grandmas house smelled of fresh baked goods! After everyone settled down we had the best breakfast ever!! My grandma always goes all out when we are there!! I love her so much!! After breakfast Bobby took a well deserved nap and I gave the children a bath and dressed them for our day.

Like always the first thing we did was go shopping! We started at Walmart and ended at the fireworks stand, stopping in between at Sam's Club for the BBQ stockpile.

Shopping always has a marvelous effect on my children. We purchased all the fixins for a great 4th of July BBQ that would make everyones mouth water (more on the BBQ later). After we got home and unloaded all the bags and boxes the children were ready for FUN!! So we put on the babsoups (bathing suits) and headed to the pool

Okay, so I guess I should have specified plastic pool. Non the less the girls LOVED it! After we got all dried off and into some PJ's it was time for dinner. Chloes favorite, baked pasta! We headed to bed early we were exhausted from the driving and lack of sleep, or atleast I was! So to bed we went to reast our heads and tired muscles.