The Grandkids

Since Auntie Kim and the boys were in town we decided to get some updated pics of all the grandkids:

Sea World

We were so lucky that Auntie Kim was able to come to California with Mac and Ethan during our adventures at Sea World. Actually, Auntie Kim got a year-long pass for Sea World so she even treated us to our admission! Thanks, Auntie!

It was a chilly day but the sun peeked out form behind the clouds every ow and again which made us all happy.  We all had a fun time seeing all the sea life and hanging out.

Some of our favorite things were: Shamu, Elmo's 4D Movie Adventure, and the Sharks. One of the first things we did when we arrived was head to the Shamu show. Madelyn really enjoyed all the music and action. She was excited when the trainers taught the audience how to signal to Shamu so he would splash. She got the motion down right away, and continued all the way through the show. It was adorable.

Madelyn hasn't been to a movie yet, so we thought the 4D Elmo movie would be a good way to start since it was only about 25 minutes long. Everyone put on their 3D glasses and enjoyed the show. We especially liked the effects of wind and water that we could feel right in our seats. Madelyn loved the 3D rainbow that you could reach right out and grab (or so we tried anyway).

Daddy bought Madelyn a couple batches of fish to feed the sea lions. This proved to be a fun activity for everyone (except Mommy, who preferred to stay behind the camera). Madelyn fed a couple fish to the sea lions and when they started "talking" back for more, she decided they were much too loud!

 The sharks were another hit with everyone. I always forget how many different breeds of sharks there are. Madelyn quickly discovered this too, telling everyone, "These are the slow sharks," or "These a fast sharks."

We even spent some time in line to see Elmo and The Count. Madelyn could hardly wait to get to the front of the line, trying to sneak by all the other kids several times. However, once it was our turn to take a picture, Elmo was a little too close for comfort. Daddy ended up getting in the picture with her, which turned out really cute.

Click here to see more pictures from Sea World.

Extraordinary Desserts

Today we decided to visit downtown San Diego. Ally had a sandwich shop she wanted us to try in Del mar, and then we were headed to do some shopping.

Before driving to Horton Plaza, Auntie Kim suggested that we stop at Extraordinary Desserts on Union Street, and boy oh boy, we were so happy we took her advice! We had the most amazing desserts! It was hard to choose from all the wonderfully decorated treats, but we finally settled on a zebra brownie and some brown sugar vanilla ice cream. Ally and Jessica chose the tiramisu.

I am most certain that the zebra brownie was THE VERY BEST, most delicious brownie ever (sorry Grammy)! And the ice cream....oh, the ice cream! It was made from scratch and was perfectly flavored and smooth. I don't often treat myself to dessert, but this was one stop well worth the calories!!

After eating these scrumptious desserts, we walked off our calories at Horton Plaza. Chris, Madelyn, and I had a fun time taking our very first picture booth pictures. What fun!

This outdoor mall was designed really well and allowed us to enjoy the beautiful weather while shopping. Madelyn had a great time playing with the over-sized chess and tic-tac-toe pieces. She also stopped to smell the flowers on many occasions....something I couldn't resist capturing with the camera. :)

San Diego County Fair Video

Here's more of the action from our day at the fair...
(I couldn't quite get the video to render correctly, so the qualilty stinks.)

San Diego County Fair

Yesterday we spent the afternoon at the San Diego County Fair. Madelyn had been talking about riding on the ferris wheel ever since she laid eyes on it during the fireworks display, so we thought we'd let her enjoy a few rides. Yesterday was the last day of the fair and everyone seemed to have the same idea as us. One of my friends from high school, Craig, even put tickets at Will Call for us. It was a great treat to skip the long lines and get straight to the rides.

It didn't take long for us to realize we had a little dare devil on our hands. And I have to say, as a dare devil myself, I was a quite proud. But, as a mother, I was also a little nervous. She wanted to go on the rides that went fast and "twirled around." She loved a couple of them so much that she convinced her Daddy to stay put for a second round while Mommy handed over more tickets. One man came up to me while Chris and Madelyn repeated the Tea Cup ride, and asked, "Isn't your husband going to get sick?" I just laughed and thought, "Better him than me." ;)

I went on a few of the rides with Madelyn, too. The first ride I chaperoned was the Spinning Balloons. As we stood in line I had both second and third thoughts about how this ride might be too much for a two-year-old. But Chris convinced me to give it a go, and boy, he was right. It was one of her very favorites! I also got suckered into riding the Flying Dogs. During the "flight" I leaned over to Madelyn and asked her if she liked the ride. Her reply: "No, this is not fun." I laughed so hard. She was right actually. In comparison to some of the other rides she had alread been on, this one was a dud.

We met up with Allison and Jessica later in the afternoon, and topped off our day with an elephant ride. "A real elephant," as Madelyn describes it.

Chris and I have decided that she is definitely ready for the big leagues. We have been contemplating taking her to either Legoland or Disneyland for her third birthday, and yesterday's adventure pretty much sealed the deal!

Click here to see more pictures.

 

Solana Beach

We made our second annual trip to California to visit the beach. This year we chose Solana Beach as our home away from home, and we are loving it!

We arrived in Solana Beach mid-afternoon on Saturday, July 3rd. It was easy to settle into our gorgeous beach house overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Once we unpacked, we headed out for a bite to eat at a local pizzeria. We came home to enjoy a gorgeous sunset right from our back patio.

Yesterday, we walked down to the beach. Our house is just a short walk to the city staircase that leads to a private beach. It was the perfect spot to set up our umbrellas and towels and relax for a bit. We walked along the shoreline and were excited to spot our beach house perched atop the bluff.

After spending some time at the beach, and a nice long nap, we all walked over to the Del mar fairgrounds where we watched the 4th of July fireworks from the beach across the street. Madelyn was really excited to see all the fireworks in the distance. She jumped up and down over the pink! pink! pink! fireworks.

By the time the Del Mar fireworks began, which were literally right over our heads, she was definitely not as enthusiastic. She thought they were way too loud, and decided it would be better to just go home. Fortunately, Daddy persuaded her to cuddle in his arms so we could continue to watch the beautiful display. Poor little girl. She spent the rest of the show covering her ears, huddled in Daddy's arms. I notice her peeking from time to time, however. She just couldn't resist the colorful display in the sky.

Click here to see more pictures.