california calling, pt. 2

This next installment takes us south to San Diego for the second leg of our journey. We spent a few sunny days on the beach, and spent an overcast Saturday at Legoland California. I was hoping we would be able to take Lil to the San Diego Zoo or Sea World, but she was battling pink eye for a few days, so we stayed close to our home base. Mostly we just lounged on the terrace, basked in the sun, and enjoyed the oceanfront view.

insane cuteness

super insane cuteness

post-nap yogurt, beachside

beautiful Beco baby at Legoland

aboard the Legoland tour boat

and one more of Baby Sista. Just cuz.

california calling, pt. 1.

We took our first trip as a family of four last month, and despite a weary plane ride, it was a joy. I don't know if it's just being out of Brooklyn, or if California really is a golden land of happiness and sunshine, but we all enjoyed ourselves. No one more than Lil, of course. Our first stop was Santa Cruz, where we surprised Uncle Jeremy, Josie and Liam (Aunt Sarah knew we were coming). Daddy has footage of how we completely shocked Josie, and I hope to swipe in from him soon enough. In the mean time, I have some amazing photos that I didn't take (Dada had camera duty this trip), all ready to share. I honestly cannot share them all at once because they are so beautiful I might just slap someone. So we'll do little bites.

Lil became a sand worshiper

queuing up for Lil's first amusement park ride, Bulgy the Whale

with cousin Josie on the flying dragons

riding again with Mama

happy dance for sprinkle time

girls gleefully getting sprinkled upon in the garden

the wet look

I just caaaaaann't with this girl.

(And thank you to Eban for capturing Lil's loveliness... and you even got one or two decent shots of her mama too, which we know can be a challenge!)

family tree branch.

Here are some of Lil's blood relatives from Mama's side. Have fun searching for resemblances and stuff. Please note: the one relative whose picture is missing is GranMary. I look for a resemblance there almost daily. Trust me, it does exist.

 

Lil and Mama

Cousin Liam and Uncle Jeremy (Mama's brother)

Cousin Josie

Cousin Liam and Aunt Sarah (Uncle Jeremy's wife)

Lil with Princess Cousin Josie

Cousin Princess Josie, Lil, and Granpa Gary (Mama's papa)

Mama and Cousin Josie (Mama's niece)

Lil and Cousin Liam

...and Lil and Papa (Lil's other branch)

caLiLfornia, continued...

It is so easy to get distracted at this time of year. Lil has reached the point where she is ready for her own room, and there's holiday preparations, a birthday party to plan, and the everyday happenings like work, outings, errands, etc. And this little blog. I hate neglecting it. This will serve as Lil's baby book, and I plan on having it printed out for her first birthday. It doesn't seem right that I gleaned over her first big trip, and an exciting visit to the coolest place ever, the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Lil's not going to remember any of it, so this blog will have to serve as her reminder.

tulle trim bow dress from babygap, perfect seaside attire.

Lil didn't experience things the same way older children did, but she was still fascinated, and pointed at lots of things and even called the sea turtle "kitteh." She wanted to touch the urchins and anemones, tried scratching at the little camouflaged flounders and gobies, and was mesmerized by the Jelly exhibit. Actually, everyone was mesmerized by the Jelly exhibit.

earth alien

But the best part for Lil was the gigantic 90-foot Open Ocean tank. It had stadium seating, so we headed to the upper deck and waited in vain for the big mean sunfish to make an appearance. No sunfish, but Lil was lulled to sleep by the Green Sea turtle doing laps along the top. Right before we left, a couple Yellow Fin tuna started racing around the place. Crazy that those things only cost, what, seventy-nine cents a can? Seems like it should be an impossible catch...

On the way home, Papa and I discussed when Lil might be ready to don some snorkel gear and hop a plane to Hawaii (not in that order).  Before I let Lil near the real deal, I think she's got to be able to swim first. Yeah, at least.

Lil, this is as close as you're gonna get to the fishies for quite a while.

caLILfornia, part 3: bundled at the beach

the west coast

 The day after Thanksgiving was the lowest tide of the year. We headed down to this beach just passed Davenport, Scotts Creek. Funny it's called Scotts Creek. I think it could be compared to the cliffs of Dover, but that's not Scottish. Scotts Creek probably got its name from the founder of Bonny Doon, a Scotsman by the name of John Burns. You can just imagine him coming down the hill after a long day of logging to sit on the beach, smoke a joint, and bathe in the frigid water. We just went down to check out some tide pools, breathe in the ocean breeze (wind), and drink in the scenery.

my beautiful niece mixes animal motifs

hand knit and snug as a bug

Lil and I did not ford the creek to the tide pools. The water was a little fast, and Mama was wearing her new boots from Snipe, which the salesman said were waterproof (twice... but they're not). Regardless, I wasn't willing to risk it. They're made with naturally dyed leather, and who knows what would happen to that juicy ruby red. Instead we just twirled around on the beach, ran up to the water, then away from the surf, watched Grandpa Gary fly his kite, and waved at strangers.

twirling girls

From time to time, I looked out at the horizon, and admired the sea cliffs in a haze of ocean spray, or just watched my family enjoy the chilly beach afternoon. I couldn't help but think that GranMary must've visited this same beach with Josie as a baby, maybe Lil's age, maybe a bit older. And I felt grateful knowing the same piece of paradise, the same slice of heaven, there with Lil.

And to be sure, GranMary knew we were there, too.

caLILfornia, part 2: beach baby

Remember when Lil was seen swinging at the park in our neighborhood? I swore I had never seen anything cuter than Lil in her little cardigan with a hand knit cap and a huge smile. But just for comparison's sake, we took Lil down to Venice Beach and stuck her on a swing. It's kind of similar to our Brooklyn park, complete with vagabonds snoozing on benches. I don't know, there might be a California girl hidden in there somewhere... and that blond hair could be permanent.

caLILfornia

Here is the long awaited California Tour post. Since it's getting late, I will start with her beautiful wedding attire. All these photos were taken post-event, so I apologize for the low lighting and strange coloration. Still they're pretty pretty.

She put on some leggings at the end of the night. It was raining and pretty chilly.

awaiting room service

reaching for the remote

no one loves a king size hotel bed with lots of pillows more than lil

formal embrace

(partial) mobile recap.

California drive-thru

I had a few images uploaded from my phone to my Flickr account, and so I'll just take a quick sec to post them here while I edit through several hundred photos from last week. I did try to get a mobile pic of Lil in her finery, but it was cold and rainy, and all I could manage was a pic of her fuzzy sweater. So here are a few that are ready to go, and many more to come!

This is actually from before we left. Lil spent a long day in her very hip bear pajamas, which fit both our west coast destination, and her current sleep schedule (of course, now that we're back, the jet lag hit her hard, and she's slept most of the day and night).

Here is Lil all dressed –and bundled– up on the way to Cousin Katie's wedding. The short drive gave her just enough time for a cat nap, and she behaved remarkably well throughout all the festivities. Lil loves her some princess dresses, and was definitely enamored with the stunning bride.

In our final moments in Santa Cruz, Lil got one last cuddle from the beautiful, talented Aunt Sarah. Lil definitely enjoyed the mountain climate, and dressing for the Doon. All that fresh mountain air does her good, adds a little color to her cheeks, and allows for more cozy-comfy styles. Lil was missing her lumberjack flannel, but lover of accessories that she is, she sported her lumberjack babylegs around the house. Next time Lil will be all about the warm flannel, a pair of Wellies, and a warm cardigan. Mama will make a country girl of her yet.

westward expansion continued

this gorgeous day in Northern Cali finds us heading to the Monterey Aquarium to visit some fishes and sea creatures with Cousin Josie and baby Liam. No one could be more excited than Papa, though! He's anxious to spy on some cephlopods. Lil and cousin Jos agreed to wear pretty dresses and leggings. Josie's dressed in a bold floral, while Lil is keeping her city girl vibe in a black and white frou-frou frock. These two girls are sure to get more attention that any of the aquatic beauties in the Seymour Center.