Our Beach Vacation - Day 3

An expensive lesson learned: Do not tease your 5-year-old daughter with super-fun play time with cousins and friends and then take her to Sea World the next day without them.

We were sure that Stella would LOVE Sea World, but she complained most of the day and just wanted to go back to the beach. We kept telling her that no one else was there and that they were all doing their own thing too, but really they just did their stuff for half of the day and beached the rest of the day. Jealous.

Flamingos run funny.

It was hot and our sunscreen kept melting into our eyes, thus making it nearly impossible to see the shows. The shows . . . sort of disappointing honestly. We started at the dog, cat, duck, and pig show . . . whatever it was called. Isn't this Sea World?

Pre-melting.

She just has to touch everything!

I didn't really read any of the plaques while I was there, but don't penguins need to live in the cold? It was hot out there.

Penny and Pete the Penguins.

Stella may or may not have been terrified of the shark tunnel.

She was entirely too tense to pose for a picture on the moving sidewalk, but was happy to pose in a dead shark's mouth.

We sort of wanted to eat here at Mama Stella's, but they weren't open.

I think the Sea Lions may have been my favorite this time.

I think Stella liked them too.

I remember Shamu being spectacular, but now the trainers don't get in the water with them anymore. The thought also ran across my mind that they don't ever really say "killer whales" . . . well, that's what they are.

However, Shamu (or whatever it's name was) swam by us while we were almost the only ones left and even smiled at us.

Stella got a little happy after lunch and started posing by everything and asking me to take her picture.

Did you know that Sea Turtles can't stick their heads in their shells? These Sea Turtles were all sleeping, but Stella thought they were dead. She's sweating.

Did you know that flamingos are pink because they eat shrimp? It's true . . . unless that kid with the microphone was full of crap.

I remember the dolphin show as being my absolute favorite! I was really disappointed. The dolphins swam and jumped around 4 times and then the rest of it was people in tights flying around like birds.

Since Stella was bored and my buck teeth stick out when I'm squinting into the sun, we had a challenge to see who could have buck teeth the longest. Stella won.

The Cirque de la Mer was a new attraction, but sort of hard to see even if you were sitting close. These guys were not human. Who does that? After the other disappointments, I thought for sure that this one would be Stella's favorite due to her interest in gymnastics . . .

. . . as you can tell, she's thrilled.

We stopped in to harrass some of the starfish. Of course, I asked the lady with the microphone how the starfish reproduce, because that's how I am. Interestingly enough, they reproduce in the same way that some girls in college thought they got pregnant.

Stella is about the same size as a tuna fish.

Stella was ready to go back to the beach, but another churro would tide her over until it was time to go.

"Hey Stella, it's time to go back to the beach!"

The kids were perfectly happy to sit in the van and watch a movie together until bedtime.

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Our Beach Vacation - Day 2

We saw a lot of this . . .

. . . and tons of this. She loves the ocean.

Day 2 was just beach. I may or may not have read 2-3 pages of my book, but mostly I just watched the waves and took pictures of the kids having fun. So relaxing. So, so relaxing. After our beaching was done, we seriously ate so well. Why are our meals so much more delicious when we're camping?

Here are some of my favorite shots:

(photo by Lynnae Fosburgh)

Raymond apparently didn't mind the sand in EVERY crevice of his body.

Joe put this disgusting feather in Reagan's hair so he could tell which little kid was his wherever she went. I threw a little tantrum every time Stella went near a feather.

So relaxing. So, so relaxing.

Who is that rowing in the Sea Eagle kayak? Oh, it's just me and my hubba-hubba-hubby. I'm terrified of the ocean and gag like I'm coughing up a lung if any residue of sea water gets near my mouth, and yet there I am acting like I'm contributing to the rowing of the Sea Eagle. It was actually really fun. A little terrifying, but fun. At least we didn't tip it over, which is more than anyone else can say that went in that thing. I thought for sure that someone would die on this trip when Adam said he bought a sea kayak. (photo by Lynnae Fosburgh)

. . . see, he's a little crazy . . . also totally fun to have on a beach camping trip. (photo by Bethany Dibble)

(photo by Bethany Dibble)

Bethany laying out fully clothed. :)

Clairie

Lucy-Lou

Elliot and Joe in the Sea Eagle (photo by Lynnae Fosburgh)

Stella LOVED the ocean. Elliot took her pretty far out a few times, which she didn't appreciate, but she kept going back in.

Xan and Lucy. Lucy at a lot of sand during this trip. Those were going to be some itchy diapers.

Lucy's little toes

Georgie

Anabellie

Stella

Emma

Lynnae, Dara, and I even braved the chilly water and aggravating rocks to do a little wave jumping. I say "little wave" jumping because we didn't go out far enough to get the big waves. However, it still didn't stop me from being completely knocked on my tookas and of course gagging until all traces of sea water were out of my mouth.

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Here are the rest of the pictures and some video. The first video footage is of Joe & Elliot on the Sea Eagle totally wrecking. It was awesome. The second video footage is of me and Elliot. I was frightened.

Happy Birthday Ian!

Our Beach Vacation - Day 1

I was going to do one giant video with all of the pictures in fast-forward because that's pretty much how fast the week went by, but it was still 8 minutes long in fast-forward with the 750+ photos I took. I decided not to.

So Elliot, Stella and I headed to San Diego, California on Memorial Day to go camping on the South Carlsbad Beach with Elliot's brother Adam & Xan and their 5 kids (Ray, George, Anabelle, Claire, and Lucy), Joe & Lynnae Fosburgh and their 3 kids (Tyler, Emma, and Reagan) and Lynnae's sister Dara, Ward & Lisa Andrews and their 3 kids (Audrey, Max, and Hannah), and Elliot's cousin Travis & Lorraine and their 2 kids (Sarah and Garrett) and Elliot's sister Bethany.

This was our second time beach camping. As Elliot will remind pretty much everyone we come in contact with, it would have been our 3rd trip had I not gotten sick last year and been in the hospital all week during his week vacation. Once again My Dear, I'm very sorry I was on my death bed and ruined your vacation.

Day 1 was just the drive to CA and the set up of the campsite. I didn't even take any pictures the first night, but everyone else did . . . I made up for it later.

Aunt Beth with Emma, Anabelle, and Clarie

Adam & Xan shared a campsite with the Andrews and we shared a campsite with the Fosburgh's. There were these low trees between us that the kids loved to perch in and tell stories, look at the ocean, yell at the top of their lungs, or just hide in. This is Tyler and George.

It was sort of chilly at night, so I did lots of cuddling with Anabelle and Stella.

Uncle Adam and Claire. The kids got glowsticks that were also whistles. Brilliant idea. Simply brilliant. I bet all the other neighboring campers loved it too.

Lynnae, Reagan, Joe, Emma, and Tyler

We ate delicious pizza and sat around a delightful campfire and talked until the kiddos fell asleep to the sounds of the ocean. We wanted to be ready for a full day of beach!