This has been on my “list of things to do/see” for the last few years. I’ve just been waiting for Charlotte to be old enough to enjoy it. She loooooooooves animals and is always talking about them and wanting to see them, so I figured this was the year to go!

{Saying hello.}

{I have no idea who this lady is, but I thought it was hilarious that the camels swarmed on her when she backed up with the watermelon that they inhaled.}

{Saying “hi” to the sheep.}

{fair-warning}

{Not ready to pet the camel yet.}

{The one-finger pet.}

{This picture cracks me up. I want to get it framed. Charlotte is just cooking away and the donkey is just checking in on things.}

The farm was much smaller than I thought it would be, but a lot of fun none-the-less. And it was perfect for this age. The camels were so cool! We got huge chunks of watermelon with our entrance fee and the camels literally ate the watermelon directly from our hands. Charlotte was skeptical of this and insisted that mommy and daddy feed the camels, so we fed them while she watched. At the very end, before we were going to leave, she finally worked up the courage to pet one.

The owners of the farm had a little show/talk and it was so informative- talked about camels milk, myths about camels, their experience with them, they had a show with a camel and some other animals.

There was also an area where there were donkey’s and sheep. There was an area where you could pet and feed them. There were also birds, dogs, chickens, turkey’s, etc. So many fun animals to look at. Unfortunately Charlotte was too young for the camel rides (you have to be 3), so we may be heading back next year if she’s still talking about riding them :)

We went once last summer. The one time we went, it happened to be the same exact Saturday (the Saturday before my birthday). Ironic, no?

We got to our spot around 10am. It was a little foggy across the way, but sunny too. We played in the sand and waded into the water and the fog kept rolling in an out. Finally around 12 pm it rolled in and didn’t look like it was going anywhere and it started getting more windy. Plus the tide was really coming up so it was either a) move to a different spot, or b) call it a day. We decided to call it a day.

Charlotte had a good time. She was dancing all over the place, walking in and out of the water. By the end she was literally doing belly-flops onto the sand castles we were making. Lucky for us, we tried the baby powder trick and it worked like a charm (rub baby powder on the sand on your body and it comes right off!).

I feel like we have our beach system down so we’ll be going more often now. Of course now that we’re 30 minutes from the beach, we’ll make it a point to go more often.

– 1 tent (comes in a really small, simple over-the-shoulder bag)

– 2 beach chairs (worn backpack style)

– 1 bag with towels and sand toys

– 1 bag with dry food/snacks and essentials (sunscreen, water, change of clothes, wipes, etc)

– 1 small cooler for things that need to stay cool

See ya again real soon, beach!

We went to the park this past weekend while my parents were in town. Unfortunately Matt was out of town, but that just means we’ll have to go back soon. We got there early and had breakfast at the Old Hamburger Factory and then walked through the little Farmers Market.

The best part of the park (and I think what it’s really known for??) was the train ride! It’s such a fun thing to do with kids and so affordable. Of course all Charlotte could talk about was riding the train and she kept asking where it was and when it would be there (it doesn’t start running until 10am) and in true Charlotte fashion, as soon as we got on the train, she could not have been more quiet and looked more serious. She’s so funny. She has to observe everything before smiling or showing any interest.

Each weekend a different train is scheduled to run. We were there on the “speed” train weekend and the train was definitely speedy. We’re excited to go back to experience the other trains.

{She cracks me up. She always wants her sunglasses on because it’s too bright and then she puts them so high up on the side of her head.}

{Beautiful flowers at the Farmers Market.}

{And beautiful, juicy tomatoes.}

{Saying “cheese” but not looking my way}

{“Choo choo train, where are you?”}

{The speedy train.}

{Not willing to let go of the lemonade to smile for a pic with Noni & Papa.}

{Such a pretty, quaint part of town.}

{Ending the trip with a little throwing-pennies-in-the-fountain and splashing around. If she could have got in the water, she would have.}

We had a fun 4th of July filled with swimming, parties, friends, food and family! We went swimming 3 of the 4 days and Charlotte is enjoying the water a little more each time. It definitely helps when other kids are splashing around and having a great time because she wants to join in on the fun.

{Practicing her kicks}

{The best pic I could get of these two in their (unplanned) matching suits.}

Eric and Richelle had their annual 4th of July/birthday party on Saturday and we had a great time. We told C, a little too early, that we were going over there and all she talked about was going to Teagan’s house. We were ALL happy that 3pm rolled around so we could head over there. There were so many kids at the party and C is at the age where we don’t have to watch her like a hawk. I definitely still keep my eye on her to make sure she doesn’t take toys away from other kids or hit other kids, but it’s definitely more loose.

{Bounce house fun at Teagan’s}

{Red, white and blue family pic}

{She’s not sure of the matching hair pieces I made for us.}

On Sunday we went to another friends 4th of July party where there was a bounce house, slip ‘n slide and inflatable pool. C wasn’t sure of the slip ‘n slide, but she loved the pool. It was probably 2 feet deep and she splashed around in there for the longest time. I totally get that she prefers smaller pools. Less intimidating I supposed and she has more control in them.

{Taking a juice-box break from swimming.}

{Following the puppy around.}

My parents arrived for the week, on the 4th in the morning, so instead of going to any parades, we went to Liberty Station for brunch. We were planning on going swimming later that day with some friends and Charlotte was so hyped up on my parents being here that she didn’t nap. She crashed so hard after playing in the pool.

{The kiddie pool to herself (for 3 minutes.)}

{4th of July swimming}

{Chalk drawings with Papa and Noni.}

4 of the 5 of us were all in bed before the fireworks started :) Maybe next year C will be able to stay up for them!

On Friday night, we met up with the Reinking’s at the Del Mar Fair. It was crowded, but I’m so glad we were able to go. I know it’s cliche, but it really is cool seeing something you’ve seen hundreds of times, through kids eyes. Charlotte has no memory of the fair last year, so this was all new to her.

The first ride we went on was the car ride. Of course Davis had a great time and didn’t mind that his dad had to ride with him, but Charlotte on the other hand was beside herself (in a bad way) that I had to ride in the car with her.  Like cried-and-screamed-for-most-of-the-ride upset. Matt got video towards the end of the ride and you see her go around once crying and then the next time she goes around, she’s holding the steering wheel with a frown on her face – as if saying “fine, I guess I’ll make the most of this unfortunate situation.”

After the cars, Davis went on the swings and we attempted to go on a mini roller coaster before being turned away because she didn’t meet the height requirement (even with an adult). Her sadness lasted just a few moments until she spotted the airplanes. Again, and adult needed to ride with her. She was pushing me away so I wouldn’t ride with her again, so I decided to ride in the seat behind her (in the same plane).  She was okay with this, but I almost lost my foot long corn dog because that ride went way too fast in way too tight of circles. When will I learn??

We had ice cream and bad-for-you-fair food, appreciated some art, looked at some sheep and cows, saw a huge robot (that Charlotte still talks about) and watched the turkey’s and baby chickens race for food. I’d say it was another successful fair visit!

{Very proud of the corn dogs they got to eat.}

{The best pic we could get with a wriggly toddler who just wanted to run around.}

{Pretty upset I was riding with her. Notice how happy Davis is though?}

{Paranoid mom. I had my arms over the seat, making sure C didn’t move an inch, even though she was buckled in.}

{The ponies! She loved the ponies and talks about them daily.}

{How cute are they?}

{Just chilling in a tractor shovel.}

1. Concert in the park – There are sooooo many concerts in the park. My favorite is still the weeknight one in Balboa Park, but I want to check out a couple others since we’re now in a different part of San Diego.

2. Leo Carrillo Ranch – This ranch has been on my radar since we were wedding venue shopping FIVE years ago. It looks like a cool place to check out and they have events throughout the year.

3. Home Depot Kids Workshop – I feel like C is old enough (with supervision) to participate in the monthly kids workshop, so we’ll be checking at least one out.

4. Old Poway Park – I keep hearing the coolest things about this Park. With the train ride, restaurant and farmer’s market we’ll definitely be checking it out this summer.

5. Discovery Museum in Escondido – Similar to the New Children’s Museum downtown, but in North County. We’ll have to see how this one compares.

6. Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve – This is so close to us now! It would be a fun Saturday morning activity.

7. Make popsicles – Charlotte loooooooves to “help” in the kitchen, so I’m thinking this is an activity right up her alley.

8. Find a go-to pool/splash pad – We have a community pool, but there’s not much to it. We’ll definitely be checking out some of the other pools throughout SD. Especially the ones with kiddie areas and/or splash pads.

9. Beach – We only went once last year, so my goal for us this year is to go twice. We need to get a little beach tent (not umbrella) and then I think we’ll be set.

10. Find a go-to deli in our ‘hood – We had a great one just a few blocks from us when we lived closer to downtown. We’re definitely in need of finding a new one that will be our go-to for deli sandwiches on the weekend.

It was much more difficult to leave Charlotte than I had thought it was going to be. I’ve left her for weekends here and there and it’s been totally fine, but this was on a whole other level. I really think it was something about being sooooo far from her and having an entire ocean between us.

Aside from missing her (and Matt), I had a really nice time and am so thankful I was able to take this trip with my sister. We learned that we still drove each other crazy, but that our interests and similarities are still so alike :) We spent the first 3 days in Athens, the last 3 days in Santorini, then 28+ hours and 4 flights getting home!

The first day in Athens we headed to the Acropolis bright and early. It was hot and dusty, but pretty cool. Unfortunately our tour guide had such a thick accent that we didn’t really know what she was saying. She was so nice and we would understand words she was saying, but then trying to put them together quickly to figure out what she was actually talking about and keep up with her was a bit much. The Acropolis is much larger than I expected lots of different structures/buildings(?) around it. From what I gathered, it’s constantly in a state of rehab in order to make it look exactly as it did when it was first built. The 360 degree views of Athens down below were pretty awesome to see. The city looked so crowded from above.

After the Acropolis, we saw a City Sightseeing tour bus drive by, so we bought tickets for that. It was hop-on, hop-off for TWO days and it took us to all the main sites that we wanted to see and it got us from Point A to Point B without having to deal with cabs. By far, the best decision we made in Athens.

{At the Acropolis with a few other people.}

{One of the various stages/structures at the Acropolis.}

{There were rows and rows and rows and streets and alleys full of shops and restaurants at Monastiraki Flea Market.}

On day two we took the City Sightseeing bus a little ways outside of Athens to Lake Vouliagmeni. We didn’t really no what to expect, and were surprised to find out the lake was filled with the little minnows that eat your dead skin! The water was a bit chilly, so as soon as our free fish pedicures were over, we spent the rest of our time eating, drinking and relaxing.

{Lake Vouliagmeni from above.}

{Fish pedicure.}

After the lake we hopped-on the bus and took it back to the main part of Athens and did a self-guided tour through the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held.

{At the Panathenaic Stadium}

{In the queens (?) chair. Someone’s royal chair.}

{These trees provided so much relief from the sun.}

On Day 3, we took a train tour through the Athens streets/alley’s, did some shopping, had amazing gyros then headed to the airport for our flight to Santorini!

{Soooooo many sandals for sale. This one actually had a sign taped to it that “Do not try on. This is not your size.”}

{Motorcycles everywhere. And they could be driven on the sidewalk??}

On our first day in Santorini, we took a 14 mile bike ride with a tour group, through the southern part of the island. This was the highlight of the entire trip for both my sister and me. We learned the following things on our tour:

1. Pirates would attack this city, so it was built in such a way (a maze essentially- narrow paths, up, down, up, down, rough rocks) that when the pirates walked on the paths to find people, they would be led to the town center and be killed- lovely

2. Everything is painted white to ward off diseases and infections. Their form of vaccinations :)

3. Everything else is blue like the sky and ocean

4. Almost every family had a church, at one point

{Drinking coffee at our quaint little hotel.}

{The prettiest doorways.}

{Me and a church built into the side of a mountain that was not easy to get to.}

{Breathtaking view.}

{The famous heart in the rock.}

{Relaxing in our own cabana after the bike tour.}

{Dinner in Fira.}

On the second Day in Santorini, we took the bus to Kamari Beach. It got chilly a couple hours after we got there, but before the clouds rolled in we dipped our toes in the Aegean Sea. Cross that off the bucket list :) That night we went to Oia with 5,000 other tourists to see THE sunset that everyone raves about. It was pretty and I’m glad we went. There were lots and lots of shops and restaurants. We ate dinner at a restaurant with an amazing view, then had amazing dessert and walked through all the shops.

{Kamari Beach}

{The bright colors popped so much against all the white.}

{Oia}

On our last day in Santorini we took the 9km (5.5 miles) hike/walk from Fira to Oia. It was very hilly and very rocky and very hot, but so, so worth it. It’s along the cliff, so you have amazing views of the island the entire time.

{Just keep walking, just keep walking.}

{Nothing like a little perspective to see how high up you hiked.}

Along with the beautiful sites and fun activities, the food (and coffee!) was incredible. I had a Greek salad every day and totally prefer their version to our Americanized version- we added lettuce.

{Lovin’ on Frank (after she threw him out of the basket).}

(This content pertains to my 24 month old, but the picture pertains to my 26 month old!)

I can’t believe my baby is two. “The days are long, but the years or short” could not be more true. I’m mourning the loss of my baby, but looking forward to all that TWO has to bring us.

**You’ll eat almost anything if we give you ketchup to dip it in. You love, love, love dip.

**You repeat everything we say. Time to stop dropping f-bombs left and right ;) If we say “the sunglasses help because it’s so bright” you’ll say “it’s so bright,” or if we say “it’s time to go” you’ll say “time to go.”

**One night while I was giving you a bath, I was trying to get daddy’s attention. I was yelling “Matt, Matt.” You started yelling “matt, matt” too :) I whispered to you, “say daddy” (I wanted you to yell “daddy”) and you looked me straight in the eyes and whispered “daddy.”

**You love to be say “baby Charlie” and we pick you up and rock you like a baby and sing to you.

**When we get you out of bed in the morning, you grab as much stuff from your crib as you can. Pillow, 2 blankies, another blanky, your kitty, at least one pacifier….

**You have become so determined to put on your own socks (!!!) and shoes. It’s the ONE activity that I know will keep you occupied for at least a few minutes. You also consistently put the wrong shoe on the wrong foot, but it doesn’t seem to bother you.

**One morning, a couple weeks ago, you woke up and said you wanted to go to a birthday party. While I was getting ready for work, you went in your closet and brought me your sandals. You said “mommy, hep me.” I helped put your sandals on and you said “ets go buh-day pahty” and grabbed my hand so I would start walking with you. It was a rainy Thursday morning- I don’t think anyone was having a birthday party.

**When I picked you up from school one day, your teacher told me that you climbed the tree!!! Then she showed me a picture! I could believe it, but I couldn’t believe it. You are so strong! Such good core muscles!

**Speaking of climbing. You are so self-sufficient at the playground. I hover over you like a helicopter while daddy tells me to relax (which I reply with “I don’t have time to fit in an ER trip today”).

**We got you a bunch of used outdoor toys for your 2nd bday. You want us to sit in almost every item! The doll wagon and the cozy coupe car are by far the funniest since there is no way we can fit, but we give it our best effort. You also love the kitchen utensils that came with your kitchen (fork, knife, plate, platter, pot). They’re rather pathetic, but you carry all 5 with you all over the backyard.

** Some of the cutest things you are saying right now: bugabee (for any bug or insect),

**One morning when daddy was out of town, I brought you into our bedroom and you asked “where daddy go?” over and over and I kept repeating that he was out of town. You lifted up his pillow just to make sure I wasn’t pulling your leg and he wasn’t hiding under there.

**If you’re not doing what you’re asking telling us to do, you get up from where you are, come to us, grab our hand and lead us to what you want us to do.

**You are such a smart cookie! You understand so much more than I give you credit for. When I tell you you need to eat a few more bites of dinner before you can have whatever it is you’re asking for, you do it!

**We’ve been letting you play out back by yourself while we’re inside getting dinner ready. One day, all of a sudden, I see you come sprinting past the windows on the side of the house with a scared look on your face. As soon as you got to the screen door and could see me, you were better. Something must have spooked you back there!

**We’re still in the put almost everything in your mouth phase. Crayons, chalks and the sunscreen stick are your favorite.

**You LOVE to go through your ‘pack pack’ (backpack). You’ll pull it out of the basket in the entryway and go through e v e r y t h i n g. You’ll lay out your changing pad, get a wipe (or 10) out and start cleaning it; you’ll go through all your snacks; you’ll go through the little pouch and take out your sunscreen. You’ll rub the lotion on your skin and apply the stick to your face before you start to eat it.

**We got you a pretty tall 2-step stool and you love moving it all over the kitchen. You use it to wash your hands, you attempt to wash dishes, you “help” me make dinner, etc.

**When we’re laying down or just relaxing, you push us to roll on our stomachs, lay your 12×12 blankie over us (meticulously getting all the wrinkles out), and rather roughly pat our back and say “shh, shh, shh” rather loudly. It’s not the most calming, but it is the cutest. One morning when you were doing this to me, you had your paci in your mouth. You took it out and held it out to me and say “paci?”

**You’ve been learning soooooo much at school! The words and sentences you use! You’re constantly trying to get into the freezer to get ice cream or otter pops (the freezer is on the bottom of our fridge). One day I was blocking you by standing in front of it. You were crying and trying to push me away while saying “walk away, mommy, walk away” and pointing me away from the freezer.

**You’re saying “dis way” when we’re walking or driving. You get so upset if we don’t drive in the direction you want us to go.

Saturday morning we went to an Easter Egg Hunt in our neighborhood with some friends. I heard it could be a little bit of a sh$* show and it kinda was. The “hunt” lasted less than 5 minutes and there were jaw breakers and elastic rings in the 0-3 egg hunt. And there were tons of parents and older siblings grabbing all the eggs and goodies for their kids/younger siblings. The breakfast line took soooo long and there weren’t than many people in front of us. When we finally got to the front, they told us they were out of pancake batter. Wtf? My expectations were very low because of what I had heard, so I wasn’t too disappointed. At least the kids had fun in the bounce house and collecting some of the 2-year-old-safe goodies.

{While decorating a bunny frame (see ground), she decided the polka dots would look better on her cheeks. She was right.}

{Off on the hunt.}

{C definitely eats sweets, but Sour Patch Kids on a 0-3 egg hunt??}

{Teagan wasn’t sure about the stickers on C’s face.}

{Teagan, Charlotte and Davis watching all the kids go through their loot.}

{They had egg hunts by age. This was one of them. Just a sea of adults.}

Later that afternoon we went to our friend, Eric and Richelle’s house for a yummy bbq with some of their neighbors. There were 4 kids ranging from 1-5 and they all played so nicely together. It was fun to be able to relax a bit while the kids placed. We’re finally entering that stage!!!

On Sunday morning we went to church where there was another egg hunt (C got reeeeeal good at her egg hunting game), a photo booth, a legit bubble machine and a live donkey! After church, we had lunch at the Crack Shack, played at the Waterfront park, took a long nap then worked on our chalk drawing game.

{She doesn’t like the Easter Bunny, but she sure did like all that he brought her!}

{Bubbles!!}

{She’s unsure of the photo booth. Is she really our daughter?!}

{I asked her if we should take the donkey home with us and she shook her head and gave an emphatic “no.”}

{Gigantic chicken statue = perfect photo op}

{Running wild, chasing bubbles in the Waterfront Park.}

{As Matt was drawing his city, C started stealing all the chalk and putting it in her tricycle trunk.}

**Whenever we facetime Noni and Papa, you always ask for Bay-ee” (Bailey, the dog). You want to see what she’s doing and you’re only happy once they show you her. She’s typically sleeping and you say “shhhhh, bay-ee, nigh nigh.” If they rub her belly or face, you scrunch up your hands and tickle your stomach and face and say “tick-uh, tick-uh.”

**You love to shut me in my closet and turn off the light (the light switch is outside the closet at your level).  This adds a little fun for getting ready in the AM.

**Mimi taught you how to count to 3!

**Whenever you see any kind of writing utensil you say “color” and you try to get a hold of the item.

**In our new house, the master bathroom is right above the dining area. One morning while I was getting ready, you were eating breakfast below me. I guess me and my heels were making a lot of noise while walking around because you got really scared and would only eat breakfast while sitting in daddy’s lap. You kept pointing to the sliding door saying “knock, knock.”

**You can sing the whole ABC song! It’s not super, super clear obviously, but you know the song and know the right inflections. It’s very, very cute.

**When we moved into our new house, I held the phone, but you basically gave the tour to Noni, Papa and Yoyo via Facetime. You knew what every room was called and would lead the way (i.e. garage, loft, your room, your bathroom, mommy and daddy’s room, etc).

**Now that you’re in a neighborhood, you MUST explore your hood as soon as we get home. Daddy was pushing you on your tricycle one evening and you spotted some older boys climbing in a tree up ahead. You said “monkey” and started making monkey sounds.

**I left some nail polish sitting on my nightstand. You got a hold of it. Lesson learned for me and we’re out one pillowcase.

**We faced you forward in your car seat and it made a little difference. It’s fun to sing with you because you dance and copy our moves. If we play the piano, you play the piano. If we snap our fingers, you snap your fingers.

**We’ve started giving you bath-showers in hopes that you’ll start liking the water more and be okay with it running over your head and down your face. Every night you’re getting more and more comfortable with it, walking under the water over and over. You’re so proud of yourself and we’re so proud of you :) You even swim on your stomach like a little fishy and will put your face in the water.

**I took you to return something at Ikea. The entire time we were there you kept pulling my hand saying “dis way, dis way.” You wanted to go upstairs so badly.

**After bath, you sit on my lap while I dry you off and brush your hair. I’ll give you a tub of lotion and you manage to get GOBS of it out in such a small amount of time. Every inch of your body is moisturized by the time we put your pajamas on.

**In the morning when we bring you into bed with us (simply because we’re still so tired and don’t want to get up), you try every angle to get us out of bed…. 1) you say “eat” over and over, 2) bring us our slippers, 3) empty every item out of my nightstand and put it on our bed, 4) say “poo poo”, etc.

**When you’re crying whining and we’re not paying attention, you’ve started to say “sharee kying, sharee, kying” (charlie is crying) until we acknowledge that you’re “crying.”

**We can’t get into our complex without passing a large park. Whenever you say “park, park” we say we can’t go right then, but we’ll go later. Now when we’re passing it you say “no park, no park.” It’s so sad that you think we will never go to the park again.

**You are getting more and more addicted to your blankie and paci. You walk around the house saying “benky, padee, benky, padee.” Who knows when we’re going to pull the plug on this whole paci thing.

**Mimi taught you red light and green light. You know that green means go and red means stop. You announce it at every light we approach.

**You have your 5th ear infection since starting daycare last October. Tubes are a few weeks away and we’re hoping and praying you don’t get another ear infection before then, but the odds are not in our favor.