Staycation 2013

I look forward to the last week of August all year long.  The kids daycare is closed for the week so I take the whole week off and we just stay home in San Diego.  Why go anywhere for vacation when we live less than 10 miles from the beach?!  I never get this much time off in a row and I love being able to hang with the kids at home with no one around, more than anything.  Usually every minute is planned and accounted for and i feel like we are always rushing somewhere or having to do something.  It is so nice to not have to be rushing somewhere all the time.  Josh took some time off this year too so it has been a family staycation!  We've been busy and having a ton of fun.  Of course it has been 90 degrees and super humid.  Our summer really starts now.  We've been to the beach a few times already, the water splash pad, out for ice cream, to the aquarium, and just hung around the house.  One afternoon Ryan actually snuggled on the couch with me and Emmy (which he NEVER does) it was the greatest afternoon ever. And we still have a few days of the weekend left!  Boy, is it going to be tough going back to the real world on Tuesday but I feel so lucky to have had this week and to spend so much time with my amazing kiddos.  My poor sister just told me today was her last day off for the next 14 days.  I will never complain about my schedule again.  Hang in there Jules....

Here are a whole lot of pics from this week.  Yes, I am a little obsessed with the camera but I never want to forget a moment. :)

A true Southern California Boy already.

Finally someone for Josh to throw the football with at the beach!

Owning a pair of flops is pretty much mandatory in our house.  I bought Ryan his first pair this week.  We put them on and he was cruising no problem.  Emmy was the same way.  Flop wearing genes :)

Emmy is always trying to pick up Ryan and he is always very annoyed.

Spray pad!  Ryan didn't love it or hate it.  It is a little intimidating but of course Emmy jumped right in.

Anne, Finn and Sophia met us there.  Buddies feeding the ducks!

 

Baroo chasing the ducks...

My little stinker up to no good.

Snuggle time!

Another beautiful San Diego beach day.  How lucky are we?!

Only my daughter decides to go swimming in about 6 inches of water with her goggles on.  Pretty sure she will be snorkeling by the time she is 6.

Hands down the best part of the day.  Emmy digging in a huge castle (that someone else abandoned), Ryan following her every move and the two of them jumping rolling and playing in the mud.  Then Josh and I looked at each other and said how the hell are we going to get them home now?! 

Look at this kid! 

After yesterday, we needed a little break from the beach so we went to the aquarium.  

All Ryan kept saying was "wow".  So cute.

"Wow"

View from the Scripps Aquarium.  Not too shabby.  

Peekaboo!

Sunset from our backyard.   Such a beautiful night for some after dinner fun

Emmy loves drawing and has been practicing spelling.  This was what she wrote yesterday all by herself.  My sweet little smarty pants.

Josh had to work the other night so we went to get ice cream!  Ryan just kept walking around the fountain yelling.  He knows how to draw attention to himself :)

My little beauty.

UNCLE MARC!

This past week was Marc’s annual trip to Southern California and we were lucky enough to have him stay with us for 5 days!  We love having him in town, we always have so much fun and the kids absolutely love him.  They play for hours, the kids don’t ever give him a break! They play, be silly, eat lots of snacks, drink spicy lemonade and Marc always has a new and weird nick name for each of them.  He even helped clean up dishes and fold laundry.  I miss him already…  Hopefully this annual trip will continue because we look forward to it every year!

One night as I was putting Ryan to bed I could hear Emmy and Marc yelling and laughing in the backyard.  I went outside and Emmy was running across the yard and literally hurdling her shopping card.  She thought it was the funniest thing ever.  This kid is such an athlete!

Ryan is really into wrestling these days.  He can almost tackle Emmy.  It is so funny to watch!

We couldn't let Marc visit San Diego without a trip to the beach!  Crazy to think this time last year when we all went to the beach, I was very pregnant with Ryan and now look at him. 

My kids could not love the beach more and I love it!  They both love the water, the sand, the waves, birds, everything.  They will get wet, cold, sandy, dirty and they just get bigger smiles on their faces :)

Mud pies!

After snacking on a little dirt.

We actually got them to slow down for a few minutes!

A little after school snack.

Ryan is getting so many teeth right now poor little guys is in a lot of pain.  So we've been giving him baby food again.  Marc learned quickly why you shouldn't let him grab the spoon :)