to the beach 2012, part II

 

Part One

We joked that there was going to be no beach left, as Paisley’s goal was to throw every bit of sand she could grab back in the water.

It was such a lovely beach. We worked to get there, winding through tiny, expensive beach houses scouring the side streets for a parking lot. Sure, there was plenty of room at the big beach areas, but Nycole had already told me about this little perfect place on the harbor that is basically like being at a lake. She was right.

It delivered.

I’ve already told Andy that we’ll have to return to this spot, finally try paddle boarding like we saw in Hawaii, and actually lay out and relax. He did not hesitate to agree :) The vibe was so friendly, we even had more than one person offer to let us use their paddleboards! Paisley wouldn’t get on in the end, but it was too cute to watch the other little girl float along.

Like mother, like daughter

Can we please just say that those white legs are all due to editing?! Time of day? Reflection of the water?

We quickly realized that Paisley wanted to do more than just put her feet in and she wasn’t even held back by the weight of her layered sundress. Luckily, I had a bathing suit for her in the care (yes, it was only by chance) and we changed her and she could actually ‘swim’ with Nycole. She loved every second in that water.

If you can’t already see it, there was a Paisley/Nycole love-fest going on here. From the first three minutes it took her to get comfortable with her, Paisley wanted “Na-Na” all day. I can see why…she’s the fun one! We joke all the time about what it would take to have Nycole stay with us and be OUR nanny permanently. (Hello, Nycole-are you listening?)

Such a little grinch smile :)

And my favorite from the day-

 

Happy Tuesday.

 

to the beach, 2012

 

We had an amazing time at the beach with my best friend Nycole who lives across the country and came for a visit. I really pushed myself to go out on a limb (sad, I know) and drive a few hours with a less-than-two-year-old in tow by myself. I knew the end result would be great, but boy was I nervous about getting caught on the I-405 ripping my hair out because my daughter wants out of her car seat now. As it would happen, my little angel slept the entire way both there and back, behaved perfectly in a restaurant for 2 hours without getting up, and was so enamored with the ocean that she jumped right in in her clothes.

Let’s talk about the fact first that Nycole is a full time nanny (boogers wiped, cries answered, strap her into the car seat, carry her, change her diaper). So, I have it made in the best friend department. ;)

On the way from the restaurant to the beach, Pea got carsick and threw up EVERYWHERE. She happily helped me clean it up without blinking and we were on our way. )I guess we can’t go out of town to the beach without Paisley throwing up??)

Paisley  ruled  us at the beach. She had no mercy, did not want us holding her back, did not mind getting dirty, cold, soaked, or her heavy sundress weighing her down. What a trooper. Can we talk about go with the flow? Her adaptability amazes me! On any given day, it’s more normal for me to be freaking out about something that won’t be (and never was) a problem. So, I went with it and we rubbed sunscreen over her sandy body like a bath scrub, we peeled off her wet dress for a swimmy diaper and a bathing suit, and took her in the water. Well, Nycole pretty much did, because I’m the smart type of person who wore a maxi dress and thought we’d just ‘dip our feet in’. HA!

More to come!

 

last year’s beach trip to Santa Monica : part one | part two 

happy fourth

Happy Birthday, America. We love ya.

sweet summer nights

It’s pretty typical during the summer months for everyone to go outside pretty early in the morning and then retreat in for the rest of the day until the sun is setting over the mountains. Streets become busy with kids riding their bikes and people walk their dogs in the late evening. We use this time to exhaust Miss Pea before bed. She has an affinity for darting out towards the street and smiling like it’s funny. It gives us a heart attack and she continues to laugh. After a long, rough weekend, outside fresh air was just what we needed.

Last weekend was a LONG one because Pea was not feeling well. Teething + being sick is probably not much fun, yet I’m still amazed at how well she deals with things, even when I know she’s in pain. She hung out half clothed, and also hindered helped Daddy in the kitchen.

The other day I let Paisley call her “Mamu” while she was sitting in her car seat and I was driving. She never hung up on accident, kept the conversation going, and I could not believe that as I was driving down the road, she was in the backseat talking on the phone. Kid’s not even two.

Indoor activities. We find the best of them. :)

Is this what it looks like to me? Looks like baby target practice.

 

Yesterday we went to the beach with my bestie, Nycole, and my baby girl had an absolute blast. Can’t wait to upload those pictures. We are going to the pool today because I really have realized Paisley loves swimming. (I also love not blinding people with my whiteness, so there’s something in it for me as well.) I was a water baby, too. Grandma’s pool was the place to be and we spent no less than 3 days a week there in the summertime growing up.

My hunny just took some fresh baked bread out of the oven, so this post is definitely over. Instagram and beach pictures to come.

A dirty, boogery face only a mother could appreciate.