Ahhhh Summer!

A couple of weeks ago, Ivy had her first zoo experience! She and her friend Mia enjoyed hanging out together!

Such sweet girls!

On Father's Day weekend, we planned to go to the zoo again with Daddy this time, but we coudn't find parking and decided to go to our own neighborhood park instead. I'm trying to get Ivy into the sand thing.... before we go to Myrtle Beach!

Waving to no one!

She's got an enviable tan already... it's not fair!

We played in her kiddie pool a bit too.

Today, Ivy and I met Kristina and her parents at the zoo, folowed by lunch at Oto's!

For $3.00, you can feed the giraffee.... might try that next time!

There is a baby tiger at the zoo.... one of the cutest creatures I've ever seen! Thank goodness I had the longer lens with me!

Pretty flowers!

Overexposed.... but weren't all of our pictures like this in the 1970's? It has a vintagey look to it! Some call it a mistake- I'm calling it ART!

Fun times with Mema and Grandpa tonight at dinner!

This is how Ivy's sleeping these days... It doesn't look too comfortable to me... but whatever!

Well, the tooth is finally visible over her gums. I don't know why I had the feeling that one morning you just discover a tooth in the child's mouth. This tooth has been working it's way microscopically into view for 2 weeks now. Brian didn't even believe me that it was there. At this rate, she'll be in middle school by the time all of her baby teeth appear!

Ivy's been eating pretty well these days and running around the house with the help of her bug wheelie thing or in the yard with her baby stroller or at the office with her shopping cart. I'm convinced that she could walk if she wanted to, but she is ever cautious.

She is blowing kisses to everyone she sees these days, indiscriminately. She will blow kisses to Grandpa or the guy who carries groceries to the car. Her father and I are hoping that a selection process begins to emerge! Ivy also is pretty into "high fives" and we are working on "tens". Well, I'm tired... so that's all I've got to say about that!

1 year ago today, we got our happy phone call!

So hard to believe that this 13.5 month old baby is the same baby you see below!

She's every bit as sweet today as she was the first moment we saw her darling face! Happy phone call day Ivy!

Summer is Coming!

So we set up the small kiddie pool in the backyard this weekend to properly greet the 97 degree heat! Ivy got to try out 2 of her 4 bathing suits!

I like this one alot- and it's a good thing since we have the next size up too!

In addition to the tiny pool in our backyard, Dianne and I let her play a bit on the top step of my parent's pool on Sunday- she totally enjoyed kicking, splashing and submerging her lower half!

Not at all freaked out by the water-- what a relief!

Ivy kicking back in her high chair to enjoy some pink milk!

Just look at that hair profile!

When Ivy's not hopping in and out of chairs, she's looking for the cats. She just loves to be near them, wave at them, and pet them.

Ivy and Daddy had plenty of bonding time last weekend when I took a 2.5 day photography class. He did an awesome job of taking care of her, as I knew he would. They went to the park, out to lunch, to Home Depot, to Sportsman's Warehouse... etc. I learned a lot of thinks about my camera and about photography in general that will help me take better photos.... hopefully!

Daddy will always pick me up!

A comfy chair and her own library-- what more is needed?

She is learning to use a stool to get into bigger chairs-- seriously, this can kill the better part of an hour....

She loves her musical purse-- espcially the lipstick!

She goes into her room to play with her toys and look at her books-- it is so cute that she likes to be in there. Sometimes she will crawl in there an hide behind the door until I go looking for her-- hide and seek!

So I know that once she is walking- I'll wish she wasn't as mobile-- but I really do look forward to a time when she's not wanting to grub around on every dirty floor that we encounter! We are gearing up for a 2 week trip to the East Cost-- part business trip, part friend and relative visiting- and for Ivy and I- several days at Myrtle Beach! She's never been to the zoo before, but will be going this week for the first time!

Also, on the subject of teeth... there is finally one that has popped up on her bottom gum. When I capture the shy tooth on film, I'll post a picture of it!

California Adventure

We left for our adventure on Tuesday morning. We made a stop in San Jose for lunch at the Prune Yard--a relic from my childhood. It wasn't exaclty how I remembered it from 32 years ago, but still enjoyable! After lunch, we drove through Campbell to the house I grew up in (a real dump now), the grammer school I attended (now a private school of some kind) and the second site of Kenco Engineering (also kind of a dump). It was fun and strange to walk through memory lane with Brian and Ivy. After our stop for vittles, we headed over 17 to Santa Cruz and Capitola. When I was a kid, I remember making that drive to the beach pretty often. I would have sworn to you that it took HOURS to get there== we were in Capitola in like 25 minutes! We met my friend Tracy for coffee at a cafe with a great view of the water! It was nice to get Ivy out of her seat for an hour! She was a pretty good traveller that first day, but didn't sleep as good as we hoped she would. I took this picture through the back window of the car... we packed the Mini Cooper to the top with all of our stuff, including the Giant Stroller!

We drove to Monterey where we would spend our first night- Brian had a business meeting nearby first thing in the morning. We checked Urban Spoon and Tripadvisor to find a good place to eat dinner and it took us to the downtown area of Monterey- not far from the Aquarium. There was a farmer's market in progress- and kind of a street fair with lots of food vendors and localy made gift items. If it hadn't been so cold and windy- we would have just chosen something to eat there.... and probably should have..... :( Ivy had a rough time with the restaurant we chose. It was small and full of hard surfaces that her voice travelled over! She was overtired and over hungry and we ended up getting our delicious food to go.

Back at the hotel room, she was a much happier camper after some food and lounging on the bed with daddy. Do you notice how they are lounging in exactly the same way?

The next morning, Ivy and I went for a long walk on a nature trail near the hotel. She slept for most of it, but I enjoyed the wildflowers, songbirds and duck and goose families!

After Brian's great meeting with Granite, we checked out of the hotel and went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Neither one of us had been there since we were dating in the early 90's! Ivy really enjoyed looking at the sealife-- I wish we could have spent more time there.

We all really liked the jellyfish- deadly but cool!

We enjoyed a delightful lunch at the restaurant inside the aquarium-- Ivy had her first restaurant crayon experience.

I got the fish and chips-- totally delicious! We shared them!

Ivy was a good sport and gave the tidepool a try-- I'm sure she'll be more into it next time!

My favorite critter exhibit was the seahorses-- I think Ivy enjoyed the big kelp forest the most- and Brian liked the seahorses too!

We left Monterey in the afternoon and started driving down the coast towards San Simeon. I was totally speechless by the beauty of Highway 1. Every Californian should make this drive! We amused ourselves by trying to decide which house we thought Clint Eastwood would live in! We got to Paso Robles around dinner time and enjoyed sushi at a restaurant Brian visits when he travels there for business. The sushi chef loved Ivy and kept sending over tidbits for her- which she gobbled up. She ate more that night at the sushi restaurant than she had ever eaten! The next morning, we raced back to the coast in time for our 9:00 Hearst Castle tour!

The tour was largely just like it was when I was there the last time (age 12)- and just as breathtaking. We started out with the tiny tot in the carrier-- but I think that she might be done with that now. She squirmed to get out and wanted to walk and be held by each of us... back and forth! She also reached out to other members of the tour... so friendly! She was a great baby on the tour- no crying- just squirming!

We couldn't have had better weather to enjoy the gardens and the views!

A rare picture of Ivy and I!

Apparently, the statue in the background predates Moses!

After a snack in the car, we drove a couple of miles back up the road to a beach full of Elephant Seals! They were super cool!

We checked Urban Spoon again for a sandwich place in San Luis Obispo for lunch, and it took us to Gus's Grocerry. It was a great sandwich! We found a park a couple of blocks away so Ivy could walk around and stretch her legs a little bit!

More driving down the coast and on 101 towards Santa Barbara. We drove through Solvang too- because I'd never been there- but we didn't stop because Ivy was power napping during the drive. Santa Barbara was beautiful, bright and warm. We walked to a brew pub for dinner and Ivy ate her weight in French Fries.

Friday morning we drove down 1 through Malibu towards Los Angeles. We visited the foundry that Kenco does business with so I could have a tour and had lunch with the foundry fellas. After that, we made our way towards Disneyland! Our hotel was about 1.5 miles from the park, but on the same street. It didn't seem like a long walk in the car......

We headed to downtown Disney to meet up with some of our Dosokai group for dinner at the Rainforest cafe. So fun to see all of our adorable tots together! I took this picture of Ivy and her daddy....

After dinner, we walked over to Disneyland for a quick spin around the park. I hadn't been there since I was 4! It was beautiful and breathtaking! I can finally understand what all the fuss is about!

Saturday morning we got all rigged up for a full day at the park! Big stroller packed full of everything wet thought we might need for the day! We had a "character breakfast" at Goofy's Kitchen with like 15 other families! It was great to meet so many people that I'd only known on facebook!

After breakfast, Disneyland!

Here's Ivy and Daddy standing in line for "baby's first ride".

"Baby's first ride"! It was the Pooh ride... and Ivy did better than I did! It was kind of scary!

We all enjoyed "It's a Small World"!

We walked over to the California Adventure and Ivy had "baby's first juice box"!

We let Ivy pick out her mouse ears hat... she chose classic black with velvety ears! Of course she wouldn't keep it on her head!

Sunday morning we enjoyed a great visit with the Pattersons! I love little Camden so much! He is a real charmer! How do I look with 2 babies?

Time to go home! We drove to Visalia and spent the night there before heading home on Tuesday morning. As fun as it is to go... its always wonderful to be home again! Can't wait for Dosokai next year!