California Kids

We had a simply wonderful family vacation to Orange County, Santa Barbara and Santa Monica. It was a time to connect with dear friends and family, play and explore, eat and drink, rest and renew.

In retrospect, we now see that traveling for three weeks with two small kids is not a recipe for relaxation, but we wouldn't trade one minute of the coordination, packing and planning...that would mean we would have missed watching Ben's delight running into the waves, Clara's giggles playing with dogs, train rides at the zoo, proud first steps, family naps in one big bed, excellent conversation matched with excellent wine, awe inspiring child's play, splashing in the pool, making countless wishes in lots of fountains, a Ferris wheel ride above the pacific, a wild trip down a great big slide...yep, it was worth it.

Ordinary Day

One of the best benefits of having your kids so close together is that there is an abundance of cuteness and new adventures in every day.

Ben is trying out the new world of "big boy underwear." Today was a special treat, he got to wear his new Thomas underwear. He pulled them on this morning and exclaimed, "Hop on board and enjoy the ride!" That quote is a keeper for future embarrassment.

Clara is a busy girl filled with purpose. She loves to pull things off shelves and out of cupboards and then spends time organizing them in a very specific way (hmm...no idea where that trait comes from). She takes her "work" seriously and approaches it with enthusiasm.

At lunch today Clara had her first peanut butter (well, soybean butter) and jelly sandwich. She loved it and ate every last bite. For some reason this "first" made Leah sentimental and a little teary, it is a meaningful and old fashioned rite of passage into childhood.

We had a special project today, Ben's Treasure Box. Ben has had a small treasure box for some time, but it no longer could contain all of his treasures (mostly items swiped from mom and dad's nightstands and kitchen drawers) and he needed a spot that was off limits from his growing and grabby little sister.

The best and biggest moment of our day was Clara taking her first steps with her stroller. At fifteen months she is taking her own sweet time walking. Today she spent the afternoon strolling up and down the hall gripping her stroller and learning to trust herself with those first big steps of independence.

Just an ordinary day filled with extraordinary little moments. We are enjoying the ride.