365.2: WEEK 29

Our week. Visiting the doctor. Finding a caterpillar. Playing at a splash pad. Making fake snow. Playing at another splash pad. Visiting the dentist. Reading books together. Another busy week where we were almost constantly on the go. And this next week is shaping up to be even busier, yet...

July 18th - July 24th

ANIMAL HOMES

It's been a week since Cali. And I am slowly adjusting back to normal life, including resuming summer school with the littles. Some days, I have to force myself to do it. Like that last week, right before our trip. I was so sidetracked with preparations that I almost skipped it. Glad I didn't. We talked about habitats and I whipped together some habitat sensory boxes on the fly. I grabbed four plastic tubs and filled them with ice, water, soil and leaves, and wood chips (I wanted sand, but was in a pinch and used what I had available). The four represented the arctic, the ocean, the rainforest, and the savannah - all of which were areas we had been discussing for our habitat unit. Next, I pulled out our little stash of toy creatures and had them sort the animals according to habitat. They worked well together, helping one another choose the right location. Once all of the animals were in, they were able to free play with the boxes. I'm pretty sure most of the creatures ended up "living" in ice caves. Either way, a fun activity.

SEA, SAND, & SUN

Let me prepare you by saying that this post is a photo overload; I picked the 70 best images from our trip to California. Each year, my need to be by the sea increases tenfold. It won't be long before I up and move there with the littles - with or without the mr. (I totally want him to come along; he's just not convinced). We spent six glorious days basking in the cool breezes, sunny skies, and warm sands. Another successful trip for our family (and the mr.'s sister), in the books. 
FRIDAY: DAY ONE left home at 5 am and headed to Long Beach met with a family friend for lunch at Chipotle last time visiting Aquarium of the Pacific - free because of last year's pass drove to Anaheim, where we stayed 5 nights ate mac & cheese for dinner while dad went grocery shopping had family friends over for an ice cream treat before bed
SATURDAY: DAY TWO slept in - and by sleeping in, I mean 7:30 am... ran a last minute errand only to discover 2 nails in the tire waited and waited and waited while mr. had the tire repaired took off for Huntington Beach the moment the mr. returned had a picnic lunch on the beach played for hours in the sand and surf returned home in the late afternoon to get cleaned up made individual pizzas for dinner and ate on the patio walked over to the Anaheim Packing House after dinner devoured delicious gelato pops from PopBar for dessert
SUNDAY: DAY THREE ate breakfast before driving out to Pasadena met with our family friends for a picnic at a park Reese's Retreat at Brookside Park near the Rose Bowl, for the win parted ways with our friends and headed west drove down Hollywood Blvd - so much to see made our way to the Los Angeles LDS Temple - what an awesome Visitor's Center back home for dinner and an early bedtime
MONDAY: DAY FOUR had an early start and an easy breakfast to be out the door quickly drove out to Newport to meet up with our friends, who live in TX collected shells and swam out into the waves ate a picnic lunch on the sand before loading up traveled a few miles further to visit Balboa - rode the ferry boat over to Balboa Island walked to Balboa Candy - purchased a load of salt water taffy returned to the mainland and rode the ferris wheel at Balboa Fun Zone had dinner back in our Anaheim home made late night trip to Downtown Disney with the mr.'s sister
TUESDAY: DAY FIVE day two at Newport with our TX friends - mr.'s sister stayed home walked the breaker and searched for crabs with the littles played in the sand and surf for hours another picnic lunch in the sand before saying goodbye went back to the Anaheim house to clean ourselves up drove to Brea to meet family friends for dinner at BJ's
WEDNESDAY: DAY SIX packed our bags and cleaned the house after breakfast drove to Long Beach for one last look at the ocean played at Lion's Lighthouse in Rainbow Harbor forgot our case of DVDs - back tracked to Anaheim to recover them ate at In-N-Out before our long drive back arrived at home at about 6 pm - pizza in hand for dinner
But for reals. Can someone take me back to California? Permanently? First, I NEED TO BE BY THE OCEAN. Second, can we talk about that weather?! It was heavenly - especially compared with the hellacious 115 degree temps upon return to Arizona...