Family Vacay - Part 1

Only a few days after Claire and I got back from "Zona" (Arizona), we headed out for our first real (real means an airplane was involved) family vacation. Claire was very excited to go on another airplane and she insisted we were going to "Zona" yet again. Every time I told her we were going to California she would reply with "airpanes zona!". It was so nice to have Erik next to me to help us get through the two hour flight to LAX. Toddlers just don't understand "don't put your feet on the chair in front of you". :)

By the time we got to our friend's house near Redondo Beach, it was almost midnight. Claire had a very long night and I knew that wasn't going to pose well for the next day. A few short hours later, Claire awoke in the new surroundings and we informed her that we were at Crew's house. The two of them had never met and are about two years apart, but they still managed to have a great time together. Firefighter and Batman costumes, toy trains, and our iPad all kept them entertained for a couple of hours. Soon, we were off on our first excursion; exploring some nearby tide pools. We took a little hike down to the beach and told Claire about the ocean. The one thing I was looking forward to during this trip was the opportunity to let Claire see and feel the ocean for the first time. I only wish she would remember what took place. She loved the hike down to the water but as soon as she heard the waves crumbling over the rocks she got nervous and didn't want to leave Daddy's arms. It turned out to be a wonderful Daddy-Daughter bonding experience.

Unfortunately, the tide was in so it was very difficult to hike over to the remaining tide pools, but we managed and Erik even found Claire some tiny crabs. She loved looking at them and to my surprise, wanted them to stay as far away as possible. She'll put a five-foot snake around her neck (post coming soon) but is scared of a one-inch crab? Strange girl!

At this point, Claire still hadn't set foot on the sand or in the ocean. It was very rocky near the tide pools so once we walked past them it was time to pry her out of Erik's arms. We took her shoes off, set her on the sand, and waited for her reaction. Immediately, Claire was very unsure of the sand on her toes, however, a couple of steps later, you could tell she was starting to enjoy the feeling. We strolled along the sand for a few minutes and then decided it was time to head out for some lunch and get on with our day.

What fantastic, trendy restaurant did we hit up for lunch? Good ole' Trader Joe's. Yes, the grocery store. We like our meals extravagant and our booth must always be private. J/K :) Our salads and sandwiches were delicious and the nearby grocery carts provided wonderful entertainment for Claire and Crew. It was a great way to spend lunchtime catching up with old friends.

After lunch, we headed back to the house to gear up for our evening ahead. Before dinner we stopped at the beach for some quick family snapshots taken by my friend Terra. I was so happy to have beach photos taken and may just have to use them for our Christmas card this year since they turned out so cute.

As we headed back to the car, Claire couldn't ignore the new and exciting sand beneath her feet. It only took a moment for a handful of sand to make it into her mouth. Yuck! 

Probably the best part of our vacation was all of the quality time Claire and Erik were able to spend together. You could really tell how much Claire loved all of the rough-housing and exploring day after day. So adorable!

It was a long and eventful day and we were all dying to get some food in our bellies. Unfortunately, the restaurant we chose had a very long wait, but we made do.

By the time we sat down, we stuffed our faces with bowl after bowl of chips and salsa. Yum! Erik and I had our usual chicken enchiladas and Claire pretty much filled her tummy with chips and Crew's french fries. It was such a well balanced meal. :)

Our first day in Los Angeles managed to turn out wonderful despite a late bedtime the night before and a missed nap. We crossed our fingers that the remaining days of our weekend trip would go so well.

Me and Terra