Beach Day

With it being Memorial Weekend, it seemed that our little family should do something outdoorsy and new. Jim had suggested we take Joshua to the beach. I wanted to find some sort of event, but was having a hard time finding one that seemed fitting. So Sunday afternoon, we loaded up the car, I slathered up the boy in sunblock and we headed to the beach.

In Huntington Beach, there is an area known as dog beach becuase it is a specified area that you can bring dogs. I figured this would be great to provide some added entertainment for Joshua.

After dealing with the crazy parking traffic, we made our way down to the sand. It was really fun to see all the doggies wandering around. Once we settled our things we took Josh down to the water. He looked so stinkin' cute in his swim trunks.

How many dogs can you count in this picture?

I found a spot on the sand and waited for the waves to come up to us. Clearly it has been a long time since I've been to the ocean because the water came rushing up much further than I anticipated. I went running and still got my rolled up jeans wet.

Next time I started further back and waited for the wave. Once it came, I lowered Josh's little piggies into the water. He had cried waiting for the waves I think because he was scared by the sound and maybe the movement. He didn't seem too fond of the water either. But we tried a second time and he didn't seem quite as upset.


But he was definitely having a hard time dealing with it all. Silly boy.

As we settled back on our blanket, he was continuing to be a little fussy and keeping him shaded was really a lot of work since we didn't have an umbrella. So we left pretty quickly to avoid pissing off all the other people at the beach. Plus, with this being the first time with sunblock, I didn't know how effective it would be and didn't want to risk a burn.

So all in all we had a great first trip to the beach. The biggest lesson learned was to bring an umbrella or tent in the future. The boy has my crazy fair skin and we just need to keep him covered. Plus, as much as I like the beach, I can enjoy it so much more when I'm not worried about the sun.

Joshua Meets 3751

Jim has been working really hard the last couple months with 3751 and the crew to get ready for a couple of events in May. The first was an overnight excursion to San Diego and back. On its way down it would make a stop at the Fullerton station to take on some passengers. This created a great opportunity for Joshua to meet 3751 for the first time.

Grandma and Grandpa B and Grandma C joined us for the adventure. Joshua, of course, had to be dressed in his overalls...


Jim has really been looking forward to this moment. His attachment to trains at such a young age is very special to him and he hopes for Joshua to share those types of experiences. Jim was riding in the car known as the Pony which is typically where the crew hangs out en route. It makes it really easy to find him as he hangs out the door. Jim's dad was also on the train selling merchandise.

Such a proud Papa.

My mom helped me push through the crowd to get as far up to the front as possible. I didn't want to be too pushy and I knew the train wasn't going to be staying too long, so I didn't try to go too far. But my mom kept creeping forward and figured we might as well keep going till we couldn't go any further. We kept snapping pictures along the way just in case any point was as far as we would get.


To my surprise we made it all the way up to the front. We jumped in front of the engine for a quick shot and I think it turned out GREAT!


Josh did so well. Shortly after we arrived a Metrolink went through the station and we watched for his reaction to the loud noise. He wasn't even phased by it. As 3751 pulled in, he still didn't seem bothered by any noise. After the shot above was taken, we stood against the fence to watch it depart. We were probably 30 feet from the front of the engine? (I'm so horrible with spacial stuff.) But my point is we were close when the bell started ringing - and that bell is loud!! Still no fret. Then the whistle blew - which again is loud. I kind of covered his ears just to be safe, but Josh wasn't worried about it. Grandma C kept watching his face and he was unphased.

A friend later asked "He can hear, right?" Yes, he hears just fine.

When I told Jim how well Josh handled the train, he beamed and said "That's my boy!"

This last picture is here just for fun. It makes me laugh every time I look at it. As I said, I was just trying to grab shots at every moment I could just hoping to get as much to turn out as possible. The placement of Josh's head in the shot and the way he's looking right in the camera is just hilarious to me.

"HELLO there! Whatcha doin' ?!"