Watah-Watah

Here is a little view of our latest fun with Joshua. He just loves getting yummy water from a straw!

First Family Vacation

Father's Day weekend took us on our first family vacation. It all started with talk of driving up to visit my sister, Susan. We were looking into various options of how to make that work and the end result was that we would meet in the middle at Pismo Beach. Susan found this vacation rental that looked perfect! It was the perfect size for our 3 "families".

The fun part was that through the talk of scenarios, my dad was under the impression we were going to Monterey and leaving on Friday. At the last minute, my mom told him Jim and I decided we should leave on Thursday to split the trip for Joshua so it wasn't such a long travel day. She said we would be finding someplace to stay.

I started my packing list a couple weeks in advance. For a first trip, I figured it was better to overpack rather than underpack and learn what things I wouldn't really need. It was going to be interesting sharing a room with Josh. I wasn't' sure who would be disrupted by it more, him or us. But each night was better than the previous one and by the third night we all actually overslept his first feeding. And he napped pretty well all weekend too.

We arrived at the house at about 4:15pm on Thursday. Susan came walking out with Jack (her black Lab) and he bounded straight towards my dad. The funny thing was that he didn't really give the dog much thought. We learned later he was just assuming this was the owner of the place where we were staying and their dog. Once he heard Susan's voice, the shock hit. You have to remember that he wasn't expecting to see Susan until the next day. So it was Mission: Accomplished and a lot of fun. The revelations continued as he learned this was where we were really staying all weekend.

So here are a few pictures of the Sand Castle:

Our great dining table.

On the roof was a big grill which we used for hamburgers and chicken kabobs.

There was also this nice little seating area. Saturday night we built a fire here and had S'mores.

Sunset view from our roof.

Friday we spent some time at a few wineries in Avila. There was also a cool farmer's market going on there. I did some tasting at one the wineries. I'm not a big drinker, but between liver issues and baby stuff, I just don't really drink anymore at all. It is nice to be able have the occasional drinks though.

This is at one of the winery stores. Josh was a total trooper.

This trip was filled with lots of firsts for Josh - long drive, overnight somewhere else. One of the firsts was going to a park and swinging on Saturday. He was absolutely swimming in the seat, but he did really well. There was another little girl to his right whom he was almost constantly looking at.

Such a cutie pie!

And we had to do the slide too!

Auntie Susie, Jack, me and Josh

Saturday afternoon Jim and Susan rented ATVs on the beach. This was Jim's first time and it sounds like they had a lot of fun. Susan got stranded in a big crater and Jim had a little bit of an accident. But they both survived and came back thoroughly exhilarated.

Another first for Josh was eating in a real restaurant Saturday night. We picked one we had passed driving back from Avila the day before. It looked more casual from the outside than it ended up being. We were there early enough that it was pretty empty and they put us in the back for Josh. I don't think this restaurant is used to having little kids there. They had a high chair which apparently we broke in for the first time. The staff didn't necessarily seem to be annoyed to have an infant there, but they didn't seem real thrilled about it either.

But he was a very good boy and we had a lot of fun with him. He ate wonderfully and didn't really get bored. He became very vocal throughout the weekend I think just because of people being around the whole time. So he was continuing to practice that at the restaurant.



I have only half-heartedly been trying to give Joshua a sippy cup of water. He hasn't quite figured out how to work it, but I think he does manage to get some water down his throat. But sometimes I like to just use a straw as a dropper and he LOVES it! He gets so excited about it.


Joshua really seems to enjoy social interaction. He loves being part of the group. It's enough to keep him quite entertained. And of course he keeps all of us entertained too.


Our drive home was nice too. When we pulled off for Josh's feeding we found a shady little corner. We sat out on the grass while I fed him his fruit and veggies. Jim put him in the normal car seat for fun and I just love this picture!


It was really great to get away. I can't really say it was relaxing, but the change of scenery was great. I think it will be a long time before vacations are ever truly relaxing for me again. And my packing list served me well. I only forgot one thing - not too shabby!

The BIRDS!!!!

Josh is ever increasing his stores of energy and Jim and I are trying to find new ways to keep him entertained. My friend Melanie suggested I get a bird feeder so that when he is in his playpen by the sliding door, he can watch the birds. She said her daughter loved it.

So Memorial weekend Jim hung the bird feeders.

We filled it with feed specifically designed for songbirds. I thought it would be a nice change from the squawking crows (hopefully). I secretly feared that it would attract more crows.

Jim filled up the feeder and then we waited.

It took several days for the birds to find the feeder. The most amazing part was that it was on a day my cats ran outside for the first time in months. Bailey refused to come back, so I just let him stay out there for about five hours. I was excited to see a bird at the feeder and then shocked to see Bailey laying near by just watching.

Over the next few days, I noticed a few more birds finding their way to the feeder. What shocked me most was when I left for work one morning with the feeder half full...

And came home to it looking like this:

Empty. Decimated. Ravished.

The carnage was appalling. And the mess beyond forgiveness.

The number of birds in our yard has seemed to increase almost every day. Should I be concerned? How many birds are going to come? What is this going to cost me to keep them fed? What have I gotten myself into? I'm having horrible Hitchockian nightmares.

Although, despite the aftermath, I have truly enjoyed the singing of the birds. So, I acquiesced and refilled the feeder.

And as I was cleaning things up outside, I started to get an eerie feeling. I could sense the rising tension of the birds waiting to feel safe enough to descend on their refreshed feast. I really wanted to capture pictures of them, so I settled into a chair and waited.

The birds waited too.

And they started to increase in number.

So close, yet so far away.

They came from far and wide.

And finally swooped in.

I think this is the guy from the wire.

We got a hummingbird feeder too, but I have yet to see a hummingbird. I know they're around because I have seen them from time to time. Hopefully they will find their beachy resort.

And the poor cats...

So close, yet so far away.

UPDATE: When I wrote this post yesterday, I had filled the bird feeder in the late afternoon. I came home from work this evening and the feeder is already EMPTY!!! BIRDS!!!!

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' ?!"