Goodbye, Sunshine

We had one last full day in California. We spent it pretty relaxed, hanging out at a park with Anne and Quentin, watching a movie, playing video games and having a dinner at Anne's. It was a nice relaxing day after all the running from fun activity to fun activity. It was quiet and easy and a great visit with our favorite Californians.

Overall impressions of our trip. I don't like doing the same thing day after day. I crave change and adventure and therefore the trip was perfect! I loved the weather and the variety of the things available to do. I do not enjoy waiting in lines-- hence the reasons I could never live there-- crowds and TRAFFIC. It is a wonderful spot to visit and we should go more often.

The drive home was slightly depressing as we were in a SNOW storm from Beaver to Nephi. Memo to Utah-- It is APRIL and time to stop that already!

Welcome to Hollywood, Baby!

Day 4 of our L.A. holiday and we headed for Hollywood. I have never been to Grauman's Chinese Theater and I wanted to see it at least once in my life. We parked along Hollywood Blvd. and had fun looking in the little shops and at the stars along the walk-of-fame until we were greeted by Supergirl and Yoda in front of the theater. Supergirl was Russian (who knew) and very nice, but Romney and William were so not impressed. We checked out part of the Roosevelt Hotel and headed back to the car. Next was a drive up Mulholland drive to get a great view of the city (and it's smog problem!) and the Hollywood sign. It was fun to do all the touristy stuff we never do. That night we went to dinner with Anne and Q and then dropped the kids off to have a sleep-over with Quentin. We actually had a night all to ourselves! Definitely the best part of the vacation!

California Dreamin' part deux

Day 3-Adult Choice Day. Yippee! No 2 hour lines today. We started the day again on the beach across the street. That is really the way I wish every one of our days could start. That really is the way every day SHOULD start. Ahhhh. . .
After the beach we headed to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. We all enjoyed looking at the exhibits for about an hour and then we walked along the boardwalk and grabbed some ice-cream. Perfect.
We headed to In-and-Out for lunch (not really a healthy eating day!) and drove to Pasadena to visit the most amazing gardens. We went to the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens (emphasis on the gardens) and let the kids run around while I got to FINALLY break out my camera and use it on something other than snow! After they literally had to kick us out at closing time we drove to the Santa Monica pier and had fun walking that boardwalk, playing in the arcade and having dinner at the end of the pier over looking the ocean and the amusement rides. All in all, a truly wonderful California day! (P.S. I am not leaving in a couple of days unless it is spring in Utah!)

California Dreamin'

Days 1 and 2. Day 1 was spent in a car. It went relatively quickly and painlessly in our new ride. We rolled into Newport Beach around 6 pm and quickly checked into our beach front! hotel and then walked across the street to have a little beach time after a long car ride. The kids had a blast running around, flying kites and digging in the sand. Bill and I had a blast watching the sunset over the pacific.

Day 2 was spent enjoying a Kids' Choice Day. They picked the activities. They picked how long each lasted and what to do next. We started the morning with a seashell hunt on the beach (my most favorite activity of the day). Then we visited the Queen Mary (The kids were most impressed by the telephone booths that are replicas of the old british ones.) The last stop is the one I DO NOT recommend for all you parents out there! LEGOLAND. How spoiled are my children if when offered a chance to go to DISNEYLAND they say "Nah, no thanks." Seriously what kid does that? We went to Legoland about a year ago at Christmas and the word nightmare does not even begin to cover our experience. I swore I would never go back. I even took time out of my life to send off a disappointed email ( my first I have ever had to write) to the company about what our experience was like, in the hopes that other parents might be spared. When we asked our kids last month what was important to them to do while we were in California, they answered "Go to the beach and Legoland." We were really stuck going when we found out it was included in our goLA pass we had already purchased. I won't recap too much what this trip was like, other than to say in 5 hours they rode 2 rides!!! And it wasn't even too terribly crowded! Love the toy, hate the park! The day, however, ended on a great note at dinner with Q and Anne.

I will have pictures posted of the day when we get home. I only took Williams' little camera so I wouldn't have to lug my big one all around Legoland! I already knew what to expect.

Have I mentioned how great the weather is 70 degrees! And everything is in full spring bloom right now. Even the freeways look amazing with all the wild-flower color. Boy I love spring. It will migrate to Salt Lake soon I hope.

Day 3 is Adults' Choice Day! Woo Hoo!

Easter Egg Madness!

One of the most random, hidden goodies of Salt Lake City is Gilgal Gardens. Tucked away in plain sight, we had driven past it countless times before discovering it last year when friends invited us to an egg hunt there. It was so much fun last year, we jumped at the chance to be included again. I never buy the kids Easter outfits, but this year I couldn't resist. William was not thrilled with me until his friends told him how "cool" he looked. (Thank you friends!) Romney thought he was pretty hot stuff in his new clothes, and obliged me without any argument. Where else but Utah can you hunt for eggs on and around a sphinx with Joseph Smith's face or a statue of the man who dreamed it all up wearing brick "plaid" pants? Gotta love this place!

Spring!

***Warning!*** The following post may make you burst into spontaneous Mary Poppins song. All together now! "Let's go fly a kite, up to the highest height. Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring. Up through the atmosphere, up where the air is clear. . ." (Unless you live in the inversion challenged Salt Lake Valley.) All in all, it was a wonderful way to spend a spring day.

Diet Coke Rehab

It is day three of my diet coke free existence. For a long time (too long) I have joked about being addicted to my "mother's little helper", diet coke. I knew it was bad when William was including a self-made COKE ad at the end of the comics he draws. It is no longer funny. Cold Turkey with no caffeine is so much harder than it sounds! I am cranky and tired and have a raging headache! I had no idea this was normal for coming off caffeine! I thought I was being a big ol' wuss (as I am sometimes known to be), until I talked to a friend who told me about her experience quitting coffee and black tea. She said she thought for about a week she was going to die and she is not known for wussiness. So, for motivation I got on the internet to read about other peoples' struggle to quit the wonderful, sweet, bubbly, cold, refreshing, poison that is COLA. This is a small sampling of quotes I found:

"I've got this friend right,.. he is a coke addict for many years now. At first it seemed funny but now every time we meet him he’s all messed up. He doesnt shave anymore, he stinks and his girlfriend broke up with him. He doesn't understand he is an addict. He spents more time at home then at school. Please give us advise how to help him. He (we) can’t take this any longer."

or this. . .

"I was wondering why so many of my friends, including myself, are so addicted to Coke Cola. I was drinking just Cokes and no water….what a mistake!! After I passed the dark kidney stone, I knew what probably caused it. I don’t drink coffee or tea so this is my morning “pick-me-up. I went through withdrawals and tried working at the same time…I felt my brain just wouldn’t work and the headaches were unbearable."

My boys all had fun destroying the half dozen or so cans I still had in the fridge when I went off the hard stuff! They took them outside and threw them as hard as they could against the retaining wall. William had the best throw, it wasn't too hard so the can would just explode and be done (Bill), and it wasn't so soft that the can would just bounce off the wall (Romney), it was just right and would create a small hole and make a wonderfully dramatic fountain effect that kept going and going.

It seems like I may be almost done "detoxing" as my headache has mostly subsided and my joints no longer ache and I am not quite as cantankerous as the previous two days. Wish me (and Bill, since I am the cranky one) luck kicking my bad habit.