Our Newport Beach Family Trip!

Robert's parents took all of us on our summer Newport Beach trip! It's my favorite place to vacation, and we seriously look forward to it every year!

We didn't spend a whole lot of time on dry land. We were either in the pool, in the ocean, or in the bathtub getting the beach sand out of our hair for well over half of our vacation.

The kids were like little fish, eating otter pops by the pool everyday.

Our first beach day was such a pleasant surprise. Last year all 3 kids spent our beach day being terrified of the water and choking on sand, but this year they loved it SO much that we ended up having 3 beach days! On our first beach day Tessa and Michael helped us make sand castles and hunt for sand crabs. We found well over a million! Daddy found a bunch of sea shells for Noelle that looked just like butterflies and brains, and now that Stanton has learned how to swim this summer, he was instantly addicted to the waves!

The next day I entered the resorts Iron Chef competition. The secret ingredient was Lay's potato chips. Initially I wanted to make chocolate "chip" cookies just for the sake of the pun, but we didn't have flour, eggs, sugar or anything else in our condo besides fruit, snack food and non-alcoholic pina colada mix. So I ended up going out on a limb and making pina coloda dipped chips with a yogurt, chip crumb fruit salsa. I got 3rd place!!!!!!!! It felt good to take home the bronze. My next goal is to challenge Bobby Flay.

After that we got real fish tacos, and Winston guzzled coconut milk straight from the coconut. He loved it!

Then, because it's tradition, we headed to South Coast Plaza to ride the carousel.

We also stopped at the Lego store and made ourselves as Lego couples. This is Robert and I, but Michael and Tessa's had an even greater resemblance.

That night we went to the Peninsula for treats.

Robert (without permission) gave baby Amelia her first Balboa Bar. He's lobbying early to be her favorite uncle.

Then we went on the Peninsula ferris wheel. I am usually so scared of ferris wheels, but after facing that terrifying sky ride at the San Diego Zoo, this was almost a piece of cake, minus the rocking cages and the stopping at the top to let people out. It was fun though because Stanton and Noelle were really proud of me for going on it with them!

Winston, on the other hand, was not so happy that I went on it without him. He wouldn't let anyone hold him. He just cried by the garbage can the whole time. It was sad to watch from up high. When we got home and put the kids to bed, it was time for our traditional non-alcoholic pina coladas and dancing on the counters, which will not become a new tradition because I realized how ridiculous I looked!

The next day Robert's parents took us all to Catalina Island.

We rode golf carts around the island, which the kids all LOVED!

Then we walked around the shops, raided the candy store and played at the park.

The boat ride back was fabulous! The kids really loved sitting up top, and I didn't barf this time, like on the way there because Robert's Dad found me some magic acupuncture sea-sick bracelets. They worked like a charm! I could've stayed on the boat all day.

That night we went to Balboa Island and had dinner at Grandma Hurley's and then walked around. By the time we got home, Wisnton was so exhausted that he couldn't even close his eyes all the way while he slept.

The next morning Uncle Colton painted Noelle's nails with the color changing nail polish he bought her. She later declared to Robert and I that she thinks she wants to marry Uncle Colton.

Then we headed to the beach again. Stanton had lots of fun with the boogie board, and I almost cried cause he is becoming such a big boy, a wonderful little big boy! I may have even let my emotions get the best of me because I got into a minor-ish altercation with some beach goers who yelled at me for moving their seemingly abandoned boogie board that was seriously like 20 ft away from them. At first I apologized to them, and asked them if they would like me to bring it over to them. They rudely said yes, so then I told them that they needed to ask me nicely and say please. They didn't like that. They started yelling that they didn't get to the beach at 10am so that I could get there at noon and sit in front of them. Then I yelled back that we were not even close to them, and that they don't own the beach anyway, and that maybe I would just sit right on their laps and show them what sitting close really is. It was then that I realized Robert is right. I am a lot more confrontational than I think I am, but he says that he likes my zero tolerance policy for rudeness and also injustice at play places.

Winston alternated between crying, digging in the sand and melting my heart with his cuteness!

Then everyone played some beach volleyball.

This time Winston came home so tired that he fell asleep when I set him on the bed to put a diaper on him.

That night we went to my all time favorite restaurant, Pat and Oscars! Winston poured salt and red pepper flakes in his macaroni and loved it. What he loved even more was the coy pond at Fashion Island afterwards! After we put the kids to bed, we all watched our favorite comedian, Jim Gafigan. He was so hilarious, and even more fun watching everyone laugh so hard that they couldn't breathe.

The next day the boys wore their Hawaiian shirts to another of our favorite food spots, Pacific Way Cafe.

After lunch Robert and I took the kids to Los Angelas to go to the La Brea Tar Pits. On the way, my eyes were turning yellow, so we had to pull off the freeway for a potty break. Turns out, we stopped in Compton. We were greeted by this classy billboard, and also lots of surprisingly friendly homies asking me what's up and calling me "sistah" while I waited in line for the bathroom and Robert and the kids waited inside the van with the doors locked. We also, no joke, witnessed a fight in the parking lot, and were blocked inside our parking spot by a low rider that was broken down directly behind us. All in all, it was an eventful bathroom break!

The kids LOVED the La Brea Tar Pits, and so did I! I have always wanted to go there, and it was really fun!

The best part was watching all of the scientists cleaning the tar off of the fossils. When it was time to go, Noelle begged not to leave because she "just has to keep watching them so she can learn how to be a paleontologist!"

We saw and learned so many interesting things there, and it was so cool seeing all of the wooly mammoth bones that were found in these tar pits that are still bubbling right in the middle of the city.

It smelled so stinky like tar, and we even did our own experiment out there by throwing rocks in the tar (shh, don't tell) to see if they sink or get stuck.

Then we walked around the Grove and visited the American Girl Doll store. Holy smokes, what a store! Then we found this crazy farmer's market that has tons of food stands with food from around the world. We liked it there! We especially loved the watermelon, cantelope, pear juice.

The next day was beach day number 3. Winston slept on my lap for most of the time. It was so nice to have him cuddle with me for 2 hours in the beautiful weather!

The kids had the most fun playing in the sand with grandpa!

 

Then for our last night there, we barbecued by the pool and the kids swam and climbed trees. Then we walked around Balboa Island one last time and got the kids their beloved hippo cookies.

The next morning the kids played outside one last time before we headed home. They found snails, roly poly bugs and played herbivore dinosaurs and winter fairy/ninjas. We had a really great time in California with everyone, and we can't wait to do it all again next year!