Just recently, the home-dwellers of my family (meaning, those who are not either too grown up to come or are not in Denver for the summer) were able to take a much-needed and much-deserved break. We went on vacation for a week to Escondido, California, which is a lovely place! Having loved so many things about this trip, I thought I'd share a few points. You ready for this? Wait for it.... wait... wait.... okay NOW!
Escondido (and surrounding area), California-- May 2009
-We saw a few pods of dolphins having an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet just off of the Oceanside Pier.
-Josh's comment about "The Phantom Rider", a roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm: "That freaked the hell out of me!" (Don't worry, I waited to laugh until after he was scolded and I was out of sight)
-Another thing about "The Phantom Rider"-- I, singlehandedly, convinced Lydia to ride it. And she only cried a little.
-I got asked five times if Lydia was my daughter. One genius admitted this reason to asking said question- "Oh wow, but you guys look so much alike!" Uhh... no.
-Josh said "seashell" correctly for about ten whole minutes. But it sort of slipped back into "she-shells". I'm okay with that for a little longer, it's pretty cute.
-I thought I caused an earthquake by kicking the cupboard doors while chatting on the phone. Nope, it wasn't just loud noises. Turns out it really was an earthquake.
-I read a book cover to cover in two days. I haven't had that kind of time in... well, at least over a year and a half. Usually all I have time for is a chapter here or there.
-I finished my self portrait, a portrait of Lydia, and began one of Josh.
-I thought I was going to die because I thought I had swine flu. Turns out it was exhaustion. Whew, dodged that one.
-Some random old lady in a purple wide-brimmed hat with a red feather (she was even from the Bronx... how much cooler can a random old lady get?) stopped me in the grocery store to tell me I should get Lydia's hair cut shorter, because it was too pretty and hence unfair to Lydia because she had to be more careful because of it.
-I went a whole week without CSI.
-I went a whole week with only three TV shows- either A) Spongebob (if the kids had the remote... what's new?), B) some crapumentary about Kobe Bryant (if Dad had the remote), or C) HGTV (if Mom had the remote... nothing new there either, so maybe the only difference here was that I never got control of the remote, or all three of these things are constantly on).
-I held a bunny again. I haven't held a bunny since Sweet Pea died. Sweet Pea was Lauren's rabbit, who died because she was too traumatized to eat (good job Josh and Lydia... oh boy.). When she started to go downhill, Lauren insisted on me helping her, and since the bunny wouldn't chew, I had to chew for her and spit it out and then put it in her mouth... then Lauren had a dentist's appointment but didn't want the bunny to die alone, so we took the bunny with us to the dentist's, where it, yes, died. I forgot how cute they are when they're not dying and can chew for themselves.
-Lydia saw a heavier lady who was wearing a tube-top, and so had a spare tire, and she made this comment: "Does she have... four?"
-I slept (or rather, made valiant attempts to sleep) on a grid of metal bars with a two and a half inch thick pad on top of it. It was supposed to be a hide-away bed.
-Josh got a geode and a guy with a lapidary saw cut it for him. He was the first person to ever touch the crystals inside of it, and he thought that was pretty cool.
-Josh ran ahead of us to inspect the restaurant we were about to eat at. To decide if he was for or against the dining decision, he examined the food. With his face about two or three inches away from it. While a couple on a date was eating it. Lydia was mortified.
-I massacred three little boys with the water-gun we had with us... they were picking on Josh in the pool. They ended up swallowing a lot of poolwater, because I shot it into their mouths every time they opened them.
-I caught the biggest sand-crabs I have ever seen. There were two, and they had to have been at least an inch and a half long. That is huge, for something that's usually the size of a potato bug.
-I realized how much I love and missed the ocean.
-I realized how small I am compared to said ocean.
-I got purple Converse high-tops. (Their sheer existence is proof of divinity)
-I overheard Josh in the Gymboree outlet watching the kids' show on their little TV. There was a memory game segment, and after it shows you the correct match, it says, "Great job! You're very smart!" Well, apparently Josh had chosen the wrong match. His response to the narrator was, "You're a horrible woman!"
-Josh was sleep talking in the car: "Stickers are no match for me!"
-We were given a free copy of the Harlequin romance novel, "Crime Scene at Cardwell Ranch" (by B.J. Daniels) because, and I quote from the back of the book, "Harlequin is celebrating 60 years of providing women with pure reading pleasure. To mark this occasion, we're giving you this FREE BOOK from the Harlequin Intrigue® line..... Harlequin has a romance for every mood!" This gorgeous piece of intellectual treasure was waiting for us in our hotel room, along with samples of Splenda and Pepto-Bismol. That's hot.
-Did I mention that I got purple Converse?
-I fell in love, on accident of course.
-Actually got a sort of tan. Miracle of miracles.
-I won my dad in a bet (about whether or not pigeons and doves were the same species or just the same genus... yep, we live on the edge around here).
-I almost peed my pants. St. George couldn't have appeared soon enough.
-I decided to apply to UVU... well, that was a long time in the making, but I wasn't sure until our trip.
-I figured out who Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka reminds me of: a Carol Burnett/ Michael Jackson lovechild.
-I realized that In-n-Out has the most divine burgers ever... I sorta forgot. Also they have cool giant safety pins as part of their uniforms, but they won't sell one to you.
-Josh found an Indiana Jones-ish hat, and promptly found one for Dad that looked like Indiana Jones' dad would wear.
-Lydia decided she loves Keropi.
-I matched a carousel.
-I got butterflies because I am so excited for the second Transformers.
And last but not least...
-I got purple Converse.
These pictures are all from my cell, so pardon the crappiness. Also, I have higher-class pictures from a real camera to come. So keep checking back. I'm resurrecting my blog.
