Fun Diego.... part 1

...or alternatively titled, "sand in our van" because our minivan was more like a mini beach for the long weekend.

Fiesta forever!

In case it's not abundantly clear from the picture above, we left the desert for a little R&R. Let's hear it for the go-getters! After years of talking about taking a family vacation (not the kind where you go to see extended family) we finally hit up the beach with 3/5 of the whole crew*.

*The plan was to have Beck and Jake come too, but one hotel room with Beck the teething, sleepless monster seemed pretty close to awful. Next time guys, next time. 

We drove over to Mission Bay in San Diego with our friends the Berners and it did not disappoint. 

And I don't know about you, but I feel kind of starstruck every time I see a large body of water. The boys had the same eye googling reaction.

The hotel we stayed at was right on the bay and the pacific was right across the street. Not much is worse than having to trek with beach gear and kids (ok there's a lot worse, but humor me) so it was amazing when such a vacation luxury ended up being super affordable. 

I had some semi legitimate concerns at taking a 6 hour road trip solo with the boys. But they exceeded all my very low expectations. They only had one shouting match about "STOP LOOKING AT THE SAME THINGS AS ME!" and there was only one emergency pee situation involving a diaper and someone who has been potty trained for a very long time.

With the drive there being so stellar I was totally thrilled when the trip was also so relaxing. I was able to kick back with a book, take in the view, and watch the kids frolic around in the waves.

L to the O to the L.

No, I think I sat for a total of twelve minutes and eleven of those were in the sand with Rad because the little guy loves the pool but does not trust the waves...or the seagulls.

Which leads to the perfect time to share the general theme of this trip:

Always happy to be in/near/by the waves

vs

yet again, always very happy to stay landlocked.

And making their mother try to make them both happy little campers. Her negotiating skills are now finely honed.

The hotel had two rescue seals, Billy and Gracie and twice a day they got to show us admirers how they ate their breakfasts. 

Very National Geographic documentary-esq. Indeed.

Billy and Gracie were deaf/blind (not sure who was which) but I'm sure they enjoyed the boys seal imitations every single time we walked by.

Rhett has always been a happy water goer and much to his mother's chagrin has never see a body of H2O he didn't jump into. During this trip Rad decided he also couldn't get enough of the water (not the waves though) and at one point paddled up to me with a big smile and said, "hi momma...I think I'm drowning right now"... still smiling. Methinks we'll have to hit up a little vocabulary lesson with the first definition we go over being, "drowning".

One morning, a washed up raft from the bay allowed the kids an up close and personal look at the life of a swashbuckler and oh, wait...Rhett, is that you?

Your impressive pirate dance threw me.

Rad has happy to be the hall-monitior-esq pirate and wear the bright orange life jacket.

Some kind fellow beach patrons warned us that there were some jelly fish that had washed up on shore. Being not well versed with sea creature speak, I wasn't even sure what said jelly fish might look like to protect the boys from...so much to my dismay Rad discovered a jelly fish (thankfully either already dead the non stinging variety) and the kids loved their temporary pet situation,

Due to proximity, I couldn't make out what exactly Rad was conversing with his jelly fish about, but I'm sure it was riveting.

Rhett named it Sky Lightning. Because it really seemed to be a good fit.

And Rad was very dotting to his squishy friend till he pulled a Of Mice and Men, Lenny combo and squished the family vacation pet into gloop.

Don't tell Ben.

And a few more touristy pictures coming your way.

Vacay recaps are kind of the worst kind of posts so thanks for making it to the end of this gander of one. Feel free to be eager for part 2...or not. ;) 

Now I'm going to listen to Pinocchio Rhett tell me all about the whale he saw at the beach on when were there. (A story which he retells almost daily since being home.) Apparently, someone was surfing on it.