Under the Sea Pool Party

Brynn had her very own under the sea world for her 2^nd birthday party.  The sun was shining, the sugar was flowing, and all of the kids were swimming and playing games.  What started off as what was supposed to be a small birthday party with a few people ended up being a full party with lots of people, decorations, games, and food.  Brynn was a little on edge and confused about what all the commotion was about.  But as the day went on she warmed up and had a great time.  Nothing a little sugar could not take care of.   

Could not keep the candles lit....oops!

Cake anyone?

Yellow submarine....thanks Ashley.

Shark!!

I did it!!

Fun with Fishies

Santa Barbara was our destination this past weekend.  First stop was the pier to take in the scenic views.  Once again Santa Barbara did not disappoint.  It was as beautiful as always but hotter than ever.  Once again the heat followed us.  We took a break from the heat and went to the Sea Center where Brynn was able to explore all of the sea creatures found in the surrounding water. 

She liked to splash in the touch tanks but was too frightened to actually touch any of the fish, sharks, or starfish.  Instead she loved running through the aquarium tunnel and tickling the bellies of the fish with Sara, finding Nemo with Grandma, and using the magnify glass to see the fish up close.  We ended our adventure with a jelly fish exhibit and impromptu puppet show.  Santa Barbara was a great weekend trip with fun for everyone.  Fishy fun for Brynn, shopping for the girls, and brewery tasting for the boys.      

I see you!

Finding Nemo.

Starfish Tank

Puppet Show

Nakie Baby

Summer is in full swing here in Southern California and so is the heat.  So why not go to the desert where it is even hotter? – I thought to myself.

We were lucky enough to be invited to our friends’ cabin along the Colorado River in Arizona recently.  We jumped at the chance for a change of scenery and to be on a boat again.  The only downfall of Arizona in August was the 112 degree days and 100 degree nights. 

Brynn, as always, was a trooper.  She got car sick on the way there.  Right in the middle of rush hour traffic, while in the far left lane Brynn was trying to communicate to me that she was not feeling well.  Let’s just say I did not get the hint until it was too late.  And to top it off we were riding in my friend’s new car.  She took it all in stride and we were back on the road within 15 minutes.  Unfortunately for Brynn, I did not have a change of clothes for her (our suitcase was in a different car) so the weekend of “nakie baby” began.  From then on because it was so hot in the desert, Brynn ran around in only a diaper singing “nakie baby, nakie baby” for both comic and heat relief.  Two weeks later and we are still wrestling every day to put clothes on her.     

The river was so relaxing and fun that I was able to quickly forget about the fiasco on the way there.  We were on the boat both days just floating down the river.  We jumped into the cold water (which took your breath away) every chance we got and made some pit stops at different beaches to play horseshoes.  Brynn was right at home on the boat.  She loved the speed and wind in her hair.  Her favorite part was driving the boat and we can’t forget honking the horn.  We had an absolutely wonderful weekend.  Thanks Katie, Shane and all the others - we had a great time.    

 

Captain Brynn

Splish Splash!

Long day on the boat.

Fun at the Fair

One grueling hot Sunday we ventured to the fair to see what it had to offer.  We were in luck, the first exhibit as we walked in the door was a petting zoo.  YEAH…. Brynn is going to love this I thought.  Boy was I wrong.  The petting zoo was a disaster.  There were tons of people and animals 3x and 4x her size everywhere.  The animals were coming after me since I had the cup of grain to feed them.  Brynn immediately was climbing up Cameron’s leg.  I am not going to lie; I was a little freaked out myself.  I put on a brave face for Brynn and started petting and feeding the animals in hopes she would start to enjoy the petting zoo.  It was a great attempt by us all (Cameron, Ashley and myself), but Brynn just did not want to be put down.  I don’t blame her, it was utter chaos in there.  After about 2 minutes in the petting zoo, it was time to move on. 

Next we bumped into some kiddie rides.  Perfect.  We can redeem ourselves.  Brynn was excited and ready to ride.  WAIT… she’s not tall enough.  What a bust.  Last but certainly not least we checked out the barnyard.  What a hit.  Brynn ran from stall to stall checking out the different animals.  First it was the chickens, then the cows, back to the chickens, and then onto the baby pigs.  The grand finale was a pony ride that I was shocked she even went on.  She could barely contain herself as we were waiting in line to get on the pony.  She was jumping up and down and continuously trying to give the attendant here coin in hopes she could get on.  Finally it was her turn.  The first pony pulls up (the tallest one) Brynn wants to get on but is a little hesitant so we let a bigger kid take that pony.  The second pony pulls up, this one is much smaller and Brynn gets excited again.  The attendant straps her in to the saddle and to my surprise she was sitting up there like a big girl.  Then she feels the jolt of the pony taking off and trying to catch the pony in front of him – of course we get the small pushy pony - the fear returns but Brynn does not cry.  By the end she was happy and did not want to get off.  Actually she wanted to ride again but I was too cheap.    We called it a day after playing a quick carnival game and tasting some nasty fair food.  I think we can wait another year before experiencing the fair again.     

Look over there Daddy!

I'm not too sure about this.

Moo!

     

Happy Early Birthday Grandma

We had to surprise Grandma Sharon with an early birthday and celebrate while she was visiting.  Between the singing and the candles, I am not sure who enjoyed it more Brynn or Grandma.  Happy Birthday Grandma Sharon!  We miss you already. 

Singing Happy Birthday!

Blowing out the candles.

While Dad is Away the Girls Will Play

Brynn and I took full advantage of our girl time this weekend.  Dad was away with his buddies watching a Cubs game so Brynn and I did everything she wanted to do.  We went shopping, painted her nails, got ice cream (twice), and went to the beach.  The grand finale was a trip to the zoo followed up with a train ride.  The zoo was small but perfect for a toddler.  It had a petting zoo which she was not too interested in and other animals she could feed.  She was a much more comfortable with the animals behind a fence.  The owls were her favorite, we had to go back and visit them three times.  What a funny girl.  We saw many birds, snakes, bears, and mountain lions to name a few.  The train ride was a treat.  She was so excited to ride and loved waving to all of the people as we went by.  We had a great weekend  and I can't wait to do it again. 

Bunnies at the Petting Zoo

What's in there?

Excited to Ride the Train

Here We Go!

Beach Babe

With Brynn being a water baby and with the pool being so conveniently located outside our house Cam and I have been a little lazy about getting Brynn to the beach.  So this past weekend we ALL packed up and headed to the beach, with Grandma and Ashley in tow.  Overall, Brynn had a great time.  The waves scared her a little and she especially did not like it when the waves washed away her sand castles.  I think she was a little overwhelmed by the size of the ocean and all of people around.  She kept looking back to make sure everyone she came with was still around.  Who knows, maybe she will warm up to the waves over the next few years and become a surfer girl.  If not she would be content sitting on the beach for hours digging a hole to China.

Beach Babe!

Sand Castles!

Beach Fun!

Cheese!

Otter Pop Fun!