Spring Break

This year for Spring Break we went to California. The kids and I were looking for sunshine and a beach we could wear swimsuits at. Mark was so kind to drive us to my mom's house for the week. This is what a "road trip" looks like in the year 2009! If we don't have our music players on, the DVD is playing.

We went to Avila Beach for a few days before heading to Bakersfield. We decided to head south via San Francisco so the kids could see the Golden Gate Bridge. We did drive down Lombard Street, but did not do the Trolleys this time. The kids had a lot of fun driving up and down the hills of San Francisco. A lot of questioning was going on if our car would make it! I can't wait to take them back sometime and do the hills in the Trolley.

John saw this guy and pointed him out to us. Yep, he really has only one foot! What balance!

Mark, Alison and John in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The story of the nickel. While at Avila Beach we shared a two bedroom suite with my mom and sister Nicole. On Saturday night Nicole watched the kids for us so Mark and I could go out to eat. We had a super delicious dinner of "Crab Dump". Like a crawfish boil, they dump the crab, potatoes, shrimp, sausage, and corn right on your table. It was yummmy! When we got back to the hotel Nicole relays the nights events to us. John came to her while she was putting Alison to bed and said, "I swallowed a nickel and I can feel it right here" (pointing to his throat). Not wanting to panic him, as she could see he was already concerned, she gave him a drink of water to help wash it down. And down it went. She asked him how the nickel got in his mouth. His reply, "I was looking at my money and decided to swallow it". She told him that it would eventually make it's way out of him, but that he should not put money in his mouth. While she was tucking him in to bed he asked her if she was going to tell his mom what he had done. She replied yes. I think he woke up the next morning waiting to see if I would say something. Of course I did bring it up over breakfast, and reminded him that only food goes in our mouth. Luckily for him, curiosity did not kill the cat this time. How do you decide that you want to swallow a nickel? I don't think I will ever know the answer to that one.

My sister Melissa and her family were also at the beach the same time we were. Here is Sophia, John and Alison in the cove. The tide was low so we went over and looked at the tide pools. The kids loved seeing the crab, clams and anemone. I was handing Mark the camera to take a picture of a crab he had found and oops! And there went the camera in the tide pool. It never turned back on. We luckily did not loose the images on the SD card. My sister let me borrow her camera while we were at the beach. When we got to Bakersfield I did some research and went and got a new one. Bummer!

John playing by the "river".

Alison covered by cousins.

Looking for me?

The view from our patio. The kids loved the pool and hot tub! Now every time we stay in a hotel, which we did on the drive home, they have to go for a swim.

While in Bakersfield some of my sisters and my mom and I went out for dinner one night. My dad watched my kids. Knowing that he was home for the night, I took Grandpa and Grandma and the kids for ice cream. We went to Dewar's. They are a local ice cream and candy shop that have been around since my mom was a little girl. We went to the original location which is down by my high school. We had a lot of fun together. It was really nice to spend time with them. My kids love having that one on one time with Grandpa and Grandma. They were excited to see my high school as well. That has more to do with movie High School Musical.

That is a Black and White. Vanilla ice cream with hot fudge topping. Topped with chocolate ice cream with marshmallow topping. Topped with crushed almonds. Yum!

Don't you just love the seats and the two pretty girls?

Sophia turned 6 years old while we were there. So that day Alison and my mom went with Melissa to her school to give out suckers and read Sophia's favorite book. Then that night we had a family party at my mom's house for her. The kids had fun breaking open the pinata and watching her open presents.

Happy Birthday Sophia. We love you.

This is John with Olivia. She belongs to my sister Angela. John fell in love with her. He is really into babies right now and thinks they are the cutest thing ever. She is a real mamma's girl, so John did not get to hold her as much as he wanted to.

Good times with Grandpa and Grandma Thompson!

Do we look alike?