Carolina On My Mind

So, I seriously suck...again.  First, I haven't posted in for-ev-er!  We were in North Carolina visiting, then I wasn't taking pictures, then we got back to California, and then we didn't have Internet...  I know, lots of excuses.  Second, I haven't taken many photos.  When I see someone else taking photos, I guess I get lazy.  Both grandmas took tons of photos while we were in NC, so I didn't even bother to pull out my camera.  The problem with this is that I don't have any pictures for this blog.  Ugh!  So, Nana and Meemee, if you want to send my your photos, I would really appreciate it!  ;) 

Our trip in NC was great.  We got to see almost every close friend and family member.  We had lots of down time.  Joey got lots and lots of Q.T. time with the fam.  Michael and I got some adult time (aka. Joey stayed with the grandparents!).  We each gained 10 lbs from all of the great southern FRIED food!  (UGH!  Paying for that one now!) 

However, I did manage to take a few pics while we were gallivanting in the Southeast. 

Nana and Joey doing a little shopping.  Yes, I know I shouldn't let my son stand up in a shopping cart, but this was on the way out to the car, he's in the big part of the cart, and we were going super slow.  Stop judging.  ;) 

Joey hanging out with his cousins, Emma and Evan.  We really miss getting to hang out with them.  We had so much fun with Emma and Evan and can't wait until we get to see them again.  We really think that Aunt Leanne should bring them to California so we can go to Disneyland.  Hint, hint!  :) 

Michael and I were able to slip away a few times to get some alone time.  One of those times we headed up to Raleigh to watch a North Carolina State football game.  We got to see a bunch of our good friends and just relive some good ol' pre-baby days.  I would never trade Joey for anything, but it is good to have some pre-baby reenactments every once in awhile. 

Aunt Leanne and Uncle Robert also took us to Monkey Joe's, a warehouse full of bouncy houses!  Joey loved it!  He was actually quite annoyed when we tried to leave.  However, he did fall asleep within 10 minutes of leaving.  We may have to find some bouncy houses at our new home! 

Joey got so spoiled hanging out with family for 18 days!  It's been super hard to break him of some of the habits he picked up in the NC. 

Joey was such a trooper dealing with the 45-days of constant changes we put upon him!  He got fussy sometimes, but overall, he did incredibly well!

 

Thank you to all of our North Carolina friends and family for all of your hospitality.  We truly do miss and love all of you! 

Time In-Between

After we arrived at Camp Pendleton, we had about a week until we left for our North Carolina visit.  During that week, we got the keys to our new home, received all of our household goods (aka. furniture and more), accomplished some requirements to access base, AND did some exploring! 

One of the very first things we had to do once we got settled was to find a Buffalo Wild Wings!  We sorely missed this establishment living in Alaska.  If you know my family (parents), you know that we eat wings on a bi-monthly (or more) basis!  Not having a B-dubs or Hooters in the entire state of Alaska was killer, but as soon as we crossed the Washington/Canada border, we made up for lost time!  :)   

We have lots of amusement/theme parks surrounding us in our new home.  During a "down day", we decided to check out Sea World of San Diego.  Michael had never been to Sea World, so this was a first for both of my boys!  :)  The exhibit above was Michael's fav due to the public being able to actually interact with the dolphins.  The dolphins would push the balls out of the water towards the crowd, and then the crowd could throw the balls back to the dolphins.  It was pretty cool.

Joey did really well at the park.  He really liked all of the animals!  However, if you stood still for too long at any one place, he got upset...except for the sea lion exhibit.  These mammals were loud and obnoxious and humorous!  It seemed like those sea lions were having a barking contest!   

 Whoever could be the loudest got the fish! 

It was really cool to see Joey at a theme park.  I'm kind of excited that we are living in a place that has LOTS of theme parks during that young years of Joey's life.  What a cool time in a child's life to be a parent!  :)   

Final Countdown, Day 14

The Final Day, Day 14!! Vallejo to Camp Pendleton, California

Let me just tell you, after 14 days in a vehicle with a toddler, we were so ready to be done with this road trip!   Michael and I were both super glad that we did not try to make it to Yellowstone, like originally planned, and that we decided to fly to North Carolina instead of drive it.   The little 14 days we did drive was enough for all three of us!   You could tell Joey had had enough of the car around day 11.  As you can probably imagine, days 12, 13, and 14 were lots of fun.    

Our campsite on Night 14.  That's right, it's on the beach!

We had originally planned to camp the entire trip.  Yeah, that didn't happen.  However, the two out of three times we did camp, went GREAT!  And that was with our toddler!   It took us several tries this summer, but I think we finally have camping with our toddler down!  (Biggest key:  Darkness!).

Waking up to the sound of the waves and having a little breakfast on the beach?  Awesome.

So, for us, success to CAMPING with a toddler was: 

-wait until dark to put them to bed.

-let baby sleep in pack-n-play.

-follow home routines (ours include a sippy cup of milk at bedtime and white noise).

-white noise on the iPod on repeat in the portable speaker system.  This was super nice because it also drowned out the noise we were making by the fire and when we got into the tent. 

-have your fire after baby goes to bed.  That way you don't have to worry about your toddler trying to touch the fire!

-let your child help you set up camp. 

These were just some of the things that worked for us.  Also, if you're just starting out with camping with a wee one, don't give up if it doesn't go well.  It will get better, eventually!    

This beach is on Camp Pendleton.  Our house is two miles from here!  Boo-yow!

 Success on a long ROADTRIP with a toddler was...

-lots of snacks, that are easy to clean.   We've made the mistake of giving Joey fig newtons.  Yeah, we're still cleaning that one up. 

-someone sit in the back with the kiddo to entertain him...this will save your neck and back from twisting a lot.

-carry whatever milk you use and lots of cups.

-stop to eat meals.  This also is a chance for your babe to run around and stretch his legs.

- don't push it.  If you're kid has taken a nap, eaten, been changed, and entertained and is still fussin', take a break.  I know that I get pretty restless in a car after awhile and I'm not restrained to a little car seat. 

   -relax and enjoy the trip!  Some of the best sights we have seen have been random, unplanned stops.   Don't forget that once you have kids, a lot of your life becomes about the journey, not the destination. 

It really was a great trip!   I do not regret driving from Alaska to Camp Pendleton at all, but I won't be taking any long road trips anytime soon.  Ha!  :)

Final Countdown, Day 14

The Final Day, Day 14!! Vallejo to Camp Pendleton, California

Let me just tell you, after 14 days in a vehicle with a toddler, we were so ready to be done with this road trip!   Michael and I were both super glad that we did not try to make it to Yellowstone, like originally planned, and that we decided to fly to North Carolina instead of drive it.   The little 14 days we did drive was enough for all three of us!   You could tell Joey had had enough of the car around day 11.  As you can probably imagine, days 12, 13, and 14 were lots of fun.    

Our campsite on Night 14.  That's right, it's on the beach!

We had originally planned to camp the entire trip.  Yeah, that didn't happen.  However, the two out of three times we did camp, went GREAT!  And that was with our toddler!   It took us several tries this summer, but I think we finally have camping with our toddler down!  (Biggest key:  Darkness!).

Waking up to the sound of the waves and having a little breakfast on the beach?  Awesome.

So, for us, success to CAMPING with a toddler was: 

-wait until dark to put them to bed.

-let baby sleep in pack-n-play.

-follow home routines (ours include a sippy cup of milk at bedtime and white noise).

-white noise on the iPod on repeat in the portable speaker system.  This was super nice because it also drowned out the noise we were making by the fire and when we got into the tent. 

-have your fire after baby goes to bed.  That way you don't have to worry about your toddler trying to touch the fire!

-let your child help you set up camp. 

These were just some of the things that worked for us.  Also, if you're just starting out with camping with a wee one, don't give up if it doesn't go well.  It will get better, eventually!    

This beach is on Camp Pendleton.  Our house is two miles from here!  Boo-yow!

 Success on a long ROADTRIP with a toddler was...

-lots of snacks, that are easy to clean.   We've made the mistake of giving Joey fig newtons.  Yeah, we're still cleaning that one up. 

-someone sit in the back with the kiddo to entertain him...this will save your neck and back from twisting a lot.

-carry whatever milk you use and lots of cups.

-stop to eat meals.  This also is a chance for your babe to run around and stretch his legs.

- don't push it.  If you're kid has taken a nap, eaten, been changed, and entertained and is still fussin', take a break.  I know that I get pretty restless in a car after awhile and I'm not restrained to a little car seat. 

   -relax and enjoy the trip!  Some of the best sights we have seen have been random, unplanned stops.   Don't forget that once you have kids, a lot of your life becomes about the journey, not the destination. 

It really was a great trip!   I do not regret driving from Alaska to Camp Pendleton at all, but I won't be taking any long road trips anytime soon.  Ha!  :)

San Fran, Day 13

Day 13, Vallejo, California and San Francisco, California

Our cousins took us into San Francisco the next day.  San Fran was pretty cool!  There were lots and lots of bridges...you all probably have seen this one in books! 

 We went down to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf.  We were able to see Alcatraz (the little island in the background) from here. 

 We all got a good booty workout by walking up some of the infamous San Fran hills!

Not to worry, though.  We put all of those burned calories right back on at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory! 

Joey LOVED ice cream!  He couldn't even take one tiny little break for a picture op!  He wanted his ice cream! 

 My cousin drove us down Lombard Street, the crookedest street in America!  I would never want to drive down this street on a regular basis. 

We were so glad that we got to hang out with Bo, Becky, and Avery.  We are now calling all of Joey's second cousins, L.C.s (Little Cousin).  First cousins are B.C. (Big Cousin).  Joey loved his B.C.s and L.C.  We really hope that we will be able to go hang out with them again during our time in California!

San Fran, Day 13

Day 13, Vallejo, California and San Francisco, California

Our cousins took us into San Francisco the next day.  San Fran was pretty cool!  There were lots and lots of bridges...you all probably have seen this one in books! 

 We went down to Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf.  We were able to see Alcatraz (the little island in the background) from here. 

 We all got a good booty workout by walking up some of the infamous San Fran hills!

Not to worry, though.  We put all of those burned calories right back on at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory! 

Joey LOVED ice cream!  He couldn't even take one tiny little break for a picture op!  He wanted his ice cream! 

 My cousin drove us down Lombard Street, the crookedest street in America!  I would never want to drive down this street on a regular basis. 

We were so glad that we got to hang out with Bo, Becky, and Avery.  We are now calling all of Joey's second cousins, L.C.s (Little Cousin).  First cousins are B.C. (Big Cousin).  Joey loved his B.C.s and L.C.  We really hope that we will be able to go hang out with them again during our time in California!

Wine and Dine Our Way to CA, Day 12

Day 12, Vallejo, California and Napa Valley, California

We stopped in Vallejo, California to see my cousin, Bo, and his wife, Becky, and their new little baby, Avery.   

 They took us to Napa Valley to do a little wine tasting. 

 Joey and Avery are a little too young for wine, but we wanted to start teaching them right at an early age! 

We really, really enjoyed Napa, but Michael and I requested to stop wine tasting early due to the disgusting heat.  It was 102 degrees Farenheit this day.  We were just not ready for that kind of warmth.  

 

We will definitely go to Napa (or Sonoma) for some wine tastings in the future.  Next time, we'll go when it's cooler and we don't have a baby with us!  (Yes.  We had a baby.  In a winery.)

Hello Lower 48, Day 11

Day 11, Roseburg, Oregon to Vallejo, California

 This was who was really driving most of our trip!   We just took pics of Joey in his car seat to fool you. 

 Welcome to California. 

We had to play a lot of games with Joey to keep him happy.  He actually seemed to get bored a lot of the trip, so we had to get pretty creative with our entertainment. 

Our favorite game was when Michael would make animal noises!  As the trip went on, Michael got better with his sounds.  I think I actually liked this game more than Joey!

Inevitably, Joey would get fed up with the games, car seat, car, and riding that we would start to see this face.

So, we would try to get a rest stop in there.  We stopped in Redwoods National Park for this break.

Joey really liked these big trees!  I know he's not going to remember this trip, but I am glad that we are exposing him to so many natural creations.