Cali-forn-I-A

Addison and I were lucky enough to get to tag along on one of John's recent business trips. Thankfully it was to exciting California instead of a small...middle of nowhere...town! We spent most of our days just hanging out together but were able to spend the last two hanging out w/John as well. It was a blast of a trip but the best part of any vacation is coming back home.


Our first day included catching a 6:00 am flight which had us getting up/ready at 4:30 am! Little Addison was SUCH a trooper through it all. She just merrily went along with all our craziness and smiled and laughed along the way. And of course a big mighty hallelujah for 'Yo Gabba Gabba'. We had it loaded on three different electronic devices just in case a battery should die along our way. She goes almost catatonic when watching that show - and it's the best remedy for a long day of flying. Even our fellow passengers were proud of how well she did. Literally NO tears...just LOTS of giggles :D.


We arrived so early to Cali that we had plenty of time to nap and even got to head out to the beach for Addison's first time. We were lucky enough to spot about 15 dolphins just swimming off shore right as we walked up....so cool! At least it was once we confirmed they weren't sharks and weren't about to dine on the nearby surfers.

Our second, third, and fourth days were spent mostly inside. Yep, we were lucky enough to bring the rain along w/us on our trip. California gets what? About 3 rainstorms per year? We spent the WHOLE week in overcast skies and about 2-3 days in non-stop downpour! Yay us! We had to make some quick changes to our schedule to accommodate the yucky weather but luckily we still had a blast, just Addison & I, hanging out.

Off to the hotel pool. This girly has NO fear when it comes to water. I love it but it does mean I have to be even more aware of her at the pool. She would jump in before I was even ready to catch her.

We also had a chance to hit the beach up a second time. I quickly learned she LOVES the sand and loves to eat mouthfuls of it as well. The only time she got mad was when I was trying to actually clean it off of her.

We also spent a morning driving to see the sights in L.A. However, the only sights we saw were a 10 second glimpse of the Hollywood sign and LOTS of traffic. Apparently "Rush Hour" is EVERY hour in that city. We had to hurry back to eat lunch with an old friend so we didn't get to see too much.

Thursday was the long awaited day at Disneyland. Just prior to this trip, Addison learned who Mickey Mouse was and could identify him anywhere (thanks to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse). Anytime she sees him she gets excited, points, and shouts "Mou! Mou!" She literally spotted him on every sign, every statue, even on people's shirts as we made our way to the front entrance. Needless to say I was pretty excited to introduce her to the real life version.

Meeting Goofy. She was an excited fan while we waited in line. Pointing and jabbering away. It quickly changed the minute we sidled up next to him.

Minnie was hands down her favorite! Never got scared and loved every minute of it. She kept trying to make her way back to her when our turn was over.

And last but not least, Mickey! We enjoyed ourselves as we traipsed through his cute little house. We finally found him way in the back. Security must be tight over this little guy I guess! She liked him for the most part but was a little timid when we got our face-to-face time.

She easily enjoyed all the rides we rode on as well: the Flying Rockets, Dumbo, Small World, and the Underwater Submarine and the Train. Here she is w/Daddy on the flying Dumbo's. She's our little thrill seeker that's for sure. She'd get sad everytime she had to get off the rides. Can't wait to take her on some roller coasters when she gets bigger! :D

Yep, she has been initiated. She is now a proud owner of her very first Mickey ears!

Overall, it was a G-R-E-A-T day at Disneyland. John and I were amazed at how well she did all day long. Napped perfectly in her stroller, loved the rides, loved the characters, and even loved standing in line (which is where we spent 90% of our day)! She just entertained herself in the mud, the bushes, making friends, and climbing on the railings. I was predicting a few meltdowns along the way but thankfully we didn't encounter a single one! Thanks Addison for taking it easy on Mom & Dad!

The next day we wandered off and found a cute little pumpkin patch/park/zoo/pony ride area in Irvine. Since I grew up around horses I was pretty excited for Addison to have her first pony ride. She didn't quite know what to expect and spent the first circle in tears and clinging to me, the second round she got a little more bold, and the third round she was laughing, riding by herself, and waving at the passer-by's.

Here she is on her third round w/her pony, Corky. Such a cutie!

And we couldn't leave the state without one more visit to the beach. We spent the first few minutes of our visit trying to keep her dry and clean but quickly gave up and let her have at it. It didn't take long for her to cover herself in sand.

All in all, it was a great visit and we had a blast. Our return trip home was a different story since we spent most of the day in the Dallas airport with multiple cancelled flights and grounded airplanes. It made for a long day but of course it couldn't deter us from the fun we had on our trip!