California!

So every year Brandon's work puts the incentive of a trip out there for those who reach their goals and we have gone the last two years, and Brandon earned the trip again this year but they happen to be going the week our baby is due!

So, Brandon asked them if we were just out of luck or if we could go earlier than everyone else. Well, they decided to pay us the amount they would have spent on us to go to Cancun with the one rule, we had to use the money for a trip. So, we decided to take the kids to California while I could still travel!

We decided to fly since the majority of the money wasn't coming from our pocket, so the kids had their first airplane ride and they did FANTASTIC!

It is going to be hard to want to drive anywhere after that!

Lily had to have the window seat because of her car seat but she kept the window closed the whole time because it was too bright!!

Tyson loved watching TV and having snacks!

We took the kids to the beach after we got checked in!

They both loved the beach!

Tyson loved the water and Lily loved the sand!
Tyson's shorts were soaked from all the running in the water! At one point he got so carried away with the fun he was having running in the water that Brandon had to sprint after him to catch him! I can just imagine the joy on his face running down the beach in the water without a care in the world!! ( he got in a little trouble because that was dangerous to run so far out of reach, but we couldn't get to mad since he was soooo happy!)

The boys before Tyson's shorts were soaked! We went to dinner after this so Tyson had to sit in his underpants in the car while we cranked the heater so I could dry his shorts!

The girls!
Lily loved making sand piles and if we walked away before she was done she would carry her sand to the next spot! She was one sandy girl by the end!


Tyson and Brandon running along the beach!

Driving to San Diego.
I thought it was pretty funny to see two little ones with one on the IPad....

and the other on the IPhone playing angry birds!

Oh, how the world has changed since I was a little kid!

Sea World

Ollie the Otter at Sea World!

The Sting Rays were so active. All the dark in the water is sting rays. They would splash the water at us and loved to be touched! Tyson LOVED it! Lily wasn't so into touching them but loved watching them!

Cute little diva!

We fed the sea lions!

The kids took turns and at one point one sea lion got mad that Lily didn't throw it to him so he jumped up on the side of the wall and barked at her!

Then we fed the dolphins! That is my favorite part!

Tyson again LOVED it, and Lily was OK throwing fish in their mouth, but not touching them!

It was cute at the end, I had the kids wave bye to their dolphins and their trainer had the dolphins wave back! The kids thought it was awesome!

There is a little Sesame Street land with some rides! Preggo's can't ride so I was picture taker!

They LOVE rides!

While we were watching the Shamu show Tyson decided he wanted to get wet in the soak zone! It was a windy and cool day but he really wanted to. It was cute, he walked all the way down to the bottom row and noticed that the kids at the other end were getting pretty wet so all of the sudden with a little look of panic on his face he started climbing over the bleachers to move up higher as fast as he could! He got a little bit wet and loved it!

Brandon asked him just before we left if he wanted to go on the Atlantis roller coaster and Tyson didn't even hesitate! This was his first roller coaster. He was barely tall enough and he wanted to go again and again! Brandon thought about going a second time, but they got a little wet and he was too cold, so they stopped at once!

I love that Tyson is a roller coaster kid!

A kid after my own heart!

Before we left the kids got to pick a souvenir. Tyson quickly picked out Sea World animal figures.

We figured that Lily would want something from the Sesame Street store so we took her there and all she wanted was the Big Bird that was as big as her! She just stood there and rejected everything else we showed her. We tried to tell her it wouldn't fit on the plane. We finally talked her into a smaller Big Bird Puppet! Silly girl, she knows just what she wants!

Disneyland

I was so proud of myself I had Disneyland all planned out...I wrote down all the rides we wanted to go on and in what order. There was no wasting time for us, we wanted to do it all!!!

The first thing we did was Jedi Training. (Thanks Alisa for posting this on your blog or I wouldn't have known about it!!)

Tyson LOVED it! He learned all the moves then fought Darth Vader!

When Darth Vader came out so did Darth Moll and Darth Moll scared Lily because he did his big scary moves right in front of us! She started crying for Dad, and while this was happening Tyson was fighting Darth Vader so we didn't get it on video, but he did an awesome job!!!

Riding the Tea Cups!

I was a little nervous after the rides at Sea World wouldn't let me ride that I would be doing a lot of hanging out at Disneyland, but I got to go on all the rides that Lily was able too!

With February being the least busy month we got to see a lot of characters walking around!

Pluto!

Mickey!

Tyson loved all the characters and wanted a picture with all of them...Lily was only OK with Mickey and Minnie!

While Tyson and Brandon went on a roller coaster Lily got to see Minnie! She gave her a big hug and then gave me this cute pose!

Tyson hugged Goofy, but Lily would only give him a far away high-five!

James P. Sullivan!

Lily was terrified!

Mr. Incredible!

Two cute little bugs!

This was at the 3D Bugs Life show.

Both kids got a little scared during it and after we read on the map that it may be too scary for kids....What! Bugs Life...Disneyland...scary...that doesn't seem to mix!
Some of our favorite rides were:

Nemo Submarine

Astro Blasters

Toy Story Mania

Monsters Inc.

Mickey's fun wheel

Turtle time with Crush! Tyson got called on by Crush to ask him a question. He asked Crush how old he was and Crush asked the same question back. Tyson answered "4...I mean 5." And Crushes eyes got wide and he said "whoa did you just age right before my eyes?" Crush then came out with a bikini top on and asked Tyson what it was. He heard someone behind him say bra so Tyson told him bra and Crush said "Oh like when you see your buddy and you say hey bra!" Then Tyson said "No, it is a swimsuit for Mom's and sisters" Crush got all embarrassed! It was so much fun!

Of course we loved Pirates of the Caribbean, but Lily didn't like it so much. She would cover her eyes with Brandon's hand and at the end she would tell me over and over, "Mom, that scare me!"

We had the best time! We love Disneyland!

Another funny souvenir story...

Tyson knew the whole day after Jedi Training that he wanted a Light Saber from Disneyland. Lily on the other hand was rather tired from the day and we later learned that we should have just bought the first thing she picked up.

She chose an Minnie baby and we thought we would show her other stuff just to make sure. MISTAKE! She chose a Minnie figure with TONS of tiny parts. We told her she couldn't have it and she got mad! We gave her Minnie Baby back and she threw her to the ground and yelled NO!

She ended up with a coloring book and character figures!!

San Diego Zoo

The zoo was really cool. There were so many animals I haven't seen before and of course all the usuals! I enjoyed all the bears (especially the Koalas and Pandas) and or course the monkeys! I think the kids loved it all! They really loved feeding the goats at the petting zoo!

I love that Lily barely pops out!

Being Gorillas!

There were about 6 different statues of the gorillas and they each had to pose with each one!

These two were my favs!

Lily was really funny at one point while we were at the monkeys she would stop in front of us and say "watch me (Mom, Dad,Tyson)" and she would do a cute ballerina dance move! It was too darn cute! I have no idea why I didn't get out the camera and record it???

Another fake animal pic!

The zoo was great!

We let the kids pic souveiners there too and Lily picked a $4 book and Tyson picked $2 pill looking things that disolve into sponges, so Brandon and I had them pick out a stuffed animal too! I thought that was pretty funny of us, we should have been estatic that our kids are happy with the cheap things!

I was so tired half way thru the zoo so we saw what we wanted and left. We actually saw pretty much everything because the way Brandon and I do it, we put the kids in the strollers and haul through, we see the animals, but don't linger too long!

So, we had time to go to the beach again! We drove over to Coronado and the beaches there are awesome!!! Tyson got soaked again and we gathered seashells and sand dollars!

We decided we really need to take the kids to the beach in the summer so they can actually swim and play for hours!

Just before heading to the airport picture!

We had a "fun" suprise of the fire alarm going off at 7:30 in the morning. So we put jackets and shoes on over our jammies and headed outside (after waiting a couple minutes hoping it would stop) and right when we got to the outside door it stopped!

What a fun trip! I wish we could go again tomorrow!!!

I thought while I had the camera out I would do the 6month (26weeks) picture!

Got to love getting fat and not having a care in the world about it!!