Sunday morning we slept in and then the kids and I walked to Downtown Disney. This is an area just outside the parks (no ticket required) that is full of shops and restaurants galore. We were on a mission...
The LEGO store! Belle and the Beast were waiting for us outside.
And RC, Buzz and Woody were, too. There were other massive creations as well. The kids enjoyed the store immensely (lots of interactive options) and then got to free build at a station outside.
From the building station, they spotted face paint. I successfully convinced them that the paint would melt during our day, so they opted for Henna tattoos.
Each kid saved money for the last 6 months, earning much of it by picking up pine cones by the 5-gallon bucketful! These tattoos were something they carefully considered and deemed worth their hard-earned cash.
Mitch looks non-plussed, but was actually delighted with his arachnid. Shan chose a mariposa, naturally. They loved surprising their dad with their "ink"!
Then we went to Angels Stadium to watch our M's take on the home team in an afternoon game.
A friendly Dodger fan took our picture before we entered.
It was a hot afternoon, so the stadium was largely empty. Good thing, too, because we were able to move out of our sun-drenched seats and find shade in 3 different areas throughout the game. There were lots of homeruns and subsequent fireworks. Unfortunately, the Angels came from behind and won. Still, a happy outing!
On Tuesday we went to Huntington Beach to enjoy the warmer water of the California Pacific. The waves were awesome!
These two played for hours in the surf. Happily we set up camp right next to a lifeguard tower so, while ever vigilant, I wasn't paranoid.
Bryan and I both joined the kids and we really had a blast!
After a few hours, we changed clothes (in the world's smallest bathrooms) and walked to town for ice cream.
We walked down the pier, watching surfers below and the fishers along the way.
It was a fun outing - but we were all burned as a result!
On Thursday we drove north and met Anna and Stella near Point Dume at Zuma Beach in Malibu. It was a beautiful day and a lovely stretch of sand. We were much more careful about sunscreen! Mitch, Shan and Bryan got into the water and Stella "surfed" safely on the sand.
Anna and I had a great visit!
The kids were once again battered by the waves and subjected themselves to the beatings happily. Bryan dove into a wave, but hit the sand bar. He chipped a tooth and hurt his neck. This time we had to make use of the lifeguard tower.
Stella isn't a water baby, but we enjoyed playing ball, reading, collecting shells, and sharing the delicious lunch Anna brought.
Stella also liked taking pictures and she snapped this one of a sand-covered Shan!
Our drive home was not timed well and it took 3.5 hours. The kids were so good in the car and Bryan was a trooper in the LA rush hour. We did drive through the Pepperdine campus and looked at the Santa Monica Pier, as well.
When we returned to the hotel, the kids swam and saw some of the evening movie. Then we had a late dinner and watched fireworks from the balcony.
Friday was our final day in SoCal. Our bodies were a bit worn out, so we went to a kids' museum in the morning. Discovery Cube turned out to entertain our children for 3 hours!
Reading about the digestive, respiratory and circulatory systems, the kids realized the comfy seats below the dinosaur where they'd sat previously were really piles of poo!
Their favorite exhibit was a DC Comics interactive area where they honed super powers and helped capture crooks.
Not sure if this guy falls into the Hero or Crook category...but he's super cute!
After a swim at the pool, we drove to Newport Beach and oogled the houses along the peninsula.
A study in spooly sunglasses...
This was a beautiful beach and we would love to return to play here.
With our pockets full of seashells, we said farewell to the California sand and sunshine.
We met Bryan's Uncle Mike and his wife, Linda at their place.
They drove us around Newport Bay and we admired ridiculously extravagant homes and yachts from the comfort of their Duffy boat.
Then we were treated to a fancy dinner overlooking the water.
We flew home on Saturday, leaving from LAX with relative ease. It was a delightful vacation!
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