Some Other Things We've Been Up To...

While it's overwhelming to plan a cross country move, we've also taken some fun days this summer to enjoy the time off work and school. Here are some things we've done:



We went to the Griffith Observatory in LA with our friends Brett and Lisa from NYC who conveniently moved to CA awhile ago. It was great catching up with them and having some built in friends before we even move here! The observatory was packed, but it has some great views of the Hollywood sign and downtown LA.



We checked out the Fullerton Arboretum - it wasn't that spectacular but it was free and Kate liked running through the groves as we tried to prevent her from picking off all of the fruit. She also liked the ducks, which she still refers to as Mrs. Mallard (from her book).



We did Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and the Wild Animal Park with my parents down in San Diego thanks to a value packed 5-day pass we picked up at Costco. I'm too lazy to post all of the pics but maybe Jill will sometime.

Speaking of Jill, she's 3/4 of the way through a 4-day HypnoBabies instructor training program. The classes are all day and end tomorrow, lets just say that I'm not cut out to be a mom but I'm holding the fort down.

Answers...

It's been a few long months of uncertainty. Finally we have some answers to all the questions!



Where is Paul going to work after graduation? Paul has accepted a job with WKS Restaurant Corp. in Lakewood, CA as the Director of Finance.



Where will you be living? Last week we found a house to rent in Seal Beach.



Are you buying a mini-van? No! I think there is a mini-van in our future, but not just yet. We still have to make our car purchase, but think we have decided on the Honda CRV.



A few other random notes... we've been staying with family in California and enjoying our summer. We still have to go back to Connecticut to pack up and make the move across country. Thankfully with the help of professional movers! I think driving a u-haul across the country once in a persons life is enough. Next weekend I'm attending a training session to become certified as a hypnobabies childbirth educator and will look forward to teaching classes. We are really excited for the future and the opportunities ahead, but will miss the NorthEast and the people we have met there during the past 4 years. Stay tuned...

4th of July

flying kites in Del Mar

Disneyland

We took Kate to Disneyland for the first time this past week. She has seen pictures of Mickey Mouse before and can spot the Princesses when she sees them, so I thought she would love it. And if you look at these pictures you might think she did.

The truth is she loved looking at the ducks at Disneyland. And maybe that Mimi and Papa were there, but that's about it. Most of the time her face held the expressions in the photos below. Confused, overstimulated and a little afraid. There were some tears and I heard more than a few times, "Mommy, can we go home now?" I think we'll have to wait another year for her to appreciate Disneyland. And seeing it through her eyes I realized that Pinocchio is pretty dark. For now we'll stick to trips to the playground and ducks in the park. That's really all she needs to make her happy.

Some of us enjoyed Disneyland a bit more than Kate. We went on my birthday, so I got in for free. They gave me a big pin to wear that said "Happy Birthday Jill" and every employee I passed wished me a Happy Birthday. All day long I was hearing it--I felt so special! People would shout it to me across lines and when I was getting off rides. It was great!