San Diego

I apologize upfront for my inability to stop uploading pictures to recount our most awesome long weekend getaway to San Diego last week.

James, Ada, Will and I rented a house on Mission Beach with our best-good-friends Ian, Dana, and Tony for 5 days. We mostly spent our time gazing at the waves, being entertained by the boardwalk, playing in the sand, and running around after one year olds. Total blast.




A few comments about road trips with one year olds...avoid it. :) Ada and Will for the most part did amazing for being tied down for 5+ hours for the trip. We definitely practiced some screaming however, and had to get super creative with car games (below... )


So glad I bought these sun shades...


Peak-a-boo!







Early mornings were some of my favorite times on the beach. All the frat boys were in bed (however, some stragglers still drinking on the roofs at 6am!), the sky with all the birdies see the first rays of sun, tide is in, waves are big. The Gentrys adventured out in our pjs; the kids looked like they felt as free as the whole universe.









































Ada headed the Early Morning Mission Beach Welcoming Committee. "Hiii...."









Not to undermine the delight of a San Diego afternoon, where Will and Ada could really bask in the sun, get their feet wet--and sandy!


























Oh the joy a bucket of water brings...Will and Ada LOVED the foot wash bin we had out for sandy feet (gross, yes. welcome to my world.)






The reality of bubbles with a one year old.





Dad and Tony playing fetch. Ada with front and center seat. Occasionally, she would wave hi to us on the porch.



Will loved kite flying with his dad so much, he wanted to take his kite everywhere. He would get mad at me if I would follow behind him and lift it up as if it were flying. "No mom, you're doing it wrong, Ill just drag it".















My sand encrusted daughter, who lost all of her clothes. At some point, most days.


Will sweeping, barefoot and pants-less. But holding on to string cheese. Priorities.



Will's hair loved the beach too--check out those curly locks! Below, Ada caught in a random point. I figure either at a pelican or frat boy.






Our bedroom walk in shower took a close second in awesomeness when compared to oceany beach.

Next, San Diego zoo! Amazing!
Also super fun for all, thanks to the extra three grown up humans to help with one year old patrol! Turns out, it was dang near necessity. We get by with a little help from our friends, hey?



Gorilla king--so close!




Hi animals! How adorable is that?! Come on!













Ada and Dana checking out SD Zoo's 2 Giant Pandas of the only 11 Giant Pandas in USA. One, randomly, is in Tennessee. :)



Animals are only a fraction of the fun to be had at the zoo. Below, a few shots of what my children mostly did while we all watched the animals...



Climbing not totally safe terrain.



Shaking chains amidst bamboo natural Panda terrain.



Oooo, bright lights.



Grates are so fun. I will stand and squat on them.







Happy trails!

...when can we go back? :)

March 2011

Hey dudes. So far March has been full of all things sun shine--bare feet, sun block spray (everywhere!), spring training (Go Brewers! Go Mariners!), early morning back yard trompings in our pjs, and late afternoon drinks (Ada and Will with their sippy cups, Mom and Dad with their beer cozys) and bbq with friends and family on the back porch.

Ada and Will joyfully spend their days babbling (more and more intonations and syllables), climbing, (subsequently) crashing, chasing, giggling, playing, then inevitably fighting with each other. Oh and the dancing! Ada sways side to side with the beat, kinda knee-locked-straight-legged, waving an arm in the air. Only thing missing is a lighter. Will, on the other hand, likes to get d-o-w-n, with the music. He feels the rhthym in his bootie, squats down, and bounces to the beat. He'll get so excited with his moves that he runs around the room in celebration, but also still dancing...bouncing. So his dancing turns into this running, arm swinging, bouncy groove. Usually ends in a trip and fall, in true Will and Ada style these days.

Good morning!











My view from the kitchen sink. Will, one with the birds with his sippy cup. After he took an empty diaper box, tupperware bowl, and cart outside by the looks of it.











Dad with a bunch of kids. Ada, little ham, will make this exact face now when you point a real or fake camera in front of her and say "cheese!". Will with his first glued toddler scrape, still healing, on his sweet little cheek. Dad's urgent care PA skills really come in handy...












Climb on in!









CHEESE Ada!











To every cheese, there is a good fit throw-down...
























...or this :) I cant explain the blank look on this sweet boy's face, but every time I see it in this picture, with his bare feet, pirate pjs, and hair on end...cracks.me.up.









Out to dinner with friends and family, "playing" PacMan with dad, to them no connection at all between what happens on screen and what they do with the buttons.









Ada "helping" dad install new sink--"point the light in here Ada"











A new post-bath ritual after drying off, streaking around the house, squealing in delight.

The next few are entitled "the art of the toddler climb"...


































Some shots from our friend Chase's first birthday:






















the above shot is not included for the group shot, but to illustrate Will's love of balls, off by himself, under the tree with one, while everyone else is opening presents.











Will going in for the steal.











Leah taking Ada for a ride on the Murray's motorized Dora wheely machine. Ada clearly unsure, Leah "weee"! Love love love this.













Ball. Ball. Ball. Ball. Ball.











They both love to wave hello--Ada uses her whole arm to wave, shoulder to wrist, she really gets a good wave going. Will's hello is a bit more controlled--holding his hand out, folding his four fingers over a bent in thumb over and over. Here, Ada taking a break from partying to greet the crowd from her wagon. This shot looks like we would be just arriving, but we in fact, had been there hours. She just climbed in later to say hi to everyone.











Will in absolute Heaven with this bunch of party balloons. Have we mentioned he loves balloons more than anything? Second official word is balloon, sounds like "boo". Definitely distinguishable from ball, "bah". Now, however, most things floating in the air, or close to the ceiling are "boo", and he uses ball not only to show me a ball, but to get my attention. So instead of "hey mom", it's "uh, bah. uh bah. uh bah.".

Did someone mention BASEBALL?! Play ball!

























































Good times, sunny days. La dolce vita.