San Diego Trip: Legoland Hotel!

We had heard from friends about how awesome the Legoland Hotel was, with the exorbitant price tag to match.

Everything is geared toward the kids - a huge castle Lego play area takes center stage, with the surrounding moat full of bricks to build with. Lego characters greet you at dinner and put on an evening show. The elevators feature disco balls and dance music, but only when the doors are shut and the elevator is in motion.

As a very special treat, we thought it would be an awesome surprise to walk around the stunningly kid-focused lobby and then show them a room key. (And the mid-week October pricing was just doable for us - forget the weekends!)

The surprise went off beautifully, and the girls loved their own section of the hotel room with bunks and a television.

A welcome packet included a scavenger hunt for the girls to fill out. The answers formed the combination for a safe that included a Lego magazine and tiny building set for each girl.

We chose a "Lego Adventure"-themed room, which was very much like Indiana Jones, with characters made out of Legos all over the place.

In the evening, we watched a bit of the Dodgers playoff game, and then went to check out the pool.

Then we had dinner at a hotel restaurant, and watched a children's show with pirate characters. (You can see one behind Cora in the photo where she's showing off her Lego creation.)

Then, we just had fun building!

The breakfast buffet Thursday was incredible, the best I've ever seen, with so many tasty options. We filled up on yumminess and protein that kept us going through our Legoland adventure.
After saying goodbye to another Lego character, we packed up and went next door to the park for our day of fun there.

Here is the elevator fun!

San Diego Trip: Legoland!

This week, we did something uncharacteristic for our family: We pulled the girls out of school for a couple of days, and took a family vacation - just the four of us - to San Diego.

Why? Well, San Diego attractions run a promotion in October where kids go free, with a paying adult. We'd never taken a trip to Legoland. And Sea World is changing up its Shamu orca show next year, and I wanted my girls to see the show I grew up with.

So, we left school and work at lunchtime Wednesday and headed south, to the gorgeous city I grew up going to on vacation. The last time we went, Cora was two, so obviously it was Violet's first-ever trip.

We started by checking into the Legoland Hotel - a total splurge, but worth it for a once-in-a-childhood experience. More on that later.

On Thursday morning, we walked across the concourse to the Legoland park. Being a random Thursday in October, the crowds weren't too bad, and were able to see and do everything we wanted.

It was such a fun day! Legos everywhere, of course, and Stace and I had as much fun as the girls.

Lego has branched into many themes,
and several themes had their own section in the park, like the Friends area, Ninjago section and medieval castle region.

There were rides, model displays, play structures and a Lego museum showing the history of one of the world's most popular toys.

It was a great day out together, and I know the girls would love to go back someday.

Birthdays and Contests

Cora was invited to a classmate's birthday party at Scooter's Jungle on Saturday, so off we went after her softball game. She had fun, as did I, talking to my mommy friends.

On Sunday, I took Violet to a birthday party, too.
Um, Violet, it's not your birthday. Why are you blowing toward the candles?

Silly girl, wearing part of the pinata as a party hat, barefoot from playing in the bouncy castle!

The girls have both entered contests by Scholastic, the school book company. Violet was supposed to draw her favorite animal playing a song - she chose to have a kitty playing a triangle. I love the spotlights!

 Cora took part in a contest that involved writing about what makes you unique. I love what she wrote - very honest and from her heart.

Griffith Observatory

On Sunday afternoon, we took Wes into Los Angeles for some of the highlights. We drove around Hollywood - no need to get out of the car to take in that atmosphere.

Then, at the suggestion of JT, we went up to the Griffith Observatory. Stace and I hadn't been here since we very first met, and it's been remodeled in the years since.

The views, as always, were stunning. We had the Hollywood sign on the hill behind us...

...and Downtown L.A.

The Observatory itself is a fabulous science museum, and all of it is free. The girls here are holding a meteorite.

One exhibit featured the planets of our solar system, to approximate scale.

Parking is tough, and we had a nice walk back to the car. Cora insisted on hiking part of it, since paved roads are boring. Behind her is West L.A./Century City and the ocean.

Monday was Wes's last full day with us, and we had fun in the evening with music and family. My parents came for dinner, and Stace and Wes played guitar and sang. Cora joined in and Violet danced. Later, Melanie came after her restaurant shift, and it was a full party.

Stace and I so enjoyed having Wes with us. For Stace it was lovely reconnecting with his cousin and hearing some classic Wells-Burr stories.

Ventura Day Out

When we were in England in June, we bumped into a cousin of Stacey's, and learned he was planning a trip to Texas for business in the fall. We invited Wes to include a stop in sunny SoCal, and he agreed. 

Wes arrived Thursday night, and we've had fun showing him SClarita and our life here. On Saturday, after Cora's softball game, we went out to Ventura for lunch at our favorite fish place in the harbor.

We walked through Harbor Village, down to the Channel Islands Visitor Center. The girls listened to the park ranger's tide pool talk, and touched the lobster shell. 

We put our feet in the sand and surf for a bit, before going into downtown Ventura to see the shops.















One of the neat motorcycle-and-clothing shops had this fun bike and sidecar out front. A friendly employee invited the girls to climb aboard for a photo opp.

We went back toward the ocean, and after stopping for frozen yogurt, enjoyed a gorgeous California beach sunset. A perfect day!

Tidbits

Over the weekend, we purchased some new entertainment for Spencer - a beautiful panda molly named Bamboo, and a silver molly named Bubbles (because it likes to hang out near the bubbles, according to Violet).

Spencer has sat on the tank's lid several times, but Seb hasn't seemed to notice the fish tank. Thankfully - we don't think the tank would survive him sitting on it!

Violet was very excited to go to PetSmart to get the next two fish for our tank, which seem to get along swimmingly with Flash and Blaze.

Cora, surprisingly, was not excited. She didn't want to get ready, didn't want to go, didn't care to add to our tank. When I pulled her aside to ask what was up, she admitted that she was no longer excited about our fish, about feeding them, about cleaning the tank, etc. They weren't as fun as she had thought.
Ha! So typical!

Our girls might go to bed at 8:30, but they often can't fall asleep for a solid hour.

The other night, I went to bed myself to find that Violet, instead of falling asleep, had set up a shop in her room.

Her sign makes me smile every time I look at it, from the huge smile on her self-portrait, to the snowman doll in her hand, to the hashtag in the name of her shop. Goodness! She's hash-tagging!

The sign was on the floor, in front of all the nicely arranged items she's hoping to sell. From stuffed animals to jewelry, Violet is offering all your essentials.

Cora is learning the violin at school. Apparently, Sebastian was enjoying her practicing so much, he tried to prevent her putting the instrument away in its case.











Meanwhile, Spencer was hoping Violet could sneak him into the classroom.

Softball Sister Selfies

For Violet, being a softball sister can sometimes be a bit boring. She brings something to do, cheers on Cora, and plays with other kids nearby, but still, sometimes she's just sitting in the stands, bored.

So, at those times, I'll let her use my phone. This past weekend, she took some photos of Cora.

Then, she turned the camera onto herself, and transformed into the Selfie Queen. 

Those of us watching the game saw Cora pitch two solid innings, catch two good innings, hit the ball well and score some runs.

I don't really have any other photos of those moments, though. The camera was already in use.