Quick Trip to Cali

We took a quick trip to California before Dan started the all too consuming BAR review. It was a little family celebration for Dan graduating from law school. We left on Thurs. after my swim lessons and then came back on Saturday. This is what the six hours drive looked like.
Paige would pull Hollyn's hair and then cry when she got in trouble.

Hollyn would watch movies and play with her toys. You tell me which one is a better traveler.
Since we didn't get into California until 8 pm, we let the kids stay up for a little bit and run around in the room before we put them to bed. The next day after going on a run with the girls, we spent almost the whole day at the beach and pool. The girls had a great time playing in the sand, jumping the waves, and finding sand crabs.


Hollyn loved to write in the sand and Paige loved to eat the sand. My favorite thing Hollyn wrote in the sand was this.
It says "fo Mom" and then heart balloons are on the side. The strangest thing that happened that day was when a European lady dressed in a long skirt and shirt came to the beach with a paper bag. She proceeded to change junior high style on right there on the beach. Pulling her bra through her shirt and all. Then she jumps right into the water for a swim, without any hesitation. After a short swim she comes out of the water with a large rectangular piece of plastic. As she gets closer to me I ask her if she found it in the ocean. She tells me yes, says here you can have it, and then hands it to me, grabs her paper bag and walks away. It was the most bizarre thing I have ever seen.
And yes, I kept the enormous cutting board. I didn't know what else to do with it. Dan gave me the hardest time. I'm not sure what to do with it now. Friday night we met my friend Maren and her family for dinner at Red Robin. We were the only ones sitting outside so the kids had a great time running around and the adults had a great time talking and catching up. I wish I would have gotten a picture. Maren has the cutest boys.
Saturday morning I took the girls on a run again, which was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The beach is the best place to run. The clean, cool air, the people watching, and the sound of the wave crashing, there is no place better. We are definitely a beach family. After our jog and breakfast we took the kids to the beach and let them play on the playground and then we walked on the pier. Paige had the greatest time go up and down the slide about a hundred times. When we were walking on the pier we even saw a guy catch a leopard shark.