The Orange County Great Park

Saturday had the potential to be a crazy busy day. Then the calandar cleared and we ended up tagging along with Dave to Irvine.  He had to do a light study very early in the morning down in Laguna Beach. So we stayed over Friday night in Irvine.  

Dave always seems to surprise us with either simple random knowledge or with random knowledge of amazing places.  And Saturday he didn't disappoint.  After he finished work he took us to a park he had been talking about. 

Now, when Dave "talks" about something it's not like he talks about it frequently or even in a solid sentence or paragraph.  He drops phrases here and there at random moments or at moments when I'm in the middle of something so it doesn't quite make it to the forefront of my mind.

Well, I'm certainly glad I just went along for the ride and didn't investigate, question or complain about where Dave was taking us. I just went. And let me just say that The Orange County Great Park is AMAZING!!!! We just got to see a tiny portion of the park but I'd love to go back and see the farming and garden and racetrack.  

We did get to see the best part!  The balloon ride!  P loved the whole place. The playground, the carousel and the balloon ride. It was an amazing day!!!

My Strong Princess

We were invited to a princess birthday party today.  It was soooo over the top and  I hate to say it but..... amazingly wonderful!  As much as I dislike the whole princess mentality I bought into this event.  Watching these girls in their magical world of dress up and pink with Snow White was quite special.  They were so mesmerized and happy it's hard to see the negatives.  Been meaning to read this book. 

I was very proud of P who chose to color a pirate picture instead of a princess. And I LOVED that she decorated her little take home purse with sparkles, a butterfly and a FOOTBALL! When asked what she was going to be when she grew up she said a basketball player.  I have no idea where she got that from. We've never discussed basketball specifically. I love that despite being surrounded by all this girlie girl stuff P was steadfast on who she is.  Love the strength of character I'm seeing so far.   

The Art of "Doing Nothing"

Last Tuesday Dave was off work. We have a million projects to do. Instead, we went to the beach.

It's been cold and raining but P's been asking to go to the beach for a while so I thought it was time we listened to her request. She's been a little hard to handle lately. P's definitely going through a phase. Teething? Growing? Seasonal? Who knows! She's literally been bouncing like mad and has way too much uncontrolled energy. I debated between going to an indoor play space or going to the beach. I'm glad I chose the beach because it was such a wonderful afternoon.

I imagined P running all over the place and burning off some of that pent up energy. Instead, to my surprise, she was focused on all her projects. First she built a "fishing pole" out of two sticks. Then that stick extension became a writing utensil. Then she was wading in the pools finding sea weed, shells, etc. And lastly we played a version of jump rope with long strands of kelp. Dave and I didn't get the rules of the jump rope game. Clearly 3-year old's rules and games are not meant for adults.

Watching her reminded me of how good these sort of outing are for children her age. As adults we forget how soothing it is for children to feel water, sand, sea weed, rocks, fish, the wind, etc. This kind of sensory stimulus is how they learn and continue to further all other kinds of intelligence, so to speak.

I use to go out all the time with her before she started school. We went to the beach, farm, museums, the park, etc. You would think that with the additional time off I have with her at school I'd be able to find more time to do this sort of wandering kind of activity. Instead, I feel I have less time. I'm thinking my focus these days is different than what it use to be. Maybe our house was more disorganized but I didn't realize it? Maybe I had gotten use to doing less things for me personally? Not sure. Either way, I need to find time to just be with her. I need to let her explore the world again at her pace and where she wants to.

Yesterday was perfect. We just hung out and we got to have Dave with us. When the three of us are together I forget about everything and everybody else around me. I love watching the two of them. I love taking their picture. I want to soak in every single second and preserve it for days in the way future when she's at college having a whole different set of experiences that are good for her.

There's a shark in my bathtub.

Two things I put on our baby registry right away were the Boon Bath Goods and the Boon Frog Pod. I thought they were so cool and well designed. I had this idea that I'd be able to educate my daughter on colors and shapes right away instead of having pointless bath toys.

I remember putting my little "blob" in the tub for the first time and thinking "Great, now what? What do I do with all these toys and her?" Obviously it was months before we started using them and it's not until now at 21 months that the Bath Goods have become a favorite.

Today I had a flashback in the tub. I almost started a routine I use to do with P when she was about 8-9 months. I would put her Munchkin Squirtin' Sea Buddies in the tub and then ask for walrus, or sharkie or starfish. At first I pulled them out and sat them on the side of the tub one by one but it wasn't long before she was doing it herself. I was so ecstatic when she started recognizing them by name. Today she can pick out anything you call for in the tub, from Shamu to drain stopper.

I took it a step further when we visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium for her first birthday. I brought all the Sea Buddies to the Aquarium and showed them to her when we saw the real creatures. Man the connections made that day were incredible! It made sense to her! She knew who those sea creatures were. That night I think she believed the ocean had followed us back. Amazing!

Today I am not so involved in the bath time routine. I sit back. She plays on her own and I feel that imaginative world going on is really important so I do not disturb it. I interrupt just to brush teeth, soap and rinse.