San Diego! Part 2

I found more snapshot treasures that I had to share from our trip a few weeks ago, and I also wanted to write down a few detailed memories to document our fun family vacay!

Anecdote #1: As I wrote before, Doug and I were beyond amazed at how we have entered this new stage of life-- with two kids who sleep in bunk beds together, who are potty trained, who fly with relative ease, who can entertain themselves for hours on end, who don't require strollers or pack n plays or naps... we felt like a legitimate family of four! That said, Cameron did get tired of walking around the parks.  We would urge him to walk, but on many occasions, one of us ended up carrying him so that we could pick up the pace! At the San Diego Zoo, we gave Cameron a heads up that in 4 minutes, at the top of the hill by the bears, he would need to get down off Daddy's shoulders and walk like a big boy.  Well, at the top of the hill by the bears, Cam decided to act like a little boy with a full on tantrum.  He sat down on the ground and cried.  Doug and I stood there and gave him options, gave him ultimatums, gave him bribes... but we held firm and said that he needed to walk.  Meanwhile, Cam's crying caught the attention of one of the San Diego Zoo volunteers who happened to be special needs; this sweet and thoughtful (and thoroughly, well-trained) volunteer had Downs Syndrome. He misread the situation when he saw a crying toddler on the ground, and he came rushing over asking if Cam was bleeding, if he needed first aid or an ambulance, if Cam was a lost child, and then finally, he asked if he should call security.  Doug and I were simultaneously trying to calm Cam down while also reassuring the volunteer that security did not need to be called because we were his parents. It was chaos.  Then, Sophie heard the word "police" come out of the volunteer's mouth, and she looked freaked out as if we were all going to be arrested and booked because of Cameron's tantrum.  By the end of it, Cameron stood up and walked (finally accepting the ice cream plea bargain), the volunteer finally understood that we didn't need to be escorted out of the zoo by security, and Doug and I earned our lunch time beer! It was comical.

Anecdote #2:  We ate the best food ever.  Fish and chips. Funnel Cakes. Chicken fingers (called "chicken hands" by Cameron).  All you can eat breakfast buffet at the Legoland hotel.

Anecdote #3:  At the Legoland hotel, the elevators are decked out with lego characters and themes.  Our favorite elevator was the Disco elevator.  The minute the doors closed, disco music blared while a disco ball spun from the ceiling.  All four of us would dance and "shake our booties" until the doors opened.  It was always embarrassingly hysterical when the doors opened to strangers in the hotel and Cam was still shaking his booty or Doug was still showing us his dance moves.

Anecdote #4: Upon returning home, Sophie's imaginative play revolves around her role as a marine biologist.  And Cameron has developed a new obsession with all sea animals, especially sharks.  Their love for Legos remains, and Cam regularly asks when we can go back to the beach.  This boy loves sand.

I wish I could go on family vacations every week. It's been weeks and weeks, and yet I'm still staring at these memories.  Look at how much fun we had!

We took full advantage of the incredible gondola over the zoo by riding it a couple times! The views were amazing.