March 2015

Contrary to this blog's recent (lack of) activity, March hasn't just been spent in a state of nostalgia for southern California! We have enjoyed an early spring, lots of grandparent visits, kid birthday parties after kid birthday parties, and quality family time.

Here are the month's cell phone photos to prove it:

Papa!! 

Both of the kids are taking swimming lessons this spring.  Sophie is now a full-fledged swimmer, and her coordination, strength, and safety in the water make me so excited for what this summer has in store!  Cameron is working hard, too, getting more and more comfortable with the water.  I can't help but laugh out loud every day when I see him wearing his goggles.  And beyond all of the known benefits of swimming lessons, I also love swimming lesson days because the kids are always exhausted and cuddly afterward.  I get to wrap them up in their towels and cuddle them like they are babies!

Sophie has been to 5 birthday parties JUST this month! And Cam has had 2... Quite the social butterflies.  Sophie (and I) loved this party where all the girls and moms had a date to watch the new Cinderella movie!

Cameron has grown leaps and bounds.  He loves reading.  He looks forward to the library's story hour each week, and he does SO WELL! He listens, he answers questions, he follows directions.  He is so cute sitting with this little friends and acting like a big boy.  This kid is ready for preschool next year, and we talk about it on a daily basis.  He enjoys "reading" books out loud to me and he is always asking what words say or how to spell certain names or animals.  His curiosity and excitement for learning make me so proud of him.  We've come a long way!

We are ready for Easter around here! Pastel colors have taken over our house and little eggs, chicks, bunnies, and cotton balls cover the coffee tables and bookshelves.

Sophie is a legitimate reader.  We have moved well beyond the Level 1, 2, or 3 reading books, and she reads any book we give her.  She is constantly reading every sign we drive by in the car, every label on her food, every piece of mail.  She reads to Cameron, and she reads in her bed at night with her flashlight.  She blows my mind!! We are so proud of her reading (among all her other accomplishments!), and I can't believe how much she excels.

Along the lines of her academic accomplishments, Sophie is registered for kindergarten!! The week prior to registration, the elementary school posted a sign reminding us all about the date and time.  I couldn't drive by the sign without a lump in my throat and tears forming in my eyes.  I couldn't even talk to Sophie about it without tearing up!  Thankfully, Doug and Cameron came with us to registration and provided the distractions I needed to register her without a mini-breakdown.  She is so ready, and I love that she will graduate exactly 30 years after I did.

Welcome Spring!

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. 

San Diego!

Doug and I surprised the kids with a trip to San Diego!  We woke them up at 4:30 AM on Monday morning, and their sleepy but excited faces will be permanently imprinted on my brain.  Cameron told everybody at the airport that we were going to Legoland!

We made the decision to stay at the Legoland hotel.  When we entered the hotel, the kids were hyper, appreciative, speechless, and adorable.

Our tacky.. I mean, our amazing Pirate Adventure Lego Room! 

The whole trip was exactly what Doug and I envisioned: kid-focused.  Day 1 was spent enjoying Legoland and the Sea Life aquarium.  On Day 2, we conquered the San Diego Zoo and the beach at Coronado.  And on Day 3, Sea World and more beach time.  Our days were filled with rides, animals, treats, new toys, and a lot of running, walking, eating, and laughing.

Every day when we returned to our hotel room, there would be a new treasure in our Lego-themed room.  The kids got so excited about their new lego treasures! The room had bunk beds and the kids were perfectly content with their nightly slumber parties.  It was so wonderful to realize that our little family has now entered this next stage of life-- with sibling slumber parties, rides to amusement parks, long days of exploration and adventures and treats.  It was a REAL family vacation and it came at the perfect time.

 MAJOR SAN DIEGO WHITFIELD FAMILY VACAY PHOTO DUMP:

My future Marine Biologist! 

These two kids, these two siblings, these two friends... we are so lucky.

Sophie and the creepy lego guy...we weren't that happy with how comfortable she was snuggling him! 

We take our adventure park maps very seriously in this family. 

Exhausted kids are the sign of a full and joyous trip!