Beach Bums

For the Fourth of July weekend, we decided to go to Jason's parents' house, since they live only about four hours away and it's always fun to spend holidays with family...especially family who spoils you. :D

Jason's sister, Janelle, whom we hadn't seen since last Thanksgiving, was visiting from Utah, too! Once Jamie warmed up to her a bit, he loved "Annie [auntie] Jell"--she was so awesome about playing with him, talking to him, entertaining him, etc.

(I think it's so funny that Jamie now has an "Auntie Jell" and an "Auntie Shell"--Michelle, my brother's new wife. And his grandmas' names are Cheryl and Carel, his papa's name is Robert and so is my brother's--what's next?)

Jamie's pretty good at getting these flip-flops on, but sometimes he misses the finer points (like which one goes on which foot).

Cheryl found a great deal for a hotel room in San Diego, right near Sea World and the beach, so the five of us--Robert couldn't go :( --took off on Friday, ready for adventure. We stopped at the hotel to eat our packed lunch, then hit the beach for Jamie's very first time!

I think Jamie had more fun in the sand than the water, by far. He had Auntie playing with him, and that water really was cold. I think the waves intimidated him some.

After the beach, Cheryl made us dinner back at the hotel (a Marriott Residence Inn--do you know about those, that they have a real kitchenette, cookware to use, dishwasher, etc? Plus a sitting room and a closed-off bedroom. It was so awesome! Perfect family-traveling!) while we took turns showering. Then we went to Sea World for a little while, because Cheryl had gotten 2-day passes online for the price of one-day tickets at the gate, and we thought we may as well take advantage. We tried the 3D Sesame Street movie (where they spray you with mist at a watery part, etc.), but it was too much for Jamie, and I took him out.

Next he and Daddy went on the "Elmo's Flying Fish" ride, and this was the best picture I got.

The last thing we did was go to the nighttime Shamu whale show, which was cool. There were lots of bright lights, music, and whale flips and tricks, of course. Whenever everyone clapped, Jamie clapped and yelled, "YAAAAAAY!!" He looked so cute in his little red hoodie, and loved the "beef shur." That means "big fish." Don't ask me why.

At the end, there were a few minutes of fireworks, which stopped in the middle, presumably because of the plane flying right through the spot.

I'm so glad I got to see the fireworks, because due to unlucky circumstances, we didn't get to see or set off ANY live ones on the actual 4th of July. :( :( (I'm still kind of pathetically sad about it. My pyro cousins and brother set certain expectations while I was growing up.)

The next day, Saturday, we went to Sea World again. Here's Jamie in front of a turtle display.

Inside a "polar bear cave." Auntie took Jamie up to a viewing window and they got an inches-away look at a mama polar bear. I wish I could have seen it, but I was just about through with the crowds by then and didn't want to fight everyone. After that, Jamie couldn't stop saying "bee {big} baer! Bee baer!" so Grandma got him one of his own, a nice soft one, that now lives in his bed.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the weekend. On Monday, Jason and I came back from visiting friends and found Jamie "helping" Janelle make this flag cake, and getting gloriously messy, of course.

Face, shirt, legs and hands are all frosting-covered.

Grandma ("Mah-ma") and Papa's laundry hamper--a perfect place to hide!

I never take enough pictures and always regret it later, so I shot this one of everyone lounging around just for the heck of it. I'm only sorry I never got "Papa" Robert in any.

Getting a little more use out of the sand toys

And, Jamie back home, being a goof, wearing a basketball hoop on his head, the net and one of my stretchy headbands around his neck, and Mah-ma's cute shoes on his feet. Oh, the material we'll have to show his dates someday!

We had Grandma's shoes at our house because she was there, too. We left Jamie at Grandma and Papa's house from Tuesday to Saturday so he could have a visit with them (it was so weird and awesome being alone for a few days, though we missed him--we got so much done), and Cheryl brought him down Saturday, then stayed with us a few days to watch him even more.

Jason and I both finally got some work with the company that hired us in May, and a lot of it overlapped or was at the same time, and we very much needed the money. So Cheryl so very kindly took charge of the kiddo for a few more days, and we ended up only having to leave him with friends for one day, which is important to us. The other days, we traded off between him and working. It's been crazy, and extremely tiring (the work requires constant standing on cement floors), and we're glad it's over for awhile, but we are SO grateful for the money we were able to earn!

A couple more funny stories: yesterday in church after we sang the closing hymn, as soon as the music stopped, Jamie yelled, "YAAAAY!!" just like at the whale show. :) (We don't clap or shout during the worship services of our church.)

This morning he was so quiet in his bed, we went to get him--and found that he had gotten ahold of Vicks Baby Rub, and proceeded to rub it in his hair, all over his sleeper, his hands, his blankets, and his bed. The little tub was completely gone, and I hope the bath he cried through was worth the fun I'm sure he'd had.

And on a side note, can I just say I'm so proud of my hubby, who got up at 4-stinkin-45 a.m. this morning to get some exercise by swimming laps with our friend Matt, and has committed to do it every morning?

And yes, there's a 4:45 in the morning, too. I know, I was stunned.