Riverside Summer Fun

Our summer vacation to Riverside was... okay... it was great. Though it took us a while to get over the fact that traveling with kids is so very little like a vacation. Must remind myself: with small ones, it takes (ours, at least) two days to acclimate and have anyone sleep very well. Add in any sickness and it might be even longer (yes, hacking coughs again this time, we even delayed our departure to hope for better health.)

The car ride down was nice and uneventful:

Adessa did sleep, eventually.

Sunglasses!

Eight years! This was our eight year anniversary picture, after a day spent driving and not really celebrating very much at all. We got to go out for dinner later in the week when Auntie Evie watched our girls. We had a nice time, and I discovered the martini: yum!

The Mission Inn is beautiful, cool history and architecture. Calvin took the girls on exploring adventures while Annea took her morning nap. On our last morning, Annea and I joined them.

Did I mention that Annea is walking!?

We told the girls to sit at the little table and pretend they were drinking coffee. I see mime in their futures.

The best part of the Mission Inn, however, is the pool. It's shallow and huge and surrounded by beautiful foliage and flowers. We spent most of our awake time there.
Daddy sprang for a poolside beverage for the girls. After her first sip, lounging, Adessa looked at Calvin and said: "This is the life".

Annea has discovered sunglasses.

With Auntie Evie and Melissa in the pool.

What you can't tell from these pictures is that Adessa is a swimmer! Each day Adessa discovered a new thing or two that she could so in the water. She could jump off the edge (by herself! and recover), she could float on her back and kick and scull, she could almost do a one-armed hand stand. She swam (holding her nose with one arm, paddling with the other) for most of the week, and then, all on her own volition (NOT in response to my many attempts to teach her) she started blowing bubbles out of her nose and swimming with both arms. Now it's going to be me NOT teaching her how to take breaths. She will do it when she decides, but at least she's doing it! Eliana was pretty happy to hang out on the steps, and could have for hours.

Daddy and Annea in the pool. Annea loved her "floating cabana".

Reading with Melissa.

Family at Old Spaghetti factory.

Art.

Art. Calvin mused (much too late) that he should have stood at the beginning of "Art" with his hands out like an F. Hee hee.

Fourth of July (totally out of place, but I forgot it last monster-post).