A vacation is often about food for this family. Milkshakes almost never happen so this was a happy moment to lighten the drive there!
Bubby really did do fairly well. It was obvious he remember the place and didn't resist too much. We found his favorite spinning ride and he chose to go on about 5 times over the two days we went there.
The kids were obsessed with snails again! They had to rescue them from the possibility of being trampled and collected as many empty shells as they could find.
Beautiful blossom everywhere
This girl is not to be outdone by her siblings. Bubby on the other hand ran quickly away from anything resembling therapy!
Everything was decked out in pumpkins and so my little girl thought it was all for her!
Bubby cracked me up with how he'd wake up every morning and open the patio door and sit down to chill and look out on the view.
While there I chanced upon seeing what the GIA was right next to Legoland. It's the Gem Insitiue of America which according to it website had a small museum of gems and minerals that you could schedule to see. Knowing the oldest two would enjoy it I sent them off with Kent. We had no idea why the security was so tight both in getting on the campus let alone getting in but apparently it's where people come and learn how to cut the gemstones so there are vaults underground housing these cut and uncut stones. All museum items are put in cases such that leaning on them (which Bug did in her more fatigue state) made the possibility of setting off alarms very real! It was a very last minute thing for us since we were leaving the very next day. I had called and left a message, they were gracious enough to shecudle us in and even give a tour guide without all the usual background check.
Carved from an elephant tusk, there are ivory balls that move within the globe on top, all carved from a single tusk, no breaks. Pretty amazing stuff!
While they played Bubby and I hit the park for one last time.
Kent often swears I could live under the sea with my facination of sea life. My kids have pick up on this as well and tide pooling was just the perfect activity. The best find of the evening was a brittle star fish that Bug spotted. It's snake like arms were fascinating to watch. Pumpkin was right there with them loving the sea anemones which she just couldn't prounce so it became, " sea an-i-mal" that her not so gentle fingers poked and watched with delight as they curled up and disappeared. Bud was on the hunt for a shark tooth but found plenty of polished rocks to add to his collection.
The highlight of the trip was the morning before we left we went to Balboa park. The last time we were here we had wanted to enroll Isaac into a rock polishing class. For a $10 annual fee to join the association (it's really about insurance) and $1 for the class he'd have 2.5 hours to take a raw piece of rock, cut, shape and polish it. I love this picture I caught of him, so intent on his work. The results were rather good, especially for a first timer. It's shaped was fairly smooth and he just wished he had time to finish the last of the polishing. Sadly on the all out to the car he accidentally dropped it and chipped and cracked it. He was crushed that all that work was for naught. It just meant we would have to make another trip out again in the future and start looking for such fun in Phoenix.
It was an open house in the Spanish village and the girls made wind chimes. Bug then went to a pottery class. Since we wouldn't be able to come back after the clay went into the kiln she was given air dry clay that is excellent in quality. She played with many of the tool for shaping and texturing and created this scene of all her vpfavorite animals sitting on a couch watching TV together. Once it dried we painted it with acrylic at home.
The kids classes left Kent and I free with the littlest two which we took on a bike tour of the area. Bubby wasn't too sure of the whole thing and cried until I got him an apple to crunch on. Either Kent and I are out of badly out of shape or the rickety bike impeded our efforts but rode until our thighs burned, electing to always take the easier path since a simple speed bump could have us groaning like we were near death! Pumpkin loved it though, she loved the sights of the street artists, all the dogs being walked, the birds and flowers. It really was a fun way to spend time with the little ones and to come back to the older two who had learned new things and were highly satisfied with their work.
We only wished San Diego was closer so we could enjoy all it's educational opportunities more frequently. We are grateful that we had the excuse for this small trip and for all the memories it affords us. "Now this is why I love homeschooling!" Was Bud's firm statement.
