A Day in Monterey

Last week was the last week of Steve's 4-week break from class. (Not clinic, unfortunately. Clinic never sleeps.) With Steve's (slightly) more flexible schedule, we decided to take off a few times and do some fun things with the kids. We were lucky enough to play on the beach twice in one week! The first time we went to a small beach just up the freeway.

The girls wouldn't go near the water when we got there, so Steve dug a little trench and put water in it so they girls could splash around a bit. They got used to that, so they ventured out into the bay. Ankle deep. (Baby steps)

A few days later we spent the day in Monterey. We love Monterey. If it wasn't so expensive to live there, we'd plant ourselves there permanently, I think. We hadn't visited the aquarium since we moved here so we made sure and did that.

Side note: As I was pulling out photos to put on this post this afternoon, I noticed that Sophie, Ivy, and I are all wearing the exact outfits that we wore in this photo. Sophie insists on picking out her own clothes and she usually chooses this combo when it comes out of the washer (if I've hidden the "Kitty Dress" soon enough.)

The only decent picture of us inside:

Afterward we walked down Cannery Row and went down to the water.

Brave little Ivy let Dad play in the water as it lapped the sand.

Sophie wasn't into that.



She stayed up high and played in the sand.



As far from the water as she could possibly get.



After that and a visit to my great-uncle's place in Carmel, we found the Dennis the Menace park.



It was designed by the creater of the comic and is, quite possibly, the coolest public park we've ever been to. Not the best place to take a bunch of kids by yourself, though. There's no way you'd be able to keep an eye on more than one kid at a time. Luckily we're still 1-on-1.



Sophie's a slide girl.



This one kinda tickles as you slide down.



This one throws you around like a ragdoll. She went on this one about 8 times.



Ivy liked to walk around and point at stuff.



And brave an occasional slide.



But what she loves most of all is to climb.



To climb things that a 19-month-old should have no business climbing.



I stood behind her and spotted her, but she did all the climbing herself. When she got too high, I had to climb up myself so I could reach her. At that point, I was starting to freak out a little and kept my hands on her legs. She would have gone all the way up and onto the play structure if I hadn't have pulled her down. She's nuts.



Steve and I both went down the slides, too.



This one seriously makes you dizzy.



I don't think there's a male on earth that could resist a zipline.



After a long hour of playing (by then it was about 8PM), we got some drinks. . .



went to a local pizza place, drove 90 minutes home, then plopped ourselves into bed. The girls slept until 9AM the next morning -- probably the latest in their lives. It takes a lot to wear them out.