It’s getting cold.
And I’m sore from having my wisdom tooth yanked out last week.
And the antibiotics I’m taking are making me feel like a big yucky schlub.
And, and, and.  What I’m really trying to say is…

I WISH I WAS BACK IN SAN DIEGO!!!

And I’m pretty sure the Littles wish they were too…

Each year we try to pilgrimage back to the Plaxico family homeland.  And so in August the Hubs and I lugged our 3 wiggly kids, 4 carry-on bags, 6 checked suitcases, and 3 car seats on 2 flights across the country, armed with the sheer determination to do whatever it took to JUST…GET…THERE.
And not lose it in the process.

(Why yes, that is my son wearing a diaper on his head.  How else would one get the adult-sized earphones to sit comfortably on top of a cranky three-year-old?  I thought it was pretty genius, even if we did get a lot of funny looks from the flight attendants.  That M.B.A. of mine is coming in handy, people!)

I would not call it a relaxing venture.  But, we made it.

(With a whole lotta help from everyone’s favorite Apple products.  And SNACKS.  Oh my Lordy, so many snacks.  And the Littles, to their credit, were pretty good.)

And then it was family vacation time, baby!  Time to kick back, relax, and…oh wait.

Time-zone change be darned (yes, you heard me right), we were desperate to shake off the North Carolina heat and engulf ourselves in the mid-70s paradise that is Southern California.  Well, at least we were after Nena woke up with the Littles at 5am…and did potty duty…and got them dressed…and fed them breakfast.  She’s a keeper.

As I was saying, (after Nena made us some coffee) we were ready to get out there and do some adventuring!

We spent every waking moment outside and had a great time (wearing Mama and Daddy out AND),

Enjoying some sand facials at the beach and the bay…

(Our three Little Technicians are not what I’d call “gentle,” but they will work for fruit snacks!)

(And lemme tell you, the lifeguards just looooved us.  Especially when the Littles would destroy their perches by digging tunnels to China under their feet.)

Bonding with all the sunburned tourists at the zoo…

(That orangutan had an uncanny resemblance to someone I know…)

And making a ruckus around Nena and Pops’ house…

(With all of our squawking and squeaking, the neighbors loved us almost as much as the lifeguards did!)

This, by the way, was how Pops dressed THE ENTIRE TWO WEEK TRIP.  I began to wonder if the man even owned a shirt.  Or shoes.  Or a hairbrush.  Overwhelmed by their grandfather’s disdain for anything related to personal grooming, the kids took matters into their own hands…

With all of the belly and body hair we were forced to witness, I think it’s clear that Pops got his just dessert.  And the Littles were oh so pleased with themselves.

When we weren’t out on adventures we were visiting with dear friends of yore.

Like Peggy, my second Mama (and old Daycare Provider, or “Daycare Divider” as I used to call her),

Amanda Fleming Perez (a friend of mine since preschool!) and her sweet girls,

Kelly Sonnack Szymczak (a friend since elementary school!) and her adorable crew,

And the Little Missy’s wonderful godparents, Martha and Jeff (friends from our DC days)!

Martha and Jeff traveled all the way from Tucson just to see us.  They are the BEST.

And such good sports!

It was a lively, fun, full, exhausting trip…complete with great times with loved ones, tons of enriching activities, the occasional meltdown, and the more than occasional trip to Mr. Frosty’s ice cream store (SEE previous).

Did I mention the Little Mister turned 3 just before this trip?  Yeah, that.

(This was totally self-inflicted…and I fully admit that I left him there for a while so I could keel over laughing.  And then grab the camera.  And then laugh a little more.

…Yep, still funny.)

But we had a fun time and are very grateful for these two Troopers who helped make it happen…

We love you, Nena and Pops!

So until we meet again, beloved San Diego, we’ll pull a Cinderella and keep on wishing.

Though I’m not sure what meek little Miss Cinderella would have thought if her fairy godmother showed up looking like this!