Christmas in California (aka A Gazillion Pictures)

For Christmas this year we decided to go to California. We kept it pretty low key considering I was stuck on the couch for most of the trip. Jane learned some important lessons:
Climbing on antiques is fun.

A Grandma is a lot like a Mama, except she will give you sugar.

Windows are infinitely cooler when they are low enough for her to look out.

Things found in low drawers are fair game for toddlers. Also everything is a hat.


Dogs are absolutely worth obsessing over.

So much that Grandma bought her her own "Woof Woof" to take home.

If you sit on the island, Grandma will bring you all of your favorite foods.



Toys are not as fun as the containers they come in.

Baths in the sink are terrible.

But when your grandma knows you well... she knows just how to cheer you up.

All you can really depend on is bananas.

Christmas trees seem like fun, but you aren't allowed to touch them.

Christmas dresses make all of the ladies at church swoon over how cute you are.


One time, Mom put Dad in charge of me so she could change into sweats. Dad made the mistake of setting me in my crib. It was terrible.

The best toy in the house.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Grandma always has juice and she always shares. This cannot be said for Mom.

Grandparents are the best. Good thing I have like a hundred of them.



Grandpa got Grandma bullet earrings. Clearly she was thrilled.


The only thing stranger was mom's gift.

For some reason the woof woof wasn't invited to Christmas dinner. I spent the evening petitioning on her behalf.

For Christmas Mom told Dad she wanted a microplane. Dad heard "small plane" and not "handheld grating device". On the bright side, I have a new toy now.

Sleeping dogs are the best. When their eyes are shut, they don't see you coming and you can lay right on top of them.

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On Christmas day we went to Grandma Beth and Phil's for lunch.

Four generations.

Jane was glad on the good days when I could get off the couch and play with her.

Christmas is Grandpa Roy's birthday so we headed to Santa Monica for the festivities.


Every year Grandpa has a pinata. The tradition is that the youngest gets to swing first. Last year Jane was too little, so she was excited to finally be able to participate.

Scott and Rick had been looking forward to go-kart racing. They had a great time. Unfortunately I was on try-not-to-puke-while-you-chase-the-toddler-for-two-hours-in-a-hazardous-place duty. Sometimes being pregnant has it's downfalls. Next year.


Jane has her grandpa wrapped around her finger. It was adorable. She followed him around and was always wanting hugs or whatever food he had. When he would leave she would sit at the baby gate and yell, "gwapa! gwapa!"

We were blessed to be able to attend Scott's Aunt Cathy's wedding. She looked radiant and her husband was really nice.

Jane was mostly in it for the cake pops.



Overall it was a wonderful trip. Nice and relaxed, which was exactly what we needed. Rick and Janet were SO much help with Jane, but alas in the end, the cold white north called us home.