Monday, April 8, 2013

Back to Cali

The last time we were in California- Phoebe was not yet 3 years old. This time, she's a kindergartener who loved being on a plane and was a trooper of a traveler. (actually, she's been that since the very first trip we took back from Vietnam). We started the trip off in San Diego as guests of the Cortese family. Phoebe had fun playing with the big kids and running around their house together. Brooke & Talia took us to Sea World and helped us see all there was to offer in the world of seals, walruses, dolphins and whales. From there, we drove north and spent an afternoon with our Kaplan cousins- Will, Elana, Harper & Lucy at Disneyland. We made sure to hit the small world ride, the kiddie roller coaster, a Nemo submarine ride and the highlight- the Disney parade of all our favorite characters. It was a little crowded for Mom's taste- but Phoebe had a great time. From there, we spent a night at the beautiful home of the Shevins in Manhattan Beach and then headed to the Valley to spend Passover with the family. Jimmy, Joi, Chloe and Jordan hosted a family filled affair with fun puppets for the kids to enjoy the Seder. We even brought Grammy & Grammy into the party by linking them in on Face-Time! They got to watch the whole thing from their winter home in Florida. From there, we were hosted by the Schwartz-Susskind clan: Lori, Scott and 3-year-old Sadie in their warm home in Sherman Oaks- with a little house to ourselves. (sweet!) Jeff got to spend some time with Justin and a day at the beach with his friend Shep and I got to visit the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena with my sweet friend Maha and his 4-year-old son Tenoch. We spent our last day and night back in Venice beach enjoying the funky atmosphere and the warm breezes. At night we were invited for a delicous grilled dinner at the home of Justin's friends, Jason & Aimee. We had such a nice time, we are looking forward to going back again next year.