Pippa's 1st Birthday

"I'm not amused," said Our Pippa of Perpetual Surprise.  

Laguna Beach

I love this photo of Thorne because it captures her in motion.  She's constantly in motion ready to run, hop, skip, jump, climb, slide, swing, or dance.  Anything to move her body!  I also love that the wave looks like a frilly blanket rather than water. 

We went on a mini-vacation to give us some space between Steve's teaching jobs.  Considering there was virtually no planning done, it turned out fantastic.  We left Sunday and headed south to the Orange County Museum of Art to view the Richard Diebenkorn retrospective.  His work is gorgeous so if you're in the area check it out.  On the way we stopped for noodles at Santouka - our favorite noodle joint.  We love their shio ramen with special pork - mmmmmm pork belly.  Definitely not for those with high blood pressure or gout.   We stayed in a hotel south of Dana Point for one night just to complete the feeling of getting away.  Thorne LOVED it - when we left the next morning for breakfast she kept saying she wanted to go back home meaning the hotel.  About a week later, Thorne was staring out our front windows and out of the blue said to herself, "I want to go to hotel."  I was the same way as a kid and well frankly even now I love staying in hotels.  The next day we hit one of the beaches just south of down town Laguna Beach that was sparsely populated being a Monday.  It was a perfect, sunny but breezy southern California day.  The kind that envelops you and reminds you why you never want to move. 

Laguna Beach

Pippa loved the beach.  She frolicked in the sand and got her toes tickled by the Pacific.  At one point I gave her a piece of seaweed/kelp to play with and then left her to take photos of Thorne.  I came back a few minutes later and the seaweed was gone.  I checked all around her and couldn't find it so I can only assume she consumed it!  At least it's full of vitamins. 

Chocolate

Thorne, Pippa, and I were at Huntington Gardens looking for the secret passageway from the Chinese garden to the newly refurbished Japanese Garden.  Our quest was met with success so we celebrated with a chocolate mousse at the cafe.  We were reflecting on how much we LOVE chocolate and I was telling her that her granddad and grandpop were chocolate fiends too.  She nodded knowingly as she's been the recipient of their chocolate treats.  I then told her that her Uncle JC did NOT love chocolate.  She looked at me incredulously and said, "That's horrible!"  Indeed.