Happy Easter!

Isis' first Easter! We had her do a three-egg hunt. :) I hope everyone had a very happy Easter.

Another try... and a long one...

I really have a desire to post consistently (by that I mean once or twice a month) but, obviously, that has yet to happen. I guess I'll keep trying until it does. For those of you who keep a good blog, I love it! So thank you!

What has happened since January you may ask. (I'm guessing you're asking or you wouldn't be reading this) Isis is now 9 months (going on 10) and has THREE teeth! She got them all within about 2 and half weeks. I think that she's fared pretty well since I hear that process can sometimes reveal the demon in children. She weathers sickness well.

In February we took a spontaneous trip to California. We were just looking around the internet for good deals and happened to come across airline tickets for $9. Yes, NINE dollars. This airline had good deals and we thought wouldn't it be fun to say we actually flew for so little. So, we bought tickets on Monday and flew out Friday. We were REALLY excited about this trip because it was so spur of the moment and our first "family vacation" (in which we weren't going to go see anyone or for a specific purpose). We arrived in Santa Maria, California - Begin dramatic music (da da DAAAAA). We reserved an infant car seat with our rental car only to be told when we got there that they didn't have one (only a booster seat). One company had a seat but no cars to rent. The clerk called to another airport to get us one there. So we took the booster seat (from the original rental agency) and drove to the other airport a half hour away. We got there and that clerk said they didn't have any seats for us (though we has JUST been told that they did). Well, they did but they were locked in a shed and the car washers were gone and the manager wasn't there so they couldn't get them. Mind you on 4 signs around this office it reads "California law requires all children under the age of 6, regardless of weight, or weighing less than 60 pounds, regardless of age, be transported in a child restraint system. This agency is required to provide for rental a child restraint system if you do not have such a system yourself." Hmmmmm.... does something not sound right to you?? Why would they have a shed of car seats that they don't have access to during business hours? And everyone at all the different agencies just kind of shrugged their shoulders. I was furious... and when that happens, I cry. This is my baby's safety we're talking about, not just a messed up reservation. Now three hours later, we didn't have any choice but to keep the booster seat (made for children 30-100 pounds... Isis is 16 lbs) and go to the hotel. After that run around that accomplished nothing I was looking forward to a good night's rest. HA! When the heater would come on there was a high, loud BUZZZZZ before the clanking started. It was as if the thermostat buzzed to the cellar to get a little old man to start beating the pipes to get the heater going. "Oy, Poppy! They need heat in 212." And old man Pops would beat and beat and beat and beat to keep it going. That wouldn't have been TOO bad... except there was a very noticeable gap in the door (leading to outside), so the heater came on about every 45 minutes. I slept a cumulative 3 hours.

When the sun came up (not after waking up) it was time for our beautiful drive up highway 1 to Monterrey. We packed Isis in the car seat 3 times to big for her and started out. She cried the entire 3 hours up there. I think the view was pretty. There was blue ocean and... lots and lots of driving. When we got to Monterrey we had to find something to eat (it had been about 26 hours since Jeremy & I had last eaten) and then tried to find parking for the aquarium. What a madhouse. God took pity on us, and the 4th time of circling the city for ANY spot, someone pulled out right in front of the aquarium. I almost cried I was so happy. The aquarium was nice and Isis seemed interested in the different animals, particularly the big sharks and tuna. I wanted to keep checking out the aquarium (even after we saw the whole thing) just so we could postpone driving the 3 hours back to the hotel. But alas, we had to go. I sat in the back holding Isis for part of the drive back - it was safer and quieter that way. That night we cranked the heat up to 85 before we went to bed and then turned the thermostat down to 55. (Jeremy's genius!) The heater didn't come back on until 5:30 the next morning!! Yea, Jeremy!!! I love my brilliant husband!

Sunday was our last day on this get away and by far the best - really. We got up and went three blocks from our hotel to the beach. Isis got to see and hear the ocean for the first time. She got to touch and (of course) taste sand for the first time. It was so much fun watching her. She liked digging her feet into it and picking it up and watching it disappear from her hand. We took a short drive (in the direction of the airport) to Pismo Beach and walked on the pier and sat in the sand again. It was so wonderfully peaceful. The ocean was lapping on the beach, there was an occasional seagull squawk, and just the three of us. That was what we had come for. That made the other stuff (ALMOST) worth it. :)

SO... I learned some important things on this trip and I'm going to share them so you don't have to learn the hard way. Believe me, this is a time to take advice. #1 - NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, "rent" a car seat from a rental company. The hassle of taking your own will NEVER outweigh having peace of mind or the hassle of working with stupid people. #2 - People are stupid and you can't do anything about it. (I learned that a long time ago but it just got reiterated on this trip.) #3 - Short trips are really not to be made with infants; we did too much traveling and not enough sitting/playing/being outside. This trip probably wouldn't have been so traumatic if it had just been Jeremy & I but it wasn't. #4 - Take as much drama out of the situation as you can, i.e. if you get screwed by a rental company don't stay in a shabby motel and do go get something good to eat (you'll deserve it). #5 - Take pictures so you can remember the good things about the trip. (Although we did take a picture of the a sad Isis in the booster seat.) #6 - Maybe some people (US!) were never meant to be spontaneous. :)

Phew!!! Maybe that's why I don't post often... I will end up writing a novel! (I did just use all of Isis' nap time doing that.:) ) I'd love to know I'm not the only one who's had a "vacation" like this. Tell me your story.... or I'll just check your blog for yours.:)

If you want to see more pictures from our trip check our online album.