Hang Up The Heels

Just got back home from what I’m sure will be Sadie’s last free ride on an airplane… she turns 2 in about 6 weeks (eek)!  She and I packed up and spent the past 6 nights and 7 days in sunny San Diego at my folks place.  The trip was very much needed, it had been 6 months since my Dad got to spend time with Sadie

I won’t lie… it is not easy traveling alone with a toddler or being away from home with toddler for that long, so I’m not desperate to do it again next week – but it was a beautiful time and such an experience for Sadie.  The happiness she had running around the house and property that I had the pleasure of growing up in was worth the travel x 10 million.

Much like my childhood, Sadie spent her days almost always shirtless, shoeless, pantless or some combination of all three and beyond.  That’s how it’s done out there.  It is no accident that my parents have a sprawling 3 acres of land of which almost all is impeccably landscaped.  It’s a perfect environment to run around barefoot and explore.

Our week at my parents or “Gamma and Pop pop” as Sadie would say, was filled with childhood enjoyment all day everyday.  They took us to Seaworld, Safari Park and Bates Nut Farm but not to overshadow the countless hours we spent swimming in the pool, playing with the hose and eating ice cream and popsicles.  I have to say though, what seemed to have been my dear daughters most favorite past time was a daily chore she diligently helped my mother carry out every…single…morning.  That was feeding the 2 cats Ava & Leo or as Sadie would say “Eba and Eeo”, feeding the dog Apollo (Polloh), and feeding the wild birds and refilling the birdbath.

The days were full and the evenings came early and easily.  Sadie would drift off to sleep and sleep through the night better than I’ve ever seen her do.  She seemed to go to bed completely satisfied and needed an entire night to recharge herself for when morning came.  When morning would break and I would creep into an awake and happy child’s room, she would look up and smile and say, “Mama, I feed birds bird seed?”  Clearly obsessed.

We only got home late last night and I have already ordered a bird feeder and bird bath on Amazon.  Apparently outdoor chores and feeding birds is this girls passion.

As with any trip goes, as much as you love being there, you are always happy to return home afterward.  And we are.  It seems like I’ve got her eating habits back on track – she was thrown off a bit in a new environment and ate a fraction of the food she’d usually intake.  But her sleeping has stayed bountiful (at least in our 1 and only night back).  She actually slept in til 9am this morning, and slept all night… in her own crib.  That’s a definite first for us.  And one that I hope becomes a pattern!

I will have to do a part 2 on this post.  There are far too many photos and I feel like I’m already bordering on too many.  Plus, I haven’t even touched on the fact that I got to see my brother while I was there. Yay Jared!  Anyhoo, I’ll be back soon with more from our week with the ‘rents.  Until then, stay classy San Diego!