Camping trip- Idyllwild, CA

Ready to go on our two hour journey Northeast to Idyllwild, California. Stuffed to the brim in the truck
Snug as a bug in a rug! and such a happy camper especially very early in the morning.
First hike of the trip from the nature center close to town.


Watching Dave prep the coals for a steak and veggies on the grill.


I think I said that it would be fun to climb this tree, so the boys, of course, had to try it...until they discovered it had ants covering the entire surface.
We found a little hut along the hike. Perfect size for Nate.
climbing down a boulder. by the time he made it down, he had lost his shoes and had a hole in his sock.


An outdoor restaurant in downtown Idyllwild. Stopped for a beer and live music.Nate was so happy that Cooper finally arrived on day 2. This is his best friend from preschool. We have been spending a lot of time with their family because we all get along so well.

I checked out a few books about camping from the library for story time. I think they liked them, especially the part about S'mores.



These two insisted on climbing everything.

It takes a lot of teamwork to climb up the hills and over the rocks.


Napped the entire way home from our trip...dirty hands and all.

playdough

I think what he keeps saying in this video is "I not ready...it's not time to show you, mommy"

biking

Strawberry Fields

Last week, I organized a meetup with the mom's group we belong to to the Carlsbad Strawberry Fields. Nate stuck close by to his good friend, Cooper. It was messy fun!
popping up from the leaves
running up and down the fields. What a workout!
Being the curious child he is, Nate was particularly drawn to seeing what would happen in the mud. Here he is upset with how messy he got.

stuck shoe
my friend, Carrie, trying to pull him out! he was very stuck! He was the only child out of several that even got messy! His kinesthetic learning style in full effect!
roaming the fields


Nate and Cooper, two "peas in a pod".

Palm Springs/ Palm Desert Vacation

Ever wondered what an almost 3 year old would pack for a trip?
....lots and lots of books and part of his train set. He was trying SO hard to zip it up. I had to repack his bag while he was at preschool, of course :)
driving through the desert.
only 2 1/2 hours away from where we live is Palm Springs and Palm Desert. We stayed between the two cities.
Palm Desert...known for resorts, golf, and shopping (Palm Springs is known more for the mid century design and was a popular escape for Hollywood during that time)

The Palm Springs aerial tram http://www.pstramway.com/
amazing views...and a little scary, I thought. it rotates all the way around as it sways up the hill. Since everyone is standing, it's a little tricky keeping your balance.
the top has shops and restaurants

8516 feet
nice shady trail at the beginning of our hike from the top
Nate saw Dave climbing the rocks, so now he's determined to get in on the action.





too much hiking for this little one, he needs a break

frozen lemonade after a long morning of walking
view of one of the trams heading down
back to the hotel for some fun in the sun. Our hotel was amazing with many pools and water slides. Perfect for the 100 degree days.
Nate being thrown in the air and loving every second of it.
Me on one of the slides
Dave and Nate (they went down about 20 plus times)
kiddy pool. Nate made lots of new friends sharing his propeller Nemo fish.


In between the villas there were little rivers with fish
We made an awesome Cinco de Mayo feast last Thursday on the grill