California Dreaming...

What a whirlwind couple of days... it's hard to believe that I started several blog posts in the past 4 days and never got the chance to finish them. That in as many days I am in a different time zone, and moving at a different pace.

Momma and Princess plotting spending money...

My sweet daughter celebrated her birthday on the 11th. When I sit and talk to her now, all grown up.  She’s older now than I was when I had her.  It’s unbelievable how quickly time flies.

My little tow headed cherub is now a momma, a successful business woman, my best friend and an amazing daughter! Okay she always was an amazing daughter! We’ve had our ups and downs; sometimes it was hard to have to be “the mom”!  I always understood what she wanted out of life, but had to be the brakes until she was grown enough to handle it. All in all, I think I might have had a small hand in the woman she is today.  

Watching her walk up with my grand baby at the airport the other night , I simply fell deeper in love with both of them.  She might want the world to realize “I’ve got this”, with her cocky grin and the smile that always dances in her eyes.  She is a rascal, with a deep loving heart.  She has a wicked sense of humor and her sense of responsibility is so deep. Her need to rescue the world comes from her Gramma, although with both of them being Pieces that could have a lot to do with it.  But despite the bravado and the laughter, she is at heart a sweet little girl that loves too deeply, commits too much and is very easily hurt. 

Almost ready for take off

On Wednesday evening the princess and Gramma took off for California, we've never been and decided it was a wonderful opportunity.   It's not somewhere I ever even dreamed of going to visit, and now I am so thankful we came. 

San Francisco, beautiful airport with yummy treats for Princesses

The first stop was a mere hour in San Francisco.  I now feel the need to visit it for longer, explore it a bit.  Flying over the bay at night was breathtakingly beautiful.

The garden outside our hotel first night

Snuggled up to sleep on the first night...

We have ultimately ended up in Los Angeles definitely not on my bucket list.  I have never had the slightest desire to come to Los Angeles, I am not a television/movie person and in my world the only folks that came here were connected to that... Okay... BIG misconception!! 

Nice...

Seriously?

Just a few miles away... beauty!

Yesterday we went to Hollywood and to see the sign... wow... lets just say.. YUCK!  When a seven year old is highly unimpressed you know it is bad.  Although the drive up to the sign was gorgeous and reminded me of the roads in France and Italy.  The sign is just that a sign, and Hollywood is just depressing and ugly.  We could not even find a decent place to have lunch. 

She only wanted to see his star!

Standing on the corner of Hollywood and Vine... isn't there a song line about that?

I now know that despite the vast diversity this area, at least around LA itself is very segmented, Filipinotown, Armeniantown, Chinatown, Koreatown, just to name a few.  It's vast and diverse without being diverse at all. 

The first full day here we walked, enjoyed the sunshine, went to Hermosa Beach and walked some more.  The Princess splashed in waves, chased seagulls, ran from seagulls, picked up shells dug her toes and fingers in the sand and simply enjoyed all the beach had to offer.  Even though the water was brutally cold she still popped that baby girl bottom right down in the waves and splashed in the late afternoon sun. 

Me... I walked along and talked to one of my favorite people.  My only reason for coming to California. I was in as much heaven as the Princess was. 

If I'm a bird, I am going to starve at this rate...

First Princess on the moon

The joy of a child!

After the disappointment of Hollywood, as we sat and ate lunch in an adorable Denny's, we decided to go to the California Science Center.  What an incredible idea.  Finding it was challenging.  Honestly, the roads here are marked interestingly, but find it we did.  

It's amazing!

Yep, that little girl lifted that pick up all by herself!

It was wonderful!!!  Exploring, touching and observing.  Playing and testing our skill at many different things. The Princess even designed her own car.  Played with light and sound waves and watched a flash flood happen.  The most amazing thing for me was actually seeing the space shuttle Endeavor.  To see it all bruised from it's missions in space was something that literally takes your breath away. 

After Thai delivery and Rush hour, we planned today's adventures... Today will find us heading south, we have discovered we like the smaller (haha.... now that is just funny) towns, Rendondo, Hermosa, Torrance... but today we are heading to Long Beach.  There is an Aquarium there that we want to see, and then we are heading out for a "two hour tour"... (whew good thing it isn't a three hour tour... those don't end well) to see if we can't find a few whales migrating south in that big Pacific ocean!  

dreaming of whale watching...

Who knows what adventures await us today... but now it's time to wake up sleeping beauty!