Monterey, Cambria, and Santa Barbara

We just returned from a long weekend trip to the central coast. Mama was invited up to give a talk at Stanford University's marine lab, Hopkins Marine Station, on Monterey Bay. We headed north right after Caden got out of school on Thursday and drove about 6 hours to a motel just south of Salinas. Both boys were great travelers! It is wonderful to have Caden riding next to Finn in the back seat, as Caden does a fantastic job entertaining his little brother. That evening, Caden and Finn took their first bath together. 

The next morning, we dropped Mama off at the marine lab, then Dada, Caden, and Finn headed out for a guys' day. After wandering around the lab a bit - Dada spent a month there taking a summer class 15 years ago - we went out for 2nd breakfast and then to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

The next morning, we awoke to real rain, the first we'd seen since Alaska. Caden and Mama checked out very wet rose garden, but the rain cleared by early afternoon, and after a yummy lunch, we headed to the pumpkin patch at Uesugi Farms. Besides an amazing assortment of pumpkins, the farm featured a hayride, a huge corn maze that was difficult enough that we were glad we had a map to consult after going in circles for a long time, lots of yummy food (e.g., pumpkin ice cream), a petting zoo, and big, air-powered artillery pieces that shot mini pumpkins.

The next day, we headed south along the Big Sur coast to Cambria. There is a UC Reserve there that we wanted to check out as a site for our research. On the way down, we stopped to see the elephant seals at San Simeon. They were amazing! The town of Cambria is also a lot of fun, with neat shops, restaurants, and - while we were there - a scarecrow festival. There were a lot of creative scarecrows on display throughout the downtown but Dada and Caden particularly liked Gandalf. 

Yesterday, we drove back home from Cambria, stopping at the Santa Barbara Orchid Estate en route. 

Finn is becoming more mobile and talkative. He took his first steps this week, and he is starting to string words together. While we were on our trip, Finn woke up hungry, but cheerful, in the middle of the night. He saw Caden sleeping in the adjacent bed and started calling, "Haiee, buba" = "Hi, brother".

Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday

What are those days? At 9:30 each Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday evening, there is a fireworks display at Disney's Magic Kingdom. And now that the diggers have removed the hill to the northeast of us, Caden's bedroom provides a perfect view of the fireworks some 20 miles away.

It's been a fun and busy time here in Irvine. Last weekend brought a visit from Auntie Sally. Caden had the day off of school on Monday, so we went kayaking on the Newport Back Bay. 

Caden joined Cub Scouts, and he and Dada just returned from a pack overnight campout at Firestone Scout Reservation. Caden had a great time shooting (archery, slingshots, and BB guns), hiking, eating s'mores, and hunting for tarantulas. 

Finn's vocabulary continues to grow (cat, bird, whoa!), and he is standing on his own and on the verge of walking. 

Nana, Boopa, and a new tooth for Finn

As the title implies, this past week or so featured a visit from Nana and Boopa, who were here from Thursday to Tuesday. It was great to share our new home with them, and they were super helpful.

Caden is enjoying Little League, and this past weekend he had an away game in Laguna Hills. It was a night game, and the boys had fun playing under the lights. Here, Finn watches Caden at bat.

Caden and Mama are reading Harry Potter, and - coincidentally - an owl arrived last week inviting us to a Halloween party:

And Finn is now 15 months old. His vocabulary continues to grow and includes Mama, Dada, bu-ba (brother), nana (banana = food), da (dog), vroom vroom (anything that drives), digger, milk, up, hi, and bye bye. He also has a new tooth - a molar way back in his mouth - bringing his current total to nine teeth.