Spring Break – Newport Beach, CA

Spring break has come and gone! It’s a line in the sand for those of us in Chicago – the worst of winter is behind, but we still come home to chilly weather. Maybe 4 weeks left…maybe 6….but usually no more than 8 weeks left. The weather in Chicago is weird. I’ve been here almost 7 years and I’m still not used to it. Somehow I’m shocked when I keep my heavy coat out until May 15th. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to it…as I’m writing right now, it is raining outside and a brisk 37 degrees with a 50% chance of snow in 6 hours. So let’s reflect upon spring break and channel warm inner thoughts!

This year, our big kids T&E were on a tropical cruise with their mom. Not wanting to stay here in the cold with a desire to escape as well, David, Hudson and I headed out to Newport Beach, California for six days! Newport holds a special place in my heart – I went there for years with my family, and it was also the first trip that David and I took together. Now my parents live out there almost half the year – they built and moved into a gorgeous beach front home in March 2017! Not only do we love the area but now we have family there too.

Wednesday, March 21st

We started our day off with a VERY early flight. We woke up at 4am to get up, showered, fed the baby, and headed to the airport for our 7am flight.

One of the perks of David’s insane travel is that he flies exclusively American Airlines and is now Executive Platinum status. He usually gets upgraded to first class on almost every flight. The bad news is I travel very little and have no status (womp womp) – so we purchased mile upgrades so we could fly first class round trip with the baby on the 4+ hour flight from Chicago to Orange County (hooray)! So thank you honey for traveling so much that Huddy and I could fly in style with you 🙂

The flight went well! Hudson stays on our laps and I bring the Boppy so he can rest comfortably (plus it’s easy to nurse him on takeoff, landing and in between). Hudson napped about half of the flight and I watched The Shape of Water. Has anyone else seen it? Curious on your thoughts!

As many of you know, Wednesday, March 21st was World Down Syndrome Day! Once we landed and checked our phones, I got to see all of our friends’ and family’s crazy socks in support of WDSD. We were so appreciative of all the love and support. It was a great way to start our vacation! From the airport, we took an Uber to my parent’s house (they were gone at a wedding until that Friday of our trip). Starving from the early morning travels, our first stop was In-N-Out Burger for two double doubles, french fries, and chocolate milkshakes – it’s the best way to to start a trip in California!

We spent the rest of our first day sitting on the front porch watching bikers, joggers, skateboarders, rollerbladers, and walkers on the boardwalk. David and I soaked up the warmth of the California sun and enjoyed the feeling of fresh beach air on our faces! It was divine.

That night we went to Taco Mesa in Costa Mesa to get our Mexican food fix. It was our first time going to this restaurant and I enjoyed their tacos, the different homemade sauces they offered, the pink exterior of the standalone restaurant and being able to sit outside while we ate. Exhausted from the day’s activities and getting adjusted to the time change, we went home early, watched the sunset, and crawled into bed around 8pm!

Thursday, March 22

We woke up to rain! At least it wasn’t as cold as Chicago but it was such a bummer. The average rainfall in Newport Beach during March is 1.8″ and I think we got all of that and more while we visited! It all worked out though because we had already been planning to drive up to Encino, California to visit Aunt Laurie & Uncle Peter for the day.

After a morning walk and breakfast at Balboa Lily’s (highly recommend their handcrafted lattes), we got ready for our day trip to Encino (about 80-90 minutes away). The car ride was smooth and easy – hardly any traffic! We met my Aunt Laurie at Cheesecake Factory for lunch, where Hudson devoured a sizable meatball with marinara sauce.

We drove back to my aunt and uncle’s incredible house in Encino. My Uncle Peter is the famous Peter Marshall of Hollywood Squares. You walk into their home and see Emmy awards on the coffee table and pictures with past presidents of the USA as if it were everyday, normal life. But for them it is! My aunt & uncle are two of the most lovely, kind and compassionate people. We enjoy spending time with them whenever possible!

The rest of our day was full of conversation, tons of laughter, ice cream bars, a visit from their two daughters Jaime and Suzi, a delicious Greek dinner and some singing & snuggles with Uncle Peter, who was just returning from Pennsylvania after filming a special with PBS on his buddy Perry Como – again, no big deal 🙂 It was the perfect visit!

 

Friday, March 23rd

Blue skies and sunshine met us in Cali on Friday! It was still in the low 60s, but again – better than Chicago. We walked to My Galley, which is down the street from my parent’s home. It’s a cute little coffee shop with a very laid back, local vibe. My favorite thing to get from there is the Acai Bowl – a mix of acai, granola, and bananas.

After, we went home, David got ready to go to Orange Theory in Newport Beach. With his membership plan, David is able to attend Orange Theory classes all over the nation, which is really great so he doesn’t miss his workouts on the road! While he was gone, Hudson and I went for a run. This little man usually LOVES the stroller. I mean…I teach stroller fitness classes for a living – so he kind of has to – but for whatever reason, Huddy was not digging the stroller that day. I’m guessing it had something to do with the weather (sun, wind, and a bit of a chill) – but Hudson was a sweet boy and let me mommy finish her run!

Once we got back, Hudson passed out – poor guy was definitely more affected by the time change this trip than previous visits. David and I showered and got ready for my parents’ arrival. It was so great to see them – especially my dad since I hadn’t seen him in several months! While I know he was happy to see me and David, his eyes lit up when he hugged his grandbaby. On top of building a gorgeous beach home in NBP, my parents recently purchased a massive boat! We had seen pictures but we were going to take a harbor cruise for the first time.

This boat is seriously high tech and my parents have to hire a captain to come out with them each time (yes – that’s how big this boat is). But besides the boat itself, the best part was watching my dad drive this thing! There are three different places to control the engines from; there is a joystick that propels the boat from left to right; and the screen to navigate the boat is bigger than the TV I had in college. Cosmetically, it’s a gorgeous boat – fully decorated bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, bar and dining area. You could absolutely live on this boat!

After driving around for a bit, we decided it was time for dinner! NPB has a new marina area where my parents’ dock slip is….fashion boutiques, perfumeries, and other specialty stores. We decided to eat at Bear Flag Fish Company right in the village. Fresh fish for days!! Goodness, I love California.

 

Saturday, March 24th

I don’t think I’ve discussed this on the blog yet – but it’s important that we talk about it 🙂

David is an outstanding golfer. Truly amazing! If you have a bad day shooting at 74 on a par 72, you are quite the golfer! He has been golfing since high school and has group of buddies he plays with weekly in Chicago. A few years ago, David gave me my first set of clubs and shoes and we golfed all the time. We even took the big kids a few times (Tyler has an unbelievable drive and Emily can read a green like a pro). I don’t get out as much post-Hudson – but I love the joy it brings to my husband.

We woke up early on Saturday morning and I drove David out to Strawberry Farms to play. When I returned to NPB, my parents took me and Huddy out to breakfast at a classic joint, Cappy’s. Hudson discovered a love of biscuits & gravy and pumpkin pancakes! I’ve got to feed that kid more pumpkin (as I sit here eating my Panera pumpkin muffie – can’t imagine where he gets it from).

While David slayed 18 holes, I ran errands with my parents – picked up my dad’s gorgeous Bel-Air convertible, took Roxie to the vet to remove her stitches, a Starbucks run and then picked David back up from golf. My mom took us to lunch at a cute cafe, Java Bakery Cafe. Apparently, Kobe Bryant goes there – I didn’t really care about that as much as I loved my warm almond croissant!

That afternoon, David and I took a stroll down the boardwalk, played with Hudson at the park and watched part of a pretty intense Rugby game. Once we got back, we went to Fashion Island to walk around for awhile. We bought some clothes for the kiddos (including Emily’s adorable Easter dress from last week’s FFF post) and walked around. Hudson got really fussy while we were there – could’ve been a combination of a confusing nap schedule plus teething. He and I spent some time snuggling on a bench listening to the live music while Grandma and Husband shopped.

We picked up dinner and all kinds of goodies from Bristol Farms – wish this place was in Chicago. We stayed in and grilled while watching a family favorite, Meet the Parents. It was a lovely Saturday!

Sunday, March 25th

We slept in (as late as you can with an 11-month-old baby) and got ready for brunch at the Balboa Bay Club. It was a power spread – lighter items like yogurt and berries, to an omelet station, all the way to fancy lunch with oysters Rockefeller. They also have a pool – David was brave enough to get into a swimsuit and go into the hot tub. Mom and I sat with Hudson in the cabana shade and played Gin Rummy. Any other card fans out there?! Grandma also bought Hudson the cutest book from the gift shop – ABC Animals!: A Scanimation Picture Book.

Shortly after, we went back to the house to prepare for our family cruise on the new boat. We had family, from St. Louis who were in Laguna Beach, come take a harbor tour! It was so fun to see the Pritchard boys and their excitement about the boat. Plus I got to meet my cousin Brigid’s extended family who live in California as well – such a great time meeting and talking to them! After “Captain Uncle Jim” and “Co-Captain Henry” got us to land safely, we went back to the house for a major barbecue and playing with the kiddos.

The best way to summarize Sunday is through the pictures below!

Monday, March 26th

I always struggle with the last day of vacation. On one hand, you still have a WHOLE day of vacation. On the other, the pending departure lingers heavily. I have been practicing being present and taking each moment as it comes and while I’ve certainly made progress, I definitely have a long way to go! But we had the BEST distraction on our last day – Disneyland – the happiest place on Earth and my favorite way to spend a day or two or three…or ten.

David got one last round of golf in that morning. Grandpa isn’t really into theme/amuesment parks – so Grandma, Hudson and I headed off to Anaheim for a fun day with the mouse. We didn’t rush the morning – especially as little man decided he was going to sleep until 8:30am. After driving around lost with our Uber driver for a while, waiting in a long security line, getting confused about where to store the car seat and base, Hudson started crying big time (which if you know our sweet little boy – doesn’t happen very often). Those choppers are killing him!

We had to go find Advil in the park and had the chance to visit the Baby Center sponsored by Huggies at Disneyland. While the women who worked in the center could’ve been nicer (which is so surprising for Disney standards especially at the baby center), the facility itself was a nice break from the hustle & bustle of the park. Plus there was a nursing room and I was with 4 other mamas and their little ones – GIRL POWER. By the time we fed, changed, and calmed Hudson down, it was already 11:30am and we were starving.

It was fortunate timing as that was right when David was arriving at Disneyland after playing 18 holes. We ate at Plaza Inn right off Main Street where we had the famous fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Hudson loved the mashed potatoes! The 4 of us enjoyed a lovely lunch before heading back to the park.

We rode on the newly renovated Mark Twain Riverboat and got a view of the new Star Wars park that will open in 2019! I was a Star Wars fan as a kid – I remember going to see Return of the Jedi that was re-released to theaters with my friend Elizabeth. But it wasn’t until I met the kids that I got hooked on Star Wars. Our family cannot wait for the new Disney park to open!

We walked through Mickey’s Toon Town, rode on Indiana Jones, Snow White, and Haunted Mansion. And while the rides and company were great, I was super excited about the SNACKS. I indulged in a Dole Whip, a churro, popcorn, and a hot dog. And honestly – I’m sure I’m forgetting something else ha!

The day went too quickly and before we knew it, it was time to go home, eat dinner and pack. We spent our last night in Newport Beach at home with my parents eating seafood and enjoying the sunset.

Tuesday, March 27th

After getting packed and showered, Hudson and I went upstairs to the rooftop and said goodbye to the beach and ocean. We made a promise to be back soon! With grateful hearts and sandy feet, my parents drove us to the airport and off we went.

G&G – thank you for having us to your beautiful beach home and all the fun memories we made! We had such a great time and cannot wait to come back this summer.