Spring Break 2016

Charly asked a month or so ago if she and some friends could go down to Newport for Spring Break. They would stay with one of the girl's aunt that has a house there and details were worked out. I agreed. But then details started to change. Drastically. They had to get a hotel after all (which can't be rented to anyone under 18). The group of girls going changed. Things like that. I was backing out of my position of allowing her to go. Then the bright idea was suggested I take the boys down for a little vacay, stay at a different hotel then her (of course), and multi task this wonderful break. She talked me into it. She talked me into leaving on a Sunday. I grew up in Vegas and know Sunday traffic to LA is horrible. I got as far as Primm in two hours and got off the freeway. I was about to call a halt to the whole trip, but Charly called her hotel and worked out for her to arrive a day late. She promised she would get up early the next morning and drive with her friends to LA to meet me there. So, the boys and I stayed at Primm Valley Resort, which is a slight version of Dante's outer rims of hell. Deac is so sweet and thought it was a really nice place. Ah the ignorance of youth. I took the boys to eat at the Pancake House (who cooks their pancakes in peanut oil...no pancakes for Deac or Ev).

Then to the Outlet Mall, where the babies were running like maniacs all through the mall. Until we got to this carousel. The fought over the car. Ev won.

All this time Deven is limping around on his sprained foot (I should not have taken him for this, and other, reasons). My phone got lost. Charly was throwing a party at the house in my absence and then left to go out at midnight; essentially she pulled an all nighter before driving the next morning. Grrrrrr. I was having bad heebeejeebees about the trip and really did not want to go. But...the girl. I trudged on. We got up early and headed out.

we made it to the beach, amidst Deven's CONSTANT harassment of Deacon

Finally I got upset with Deven. This is him pouting at dinner because Deacon would not play tic tac toe with him. Absurd. The hotel we stayed at was packed with kids from UNR that reeked of beer. I was worried the night would be noisy, but surprisingly it was fine. The next morning I let Dev sleep and took Deacon down for breakfast. That American continental breakfast. Deac is the sweetest kid around, but he does not pay attention so well. Maybe most 9 year old boys don't, but I turned my head from him for a minute and looked back to find him pouring waffle batter from that fantastic waffle batter machine (that you then have to cook in the waffle iron) onto a plate. Batter was oozing over everywhere. "Deac, dude, what are you doing?!" "It said this was for waffles." "Like a cooked waffle is going to come out of the spout?!" "I didn't know." 

We ate. Woke dev. Went to the beach.

 I love the ocean. Notice the full sweats...it was chilly.

 They hung out for a while. We wanted to find the tide pools at Crystal Cove here, but Dev's foot, you know.

Dev and I made up. We collected rocks, chased a lizard, ate lunch and drove home. 

I made Charly promise to obey the rules and I left her with her duck faced friends in Cali. She alleges she had a good time on the cold beach babysitting drunk kids. And I get the empty title of Cool Mom who helped them out.