We’re having so much fun, we decided to stay another day. I begged the front desk. There was crying and some begging. I mentioned that I would burst into flames at the state line. I showed her the weather app from my phone to prove it was hotter than the sun. She took pity on us – Wahooo!

In other good news, my husband is off the hook for being a wishy-washy pain in my ass over the curtains I bought that took him forever to like, and then by the time I went back to get the rest we’d need for the livingroom, they no longer carried them so then I was totally screwed. I actually managed to track them down in San Diego – 400 miles away. ON CLEARANCE!

Life is good.

We had a lovely day in Point Loma. I took a few minutes sitting at the end of the world to contemplate a few things that

My seat at the end of the world

have been preying on my mind. For example, the wretchedness that is the backseat of that car. Honest to God, that is the most wretched, awful place. Those people I’m sharing it with have horrible parents who clearly never taught their children any manners. Also, I’m certain they were never issued “inside voices”. I am very proud that I didn’t fling myself off the end of the universe – but believe me, I considered it.

My Honey gave us each pennies to make a wish and throw into a fountain. Sassy paused, closed her eyes, then tossed in her penny just like a normal person. The Bandit jumped up and down, made weird noises, spun in a circle then finally tossed in his penny. He immediately turned to this father, “Can I have another penny ’cause I just made an impossible wish.”

Don’t you wish it was that easy?

I’m very excited that we’re staying another day, but I must confess that I miss the hell out of that kitten.

This guy was sound asleep. It’s exhausting being adorable.

I am sooooo tired. The San Diego Zoo kicks your ass. For those of you who haven’t been, or have blocked out the  memory because it was so horrifying, that zoo was built on a vertical.

Do you see how he was begging to come home with me?

Do you remember those stories your parents and grandparents told you that always had them going to school uphill both ways? That’s the same phenomenon with that zoo. I do not recall EVER walking down hill. All the downs are gradual and sloping so as that you hardly realize you’re descending. The ups, however, are all like at an 80% grade. By the time you get to the top of the hill you couldn’t give a crap less about the stupid polar bears. All you want is a bench and a defibrillator.

I would also like to mention the ridiculous security at that zoo. I think they might have found out that I was coming because I kept getting the “eye” from them, all suspicious like. I did not come home with a red panda or even a panda panda or a baby leopard. The whole day was rather uneventful considering.

There was one particular highlight. We saw Connie and Shaba, the elephants that were transferred from our zoo to the San Diego property. They looked lovely and very contented. The tour guide said they were out of quarantine and were slowly being introduced to the rest of the herd. I was so excited to see them I squealed and totally embarrassed Sassy which totally made it worth it.

 Last, but certainly not least, I’d like to bring to your attention the following. This antelope like beast of some sort was very, very confused and this camel was absurdly patient considering the inconvenience posed by this other fellow. Every time the camel bent its neck to eat the antelope mounted his head. I don’t even really have a good joke for this scene.

truly, if not this then nothing else qualifies as the love that dare not say its name.

Another day of vacation, and my kids are now officially driving me crazy. One of the biggest problems is that I’m in the back seat with them. I’ve come to the realization that these are the most annoying people…ever. One of them smells and it’s probably not the one you suspect.

They fight nearly constantly and when they’re not fighting they’re getting along and that’s almost worse. Perhaps I’m getting short-tempered, but I’d argue that I’m more likely a beleaguered saint, destined to die a miserable death when I finally fling myself out of a moving car on a California freeway.

As I’ve mentioned before, the boy is really coming into his own sense of humor – separate from that of his father and I. I’m really loving this, even when I’m also mortified by what he’s just done.

Take for example dinner last night. It had been a really long day at Sea World and we were very tired, but still we braved one of our favorite restaurants. The boy went to the bathroom. He seemed to be in there for quite a while, but he eventually showed back up before I had to send in his father, so I didn’t think much of it. Until he went back the second, third and even tried for a fourth time. What the hell was going on in that bathroom? Never fear, it was nothing terrifying. Unless you consider The Bandit alone with a chalkboard in a men’s room.

Today, we went to the beach. When we walked back to the hotel room we had to navigate through about thirty young people, sitting on the grass, completely in the way, holding some sort of youth church group. Well, we decided, at least they’ll probably be quieter than the traveling football team that was here earlier this week. Up in our room, we told the kids to strip and get in the shower to get all the sand off.  The Bandit did this on our balcony where he took great glee in flashing the church kids. He really got into it, too. There was a definite hip wiggle and a fairly distinct cat call. 

Sigh. 

I do want to confess something. I’m not totally without fault today. 

I couldn’t resist. 

Maybe, I’ve been hanging around Ava for too long. 

Tomorrow we go to the San Diego Zoo. If anything fuzzy should disappear I’m totally blaming The Bandit. 

What’s the last thing your child did that mortified you? Have you ever been thrown out of a museum? Are you able to resist the “Do Not Touch” signs? Really?

We’re in San Diego this week. I can not tell you how glorious that fact is. At one point today, it was 30 degrees cooler in San Diego than it was at home. 30 degrees. That doesn’t even seem possible, but I assure you, it is.

We left for California at 4:00 in the morning on Saturday and arrived at 11am after stopping for breakfast along the way. That pretty much left us a full day to devote to vacationing. We stopped off at Mission Beach so the kids could check out the ocean while we waited for our rooms to be ready at the hotel. I sat in the sand because, if you don’t already know it, the Pacific Ocean is freakin freezing. My kids rolled up their shorts and piddled around in the small surf. Their father, grandmother and I took bets on which kid would “fall” in first and of course it was The Bandit in 12.7 seconds.

Ava noted that a person can’t fall into the ocean from the beach, one has to wade in. I beg to differ. My child can “fall” anywhere. We just rolled our eyes – because what are you going do? – and trudged back to the car for a change of clothes, which is what we should have done from the get go.

I don’t know if it’s because he’s seven now or what, maybe it’s just that he’s my kid, but that boy is getting really funny. His sense of humor is starting to really develop past the fart jokes and that sort of nonsense, to a delightful use of quick zingers. Today he said, “Stand back. I’m a savage” totally out of the blue.  

Honestly, no truer words have ever been spoken.

So, while we frolicked around in 72 degrees – isn’t that the idea thermostat setting? Why yes, it is. Thank you for asking – we stopped and picked up some cupcakes at this adorable bakery in Sea Port Village, Frosted Robin Cupcakes.

These six cupcakes are, starting from the top left and going clockwise: Chocolate with blue vanilla, red velvet (of course), lavender, pink lemonade, cotton candy and chocolate with chocolate. 

Of course, I bought a half-dozen because why wouldn’t I?

Unfortunately, they didn’t taste as adorable as they looked. Sigh, that is often the case. These were a bit dry and the flavors underwhelming.

Nevertheless, I am totally willing to fly to Grand Cayman to test out their other store. Is anyone willing to sponsor such an event? Think of it as bettering mankind one cupcake at a time.

You and me, together, in an unselfish act for humanity. I’m available after Friday.

I found his little tidbit of frivolousness vastly entertaining.

The delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention spent much of their time getting drunk. One surviving document is a bill for a party on September 15, 1787, two days before the signing of the Constitution. Items on the bill were: 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, 8 bottles of whiskey, 22 bottles of cider, 12 bottles of beer, and 7 bowls of alcoholic punch, all for 55 people. Talk about a political party!

Here’s to continuing the fine celebration. I expect, if they’d known the glories of barbecue and margaritas, they’d have had those, too.

And from what we know of Ben Franklin, I suspect his ascot came off immediately following

How are you celebrating today? What did you take off besides the shackles of King George?