Trick or Treat

Made it home in plenty of time to paint

and carve the pumpkins -

with power tools, of course -

before heading out trick-or-treating with the neighborhood kids.

We got more kids this year than the past several years

but we still have a ton of candy left over.

Jac’s school is collecting candy to send to US service members

so we’ll bag ours up and send it off with her this week. 

 Leia and Donovan 

Jac’s school parade

Beachy

Our last day in Cambria 

and we spent it in Leanne’s favorite place - 

the beach(s).

 Do not feed the wild preteen.

First up was Moonstone Beach

for a bit of rock hunting.

Then we were back in Cayucos 

 Jac’s new job as seaweed wrangler

because Leanne wanted to spend time on the sand by the pier . . .

 She’s soaked!

and maybe just a little because the coffee cart guy makes really tasty churros. 

We finally found the elephant seals lazing on their beach.

Jac was duly impressed 

and regaled us with all the elephant seal facts she’s learned watching Octonauts (we love that show.)

 Playing board games

We were afraid Cambria might not be kid-friendly enough for the girls, but Jac has cried off and on tonight because she doesn’t want to leave and Leanne is talking about what we need to see on our next visit, so I think our little jaunt was successful. Hmmmm, maybe see what houses are available on spring break??

So Much Excitement

Started Day 2 of Jac’s “best.bacation.EVER” 

with a trip to Cayucos for lunch at Duckies (great calamari!)

and a walk on the pier

where Jac entertained us with her (very nice) interpretation of a crab.

🎶 Crabs walk sideways and lobsters walk straight . . . (Watch her hands, er claws clicking. ⬇️)

Makes me laugh every time I watch it. 

Then we headed for Harmony,

population 18, 

for cows, 

glassblowing, 

and some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. 

 More scarecrows 
But the best was still ahead . . . 

Jaclyn lost her tooth! 

She’s lost others but this one is front and center, for my favorite snaggletooth look. 

Lots of discussion on how the tooth fairy will know Jac lost a tooth (we decided the tooth sends a signal when it comes out) and whether she can find Jac here in Cambria. Time will tell . . (If Jac ever goes to sleeeeeeeeeeeeep.)

Vacationing

Leanne and Jaclyn are out of school until Tuesday 

so Thursday afternoon we packed them up

 Napping

and headed for Cambria. 

The house we rented is a couple of blocks from the ocean, with an outdoor balcony the girls love.

Although it’s 2-story, 2-bed, 2-bath, it’s small-ish.

 
But the quirks make up for that.

 Inside the magic closet 

Among them, the master bedroom’s ladder to nowhere 

and the Harry Potter-ish closet under the stairs. 

 Cozy living room.

The girls are enchanted. 

So far today, Pop and the girls hiked along the ocean;

 Jac’s pink pumpkin treasure

we all had lunch at Linn’s (pie! Yummmmm);

checked for elephant seals (none) and zebras (spotted in the distance);

made art, read books, watched movies,

and went shopping. 

And the girl’s favorite thing so far? 

The *squeezed* pumpkin pies this guy was making as part of the scarecrow festival.

Gross! But funny!