Spring Break in Monterey

During Spring Break we also took a trip to Monterey to visit our friends Erika and Matt and their daughter Emily. We had last seen each other when Charlotte was a baby, so it was lovely to catch up again. Now that we live only a couple hours apart, we hope to get together more often.


We went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for the first time. They all really enjoyed sitting under the glass dome where the waves would come in, and would have happily sat there for longer. My kids both enjoyed being able to touch the bat rays, but Alexander's arms were a bit too short and he became frustrated that they were not swimming close enough for him to reach them.













I was surprised that they were a bit freaked out by the jellyfish. They could not get out of that room fast enough. But later when they were talking about what they saw, the jellyfish were suddenly very "cool".


We also enjoyed the otters, sharks, penguins, and flamingos. There was so much to see and do, that we didn't see it all. We'll just have to go back again for another visit!


After a rest, we went over to Erika's house and painted Easter eggs. Although the blue dye was spilled, necessitating a change of clothes, the children enjoyed it and the eggs turned out beautifully.













We also visited a couple parks, went swimming in the hotel pool, and enjoyed some playtime. Alexander felt left out when the girls were playing with dolls, but he still made sure he was part of the action. (Note the green sock in the photo below.)