The Parrillo Family

As I mentioned in the post that showed the photos of our trip to Disneyland , we sandwiched the Disney trip inside of a larger family vacation to Carlsbad California with the full Moran Family. We spent a week in a lovely house right on the Carlsbad lagoon (I think that's what they called it!).  This was all pool, beach, and family time.  It was perfect. Along with their Aunts and Uncles, we took the girls to the beach.  Sadie loved the ocean right away.  Eloise?  In typical fashion, she took a bit to warm up to it.  But, then she got into it.  Her Uncle Bill, Uncle Peter and Grandad sure didn't hurt when they kept dragging her back in! The four of us even snuck away for another excursion:  this time to the San Diego Zoo where we saw a creature named Eloise! On the way back from the Zoo, we made two stops: first the Hotel Del Coronado for some lunch.  Then after?  Up to La Jolla for Nat and I to have a nice little...

As part of a trip out to California with the full Moran Clan, we snuck in a day trip to one of our (my?!?) favorite places:  Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure. This is our (gasp!) third time there.   We went last year in 2012 as just the four of us.  Post here .  And we also went with the Morans back in 2011.   That post and set of photos is here . This year, we got the best of both worlds:  Nat, the girls and I got in the car early and made it to the parks by ourselves right when they opened to take advantage of the day. And, by mid-morning, we were joined by the Morans.  The girls loved having their Aunt and Uncles there along with Grammy and Grandad at the 'Happiest Place on Earth'. We did it all: we rode rides including new ones like Radiator Springs and Storybookland (which while is an 'original ride' is *new* to us!), we met characters, saw shows and we even traded pins! It is quite fun to now have both girls be right i...

Yesterday was a big day in the Parrillo household.  It marked the first day of school for Eloise for the year and a big change.  She's now going to school EVERYDAY.  Five days a week for a few hours.  She's becoming such a big girl! Ellie is going to the Immanuel Lutheran School that is in our neighborhood, so she isn't too far away.  Add the fact that she went to the same school last year (but just two days a week) which made yesterday's first day not terribly stressful.  She knew the school and even knew *some* of her classmates. Here's the post and photos from last year's 'First Day of School' in 2013 .  She's gotten so much bigger in just the year.  And check out her sister, Sadie!  Wow...what a difference. And, here's little baby Eloise going off to school in 2012 for her first day of early Pre-Kindergarten .  Amazing how much she's changed. Both Nat and I had some mixed emotions about sending Ellie away from us EVERYDAY....