oh, the places and spaces you will go: Autry National Center

Since I moved to California I have always wanted to go to the Autry National Center. Since the Autry National Center is right across the street from the LA Zoo I decided it was the perfect time to visit. When we entered the museum we were greeted with wonderful A/C. Charlie was over his flamingo incident and patiently sat in his stroller. We admired the artwork and sculptures together. I was hesitant at first because I was concerned that he'd throw a fit or get bored but that wasn't the case. He really enjoyed himself. I had a lovely afternoon with my little love and I think we'll have to pay LACMA a visit before we leave :)

more after the jump »

oh, the places and spaces you will go: LA Zoo

I took Charlie to the zoo when he was seven months old and he wasn't a fan of it. I decided that he may enjoy the animals now. That wasn't the case. He enjoyed seeing the monkeys but could've cared less about everything else. Oh, he also hates flamingos and the people who stare at the flamingos. He started batting at them when we saw them and then proceeded to hit two children who were staring at them for no reason. I took care of the situation but I've never seen such a violent reaction to flamingos!!

Hello, Mr. Alligator 

This bear was a little too close for comfort but still very cute. 

Tiger Paw. Rachel Paw. 

They were talking to us. Charlie tried talking back. 

This guy was deep in thought

this giraffe was anti-social. rude. 

Mama didn't put those socks on him this morning. 

He wanted to help push the stroller. He pushed it all the way to the koalas (our favorite). 

Moments before his flamingo attack

It was nice to see Natalie Portman at the zoo.
(black swans. natalie portman. get it? hahaha okay maybe not)

oh, the places and spaces you will go: Malibu

Since we'll be saying goodbye to California soon, we're sucking up all there is to do in SoCal before we have to leave. When you know you have to say goodbye to something you learn to appreciate it a little bit more. I find myself staring at the beautiful ocean views a little longer. I make sure we spend a lot more time outdoors in the semi perfect weather. I'm making sure to spend almost every waking moment with the guys and girls I love the most. I find myself hugging them a little bit longer and holding them a little bit closer. 

In my early 20's I spent a lot of time in Malibu and it will always hold a special little place in my heart. I decided that it was important to share this with Charlie. We ran around the park that overlooks the ocean and made a few little friends who nicknamed him "Baby Charlie". It was a perfect little afternoon with the most perfect little man in my life. 

my 16 month old isn't impressed with my cart wheels either

pepperdine

oh the places and spaces you will go: old town san diego

Last Friday Charlie and I decided to take a very last minute and very quick trip to San Diego to visit one of my girlfriends who recently moved there. I've lived in Los Angeles for 9 years and I've only been to San Diego a few times. My friend decided to take us to Old Town San Diego. It was the perfect place to take Charlie and walk around. It was right up my alley with the historic buildings and all the history! If you ever visit San Diego, I suggest paying Old Town a visit. You won't be disappointed!

so this one time i kidnapped my friend

In our world's of jobs, munchkins, husbands, boyfriends, pets that are more like children, etc. it's sometimes hard to find quality time with your friends. I love having everyone together like the next person but it's important to get that one on one time with your friends. So while family was in town I jumped at the chance to have some quality friend time. The moment Lindsay entered the car I asked her north or south and she said south and I started driving. I then informed her we'd be going to her favorite place, the aquarium.  

While it would've made more sense to bring Charlie. I wanted some baby free time with Linds and I wanted to go first to see how Charlie friendly it really was. We also picked the worst day to go. Everyone and their mother was there but we still had fun. I mean they have penguins there :)

more after the jump »

tehachapi

I apologize for the lack of blogging this week. On Sunday I went up to Tehachapi and wound up staying a bit longer than originally planned. It was nice to have crappy internet to the point where it was so annoying you had no desire to check your e-mail, etc. It was also nice to be in the mountains and be in a place where there are no street lights and you have to turn your porch lights off by 10pm. Oh, there's also a local saloon. Yes, saloon. The main reason for my visit was to spend time with a family that "adopted" me when I moved out to California. My "cali mama" lost her hard fought battle with uterine cancer Tuesday night. She was one of the most amazing ladies I have ever met. I can't discuss it any further/don't want to. I came home yesterday afternoon and when I couldn't sleep last night, I flipped through my camera and found all the pictures I took when I was there. So I thought I'd share them with you. Enjoy! 

It was 29 degrees at night. It made me long for my east coast nights where my friends and I
would be bundled up on someone's front porch. I bundled myself up and enjoyed the crisp/cold air.