It was vacation time for Jake and I when Grammy and Papi swooped in from Utah to spend some quality time with S and A. Grammy immediately took over all the cooking, grocery shopping, errand-running and twin-rearing, leaving me with more free time than I knew what to do with.

Jake and I took advantage of the free babysitting and made it out on a few date nights and breakfast dates while the girls had a blast going to My Gym with Grammy and Papi, going to the lake and going out to dinners and lunches. Even when Jake and I were there, just having the extra hands around to help with the girls and their regular routine made things light years easier.

It wasn’t really a vacation for my parents, but it sure was for us!

The girls were ecstatic to have Grammy and Papi here and thrived on the fresh faces around to deal with their usual antics. After all, obnoxious things that usually send me into fits of frustration, like Amelia rolling out all the toilet paper or Samantha tearing all her clothes off and running around like a maniac, are positively endearing to the grandparents, since they don’t have to deal with it every day!

Storytime with Grammy was a regular request, and it wasn’t unusual for the girls to collect every book in the house for her to read in one sitting.

Day to day events like going swimming, scootering around the neighborhood, playing at the park, going to the library, and arts and crafts at home were way more fun with Grammy and Papi around. The girls especially loved hanging out at We Play Loud on one of the hot mornings, and the Discovery Cube on another muggy day.

Checking out the dinosaurs at the Discovery Cube.

Soaring over California ride. 

Cutest lunch at the museum cafe. 

Despite being busy on adventures with Grammy and Papi, Amelia always took time to stop and smell the roses. 

S insisted on helping Grammy decide on the meal plans.

Swimming with Papi.

Quality swim time with Cousin Allison and Baby Noah.

All aboard the cousin train.

Samantha and Papi.

He shoots, he scores!

Basking in the sun.

After countless exciting adventures with Grammy and Papi, we capped off their stay with a trip to the OC Fair, which was a highlight for the girls. Ever since we attended a carnival hosted by a friend’s church earlier this summer, fairs have been high at the top of the girls’ list of favorite outings, and we bribed them all day with the promise of going to the big “car-bi-val.”

It’s been a goal of mine to get pictures of the girls with the giant turkey legs they sell at the fair and the girls did not disappoint. If I had a dime for every person who stopped to stare in shock and then laugh hysterically at the girls clutching their turkey legs…

Samantha in her happy place, aka, the carousel. 

Arts and crafts with Papi.

S and A desperately wanted to ride all the farm animals they saw, but settled on these instead.

After we left the fair, this train ride was all the girls would talk about. “Bye bye, choo choo!” they lamented as we drove in the car. Apparently, this one was special!

No fear on the giant slide.      

I was surprised by how many rides the girls were tall enough to go on. It was sad, but slightly hilarious, when broken-hearted kids older than the girls were turned away from rides because of the height minimum. That’s one advantage of being tall, girls!

Amelia and Daddy on the copycat Dumbo ride.

One thing I’m not fond of at carnivals and fairs is getting suckered into throwing away boatloads of cash on tickets for games and carnivals, but somehow, we always give in. At least the girls always go for the “winner every time” games. 

Showing off their bounty. 

Look, Grammy!

It was a sad, sad day with Grammy and Papi had to leave back for Utah… mostly for Jake and I since we were now back on our own in real life! Tears were most definitely shed as we felt very sorry for ourselves! The following week was rough, to say the least, as we had both grown used to the extra help, but we were grateful for the refreshing break, nonetheless.

The girls were bummed too and continually asked, “Where’s Grammy? Where’s Papi?” for days afterward. When we’d explain they went back to Utah, the girls would whimper in their most pathetic-sounding voices, “We…want…go…Utah…too!”

A few hours after they had left, Sammy was upset and begged to go to this mysterious “Utah.” Nothing would placate her, and I needed to run to the car wash, so in a desperate effort to get her into the car and stop crying, I told her we were going to Utah.

The girls didn’t seem to question it at all when we arrived at the car wash and went on with the rest of their day, happy as clams. Now, every time we pass it, they point and say, “Utah!”

Poor girls are going to grow up so confused!

Lots of love,