To camp or not to camp?

This past weekend we went on our first Reeder family camping trip since Mitch was born. We went to Ojai, which is about 4.5 hours south of Merced. Our original plans were for Mendocino, but the forecast wasn't looking too favorable. We went to the Wheeler Gorge campground which was just great.
What wasn't so great was Mitchell. We thought he would do great because he just loves being outside, right? He was a nightmare! He didn't sleep at all during the night. During the day, he would try to get into everything he shouldn't (of course!), and was grumpy because of the previously mentioned lack of sleep! We only stayed two nights, which we were planning on three, maybe four. We went on a couple hikes and enjoyed our new hiking backpack for Mitchell. We are excited to use that again.
On our way out of town, we stopped in Santa Barbara, since it wasn't too far away. We stopped by Rincon Point and were mesmerized by the talented surfers there. Later, we visited a little train museum and Mitch took his first train ride.
As far as "to camp or not to camp"- I think we'll wait til Mitch is a little older. Either that, or wait until he is okay with sleeping in new places.

Favorite book

Mitch has always loved books, but his favorite book is the Book of Mormon. He has his own kid version that was actually mine as a young child. We read it together each night before bedtime and he'll pull it out on his own and sit and look at it for at least ten minutes at a time. It's touching that he somehow knows that it's a special book and it certainly is his favorite.

Cool mom

A couple weeks ago I saw a post on my friends blog where she made a car for her son out of a cardboard box. Then, more recently, I saw the same idea on a neat website, www.notimeforflashcards.com and I thought, "hey, that looks cool! I can do that!" So, Costco diaper box emptied, Mitch colored some paper, and mom started duct taping. It was a lot of fun to make, and even more fun to watch him enjoy it so much. In fact, it's so fun, he often brings friends along on rides, like his good elephant-friend, Rumples.

Bubbly

Mitchell's first experience with sparkling cider.

Merco Bike Races

In Merced, the first weekend in March means dozens of teams of pro cyclists fly through downtown in an effort to become the top team for other cycling races throughout the state of California. Me and Mitch walked downtown to watch these speed racers create a nice breeze for us as we gazed on in wonder. Mitch especially loved it. I was surprised at how enthralled he was with the bikers. We stood in the same spot for almost two hours and when they sped past our spot, he would yell "go-go" with his hands in the air. It was adorable and I'm sorry to say I didn't get a picture of him. We will definitely make this a tradition each year we are here in Merced.

Life lessons

You can't take it with you. And, as my parents used to say when I threatened to run away, "you go out the same way you came in." These valuable lessons are now being passed to my son.
What's your favorite gem in these pictures? Mine is that Mitchell is naked except for the socks.