12/52 | 13/52 | 14/52

12/52

"a photo of my child, once a week, every week in 2015."

Maximiliano: I had a hard time deciding which picture to use for this week. There were too many good ones, being that it was Easter week. I was going to post one of you at our Easter egg hunt. You were looking so dapper in your little hat and vest, carrying your blue rabbit head shaped basket filled with plastic eggs. Then I was going to post one of the day before Easter, when we dressed you up in your white button up and suspenders and took a walk in balboa park, you were sitting down on a big tree branch, looking very serious (nothing like your usual self). Finally, I decided to go with this one. This blurry, shirtless, not so perfect and yet completely perfect picture. This is the night before Easter, your dad was playing a show and we stayed home and painted egg cartons and dyed hard boiled eggs. I told you to pose for a picture for papa, so he could see the eggs we dyed and this is what you did as you said "ta-da!".

13/52

"a photo of my child, once a week, every week in 2015."

Maximiliano: Here you are, being yourself, channeling a seal or something. Another one of those not so perfect but perfect pictures. Just you being your true, curious, wild, untamed self. Yourself that I wouldn't trade for anything else, no matter how many hard times you give me. You had been asking to go see seals, (lucky for us they are only a 15 minute drive away) so we took you and this is what you did. After you got the seal in you out of your system, you splashed around all day, collecting shells and rocks and throwing sand.

14/52

"a photo of my child, once a week, every week in 2015."

Maximiliano: We went to the baked bear, your dad's favorite. You and him shared an ice cream sandwich while I sipped on my coconut latte from better buzz. Your dad picked a funfetti cookie, you picked the m&m one and this blue ice cream with brownies and fudge. After this, we walked on the sand for a long time. You, playing, running and jumping all over the place.

Exploring Our City: Japanese Friendship Garden

{ little explorer }

Hi! I wanted to introduce you to my new little project, Exploring Our City. My goal is to explore little areas in our city and take pictures and blog about the experience, at least once a month. With this, I hope to share beautiful spaces that you can explore with your family as well.

In the month of march we visited the beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden located in Balboa Park. We always walked past it when in Balboa and were curious to go inside but weren't sure what to expect. We were blown away by all the beauty inside the garden, from the blooming cherry blossom trees to the koi fish pond and all the bridges and plants in between. They also have the tea pavilion restaurant which we wanted to try (but it was too crowded), maybe next time. We loved it so much that I can't wait to get our family membership to come back as many times as we want!

While this is a beautiful place to take your children and teach them about nature, they have very strict rules. You must stay on paths at all times, no food, no running and no shouting are a few of them, so it may be a little exhausting for those of you with very active toddlers like mine. I had to keep reminding Maximiliano that he needed to stay on the path, to not try to pet the koi fish and so on so forth, but nothing too crazy.

The garden admission tickets are only $8 per person and children under 6 are free. Monday - Friday they open from 10 am - 5 pm and Saturday and Sunday they are open from 10 am - 4:30 pm. They have different membership packages which include a generational, student, individual and family membership, all for great prices.

March in Pictures

Goodbye March, you were lovely. March came with new friendships, good coffee, lots and lots of flowers and plants, spending time outdoors, walks, park play-dates, four year wedding anniversary, family visits, beach time and an easter picnic. Feeling blessed for it all.