Christmas 2011

We had a great Christmas this year - we started in KS/OK and ended in Dallas. We enjoyed seeing everyone and Carson was spoiled with all of the attention. On Christmas morning I took quite a few pictures with mom's camera but we were able to get a few w/ Greg's iPhone. Mom - make sure you email the pictures from your new laptop! :)

I think he's getting the hang of opening presents...

Testing out his new ride while Elmo watches!

While in Ark City, we were able to spend some time with dad and Arthetta's side of the family. There were so many people at their house, it was great! Bailey, Arthetta's grand-daughter LOVES Carson....and I mean LOVES! She played with Carson the entire time, helped him on and off the rocking horse, chased him around...it was great! It gave mommy and daddy some time to actually carry on a conversation with other adults! :)

Carson loved playing the piano too! He would climb up on the piano bench and play for awhile and then he played some tunes with dad. I love this picture.

Here's a good picture of me and the old man!

We also got to see my nephew, David. It's been way too long...partly because he's in a band that tours, oh you know....in Europe! I am so proud of him...I sure hope he remembers us little people when he's famous! :)

David (nephew), dad, me and Chris (brother)

The day after Christmas we drove down to Dallas for Charlotte Vaughter's Christmas party. This is always a great time! We were enjoying the gift exchange (and yes, I used my adorable son to guilt people into not stealing my gift) until we discovered Carson may have an allergy to peanuts. Ugh....  He had a bite of something with peanut butter in it (which he's not had before) and he started coughing and choking, couldn't talk and even vomited (sorry to be so graphic). We made a fast exit and headed to an after hours children's medical center. After vomiting even more in the car, we finally arrived. Poor baby, the right side of his face was so red and swollen and he had hives all down the right side of his torso. The doctor gave him some benadryl and steroids and he started looking better almost immediately. The next day, you would have never know anything was wrong....thank goodness!

The 3 cousins took a trip over to Grandma and Grandpa's for a visit (Greg's mom and step-dad, Chuck). I love this picture!

We also enjoyed an evening over at Trey and Jen's house as well. The kids (Carson, Sophia (3) and Wyatt (9)) have so much fun together! The running, screaming, more running, more screaming...you get the picture, is nonstop! Needless to say, Carson slept like a baby that night! The next day we (the 3 of us and Trey and Jen's crew) went to Six Flags! Chuck and Ruthie got us tickets for Christmas...and we had a blast! The weather was perfect and the kids had so much fun!

Check out Sophia's pretty butterfly!

And here's a video of Carson laughing at Wyatt. He couldn't get enough of him!

But, as the saying goes...all good things must come to an end. It was time for us to go back home. It was so great seeing everyone but we were sure ready to be home, in our own bed with our own stuff around us. You can only live in a hotel and out of a suitcase for so long. The flight home was, well...miserable. Carson was sooo tired, but he refused to sleep. At one point he was screaming non-stop. Greg and I are just looking at each other like, shoot us now! The lady across the aisle from us (with her extremely well behaved children...probably 10 and 12) could not stop staring at us. At one point she leaned over and told Greg that maybe we need to take him to the bathroom for awhile. Thank goodness she said that to him and not me....at that point, I probably would have slapped her! Then the lady in front of us offered us a toothbrush and a stick of gum. What??? I'm still really confused by that combination. Finally, he gave in and fell asleep for about 40 minutes. I understand that children on a plane is not ideal, trust me I travel for business all the time. But, when a 1 1/2 yr old is crying, you can't really do much about it. So, needless to say we were very happy to be home!

Minus the flight, the trip was great...we miss our family but they're just a short plane ride away....well, unless your holding a screaming baby for 3 hours!

Merry Christmas to all and here's to a prosperous and happy 2012!

Go Aggies

Carson is cheering on the Aggies...pantless!

The 3 Musketeers

Look how cute these three are! We were at Brad and Julianna's for the Hodges Christmas party in Dallas last weekend.

Thanksgiving Visitors

I've been meaning to get this posted for awhile now but work has kept me busy lately!

Over Thanksgiving we had visitors....Uncle Brad and Aunt Julianna! I cannot even begin to explain how excited we were to see the two of them. The only problem was, time flew by too quickly.

We ate so much food on Thanksgiving...it was great! I made a black and white bread pudding (which I must say is amazing) and we attempted to make a pumpkin loaf. It actually turned out great too! I think we have a couple of desserts we'll be repeating for years to come!

Carson was a BIG fan of Uncle Brad! Look how cute these two are together!

I love this picture of Brad and Julianna. Greg drove them around the peninsula to see the beautiful views!

On Friday, we went out for some sightseeing. We started in Hollywood (which is actually really kind of dirty and scary), then drove down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills (we didn't do any shopping...we wouldn't have been able to afford anything anyways, ha) and ended with a drive along the coast in Santa Monica!

Along the way we stopped for some lunch at Pink's. I've heard of Pink's a few times and apparently it a must see when you're in LA.  http://www.pinkshollywood.com/
Essentially, it's a hot dog stand! All sorts of famous people have eaten at Pink's, some even have a dog named after them. We stood in line for 30 minutes, at least. But, it was well worth it! Yummy dogs!

On their last night here, I kept joking that I was going to call the airline to cancel their flight...it was too soon for them to go home. As I'm getting ready the next morning, Greg comes in and tells me that their flight was cancelled! HA! Unfortunately, they were able to get on a flight later that day.  :(

We had such a great time and can't wait for them to come out again (hint hint)!

Santa 2011 - Round 2

We went to the mall today to get our official 2011 picture with Santa. We were hoping that Carson would warm up to the jolly old man but as you can see, that was not the case!

Merry Christmas!

Santa 2011 - Round 1

Each year the Torrance police department drive Santa through the neighborhoods. I missed Santa on our street on Monday evening but tonight we heard him down the road and decided to quickly load up in the car to go see him! I was soooo excited, just like last year! Carson was excited too, but only that we were leaving the house - he had no idea what was about to happen!

You can sit on Santa's lap, which we didn't do last year, but thought we'd give it a try this year. Needless to say, Carson is not a fan of the jolly old man!! Check out this picture! I cannot keep a straight face when I look at it!

I can't wait for the picture with Santa in the mall! It's going to be awesome!

No respect

Apparently we haven't done a very good job of teaching respect. Just look at how he treats his daddy!

Arkalalah, Halloween, Annual Users Conference, Birthday Party....what else??

I apologize for my tardiness on this post but I get overwhelmed every time I think about it! A few weeks ago, we took an 11 day trip back to KS, OK and TX. It was so great though...we were able to spend time w/ family and friends and even had a few days to relax!

We started in KS and OK (my mom and step-dad live in OK, just a few miles from KS) w/ Arkalalah. For those of you that don't know about Arkalalah...shame on you! :) This is a yearly festival in Ark City that includes a carnival, parades, lots of food booths, friends and family! Speaking of parades, Carson participated in his very first Arkalalah kiddie parade! All of the kids dress up in their Halloween costumes and walk down the main street. It is so cute! Carson was a dragon this year! Here's me and Carson before the parade. I promise he had more fun that what this picture portrays!

We had a free afternoon while we were in KS/OK, so we (me, Greg, Carson, mom and Chet) took a drive over to Hewins, KS. I know what you're thinking...where the heck is Hewins, KS?? It's about 45 minutes east of Ark City. This is where my mom grew up. We all have so many great memories from that area. I learned to drive on those dirt roads, spent endless hours fishing, riding with my grandpa in the tractor, checking on the cows, playing in the hay barn and exploring throughout the fields, creeks and river! Needless to say, this was a trip down memory lane!

Here are a couple of pictures of the bridges in the area...beautiful.

After four days, we headed to TX! Lots to do down south...Halloween, my company's conference and Trey's 40th birthday!! We'll start at the beginning....

We went over to Trey and Jen's on Halloween and Carson got to dress up again as a scary dragon!! Carson has soooo much fun running around with Wyatt and Sophia! And I'm pretty sure they love running around w/ him too. It is so sweet watching them play together! Here's a picture of the 3 cousins in their Halloween costumes!

Later in the week, my company hosted our  Annual Users Conference. This is always such a great time! Don't get me wrong, it is a lot of work...feet hurting, back hurting, face hurting (from smiling so much), throat hurting (from all the talking) and running on little sleep but it's well worth it! We had 1,400 customer travel to Dallas to see us! It was a success and our biggest conference yet!

Ahhh, finally the weekend. Saturday we celebrated Trey's 40th birthday! You heard me right...Big T is the Big 4-0! Jennifer worked so hard to find a babysitter for Carson (thanks again Jen) so we could enjoy the entire party. It was so great to 1) having some adult time w/out chasing around the little monster and 2) catching up with family and friends!

Here's a picture of the entire Hodges crew! Starting at the bottom and then going up and left to right: Jennifer, Trey (in the middle), Cheryl (hugging Trey), then starting from the left - Mickey, Missy, me, Karen, Julianna and the back row - Greg, Justin, Gerald and Brad on the far right. What a great looking group!!

I'll say it again - we had such a great time seeing all of our family and friends! But, like anyone, we were ready to sleep in our own bed, so the journey back to California began! Greg and I counted up the number of times we loaded and unloaded a car w/ all of our suitcases...20 times...yikes! Needless to say, we have this down to an art!

Thanks to all for the great memories! Love you all!

Newest Toy

Carson must have sweet talked daddy at Toys R Us today...this is what I came home to tonight! He loves it and screams in excitement as he crawls around in it (Carson that is).

Now, where to put this so we don't look like a Chuck E Cheese!

Swimming Lessons

Carson started taking swimming lessons recently. Here's a short video Greg was able to take last week. I love how he claps for himself at the end! Go Carson!!

Oh my Carson, what a big mouth you have...

The better to bite you with, or cry with, or scream with, or eat with, or...well, you get the picture!

Yeah!

Lately, if you ask Carson a question, the chances of his response being "yeah" are pretty high. This is his newest word and he is using it at every opportunity! The funniest part, he has no idea what he it means.

We ask him normal questions like:
"Carson, do you want your milk?"
"Yeah"
"Carson, are you ready to go to bed?"
"Yeah"
"Carson, do you want to take a bath?"
"Yeah"

But, then we start having fun with it....
"Carson, do you want to go sky diving?"
"Yeah"
"Carson, do you want to eat doggie poo poo for dinner?"
"Yeah"

See, isn't this fun?! Mommy says, "Yeah!"

San Diego Trip

Over Labor Day Weekend, we took a last minute trip to San Diego! We had no agenda, just to get away from the house and explore! I must say, I love San Diego! It's almost like a small town - at least compared to LA. We will definitely be making another trip soon.

We stayed at an Embassy Suites, which is the way to go with a little one. All rooms have a living room separate from the bedroom - translation, we can put Carson to bed and then stay up, watch tv, hang out! Carson LOVED the elevator - to the point that if we walked by it and didn't get on it, he would have a complete meltdown! The hotel also had a free breakfast. Only one word can describe the scene....chaos! Kids running everywhere, spilling everything, disrespectful parents, sticky floors. My friend Kathy would have died! HA! (don't worry Kathy, this scene almost put me over the edge too!) But, it is perfect when traveling with kids.

Anyways, now onto the fun stuff! We decided to check out SeaWorld. I've never been and was really excited to go! We watched the Shamu show - it was awesome! Even Carson watched the entire show. If anything can hold Carson's attention longer than 5 seconds, it must be intriguing!

Here's Shamu getting a little fishy snack before his big show!

Big flip in the air!

 This was funny (especially since we weren't sitting in the "splash zone"). The whales would swim around the edges and splash the crowd w/ their tails - it was unreal! People left there soaked!

One last trick!

Greg watched part of the Sea Lions show (Carson was napping in the stroller). Here's a great pic he took!

After all of the stroller time, Carson needed to run around and burn some energy. Here he is playing in a grassy area. Mommy was in line to get some ice cream. What?? Carson told me he wanted some! ;)

We also took a trip to Children's Beach in the La Jolla area. We read online that the seals swim in this area and will lay on the beach from time to time. It was a very pretty area with caves and big rocks. The water crashing on the rocks was great! Here are a few pics.

I thought this tree was very interesting...almost like snakes coming out of it. Just had to take a pic.



San Diego = top of my list!

Missy and Mickey in California!

Last month, Missy and Mickey came out for a visit - it was great seeing them! I don't know how to explain it, but it was so nice having our family/friends in town to see where we hang out. And they were great sports - they let us drag them all around!

One day we went to the Santa Monica Pier and then walked down to Venice. Greg and I sold them on the idea that it was just a short walk and around the corner. Oops, it turned out to be a couple of miles - but we got some exercise, so it all worked out! Venice - now that's where you can do some great people watching. So many walks of life there....very entertaining!

Here's Missy and Mickey on the Santa Monica Pier. That's Malibu behind them!

Now, we all know that California is full of nuts and fruits but this proves it! This is a grassy area just south of the Santa Monica pier where people do the weirdest things. I love it - I could just sit here for hours and watch!

Another day we went for a hike at Runyon Canyon. At the top of the mountain you can see the Hollywood sign on one side and downtown LA on the other. It's a little odd to get there - you drive through Beverly Hills and then all of sudden, you're there. You park on a city street, go through a gate and then you're in a Canyon w/ a ton of hiking trails. We bought a hiking backpack to use for Carson. He loves that thing...see!

Looks like Uncle Mickey stole Carson's hat when he wasn't watching!

The hike was not easy, but it was run! It was great exercise, especially carrying Carson. Every muscle in my body was burning! Any time I would stop walking, Carson would hit my shoulders and bounce up and down...guess that's his version of giddy-up horsey! And, here we are at the top - that's the Hollywood sign in the background!

I don't think they even broke a sweat!

We also took them to Hermosa Beach. It's just a 20 minute bike ride north on the strand! Here are some pics Missy took of the pier.

And, in true Hodges fashion we cooked out, sat on the patio, solved the worlds problems, stayed up too late and laughed too hard!

I wanted to share this last picture that Missy took. This is of the Redondo Beach strand - where we live!!We are up just up the hill and to the left - about a 10 minute walk and we're at the beach. I love this picture!

We had such a great time w/ Missy and Mickey. Like I said earlier, I can't explain what a great feeling it was having them out! Thanks you guys! We love you and miss you!!



Bedtime Routine

Every day, Greg and I are amazed at how quickly Carson is growing up! He's saying a few words like juice, yes, geeeeze (please) and tickle tickle. Even with the limited vocabulary, he can process so much - it's crazy!

When it's time to go to bed, all I have to say is "ok, let's go to bed, give daddy a kiss good night". He puts down his milk, runs to Greg for a big wet kiss, picks his milk back up and runs into his room. It's too easy! (Please please please....let it always be this simple) We read a few book and then it's time to brush his teeth! He loves this! Again, all I say is "let's go brush your teeth" and he's out the door and into our bathroom, standing in front of daddy's sink (that's where his toothbrush is). I don't think we really get a lot accomplished while brushing his teeth - he's squirming and laughing because it tickles, but he enjoys it. Then, he's down and back out to find daddy for one more kiss! After he gets that last kiss in, he's back in his room.

It is just so funny how he knows exactly what we're telling him to do. I prefer to think he's a genius but I bet every other 16 month old is doing the same thing....please don't tell me that though. :)

Which way to the nude beach??

We had an overnight in Dana Point last night and let Carson run around the hotel room naked before his bath. I couldn't resist this one!

Giggle Monster...

Greg took this video earlier this week, it's so funny!

Every time he took Carson's plastic golf club (yes, we are grooming him to be the next golf champ!) and slammed it on the couch, Carson just died laughing! I could watch this video for hours!

Enjoy!

Table for 6 please...

 That's what we going to start asking for when we go out to eat. Lately, table space has been a little tight, mostly because  Carson wants to grab everything on the table! Below is a great example.

It's a case of cause and effect. Because he reaches for everything, the effect is - Greg and I have about 6 inches of table space for our plates, drinks, silverware, as well as Carson's food.

Therefore, we shall start asking for a table for 6 - Carson at one end, mommy and daddy at the other! I can't remember the last meal I had where the food actually sat directly in front of me!



33rd and 4th

Yes, that is the birthday I just celebrated.....my 33rd. Wow.

But, I had a great few days celebrating my birthday! The boys did a great job of taking care of me!

The night of my birthday we went out for dinner/drinks w/ my co-worker, Chris. We had a great time enjoying the lovely weather on the patio (low 70s for those that are wondering) :) Friday night, Greg and I went into Beverly Hills for a nice dinner. I guess due to the holiday weekend, the 405 (the worst freeway in the world) was clear, which was great and so not LA! We ate at Spago, it's a Wolfgang Puck owned restaurant. It was amazing! We heard that this was the place to see some celebrities but we didn't see anyone that we recognized.

Afterwards, we went to BOA, another restaurant, to grab a drink. This place was packed! The paparazzi were waiting outside. I saw a few pictures being snapped but I didn't recognize anyone....dang. My boss and I have this running joke - he always sees someone famous on his flights (even going to the most random places) and I never see anyone - just reality tv stars, but he says they don't count. haha!

I had a 4 day weekend for the 4th of July - it was greatness! On Sunday I had some girlfriends come over to the house for a cookout. One I work w/ now, some I used to work w/, as well as a few of their friends. It was great! I haven't really had much girl time since we moved. I think Greg was on estrogen overload but he let us have our fun - and he fed us some amazing pulled pork sliders too!

For the 4th, we rode our bikes to Hermosa - that was a mistake! It was complete craziness! In fact, as we were walking our bikes on the strand, a huge crowd was coming our way. We soon found out that it was a band being pushed along on a platform as they were performing, or should I say screaming into their microphones - yes a band! Again, I can't even explain the craziness we saw! Oh well, they were all having fun - pretty sure they didn't feel so great the next morning. :)

Carson didn't make it to see the fireworks. They started at 9pm and he was out by 8:30pm. So, Greg and I sat on our front porch and watched the fireworks. In fact, we were able to see about 10 different shows. It was great! Maybe next year Carson will be able to watch with us. I think we found a firework show pretty close to the house at Malaga Cove - they shoot them off of a barge in the ocean. Sounds good to me!

Play Time!

Carson is officially enrolled at Gymboree. I realize we are paying money for him to play for an hour but it's good for him to be around other kids his age, and it's good for us - we might make some friends! haha

Quick breakdown for those that don't what this is. It's an indoor play area for kids. They have certain classes for different age groups that include free play - where they just run around and explore and some structured play where every sits in a circle, sings songs, plays w/ toys, etc.

Last week was Carson's first Gymboree class and I was able to join the boys!! We weren't sure how we would do. In fact, we were worried that he would be clinging to us the entire time. Boy, were we wrong! The second we opened the door to the play area, he took off! Throwing balls, climbing up ladders, sliding down slides! He loved it! And, to make it even better, he kept looking back and giving us such a proud smile, like "hey guys, look at me - did you see that!" Adorable!!!

He and the other little ones (10 moths-16 months) didn't really interact much. If their paths did cross, they just paused, looked at each other and then went their separate ways! Kind of funny!

Carson and I went back on Saturday - just me and him. Again, he had a blast! So, I say it's well worth it! He's growing up so fast....it's scary!

Father's Day

No excuse - I'm just really late on this blog entry. But, it's too important to pass by.

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Father's Day Weekend!! Unfortunately, I had to fly back to Dallas on the afternoon of Father's Day so we made the entire weekend a tribute to Daddy!

Saturday we drove down to Newport Beach (about an hour south) for brunch and then to explore. Brunch was good - the view was better. We sat on a patio overlooking a marina. Those that know Greg well, know that he was in heaven looking at all of those boats! He even asked if one was his Father's Day present....I'm not that good of a wife! haha

We drove around Newport Beach (such a cute city along the water) and stumbled upon a ferry. So, we did the most logical thing - we got on the ferry! It was adorable - it only held three cars and a few bicycles and pedestrians - good thing we didn't have to go far. It was just a short ride to Balboa Island. Again, what a cute place! They have a carnival type area w/ a ferris wheel, merry-go-round, and other rides for the kiddos. There were also lots of shops and restaurants. We headed down to the pier and beach area - beautiful!

From there we drove up to Long Beach. There are definitely areas in Long Beach that you want to avoid, but we stayed down by the water (and more boats). We grabbed a drink and snacks at Yard House, which has a ton of beers on tap. Again, for those that know Greg well, he loves him some cold beer!

Sunday, we walked down to the village for some breakfast at a restaurant we've never tried - it was great!

 I cannot even begin to put into words what a great father Greg is. Seeing those two boys together melts my heart - every single day. I know some people think we're "backwards" with me working and him staying home w/ Carson, but it works for us right now. These boys have such a special bond that will last throughout their lifetime. I admire everything that Greg is and does. I knew from the moment I met Greg that he had a kind and loving heart. I just think it's so amazing that he gets to use those gifts only a daily basis with our son. Carson has such a great role model in Greg. I know that Carson will have that same big heart like his daddy.

Happy Father's Day Greg. I love you.

I can't give it away with the title....

I've learned that parenting includes a lot of firsts. With that being said, we experienced yet another "first" on Friday night.

I'd like to start by thanking Brad, Julianna and Missy - it was because of you three that I even decided to get the Flip video camera out.

Carson was taking a bath Friday night and playing w/ the boat that Brad and Julianna got him for his birthday. He loves that thing!! (I think he has his daddy's liking for boats). Put all of the toys into the boat, piece by piece, take all of the toys out of the boat, piece by piece - repeat, again and again. Sometimes he would even put the boat on his head (it's shaped like a bowl). I thought - "how cute, Brad and Julianna would love to see this!" And, Missy sent us a video from Carson's birthday party (which I loved) and it made me realize we need to take more video. And, what's cuter than Carson in the bathtub playing!

So, I grabbed the Flip and started filming. Of course he wouldn't put the boat on his head - the only thing he wanted to do was reach for the camera and see what I was doing. He stood up which is always followed w/ me saying, "sit on your bottom"....over and over and over again. I kept the camera focused on his sweet face as I was reapeating myself and I suddenly heard a trickling sound. The camera view quickly dropped to see that he was going pee-pee in the bathtub! I said, oh man, I'm telling daddy about this (Greg thinks that it is so gross when Carson potties in the water. I always tell him that Carson probably does it during every bath, we just don't know it...it won't hurt him). :)

But then it happened - I put the camera back on his face and as he was smiling, he started bearing down. You know the look, when they are trying to push something out. I jumped and yelled, "are you pooping?" And then a smile of relief came across his face...and something else came floating into the water. Sure enough, our sweet little angel had pooped, standing in the bathtub! I immediately started screaming for Greg but I could not stop laughing.

I panicked at first because I had no idea what to do. I quickly grabbed the cup we rinse him off w/ (thanks Sohaila for the baby shower gift) and scooped up the poop and took it to the toilet. Greg was now on the scene so I threw Carson in the shower with him so I could start the process of sanitizing the bathtub.

Now, I won't be posting this video on the blog....but, I do have it on the computer and I will be showing this to Carson and his future wife someday...and maybe even his kids too!

Goodbye Bottle!

I'd like to start this post off with a big "Way to go Greg"!!! We decided to move from the bottle to the sippy cup a couple of weeks ago. It was not an easy task - for those with kids, you understand, it's not easy to take something away or change something that your child is used to.

We went with the cold turkey method. Greg was tasked with working on introducing the sippy cup during the day....ALL DAY, ALONE. The first night we used the sippy cup, and not the bottle, it took an hour and a half to finish his milk. Whew....there was a lot of cheering, clapping and encouragement for Carson. He didn't have a problem with the milk, it was the method in which he was receiving the  milk.

Each day was a little better - slowly but surely. I kept telling myself that there are no adults walking around drinking out of bottles because they never learned how to drink out of a cup - therefore, he would get it. haha!

Sure enough, he has mastered it! Way to go Carson! I definitely think he was testing us - the final score was probably something like mommy and daddy 1, Carson 28. BUT, our 1 outweighs his 28! haha!!

We're saving the world - one bicycle ride at a time!

Well, we probably won't save the world but we have certainly enjoyed our recent bike outings! Over the Memorial Day weekend there was a big festival in Hermosa Beach (about 5-8 miles north of us) called Fiesta Hermosa. They offered free bike parking in a guarded lot so we thought we'd give it a try! We rode the strand most of the way up to Hermosa, w/ only just a mile or so on the streets. Parking can be a huge pain w/ limited spots and if you're lucky enought to find one, you have to feed the meter. I could not believe how many bikes there were but it was great to see!  

A couple of months ago we bought a trailer for Carson that's pulled behind the bike. I'm not sure that Carson is a fan just yet but he's adjusting. We strap him in but after awhile, he starts sliding down and falling to the side. I guess it's not that bad - he's fallen asleep a few times!

Here's his new ride!

And here's the big guy in action! That helmet absolutely cracks me up!!

We've started riding our bikes or walking more which has been great. Since we live on a hill (thank goodness not at the top) it's super easy to get down to the beach, grocery store, shopping, etc. But, the only problem with going down hill is that you must go back up the hill to get home. We've tried multiple routes but we just can't seem to avoid the hill! haha But, here's my outlook - we're getting a good workout and burning some calories!