Kayla's Blog: Super busy.... Xmas 2012 & First 1/2 of 2013...

Hello Everyone...

Now that I have finished my Make-A-Wish trip posts, I can get back to my life and get you all caught up to date. I need to do that so I can start on my big road trip Mom and I are just finishing up. We are on our way home.

(DEC 2012)

So, last year for Christmas, mom and I decided to go to San Francisco to see the musical, The Lion King, like on Broadway, but in SF. It was so cool.

We left after I got out of school and spent the night in San Simeon to take the coast route up to San Francisco. A lot of rain.

Early the next morning, we started our journey up the coast to San Francisco making our first stop at the Elephant Seals. Mom took this photo at another time when we came here during sunset.

In SF, we stayed near downtown, an area we were not used to, but it was neat to be able to walk down the street at night with all the Christmas lights. We didn't venture far from our hotel due to safety issues. Mom is always so cautious, probably overly cautious. During our stay in San Francisco, we of course, visited the San Francisco zoo. Mom hesitated, but she let me go to night time Christmas zoo. It was very cold, breezy, but so cool to see all kinds of lights, and some of the animals at night.

We left SF and went to Chico to see my grandpa and his wife for Christmas. We only spent a couple of days there before heading back home. We had a good time, and really didn't want to leave, but that is all we planned for. Then we left Chico and spent a few hours touring a wildlife refuge.

After Chico, we went back to San Francisco for a few days to go to Pier 39 Aquarium as I had free tickets. That was cool. At first, I was tired, but after a short nap, I was ready to watch all the fish and sharks swim in front of me, behind me, above me. We spent a few hours in this small aquarium.

(JAN 2013)

Mom took me for an early morning walk to get her a cup of coffee. It was a very chilly morning, so mom bundled me up. I loved going for my early morning walk.

Later that day, grandma came to see me, and to stay with me for a little more than 24 hours. Mom went to Monterey. She visited Moss Landing late evening and early morning to see the Sea Otters. A few pics from mom's trip..

She was only gone for 24 hours. Mom had to be back in time to take me to school for my first day back after our long winter break.

I went to the San Diego zoo. That was so much fun. I love going there and making new friends; both animals and people. :)

(FEB 2013)

I had a busy month. Mom and I went to the beach to hopefully see Gray Whales travel by on their way back up to Alaska, but they were super late this year.

I made cupcakes for Valentine's Day at school.

I helped mom address the envelopes so she could mail them.

Mom took me whale watching on a half day trip out of Ventura to re-introduce me to it to see how I do. I hadn't been in over a year due to my seizures and stuff, so mom wanted to start with a short trip before the longer ones that occur over summer.

I did great - loved it actually. We saw not just one, but two Stellar Sea Lions. They are rare for our area, but we do see at least one yearly, but never two. We saw two on this particular day, which was exciting! They are from British Columbia area. You can see LOTS of them up there, especially out at Race Rocks off of Victoria, B.C.

(MAR into April 2013)

Beginning of March, mom and I went down to San Diego for a short weekend. We went over to Coronado Island for the first time. All the years we have been going to San Diego, I can't believe we never went before.

On the way home, we stopped off at San Clemente State Park (I think that is what its called) near Dana Point to take a break from the drive and go for a long walk on the trails along the coast.

Have I told you how I love to help mom in the kitchen? I am getting really good at slicing soft items, still help with stirring, and she is letting me handle eggs now. :)

We had a snow storm up in the mountains one night, so the next day after I got out of school, mom and I and our friend went for a drive to see what we could find. Not much snow left on the ground even at high elevations, but we did come across this rainbow.

Mid March, I did something I hadn't done in years.... I played hooky from school. Mom played hooky from work. We went to the San Diego Zoo for snow day. We didn't see much snow action from the Panda's, but saw some with the Takins. There were cute baby Takins. I had so much fun, I am glad (yes, I was) that mom and I played hooky.

For my Easter party at school, I hard boiled and decorated eggs. It was fun, especially after I put all my eggs in my basket and then tipped it over causing them to all fall out. It ruined a few of the decorations on them, but that just makes them more special. :)

At the start of my spring break, at the end of March, Mom and I left after I got out of school to head up to Monterey (beginning of my spring break).

We stayed our first night on the road in San Simeon. It was so cold when we arrived there. The next morning, it was chilly, but surprisingly not windy! Kind of like a miracle! :) I will take cold any day. So, Mom and I were going down this one trail along the E - Seals, and we came around this bush when all of a sudden an E-Seal popped its head up looking right at me on the other side of the fence. He/she was adorable. It was really cool because I was able to get a good look at an E-Seal. It was a juvenile.

We stopped off at a special pull out along Hwy 1 in/near Big Sur that we call, "Whale Point". We hung out there watching the fog roll in, then out, then in, then out and see what we see. :) We saw 18 Gray Whales traveling north back to Alaska / Berring Sea, but they were mostly the adults, so they were 200 yards to 1/2 mile off-shore. Saw a Sea Otter mom and baby floating down the coast near the cliffs, lots of Sea Lions.

We met our friend; Christina from Orange County in Monterey for an all day whale watch trip out of Moss Landing. First time for mom and I. It was so cool! Mom has to carry me up a steep flight of stairs from the dock to the boat, then Capt Jim and volunteer help bring my chair on board. Then I get to sit in this large enclose area where there is a classroom style set up of chairs for guests to sit in during cruise :). I get to sit next to a big window - well that is all there is in that area are windows, large windows, so its perfect for me! :)

This is Captain Jim sitting with me while mom brings my chair up the ladder and onto the boat...

And I get to stay warm.

We saw so much that day from 8-6:30p.m.. It was suppose to end about 4p.m., but we were having so much fun, we stayed out a few hours longer. :) This is what we saw:

1. Pacific White Sided Dolphins (Lags) - hundreds of them

2. Risso's Dolphins

3. Several Humpback Whales

4. Two different encounters with Transient Orcas (mammal eating ones). I won't go into the details. And including about a 3-4 week old calf. So cute!

Orcas surfing in the swell

5. Sea Lions, Seals, Sea Otters, Jellies

(APRIL 2013)

Mom and I had so much fun, we decided to stay a few extra days there. We went to the Monterey Aquarium - so crowded on Easter, it was a bit overwhelming for me.

Then when mom's friend (Orca researcher from L.A.) came up to Monterey, we went out whale watching with her with Monterey Bay Whale Watching. It was chilly, not the best boat for me, but I still had fun.

On the way home, we stopped off at Morro Bay for lunch, but the weather was so nice, we just couldn't leave, so we stayed the night, cancelling our plans for the next day down south.

Sea Otters at Morro Bay

Before I went back to school after my spring break, Mom and I went to the beach one morning to watch for Gray Whales go by. We saw a few, but one was quite active; spy-hopping not far from shore. The rock in the foreground is on shore. It was a tad breezy, but still fun! I think I am getting to big for mom to carry me 150 steps down to where we like to sit, and then back all in deep sand. Got to figure out an easier way. :)

End of April, mom went to Monterey for a few days while my great Aunt Donna and grandma stayed with me. I had school, plus Mom really needed a few days to herself.

She went whale watching on the boat up there and also whale watched from the cliffs along Hwy 1.

While at the cliffs, she also saw a few Condors flying. That was a first for her.

One of the whale watch trips she went on, she had a rare encounter - they saw Baird's Beaked Whales. Another boat and the one mom was on kept seeing these weird blows every 20-30 minutes with nothing in-between. There would be a few minutes of blows, then nothing for 20-30 minutes. Hmmmm.. No one knew what it was as it was a mile of so off in the distance. The other boat had to go in, but the boat mom was on went and checked it out. Mom said it was difficult to really spot them due to their LONG dive times, but they finally got on them. Mom said it was soooo cool! About 12 Baird Beaked whales on the surface blowing. A blow after another after another traveling slowly in a tight group before going back down for a long dive. She said they surfaced several times over 10 minutes or so. She said it was so quiet on the boat that all you heard were all these blows. Sometimes all 12 of them would blow together, and other times, it was one or two at a time.

She also saw Humpback Whales and Risso's Dolphins:

I played softball this year again, but was only able to go to two games. The weather was either bad, or I was just too busy - out of town. This game, my buddies were young - elementary school age. I had a really nice buddy, then a friend of his came to be my second buddy, so I ended up with two. :) I wasn't all that in to it, but became quite active, alert once I was back in my car.

(MAY 2013)

In May, I was gone a lot of the weekends, including Memorial Weekend. I had places to go to, things to see...

I went to the San Diego Zoo. :) Love going there. Mom is now a part of a photographers group there.

So many nice people, and one of them likes Sponge Bob like me. :) He always sends me posts that Sponge Bob makes online and photos of Sponge Bob. We are going to wear our Sponge Bob shirts at the next meet up. :) While I was in SD, mom took Cubby and I to Cubby's store. The gal there always remember me. She is so nice. Sponge Bob outfit and other things just came out the day before, so I had to go and get Cubby a Sponge Bob outfit. Anyway, the lady there decided to re-stuff Cubby and clean her fur. I got to hold the button to make the stuffing go into her. :)

We went to Monterey and San Francisco where I got to see a lot of Harbor Seals (Harbour Seals); both mom and pups.

In San Francisco, I got to see mom and baby Tiger along with the mom and baby Chacoan Peccary. I got to see the Penguins being fed by their caretakers.

At the SF Zoo, there are three places where we have to cross the little trains railroad tracks, just like cars do with the lights and rails that come down to stop you from crossing. Well, I would approach the tracks and look one way, then mom would tell me to look the other way to make sure the train wasn't coming, and I would. Well, then mom wanted to make sure I was responding to what she was telling me to do, and so she would ask me to look the other way again to double check.. The first time, I did, but the next to crossings, I was like, "mom, you already told me to look that way, and I did". But mom believes I responded to what she told me to do as it seem so purposeful and was consistent! :) How awesome is that?!

I made mom a flower box with bath salts in it for Mother's Day. I really enjoy doing art projects at school. I make so many cards at school too for my family and friends. I don't like doing those things at home with mom.

(JUNE 2013)

Mom took me whale watching out of Ventura on the new boat. So much fun! I love listening to my music, programs and books on my i-pad. In the photo to the left I have my headphones on.

Mom found out there were baby Chimps at the LA Zoo. One was already like 10 months old, the other two just a few months old, so mom took me to the zoo. I also got to see baby Flamingo and Giraffe.

There was a baby Giraffe nursing across from the Chimpanzees...

After my last day of school, we went to San Diego to the zoo. It was fun watching the Pygmy Hippo and Monkey. The Monkey loved riding on the Hippo's back. The Hippo came right up against the glass where I was. Kind of scary, but funny.

Summer school started.

Then the last weekend in June for my birthday, I got to go to Morro Bay. For the first time in years, Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins came into the harbor swimming right next to shore where I was strolling along. I have always heard of Dolphins coming into the harbor, not often, but I had never seen it before until now. I think they did that for me for my birthday! :)

A Sea Otter had twins, very, very rare towards the end of June, which is probably another reason why mom wanted to go. Since it is so rare, the last sighting at that time of the twins, was they think mom kept one and the other was abandoned. The Fish & Wildlife had hoped to rescue the other one, but due to the weather, it was too late by the time they got to her. She only had the one. Here is a photo of the mom and single twin pup.

(JULY 2013)

My 17th birthday! Can you believe I am already 17? Mom sure can't!

I got this new shirt, shoes, movie Wreck it Ralph (love Vanelope) and gift card for my birthday..

I got to go to Baskin Robins to pick out my ice cream cake for my birthday party at school. I just love my birthday. I got a nice necklace and bracelet from my teacher.

On fourth of July, I got to go get my hair done.

One weekend in July, I had to miss one day of school to go to Monterey / Moss Landing for an all day whale watch trip with friends from down south, and up there. It was so much fun! Mom and I went out that Friday before since we were there as I didn't have school. It was like a "warm-up" for the big day. I got a little too cold, and too much breeze hitting on me, so I was a little junky that night and next day. Mom was concern, so we stayed in our hotel majority of the day. We went out to go to the store to get the last stuff I needed to make my fruit salad for the potluck we do on the all day whale watch trip.

I loved shopping for the stuff and making the salad. I could of made lots that day, I was so into it. I helped washed, slice, clean up, pour slice fruit into the whale. I helped outline the whale design on the watermelon, but mom did the cutting. It was so much fun!! I loved it! That was a fun day too.

I was much better the morning of the whale watch trip, mom felt better. She was almost ready to cancel, but didn't want to. I am glad she didn't because it was fun.

This Risso's Dolphin spyhopped right outside my window. I bet he/she was looking in on me. :)

Afterwards, we drove south towards home before stopping for the night. The next day, we stopped in Morro Bay to meet up with mom's friend for lunch and walk around before driving the rest of the way home. :) I had so much fun walking around, I was laughing the whole time.