Adam, Ali and Lillian: Dumb and Dumber and a Birthday

In celebration of Adam's 26th (right?) birthday we took a little trip to Newport Beach. While Adam was golfing, I decided to walk down to the beach with Lily. We already put sunscreen on and I had my stroller, camera, a few wet wipes and a towel so I was feeling prepared as we set out on our mile or so walk down. Now the last time I walked down to the beach from the hotel was almost three years ago when Adam and I got engaged there, so needless to say I didn't exactly remember the trek.

As we got closer, Lily and I stopped to look over the cliffs to the ocean, perhaps that should have been my first clue of impending disaster. Since we were in our "street clothes" i.e. no swimsuits, I was planning on letting Lily run in the sand, maybe touch the water, but that's about it. Fun huh?

I noticed we were heading downhill a bit more and thought the beach would be coming up any minute. Suddenly I saw a steep drop. I'm talking like 70 degrees maybe 80. I thought, heck I can do this! I have flip-flops! We walk down, not so bad, then the road gets sandy. And I start sliding, to one side there is a sheer drop-off and to the other, jagged rocks. I think, ok I am about to die and take my daughter with me. At least our last memories will be of the ocean. I am holding onto the stroller with all my might trying to get a grip with my shoes and a man appears at the bottom, grabs me and Lily and saves us. I thank him politely and pretend I was fine, as my heart is beating like crazy. He laughs and walks up the hill.

Next bad decision, I get Lily out and let her run around. What does she do? Runs straight into the water. Not just up to her feet but all the way. In her brand new clothes. As I rescue her we both get covered in sand. Well since it can't get any worse we play for a while; then its time to go back. I put Lily her stroller, where she rubs her face, getting sand everywhere. Then starts to cry. Then I remember the hill. So we are now both crying as I push the stroller up the hill in my bare feet. I had to stop every few steps so we didn't slide back down. We finally made it to a bathroom where I stripped her down, washed her off and walked back to the golf shop where we showered.