By Kate Jerkens

Raising a 2-year old Santa Monica is like having the biggest best backyard ever. On the weekends, we can walk to the 3rd Street Promenade, where she is entertained by the fountains and street performers. Almost every other week we go to the same restaurant on Montana (Spumoni), where they know our order, and already  have our “usual” ready for us. On the weekends, breakfast at Babalu is always a hit, and they are so patient with the amount of Cheerios that hit the floor, while serving a wonderful (and quick) breakfast! When we are feeling especially ambitious, we can put her in the stroller and walk to the Farmer’s Market on Sundays for fresh pretzel bread and a ride on the ponies. Of course, we always have the option of the beach and Douglas Park, which is the best Santa Monica park. There is not a day or a week that goes by that we don’t think about how great it is that she is growing up here…