Fall 2010 Trip to NC

.... this post could also be titled "Wow, Mommy's OLD!"

Chris, Kendall and I traveled to NC last weekend for my (gasp!) 20th high school reunion. This was a landmark occasion, not only because of the actual occasion, but because this was our FIRST family trip together! Kendall and I have been flying together since she was 5 weeks old, but this was Chris's first experience. And last, so he says! I think she did very well - at least compared to our last flight when she had an ear infection. We did give her Benadryl on both flights but apparently it has a less than 2 hour effect on her. Then she just required constant entertainment ... which was easy until the computer had to be turned off to prepare for landing. Then we had a bit of a noisy meltdown. But all in all, she was quite good! I did realized that she is officially too big to ride on my lap when the person next to us is not family. So I purchased her a seat on flight to Tucson next month because I am traving out there with her alone. Nana will be with us on the flight back so I only purchased her a one way ticket. This seriously perplexed the American Airlines agent who I'm sure thought I was going to be leaving my child in Tucson! AND, true to form, American Airlines "could not guarantee us seats together." Best of luck to the stranger who "gets" to sit next to my toddler! :)

Here are some pictures from the night of the reunion. Kendall stayed home with Saba, Aunt Corinna and Uncle Dan and did very well! Mommy and Daddy went out and had lots of fun!

(if it wasn't Uncle Dan, the creepy person peeking around the corner and inserting himself into my picture would have been cropped out!)

This was Kendall's little "play area" at the Hillsborough House. This evening, she decided to grab Bo Bear, her binkie and blanket and see if it might be ok as her new bedroom. (it was not ok with Mommy)

The next day, Kendall, Saba and I (and let me tell you how awesome I felt after LOTS of wine and little sleep the night before!) joined Kelly and Chris Copolo and their dad at the Museum of Nature and Science. That place was AMAZING and we had a fantastic time ... and it turned out to be a great cure for my hangover!

(although the drums were not the happiest choice of activities for my headache)



My little "diva" ... already loving being center stage ... and surrounded by steam at that! I think she may have more of my genes than I'm really ready for her to have!

This museum has a fabulous dinosaur trail! Kendall walked/ran by each and every dinosaur there and waved and said "hi" to all of them. Very polite!

We, of course, had to have lunch there. Kendall is now very vocal about when she's hungry and sounds like a broken record "eat, eat, eat, eat, etc" until she is fed.

They also have an archaological "dig" area, that I was initially hesitant about, but after only one mouthful of dirt (that may or may not have contained a valuable artifact), Kendall really enjoyed it!

Who knew the kid knows how to shovel???
Sifting with Saba!
The three kids! Kelly and Chris were SO good with Kendall. Chris entertained her very well and Kelly was the best babysitter ever! Not only did Kendall follow her everywhere, she actually did what Kelly told her to do ... I need Kelly in Dallas, please!
That night, Kendall was introduced to an all-time favorite of both Saba and Uncle Dan's - The Simpsons. It's not at all appropriate for her, but I figure the language she could pick up from that show is really no worse than what she can pick up from me (I know, I know - I'm working on it!)
I think she's training to be the next Gene Simmons of KISS fame.
Here she is playing with "Aunti Kia" (she can't say "Corinna") and the sit-n-spin. She was far more interested in putting stickers on and then taking them off the thing than actually sitting or spinning on it.
During this visit, Kendall was nothing short of fascinated by her Uncle Dan (after being initially terrified of him in the very beginning of the visit!) She just pretty much looked at him and laughed a lot! I think he probably gets that a lot anyway.
And this has to be the most durable balloon ever made. She got it on Saturday afternoon and after having been squeezed, clutched, clawed, bitten, and sat upon, the thing was actually still there (floating above a floor vent) when we left on Monday morning! Kendall, herself, spent a lot of time standing on floor vents. I think she was waiting to float like the balloon!
Here she is at the crack of dawn before we left on Monday. Maggie (Saba's boxer girl) was so sweet to share her seat with Kendall - who was still not quite awake! Maggie was also very tolerant of Kendall's desire to cover her with stickers. I think Saba's predictable "end of visit tears" seem to already be starting in this picture.
We had a WONDERFUL visit and will hopefully get back to NC really soon!

What a difference 4 months makes!

The last time the weather was decent enough for us to visit the Arboretum, it was the end of May and Kendall was barely walking. Mommy and Me Mondays started back up today so we decided to ignore the fact that it's still 90 some degrees outside (in the middle of September) and went for a bit this morning.


New development #1: Kendall CAN walk, but prefers NOT to do so on anything other than concrete or dry grass. Since we were there at 9AM, the grass was still wet from having been watered overnight. The Mommy and Me field had straw and bark on the ground and apparently neither substance is acceptable under tennis shoe clad feet.





New development #2: Petting zoo animals that were adored last year have suddenly become nothing short of terrifying. We vacated that area of the Arboretum after the petting zoo fiasco (of which, thankfully there are no pictures.) We had snack by ourselves under a nice little gazebo ... any "by ourselves," I mean myself, Kendall, and the Hi-hi's.
Then it was time to gather the Hi-hi's for a walk.

A walk that was a bit quick for my taste....


"Keep up Mama!"

New development #3: The water spitting frog fountain area (that has previously been mostly ignored) is now utterly irresistible!


And the Hi-hi's, of course, enjoyed their swim as well.




Immediately after this picture was taken, my little angel sat down. Then she stuck her face in the water to blow bubbles. To be honest, I had to resist the urge to go sit down with her. It was HOT by this time! She was soaked ... but almost completely dry by the time we got to the car!


New development #4: A towel and dry change of clothes is now a requirement for Arboretum trips.

Terrible Two's ... Already???

These 4 pictures depict a recent meltdown at the door to the pantry over a cookie ... or lack thereof ...

Stage 1: Beat on the pantry door to make Mommy run to the kitchen to assess the emergency. Then, in a thin little whiney voice, weakened by hunger, say "Cook cook ..."

Stage 2: "The Look" - doesn't her little face just scream, "I will PERISH if I don't get a cook cook right now!"

Stage 3: Attempt to climb up the pantry door (note the left leg in the air) because it is not being opened in a timely manner.

Stage 4: Resort to uncontrollable sobbing/wailing/screaming as if she were being eviscerated because Mommy won't put the daggum camera down and open the pantry door before the (clearly starving) child wastes away from cookie deprivation.

Things that make you go "hmmmm"

Kendall has learned to combine her love of Hi-hi's with her love of shoooooz! I am now regularly finding one or more Hi-hi's in my shoes.

Adding to the list ...

... of the ever expanding vocabulary: Pops, Mouth, Teeth, Ears, Eyes (usually immediately after she sticks her finger in the eye of an unsuspecting person or dog), Bath, Eat, Socks, Bow, Feet, Head, Belly-Belly-Belly (said as she's patting her rotund, yet adorable, midsection), Peeps (Pippin), Go-go-go, Fart (Daddy taught her this on purpose), and Sucks (ooops).

Is it just me?

Or does this child just keep getting prettier and prettier?

Shooooooz!

Daddy sure has some big "shooooooz" to fill!

Dinner Theatre?

I'm not sure who is the audience and who is the entertainment here, but the Hi-Hi's are now in attendance at each and every meal. And their presence MUST be on the tray ... out-of-reach placement on the table is no longer tolerated. They are also offered regular sips of milk as well as bites of most of her food, especially food of which she is not terribly fond. If/when the Hi-Hi's don't eat the rejected food, it either gets handed to the dogs, thrown at the dogs, thrown at her mother, or thrown at the window to decorate the blinds. Kendall's Korner of the Kitchen is getting really disgusting. As are the Hi-Hi's. Fortunately, their presence is still required in the bathtub every evening. I just need to take the hose to my kitchen.