We're Back!!!

There is so much to tell. I don't know if I have time to write everything in one post, but we'll see.

First of all, it was a great VISIT/TRIP; "vacation" really isn't the appropriate word. I'll tell you the items that made it a challenge, and then move on and end on the happy notes.

The first night, Josh came down with the flu, the second night Caleb, the third night myself. Robert had the cold/flu when we got there, but the fourth night he had to go via ambulance to the ER for problems breathing; this gave us a little scare. I stubbed my toe and nearly ripped the nail right off, but as it is now, it just hurts really bad a week after the fact even just to walk. On the return flight, it was delayed by 2 hours so I had to manage two kids waiting for the extra time in addition to the normal 1 1/2 hours. And all of this on top of my mom having just got out of surgery on her foot, being in a cast (which we called her "Super foot" and being in a wheelchair and needing assistance. So Challenging is the word. But end of complaints!

It was a great trip. I had been worried about going through security with two kids, one of which can and sometimes does run off, and a bunch of stuff. But I received great and kind help from the security personnel, both in Seattle and in Sacramento. They were patient and didn't try to rush me. The flights were fine with the kids. Going down, Josh slept the first 40 minutes, and then was happy and awake the rest of the trip. Caleb and I talked and snacked and played with the various toys I brought. He told me about 15-20 minutes from landing "Me done flying" and then tugged on his seat belt and said "Me stuck" with a little whimper of frustration. I told him we weren't on the ground yet and let him look out the window for a little bit to watch as we descended a bit. And to explain it more, I took out his toy airplane and explained and demonstrated landing to him. As long as I kept talking and showing it to him, he didn't feel "stuck" without a reason. On the return flight, Josh slept the entire way with the exception of the last 15 minutes in which I nursed him so that his ears wouldn't hurt because of the congestion he had (and it was time and I didn't want to sit in the car in the parking garage). He did great on the plane. Caleb also slept the entire way, only opening his eyes twice to ask if we were there yet or to see out. Then he went directly back to a much needed nap. So other than the delayed flight time, the airport experiences didn't scare me off of traveling with 2. I'm looking into flying down again the first part of April. This trip proved to me that Caleb and Josh need to see the California grandparents more, and vise versa.

I should tell you about the extra positives at the airport. In Seattle for our wait, they have a play structure that Caleb likes. It is a great place for him to get some wiggles out before the flight. It is such a great idea that I can't understand why all airports wouldn't invest the $200 in something like it. But he had a good time with the little girl that was also playing on the equipment. And on the way back, with the extra 2 hours delayed... I was really worried, but I shouldn't have been. The double stroller is a dream to take. I pushed Caleb up to a window and he looked out for 15-20 minutes and asked questions "that man doing?" (everyone is a man, he doesn't use "woman" yet, but in this case most of the ground crew were men anyways.) After the outside lost interest we played with the stickers Grammy Dahl sent with us. We played hide and seek/hunt with them. He found them all and asked to do it again. Anything is a success when he asks to do it again. Then he spotted a boy twenty feet off. He went over and growled/roared at him. I called Caleb back and told him that wasn't the way to win friends and influence people. So I offered to Caleb to take a sticker or two to the little boy, which he did and ran back to me; the first sticker he handed the boy, the second sticker he stuck on the boy's shirt himself. Then I told him to tell the little boy his name. So off he runs again (or chugs or struts, or this new arm swinging hunched forward walk he's experimenting with) to the little boy and says "me Caleb, me Caleb", and then he comes back. So I gave him a couple of the toy cars that we had in the toy back and told Caleb to go ask the little boy to play with him. He ran over and said "play me, play me" then handed the car to the little boy and walked off. I hear the little boy said "look what that boy gave me"; the father of course said no, that Caleb wanted to play with him. The father and I had made eye contact and a couple chuckles over the course of all this interaction. So then the boys played cars for a while. The only stressful time is when the little boy got tired and went to nap on the floor, but Caleb wasn't done playing with him. Caleb tried to take his coat/pillow, tried to lay down in the little boys' spot, get right in his face and talk and pat him on the shoulder. All of this went on when I was trying to change Josh, help him to fall asleep despite him fighting sleep, give both boys cold medication, and then change Caleb's diaper also. I ended up getting our little staked out picnic area all picked up and doing a lap or two in the stroller. Which put Josh to sleep and we parked at another window and looked out for the next 20 minutes again. So it was a funny and not to bad wait.

Caleb warmed up FAST to Papa Bishop, and connected deeply too. Of course, it was only the last 2 days that he got his Papa's straightened out. For the entire first part of the trip he called Papa Bishop, Dahl. And when he finally said Bishop the first time it came out (pardon the cuss) "Bi-shit"; but his tongue practiced it and it finally ended up being "Bizs-hop". Papa Bishop, despite having the cold, played well and kept up with all the activities Caleb had going. Caleb really likes playing with Papa. And the connection was there, that anytime he could see papa he asks "Papa doing?" or "Papa come me?"; even at the airport to go home he wanted Papa to go with us. Caleb was really concerned for Papa when the ambulance came for Robert. He wanted to know what "that man doing?" in terms of all the medical staff. Caleb saw all the tubes and mask etc when they wheeled Robert out, and again at the hospital. Caleb didn't show signs of distress other than observation and asking questions the whole time. The only thing was when we were allowed into the ER room he was too shy to hold Papa's hand, but once we left the room he was very upset that he didn't hold Papa's hand. He got to go back later and he got to sit on the gurney and hug Papa and say good night. That made him feel better; especially when we left Robert at the hospital and went home. Of course there was all the explanations of what is going on, what he sees so that he doesn't get scared. EKG connectors were stickers. We was glad to see Papa in the morning; I brought Robert home about 1:30 in the morning.

I'll tell you about the other activities, but the absolute HIGHLIGHT of the week was Papa Bishop's idea. CHUCK E. CHEESE. Caleb has become a devotee with lightning speed. I told Robert I if I have to now decorate Caleb's room with Chuck E. Cheese paraphenalia it was his fault (teasing of course.) Papa Bishop hit a major home run with Caleb with this idea. Caleb was interested from the moment the car was parked, and his excitement just built. We could barely keep him from running off before we were let in. He stripped off his shoes and went for the tube and slide play structure first; he needed help the first few times, and then he met a little girl who either helped him, or he was showing off for, but he didn't need me after that. He tried the toddler slide and arcade/ride on toys, and then he discovered everything else. The idea of money and tokens now has a purpose in his mind. He takes the tokens sometimes reverently and other times with a fast gimmie, then he plugs them in and waits to see what will happen. He really liked a ride in Monster truck on hydraulics. This thing moves, shifts and bounces to a height of 5 to 5 1/2 feet in the air. The next thing that he discovered with relish was the "Skeeball" game. He didn't always bowl the ball, he didn't always keep it in his lane, and most of the time he stood in the lane...but he had a great time. And tickets, boy we had to play the games for tickets. There were several that he liked. But the miracle that brought a smile of pleasant irony to my heart, when it came time to exchange the tickets for prizes... the first things he saw were a ball and a frog. He said ball and I had to ask "Are you sure? You have so many balls?"; he then chose a frog, and then he went back to the ball. Nothing else was interesting to him, he got exactly what he wanted because we were just one ticket shy, which they graciously fudged for us. He loved the music, the hyper fun excitement, the other kids, the big mechanical singing mouse. Did I mention that he didn't eat much...too much to do, go go go. Did I mention that we had to leave for the sake of the babies and everyone else and had to go back a second day?! A promise is a promise, so despite the 45+ minutes wait we (especially and thank you Robert) endured. Caleb woke up Friday morning and went into to see Grammy and Papa, the first words out of his mouth were "Me go Chuck E. Cheese". He also told me "me like papa biz-hop, me like pap biz-hop house, me like chuck e. cheese." I also heard "papa come me, chuck e. cheese." Gee, do you think that Chuck E. Cheese made an impact on my son?! All I can say is $5.50 all you can eat salad... Because with the frequency that Caleb will want to return, I can't afford the carbs pizza has to offer.

As standard operating procedure dictates, "Keep Caleb busy", therefore I went equipped with ideas and resources for activities. We indulged Caleb in 2 different inflatable jumpy house places, the mall provided a playground to burn off energy after we got our picture taken, and a craft night happened, and a stop at the dollar store for a couple toys. It all worked to keep him inside of constructive behaviors while we were down there. Although he tormented Skeeter (my mom's basenji) with the vigor that he does Zuma; Skeeter won't be missing him anytime soon. One of the toys that Caleb spent a good deal of time with was a train set that my mom has at her house. It is a special train set with a special place in my mom's heart. It is one that she's kept for 25 years, one that my brother Jeff played with. I think that it means something special for her to see the next generation, her little grandson now play with a toy that her little son once played with.

Caleb did his level best to eat them out of house and blueberries. He wanted them with nearly every meal. (With the exception of eating at Chuck E. Cheese.) Caleb cuddled with my mom and Robert both frequently, when he wasn't stripping himself naked and running around silly. We bought him a potty so that the training wouldn't be interrupted. Caleb swam in her "pool", aka garden/spa tub. He helped their friend take down the Christmas tree/put away ornaments. We watched Baby Einstein so much that it won't be missed for a while! (by my parents, I still have to see it upon request here at the house) Caleb got a wonderfully soft and pretty Winnie the Pooh blanket, and a great book for his collection. And Papa treated him to a couple cheese burgers.

We saw my grandmother Dyer. He calls her "Guh- grammy-ammy Dyer"; she brought him a stuffed bear which he held a bit. He was feeling pretty tired and sick when she saw him so he wasn't quite so animated. But he still knows who she is and talks about her.

We also got to see my Cousin Meghan and her daughter Alexandra and my Aunt Sunny. Caleb accepted my cousins as his very emphatically and quickly. It could be because the first time he met them was at Chuck E. Cheese. However with my Aunt, he was more interested in her little Chihuahua that sat on her chest. I had a wonderful visit with them. I liked talking babies with Meghan, I wished we could have talked more but things came up that night.

Everyone had a great, activity filled, exhausting week. We are very tired, but had a GREAT time. There are so many little stories I'll just have to type them as I remember them. Like when Caleb asked "papa doing?' and in this instant papa was using the potty... when Robert came out Caleb said "good job pee pee potty papa". And Caleb thought it was very funny when my mom came back from the restroom (after struggling with the wheelchair) and she said whew, I did it...and I gave her one of Caleb's gold star reward stickers that came with his potty.

Josh had a good time. He talked and talked with everyone who would hold him. He sits and smiles a whole bunch. Grandma got lots of time with him because they both needed to sit. He is a very good baby with lots to say and objects to stuff in his mouth! I think that he brought delight to the grandparents.

Well, that's all for now. I should note that Caleb has rediscovered the joys of Baby Einstein, and he requests them now just as much as "pooh".

I'll have to post pictures soon, until then, bye.