Beach Adventure

This week, Emi and I snuck off for a quickie beach adventure. She has been telling me since the cruise (which yes, I still need to really blog about) that she "looooobs sand, mama". So, thinking the crowds would be gone and the water too cold for her to demand that I put on a bathing suit (shudder) and get into the ocean (bigger shudder), I pulled together a quick couple of days.

Silly me. The ocean would be too cold?

The good news, I only got wet up to my calves wading in now and then to join my girl. The better news - she had the TIME of her life. Worth everything to see that smile. Sadly, none of you will see that smile because she was playing SO hard and fast I could not keep up with her with the camera. But, at least I did get the camera out, and use it!

We ended up at beautiful Hunting Beach Island State Park. Lovely setting, just enough people (so they could ooh and awe at my girl), perfect weather.

Thinking we were just going to dig in the sand, I put Emi into a t-shirt and shorts. That lasted oh, about 13 seconds:

So, we trekked back to the car to get her suit. I told her she could sit in the shallow area and walk out to the little sand bar (a few feet). The rule was, if I called her name she had to stop, look and come back. And really, for the most part she did. Amazing, considering the pull of sand and water.

It seems we are raising a water girl. While she loved (beyond measure) splashing and dancing in the surf, digging and playing in the sand ... she also spent time just watching the water. She loved watching the gulls soar and dive for fish, laughed in delight at the seagulls and sand pipers when they were brave enough to get close to her. But really what entranced her, the waves. She just couldn't get enough of the waves.

Yes, I know there are a lot of pictures. I just couldn't pick a few. While I am not a great photographer, I just can't get enough pictures of our sweet girl. I did finally find my favorite. Okay, so there's more than one favorite!

Oh, and I lied. I did manage to get a few of those radiant smiles with the camera. While there aren't many smiles that made it to the camera, the day was filled with them.

As Emi grows, other trips will probably stick in her mind more. She may not remember this trip all. But that's okay, it is one that will always be held close to my heart. It wasn't the biggest or most elaborate of trips. Just a few days, doing nothing at all. Watching my girl run around having a blast.

Does it get any better than that? Not for me.

Emi in Virginia

Right outside Grandma's.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Virginia and North Carolina

We are planning a trip next week to see Grandma (Jeff's mom), Aunt Mary (his sister) and Drew (his son and more importantly to Emi ... big brother!). We are going to drive all day Tuesday, spend Wednesday, Thursday and half of Friday in Virginia. Then we are going to drive to Kanopolis (about 30 miles north of Charlotte, NC). Home on Sunday.

So, here's the question - anyone in the Orange, VA area that would like to get together for a play date on either Wednesday or Thursday for a couple of hours. I know there is no way (from past experience) that Emi will be able to stay (sit) 2.5 days in a nursing home room without going stir crazy. If no one is available (I realize it's during the week AND during work hours that I am looking for) ... any suggestions for things to do that would interest a 3 year old? Any playgrounds, etc? I don't really know the area well as we haven't usually spent a lot of time in 'greater' Orange. Previously when we visited we were out at the homesite - more like Louisa County than Orange (on/near Lake Anna - if anyone is familiar with the area).

Also, anyone in the greater Charlotte area that would like to get together on Saturday for a couple of hours. Same idea, play date - park? playground? I am thinking that a little bit of Emi following her idol (Drew) goes a long way. That maybe dad and son would like some talk time without the three year old butting in and crawling all over big brother. Also, same thing - ideas welcome for things to do if no one is available for a play date.

Feel free to email me if that's easier: kiy @ inbox (dot) com

Lots of adult and car time on this trip and looking for Emi things to do.

Pool Fun

Never coming home. Stop. Send rest of toys. Stop. Mom's sunburned. Stop. I'm not. Stop. I love Florida. Stop.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Little Miss Cool

On the way to Florida!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

DC Trip

A few folks already know this, but Jeff and I met when we were both living in the DC area. We spent the first eight years of married life living in Northern Virginia. Before that, I lived in and around DC for almost five years. Needless to say, I still consider DC home. I loved living there, it was fun and I loved being just a subway ride away from the excitement of DC. But, other avenues opened for Jeff and I, so off we went.

Emi and I are once again planning an adventure. This time we are heading up to DC for a few days of fun. I am so happy to be once again living close-ish to DC. We are about an eight hour drive, so it's not too bad. I have been looking forward to sharing DC with Emi and now's the time (at least, for a first visit). Yes, I'd love to wait until later in the spring or even next fall when the weather is a tad more predictable (hello? snow ... be gone with you!) but you see, the Terra Cotta Warriors leave to return home at the end of March. I *so* want to see them, and while she may not remember, I want Emi to see them too. So, an adventure is planned. (TCW tour info here.)

Someday we dearly hope to return to China, to share with Emi the wonders of her birthplace. We'd love to tack on a trip to Xi'an but, what if? (Xi'an is where the TCW are located.) So while this won't be as wonderous as seeing them actually in place, this is the next best thing. We are this close, it would truly be a shame to miss them.What I have (tentatively) planned for these two days:

• Tuesday: TCW and Botanic Garden (my most favorite place in all of DC)
• Wednesday: Either meet-ups/play dates or more touring - possible thoughts: Air and Space and/or Natural History

Emi is still napping (please let that last until she starts ... college!), so we would probably head back to our hotel for lunch/nap times and then venture back out. However, I am going to pretty much wing-it this trip. I've learned from past trips, just take it as it comes and don't plan for too much. That said, the ONLY thing on the must-do agenda is visiting the TCW. Anything else, gravy.

The reason I am posting this now, instead of just before or just after as I usually do is this: anyone in the area want to get together? I am still firming up dates, but I am 95% certain we will be in DC: March 9th and 10th (driving on either side). Yes, a short trip. I can (and will) add a day if there are folks out there that want to meet up and can't until 11th but I am a middle of the week travel gal - not traveling/sight-seeing on weekends means less crowds and much more accessible and fun for Emi.

So, if you are interested leave me a comment (make sure I can get to your email from there) or email me directly at: kiy (at) inbox (dot) com.

Photos found at: http://tinyurl.com/ye3s8zd

Pioneer Woman - Take 2

The fab Gina told me that PW is going to be in Atlanta on December 7th. Oh yeah baby! 2.5 hours vs. 6.5, I am all over that idea! So, I am changing my mind. Anyone in the Atlanta area (I know there are a few out there) want to meet Emi and I there? Meet before for an early(ish)dinner? It's still an overnight trip for us (no way am I loading Emi into the car after that for a three hour drive home).

It's going to have to be a quickie. Drive in Monday afternoon, see PW, sleep, drive home the next morning. We move into our new house on Nov 24th ... I am going to have so much to do! But, I'd love to hook up with any/every one who's interested!

Pioneer Woman

I stumbled across her FB page (have no idea how, must have been linked from someone else's - I am so clueless when it comes to FB!). It seems she has a book signing scheduled for December 8th in Nashville. That's a short six hour drive from here. I was going to be good, no 'adventures' until after the holidays - but what if that's it? What if she doesn't get any farther east? Plus, I've never been to a book signing, it sounds like fun (and a lot of standing around waiting). Also, I'd need to bring Emi (oh, that sounds fun ... yikes).

So, anyone out there tempted? It would have to be an over-night trip for me.

(Pssst, Gina ... this could be our chance!)

Anyone else? We could storm the place! (Of course, I'd need to find a way to squeeze this into the budget, but for a group of us going I could make it work --- I think!)

Ree Drummond

Nebraska and Missouri

When I left off, we were in Nebraska, heading to Missouri. We did indeed get to Missouri on Thursday, just not as far as we were hoping. Our goal had been St. Louis, specifically, meeting up with Gina and family but alas, it was not to be this trip. We made it as far as Columbiana (Columbia? something like that - my memory is shot!) but we knew we'd never make St. Louis so called it a day there. Nice enough hotel, just not right off the highway as we were hoping.

Friday we tried to get an earlier start, but as usual we didn't - although earlier than most days! We knew we were going to hit Memphis today (or else, I told Jeff) and we were all looking forward to two full days of NOT being in the car. I think that made the drive so much better. We hit rainstorm after rainstorm that day, but we just kept going! I forgot to take pictures, but we ended up stopping for a diaper change in a small town - that had lost all power. We changed the diaper, walked Max and .... jumped in mud puddles. Emi had the best time, even though she was wet clear through! So, after yet another diaper change (this time because of wetness outside the diaper), we dried off and climbed back into the car.

We hit Memphis in the middle of a down pouring of rain. I realized on this trip, and it was sincerely hit home in Memphis, I've gotten spoiled living in a city where there is no real traffic. What a wuss I've become. I used to zip around DC's beltway like nothing, now ... I inch along and am super super careful (not that I wasn't careful before). I think it has a lot to do with the ultra precious cargo that we have in our car now that we didn't have then (smile).

Speaking of ultra precious cargo ... I did get some pictures!

This was at the hotel in MO. I wanted to get a picture of Emi and Max together, she wanted one with all the animals in the photo (guess who won? yeah, story of my life these days - smile). Bear, Gwen the Unicorn, and Donkey (that we bought in Wyoming). Now that I think of it, he doesn't yet have a name, guess we will just call him Donkey - like in Shrek!

These were taken in the car somewhere in Missouri. The lap tray works well for some things, but not for others. Putting the webbing behind the car seat is the way to go. Putting it around the child's back is SO not. I can see where it would be uncomfortable and this really seems to be more stable. Also, easier to get on and off while the car is in motion. We don't always snap the side buckle closer to the door (as it's hard to reach while we are strapped in our own seat belts) but it doesn't really seem to matter all that much. Hey Gina, recognize the book? It's the ONLY book she wanted in the car the entire trip. If I count another dratted ladybug ....! (Haha, just kidding - mostly.)

And, this picture is for my mom. We stopped somewhere in MO for lunch - at a Steak and Shake. Mom loves that place, so I knew we had to stop there. Also, since we were there we had to get a shake - to share (hey, at least we only ordered one!). Yeah, as can be seen by the photo, Emi didn't like that shake at all. HA! We were lucky to get any of it. I can't remember what she ate that day for lunch, but it probably consisted of french fries and chocolate shake for the most part. Ah well, not every meal is going to be the perfect pyramid!

I think I have photos of our time in Memphis. Well, take that back, I have a very few but we did get the camera out now and then. But that, is another post.

Cheers!

Only in Nebraska . . .

So, Jeff finally got the Blackberry to email me the cool picture he took yesterday. Boy is there a learning curve on that thing. We should have gotten it weeks ago. Ah well, at least he has a toy for car time!

This is at a rest stop in central Nebraska - yes, they technically were in the 'pet area' so no one could say anything! Emi was beside herself, so excited. This sighting probably made the trip for her. Sure, we've seen tons of cows and horses, even a small herd of buffalo, but nothing quite this up close and personal. I guess it's not everywhere where you get to see someone walking their horses.


More pictures of our trip so far. First up are pic's from the last few days in Washington. We ordered the PeaPod Plus for Emi (rated 2-6 years) and it was QUITE the hit. However, we had a bit of unexpected sibling rivalry going on over it. Poor dear Max, having to share with Emi. We ordered this specifically for our time in temp housing. They don't have a crib that they can set up for us and Emi still rolls out of beds. We were hoping we'd be able to keep her zipped in, but that just led to playing as she was falling asleep - or rather, no falling asleep as she was far too busy zipping and unzipping. She did, however, finally fall asleep. (Just a note for those thinking this would be handy for air travel. It would be, but it does not fold up as small as they lead you to believe. It would be carry-on, and slung over the shoulder. There is no way it would fit into a suitcase - unless that's all that was in there. Also, I wouldn't want to check it as while the bag that holds it is quite handy for storing the bed, it is very thin {nylon?} and I am sure the baggage handlers wouldn't be as careful with it as we'd like. But, it will do the job for the next two months while we house-hunt and wait for closing and that was our goal in this purchase.)

The next photos are from Idaho. The very last thing we were expecting was to find 41 degree weather! I had to dig into the suitcase to find long pants for Emi, I had packed all of our light jackets (just in case, thank goodness!) into a separate bag. This is the zebra that we brought along for rest stop breaks. She was just beyond delighted with him, whew. You just never know what they will like and what they won't. She understood not fussing to get back into the car so she could walk him again the next time, and asks for him each time - in her own little way (pointing at the trunk until we figure it out!). It was cold and windy, but we had a great time even if the background for the photos weren't all one could hope for.

Okay, off to finish Nebraska and get into Missouri as far as we can today.

Travel Log

Nothing special to report, but I want to keep details of our trip fresh in my mind. So here is where it goes!

Monday we did indeed finish Idaho AND Utah! We just got into Wyoming, but were pretty happy to get that far. We ran into rain and construction (in the dark) and it was pretty slow going for the last few hours of the drive. We were very happy to make it to the hotel that night, but it took it's toll and we didn't get on the road as early Tuesday as we'd hoped.

Tuesday we did all the rest of Wyoming and got into Nebraska. Wednesday all we did was Nebraska! I knew Nebraska was a long state, but wow, driving through it adds new meaning to the word long. Today we will finish Nebraska and make our way into Missouri. We hope to make St. Louis by nightfall and stay near there tonight, but we think we will fall just short of that. Our plan is to arrive in the Memphis, TN area Friday evening. We had hoped for late afternoon, but aren't sure that's going to happen. There seems to be far more road construction than we expected this time of year, which at times slows us to a snail's pace.

We took some cool pictures yesterday on the Blackberry but still haven't tried Magi's idea for posting from that yet. With any luck, we will have time to set that up today.

Cheers for now ....

On the road ...

Well, forgot to take a picture yesterday before departure, will try to remember to get one today. Our little car is packed to the gills, holding more than it's ever held before. Every time we open the trunk it's best to jump back as you never know what's going to fall out! Looking at our car, I feel like the Clampett's!

Emi did so-so yesterday. I do feel that part of it is that we are so jam packed. She enjoyed her dvd's, of course, and played quite a bit with her new Aqua-Doodle (many thanks to Magi for that tip! --- BTW, if you haven't yet read her post on the whole 'Obama talking to the students debate' it's worth the read. She said everything I was thinking, and more). The trooper of the trip has been Max. Never really a car-loving dog, he's been pretty resigned to riding. He's done remarkably well in the hotel rooms and just hanging out with us. Poor ol' guy, he's probably getting used to his crazy people, moving all the time. I didn't even say to him this time that this was the last time. I keep saying that to him and then, poof, we move again. We are hoping, though, that this really is it.

We did Washington, Oregon and Idaho yesterday. Goal today is to finish Idaho (we are in Boise) and get into Utah. We have about another 300 miles of Idaho yet to do and only about 100 miles of Utah. Would be nice to get them both done today, but we will see how it goes.

If I can figure out the new Blackberry and remote posting, I will try to get some pictures up later.

Cheers!

Toddler Road Tripping

Fifteen short days from today we head out (oh gosh). Seven days of driving, two (very short) days of rest with our friends in Memphis and then another day and a half to South Carolina. That will work if Emi cooperates and allows us to make more than the required 300 miles per day (we are hoping for 360-380). Yes, I know most folks try for more miles of driving in a day (hi mom!) but 300 is what we have to do per the travel rules for Jeff's job so that's what we are aiming at. If we do indeed hit those extra 60-80 miles (per day) we can stop for two days of relaxing, being pampered and doing some laundry.

So, in order to make all that time cooped up in a car seat doable, we needed to come up with a plan. I was chatting with the gal from Why Do We Even Have That Lever? (bonus points to those that know the movie she is referencing ... love that movie!). She is planning a trip across Canada with her two little ones (twenty months and four years), and we were discussing what to do with our kids to keep them happy (and quiet). We each decided to post about what we thought about, and get more idea from our readers. So, dear readers, please feel free to chime in! (BTW, here is a link to her post, there are some great ideas there!)

At the time of departure, Emi will be 31 months. A very rambunctious, never sit still, 31 months. Oh my. That said, she LOVES to watch movies/dvr'd tv (which is the only tv she watches as I am terribly fussy). We have the portable dvd player than my mom gave to Emi way back when (thanks mom, it's been a life saver!) and quite a few movies, tv episodes on dvd's, etc.

My plan is taking along the following:

• Movies/TV on DvD's (see below)
  
• Sticker/Activity Books (*)
  
• Colorforms Travel Books (*)
  
• Lacing Beads (in a baggie)
• Crayons and blank paper books (Emi is more into her own thing, regular coloring books just sit unused - these may only be used if one of us is sitting in back with her, something that we have planned each day towards the end of the day - when she's had it with riding in the car)
  
• A selection of Little People in a baggie (her fav group -horses, a couple of people, a dog, etc- that she uses to play Cinderella)
• A couple of stuffed animals (Most likely: Bear and MeiMei, as they are her fav's right now. However, we are bringing ALL of Emi's bedtime friends - packed in the trunk. We are going to suggest to her each morning to pick out one or two, ideally, to ride with in the car. This is something that always happens when we leave the house - we ask "who's going with?" Emi then chooses one animal or doll to go to Target, the grocery store, whatever.)
  
• Travel Snack tray (to make playing much easier)
• It is my plan (if I have time) to get some books on CD from the library (or downloads if I am really lucky) and add them to my Fuze (sorta like an iPod, without the Apple attitude). Emi is just barely getting the concept of listening without seeing a movie playing. Hence why it's not high on my list, also, it's a headphones only activity and we just don't do a lot of headphones for her.)
  
• A new special 'trip' stuffed animal - a unicorn that will meet her for the first time, sitting in her car seat on the first day of the drive

For the times where we get out of the car for breaks, we are bringing a ball and a new little pull-along zebra. She loves to walk Max, but Max isn't so sure that's a good thing. So, we are hoping that she will walk her zebra while one of us walks Max. Also, we are going to use the zebra as a non-food bribe to get back into the car. Basically tell her that if she gets back in the car when it's time without fussing, she will be able to walk zebra again the next time. Emi does very well with these kinds of things, mainly as we hold firm. I have only had to with-hold something once, and she's never forgotten. (We also plan to bring a little timer, set it for however long we want to stop. When the timer goes off it's time to get back in the car. This is something else that works well with Emi, and something she deals with better than one of us telling her.)


Movies/TV: The list includes (but not limited to):

• Cinderella I and II (her most fav's right now - she uses her Little People to play the Bippity-Boppity-Boo part over and over and over ... so darned cute!
  
• (BTW, the III was too scary for her, it's been set aside)
• Tinker Bell, Robin Hood, Charlotte's Web (the original version), and The Rescuers (a personal fav)
• Sesame Street (old time, not the new Elmo infested episodes)
• Curious George, Frankin, Little Bear
• Word World, Brainy Baby, Baby Genius and Leap Frog
• Dragon Tales, Maisy and Kai-Lan (we are also thinking of picking up the new one, wrapping it and using it as needed for desperate times)
  
• Kipper; Pocoyo and Oswald
• Tigger and Pooh (and the original Adventures of Pooh)
• Little Einsteins, etc etc etc

I really wanted to have a very good selection of stuff, mainly as Jeff and I will be listening to a lot of these. We are not big fans of putting head phones on Emi (now and again is fine, all the time is not). With my hearing issues, we are probably a bit more weirded out about head phones than most.
*BTW, I linked to our most fav's but there as so many of each to choose from.

*Note: In addition to the new Kai-lan dvd, some of the things from the above list (colorforms, books, etc) are going to be wrapped and handed out as needed. I also have a couple of Little People tubes that she hasn't seen yet, to add to the wrapped stuff. We have a trip (flying) planned to Canada for a very special wedding at the end of October. Anything we don't need from this list, we most likely will take with us for the plane.

Kids Eat Free

I have another (longer) post in the works about keeping Emi entertained on the drive from Washington to South Carolina. But first, my mom and I were talking the other day and she was telling me about a couple of places where kids eat free - which I thought was a grand idea. While we do get a per diem, any money we don't have to spend upfront (we get reimbursed) is a good thing. We usually order something for Emi off the kids menu, that she rarely eats half of. She's a good little eater, better (we think) than most kids her age. Not much comes between Emi and her food! But, the portions these days are just huge.

My little rant: Have you looked at kids meals lately? Not exactly healthy, and her preferences run to healthy (no, really, they do). Emi is not a big meat eater. No chicken nuggets/fingers, no burgers (AT ALL), a rare hot dog now and again, likes spag but oh, the mess! So we are left with mac and cheese, grilled cheese and spag with sauce on the side (she also is a fan of breakfasts - if we can find a place that does breakfast all day it's a good thing!). Typically, that's about it. If we are really lucky we can get fruit or a vege in place of fries (she loves fries - heck, who doesn't? - but if she sees them, that's all she will eat, which keeps Jeff and I from ordering them for ourselves ... a good thing all the way around).

It is so very important to me that Emi not grow up fighting food and a weight problem. I don't want Emi to have the problems I had/have, so teaching her now is important (and yes, I am sure her teenage years will be filled with junk). With trying to eat healthy for her, we are in fact, doing better by ourselves too. Making smarter food choices, which really is the very first step. So while Emi's meals won't be everything I would hope they'd be, at least some will be free.

Okay, rant over. Our current plan is to eat breakfast at the hotels (all that we will be staying in have free breakfasts - really, are there any out there these days that don't offer this?). Our other plan is to (try) to pack a picnic lunch each morning before we leave the hotel. We have a travel plug-in cooler, so milk, yogurts and fruit can stay cold. We have another little personal cooler that I will put baggies of ice in, along with sandwiches, wraps or whatever we decide on. Also, there is a spot in the trunk already allocated for one paper bag. Paper products, boxes (crackers, little Emi cookies, etc), that kind of thing goes in there - along with a box of Rice Crispies. Emi loves them, LOVES them. I am thinking that some mornings it would be nice to offer her that instead of pancakes, waffles or whatever else may be offered at the (free) breakfast. Healthier (as usually the choices at the hotels are serious sugar cereals) and, did I mention she loves them?

And here is the reason for this post: I want to make a list of those restaurants. Here's the list that Mom and I came up with:

IHOP - daily, 4-10pm
Applebee's - Mondays
Fudrucker's - Mondays and Tuesdays, 4-9pm, kids eat for .99 (includes drink)
Red Robin - Mondays and Tuesdays, 5-9pm
Perkins Family Restauarants - Tuesdays, all day
All of these are 'vary by location'.


I found these two links when searching for links to the above:
My Kids Eat Free - you can search by state, and then city/days of the week
Frugal Living TV
These look great, and as I was wandering around both I saw more that I (then) remembered, and made a note of).

Anyone out there with something not listed, a family fav?

Train Trip to Minneapolis

My blog still isn't perfect (my fonts are still a bit wonky and I still can't figure out what is up with the blue links - I've never had blue links!). But many thanks to Lythrum who gave us ideas, which lead Jeff to fixing my biggest issues. Thank you SO much!

But, before I forget all the details from our trip I wanted to get it here. Since I have yet to start Miss M's baby book, this blog has to stand for it. (Oh, I've had a few comments - not on the blog, but in real life about Miss M. We do call her that, a LOT. Many think it's short for Emi {Em}. Nope, not at all! It's actually short for Mischief and Mayhem. Which sums up Emi perfectly!)

~~

So, about the trip. We began our trip on May 2nd and were thrilled that the train was on time(9pm)! Jeff was able, once again, to board the train long enough to help us with luggage and get us settled then off he jumped to wave goodbye. As last time, the first half of the night was a bit rough on Emi until finally her little body gave in and she really fell asleep. Those beds are C.O.Z.Y. (we did indeed pop for the sleeper car for this trip) and Emi tends to take her half out of my side (smile) so finally I put her at one end with me at the other. We both ended up getting a pretty decent night's sleep after that.

The next day found us hiking (six long cars and the in between areas that are a bit harry with Emi!) down for breakfast and dinner to the dining car. I opted to eat lunch out of our stash as Emi was fading fast and was in need of her nap. We spent the afternoon playing with toys, watching dvd's and watching for animals out the window. Emi was unimpressed once again with the observation car, so we spent most of our time in our room but since our room had POWER life was good, those dvd's ran almost non-stop. Little Miss Cuteness completely zonked out.

Playing ~~~~ Posing next to the "closet" (yes, it really is as small as it looks -
the width of ONE shoe!)

Watching her dvd

Watching yet another dvd (notice the clothing change? we had the misfortune of
having the very last car on the train, the jerking and swaying were finally too
much for Miss Emi and she threw up, all over herself ... and me. But as you can see,
she bounced back in no time. We did watch food intake carefully after that!)

After dinner, we tidied up all the toys, changed into jammies and laid out clothes for the morning. One last bathroom break and brushed teeth and we were tucked into our bed pretty early. The time zone change and just all the excitement had Emi more than ready and I have to admit not reading too long after she fell asleep! Our train was supposed to arrive in Minneapolis at 530 am (ouch!) so I set my phone alarm for 430, needless to say we were an hour late! (Had I overslept I know we would have been early, although they make sure you are awake and ready to get off!)

Barbara was there, ready to meet us. It was so wonderful to get off that train and know she'd be there. Emi went right to her, chattering in Emi-speak, raring to go. We gathered up our checked suitcase, loaded us into Barbara's car and off we went.

Come back soon for the rest of the story!

Home!

Emi and I are home. I have pictures to upload and a whole great post to write on our trip. But for now, I have mounds of laundry to do and groceries to work on. Emi and Daddy are happily playing - I have almost been banished! I think someone missed her daddy and is happy to have him back. I am listening over the baby monitor to yet another tea party going on in her room. I love to hear her chatting at him while she's playing.

We had a wonderful trip, our best yet. Barbara was a fun travel companion and Emi really took to her! We loved having her with us, and Emi was not impressed that Barbara had to leave. Oh! One more thing. The child still (still still still!) does not say Mama (not that I am waiting or anything, sob) ... but she could say Barbara (Baba)! It was very cute. Mama would have been cuter. But still.

Thanks Baba, we had so much fun with you and miss you already!

Back with more soon-ish!

Another Train Trip

Since Little Bit is busy rediscovering Diego (seems we have been on a kick this past week, it's either Diego or the Ultimate Pandas dvd's - only - and woe is the person who suggests something else). Where was I? Oh yes, 15 seconds of peace .... I thought I'd take those 15 seconds and chat real quick about our trip.

Some folks will remember our train trip last October. The one that was ALL about mama and grandma. This one, however, is all about EMI!

Emi and I leave Saturday night (9pm, ouch 1.5 hours after bedtime) for one day and two nights on the train. Thankfully this time, we decided to splurge and get a sleeper car. Since the trip itself is going to be short, getting a decent night's sleep on the train was mandatory. We are arriving in Minneapolis on Monday morning, and meeting up with Barbara at that point (I am so excited to finally be meeting such a great friend). We are going to hit the Mall of America, focusing on Emi things to do. Mainly the Lego area and the aquarium. We may or may not check out the amusement area, depending on time and Emi's temperment (she's so two right now, love her but ouch the temper!). I've learned, for the most part, how to stem the tide of tears, screams and throwing herself on the floor while all this goes on. Mainly, don't go near something she can't do ... however, that's not always possible. So, thankfully with another set of hands we will be able to have as few tears as possible! There does look to be some things we can do with her in that area, but at this age I can't see her riding even the little tiny kid rides alone. One never knows, of course, but we've never tried it. (Emi is only Danger Girl when SHE wants to be Danger Girl!) We are just going to go with the flow and see what happens.

We are also planning on the Minnesota Zoo. This looks like it will be the shining star of the trip. There is so much to see and do, I am thinking we will be there more than once on this very short trip. I can't wait to try out the monorail and wander all over the zoo. Emi is ALL about animals right now. We are still struggling with speech, but if we can relate what we want her to say with an animal she is more apt to attempt the word! I do think that this part of the trip will be wonderful!

Barbara will be with us a day and a half. My mom decided to not join us on this trip. I ended up having to make it a week early because of train ticket pricing, she will only have been home two days before needing to climb back into the car to meet us (she's been in Florida for the last month, mainly celebrating NOT being in Michigan with the cold, the snow and the ick).

We arrive on Monday morning and turn around and climb back onto the train late (LATE: 11pm!) Wednesday night. That is basically three days. Since I only have two things planned (plus pool time), we should be able to have a nice relaxing time. Keep your fingers crossed for me. The last couple of Mama/Emi adventures haven't gone that smoothly, but each trip I learn something and I am feeling pretty confident about this trip (famous last words!).

We return home at the crack of dawn Friday, hopefully Emi will let me laze on the sofa for a bit that morning (yeah, talk about dreaming!). I hope to come home with lots of wonderful memories, and just as many pictures.

So, signing off for now (need to get us packed, laundry done and a minimal house tidying!). Have a great week everyone!



P.S. The Happy Housewife is again hosting the "What's in your book basket" this week. Needless to say I am not going to get a post up. But make sure to hop on over as I am sure lots of great books will be chatted about!

Seattle Fun

Finally, photos! Emi and I had a good time in Seattle, but as with every trip, it was a learning experience. We got on the road later than planned on Wednesday morning (Miss Emi woke early and decided to 'help' with my shower!). We made the trip uneventfully and arrived around 130 (longer than I had thought as Emi needed more run-around time than I had planned for). Unfortunately, she decided to nap about 20 minutes before we arrived at the hotel. I had my book ready, so we just sat in the parking lot while she slept. That meant that we didn't get to the zoo until close to 3pm (I had rearranged our trip as rain was expected for Thursday). Sadly, I didn't clue in to the fact that winter hours had taken effect, the Woodland Park Zoo closes at 4pm during the winter. Oh, and there are no discounts on entrance fees for late-in-the-day visitors. Adults are $11.00 and under 3 are free, but there was NO way I was paying $11.00 for less than an hour there. Seriously ticked me off. But, there was nothing I could do - I could pay and go in, or not. So, we didn't but I just didn't have the heart to pack Emi back into the car without any running around time.

So, while it was chilly, I walked us over to the Rose Garden that is next to the zoo (part of the zoo?) and let her loose. Oh my. Did she ever have fun. I honestly snapped pictures as fast as I could, but that gal was just too busy to mess with silly ole mama wanting a pretty picture! Many of the roses were done for the year, but there were a few here and there that were still mostly blooming. I decided to try to take some pictures a la Lythrum and they didn't turn out too badly.

And, here are the sweet Emi pictures ....

Much too busy to smile ~ See my new tooth?

Running along all the wonderful paths

Blink! ~~ Is my hood still on? (She loves hoods!)

Gazebo ~ Fountain

Playing in the gazebo ~ Picking up ALL the leaves

Sweet Sweet Girl

Yes, there are a lot of photos. I am thankful I got all these (there are many more that are too blurry), as I got very few of our next day's outing.

By the time we got back to the hotel, we were pooped and ready to be inside. We had a quick dinner, some snuggle and reading time and then off to bed. For both of us! Good thing, as Emi was up EARLY the next morning.

Thursday we woke to the rain I knew was going to be there. We had breakfast, shower/bath and packed our backpack for the day. The Seattle Aquarium doesn't get the greatest reviews but I thought it was a very nice little aquarium. Sure, there are bigger and fancier ones, but this one had a lot going for it. It was, however, packed with school kids. I knew it was a possibility as one reviewer had said to go after lunch as the schools tend to do their field trips in the mornings but afternoons don't always work out for us as well. We had a great time, but it was hard to take photos in there. No flash photography, so you had to pick and choose areas where you could get enough lighting. With Emi going all over the place, that wasn't going to happen. That and the fact that I wanted to share this with her, not be looking through the view finder the whole time. Choices.

The first thing we saw when we got there was a diver in with the fish. I think that might have freaked her out a bit, as she stood behind me and peeked around. He kept waving at her and then tried talking to her (very cool, by the way!) but no go. She wouldn't go near the glass. Drat, now that would have made an awesome picture. But here is the diver:

We (okay, I) waved goodbye and off we went to see more. They have quite a few pools where you can gently touch the creatures. Since Emi is still working on gently, we by-passed those. There was so much to see and do, I do think she got a bit over stimulated. That was one of the reasons I choose Seattle over Tacoma (which has a larger zoo/aquarium, I am told) and I think I made the right choice. While it was still a lot for her, it was much less that it could have been. One of the things that fascinated her (and me) was the jelly fish exhibit. There was an arch (looked like it was made out of really thick glass/acrylic) that you could walk under. The jellyfish floated around and around, hard to explain but so awesome. The photos honestly do not do this justice.

We spent quite a bit of time in the dome, but photography in there was horrible. Not one photo turned out. We both loved it, she had to stand RIGHT at the glass with her little hands pressed against it just watching non-stop. Entranced, completely. We also saw the seals that were playing outside in their pool. Total fun, floating on their backs, washing their faces, splashing with their tails and sitting in the rain preening. Emi ate it all up, mimicking everything they did. Sadly, we too were in the elements (outside, but covered - sides were open) so I didn't want to get the camera out. We didn't get too wet, but damp. And so worth it. I had to drag her away and to me, that equals a baby girl having the time of her life.

Funny enough, the stuffed animal she choose at the end was a river otter. We didn't see them (not sure how we missed them, we saw everything at least twice in about 2 hours or so). I think she thinks it's the seals that she loved and that's fine with me. She was tickled with her little otter and I loved watching her have to make a decision. She could pick one, and only one. I didn't really think she'd get that, but we'd come across another animal and she'd pick it up. I would tell her 'one' and hold up a finger. She'd look back and forth and hand me back the one she didn't want (as much). I was darned tootin' proud of her. No theatrics (and she can toss some good ones, let me tell you!), no whining, nothing. Chose her river otter each time and was happy happy with it. Still drags him around (by the tail, poor guy - we are going to have to find him a tough guy name).

All and all, even with all the rain, a good trip. I look forward to hitting Seattle again maybe in the spring and taking Jeff along. Maybe a bit longer trip (easier with another set of hands). But Emi and I did really well and had a really great time.