And Baby Makes Three

This picture was taken right after we introduced Benjamin to this play house. It is a hand-me-down from his cousin Anna.

You may have noticed that I haven’t had much to say on the blog this month. That’s because we’ve slowed down after a busy month of traveling in June, and are enjoying being back in the daily routine at home. That being said, I thought I’d let you know what it is that we’ve been doing.

Brad

• Brad has been traveling a good bit for work this month. He is involved in some clinical trials for his company, so some of his trips have been related to collecting data for that. This week he’ll be in Minneapolis, where he looks forward to observing his first animal testing. Last week he was in L.A., and the week before that he was in Austin. While in Austin, he did some work, but it was also a “team building” trip – he and some co-workers went tubing on a river.
• We were able to catch up with a high school friend of Brad’s this weekend who is in town for work. Brad and he went out for dinner, while I stayed home with Benjamin so they could chat without toddler interruptions.
• He has also completed at least two home projects lately. One was the half-finished (until now) process of moving a cable that connects the Tivo to the home network into the attic. Brad had to create a new outlet in the living room and the office in order to run the cable through the walls and attic, and now that it’s done, there’s no longer a cable running across the living room floor into the office! Most recently, he replaced the lawnmower blade when the old one got bent after a run-in with our garden bed metal liner. We agree that it’s more likely that a task will be finished if we do it right away instead of putting it off for days or weeks. I was proud of him for checking these items off his to-do list.

Emily

• I’ve had a good bit of free time on my hands this summer, since I’m not teaching any classes or doing in writing for Mattel. While Benjamin naps, I do a lot of blogging and Facebooking, but I also find time to read. I have more motivation to do so since I am in a summer book club. Last month we read Same Kind of Different As Me, which was excellent. We met at Olive Garden for dessert one night and had a nice time chatting and discussing the book. This month’s book is Water for Elephants, which tells the story of a man who worked as an animal caretaker for a traveling circus during the Great Depression. I’m about a third of the way through it and have been enjoying it.
• I’ve also been making my way through some tv shows. I had been making good progress with my re-watching of Lost, starting at season one, but about half way through season three, I got interested in Twin Peaks, that strange murder mystery/drama from the early ’90s. I discovered that it is currently airing on a couple of cable networks. I have watched about half of the series so far and am enjoying it. (I watched the show when it originally aired, but it is fun to watch it again.) And finally, after seeing the set of True Blood during our Warner Bros. studio tour in L.A., I decided to give this vampire show another shot. I’ve been enjoying it more this time, and I find it more interesting because it is set in North Louisiana, an area that (as far as I know) has never been the spotlight of a tv series. It’s been fun to hear my hometown and the surrounding area referenced during the episodes. The setting makes up for the horrible southern accents and the cheap looking vampire fangs.
• Pretty soon I need to get busy planning my fall courses, as well as decluttering the house. If the weather ever cools off, Benjamin and I will venture out more to the park. For now, we are content to stay inside most of the day, and to venture out once or twice a day to run errands or to visit a friend.
• My friend Leah was in town last weekend, and Mandy, she, and I had fun going to see a great movie called 500 Days of Summer followed by a leisurely dinner at Mi Cocina.

Benjamin

• Last week I took Benjamin to the doctor after he had been feverish, fussy, and not napping well for a couple of days. I was afraid he had yet another ear infection, but it turns out his ears were totally clear! All his pediatrician could find was that he had an irritated throat. She tested for strep, and it was negative, so she suggested just giving him Tylenol for the fever, give him plenty of liquids, and just wait for it to pass. Thankfully, his mystery illness was over a couple of days later, and he’s back to his happy self again now.
• Benjamin has finally ventured into the world of solid foods. He has a few back teeth coming in, which are helping him to chew little bites of veggies, pasta, fruit, and cheese. We’ve experimented with some of the Graduates Lil’ Entrees, which come with a main dish and a veggie. I learned today that he really likes green beans! This is funny, since early on, green beans were the only pureed baby food he didn’t like.
• He’s also starting to drink more milk. (Ever since we transitioned from bottle to sippy cup, he hasn’t been very interested in drinking a lot of it.) Last night, for the first time, he finished his after dinner/bedtime sippy cup of milk. It’s no surprise that he loves apple juice, and we’ve been keeping him hydrated with water during the summer heat wave.
• Speaking of the heat wave, we purchased a ten dollar inflatable baby pool, and Benjamin has already enjoyed it a few times. He loves to splash around in the water, and giggles in surprise when it splashes onto his face.
• We’ve visited with friends a good bit this summer. A week doesn’t go by that we don’t drop in to see Natalee and her two boys, Simeon and Caleb and we’ve also started a weekly visit with Veronica and her son Van, who is only about five months younger than Benjamin. And we see Cara and Benjamin’s cousins a couple of times a week. Benjamin loves playing with other kids.
• At home, he loves snuggling with us, his stuffed animals, and Chloe. We have yet to capture it on video, but we love the cute “ahhhh” sound he makes when he gives hugs and snuggles.
• I’ve stayed in shape this summer trying to keep up with Benjamin as he explores the house. If there’s a door or cabinet open, he sees it as an invitation to investigate.
• We’ve gone to storytime at the library a couple of times this summer. Benjamin is very shy during the songs, huddling down with his face buried in my shoulder, but he loosens up and his eyes get bright and alert when actual story time arrives. Apparently he doesn’t like the felt board stories, because this morning when the librarian put Humpty Dumpty up on a wall of felt, he did his signing for “all done.” He was ready to get back to the books!
• He prefers to be where I am, rather than isolated in his playroom, but he still plays in there a few times a day. He becomes a little more “hands-off” everyday, as he learns how to entertain himself where I am, which makes it easier for me to cook dinner, wash dishes, fold laundry, etc.

I could say more, but as you can see, I don’t have much exciting to talk about. Instead, I’ll leave you with some pictures that haven’t made their way on here yet.

I love the color that these lanterns and flowers add to the patio.

Spring is in the air, and we’ve been wanting to get out of the house and enjoy it. Unfortunately, until recently our patio wasn’t a very inviting place to experience the great outdoors. The plants were wilting from neglect, the patio surface was covered with grime and dead leaves from the winter, and the mosquitoes were laying claim to it as their territory. A couple of months, though, I got the idea to throw a patio party, so after the token procrastination, I got busy planning it a few weeks ago. Brad jumped right in to help me prepare. We transformed our patio from a cluttered mess to an inviting escape. Here’s how:

• The biggest transformation was due to Brad renting a pressure washer and cleaning off the patio and vinyl siding. I wish we had before and after pictures, because the difference was amazing!
• We also purchased a bug zapper, and although the sounds of bugs being killed instantly by an electric forcefield isn’t an ideal summer soundtrack, it sure beats swatting mosquitoes away every few seconds .
• I have become more diligent about watering the flowers, so that they are colorful and vibrant.
• We also did some simple decorating for the party by hanging some paper flowers and a string of lighted paper lanterns, both of which we have left up to enjoy for ourselves. They lend a festive air to the patio.

Since making our patio a more inviting place, we have spent a lot of time out there. My party was a success, and a few nights later we had Patrick and Lindsi over for dinner and ate at our patio table. We’ve also sat out there to have coffee a few times, and Benjamin has enjoyed exploring the patio perimeter.

The Patio Party:

• The decor: I decided to go with a Spanish theme, so I bought a Spanish-style table cloth, and plates and napkins with the same design. I also created a “Spanish” radio station on Pandora, with a blend of classical guitar, salsa, Gloria Estefan, Miami Sound Machine, etc. By the way, if you’ve never checked out Pandora, you really should. It’s a free Internet radio website, where you can create and customize your own stations. It’s fun to discover new songs and artists, and to hear other songs that you had forgotten about.
• The food: In keeping with the Spanish theme, I used some tapas recipes. I made Spanish deviled eggs, which had tuna and tomato sauce mixed in with the filling, and created a tray with various items to eat together – sliced tomatoes, green and black olives, imported Manchego cheese, and cubed garlic bread. Also on the menu were shrimp cocktail, taqitoes, chips with olive and cheese salsa (courtesy of Mandy), cheesecake with cherry topping (also courtesy of Mandy), brownies (Keeley brought these), and cookies (Christie brought these).
• The beverages: Brad and I mixed up some fresh sangria, and it turned out to be quite a stout recipe! The ingredients were freshly sliced lemons, limes, and oranges, sugar, orange juice, red wine, and rum. It was quite tasty, but I think everyone diluted it a bit with some club soda. I also provided ginger ale and raspberry white tea.
• The atmosphere: It rained all day Saturday, so we had to wait until an hour before the party to set everything up. The rain also brought a cold front, so it was actually in the low 60s during the party! We borrowed Patrick’s fire pit, and I brought out a pile of jackets and sweaters for everyone to stay warm. Who knew we’d need jackets in mid May?! The air was clean and fresh from the rain, and it was so nice to just sit outside, sipping sangria and chatting with friends. Benjamin went to bed about 8:45, but until then Brad was in charge of him. The last guests didn’t leave until after midnight! I felt young again, staying “out” so late.   Thanks to everyone who came – I had a great time!

Beyond the Party:

• When Patrick and Lindsi came over for dinner, we recreated the party atmosphere with the hanging flowers, the lantern lights, the Spanish music, etc. We served grilled steak with a topping of tomatoes and scallions, along with fresh corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, and yeast rolls. Eating outside on a beautiful night made everything taste even better. And Benjamin was mostly content to wander loose on the patio while we ate and chatted.
• I’ve also discovered that Benjamin enjoys going outside (I guess all kids do), so when he started getting cabin fever, we’ve been going on the patio. He likes to pick up leaves, point out ants and other bugs crawling around, make “music” by hitting his sippy cup against metallic objects like the grill or firepit, and touch the flower petals.
• I also enjoy sitting outside drinking coffee and breathing in fresh air, while looking up at blue sky. We’ve had beautiful weather all this week, and I’ve made a point to get outside and enjoy it before the oppressive summer heat arrives and sets up camp for four months.

Enjoy these pictures of our recent time on the patio:

As I write this post, I am happy to be back in the comfort of my own home. Specifically, I’m sitting at my desk with a cup of strong coffee (no more weak hotel coffee for me, thank you), listening to the whir of Benjamin’s sound machine over the monitor as he continues to sleep peacefully. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but it’s always nice to return to the familiar. Now, on to the rundown of the final day of our trip, which mostly involved the journey home.

Day Five:

• 7:30-11:00 – We all “slept in” until 7:30, then got up to start our morning of packing and staying close to the room. Our original plan was to celebrate Mother’s Day with breakfast at Corner Bakery, but to encourage Benjamin to fit in a good nap before our flight, we instead ate the hotel breakfast, like we did every morning. Only today, instead of an omelet we had a waffle. Afterwards, Benjamin slept for an hour while Brad watched tv, I played on the Internet, and we started packing.
• 11:00-12:00 – We loaded up the car, Brad drove us to the Burbank airport, and he helped me get checked in. We said our goodbyes at the entrance to security check-in. He will be in L.A. until Thursday, so we are really glad that we were able to spend this time with him (otherwise we wouldn’t have seen him for over a week!).
• 12:00-12:45 – I let Benjamin walk around a bit at our gate, and I fed him his lunch. He was slightly disturbed by a rather large replica of a WWII plane hanging from the ceiling, but he worked it out by waving at it. I wish I had a picture of me carrying around all our stuff. I had it down to a science: backpack on my back, diaper bag diagonal across my shoulder, pushing Benjamin in his stroller. It really wasn’t too bad. I checked the stroller when I boarded, so from that point I held Benjamin for the next three or so hours.
• 1:00-1:15 – Once everyone had boarded, it was clear that the seat next to us (in our row of three) was empty. Good news! The guy sitting by the window was in his 20s, and quickly put his earphones on, indicating he didn’t want to deal with a one year old ( I don’t blame him). I was hoping for a friendly grandmother type to sit next to me, but instead we were sitting right across from the flight attendant station – you know, where they keep all the drinks and snacks in the back of the plane. So that was more good news. There would be no passengers sitting directly across from us to be bothered by Benjamin. The flight attendant who sat in the fold out seat across from us was a friendly lady from Reno (she actually turned out to be a grandmother type – she has six year old and six week old grandkids). When she wasn’t on attending duties, she chatted with us about her garden, and how her only pets are wild animals like quail and rabbits, and she complimented Benjamin on his expressive eyes and sweet curls. So I guess I got my wish after all – a friendly grandmother – just not the old gray haired kind.
• 3:15-4:30 (skipping ahead to Central time)- The first part of the flight went by fast. Benjamin did fine with the pressure changes on takeoff – he drank his milk then. And it seemed like he was going to settle down and go to sleep. He sweetly listened to music with me (I had one ear bud, he had the other) – as we listened to Gabe Dixon Band and Simon and Garfunkel he bobbed to the music, and started to drift off. But about the time the flight attendants started prepping their drink cart, he snapped out of his reverie, never to return.
• 4:30-5:20 – This part of the flight wasn’t so fun. Benjamin was exhausted, but refused to sleep. So every ten minutes or so he would arch his back and get all upset, which would lead to screaming and crying. Just to have something to do (and because I needed to go), I took him to the bathroom with me. He was a little freaked out by the tiny bathroom and the loud noises of the plane. It just so happens that this is when we hit our one patch of turbulence (isn’t that always the way?), so I got back to my seat as quickly as possible. Thankfully, the turbulence was short-lived. During this hour I also exhausted all the forms of entertainment I had on hand – all his toys, the calculator, my wallet, my keys…
• 5:20-5:50 – By this point Benjamin was rejecting anything I gave him except corn puffs. So for the last half hour of the flight, as we made our descent toward DFW, I handed him his favorite snack one piece at a time. He finished off nearly the whole little container I had brought on board. It was convenient that this helped regular the pressure in his ears, and it also kept the screaming and crying at bay.
• 5:50-6:15 – It takes forever to taxi to the gate at DFW! Thankfully, the friendly Reno flight attendant and a Sky Mall magazine were there to pass the time. In the time it took to go from the runway to our gate, Benjamin ripped an entire Sky Mall into pieces, page by page, and he handed each tattered piece to Grandma Reno. She was so patient! When I was in college, I used to rip paper into strips as a form of stress relief (yes, more proof that I’m weird). Like mother, like son.
• 6:15-6:45 – I am so thankful for friends like Mandy and Will. They sacrificed their Sunday evening to meet us at the airport and help us get to our car. (Remember my day one post, in which I explained that we were parked on the top level of a parking lot with no ramps or elevators?) To further complicate the parking garage problem, my flight arrived at Terminal A, so if they hadn’t met us, Benjamin and I would have had to pick up our luggage at baggage claim, then take an airport shuttle to Terminal C, and then figure out how to get up three flights of stairs with all our stuff. Because they met us, we didn’t have to worry about that. We grabbed my suitcase, and all hopped into their car for the short trip to Terminal C – can’t beat carside service!
• 6:45-8:00 – As soon as I pulled out of my airport parking space, Benjamin fell asleep. How funny that he fought sleep for a three hour flight, but the minute he felt the familiar comfort of his car seat, he zonked out. I was glad he got a short nap after the tiring trip. Mandy, Will, and I picked up burgers and shakes at Braums for dinner and took them back to my house to eat. That was one tasty burger and chocolate malt! Benjamin seemed relieved to be back home (even though he had lots of fun in L.A.). A smile creeped onto his face when Mandy took him into his playroom, and he was more than happy to sit down in his high chair to eat his dinner. As usual, Chloe had opened every cabinet in the house as a sign of her displeasure at us leaving her alone for so many days (do you know any other cats who do this?!). I was most amused by her handiwork in Benjamin’s room: she somehow managed to knock over a whole stack of quilts and a big box of diapers, and made the contents spill out of the closet and onto the nursery floor (see picture below).
• 8:00-9:00 – We said goodbye to Mandy and Will, and then I bathed Benjamin and put him to bed around 9. I was surprised that he was ready for bed at his regular time, after being on Pacific time for five days. He has slept well all night. After he went to bed, I stayed up a couple of hours, watching Lost, checking Facebook, and just enjoying being home.

Our trip to L.A. was a welcome respite from the daily routine, and now that I’m back home, after five days of sun, the ocean, the pool, good food, and the manager’s reception, I feel rejuvenated to face “normal” again. Thanks for following along on our journey!

Brad shares a special moment with Benjamin, as he experiences ocean waves for the first time.

Saturday. Our day to sightsee, relax, explore, whatever we wanted. So we had decisions to make when we woke up. Our original plan was to go to the Dodgers vs. Giants early afternoon game, and then to drive over to the beach to introduce Benjamin to the ocean. However, we decided to be flexible and ended up going with a more low key day.

Day Four:

• 7:00-11:00 a.m. – Waking up, breakfast, and hanging out in the room while Benjamin napped. We decided to leave for the Dodger game as soon as Benjamin had had an early lunch, and then to drive over to Santa Monica after the game. But, Benjamin surprised us by only sleeping 45 minutes, so we shifted gears and decided to “stop by” the beach before going to the game. So then we made preparations for our day out.
• 11:00-12:10 – As usual, Google maps was not very useful in predicting how long i would take to get from Valencia to Santa Monica. 40 minutes turned into 70 minutes, which actually wasn’t too bad, considering how slow moving the traffic was on the congested 405. I began to grow skeptical that we would actually make it to the ballgame, which started at 12:40.
• 12:10 – We miraculously found a metered parking space on Ocean Ave., which as you might expect, is right next to the beach. As we stepped out of the car, we both knew immediately that this is where we wanted to stay all day. It was a perfect day: blue sky, light breeze, temperature in the low 70s. Plus, the beach and the pier were not super crowded, but were bustling enough to give a sense of the energy of Santa Monica. (The last time Brad and I visited the area, we went to the pier on a weekday, and it was like a ghost town!) So, we dropped our plans to rush off to the Dodger game, and switched into relax mode.
• 12:10-2:00 – After we tracked down some change for our parking meter, we made our way down to the boardwalk and headed toward the pier. It was nice to see families, couples, surfers, bikers, musicians, hippies, and all other sorts of people enjoying the day. Since it was lunch time, we headed to the end of the pier, to Marisol Mexican restaurant. We sat inside for a break from the sun, and enjoyed a tasty, leisurely paced lunch of fish tacos and tropical drinks. Benjamin had fun coloring the kids’ menu, when he wasn’t trying to eat the crayons.
• 2:00-3:15 – Beach time! Unfortunately, we didn’t prepare very well since we had only planned to stay a few minutes. With no towels, folding chairs, or swimsuits, we just had to wing it. We must have been a comical sight trudging through the thick sand, Brad carrying the stroller and our extra layers of clothing (which we didn’t need), and me carrying Benjamin and his diaper bag. That was quite a work out! And it was well worth the trouble. Once we made it closer to the ocean, we had a great time. Benjamin was intrigued by the sand, and had no qualms about sitting down in it, getting his hands and feet dirty, and knocking over Brad’s sand towers. (I wasn’t too thrilled about him getting sand in his diaper and everywhere else, but, after all, he is a boy.) Benjamin was a little less confident when Brad took him down to the water. He was starting to get tired, and the sounds of the crashing waves overwhelmed him. He also didn’t like the feeling of sinking down in the wet sand when the cold water came over his feet. But overall, I think he enjoyed his first experience of the beach and ocean. I love the pictures we captured of these moments. They are precious and priceless!
• 3:15-3:30 – When we realized that our parking meter was about to expire, we trudged back through the sand and up to Ocean Ave. to our car. Somewhere along the way, Benjamin fell asleep in his stroller, but we had to wake him up soon after to change his sandy diaper before we drove home. We also came across a group of guys playing street hockey in an empty section of the beach parking lot. Watching them reminded Brad of his street hockey playing days as a child in Ohio. For me, though, this was the first time I had seen anyone playing the sport in person.
• 3:30-5:00 – We had less traffic to deal with on the drive back to Valencia, and we were happy when Benjamin fell asleep for about 45 minutes. We also stopped by Walmart so I could pick up some cold medicine. (I’ve developed some sniffles the past couple of days.)
• 5:00-6:00 – Pool time! Benjamin was groggy when he woke up from his nap, but he quickly cheered up when we got in the pool, which was comfortably warm from the sunny day. The longer we stayed in the water, the more confident he became. By the end of our pool time, he was letting Brad make him “swim” over the top of the water, and he was paddling his arms and legs. It was relaxing to take a dip in the pool as we wound down the day.
• 6:00-8:00 – After rinsing off and changing, we went to the hotel atrium for the managers’ reception, and since Benjamin was content in his stroller, we decided to stay there for dinner. A couple of drinks later, and full of grilled salmon and filet mignon, we headed back to the room.
• 8:30-10:30 – Benjamin went to sleep almost immediately after we got back to the room, and Brad crashed on the sofa. I stayed up awhile longer to catch up on my blog posts. As I finish this one up, it is 10 a.m., and we’ll leave for the airport in less than an hour. I’d better start packing! Enjoy the pictures below.

I’ve had less time to sit around blogging since yesterday, which is a good thing. It means the trip is getting more interesting!

Day Three:

• 6:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – The first half of the day was uneventful. Similarly to Day Two, it involved us eating breakfast at the hotel, Brad going to work, and me sitting around the room during Benjamin’s morning and afternoon nap. I did at least manage to blog about this week’s episode of Lost. I also took a short nap, and learned via a phone call that we’d have to cancel our plans to visit friends in Santa Barbara on Saturday. In case you haven’t heard, there are terrible wildfires burning out of control there, destroying homes, and filling the sky with smoke and ash. Our friends evacuated to a safer area, and obviously these are not circumstances appropriate for a casual visit, so we shifted gears to figure out something else to do this weekend. Hopefully firefighters will be able to control the wildfires soon.
• 3:30-4:30 p.m. – I was shocked when I checked the weather online, and learned that it was 96 degrees outside! I thought L.A. was supposed to be sunny and warm, but not ridiculously hot, especially in early May! But, at least the high temp wasn’t accompanied by oppressive humidity. Given the hot nature of the day, I decided to risk sun exposure to cool off in the pool with Benjamin. I did my best to cover our fair skin with a high S.P.F. sunscreen, and we ventured out of the shade of our room. Ah, it was so worth it. The water felt great, and Benjamin enjoyed it. He even cooperated by not throwing his sun hat into the water. He realized that the hat was keeping the sun out of his eyes. He would get nervous if I walked too far out into the pool – he preferred sitting a couple of steps in, with me holding him close. But as long as I kept a firm grip on him, he loved kicking his legs, moving his hands around in the water, and splashing water into our faces. We also met two friendly international employees in training for Brad’s company – two women who were missing their young children back home in Italy and Spain. We enjoyed talking with them (well, Benjamin enjoyed waving at them and nodding his head repeatedly), and one of them, upon my request, took a few pictures of me and Benjamin in the pool. Getting out of the room and into the refreshing water was just what I needed!
• 4:30-6:30 – After getting rinsed off and changed, we picked up Brad from work and returned to the hotel for the Manager’s Reception. This is a service that the hotel provides every evening, during which time you can get free drinks from the bar as well as refreshments. It was very relaxing to sit in the lobby sipping a mai tai, and Benjamin was cooperative, being content to hang out in his stroller playing with a calculator (that’s his favorite “toy” these days).
• 6:30-8:30 – After our unwinding time, we ventured out to dinner at Valencia Town Center. This is a great, pedestrian friendly shopping and dining area, where we ate sushi on Thursday night. This time we chose Sisley Italian Kitchen, and had a pleasant meal of pizza and salad on the patio.
• 8:30-10:30 – Same old, same old. We put Benjamin to bed and relaxed a bit before going to sleep. Being out in the sun wore me out!