Seven Grandparents in Seven Days
We've just returned from our whirlwind tour of Southern California where Lux got to catch up with the grandparents, see the sights and generally annoy airline passengers. First stop was Los Angeles and Granddad Dan and Noonie (or Jane - I don't think we've settled on a name just yet) and their dogs. Lux has been infatuated with dogs for the past few months, panting whenever she sees one, but is generally a little shy when confronted with the real thing. We were curious to see how she would do around three of them, and were pleased to see she could hold her own. All three dogs were quite gentle with her, though they liked the smell of her diapers and really wanted to lick her face. When the licking got to be too much Lux would use sign language with them, telling them No/All Done. The dogs, sadly, did not know sign language, but it was a signal to us that she needed some saving.Lux also enjoyed the dogs' water bucket, and thought it was so funny how they drank out of it that she tried it herself more than once. Good thing we aren't germophobes. We went out to Malibu for breakfast (Lux ate tons of strawberries - no allergies there) and played on the beach. Be sure to catch the photos.
Big Milestone - Lux and mommy spent the night apart! On Sunday Paul and Susan went to a very posh wedding in Orange County (yes, the OC!) and left Lux with Jane and Granddad. We stayed in the Four Seasons Hotel and felt very pampered and Lux coped very well, especially since she was still trying to adjust to the time change. When we returned on Monday she had already gone down for her morning nap and when she awoke she took our presence in stride - I think the dogs were more excited by our return than she was.
Next was a quick jaunt over to Granny Paula and Grandpa John's house where Granny had gone all out buying and borrowing toys to keep Lux occupied. Favorites included the baskets of plastic fruits and vegetables and a box of necklaces. Lux insisted on putting on all of the necklaces at the same time then running around with 5 pounds of jewelry weighing her down. There were so many toys that Lux couldn't possibly play with them all, but they served the excellent purpose of distracting her from the fine antiques and other breakables at Granny's place. Lux loved playing in the yard with Granny and taking walks with her. She also enjoyed feeding her corn on the cob.
Granny had bought Lux a pair Ugg boots for her birthday, but we had returned them so as to ensure she would have the correct size come winter when she really needed them. On Tuesday, as we headed out of town for San Diego we stopped by the shoe store for Lux's first shoe fitting. First thing - a chastising from the saleswoman for putting our daughter in cheap shoes which were no good for her feet. Then she was measured (size 5) and we started picking shoes. Realizing that the suede Ugg boots wouldn't be very practical in rain and snow we decided on a pair of throwback white walking shoes (very retro), as well as a pair of cozy blue slippers that zip on and have a good sole for when she helps Paul bring in the paper and a pair of green frog rain galoshes.
The galoshes turned out to be prophetic, as we needed them in San Diego where it rained buckets. Lux loved splashing in puddles. Luckily, this being southern California, the rain was short lived and we were able to do more than play in the rain. We visited Susan's old haunts in Old Town and went to the San Diego Zoo which Lux absolutely loved. We had been wanting to take her to the zoo since she was born, and she has visited the National Zoo, but it really doesn't compare. At nearly 16 months Lux was the perfect age for the visit. She recognized many of the animals from the pictures in her books, and especially loved the bouncy little monkeys, the ducks and otters. She actually seemed surprised at some of the other animals. I don't think she realized that giraffe, elephants and orangatans were quite so large.
Lux really took to Nana Jane's house. She settled right in like she owned the place and really bonded well with Nana. By the time we left she had almost figured out how to use the TV and DVD remotes there. She even got right back on sleep schedule, although she did wake a little too early for a morning bottle, which she followed with a nap until about 7 with Mommy and Daddy. It sounds cute, but we found ourselves longing to return home so that we could wake up in the morning without someone tiny poking us in the eyeballs and insisting we perform Itsy Bitsy Spider.
Nana had some lovely French clothes for Lux, and some for baby brother as well. She also gave Lux a little tiger purse, which Lux loves to roar at. We were also able to go through the old trunk and find some of Susan's old clothes that Nana had been saving. Now Lux has a vintage poncho!
Also in San Diego we were able to catch up with Grandpa George and Grandma Norma. We visited with them two evenings in a row and finally acknowledged that our dreams of having a daughter who sits quietly and calmly in a high chair while we eat and chat have not come to fruition. The good thing, however, is when we are visiting with grandparents there is no shortage of willing hands to take Lux off for an exploration of the parking lot or a rousing game of hide and seek on the patio. Grandma Norma even came armed with a great collection of books that Lux simply had no interest in. Lux got in the bad habit of thinking that if she wasn't interested in sitting at the table she could just leave the restaurant. Outside has always been more appealing to her than inside. I am also wondering why I bother ordering anything for her to eat when we go out. The excitement of being in a restaurant always seems to trump her appetite.
The drive back to Los Angeles was a bit difficult, as due to traffic concerns we had to schedule it in between Lux's naps. It was not much fun for her, after running around like a pagan for days, to be trapped in the car. We stopped for lunch in San Juan Capistrano, ate across from the mission and let her run around for a while, but she was grumpy most of the trip. We stayed again with Granny Paula and Grandpa John, where even all the great toys and pretty necklaces couldn't really coax Lux out of her funky mood. It was a bad omen for the flight the next day. That night Lux awoke at midnight in a terror, and we couldn't really blame her as even we didn't know where we were sleeping anymore. She slept with us, which means pushing Daddy out of bed with her top half and kicking Mommy in the stomach with her little feet.
Thanks to Lux we were up before dawn - Teletubbies for her and breakfast for us. Then to the airport and the worst flight in Lux's traveling career. She was exhausted from hardly sleeping the night before and wouldn't go down for her nap. We had experienced some of this on the flight out - she is just to old to sleep on our laps any more. She wants a real bed. On this flight we had the bulkhead row to ourselves and made her a little bed on the floor, but she wouldn't have any of it. Finally Paul took her to the back row (thank your kindly flight attendants) and let her cry for a while until she finally passed out. She was so angry that she was flailing about, doing back bends and succeeded in conking her head several times. But at least she finally slept. She woke up not much happier and was especially whiny during the last half hour of the trip as a the seat belt light was on and she did not want to sit. DVDs on our computers helped a lot, but this was one long and difficult trip. We are finding it hard to get excited about doing it over again in three weeks for Big Game.
Finally the plane landed and we got our things (and made up a new song - Tiny Grumpy Traveler). Unfortunately, the car needed gas before we could make the drive home. Double unfortunately and in spite of many signs to the contrary, there is only one gas station in the Dulles Airport vicinity and that one is closed for construction. We drove around, desperate, and finally found a station way out of our way. Then we hit stopped traffic as we tried to make it to a real freeway. Such a joy to hear Lux screaming the whole way home.
When we got home Paul and Susan were exhausted and Lux was so relieved that she took out all of her toys. So much for enjoying a clean house for a while. On a positive note, we were home in time to watch the mighty Bears roll over ASU.
Sunday was Halloween. Knowing that Lux hates hats and all head gear with a vengence we had found a costume that required none. Lux had a beautiful ballerina outfit, down to the pink satin shoes. She would wear it, though the tulle skirt confused her, but it just didn't seem to be her. So we opted for costume #2 - Kyle Boller (past Cal quaterback, current Ravens quarterback and Lux's future boyfriend). One Ravens jersey, black leggings, two pigtails and some eyeblack and we were ready to go. We went to Aunt Karen's Del Ray neighborhood for the huge Halloween parade (best costumes - a family dressed as a circus side show including barker, bearded lady, strong man and conjoined twins and a Captain America dad with a Wonder Woman infant in a Baby Bjorn)
After the parade and a nap we were ready for trick or treating at home. We took Lux to a couple of neighbors, just to show off. They all offered her candy (to put in her cat Halloween bucket, courtesy of Granny Paula) which just confused her in the beginning, especially since she doesn't really know what candy is. By the end, however, she had gotten the idea that she could put her hand in their bowl and transfer the contents to her bag. Then, at home, we found her squatting next to her bag and shoving still-wrapped mini Reese's peanut butter cups into her mouth. So I guess she knows candy now.
It has been a crazy week, but Lux seems as pleased as punch to be back home, and slipped right back on to schedule. We were also able to pick her up a toddler bed on Sunday, which she is trying to ignore. Currently it is sitting in the living room, and we bring down her crib mattress for it during the day, just to get her familiar with it. Researched baby gates so that once she is sleeping in it if she wakes in the middle of the night, or too early in the morning we don't have to endure eye pokes and Itsy Bitsy Spider demands.
Lux is still on the cusp of talking. She has a vocabulary of sounds and signs (including meow for cat which sounds like nyah) and babbles constantly. She likes to pick up a magazine or book and "read" from it. She can point out dozens and dozens of different items in her books on request. She runs around like crazy, and at the zoo we were able to walk with her holding our hands instead of always carrying her or putting her in the stroller. And in a truly tender moment about a week ago she asked to see Susan's belly (a recent favorite thing as it grows) and after giving it a pat she did the sign for baby. To make it even better, she repeated her performance a moment later for Paul to see. I still think she'll be rough on her brother, but it sure was sweet.
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