4/19/08 The Find

Aunt Laura's here!!

Sleep foiled grand plans for a gruyere fritatta for breakfast, so we went to Bobbi's.

Katrina didn't object to the lower-brow fare. This was one of the few opportunities I had for a photo without her stuffing eggs, pancake, waffle, and bacon into her mouth.

We went back to this lovely nature preserve for another shot at the letterbox we missed last weekend. Thinking about it and talking to the resident expert letterboxer, I had a good idea what my mistake was and was determined to correct it.

This time, the place had been seriously weed-whacked and was much easier to traverse. Based on last week's experience, I brought the backpack instead of the stroller, unnecessary as it turned out, since Dad insisted on carrying Katrina when she didn't insist on walking.

So we set out on the newly shorn trail.


We mingled with wildlife (most of it was alive).


We made our way through forests and along creeks.


We pushed through jungles of tall grasses.


We surmounted obstacles.


We sailed along the clear parts.


Then, much more easily thanks to the reduction of flora, we navigated our way toward the letterbox, which Julian found, much to his delight.


An easy trip back and a quick check in with the local blacksmith (really a replica that's about to be torn down -- not up to code!).


Once back at home, Katrina was out for the count. After sharing a yummy un-foodie lunch with my foodie sister-in-law (Dave went out for a burger), it was time to decorate cookies. The Plan had been to do this with the boys, but they were having too much fun playing with Aunt Laura and talking to Uncle Ryan on the phone. So I got started myself.

Gabriel and Laura joined us, and it came out during this activity that Laura has never decorated cookies!! What a waste of talent! But what a huge opportunity for me! I will take it on as a personal mission to correct this egregious injustice.

We made an appearance at a luau party, so I could say goodbye to the hostess, a 2004/2006 Mom friend who's moving down South. What a day for a luau -- this weekend is as unseasonably bitingly cold as last weekend was balmy warm. We left when it was time to feed children more easily than can be done at a grownup outdoor freezing buffet (though the food looked great).

It was too late to cook, so we bailed and went straight to our favorite Japanese restaurant, where Katrina had her favorite fried rice. She's doing so, so well with a spoon that I have to think back to the last time she let me just feed her. I still have to help her a lot, but we're well on our way toward feeding independence. She even tried my chopsticks.


(I remember discovering that my sister dared to put a bowl of cereal with milk in front of my 23-month-old nephew, and had been for some time. I wouldn't have dreamed of doing that with Gabriel then! Much of that was due to his inclination to throw food, but also his spoon-handling skills were poor, and also I was inexperienced (and tired of wiping milk off the walls). Julian I let have a milk bowl much younger, and Katrina, I've been doing that with for some time. Actually, cold cereal and milk is among the easier things for them to handle -- but no fun if you have a thrower, or if their spoon-handling skills aren't there yet. I'm glad Katrina doesn't take after older brother on this one.)

Since we went to the restaurant impulsively, I braced myself to make do without any toddler accoutrements from home....except one: the sippy-cup of milk. We stopped at home just long enough for me to grab one, but that was all. I didn't even think to grab a bib -- no matter, since Katrina was covered head-to-toe front-and-back in rice by the end anyway.

Maybe tomorrow I'll make a big breakfast....or not. Visits don't get more relaxed than those from our SoCal family!

4/19/08