I was just sticking my hands in my jacket pockets and I remembered a story Karin told me about. After playing in the sand, Reid was still covered in it and so were her clothes. Karin noticed Reid put one hand into her jacket pockets and then try to put the other one in before changing tactics to pull her hand up into her sleeve. When Karin asked what was going on, Reid told her that she wanted to put her hand into her pocket but it wouldn’t fit because there was too much sand in there already. Karin laughed as she shook the sand from Reid’s pocket and then Reid happily buried her hands into the newly available space. Walking about with her hands in her pockets is a favourite posture of Reid’s. I bet the sand in her pocket was annoying. I can’t imagine why she didn’t try to get it out (or maybe she did but Karin didn’t notice). Or maybe she was bringing it with her as a souvenir. The world will never know.
Archive for March, 2007
Hands in her pockets
Monday, March 26th, 2007Books we read, March 26th
Monday, March 26th, 2007Oh the horror, I have to confess that we didn’t read anything. Karin tried to take Reid to the firefighter museum but it was closed. They walked and explored and did lots of physical activity. Karin asked Reid at one point if she wanted to read some books. Reid put her finger to her pursed lips, closed her eyes and considered a few moments before offering a definite “no”. Maybe my concern at having only twelve books with us for the week won’t be such a problem after all.
Books we read, March 25th
Sunday, March 25th, 2007I read Clorinda by Robert Kinerk to Reid in the communal bathroom at the hotel. I’m not sure if anyone else heard me. Reid was interested enough in the tale of Clorinda the cow, who goes to town to vote in November (and I thought, are we reading a US get-out-the-vote book) and also learns to dance ballet in the barn before going to New York to try to make it in show biz. You never know what a person might be capable of, we read. Well, like all struggling performers, Clorinda ended up waiting table until she got her big break. Unfortunately, the big break required that Clorinda jump and be caught by this typically-sized male ballet dancer. He ended up flattened by Clorinda but the audience clapped because Clorinda had clearly tried hard to discover all that she could do. She retired to the farm to teach the other animals to dance and they put on ballets in the barn. It all worked out for the best, as usually happens in kids books.
At supper, I read Norman’s Snowball by Hazel Hutchins as we waited for our supper to arrive. At the beginning of the book, the sister tells us that Norman always loses his mittens and the mother attaches the mittens to a string before the sister takes him out to play. The main story is thay the two kids make a bigger and bigger snowball. At the end, the sister realizes Norman is wearing only his mittens, thanks to the strings, and his underwear. I hadn’t noticed this happening as the story unfolded. When I would have gone back to re-read the story, paying more attention to the illustrations and encouraging Reid to do so as well, Karin pointed out that Reid was nearly asleep and so we stopped reading. Another time we’ll notice.
Books we read, March 24th
Saturday, March 24th, 2007We read Red is Best by Kathy Stinson before we left the room. I almost accidentally-on-purpose forgot it but then had an attack of conscience and put it in the bag.
In the bookstore at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, Aunt Karin read a counting book about fish but she didn’t record the title or author. Can you imagine!? We didn’t read any books at Legoland in Carlsbad though we did read the map quite a few times.
And that’s it. I’ll have to remember to pull out some books at the restaurants.
It’s the little things that make Reid’s day (San Diego, day 1)
Friday, March 23rd, 2007We left home at “0 dark 30″, or maybe it was 3:50 am, and headed to the airport with a girl who decided not to go back to sleep. In the airport garage we discovered that my nifty GoGo Kidz car seat rolling cart-thing didn’t fit onto Reid’s car seat. It’s such a pain to take out and reinstall the car seat that we decided to wing it. Sigh. We gambled and lost. Necessity being the mother of invention and all that, I figured out that Reid’s car seat will sit upright in the basket under her stroller. Ken dragged the suitcase and we got checked in by 4:30. Reid had many hugs and kisses for Daddy and waved as long as she could see him. With Reid guzzling a 4oz bottle of juice (3 oz is the maximum allowable size of liquids) while we walked up to the security check. The folks there opened a couple of ropes for us and we got right to the head of the line to be checked. Reid and I were metal free and had no troubles. At Customs, I presented our passports and Ken’s letter of consent for me to take Reid out of the country. The agent read the letter fully. I found it reassuring.
We read a bit on the plane to Detroit and then we coloured. The flight wasn’t long and my only moment of concern was when I got Reid halfway to the bathroom and the seatbelt sign came back on. She didn’t like going back to her seat but I was glad for the Dora pull-up she was wearing. She made it to the bathroom in the Detroit airport, though, and was proud of the fact.
As soon as we found Aunt Karin, Reid took her to the fountain while I tried to get us seats together. The fountain was probably the best thing that happened to her by that point in the day. By the time I got to them, Reid’s belly, arms and pants were soaked. Reid had an ear-to-ear grin and a giggle for me when she saw me. At least the chocolate milk she spilled when I was responsible for her had dried ;+) I’m a professional mom-traveller, though, an had a second outfit (but we hung the other outfit to dry on the plane, just in case).
Reid fell asleep before we had even taken off from Detroit and slept the first hour of the flight. The next four hours involved colouring, reading, eating, trips to the bathroom, playing with a toy from MacDonalds and then repetition of these in various orders. Oh, and many “why’s”. Reid is two after all. I think we were all glad to land and get off the plane.
Reid, especially, was glad to move freely outside of her car seat and burn some of the energy she had been holding in. Outside of the San Diego airport in the warm, sunny weather Reid had great fun sliding down the base of column. There incline was steep and the concrete “polished” for speed. Over and over she slid down and had me hoist her back up. This slide was her new favourite part of the day. Next, and soon to displace the slide in terms of wow-factor, we took a shuttle bus to the car rental agency. Reid hasn’t been on a bus since the Carp Fair last fall. It was a *big deal*.
At the first hotel, we dropped our bags in our little room while Reid took stock. There were two twin beds, a small table for a desk and a free-standing closet that all looked like they came from Ikea. Thank goodness we didn’t need to spend much time in the room.
We immediately headed out. It was only 2:30 or so California time and I wanted to try and get Reid’s schedule switched and also I knew I had only two-and-a-half days before I had to go back to “work”. We went to Balboa Park, which has many museums set in a park. We trekked, with many side trips to see plants, trees, benches, etc., to the RH Fleet Science Centre. I was able to get us in with our science centre membership card from Ottawa. Reid enjoyed the kid’s centre with a grocery section, a book nook, a forced air discovery centre. We all liked, or at least were drawn to the Grossology exhibit that covered farting, burping, nasal mucous and acne. It was really gross but also engaging. I hope the photos that we took will do it justice.
We drove around a bit afterward looking for a restaurant. We ended up at white linen napkin place but they agreed to sit us far from other patrons and so we stayed. We had prime rib, potatoes and squash. It was so good! We had also found a Ben & Jerry’s and so we stopped there. It seemed like we should have an ice cream cone on our first day in California. On the way back to the car, while eating a dripping ice cream cone, Reid was excited to discover an “M” on a store window. I’m not sure how happy the merchant will be with Reid’s finger print but she moves fast and I was jet lagged.
Reid was asleep minutes after we got into the car. She woke briefly as we got to the room and put her pajamas on but not for long. Aunt Karin and I joined her very soon. A little room doesn’t matter as long as the beds are cleared off.
Books we read, March 23rd
Friday, March 23rd, 2007-
Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr and someone whose name escapes me;
-
Red is Best, once by Aunt Karin on the plane and twice by me at the restaurant;
-
And You Can Be the Cat by Hazel Hutchins; and
-
Henry and the Cow Problem by Iona Whishaw.
At the RH Fleet Science Centre, in a booknook, we read Mrs Wishy-Washy Joy Cowley twice. I’m sure Ken was not sorry to miss it as Mrs W-W is not his favourite character but he would have read it because that’s what it takes to be a dad.
Another airplane!
Friday, March 23rd, 2007Books we read, March 22nd
Thursday, March 22nd, 2007We read:
- Daddy Kisses by Anne Gutman, three times by Daddy at bedtime. I am missing Ken on Reid’s behalf already;
- The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss;
- Who Am I in the Jungle? (no author);
- part of Dr Seuss’ A B C; and
- Go, Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman.