Dan, Carrie, Vivian, Lillian, William Visit

Happy 4th of July! Uncle Sam wants you!

Dan, Carrie, and kids Vivian (4 yrs), Lillian (2 yrs) and William (2½ mos) just left yesterday to go back home to SoCal after a delightful five day visit. The Baker Ranch community where they live is very active socially and they wanted to be sure to be home for all the kid-friendly holiday events with their neighbors. We had a bit of a tearful goodbye at the airport drop off, but overall the visit was great. Here's what we and they did during the visit.

Thursday, June 28th
Carrie arrives with Vivian, Lillian, William. She is a brave soul to travel independently with the three kids. Frank and I picked her up in a rental Nissan Armada, a three-rowed SUV large enough to fit three car seats in the second row, if you do it just right. We did not do it just right and only fit two toddler car seats in the second row and a base for an infant carrier in the third row. This meant that a large suitcase, a small suitcase and a stroller did not fit behind the third row seat without hanging over and without the infant carrier being jammed in sideways. After about 15 minutes, when we finally found an arrangement where the doors and the hatchback would close and latch, the spectators along the curb cheered for us. I have no photo of this. A resounding theme in this post is that when the best (or worst) thing is happening I did not have my cell phone at the ready to photograph it. William hates his car seat and screamed all the way home in heavy traffic. Once home, after Carrie nursed him, Frank was able to calm him somewhat some of the time. William liked his grandpa - maybe Frank was enough like his daddy - and was actually OK with Frank's singing. His Grandma was chopped liver and a total zero at soothing him. (Well, ok, a couple of times I was a bit successful...)

We had a simple dinner of tortellini and jarred grocery store sauce. I know – horrors! I did not make my own sauce as per my custom but I have found that Newman's own Sockarooni is pretty good with chunks of vegetables in it. Despite my compromise, the pasta went over well with everyone.

The remainder of the evening was spent getting settled, exploring the toys and paraphernalia we'd set out, and putting the final details on the sleeping arrangements. Frank and I had purchased a Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper to emulate the configuration William has at home and maximize the probability William would sleep here. Frank assembled it in time for night snoozing.

Friday, June 29th

We had gorgeous weather here and it was not extremely hot so we sat out on the deck in the morning. Will was chill with Grandpa.

Vivian had on a cute dress with a sequined heart on the front. When the sequins were smoothed down, the heart was red. When they were smoothed up, the heart was navy. I thought it was unique the way the red sequins reflected on her face almost giving a horror movie aura to it. I kept teasing her that if it had been my size I would have slipped it out of her suitcase before she left.

In the morning I set up the deck with an indoor/outdoor rug and some large plastic tubs for water play. I'd bought those tubs when Robin went off to college as a freshman in 1998. She used them for laundry. We have used them over the years at parties to hold ice and soft drinks.  I believe there is one or maybe two out in Oklahoma. Yikes! They are twenty years old. They are still holding up well.

They are great for wading as Vivian demonstrates.

Lillian likes them for dribbling and splashing.

I got the girls super squirters that were a big hit and really propelled the water quite far as Vivian is demonstrating.

As a break from the water play the girls got pedicures by mom and grandma. Notice that squirters are still being clutched throughout.

I had quite a collection of colors from which to choose, left over from when I used to pay attention to my nails. I think that short-lived phase of my life coincided with the year of Robin's and Dan's weddings. There are certain standards that the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom try to uphold. Now I would rather uphold grandkids than standards. Carrie allowed the girls to pick a few bottles to take home with them. I am pretty sure that silver glitter was the first to go!

Lillian sat on my lap while her mom did her toenails. How is this for a selfie of two happy faces?

After naps we went to the Robert Livermore Aquatic Center. It is a 7 minute, 2.6 mile drive from our house and has a great shallow area with lots of water features for the kiddos to enjoy. I even put on a bathing suit and joined them.

William slept through almost all of our time there. There was lots of background noise but the weather was balmy and breezy especially in the shade. Frank and I took turns going in the water and sitting with a napping William to give Carrie the opportunity to enjoy alternately giving each of her older two her undivided attention. Carrie was even brave enough to go down that huge, tall, fast slide in the background, reserved for the courageous adults. She admitted she felt out of control part of the way down and at the end got water up her nose, but she is glad she got to do it.

Frank did not attempt the slide. He just wanted to show off his striking physique and stylish, subtly ombré striped, swim suit.

We had Sloppy Joe for dinner that night and then Frank left to pick up Dan from the Oakland airport. The girls were already in bed when he arrived at our house. Dan had worked a full day on the job to preserve vacation time. Dan, Frank, and I even slipped in a game of Splendor. The next morning we were just going to play family activities by ear. 

Saturday, June 30th

Saturday morning we were laid back. I was going to let folks get up at their own individual times with no formal everybody-together breakfast planned. I asked Lillian what I could get her for breakfast... cheerios? fruit? yogurt? She looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said clear as a bell "PANCAKES!" Of course grandma complied and poured some on the griddle each time another diner trickled downstairs to appear at the breakfast table. William schedule is quite varied and he  is not yet a pancake eater. Here is a noon-time nap with his dad.

We chilled on the back deck, Frank joined them for a walk, and then after nap time they headed out to the Alameda County Fair, in full swing around now. Frank and I opted to stay home. Although I love to see the quilts and I feel it is unconscionable to have Alex miss the rabbits, we will go at another time with him. It was still in the high 80's but cooled off enough during the evening that they had a great time. They had dinner at the fair but kept us in the loop by texting us some great photos.

This photo makes me think Dan is wearing a crown like Lady Liberty in commemoration of the 4th of July. The girls had just won stuffed sea animals at an arcade game.

Sunday, July 1st

Fairyland is a children's play land with sets from various storybooks. It is located in Oakland about  40 minutes/34 miles northwest of us. Dan and family headed up there mid-Sunday morning. Instead of our normal routine of Sunday bowling with Alex, Frank and I would pick up Alex and join them there. The entrance is through an old shoe.

We met up with them at a train ride called the Jolly Trolly.

It took me almost a dozen shots to get a photo with both Frank's and Alex's faces visible through the cut out window openings.

I had to snap this photo of Vivian because of the matching hair between her and the pony.

Alex is posed by a water fountain of his favorite animal – a rabbit of course.

Lillian and Vivian snuggle up to Tweedle Dum. I only know it is Dum and not Dee because of the monogram beneath his vest.

On the merry-go-round. Dan fills in for one of the missing carousel creatures. Like his pose? Is he a griffin?  

Per Wikipedia the griffin is

a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. Because the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle the king of birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. 

Does Dan look powerful and majestic?

William slept most of the time bundled up against Carrie, so Uncle Alex did not really get to interact with his nephew William. Here is the best picture I have of the two of them together.

Our stay here was brief but fun. We shared a meal together and then made our way out before the troops disintegrated due to an overdue nap time.

That night I cooked a meal of broiled chicken marinated to be tender and juicy. Appetites were good. Evening was chill. Bedtimes were smooth and cooperative. Hey - these things are important! Dan and Frank went out for a late show of the movie Jurassic World. They said it was as they expected it would be and had a good time with each other.

Monday July 2nd

Dan had to visit a job site at Sunvalley Shopping Center in Concord about 37 minutes/32 miles north of us. It was a partial work day for him. Carrie took the kids on a walk to a nearby park and Frank went along. William went down for a long nap – quite unusual – and we chased Carrie to do the same.  I put on the movie Frozen, a favorite with the girls. Lillian was certainly a rapt toddler audience.

When William did awake he was happy to have Grandpa hold him. He stayed happy in Frank's arms for about 45 minutes! Carrie got some extra rest – what a rarity!

Vivian was avidly engaged in quiet play. Note how the positioning of the tongue aids in manual dexterity.

We had ravioli for dinner. Shortly afterward Dan and Carrie bathed the girls and got them tucked into bed. As soon as Carrie nursed William and got him nestled in his sleeper, Dan and Carrie slipped out for a mini-date night just the two of them.

Tuesday, July 3rd

Their flight did not leave until 4:30 pm. Carrie, never to waster a precious moment merely relaxing, whisked their family of five out for a winery tour and tasting. William went along for the ride and I bet he snuck in a meal, too.The girls are very well behaved and Carrie has a pro tip for family wine tasting:

Bring coloring books and set the kids up in a corner. When they get bored, feed them all the crackers.

Once back, while Carrie and Dan packed, Frank and I helped amuse the kids. Grandpa did some reading to Vivian.

I held William for part of the time, but as you can see, William is not nearly as content with Grandma as he is with Grandpa.

Lillian and Vivian have a last shot at music before they leave. We had done tunes on the melodica as well as the piano.

Frank and I pose in front of our house for a photo with the three grandkids before they depart for the airport. If you look carefully to the left, in the reflection of the front window, you can see we got everybody in the photo. Then we were off to the airport in two vehicles. Although Dan and Carrie and kiddos and luggage and carseats and stroller all fit in the Nissan Armada, there was no room for a driver to bring the SUV back home. Frank and I followed in the Pontiac so I could deliver him to drive home the rental SUV. He pulled the SUV away from the curb. I lingered just a bit longer and last minute jumped out to give everybody one last hug and kiss. The guard patrolling the curb frowned at a temporarily unattended vehicle, but I figured I could jump back in and drive off before they could write a ticket or get a tow truck to the scene of the "crime".

Wednesday, July 4th

It is time to recover from our fun, frantic visit and prepare to tuck everything away back in the attic. Waiting to go up, from left to right are the Fisher-Price Rock 'n Sleep, the Chico base for the infant car seat, the rocking horse, the bouncy chair in a black plastic trash bag, and in the back two toddler car seats. We gained more space in the family room when we removed the legs from a low three foot diameter child's table and returned it to storage behind the changing table. I got my sewing room back when I disassembled the Pack 'n Play set up in there for Lillian, placed it in its carrying case and set it back on its designated shelf under the changing table. Man – have we got a system!

After Alex went to a 3:00 pm birthday party with his housemates, we picked him up from St. Denis to come back to Livermore for the evening and catch the local fireworks show. On our way in the car we ordered a pizza and picked it up. Pizza is not your typical holiday barbecue fare, but it sure was effort effective and Alex loves it. Here is Alex chilling and watching a show after satiating himself on that pizza.

Of course he immediately made himself quite at home populating the butcher block table in the family room with "a few of his favorite things".  It was fortunate Frank and I had the foresight earlier in the day to clear it from the "favorite things" of Lillian and Vivian. Frank and I typically do jigsaw puzzles on this table. I think I will start calling it the "favorite things" table instead of the "butcher block" table. "Favorite" sounds much more pleasant and far less barbaric than "butcher".

At 8:30 pm Alex, Frank, and I head out to walk the 1 mile distance to our standard watching place for fireworks, not far from the parking garage for the movie theatre and stage theatre. The fireworks are set off from the roof of that garage.

I was really pleased at how engaged and intent Alex was this year in his watching. Often times he twiddles his hair and closes his eyes, but this year was a great change in level of attention. I am glad we made the effort even though we were a bit worn out from six days of company.

The finale was noisy and long and multicolored and multidirectional. This photo hardly does it any justice at all. We walked back home amongst the rambling crowds, flashlight trained on the sidewalks. Alex is sleeping over and we will take him to his day program in the morning. This past week has been great - all around.