April Visit to SoCal

Frank and I flew down to Southern California Friday April 22 and flew back Tuesday April 26, the day after Dan's birthday. It was a whirlwind few days during which we went to a party Saturday in the park for William's 4th birthday and watched a swim meet for Vivian, Lillian, and William on Sunday. Monday we rested in the day before we celebrated Dan's birthday in the evening at a Mexican restaurant – Dan, Frank, me and his four kiddos 8 and under. Frank and I were glad we had rested first.

4th Birthday Party for William
Since William's entire preschool class was invited to his party (plus parents and siblings) it was held outdoors in a neighborhood park. It had a construction theme. Dan arrived with a huge bundle of balloons in the yellow, red, and black of a construction zone colors and some huge mylar balloons of a giant "4" and two construction vehicles. Carrie came prepared with an assortment of dump trucks and bulldozers and front loaders for sand play in the pits. Party favors were all matchbook size construction vehicles.

                 

As for other decorations, Carrie had bought plastic construction tape (like you would see at a crime scene) that eight-year-old Vivian helped Carrie and me wrapped around pillars. There was also a long banner with traffic of construction vehicles and the letters to spell out Happy Birthday". Carrie assigned me the task of pre-stringing that banner the night before so it only needed to be suspended at the party scene. I spread it out on two leather cubes and debated the order of the letters and vehicles for longer that it deserved before stringing them in three sections that we joined together at the party site. Not interrupting the letters was the final decision. The vehicles were in the middle as it they were a line of traffic.

The morning of the party all were assigned tasks and worked as busy bees. Dan and Frank were in charge of: getting inflated balloons from Party City, getting Pizza and cupcakes from Costco, and picking up chicken nuggets from Chic-fil-A. Carrie had planned and prepped yogurts and drinks earlier and I cut up a watermelon into wedges the morning of. There were only a few snags. Inflating the balloons took way longer than anticipated. The pizzas were not ready. Costco no longer baked cupcakes. The guys ran out of time to get the chicken. A friend needed to be pressed into service to pick up the chicken on their way to the party. Frank and I ran out during the party to locate and buy cupcakes. Other than those few hitches, the feast turned out incredibly well.

As I was cutting up that watermelon at the kitchen counter Vivian looked and me in the green splotchy top I was wearing and said "Grandma, you look like a watermelon!". I laughed and asked her, "the color or the shape?" She was absolutely right on both!

About those cupcakes... Frank and I dashed off to the nearest grocery store and ran over to the bakery section. We were under strict instructions to find plain white, not chocolate, cupcakes and they must be decoration free, even devoid of sprinkles. Carrie had decorative toppers planned. High above the glass counters of Ralph's bakery along the ceiling was a bold sign that read DESIGNER CUPCAKES. We looked at each other and groaned. We asked the clerk where they had plain white cupcakes, not the fancy ones. He looked at us and said that there were none; those kind had to be "Special Ordered". We wandered through the multi-table display of creative cupcakes with ladybugs, unicorns, beehives, pigs, etc. until finally locating some vanilla bean cupcakes and some yellow cupcakes that had confetti sprinkles baked inside but not visible on the white icing. We bought both kinds and drove back to the party at the park. I helped Carrie arrange them on a cupcake tree and insert the construction vehicle and truck toppers she bought. Those were so unique and appropriate, just in keeping with four-year-old William's love of all things construction.

Somebody, not invited guests, had brought a pair of fluffy white puppies to the park. They were willing to share the joy of those pups. Kids flocked around them when not engrossed in vehicle play in the sand pits. Vivian, six-year-old Lillian, and sixteen-month-old Irene were each in seventh heaven holding one of them. It was a cute closure near the end of the party.

Once home, William posed in front of his presents before digging in and opening them. Grandpa looks on, collapsed at one end of the couch until he really relaxes and stretches out at the other end. Vivian wanted to be sure Grandpa was covered and comfortable during his nap.

Later that afternoon, Irene is toddling around in the back yard. Apparently her chair's placement was not to her liking. She picked it up and placed it squarely in Grandpa's lap to keep it out of her to-and-fro walking path. Grandpa of course obliges.

Sunday Swim Meet and Date Night
Dan helped the kids sign up for the event they want to enter before walking into the pool area. They had a choice but breast stroke was featured for the older two. It was to be William's first meet and he was excited. Lillian was apprehensive, worried she might forget the correct movements for breast stroke. Vivian was an old hand at this.

Dan encourages each kid. He explains to William what is about to happen. Well, supposed to happen. William leaned off the pool edge in a way that discombobulated him when he tore his goggles from his face while entering the water. He did not continue down his swim lane but climbed out. He was offered a second chance to race but turned it down. His favorite part of the meet was playing in the roped off sections of the pool designated for the swimmers while awaiting their turn.

Dan assures six-year-old Lillian she will not forget her motions for breast stroke; Lillian's swim teacher walked along the lane poolside giving Lillian confidence. Lillian did fine, coming in second, I think. It was a close race.

Vivian needed no coaching before hand, just congratulations afterward. She came in first in her heat.

We did enjoy the swim meet. It was less formal than those all-day ones I remember from Dan's competition days where I often worked ribbon writing duty. Viv and Lil would get ribbons at their next class. William is not in the photo below because he is playing in the roped off area a little longer before heading home!

That night Frank and I babysat all four kiddos while Dan and Carrie had a date night Sunday for his birthday Monday. We did not have much to do. Irene was already in bed and the other three were allowed to watch TV or play on their iPads. I helped Vivian with a sewing project since she was allowed to stay up later. She was a quick learner and made a stuffed felt donut. Justifiably, she was very proud of herself.

Monday, Day of Rest and Dan's Birthday
The kids's went off to school, pre-school, and daycare while Dan and Carrie worked. Frank and I slept, read, and relaxed at our hotel. That evening Carrie taught class and seven of us went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant. There were only two spills and one sticking a sleeve in food. Grandpa took four kiddos outside to run off excess energy while Dan and I finished our meal. As long as mama is not within eyesight, Irene is very content to let Grandpa hold her. Frank challenged himself to succeed at that this trip and he certainly did. Maybe holding that chair for Irene won her over?

Back at Dan's place "Dan" opened his gifts from us, with lots of help and turn taking of his kids. I just realized I took no pictures of the unwrapping, it was too hectic. Summary... he got clothes, books, a game, and smiled thank you accordingly. At thirty-nine, events are a bit low key. We did, however, take photos of our last night together before heading back the next day. It had been a whirlwind, fun, time well spent.