toddering

We’re off to Moss Park this afternoon. Sleeping bags and tent are by the front door. Kids are testing the flashlights. At 8 am it’s blazing hot. Gonna be fun.

From May2010

The school party is long gone. The birthday scooter is just another toy. The tutu count is up to three. The inflatable mattress for JahJah’s visit has been deflated. Only 4 chocolate cupcakes are left.

A return to our version of normal is on the horizon. (After we find places for all of PrettyGirl’s loot.)

It was a good week to share our girl, to sit and talk about her curls, to laugh when she laughs and to enjoy the smile she shines when the chocolate hits.

I took a couple photos of last night’s event with JahJah and Aunt T. Auntie El is in charge of today’s photos.

The photo below was my favorite from last night.

From Elle's 2nd

PrettyGirl turned two today. The last time she’ll double her age overnight.

I went to her parent/teacher conference at pre-school this morning. All’s well, but the teacher says PrettyGirl doesn’t talk much and she often looks at her peers like they are crazy. Sounds familiar.

From Elle's 2nd

We don’t wait for Easter for the Easter Egg Hunt. We do it when Langford Park in downtown Orlando can be reserved.

This may be the last time we can get JC into an Easter outfit like this. Some photos of the hunt are in the gallery behind the photo.

From Easter 2010

For the first time in a few years, I spent a couple hours with Gram. She is in the hospital after a fall and I was the closest person available.

We did what we do. We talked about trips. Abby and I are just back from Florence, so Gram told me about her trip to Forence. As Gram remembers, she went in the 1930’s. “Before the war”, she notes.  Abby and I just came back from a Florence where I called ahead for museum reservations and listened to Rick Steves podcast tours. I imagine Gram’s trip was a little more like a Bicycle Thieves Italy (black and white, dusty and full of smoke.)

Per usual we recapped some of our old trips. Summer trips to North Carolina and Tennessee. I spent hours eating salt water taffy and reading novels and Triptiks in the co-pilot seat.

We talked about how lucky we are now. The great grandchildren are beautiful and I’m lucky to have Abby. I am grateful we have Gram to share these times with.

Gram says JC reminds her of me as a boy. Sometimes she forgets that I am the man who was the boy. The boy in his towheaded squirminess re-animates the good times we had.

I just called Florence, Italy from my office phone in Orlando, Florida for 2 cents per minute. Google Voice allowed me to do it.

I logged on to my Google Voice account, copied the phone number from the Florence museums’ web site (http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/), selected my office phone number from the drop down and clicked call. The phone on my desk rang. An announcer reminded me that the call would cost 2 cents per minute. The call was clear (better than my iphone) and the total charge was 10 cents. It was deducted from the $1 credit for signing up for Google’s free service. A payphone call across town costs more than that.

I have a couple more Google Voice invites if anyone is interested.

Arrived home today to PrettyGirl rushing from the front door with her helmet on.

I tried to take her biking Saturday, but she screamed bloody murder when I tried to snap the helmet on. I’m ornery, so I ignored it. I strapped the screamer on and did a quick loop despite her protest.

Sunday she decided it was time & we went for a ride around the block. She screamed when I got back home and pulled her off the bike.

Tonight she screamed when I took her off; we’ll have to go further.

From 2010-01-25

1/14/10 JC learned how to swing by himself.

From Wekiwa State Park

We drove out to Wekiwa to celebrate PrettyLady & JC’s recovery from undiagnosed ailments that forcefully moved bodily fluids in unpredictable ways and exhausted both of them.

It’s a pretty nice park. The drive is easy, less than 20 minutes from downtown Orlando. The kids liked the playground, but I’m always intrigued by the spring. I’m a Floridian. A constant temperature of 74 degrees sounds great in Summer. The swimmer I spoke to had a New Jersey accent.

We made it home, though just barely.

Highlights of the return trip included

1. JC blowing chunks on himself & mother on the flight from Atlanta
2. All of us patted down at the Florence Airport. (No really, they patted the 4 year old and his 1.5 year old sister.)

From Florence AL